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British punk trio GRADE 2 return swinging with Talk About It, their third and most blisteringly realized album, out on Tim Armstrong"s storied Hellcat Records. It"s an 11-track surge that fuses classic punk"s bare-knuckle conviction with the disillusionment, identity crises, and quiet rage of Gen-Z-delivered by three Isle of Wight lifers who"ve been sharpening their edge since they fifirst bashed out covers at 14. Jack Chatfifield, Jacob Hull, and Sid Ryan have spent thirteen years turning raw instinct into a signature roar, and Talk About It captures them at full velocity. Their blistering track, "Cut Throat," distills their ethos: fifierce guitars, punishing rhythm, and a narra-tive of clawing forward while the world seems hellbent on pulling you under. "It"s about a world that takes more than it gives," the band says-and that tension becomes fuel, a rallying cry for anyone navigating a landscape that feels colder by the day. With Talk About It, GRADE 2 don"t just revive punk"s urgency-they embody it.

Bassmæssage is the oldest and most consistent bass night in Leipzig Germoany, pushing local soundsystem culture and grass roots artivism. We are about to welcome a fresh release "for all who like it low and want it vibrant"!

After two installments of bass-heavy multi-genre various-BPM grooves on Volume One in 2015 and on Second Drop in 2023 here comes the full triplet in this line of bass music vinyl compilations featuring acts who have been mÊssaging our nights. This time on Threenity, one side side is running garagewise 130, flipped by a more dubsteppish 140 area, all drowning in dark sinister midranges, mindful drum programmings and heavy-weight lows for huge speakers, to be released around 9th May 2026 on a 2 floor DIY soundsystem night in Connewitz!

Opening with genre wizzard LUI from Leipzig, showing how dirty and fonkey a garage bit can actually go. Bricks of beats on a fundament of nasty bass concrete, roofed by a vast selection of uplifting samples are vibing for sure.
Trainsient is the deep bass moniker of Leipzig's Plastiks running DDNBC, delivering a heavy tribal statement of a lost place of a deep grime, overgrown with flutey leaves and dreamy synth lianes hiding da moddership.
Psionide from Dresden with estonian roots is celebrating a vinyl debut with a slow-jungle dream-breaks bit between retro and future, braindance and dance, listening and bassline coaster.
Son du Maquis outa Toulouse sneaks in low in a classic dubstep manner, only to drop the lowest wobble possible right throughout the ride.
Miles Won transmitting from Plugwhiz, nails headnodding with his beat writing skills. Where bass meets hip hop, the grass has never been greener.
Finally, veteran like Dub Across Borders cabling from Copenhagen is delivering the contemplating outro: a melancholic 140 halftime not only to send you home but right into the night sky.

These six peaces are found on a heavy cut vinyl, ready to shake your system. As bonus there is another papercraft Basstelbogen cover, which lets you build your own BM logo and a 1:3 ratio record player on top. Mach's mit, mach's nach, mach's b‰sser!

Incest Songs is the final chapter of the Murder Ballads trilogy, and its most fully realized expression. Where Drift and Passages explored the post-isolationist frame through voice and single instrument, this third volume dispenses with that approach entirely, opening instead onto a more labyrinthine sonic architecture - one built from overlapping, saturating, blurring voices, all of them Martyn Bates'. The decision feels both inevitable and quietly inspired. Bates' vocalizations unfold as layered calls and responses, muted and distant echoes, sung whispers and counter-melodies, ultimately resolving into a mesmeric conversation of musical inferences and correspondences. There is a mellifluous, dream-like quality to the whole - infused with that characteristic stillness that slow, hypnotic unfolding of gossamer subtlety - yet never quite losing a certain drugged, disquieting beauty beneath its surface.

Incest Songs pushes the post-isolationist form further out than either of its predecessors, innovating and extemporising with a dazzling assurance. And yet, remarkably, this remains a territory still almost entirely unexplored by other artists - the sole province, it seems, of M.J. Harris and Martyn Bates.

As Bates himself reflects: "I feel, in personal terms listening to it, I think it's easy to detect that the whole thing has been a truly exhilarating experience for the both of us, realising and developing this strange, sublime creature of ours and now I guess it's up to others to take up the challenge, to build on what we've done and I think that there are still SO MANY fantastic possibilities "

Back for round two on WOLF Music, Toronto Hustle & Sean Roman present their ‘Social Narcotics’ EP. The deep house dons from Canada don’t disappoint with a hard-hitting slammer, and a suite of remixes courtesy of some of the scene’s most-respected producers.

The A-side starts with none-other than Byron The Aquarius on the remix. You see that name on a record and you know it’s going to be a hot 12”. Just look at some of the labels he’s released on; Sound Signature, Wild Oats, Eglo, Axis; that’s the only stamp of approval you need. His remix of ‘Social Narcotics’ is deeper than deep. Moody, musical and packed with detail. Proper house for those that know the good stuff.

Then POW! - you're hit with a legend of the game. Calling Nick Holder a legend isn’t hype, it’s just fact. Active since the early ‘90s and head of DNH Records, with releases on labels like NRK and Poker Flat Recordings, his influence runs deep. Any serious head will have some of his jams in their collection (‘Summer Daze’!!!). Teaming up with Tyrone Solomon under their ‘Trackheadz’ guise, the Canadian duo have delivered a trademark peak-time remix. Driving and groovy, this is tackle for proper dancefloors.

For the flip we have Toronto Hustle & Sean Roman's original track and a rather tasty dub version. ‘Social Narcotics’, blends sharp social commentary with a late-night, low-slung thumper of a soundtrack. With its warm, rolling and hypnotic feel, it has echoes of a prime 90s deep house cut, yet still sounds fresh and very much of the now. The dub mix turns the lights down even lower, stripping it back and letting the groove bubble away with a more heads-down sound.

This EP is a strong follow-up that keeps things deep, soulful, and club-ready. Exactly what you want from Toronto Hustle & Sean Roman, and another solid addition to the WOLF Music catalogue.

After a few quiet months, Griffé returns in 2026 with a powerful new release from Milès Borghese.

Previously featured on renowned labels such as 9finity (Secretsundaze), Squid Recordings (Liquid Earth), and Neptune Discs, Milès delivers a versatile EP that reflects his sound and dancefloor sensibility.

It’s Just EP moves between driven, high-energy cuts (Checkpoint) and deeper, more textured territories. Dubby atmospheres, cold chords, and hypnotic grooves shape the more introspective side of the record, leaning toward dub techno with a deep, minimal, and mental edge. A balanced and refined EP built for both peak-time impact and late-night immersion.

Aus der fruchtbaren skandinavischen Post-Rock-Landschaft hervorgegangen, haben sich Oh Hiroshima einen Ruf dafür erarbeitet, Introspektion in einen weiten, cineastischen Klang zu verwandeln. Mit ,And the Dead Tree Gives No Shelter" setzen Oh Hiroshima ihr Streben fort, das Gleichgewicht zwischen Verletzlichkeit und Kraft zu verfeinern. Im Kern des Sounds von Oh Hiroshima liegt ein filigranes Wechselspiel zwischen Zurückhaltung und Entladung. Ihre Kompositionen bauen behutsam Spannung auf und lassen jede Ebene organisch entfalten: Klingende Gitarren, ferne Nachklänge und minimale rhythmische Impulse - die scheinbar schwerelos in der Luft schweben - bilden einen Kontrast zu jener wuchtigen Kraft, die sie entfesseln können. Klare, schimmernde Gitarrentöne breiten sich wellenartig durch dichten Hall und subtile Delays aus, während sich einzelne Linien oft in sanftem Kontrapunkt miteinander verflechten. Während sich diese Ebenen schichten, intensivieren sie sich allmählich und steuern auf jene Momente zu, in denen Verzerrung und Lautstärke die einst fragile Atmosphäre in etwas Immenses und Kathartisches verwandeln.Wenn die Musik ihre emotionalen Höhepunkte erreicht, tritt die Perkussion zwar bestimmender hervor, bleibt dabei jedoch behutsam in die Gesamtatmosphäre eingebettet. Oh Hiroshima beweisen beständig ein wachsendes Selbstvertrauen darin, die Grenzen ihres Sounds auszuloten. Durch die Verschmelzung von Harmonien, einer immersiven Produktion und einem tief intuitiven Gespür für das richtige Tempo haben Oh Hiroshima ein Album geschaffen, das von Intimität durchwoben ist und sich zugleich weit und raumgreifend anfühlt. Für Freunde von Alcest, Mogwai, God Is an Astronaut. CD, klassisch schwarzes und farbiges (limitiertes) Vinyl erhältlich.

Aus der fruchtbaren skandinavischen Post-Rock-Landschaft hervorgegangen, haben sich Oh Hiroshima einen Ruf dafür erarbeitet, Introspektion in einen weiten, cineastischen Klang zu verwandeln. Mit ,And the Dead Tree Gives No Shelter" setzen Oh Hiroshima ihr Streben fort, das Gleichgewicht zwischen Verletzlichkeit und Kraft zu verfeinern. Im Kern des Sounds von Oh Hiroshima liegt ein filigranes Wechselspiel zwischen Zurückhaltung und Entladung. Ihre Kompositionen bauen behutsam Spannung auf und lassen jede Ebene organisch entfalten: Klingende Gitarren, ferne Nachklänge und minimale rhythmische Impulse - die scheinbar schwerelos in der Luft schweben - bilden einen Kontrast zu jener wuchtigen Kraft, die sie entfesseln können. Klare, schimmernde Gitarrentöne breiten sich wellenartig durch dichten Hall und subtile Delays aus, während sich einzelne Linien oft in sanftem Kontrapunkt miteinander verflechten. Während sich diese Ebenen schichten, intensivieren sie sich allmählich und steuern auf jene Momente zu, in denen Verzerrung und Lautstärke die einst fragile Atmosphäre in etwas Immenses und Kathartisches verwandeln.Wenn die Musik ihre emotionalen Höhepunkte erreicht, tritt die Perkussion zwar bestimmender hervor, bleibt dabei jedoch behutsam in die Gesamtatmosphäre eingebettet. Oh Hiroshima beweisen beständig ein wachsendes Selbstvertrauen darin, die Grenzen ihres Sounds auszuloten. Durch die Verschmelzung von Harmonien, einer immersiven Produktion und einem tief intuitiven Gespür für das richtige Tempo haben Oh Hiroshima ein Album geschaffen, das von Intimität durchwoben ist und sich zugleich weit und raumgreifend anfühlt. Für Freunde von Alcest, Mogwai, God Is an Astronaut. CD, klassisch schwarzes und farbiges (limitiertes) Vinyl erhältlich.

Norway's Dodheimsgard was formed in 1994 by Vicotnik & Aldrahn. The early incarnation was that of a raw & melodic black metal band, with their debut album also featuring Fenriz of Darkthrone on bass, before the poisons of a more schizophrenic concoction started to take hold. One of the top bands & visionaries of the mid-90's Norwegian Black Metal evolution, DHG are widely hailed as masters of dark & psychotic psychedelia-tinged extremity. 'Satanic Art' was originally released in 1998 & is considered a significant turning point for the band, as the compositions became less traditional in their structure & delivery, & instead became far more abstract & twisted. Besides the duo of Vicotnik & Aldrahn, the line-up also featured members of other notable Norwegian acts such as Aura Noir & Fleurety, with studio work assistance from Garm of Ulver.

The new EP is released on limited edition 'Scissorhands Ice Blue' coloured vinyl with a hand-numbered gold riso print sleeve art with obi strip. Sarah/Shaun wooed hearts and wowed critics with debut EP It's True What They Say? in 2024 plus follow-up EP Someone's Ghost in 2025. They have been featured across the media including BBC Radio 6Music, BBC Radio Scotland, The List and The Skinny. They've played gigs supporting French legends Air, Glaswegian 80s pop legends The Bluebells, Glasgow's huge Glasvegas, a slew of venues across Glasgow and Edinburgh, not to mention the festivals: Kelburn Garden Party, Fringe By The Sea, Kendall Calling, Dunbar Music Festival and Hidden Door Festival. The duo are set to release a full length album in late 2026.


b A2 Heart Started Beating [Backwards] (4:10)
[c] B1 Desperation Looks Ill [From The Other Side] (4:26)


[b] A2 Heart Started Beating [Backwards] (4:10)
[c] B1 Desperation Looks Ill [From The Other Side] (4:26)

What happens when the mathematical rigor of Johann Sebastian Bach is stripped of its classical facade? With the album SRDNG x LPZG, the duo AMAS, together with double bassist Frithjof-Martin Grabner, delivers a radical answer on May 15th, 2026. The work does not merely translate Bach’s legacy; it consistently reimagines it within the aesthetics of Minimal, Dub-Techno, and Ambient. The creation of this extraordinary abstraction spanned three years and two geographical poles: the raw isolation of Sardinia and the academic precision of Leipzig.

The project found its origin in the seclusion of Pula, at the southernmost tip of Sardinia. There, AMAS extracted and digitally dissected the rhythmic and tonal essence of 14 selected works by Bach. In a temporary local studio, these minimalist sequences fused with field recordings of the surroundings to form a hypnotic framework of electronic structures. Back in Leipzig, this foundation met Frithjof-Martin Grabner. In an intense session held in a hall of the historic HMT Leipzig, spontaneous improvisations emerged that breathe the spirit of Miles Davis’ approach to "Ascenseur pour l’échafaud": free play based on rudimentary sketches, an intuitive reaction to the material—comparable to Davis’ iconic scoring of silent film images. It is a deliberate prioritization of atmosphere over technical perfection. Grabner utilizes the full spectrum of his instrument, creating sounds that, in post-production, often blur the line between analog depth and synthetic texture.

The result is an organic symbiosis: the vastness of Sardinia (SRDNG) meets the intellectual density of Leipzig (LPZG), while the strictness of the Baroque dissolves into the repetitive energy of Minimal Techno. To do justice to this conceptual ambition, the album will be released in an uncompromisingly audiophile edition. Limited to 200 copies worldwide, the double LP is pressed on 180g vinyl and features a front cover with a special 3D effect, continuing the visual tradition of the AMAS series. An album for listeners who understand Bach as a living origin of modern sound art—and for lovers of electronic music seeking a new, organic soul within the repetitive depth of techno.

Re issue of the album on LP as previous versions had all sold out and were deleted.
Global Dance phenomenon Sammy Virji’s sophomore album ‘Same Day Cleaning’ sees the renowned party starter deliver UK Garage to the world like no one before. The new album is rooted in Sammy’s unmissable club ready production style and features a slew of legendary rappers & producers. The project lands after an insane year of global festival and headline touring for Sammy. ‘Same Day Cleaning’ follows Sammy’s hugely successful ‘If U Need It’ and his follow up singles including club mainstay ‘Damager’, with Interplanetary Criminal. The album also features Sammy’s massive link up with British icon Skepta, ‘Cops & Robbers’. ‘Same Day Cleaning’ is bigger, bolder and promises to propel Sammy Virji even further onto the global dance-music stage

High Focus Records are proud to present the latest collaboration from Verb T & Illinformed. ‘Stranded in Foggy Times’ both continues and completes the trilogy that began back in 2015, with ‘The Man with the Foggy Eyes’, before broadening the horizons with last year’s release ‘The Land of the Foggy Skies’. This final chapter returns to the same conceptual landscape as its predecessors, but also sees Verb T & Illinformed returning to a more classic approach to album making. In spite of its concept, the Foggy Trilogy is something of a personal outpouring for Verb T, with the original aim being to vicariously discuss the trials and tribulations that play a part in his life, including his struggles with chronic illness and the feeling of alienation from leaving his hometown, while also reflecting on the state of the world as a whole. Their approach to making the album meant taking it back to the most natural form, where the idea for the track would be outlined, Illinformed would make the beat, Verb T would write to it and then they would tweak and adjust accordingly. The result is 19 of the most finely crafted tracks to emerge from the UK shores this year. As with the previous albums, ‘Stranded in Foggy Times’ finds Illinformed moving away from the more rugged sound that has shrouded the British scene over the last few months, thanks to his collaborations with the likes of Datkid and Wish Master, instead providing Verb T with an arguably more mellow backdrop. From the string and piano driven introduction on ‘Legacy’, to the blissful head-nod vibes of the closing track, ‘Blind Faith’, the union between beats and rhymes sits at the perfect level. The album also boasts one of the most impressive guestlists of the year, one that is very much a product of both players’ worlds. Thanks to Illinformed’s Bristol connection, there are features from the likes of Res One, Datkid, Leaf Dog, Smellington Piff and Chillman, as well as some locally sourced cuts from DJ Rogue. While on Verb T’s side of the fence, we have features from Rye Shabby and Moreone, along with a collaboration that reignites the same creative spark he found in his early days, as King Kashmere steps into the booth on Feeling Strange. All in all, ‘Stranded in Foggy Times’ does exactly what it sets out to do, by drawing the trilogy to a close while also providing insights into Verb T’s personal world and the world at large. The fact that it also happens to be one of the strongest rap albums of the year is the icing on the cake

AUDIO VERSATILE RECORDINGS is an independent record label dedicated to producing and promoting high-quality electronic music. With a passion for discovering and supporting unique artists, Whether you're an artist looking for a label or a listener seeking fresh, cutting-edge tracks, Audio Versatile Recordings is your destination for diverse and dynamic electronic music.

We are pleased to announce the first FEX live album, Don't Look Back. The release features selected recordings from two concerts in Paderborn and Uelzen, both captured in 1985. All tracks on the album are previously unissued, including entirely unheard songs such as It's a Hard Life, Just Get Back, Legend, and Waiting Song, alongside a previously unreleased version of Subways of Your Mind, widely known as "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet."
One of the most striking aspects of the album is the remarkable sound quality of the live recordings, as well as the strength of the performances themselves - particularly given that FEX were still considered a newcomer band at the time. The four-piece lineup consisted of singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter Ture Rückwardt, Michael Hädrich on keyboards and occasional second guitar, Norbert Ziermann on bass, and Hans-Reimer Sievers on drums. In 1985, the band was preparing for broader exposure through a nationwide tour organized by the small promotion company HBM-Musikbüro.
The album opens with the psychedelic Skyscraper, a track Rückwardt reportedly regarded as a personal favorite to perform. Hädrich contributes dynamic synthesizer layers, while Ziermann underpins the track with a distinctive slap bass groove. This is followed by the energetic rock number It's a Hard Life, which once again demonstrates that the band possessed multiple songs capable of matching the impact of their best known track Subways of Your Mind.
After this energetic opening, the album shifts into a more restrained mood with the synth-pop ballad I Got My Eyes On You. It is followed by Strange Feeling, presented here in a particularly compelling live version that arguably surpasses the previously released studio demo featured on the Skyscraper LP, with Rückwardt delivering one of his most expressive vocal performances. On Goldrush, another fan favorite, it is Hädrich's DX7 synthesizer work that stands out.
Don't Look Back continues to flow seamlessly, moving between styles such as new wave, synth pop, and a blues-influenced form of classic rock. On It's Good To Know, a song addressing the theme of stardom, the band returns to a heavier rock sound. In contrast, the synth-driven Just Get Back reflects on the conflict in Northern Ireland, then ongoing at the time. Lines such as "It's the money, it's the money why they come along" are directed at mercenary soldiers, while "even Sunday's a killing time" directly references Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2.
Previously known songs such as Dirty Slapstick and Heart in Danger lead into We Don't Want It No More, perhaps the band's most striking pop ballad. It is easy to imagine that the track had the potential to achieve radio success in the 1980s. The following piece, the epic Legend, explores themes of loneliness and love simultaneously. With poetic and abstract lines such as "some isolate in the falling rain" and "that's why I count all the reasons they call out for living, sadness is falling inside," it builds an almost eerie atmosphere.
One of the final highlights of the album is Subways of Your Mind, recorded in Uelzen. In this version, Rückwardt's vocal performance is even more on point than on the previously issued recording from Paderborn. Another notable moment is the driving, 1970s-inspired rock 'n' roll track Waiting Song. Both the composition and its live performance carry an energy that could easily stand alongside the repertoire of bands such as AC/DC. It was usually the track that FEX ended their concerts with, calling out each band member at the end of the song.
This leads to a broader reflection: it is striking that FEX did not achieve a wider breakthrough at the time. The performances captured here suggest a band capable of delivering consistently, song by song, note by note. It is not difficult to imagine FEX performing in large venues and engaging sizeable audiences. In reality, however, most performances in 1985 took place in front of relatively small crowds. The recordings featured on this album originate from the Roxy club in Paderborn and a small, unknown venue in Uelzen, likely in front of fewer than fifty attendees.
An essential figure behind these recordings is the engineer known only under his nickname Hase (German for "rabbit"), who was responsible for capturing not only these concerts but many other surviving FEX recordings. Bringing his own mixing desk to performances, he developed a deep familiarity with the band's material and was able to shape the live sound with precision, including the timely use of vocal effects. The original recordings existed only on cassette and required careful and extensive restoration work. Zoey Cairs was finally responsible for bringing them to their present quality.
This album marks the beginning of the Live Waves series, following the rediscovery of additional recordings that have gained international attention since November 2024, when they surfaced through what has been described as the largest "lost wave" music search to date. The title of this first live LP Don't Look Back carries a certain paradox. While the album invites listeners to revisit recordings from forty years ago, FEX themselves were always oriented toward the future. In that spirit, further releases of brand new material are already planned.
The cover artwork is once again based on an image by Magnussen from the Kiel archive, depicting the Prinz-Heinrich-Brücke. The bridge, once located in the northern part of the city, no longer exists. As a symbol, however, it remains fitting: a bridge stands for movement and connection - qualities that FEX sought to embody on tour, bringing their music to different places and audiences.

Ampoule's Pub returns with a fresh remaster of the classic 'Summer' and a brand new track titled 'The Fragile Root'

'Summer' was originally released 20 years ago on the Vertical Form label - a result of a multitude of completely live and improvised studio sessions, that gently swell and evolve over the tracks 16 minutes.

'Fragile Root' is a brand new track, think vintage idm - intricate rhythms and melodies crossed with massive dub chords.

Mastered by Dubplates & Mastering

Unlock the allure of The Hot Spot through its unforgettable soundtrack, a captivating collection that brings the film's sultry ambiance to life.

Set against the backdrop of a small Texas town, The Hot Spot follows Harry Madox, a charming drifter with a dark past. As he arrives in town, he becomes embroiled in a web of seduction and deceit, navigating his way through a love triangle involving the sultry waitress, Gloria, and the alluring femme fatale, Dolly. Tensions rise and passions ignite, leading to a thrilling climax where desire and danger intertwine. Directed by the visionary Dennis Hopper, the film is a masterclass in mood and atmosphere, capturing the essence of 1990s neo-noir.

The Hot Spot has garnered acclaim for its stylish cinematography and gripping narrative, but it's the music that truly sets it apart. It's an amalgamation of swampy blues, jazz and rock — all mixed and recorded in a sparse, bloomy and eerie sort of way.

Critics hailed the soundtrack as "an electrifying fusion of jazz and blues that perfectly complements the film's seductive undertones." The blend of sultry melodies and haunting instrumentals creates an immersive experience that resonates long after the credits roll.

This recording is just so damn fine, so airy and warm. And the musicians aboard on this Dennis Hopper film are a who's who, including Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Roy Rodgers, Earl Palmer and Tim Drummond. This has long been a highly sought-after and collectible record among audiophiles. This soundtrack is essential for any music lover or film buff, capturing the very essence of the film's seductive spirit.

A few words for the album
Moment’s Aeternity:
a 12/8 composition celebrating the raw power of the “moment”, marked by whirling improvised moments between drums, bass clarinet and Harris P’s Armenian duduk.

Pajko, fire in the forest on the mountain:
in Sokratis own words: “I have a really vivid memory as a child. I was staring at the Djena mountain from my window in Archangellos which sits on the Pajko mountain. A little beam of light shone far in the horizon; it was a fire that in my little eyes looked as if the giants of Almopia were trying to communicate with each other using phryktoria (a way of contacting through fire in Ancient Greece).”

Footprints of some Giant Steps:
While the classic compositions of two true Jazz Giants- Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane- are certainly different, they do both connect in a mystical way. Rearranged in 5/8 combining half of each melody and half of each one’s chord progression, keeping the form of the piece for improvisation, still in 5.

Oson Zeis Fainou (Seikilo’s Epitaph):
found in a tomb stone in the Northeast of Greece, this is the only melody saved from the ancient times. It is accompanied by lyrics contemplating the meaning of life:
Ὅσον ζῇς φαίνου
μηδὲν ὅλως σὺ λυποῦ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν τὸ τέλος ὁ xρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ.
‘’While you live, shine
don’t feel blue for anything because our life is short and time demands an end.’’

Here is to Oghene K:
’’Hey man, where is the groove?’’, he would say, just to trigger another wave of inspiration for Sokratis. Oghene was a true force of nature, a well of kindness, a masterful artist that left this world too early. This one is for him.

Balkan Riff (for Milcho Leviev):
Milcho Leviev (1936-2019), was a long-time friend and collaborator and a true inspiration for expression, creativity and colorfulness. Expressing the deep sentiments evoked by the Balkan sound and history, this is a sorrowful dialogue between bass clarinet and contrabass.

Spirits of Djena:
one of the most esoteric and personal moments of the album. Composed and recorded during the challenging times of the COVID-era, you can hear the baritone and tenor saxophone firmly grounded on a crispy, hypnotizing contrabass groove.

Sokratis Votskos Quartet
Kostas Anastasiadis / Giorgos Klountzos - Chrysidis: Drums
Leandros Pasias: Piano
Vaggelis Vrachnos: Contrabass
Sokratis Votskos: Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet and Compositions


Sokratis Votskos is a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, educator, and bandleader from Greece. Deeply invested in unearthing the folk sounds and heritage music of Greece and Eastern Europe, he weaves these into modern jazz compositions though the use of melodies, polyrhythms, and his reedy, timeless tone. He leads the Sokratis Votskos Quartet, he is one half of Kolida Babo and member of the Reggetiko Project. A highly regarded sideman and ensemble player, he has worked extensively with renowned jazz musicians with several highly acclaimed releases (MiC, Jazzman, Walt Disney and now Fair Weather Friends Records).

He has performed his music in numerous venues and festivals worldwide from Vinterjazz in Copenhagen, to the EFG London Jazz Festival where he performed at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s alongside Greg Foat.

He is also an archaeoacoustics researcher and enthusiast, having completed his Master studies on the field of ancient ritualistic caves of Greece research.

Leandros Pasias was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. At age 10 was introduced to piano, continuing his studies at the Modern Conservatory of Thessaloniki and later at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the department of jazz piano.Ηe holds a classical harmony diploma and a BA at the Department of Music Studies at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In 2020 he received jazz improvisation lessons from Aaron Parks.

With a series of appearances in multiple international jazz festivals, Leandros has collaborated with a wide range of musicians from Nicolas Masson and James Wylie to Marina Osk, Ivo Papasov and Haris Lambrakis, among others.

A member of the Yako Trio, he released “OdesSea” on Fair Weather Friends Records (2021).

Vangelis Vrachnos was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1989. While he started playing the bass at the age of 12, alongside his brother, his studies would commence a few years later. Introduced to double bass at the age of 23, he undertook jazz double bass studies at the Codarts Αcademy of Rotterdam. He has participated in several festivals such as the Technopolis and Odessa international jazz festivals. Since returning to his hometown, in 2015, he has been a founding member of Mordana and Yako Trio and has collaborated with a series of musicians like James Wyllie, Sokrates Votskos and Dimitis Agelakis, among others.

Kostas Anastasiadis is a tireless researcher, that has been diligently studying Tradition and its evolution, creating a fresh amalgam of sound moods. His mature improvisational virtuosity highlights a uniquely individual artistic expression and was recognized with the ̈Unique Individual Stylist" award by the PIT (Percussion Institute of Technology) in Los Angeles, California. He has been associated with various ensembles that have garnered significant interest in the global music scene. As an educator, he is the founder of "The Harmony of Rhythm" musical method, which aims to explore and establish the elements that constitute the concept of rhythm.

Giorgos Klountzos-Chrysidis was born in Thessaloniki in 1991. Following studies at the Modern Conservatory of Thessaloniki, he moved to France and the Conservatoire de Nice. With performances at well-known festivals like Nice Jazz Festival, Nuits du Sud and Jazz à Vienne, he had the opportunity to meet the American drummer Leon Parker, who encouraged him to move to Paris, where he spent the next two years under his tutoring and guidance.

In 2016, came a defining moment in his career as he traveled to New York for the first time. He participated in the quartet of saxophonist Diego Rivera for a series of performances and attended lessons by Rodney Whitaker and Randy "Uncle G" Gelispie at Michigan's State University.

Collaborations include Xavier Davis, Ricky Ford, Nicolas Masson, Diego Rivera, Craig Bailey, Baptiste Herbin, Marc Abrams, Pantelis Stoikos, Antonis Anissegos, David Lynch, Ziad Rajab and Ivo Papasov, among others.

In Gianfranco Rosi’s portrait of Naples, Sotto le Nuvole, the ground shakes periodically. Between Mount Vesuvius and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the fumaroles of the Phlegraean Fields hiss volcanic gas and steam. Below the sleeping volcano, modern day Naples emerges in black and white and fills with voices, with lives. From the traces of history and the concerns of the present, Rosi documents a city immersed in its continuous past, with Daniel Blumberg’s minimal soundscape hovering in a sonic space between liquid and air.
Tasked with creating a soundscape that would suspend space within Rosi’s film, Blumberg called upon the extended technique of saxophonists Seymour Wright and John Butcher to create a gossamer fabric of traces and sounds abstracted from their instruments. Having transitioned from theoretical physics to the saxophone, John Butcher has always deeply considered space in the context of his playing. His concerns are with flow, density and how the saxophone is situated in the living world. Zeroing in on the core sonic properties of the mechanical and acoustic components of the saxophone, Seymour Wright has integrated its every breath, reed vibration, keypad clatter and hissed microtone of his alto into his own, unique improvisational language. In his work with these two seminal players, Blumberg makes his most concentrated soundtrack to date - reinforcing the film's sense of overlapping time and space, and pushing at the limits of experimentation.

Initially recorded in Daniel’s flat in London, Butcher and Wright centre themselves around long, consistent tones, so soft that it seems breath is being gently pulled from the saxophone's bell by an invisible hand. Blumberg himself adds haunting bass harmonica, and recordings of Wright’s launeddas - a traditional and ancient triple pipe polyphonic reed instrument from Sardinia, Italy. Blumberg then travelled to the volcanic region of Baia, next to Pompeii. Once a flourishing classical Roman city loved by Nero, Baia slowly sank under hydrothermal pressure, leaving the city in a kind of geological purgatory. Using specialised geophones and hydrophones, Blumberg took those initial recordings and amplified them underwater, sending them calling out across the ruins of Baia’s mosaics, Nymphaeum statues and villas.

“It was important to me that the music was whispered in the same landscape that Gianfranco has worked for the past three years, so that you can hear the volcanic air gulping, the lapping of the waves, the steam and bubbles popping against John and Seymour’s saxophone breaths – an echo from a suspended time.”
What emerges is deeply melancholic, tender, subtle and right at the edges of audio technology. Submerged in an aquarian mausoleum, the mysterious vibrations of the saxophone and its bell become an echo of an echo, wading from the future into the past. ‘Sotto le Nuvole’ is less a soundtrack than a process of aeration - a sonic puncture in the material of the film which allows its central message to breathe, and a remarkable experiment at the limits of the saxophone’s possibility.

Packed with live classics and brimming with his frenetic brand of mutated, electronic, anti-pop, this album marks the next step in Anklepants' march to world domination.

Anklepants' act gets a reaction from everyone that witness it. The hysteria surrounding him has gained momentum since the release of his 12' vinyl 'SPEEK You Little Re-facéé' on Love Love in 2013, propelled by a European tour last year with Otto Von Schirach and his sensational Boiler Room set. The 'SPEEK You Little Re-facéé' vinyl single served as a taster of what was to come with its 2 bombastic extended cuts (both also featuring here). Now, having sown the seeds of his message around the world, his debut album has arrived on Vinyl and CD.

The CD version of this album comes with a second disc containing reworkings of Anklepants' original tracks by other artists similarly carving their own paths through the modern übergründé, including Eomac, Valance Drakes, Kraig Grady, Lenkemz, Monster X, Bintus, FUKNO + more.

180g Heavy double vinyl LP with liner notes by Tyran Grillo. Limited Japanese Obi for the first pressing. Original artwork by Russell Mills and photography by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

The third Time Capsule is a body of dub reinterpretations by celebrated producer Bill Laswell of Ethiopian singer Gigi. Curated by Tokyo record collector, music researcher and seasoned reissue supervisor Ken Hidaka, it is the first time Illuminated Audio is pressed to vinyl after its CD release in 2003.

Ejigayehu Shibabaw was born in 1974 in Chagni, northwestern Ethiopia and by pursuing a career as a singer, went against her father’s strict, traditional gender roles. As Gigi, she embraced the same musical freedom she had strived for in her personal life, incorporating the Ethiopian church, funk, hip-hop, West and South African music into her work. She first settled in Nairobi, then Addis Ababa, where she quickly established herself as one of the city’s leading singers. A move to San Francisco in 1998 led to a long and fruitful creative partnership with bassist and producer Bill Laswell.

Around the same time, Chris Blackwell had stepped away from Island Records to start the art house film company and label Palm Pictures. He took an interest in Gigi and together with Laswell, pulled together an all-star cast of musicians for her self-titled US debut album, including Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders and Wayne Shorter. It won international critical acclaim, not just for its musicianship but for making Gigi a “defining voice for the Ethiopian expatriate community”, as journalist Tyran Grillo praises in his Time Capsule liner notes. From the nation-defining 1896 victory over Italian invaders to the quiet revolutionaries who wear simple shemma garments, Grillo believes the themes in Gigi make it “a shower of sunlight on her homeland for those ignorant of its struggles.”

After its success, Blackwell encouraged them to go back into the studio to rethink the album and Illuminated Audio was born. “Anyone can make a voice sound worldly”, Grillo remarks, “but rare are those who can make one sound inner-worldly.” Gigi was clear with Laswell to give her vocals a minor role “because it’s already been done.” Instead her Amharic verse is fleeting, exhaling through the textures like ghostly fragments; soaring yet muted. Yet the album is still titled under her name, an assertion by Laswell of her central role in the album’s creation. Not only was it a fully endorsed project by Gigi, but she would be present throughout its development, giving feedback on half-finished ideas as Laswell played them back in the studio. “It works perfectly”, she reflected after the album’s release. “We wanted to capture the whole spirit of each track, and Bill’s remixes create a different music language that really puts you in a pleasant place”.

This new vocabulary takes its lead from a technical approach that Laswell had been perfecting during a furtive creative period at the turn of the millennium. Much like his ambient interpretations of Miles Davis (Panthalassa, 1998), Bob Marley (Dreams of Freedom, 1997), and Carlos Santana (Divine Light, 2001), Laswell approached Illuminated Audio by returning to the original multitrack masters. Gigi wasn’t just reworked, but recomposed into an expansive lattice of instruments, submerged in a watery ambience of dub and trance undercurrents.

Sonically, this new language that Gigi refers to, is manifested by the original album’s more understated parts being pushed to the fore. Explaining his contrasting methods, Laswell saw Gigi as being “put together in a way that fits”. Contrastingly, in Illuminated Audio, “a lot of things that I featured in the remix weren’t as audible in the original.” Instrumentation laying near-dormant, deep in the mix, are brought to the fore: the acid rock guitar and Wayne Shorter’s saxophone on ‘Tew Ante Sew’, Graham Haynes’ flugelhorn on ‘Nafekeñ’, Laswell’s bass on ‘Kahn’, the melodica in Mengedegna or the floating synths and talking drums in ‘Gud Fella’.

Brought to his attention by mentor DJ Nori, Hidaka describes Illuminated Audio as a “masterful sonic exploration into ethereal ambience and dub” and made sure this reissue also contained a full remaster to give its “deep musicality” much better dynamics and density in the overall sound. Hidaka admits that Laswell's music “is sometimes so out-there, it is often misunderstood” and, indeed, to dub album non-believers this might seem like a prolific producer imposing himself on another artist’s work; eternally developing rearrangements that never quite get to its destination. But that’s missing its true power and triumph. This is more than the reissue of a remix, but “a wholly unique musical entity”, as Hidaka describes. Illuminated Audio refers to the illuminated manuscripts that comprise the major part of Ethiopian art and its new compositions stand in proud solitude as a rare body of reworks that both informs and enhances their originals.