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Horo proudly presents the long-awaited fourth studio album, Forces of Consciousness, by Ancestral Voices.

Following Liams first venture, 'Night of Visions,' a diary of a physical and life-changing journey to South America, he took a trip into seismic, dark, and heavy frequencies with his second LP, 'Divination,' which plunges into the notion of ritual. The third LP delved into the cosmic, devising custom tuning systems for the meditative 'Navagraha'.

Liam continues this conceptual approach that threads his work together with Forces of Consciousness - an exploratory dive into metaphysics, how consciousness creates reality, and how sound exists to bind and sustain our thoughtforms in harmony.

"I am fascinated by the intricate workings and unexplained phenomena beyond the physical. This has become a journey as I seek to understand the interconnectedness of all things. The threads that bind us to this experience.

Everything is consciousness; all things in existence are inherently conscious, including living and non-living entities. Consciousness is not merely a product of our brains and bodies but a fundamental universal aspect.

Consciousness creates reality; our consciousness shapes our perception of the world. Our thoughts and beliefs play a significant role in shaping the reality we experience.

While intangible thoughts cannot be measured physically, they shape our reality tremendously. Our thoughts significantly impact the world around us.

We are waveforms, and everything around us is sound. Sound plays a vital role in maintaining balance, whether the sound of a chirping bird, the whistles of dunes, or the resonance of the Earth.

As a collective, we make up chords that continuously merge and try to find a harmonious balance that sustains our consciousness. In essence, thought forms coexist to create harmonic structures, a lattice of electrical current that manifests as the lives we live every day."

The patterns change with the observer.
Matter is a limitation of consciousness.
That which was first was the immeasurable.
The harmonies remain.

Nach ihren 30+-Jubiläums-EPs und zugehöriger Reissue-Serie sind FU MANCHU endlich mit brandheißem neuem Material zurück!



The Return Of Tomorrow ist das erste neue Album von Fu Manchu seit sechs Jahren, und sie haben sichergestellt, dass sich das Warten gelohnt hat. Ihr 14. Album ist ihre erste Doppel-LP mit neuem Material und wurde als Vinyl-Hörerlebnis konzipiert. Die erste LP enthält sieben Songs in ihrem ikonischen Heavy-Fuzz-Sound, darunter die erste Single "Hands Of The Zodiac" und das unerbittlich eingängige "Loch Ness Wrecking Machine". Auf der zweiten LP wird die Band mit sechs langsameren Stücken, darunter das Synthie-beeinflusste "Solar Baptized" und der Titeltrack, etwas ruhiger. Beide LPs haben 45 Umdrehungen pro Minute für den bestmöglichen Sound. CD-Hörer brauchen sich keine Sorgen zu machen, da diese Version des Albums speziell für dieses Format gemastert wurde.Wie das letzte Album der Band, Clone Of The Universe, und die dreiteilige Fu30 EP-Serie wurde The Return Of Tomorrow im Racket Room in Santa Ana, Kalifornien, von Jim Monroe (Adolescents, Ignite) aufgenommen und gemeinsam mit Fu Manchu produziert.

After touring the globe showcasing their A/V moshpit-inducing live show, they are revealing their new musical creations to an unsuspecting public. Never Sleep are proud to present a landmark moment in the Japanese hardcore new rave scene. The blinding lights of DEATH RAVE point to an untraveled journey, a sci-fi fusion of black metal, gabber, cyberpunk, performance art and techno. It’s their first for the Berlin label (founded by Gabber Eleganza) following 2021’s EP Principle of Light Speed Variance. Full description VMO aka Violent Magic Orchestra break through the darkness and herald a spectacular mould-melting sound on their forthcoming album DEATH RAVE. After touring the globe showcasing their A/V moshpit-inducing live show, they are revealing their new musical creations to an unsuspecting public. Never Sleep are proud to present a landmark moment in the Japanese hardcore new rave scene. The blinding lights of DEATH RAVE point to an untraveled journey, a sci-fi fusion of black metal, gabber, cyberpunk, performance art and techno. It’s their first for the Berlin label (founded by Gabber Eleganza) following 2021’s EP Principle of Light Speed Variance. Ahead of the release VMO have brought their digital harcore to festivals around the globe, including Roadburn Festival, BANG FACE Weekender, Brutal Assault extreme music festival, Le Guess Who?, CTM Berlin and Dark Mofo. Their performance is the ultimate extreme visual music project in which techno, black metal, and industrial unite to create a ritual from the near future, 2099. All visual art and stage setting is provided by non-touring member, artist and programmer Kezzardrix (who has been visual director for millennium parade and BABYMETAL previously).The power consumption of a VMO show is equivalent to 56 guitar amplifiers, 5000W, a mind-expanding supreme noise and light experience. The band members all go by the names of classic black metal bands rendered in the Japanese katakana script; “ダークスローン”; “メイヘム”, and “エンペラー”. Their new LP is the first to feature lead vocalist ザスター. The record features guest vocals from extreme metal icon Attila Csihar, known for singing with Mayhem and Sunn O))). Other featured artists include Dylan Walker, singer of Full of Hell, punk-techno artist Infinity Division (aka Ash Luk), Icelandic darkwavers Kælan Mikla and Ican Harem of Gabber Modus Operandi. The result is a leap forward from their 2016 debut, where they have found a singularity where death metal meets Kraftwerk, or Rephlex goes black. Dressed in corpse paint and other hell-raising looks, onstage they are like “Shinigami (death gods) from the Death Note manga”. Singles Venom, Supergaze and Martello Mosh Pit featuring Gabber Eleganza have been released in the lead up to the record and have been shocking techno dance floors too with their hi-NRG-symphonic doom-gaze. They have shared their video for Planet Helvetech (here), created by Berlin-based Patrick Defasten. Helvetech combines the Norwegian word for hell (hevlete) with techno and is a reference to the infamous black metal shop founded by Mayhem’s Euronymous. It’s a song that imagines time travel from 2099 on the planet Helvetech (where VMO comes from) to 1990s Oslo. In 2023, they performed at the CTM festival in Berlin, as well as at Berghain, receiving rave reviews. At Sydney’s leading multi-sensory SOFT CENTER festival they drove the crowd into a frenzy on the 17 metre X 30 metre jumbo screen. They have also collaborated with artists, performing at the two day installation by the trailblazing Tianzhuo Chen - The Shepherd - at the Kyoto International Performing Arts Festival in 2021 here. At Sónar 2023, VMO provided the music for Taiwanese visual artist Yuen Hsieh’s work about virtual life after death DIGITAL AFTERLIFE AGENCY here. VMO will tour the world again for the new record, with appearances at ROSKILDE and media art and music fest Sónar 2024 announced so far and the DEATH RAVE experience getting bigger and bigger.

Unique, Bold & Scottish - The LaFontaines are back with their fourth studio album, Business As Usual.

Business As Usual sees the band back from a short hiatus to bring you their most personal and vulnerable record yet.

Having been together since their teens, Kerr Okan (vocals), Jamie Keenan (drums, vocals) and Darren McCaughey (guitars, production) know their audience and have honed their sound to deliver their message in the most direct way possible.

The bands personality, charm and charisma shines through their output, which coupled with their already unrivaled unique offering has earned them a dedicated, loyal fanbase - who identify with the band through more than just the music.

Their live shows are their superpower – a guaranteed good time which sees the band connect with their audience on a level that most live acts never achieve. There is no one like The LaFontaines.

Unique, Bold & Scottish - The LaFontaines are back with their fourth studio album, Business As Usual.

Business As Usual sees the band back from a short hiatus to bring you their most personal and vulnerable record yet.

Having been together since their teens, Kerr Okan (vocals), Jamie Keenan (drums, vocals) and Darren McCaughey (guitars, production) know their audience and have honed their sound to deliver their message in the most direct way possible.

The bands personality, charm and charisma shines through their output, which coupled with their already unrivaled unique offering has earned them a dedicated, loyal fanbase - who identify with the band through more than just the music.

Their live shows are their superpower – a guaranteed good time which sees the band connect with their audience on a level that most live acts never achieve. There is no one like The LaFontaines.

Sugaray Rayford is a man with a message and a larger than life personality and voice to deliver it

Working with producer, songwriter Eric Corne for the past 3 albums, the soul-blues powerhouse has crafted an incendiary sound and narrative, combining classic soul melodies and funky R & B grooves with raw blues power.

The pair's first collaboration, 'Somebody Save Me', earned Rayford a 2020 Grammy nomination. Later that year he took home Blues Music Awards for 'Soul Blues Male Artist' and 'B.B. King Entertainer of the Year.' Rayford's follow up In Too Deep won a plethora of awards including the Blues Music Award for 'Soul Blues Album of the Year'.

His new release is entitled 'Human Decency'. The title track is a simple reminder that our similarities are stronger than our differences and in the end, there is no black or white or left or right, there are only hearts and minds.

About the leadoff single, "Run For Cover" a song that takes no prisoners, Q Magazine declares, "The bluesey soul of Rayford comes on full steam with this powerhouse single."

"We're calling people on their bullshit but we're having fun with them. That's my way. I'm gonna tell it to you straight but with love in my heart. I always bring some suga with the salt!" says Sugaray, bellowing with laughter.

An all-star cast lent their talents to the album, including guitarist Rick Holmstrom and singer Saundra Williams who are both from Mavis Staples's band, along with bassist Taras Prodaniuk (Lucinda Williams, Merle Haggard).

"A sprawling patchwork of the artist’s dreams and fears, Parannoul’s third album After the Magic explores the enigmatic solo artist’s life in the wake of his second album’s overnight success.

Expanding on the shoegaze-shaded emo that made Parannoul’s To See the Next Part of the Dream so beloved by lo-fi and indie rock fans alike, After the Magic sees the anonymous auteur striving to write a follow-up as worthy of acclaim as the last.

Across the album’s ten songs, Parannoul plunges yet deeper into his diverse pool of influences, coming back to the surface with a record that captures and extends the magic of its predecessor. Unexpected flashes of orchestral ambient and glitched-out electronica meld seamlessly with Parannoul’s signature passages of noisy, distortion-laden shoegaze, offering a real time glimpse into the maturation of one of indie rock’s most exciting artists.

In the artist’s own words, “This album is not what you expected, but what I always wanted.”"

A 2xLP discography from the late 90s post-hardcore/early screamo band, The Red Scare. The band existed during an interesting period when hardcore music was evolving and splintering into various sub-genres. They perfected a blistering hardcore that will appeal to fans of Born Against, Heroin, and Universal Order of Armageddon, as well as fans of later hardcore bands like Saetia, Jerome's Dream, City of Caterpillar, and Ampere. This record comes on high end paper, custom gatefold packaging, and limited edition colored vinyl. "Smoky Mountain High" gathers both of the bands LPs, their singles, as well as 4 live songs from their session at WNYU.

"Never sacrifice the art for anything and never leave home without your respect. Southwest representer Cash Lansky hails from the deserts of Tucson, Arizona about 45 minutes from the Southern border. His story is one of family, trials, growth, and being forced into a role all too many young boys face - being the Man of the House at a young age. Wise beyond his years, Cash grew up quick. This record is the heartfelt result of being able to reflect on that life and bring forth the lessons and stories that make great art.

A seasoned performer and respected member of the Arizona Hiphop scene and Southwest culture, Cash Lansky makes his indie label debut with Mello Music Group on this T-Wade and Mario Luciano produced album (Mario's credits include notable releases like Drake’s “8am in Charlotte”, Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem’s “Savior” , J. Cole’s “Punchin’.the.clock”, Jack Harlow’s “Is That Ight?”, and H.E.R. & YG’s “Slide”). The new record is mixed by the legendary Willie Green. This is Rec-Center Rap straight from the heart of one the West's best."

Imaginary time is a representation of time that appears in some approaches to quantum mechanics; mathematically speaking, it simply is a line perpendicular to the time axis. Inspired by this concept and by the possibilty of transcending the normal restrictions of time and space through the power of imagination, Industrial / DIY music cult act Nocturnal Emissions released a first raw and irregular version of Imaginary Time in 1996, followed three years later by a new more rave inspired mix, this time reflecting a political urge of that particular moment in time when the squatting scene, free parties, and non commercial raves - all existing tied up with campaigns of anti-capitalist protests going on in the late 90s - were upsetting the powers of the ruling class and the authoritarian government in the UK. Sunny Crypt is beyond happy to bring back to life all the past forms of Imaginary Time in another particular moment on this timeline as its sixth release with a fully remastered vinyl reissue, with a brand new powerhouse 4/4 remix by all things Techno / Electro / Jacking wizard Gesloten Cirkel and a renewed graphic outfit. There’s another kind of time!

In March 2023, @ turned heads with their debut album Mind Palace Music that utilized an array of acoustic instrumentation and densely layered harmonies, like the great outsider folk records of the 60s and 70s and placed it in a modern setting. If Mind Palace Music was @ playing on story mode, their new EP Are You There God? It’s Me, @ is the darker, stranger side quest.
Mind Palace Music was written in very specific circumstances. The band was formed while they were confined to their homes during quarantine — Victoria Rose in Philadelphia and Stone Filipczak in Baltimore — exchanging musical sketches over iMessage and email. Even though the world has opened back up and they’ve been able to play together live, this EP was again created remotely while in their respective cities. What did change, however, was the production.
Are You There God? It’s Me, @ is @’s foray into electronic music — consisting primarily of software instrumentation (with the occasional flute, guitar or bass part sprinkled in). The band’s experience producing in this style was minimal, but they found the new process to be a rewarding exercise allowing them to explore new textures and structures made possible by computer music. Where their previous acoustic recordings had a looser and more human feel, these new songs allowed them to experiment with autotune and quantized beats. Rose was able to resurrect her passion for classical choir by singing and recording a capella vocal arrangements to be incorporated into Filipczak’s instrumentals.
Across five songs, @ call upon a higher power, as the title suggests, in search of fulfillment. While they try to remain hopeful, daily suffering casts doubt on whether that high power even exists. On “Soul Hole,” overtop an autotuned vocal loop and hyper-pop-esque production, Rose repeats “I’m going to the soul hole and I’m never coming back,” hoping to leave behind the material world and the desires that comes with it. “Webcrawler,” named after the pioneering search engine, might be considered Are You There God?’s epic. @ sees their search for meaning in life akin to how search engines pull together data from all over the internet to find answers. The music itself is even reminiscent of dial-up internet connection, with droning keys and machine-like drum programming until overheating and erupting into chaos, in the form of heavy-metal shredding, only to cool down again back on a loading screen.
While the band confesses the departure from their usual sound may only be temporary, it’s an exciting listen full of twists and turns that surprised even themselves. “We’re both really dramatic in our musical sensibilities and don’t shy away from ridiculous choices,” Rose recalls, “which can really be exaggerated when working mostly with electronic sounds.” Full of soul searching and sonic experimentation, Are You There God? It’s Me, @ is an encapsulating spiritual saga for the digital age.

Remixed and remastered reissue of the legendary ORQUESTA DEL DESIERTO sophomore album. Unable to tour as a group due to commitments to other projects but fueled by the success of the debut release, Brown immediately turned to booking another recording session for the band. Hoping to further expand the group's dynamic sound, Brown and Stahl solicited song contributions from Mike Riley and Country Mark Engel for the second album. While the core of Brown, Stahl, Riley, Engel and Lalli remained intact for the second session, the group's diverse approach benefitted from the addition of drummer Adam Maples (earthlings?) and percussionist/drummer Pete Davidson. Additionally, the group was joined at famed Joshua Tree studio Rancho de la Luna by pianist Tim Jones and Bill Barrett on trumpet.

Green vinyl, limited to 350 copies. Remixed and remastered reissue of the legendary ORQUESTA DEL DESIERTO sophomore album. Unable to tour as a group due to commitments to other projects but fueled by the success of the debut release, Brown immediately turned to booking another recording session for the band. Hoping to further expand the group's dynamic sound, Brown and Stahl solicited song contributions from Mike Riley and Country Mark Engel for the second album. While the core of Brown, Stahl, Riley, Engel and Lalli remained intact for the second session, the group's diverse approach benefitted from the addition of drummer Adam Maples (earthlings?) and percussionist/drummer Pete Davidson. Additionally, the group was joined at famed Joshua Tree studio Rancho de la Luna by pianist Tim Jones and Bill Barrett on trumpet.

Waxwork Records is thrilled to release THE EXORCIST III Original Motion Picture Score by Barry DeVorzon. THE EXORCIST III is a 1990 American supernatural horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty based on his 1983 novel Legion. The film is set fifteen years after the events of The Exorcist (1973) and follows a character from the original film, Lieutenant William F. Kinderman who investigates a series of demonic murders in Georgetown that have the hallmarks fo the Gemini, a deceased serial killer.

THE EXORCIST III features a dark ambient score by Barry DeVorzon (The Warriors, Night of the Creeps). It was the last film score he ever created and features synth drones, sampled chanting, synthesized voices and real voices, and experimental sound design. Of the score, DeVorzon provided exclusively to Waxwork for this album's liner notes: "I was exploring a lot of synthesized sounds and textures and trying to do something that would make the scenes more chilling. Anything that was different, eerie, and had nothing to do with an orchestra. This was new territory for me - it wasn't orchestral, it wasn't rhythm oriented. It was just a really different animal."

Waxwork Records is proud to present THE EXORCIST Original Motion Picture Score for the first time in any format. Sourced from the original masters and then mixed, mastered, and constructed into a cohesive double LP soundtrack experience. The album features 150 gram purple smoke colored vinyl, exclusive liner notes by composer Barry DeVorzon, heavyweight gatefold packaging with matte satin coating, a 12"x12" four page booklet, and new artwork by Suspiria Vilchez."

Enjoy The Toons Records - in conjunction with Paramount Pictures and Enjoy The Ride Records - proudly present Sonic The Hedgehog: Music From The Motion Picture by composer Tom Holkenborg. Holkenborg, also known under the moniker Junkie XL, has created scores to major blockbuster hits for the last two decades (Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Batman v Superman, Alita: Battle Angel and more). Holkenborg encompasses the essence of Sonic, bringing the iconic chip sounds from SEGA to the big screen with a thrilling and exciting score that beautifully compliments the film.

Budapest’s Alley Catss wants m Helux to serve as both a new station in their work and an homage to the new age-influenced and sample-heavy synthesis of previous albums (such as 2020’s "compassion & paralysis", 2016’s ℶ, or 2021’s "exophage"), and it already feels like a genre unto itself: Absurd Ambient. Inspired by the emptiness and silliness of theatrical sets left empty, devoid of action, still and incomplete, m Helux is an awkward place of bleak humour; poured over and yet frozen.

Produced by Máté Janky over the course of late 2023 through to early 2024, this is an unpredictable collage of hefty symbolic audio mysticism, 90s sampling, dub influences, fractured R&B vocals. It’s nonetheless interspersed with the knowing cheesiness of new agey bells and chimes, at times cut up to cartoonish levels, melding their most laughable and wonderful connotations.

Influenced by the likes of Klein, Alley Catss’ collaging and sampling techniques seek to sonify utopic scholastic visual concepts –poking a dose of fun at them along the way.

These seven tracks shimmer and shake, but never rumble. Alley Catss’ sui generis approach creates a beautiful parody of reference genres. Myriad tropes are desiccated and reworked into an exquisite corpse of blissed out sounds and voices. This is maddening music that’s monstrous and pretty, often all at once.

Octet supergroup lead by Eric Quach aka Thisquietarmy. Including 3 drummers, guitar, synth & brass players (who also play in bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Exhaust, Hanged Up, Avec Le Soleil Sortant De Sa Bouche & more); Pangea De Futura brings together the merged and emerging territories of Montreal's exploratory music scene.

War Milk is the debut studio album from the supergroup Pangea de Futura, an octet that has been exploring since 2019, the many ways of - slowly - constructing massive textural musical shapes and droning tribal post-rock ambiances. Each track simultaneously encapsulates its structure emerging from and within a flux, alongside its impending entropy, creating a suspended moment. This intense experience is crafted through the combined rhythmic contributions of Aidan Girt, Eric Craven, Samuel Bobony, the merging brass arrangements of Véronique Janosy, Reüel Ordoñez, Neboysha Rakic, the electronic textures provided by Charles Bussières, and the intense drones / soundscapes created by Eric Quach's guitar playing. Eight musicians, involved - in total - in some fifty projects from the Montreal scene (a.o. : Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Silver Mt. Zion, Fly Pan Am, Some Became Hollow Tube, HRSTA, BLD, Black Givre, Avec le Soleil Sortant de sa Bouche...)

Earth, Water, Air, Fire... the genesis of a complex and perpetually evolving life.

Inspired by a life long obsession of dub, synth, industrial and different kinds of minimalism, "Extended Player" 12"EP by The Idealist is a tribute to these inspirations aswell as an attempt to move forward or elsewhere. This is experimental techno and electronic music from an artist that is freely moving between drone and noise to this. Party music for professionals.

With Pere Ubu on hiatus since 1982’s excellent ‘Song Of The Bailing Man’, David Thomas had recorded a` much-praised solo album and the band had now signed to a major label. In a period of rampant world commercialism, what would happen next? Another crucial era for the band unravelled, Pere Ubu’s journey charted new undulating territory and so began a three-album escapade that retooled our understanding of what pop music is. “Solid as the band can be, it's also likely to dissolve songs from the bottom up. For all Pere Ubu's uncertainty, the band isn't arbitrary; its music has the off-the-wall unity of a Marx Brothers routine,” said Jon Pareles of The New York Times. In 1991, ‘Worlds In Collision’ became “the most atmospheric, carefully sculpted recording in the band's 13-album catalog.” (Tom Moon, Spin).

A Haunted Tongue is the third album by Colossal Squid, the solo project of producer/virtuoso drummer Adam Betts (Goldie, Squarepusher, Melt Yourself Down, Jarvis Cocker). The first self-titled Colossal Squid album (2016) was intended by Betts as a way of exploring the process of creating music from purposefully limited tools (a drumkit and electronica) and finding a place where technology and live performance could happily meet. In comparison, the second album Swungert (2019) acted as a chance to see if the music written from that same process could be moulded (via collaboration and editing) into something more traditionally recognisable as a ‘song’. A Haunted Tongue moves things on one step further, letting the process and approach fade into the background, freeing Betts to balance a million inspirations (early 90s Warp, rave tapes, Nubian drumming, Indonesian gabba…) and filter them through an anything-goes punk aesthetic that results in a feeling of freedom that is both refreshing and rare. Betts has spoken of “a recurring dream of a stranger trying to get across an important message but not talking in any discernible language” that guided these recordings. This feels appropriate to the listener – the language of A Haunted Tongue isn’t straightforward or easily classified but yet the message is clearly understood and embraced by the listener at a primal level. That message is one of hope - channelling the shared euphoria of communal musical experience and searching for an uncynical and personal expression of positive energy that can move people and resonate with them. “A while back we had a chat with JR Moores, he was doing a Bandcamp piece on the label. We mentioned we wished we did more rave-related releases. Within seconds we had the Johnny Broke album in our inbox. Johnny Broke is actually Wayne Adams. Wayne messaged and told us about Adam Betts (AKA Colossal Squid). And here we are, dealing with someone who drums for Squarepusher and Goldie. Both Chris and I have the biggest love for 90s rave music. For me (Joe) I'm listening to an alternative world that I was old enough for but missed out on. I knew the music but didn't have the knowledge to drive around the M25 looking for the fields. It's a history I don't quite have but feel like I do. It's like the Beatles: known all my life but no idea why. It's cut into our DNA. It was our punk rock but we missed it. This Colossal Squid album, no matter how many times I listen to it, brings something new every time. And it makes me feel like I'm finally there” – Wrong Speed HQ

We're old and familiar friends. These compositions represent the thing that happens when we get together. They aren't representative of one individual, one moment in time, or one chain of decisions. Some are ancient refrains, beginning life as habits and warm-ups, in-jokes; others are distilled jams; more still are refined from MIDI sketches and ideas whistled into voice notes. On whatever terms these elements become something we're happy to stand in front of you and play, to put on record, so be it.” So ANTA describe the process behind 2024's Organesson. Characteristic of the Bristolian Sci-Prog quartet, the record weaves together mesmerising, muscular riffs in insanely loud compositions that extend well into excess. Less typical is the polarisation at play, where granular polymeters will yield in an instant to passages of one or two-note simplicity. The record strides from one raging refrain to the next, lurching between devastation, joy, chaos, and stirring the themes accumulated along the way in exposition. “It comes down to those precious sweaty hours” the group suggest, “in which we get to vibrate these sounds into your face and chest, and you can dance and laugh with us. This is the stuff we remember and plan for, the moments we talk about the most when writing these songs.” ANTA's live shows, ceaseless onslaughts of deafening riffs, have been notable for maintaining the same intense energy among festival crowds or to three people in a basement. Walls of amps going full-pelt. Pounding, ornate drums and metals, wherein drummer James King is relentless in discovering strange and mighty rhythms. Full-drawbar organs, electric pianos, piercing synths from keys-man Alex Bertram-Powell. Joe Garcia's growling bass that strides rather than walks. Ben Harris' all-encompassing, dizzying guitars. Hypnotic, communal, compelling, indefinite energy. Organesson is the latest effort to put this feeling on record.

GRAMMY-award nominated Jordan Rakei is a renowned multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter who, over soon-to-be-five studio albums, has been on a wide-ranging journey that explores the outer reaches of his inner psyche, traversing themes of emotional evolution, personal growth and family with unwavering sincerity.

Always positioning himself in and amongst the bigger questions in life, he has navigated his musical journey with passion and precision, unveiling something new about himself through his songwriting at every turn. The Loop is by far Rakei’s most cohesive and evolutionary work to date following an impressive career of previous releases, each of which have demonstrated his natural curiosity and capabilities in exploring new sounds.

My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross, ANOHNI"s sixth studio album, expresses a world view by shape-shifting through a broad range of subject matter. Through a personal lens, ANOHNI addresses loss of loved ones, inequality, alienation, acceptance, cruelty, ecocide, devastation wrought by Abrahamic theologies, Future Feminism, and the possibility that we might yet transform our ways of thinking, our spiritual ideas, our societal structures, and our relationships with the rest of nature. On her first full album since 2016"s HOPELESSNESS, she explains the creative process was painstaking, yet also inspired, joyful, and intimate, a renewal and a renaming of her response to the world as she sees it. "Some of these songs respond to global and environmental concerns first voiced in popular music over 50 years ago." ANOHNI"s approach since her last record has shifted from someone tasked with challenging global denial, to an artist seeking to support others on the front lines. "I learned with HOPELESSNESS that I can provide a soundtrack that might fortify people in their work, in their activism, in their dreaming and decision-making. I can sing of an awareness that makes others feel less alone, people for whom the frank articulation of these frightening times is not a source of discomfort but a cause for identification and relief. On "It Must Change," ANOHNI soulfully describes systems in collapse with a note of compassion for humanity: "The truth is I always thought you were beautiful in your own way // That"s why this is so sad." ANOHNI"s voice is sensual and smoothed, selectively reaching to the edges of what it can contain. "We"re not getting out of here // No one"s getting out of here // This is our world," she murmurs. A portrait of legendary human rights activist Marsha P. Johnson taken by Alvin Baltrop features on the cover, reflecting a 25-year relationship with the memory of Johnson that ANOHNI has held space for in the presentation of her own work. Elsewhere, the album artwork states "IT"S TIME TO FEEL WHAT"S REALLY HAPPENING". In some ways it feels as if she is reaching across her life"s expression, and has found a moment of unique composure, wearing her long exploration of disarming intensity, with the maturity of a painter carefully choosing her colors. "I want the work to be useful, to help others move through these conversations we are now facing, to move with dignity and resilience through this bitter dawning."

Color Vinyl Repress

The world moves faster than ever these days, and even in the digital age, things can always be counted on to go in cycles. Despite all of the advances in computer recording technology, home studios, and electronic instruments, there is a flourishing interest in analog recording techniques and in recreating the mood and sound of vintage soul records. With one foot in the past but their eyes firmly set on the future, El Michels Affair are among the leaders of a resurgent funk & soul movement from New York City that’s sweeping both the music community and the charts.

Led by saxophonist/organist Leon Michels and producer/engineer Jeff Silverman, El Michels Affair began as a loose collaboration of session musicians (including members of top-selling acts Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, the Budos Band, and Antibalas) that looked to blend some of the vibrant quality of soundtrack records with the recording aesthetic of early reggae, and the rawness of 60's rock--they called it 'Cinematic Soul.' This delicate balance was evident on their 2005 debut album Sounding Out the City, which earned critical acclaim and acted as the inaugural full-length release for Michels and Silverman’s burgeoning label Truth & Soul (also the moniker for the duo as a production team).

The buzz generated from the album and a series of moderately successful 7” vinyl singles from Truth & Soul led to an invitation by Toyota’s Scion division for El Michels Affair to accompany the rapper Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan for a promotional concert. As avid Wu-Tang fans, not only were the band leaders thrilled with the opportunity, but Michels found that the ‘Cinematic Soul’ sound was consistent with the moods of RZA’s gritty soundscapes on the classic Wu-Tang releases. The concert was such as success, El Michels Affair went oan to play several more concerts nationwide backing Raekwon and other members of the Clan, and the shows led to the recording of two smash 7” singles featuring instrumental reinterpretations of the Wu-Tang classiac songs “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Bring Da Ruckus.” The singles combined to sell an extraordinary amount of over 7,000 units worldwide, and their success led to a contract in 2007 with indie hip hop powerhouse Fat Beats Records to record an entire album of Wu-Tang Clan interpolations entitled Enter the 37th Chamber.

Since the contract was inked, a worldwide explosion of retro soul led by Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings has transformed the pop music landscape, and the Truth & Soul production duo have been in strong demand, recording with everyone from breakthrough Grammy-nominated artist Adele to punk rock innovator Iggy Pop. They’ve been commissioned for official remixes of Amy Winehouse and Dinah Washington (for the popular Verve Remixed series), and produced for Australian multi-platinum acts Jet and Gabriella Cilmi.

Despite the eclectic group of clients for the Truth & Soul production company, El Michels Affair continued to build an audience within the hip hop community. A track from Sounding out the City was sampled for Ghostface Killah’s 2007 track “Shakey Dog Lolita,” and a horn part written and performed by Michels (for Menahan Street Band) was famously lifted for Jay-Z’s smash single “Roc Boys.” Truth & Soul also worked in the studio on original productions with multi-platinum producer Just Blaze (T.I.’s “Live Your Life,” Jay-Z, Usher).

With their increasing presence behind the scenes in the industry, El Michels Affair looks to have their status as recording artists rise significantly in 2009. With the release of their finally-completed album Enter the 37th Chamber, they can finally step out of the shadows of the retro-soul trend and establish their status as one of the most exciting and versatile bands in modern recorded music.

U.S. Cinematic outfit Whatitdo Archive Group returns to explore the worlds of Mid-Century Exotica and Library Music with "Palace Of A Thousand Sounds," out on May 5th.

From the instrumental cinematic-soul outfit behind 2021's critically acclaimed The Black Stone Affair comes Whatitdo Archive Group's most recent foray into the realms of the esoteric and arcane, and their most adventurous album to date: Palace Of A Thousand Sounds, available May 5th, 2023 on Record Kicks on limited edition LP, CD and digital platforms.

After The Black Stone Affair enthralled record collectors by traversing the cinematic landscape of an imagined 1970s Spaghetti Western, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds Whatitdo Archive Group entrenched deeper in the worlds of mid-century exotica and library music—from the Tropicalia-steeped Amazon to the minor key tonalities of the far-out Near East.

When the dust finally settled from their debut album, composer and tireless sound scientist Alexander Korostinsky set out to discover the band's new direction, with the ultimate goal to breathe new life into the mid-century era sound with the compass of modernity as his guide.

From its conception in 2021, Palace has sought to carry on a legacy set in motion by the likes of Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Juan García Esquivel. Korostinsky, guitarist Mark Sexton, and drummer Aaron Chiazza recorded the album in marathon sessions from Korostinsky's Studio "A," in Reno, Nevada—a mysterious sonic laboratory where the year 1970 has yet to happen, and vintage analog equipment interfaces with modern musical perspectives and experimental recording techniques to produce era-defining sounds.

Not content to appeal to the sensibilities of armchair anthropologists, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds the band interrogating the genre itself while making studious tributes to the real places and times it draws from. It's in this tension between here and there, fantasy and reality, that Whatitdo Archive Group find their groove.

Drawing from a century of pop and folk sounds from around the world the way only 21st-century crate-diggers can, Palace is rooted in an undercurrent of heavy funk that is decidedly here and now. Whatitdo Archive Group showcase the breadth of their influences with disarming confidence, equally at home behind sweeping harp, loungey vibraphone or Turkish bağlama saz. A lush seventeen-piece orchestra commanded by award-winning composer Louis King (Janelle Monáe, Monophonics) completes the instrumental mélange, enticing listeners to imagine a borderless planet unified by melody and rhythm.

The album is unafraid to explore the strange and uncomfortable in pursuit of an authentic musical identity, subverting expectations in pursuit of forwarding the genre while paying homage to its past. Fans will appreciate the architectural complexity of the record accessible only through multiple listens—each visit to the palace yielding new details to marvel at, curiosities to ponder, grand mysteries to explore.

Once the needle drops, W.A.G carefully guides you from room to room, sound to sound within the walls of the album's sonic palace. Listening becomes an aural journey providing glimpses into different worlds both real and imagined; you are everywhere and nowhere all at once—a guest in the grand halls and hanging gardens of time and sound.

Steeped in obscurity, a cult following of crate-diggers and musical oddity collectors has been brewing over the mysterious releases of the Whatitdo Archive Group. Surfacing in 2009 from the high deserts of Reno, NV USA, this three-piece recording collective(Alexander Korostinsky, Mark Sexton and Aaron Chiazza) focuses solely on curating, performing and preserving esoteric soundtrack, library and deep-groove collections. As an onlooker, it's hard to tell whether the music they are procuring is actually archival, music of their own creation, or both. Their debut LP The Black Stone Affair, the formerly lost soundtrack music of a once-shelved Italian cinematic masterpiece, was released in 2021 and received praise from the likes of Wall Street Journal, Mojo Magazine, Uncut, Shindig, Blues & Soul Magazine, BBC 6, FIP Radio (FR), KCRW (US), JazzFM (UK) and more. Two years later, the Whatitdo Archive Group is back. Get ready for an exotic adventure with their sophomore full-length effort: Palace of a Thousand Sounds.

DJ Subaru has already made their name exciting dancers with offbeat anthems and obscurities as part of their luminous Pleasuremaxxx parties, alongside similarly inclined soirees in Leeds, London, Berlin and beyond. Making their accomplished production debut on CWPT with 'Lots of Love', DJ Subaru instinctively mines the expressive, outsider strains of disco, Italo and pop pleasures in their record bag, revealing an EP that throbs with the pleasures, pain and potential of a life in strobes and smoke.

Vocalist and muse Tiss Vampiric emerges from London’s shadowy underground to lend their voice to the brooding, disco-Gothic track, ‘My Love’. Stalking a moody paradise amongst DJ Subaru’s EBM-oriented synthesizers, their baroque lyrics conjure an atmosphere that bridges the energies of subversive pioneers such as Soft Cell and Ministry, a sensual maze where denial only leads to more devotion, as well as more dancing.

Keeping the lights dim but brightening the corners, the prolific cosmic disco pioneer Prins Thomas reinvigorates his legendary ‘Discomiks’ approach for a euphoric remix of ‘My Love’. Incorporating DJ Subaru and Tiss Vampiric into a dancefloor canon that also includes Lana Del Rey, Pet Shop Boys and the Chemical Brothers, this classic arrangement has been road-tested to build euphoria, joyfully reflecting menace from mirrorballs.

The latter portion within 'Lots of Love' leaves us entirely in DJ Subaru’s musical visions. The only voice on ‘I <3 You’ is soft and robotic, intoning the track’s simple title over a lush, caramelized groove that’s pure circuits and sentiment. In contrast, the moody pads of ‘Just Visiting’ build to a crescendo of breaks and basslines that capture more urgent early hours energy, while ‘She’ provides a beautifully naive melody and a slightly balearic touch for a wide-eyed kiss goodbye.

Described as an "intensely British" record, Peanuts is a wry and observational album, with a newfound sense of compassion and reflection on Liz's inner feelings and their projection on the outside world. Peanuts is a playground game, also known as Mercy, where two kids twist each other's fingers until one cries out, 'Peanuts!', signaling that they have met their pain threshold. From 2013, Liz was performing as a backing singer for Bombay Bicycle Club up to their hiatus in 2016, and again when they reformed in 2019, touring the world. Liz has been a regular collaborator with the band ever since, "It was a life-raft for me. It was such a natural fit, and they became my friends for life" says Liz. Peanuts is Liz Lawrence's first album release with Chrysalis Records, spanning 11 tracks full of topics spanning from plant names to the gender wealth gap. "Peanuts is Cate Le Bon meets Primal Scream going off on one about landowners. It's learning the names of different trees and sweating over being polite in emails. It's a petition to stop Elon Musk from spacejunking up the atmosphere so we can't see the stars anymore and it's a big deep breath after going under." -Liz Lawrence

Since 2002, Rebeka Warrior, poet by night, producer by day, and Carla Pallone, composer, baroque violinist turned multi-instrumentalist, have formed Mansfield.TYA. If we knew until now the sensitive world of Mansfield.TYA: meaning of melody, melancholy and minimalism, today the group returns with a poetic ode New Wave. With Monument Ordinaire, Rebeka and Carla are making their fifth album: 45 minutes of life and death, of poetry carved out of rock, imagined as words by Master Dogen on simple and catchy melodies by Jacno. An album of happy melancholy, an escape to celebrate the furious love of life, like so many cries of the heart. Always guided by emotion and constant attention to words, Mansfield.TYA shares 12 songs that make us dance even when we cry.

LTD. BLACK CLOUD COLOUR VINYL

THE GHOST INSIDE stands as an unstoppable force in the realm of hard rock music. Fueled by unwavering determination and unyielding passion, this band has forged a path marked by resilience and redemption. Their latest endeavor, the 6th studio album titled Search for Solace, delves into the profound theme of grappling with one"s own thoughts - the internal struggle between good, bad, and evil. It explores the journey of finding comfort and making peace amidst the chaos of life"s ebb and flow. The album reflects the band"s commitment to not succumb to negativity, anger, or darkness, aligning with their identity as an uplifting and comforting musical force for fans seeking solace. Established in 2004, THE GHOST INSIDE has solidified its position as a trailblazer in melodic hard rock. Their music seamlessly combines raw aggression with profound lyricism, creating a resonant experience for their dedicated fanbase. Despite facing challenges, notably a tragic bus accident in 2015 that left some members with life-altering injuries, the band refused to be broken. Through unwavering perseverance, they made a triumphant return to the stage, defying the odds. Their music embodies a spirit of resilience, unity, and the indomitable power of the human spirit. Each thunderous breakdown and soaring melody strikes a deep chord within the hearts of their fans, serving as a testament to the band"s enduring impact. THE GHOST INSIDE"s journey is a testament to their ability to inspire and uplift through music. As they embark on a global tour starting this Spring, venturing into new territories, including South America and beyond, the band continues to share their message of strength and perseverance with audiences around the world.

THE GHOST INSIDE stands as an unstoppable force in the realm of hard rock music. Fueled by unwavering determination and unyielding passion, this band has forged a path marked by resilience and redemption. Their latest endeavor, the 6th studio album titled Search for Solace, delves into the profound theme of grappling with one"s own thoughts - the internal struggle between good, bad, and evil. It explores the journey of finding comfort and making peace amidst the chaos of life"s ebb and flow. The album reflects the band"s commitment to not succumb to negativity, anger, or darkness, aligning with their identity as an uplifting and comforting musical force for fans seeking solace. Established in 2004, THE GHOST INSIDE has solidified its position as a trailblazer in melodic hard rock. Their music seamlessly combines raw aggression with profound lyricism, creating a resonant experience for their dedicated fanbase. Despite facing challenges, notably a tragic bus accident in 2015 that left some members with life-altering injuries, the band refused to be broken. Through unwavering perseverance, they made a triumphant return to the stage, defying the odds. Their music embodies a spirit of resilience, unity, and the indomitable power of the human spirit. Each thunderous breakdown and soaring melody strikes a deep chord within the hearts of their fans, serving as a testament to the band"s enduring impact. THE GHOST INSIDE"s journey is a testament to their ability to inspire and uplift through music. As they embark on a global tour starting this Spring, venturing into new territories, including South America and beyond, the band continues to share their message of strength and perseverance with audiences around the world.

When Man Man released its last album, "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between," frontman Honus Honus (née Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album dropped during the pandemic, a time at which we could all relate. But, much like that bizarre turn of events, the ennui now seems so distant to Man Man. A revived sense of purpose washes through Man Man's new album, Carrot on Strings, radiating a mix of calm and confidence. Kattner always embodied a wild-man pied-piper vibe: his melodic, unhinged art-rock was at once intriguing and angsty. He was so alluringly creative that you went along with it, even if you were never sure where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its ethos is radical in context of the band's two-decade career. "When I was younger, I would feed off of chaos. I would, you know, be upset and get drunk and smash chairs," Kattner explains. "Now those chairs are in my head: It's less of an outward projection, more of an interior monologue." The name "Carrot on Strings" came to Kattner while experimenting with the sound of someone munching on the vegetable, which you can hear in the cacophonous, similarly named song. It alludes to how success always seemed to dangle uncertainly before him, often just out of reach. But listen intently and you'll hear a more content Kattner finding an uneasy peace: "Life, as far as I've known it, has always been side hustles. Would it be great if I could go into a studio and record for a year without figuring out how to finance it? Yeah, it would be," he says. "But ultimately, I need to keep making music because art is an extension of my psyche. It's how I have learned to translate the palpitations of my heart. Simply put, I'd go insane without it." Growing up as a multiracial Hapa kid (half Filipino, half white) with a father in the U.S. Air Force, Kattner lived an itinerant childhood that included a few pivotal years in Germany, where he honed in on an appreciation for out there German cinema and art. His film obsessions and screenwriting background were crucial to Carrot on Strings. The album nods to the films of Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder as much as Italo-disco, Randy Newman, goth rock, and avant pop. (Kattner continues to work in the film industry with an acting role in the upcoming horror-comedy movie Destroy All Neighbors, for which he also served as composer; music supervising season 1 & 2 of the Interview With The Vampire AMC TV series; and shopping around, with director Matthew Goodhue, a script he wrote that he describes as a Wim Wenders road movie on acid.) In a bid to not overthink anything - his last album took seven years to make - he recorded the bulk of Carrot On Strings in five days in Mant Sounds studio in Glassell Park, Los Angeles with "very chill" producer Matt Schuessler, who had worked on Man Man's cover of Neu!'s "Super" for the seminal Krautrock band's box set. The resulting album represents a newfound sense of self for Kattner, who finds himself inspired and at peace both personally and artistically in ways that eluded him for most of his first 15 years playing music. When, on Carrot On Strings, you hear Kattner croon humbly, or sing of the tension between his outsize stage persona and the thoughtful, soulful guy he actually is, you're hearing Kattner liberate himself. "I first got into music to escape from myself," he says. "And now, it sounds so corny, but I have zero doubt that music ended up saving my life."

Hello! Tim here. My band is called Strand of Oaks. This is my eighth record and it's called Miracle Focus. I spent over three years building Miracle Focus. In the midst of writing, I became a painter and spent two seasons acting on a television show (Mayans MC). The dichotomy of painting for days in my garage and then flying out to LA to play a villainous biker on TV was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. The idea of Miracle Focus was born out of one simple concept: to make people feel good. Throw in a healthy mix of Ram Dass, yoga, Freddie Mercury, Alice Coltrane, and Beastie Boys, plus over a year of writing and building the extremely dense architecture of the songs, and Miracle Focus was born. The result is FUN, wild, rhythmic music filled with synth layering and mantra-like lyrics intended to uplifting and hopefully bring some light to whoever listens. In many ways, this record is a love letter to bliss. Through meditation, I found a way to connect with something greater, a positive force that allowed me to write music as a manual towards a more love-focused life. And the miracles I refer to aren't asking the universe for anything; it's just acknowledging and celebrating this complex beautiful moment that we all get to share. It will be gone, it will re-emerge as something new, that will be gone, repeat....repeat... repeat - this eternal cycle. My most sincere hope is that whoever listens might through sonic osmosis experience a similar joy. Sending peace and love. Thank you for your time. - Tim

Hello! Tim here. My band is called Strand of Oaks. This is my eighth record and it's called Miracle Focus. I spent over three years building Miracle Focus. In the midst of writing, I became a painter and spent two seasons acting on a television show (Mayans MC). The dichotomy of painting for days in my garage and then flying out to LA to play a villainous biker on TV was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. The idea of Miracle Focus was born out of one simple concept: to make people feel good. Throw in a healthy mix of Ram Dass, yoga, Freddie Mercury, Alice Coltrane, and Beastie Boys, plus over a year of writing and building the extremely dense architecture of the songs, and Miracle Focus was born. The result is FUN, wild, rhythmic music filled with synth layering and mantra-like lyrics intended to uplifting and hopefully bring some light to whoever listens. In many ways, this record is a love letter to bliss. Through meditation, I found a way to connect with something greater, a positive force that allowed me to write music as a manual towards a more love-focused life. And the miracles I refer to aren't asking the universe for anything; it's just acknowledging and celebrating this complex beautiful moment that we all get to share. It will be gone, it will re-emerge as something new, that will be gone, repeat....repeat... repeat - this eternal cycle. My most sincere hope is that whoever listens might through sonic osmosis experience a similar joy. Sending peace and love. Thank you for your time. - Tim

Sect have a lot on their minds. With the release of their brand new single, New Low and the promise of Plagues Upon Plagues, the follow up full-length to 2019’s Blood of the Beasts, Sect explore the intersection of issues which have cascaded over us for the last five years, the “plagues” of the title referring to the literal pandemic, and the metaphorical plague of the political state and the rise of fascism.

Comprised of an international cast of stellar musicians, who cut their teeth in a formative moment of political, cynical, antagonistic extremes, Sect unites Scott Crouse (Earth Crisis, Tooth & Claw) & Jimmy Chang (Undying, Catharsis) - guitars, Steve Hart (Day of Suffering, Mania For Conquest) - bass, Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy, Racetraitor) - drums and Chris Colohan (Cursed, Unwell) - vocals. They released No Cure For Death in 2017 and Blood of the Beasts in 2019.

Plagues Upon Plagues opens with the bereft waves of “No Uncertain Terms”, a side of the band we haven’t seen before. Vocalist Chris Colohan describes this album as “a funeral rather than a trial”, the activism of previous releases fading to sorrow and grief.

Lead single New Low follows with the advent of marching drums, a funereal procession for the world we hoped to build. There’s frantic horror on the album too, with the track “Drowning in Sorrows” taking a look at the ways in which we numb ourselves as a society. “#ForeverHome” is a bitterly angry track about how people used animals for both narcissistic virtue signalling and one-way comfort in the pandemic, and abandoned them en masse just as selfishly when social life came back. Speaking to their straight-edge principles and how that continues to feed into their songwriting, Chris says, “the only kind of straight edge songs I’m interested in writing are dynamic ones that address human realities that you don’t have to be straight edge to engage with.”

On Plagues Upon Plagues, Sect pierce through the veil of complacency, forcing listeners to confront uncomfortable truths about the fragility of our world. The band wields their sonic arsenal like a prophetic warning and with raw vocals and uncompromising lyrics, they confront the harsh realities of existence in these tumultuous times. As society teeters on the brink of chaos, Sect's cold hard statement resonates with an urgency that cannot be ignored.

This is the second album recorded about a year after "Scenery". The delicate yet emotionally rich playing is still there, but this time it has more power, and the world that Fukui has depicted comes to life with clearer contours and a greater sense of depth. The sweet and sad melody of "Mellow Dream" and the dynamic and fast-paced "Horizon" are among the dazzling performances. In addition, the album features three original songs, compared to only one on the previous album, which allows the listener to enjoy Fukui's musicality even more. Considering its maturity and rich content, it is safe to say that this is a masterpiece that surpasses the first album. Regrettably, Ryo Fukui passed away in 2016. His delicate touch, rich tone, and beautiful compositions. We are deeply grateful to him for the "pleasant dream" he showed us.

‘Empires into Sand’ is the first album of new material from Normil Hawaiians in 40 years. The group first refined their sound during the early 80s, hitting on a pastoral experimentalism that drew on ambient drone, motorik impulse and post-punk pep.
‘Empires into Sand’ came together in the familiar manner of their original three albums, with improvisation and nuance informing the blueprint of the tracks. It was with the official release of this last record ‘Return of the Ranters’ (originally recorded in 1984/85, but then unconsciously shelved) in 2015 by Upset The Rhythm that led to the group reconnecting with the intention of playing music together again. Normil Hawaiians played a launch show for that ‘lost album’ and followed that up with more concerts, including an appearance at Supernormal, a residency at the Edinburgh Festival, gigs at Cafe OTO. They were even chosen by Richard Dawson to perform with him in London.
Throughout this time, Normil Hawaiians revisited their original songs for live performance. However for a group always so interested in evolving their sound, it came as no surprise that they shirked at the idea of a faithful retread. The band pushed their songs into new inventive dimensions, still progressive at core, but now imbued with a cosmic uncanny. A cinematic approach that was always quietly present has come to the fore. The quaint weirdness of folk song, the humanity of communal practice and the group’s ecological mindedness have all found a place in Normil Hawaiians’ current sound world.
When Normil Hawaiians write and record music they prefer to gather in a remote location and live together for a while, such is their communal ethos. Being far-flung across the UK, the Family Hawaii (numbering seven key members) decided to encamp to Tayinloan, a small village on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. They set up their own studio in an isolated, windswept house overlooking the sea and started the tape rolling. Noel Blanden from the band explains the process neatly: “we set up and began playing, slowly and patiently, allowing the music to take its own shape based on where we were staying and our ongoing friendship. We recorded for days, capturing everything. A lot of new and rich ideas began to emerge”.
Normil Hawaiians took their time to develop these threads at their own pace, allowing songs to mutate and settle over months. Simon Marchant deftly produced and recorded the album whilst also performing in the band, this marked the first time the band had total control of their own sound. The last few years has seen the band reconvene in Herne Bay, Faversham, London and Leith to record new parts, constantly responding to the changing form of these quietly spectral songs of defiance.
‘Empires into Sand’ incorporates samples from old rehearsals and live music into the new finished pieces, this is in continuum with their previous records. Snippets of sound from the static of short wave radio and satellite transmissions also embellish the work. In fact the whole album is stitched together with interludes, creating an acutely immersive 45 minutes. ‘Exiles’ opens the album amid swirling atmospheres, synth flights and recordings of Vilnis Egle (father of Zinta Egle from the band) retelling his experience of fleeing his home in Latvia during Soviet occupation in 1942. George Bikandy also features on this track talking about his flight from Syria in 2014. ‘Ghosts of Ballochroy’ is a winding river of a song featuring a lively discourse in Scots courtesy of Rodney Relax. There’s a commitment to truth telling present across this hopeful album populated with angels, incoming tides, long shadows and the rose-washed sun. “From our broken windscreen, we feel the breeze” soars Guy Smith triumphantly over the driving beat of ‘Waterfalls : Bedford 330’. ‘Big City Sky’ flutters and sparkles with rapid synth runs, tape-looped drums and Jimmy Miller’s commanding vocal. With ‘In The Stone’ Zinta’s melody is deliberately jagged and blunt, exaggerated by octave-layered vocals and interjections from Guy.
This is thought-provoking, boundary-bothering music. Honest in intent, a solidarity of vision. The album’s title is derived from a poem by band member Mark Tyler, who sadly passed away during the recording process and the transience of life is felt heavily throughout. Noel best coins the group’s wish for the album: “we wanted to create an album that acknowledges our history and also reflects who we are today. We remained true to ourselves and we wanted to make something beautiful without removing the edges.” ‘Empires into Sand’ certainly does that, it’s an echo from the past, an echo from the future.

Multitudes" ist das Debütalbum der Singer/Songwriterin Alisa Amador aus Cambridge, MA. Die Songs von "Multitudes" sind eine Synthese aus den
vielen Stilen, die Alisa unersättlich aufgesogen hat: Rock, Jazz, Funk und alternativer Folk, alles verpackt in den Geist der lateinamerikanischen Musik,
mit der sie aufgewachsen ist. Alisa hat live bereits für Künstler wie Hozier, Lake Street Dive, Madison Cunningham, Watchhouse, Hiss Golden
Messenger und viele andere eröffnet.
Das Album ist ein kühnes, fesselndes Selbstporträt, das nicht nur zeigt, wie weit Amador gekommen ist, sondern auch ihre Herkunft feiert (ihre
Wurzeln liegen in Puerto Rico, New Mexico, Argentinien und New England). Die Sammlung, die mühelos zwischen Spanisch und Englisch wechselt und
auf der auch Gaby Moreno, Madison Cunningham und Quinn Christopherson zu hören sind, ist ein wunderschönes Album - die Art und Weise, wie
Amadors kristalline Stimme die üppigen Synthesizer, verträumten Gitarren und filmischen Streicherarrangements des Albums durchbricht, ist
schlichtweg bezaubernd - aber mehr noch, es ist ein intensives Werk, eine tiefgründige, aufschlussreiche Meditation über Triumph und Verlust, Ende
und Anfang, Identität und Zugehörigkeit.