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The new dance album by Biicla called HYPER HOUSE is an imaginary club, where the main hero is the listener. The vibe in this house is Uk influenced modern take on bass / garage with a kind flow and naked emotions. The record has been in the making last 3 years and you could have heard some singles from the album already - GAS (4.21), MAKING NEW, MISS YA were all released via System 108 in 2023, the label has also become by accident a new home for the artist. Before arriving on System 108, Biicla has been releasing music for a while and getting exposure in big US Festivals, like Lollapalooza, Hard Summer, Bonaroo and many more, celebrating millions of streams worldwide. With System 108, Biicla found a new home and new dedicated audience, and it seems like a match made in heaven.

The process of production of the album took time during some challenging years - when our ordinary world started to shatter... Therefore the cover is divided in two parts - on the right, we observe chaos and destruction; on the left, people are having a quiet and happy life. Modern / hybrid club sounds in the album co-exist with sensible, soulful vibes, sorrow and hope. On top, the finishing comes in a close to perfection studio-engineered sound. HYPER HOUSE therefore is an intimate record with a personal meaning for Biicla and for us, as a label. Together as a team, we represent Biicla in all facets of his creative output, would it be his self-branded party BIICMAK, live shows or support of new names in the scene, discovered by the artist, as an example here comes the V/A Radar 108, curated by Biicla - tip!

Phantastic Ferniture, the delightfully lightheaded project of Julia
Jacklin, Elizabeth Hughes, Ryan K Brennan and Tom Stephens,
release their self-titled debut album via Transgressive Records.
The mission is obvious: don't overthink it. These artists' shared
want to shake the shackles of their meticulously crafted solo
work to experience a second, giddy adolescence is evident in
the garage-pop perfection introduced today.
I'd gone straight into folk music,' says Jacklin, 'so every
experience I'd had on stage was playing sad music with a
guitar in my hand. I thought, I would love to know what it's like
to make people feel good and dance.'
Phantastic Ferniture's spiritual home may be the garage but
they were born in a bar, specifically the hallowed basement of
Frankie's Pizza in Sydney. One late night in 2014, on Jacklin's
birthday, a group hug manifested amid the pinball machines,
with all ten participants vowing to form a band. 'Only four of us
remembered the next day,' notes Hughes.
United by fern puns and a love of leisurewear, the band met up
whenever schedules would allow, writing songs and playing
smatterings of dates to an increasingly devoted audience.
Eventually it was decreed that this was no side project and an
album should follow. The result is one of the most enjoyable
albums of 2018. 'It feels really good,' Jacklin says with
satisfaction. 'It's like having an alter ego.'
A slice of defiant brilliance that feels effortless in its
execution.' - London In Stereo
LP pressed on pink vinyl with digital download code.
Press - Reviews in Clash, DIY, Q , Loud & Quiet, The Skinny. Radio - 6Music Lauren Laverne Track Of The Day
Online - DIY, Too Many Blogs, Most Radicalist, Giglist, London In
Stereo, Loud and Quiet, The Skinny, God Is In The TV Zine.

EP on 12" vinyl with insert. Pianist Orson Claeys is a refreshing new presence on the Belgian jazz scene.The music takes cues from the rich sounds of the Middle East, influenced by artists like Dhafer Youssef and Anouar Brahem, and also from the fresh, creative styles of contemporary jazz musicians.



Pianist Orson Claeys is a refreshing new presence on the Belgian jazz scene. After being featured on the third instalment of the 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' compilations with his track 'Conversations', Orson Claeys is set to release his 5-track debut EP 'Odyssey to Self' on Sdban Ultra.



Spellbound by the allure of the piano at a young age, Claeys joined art school, where his more profound exploration really began. However, it wasn't until a later age, when he discovered the melodies of Herbie Hancock, that he was drawn to jazz and changed his musical course. Under the guidance of renowned artists, Claeys had the opportunity to immerse himself in this new sound atthe Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. He developed his own style, learning to weave different cultural influences and musical genres. These days, Claeys is constantly searching for his own unique sound in today's modern jazz, fusing different musical traditions into one harmonious expression.

"Odyssey to Self" isn't just an EP; it's a story about life-the ups, downs, and the personal journey we all experience. "From the start, I wanted this project to go beyond my own artistry and connect with more people. That's why I decided to create a visual counterpart to the music, a way to see the journey that you hear in the record."

This is Orson Claeys' first EP, released under Ghent's well-known Sdban Records. It's a deep dive into Claeys' own life, honestly sharing his path through major changes. "Odyssey to Self" captures his personal journey, giving listeners a look at the universal human experience of dealing with life's challenges and embracing change.

The music takes cues from the rich sounds of the Middle East, influenced by artists like Dhafer Youssef and Anouar Brahem, and also from the fresh, creative styles of contemporary jazz musicians such as Aaron Parks, Brad Mehldau, and Ambrose Akinmusire. Claeys aimed to blend these diverse musical influences into one cohesive sound. "Odyssey to Self" invites listeners to experience Claeys' emotions, experiences, and artistic vision, weaving stories that touch on themes we all understand.

Vier Jahrzehnte Alphaville! Als eine der wenigen deutschen Bands hat es die von Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd und Frank Mertens gegründete Pop-Formation geschafft, sich mit Hits wie „Big in Japan“, „Forever Young“ oder "Sounds like a Melody" einen festen Platz in der internationalen Musikszene zu erobern und Generationen von Fans zu begeistern. Und das bis heute: Im Herbst erscheint die erste karriereübergreifende Werkschau der Band: „ALPHAVILLE FOREVER! - BEST OF 40 YEARS“ wird ab dem 27. September 2024 auf CD und Vinyl erhältlich sein - auf den Tag genau 40 Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung des Debütalbums „Forever Young“.

Die 3-CD-Version (Digipack) enthält 40 Tracks und ein 20-seitiges Booklet, die gekürzte LP-Version (180g) eine bedruckte Innenhülle mit Credits und vielen Fotos sowie in der limitierten Erstauflage ein exklusives Poster. Das Besondere: die Fans von Alphaville stimmten im Vorfeld weltweit über die Tracklist der 3CD ab. Über ein spezielles Voting-Tool konnten sie ihre 40 Alphaville-Lieblingssongs auswählen, in die gewünschte Reihenfolge bringen und als Playlist abspeichern.

Two seminal 12" mixes of a pair of enormous tracks from Surface. Housed in the super-rare and - until now - French-only picture sleeve of the eternal "Falling In Love", we've backed that classic with Be With's favourite deconstructed mix of the swirling electronic soul / synth-driven slow jam "Happy". These sought-after versions have never been paired on the same record before. This fresh Be With edition ensures these legendary tracks now sound, looks and feel as sensational as they deserve to. You know what to do...

American post-disco/R&B trio Surface were a New Jersey vocal group made up of Bernard Jackson, David Townsend and David Conley. The majesty of boogie ballad "Falling In Love" was their first single, released in 1983 on Salsoul Records. The mellow magic of this track is loved the world over; it's a feel-good smooth boogie jam that's forever coveted. The slick, crystal clear beat, the legendary minimoog bassline, the melody, Karen Copeland's superb vocal, the great flute solo (referenced on the cover) all of it is literally perfect and beautifully encapsulates that mid 80s international club vibe. This here is the original Shep Pettibone mix in its entirety - it's the only one you really need.

Flip for the legendary "Love Mix" of 1987 hit single “Happy". You all know the original. At least, you *should* all know it. But the "Love Mix" is a deconstructed, boldly produced mix which is the one the heads have turned to for so long. Yet, in our opinion, its hypnotic groove has flown under the radar for too many years. This killer remix begins with Jackson's spine-tingling isolated vocal, cleverly subverting expectations by actually delivering the first words of the original's second verse "You must be Heaven sent...Sent into my life...And I compliment you baby...Baby" before a heavy 808 drum kicks hard with echoey handclaps. It's super sparse and a dubbed out slow-mo boogie banger like no other. The synth bass, atmospheric synth pads and synthesized flute glide in and out with effortless style and the whole thing is a wonder to behold.

It's a slow jam, for sure, but crafted in the straight up funk tradition, using the digital tools of the day and this sparser than sparse version almost sounds like a precursor to UK Street Soul. A unique combination of undeniable funk, electro beats and an earnest, youthful tenor; it should be slamming out of every jeep forevermore.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year. Simply flawless.

Bringing a dance floor sensibility to the deeper end of the electronic spectrum, the Dutch duo Jordi van Achthoven and Micha Heyboer a.k.a. Tinlicker have courted the attention of global labels and tastemakers since breaking out in 2013. Prolific musicians with backgrounds in dubstep and pop production, their journey so far has seen them release on the likes of Mau5trap, Armada, Sotto Voce and Anjunadeep - with an a eclectic array of DJ support from Above & Beyond to Oliver Heldens, Tiësto to Yotto. Able to turn their hand to deep house, techno and electro, the pair have reworked the likes of Lane 8 and Deadmau5; their stunning update of Reflekt ‘Need To Feel Loved’ becoming a sought after mix among fellow DJs over the last 12 months. A showcase for their dynamic songwriting and forward thinking sound design, Tinlicker’s debut artist album ‘This Is Not Our Universe’ will be released on Anjunabeats this September.

Sunrise Pearl Vinyl. Chilli Beans. are a three-piece band from Japan, formed in 2019 by Moto (vocals), Maika (bass & vocals) and Lily (guitar & vocals). Their neo-garage style fuses indie rock with garage infused guitars and catchy melodies. Since 2019, the band has released 4 EPs and two albums on A.S.A.B. and played several nationwide headline tours in Japan. Their second full-length album "Welcome to My Castle" was released on December 13th, 2024 and featured 13 songs, including the single "Raise" which was the ending song theme for the TV anime series "One Piece", as well as "I like you", the main song of the TV series "Toki wo Kakeruna, Koibito-tachi".

"Justin Townes Earle released Kids In The Street, his first record on New West Records, in May of 2017. The album received critical acclaim and further cemented Justin’s legacy as one of the best active songwriters in music. Songs like, “Champagne Corolla” showcased his wry sense of humor as well as his deft ability to build upon the music that came before him while at the same time creating something unique and new. Familiar, inventive, creative, and clever.

Justin would release his second album with New West Records in May of 2019. The Saint of Lost Causes was hailed as one of the best albums of 2019 by Rolling Stone Magazine with “half a dozen or so career classics.” “I was trying to look through the eyes of America,” Earle says. “Because I believe in the idea of America - that everybody’s welcome here and has a right to be here.” Earle tells these American stories in detail and without judgement. While some songs cite historic events like “Flint City Shake It,” and “Don’t Drink The Water,"" other tracks present fictionalized narratives that are no less harrowing, or true-to-life , as heard in ""Appalachian Nightmare,” “The Saint Of Lost Causes,” and “Over Alameda.""

Justin Townes Earle was always a champion of the underdog and All In features in depth looks at the hopeful, and the hopeless. Fueled by empathy, baked in the blues, Justin was never without something poignant or humorous to say. Sadly, Justin passed away in 2020 at the age of 38. ALL IN: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) is a fitting tribute to Justin’s legacy. The collection features many never heard before songs, demos, and cover tunes, spanning his time as a New West Records recording artist."

Cool Calm Pete has been featured in the past with MF Doom, RJD2, El-P, Morcheeba, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aesop Rock, and others. More recently with Kool Keith, Real Bad Man, Heems, and Lee Scott.
Lost (Director’s Cut) kicks off Petes return with some new projects on deck.
Sometimes it takes time for something to establish its proper place in culture, and the modern-day discourse never fails to rush to label an album to be a classic or a flop. Then there are albums like Cool Calm Pete’s “LOST.” Adored by its dedicated fan base upon its original release in 2005 on Embedded Records and Definitive Jux, this record has continued to garner attention over the years from those who are familiar with it. While word-of-mouth alone may not have been sufficient to propel the album to mainstream success, its enduring popularity two decades later is a testament to its well-deserved recognition as an indie rap cult classic. The Korean-American emcee born as Pete Chung wasn’t asking to be a pioneer but having been raised in Queens NY during the golden era of hip hop, rhyming better than his peers just naturally became his identity. Throughout his debut album, his slow-paced, conversational flow fit like a glove to the self-produced “working class” beats that color most of the album. His education in fine arts as a painter and his day-job with a then-burgeoning lifestyle brand called Supreme sometimes took precedence in his professional life, but his dedication to the craft as a hip hop artist was evident, and fans took notice. The album hasn’t been re-released since its initial 2005 drop. and vinyl copies haven’t sold on the collectors’ market for less than $100 in years. With its first official re-release, the laws of supply-and-demand will surely alter that market, and chances are that with more ears to hear the album, those original pressings will only become hotter. In the meantime, the new “LOST (Director’s Cut)” has been re-mastered and extended for release on Cool Calm Pete’s own label Bubble Wife Records, with never-before-heard cuts led by a remix of the title track by Blockhead. Find it.

Guitarist Steve Howe releases his new solo album Guitarscape on 27th September on his own HoweSound label. The album will be available on CD, vinyl and digital downloads, including Dolby Atmos, Guitarscape marks a new chapter for the YES and ASIA legend as he presents, what amounts to, a guitar masterclass. "What I'm doing," said Steve, "is focusing on what I do well and what I love to do." Guitarscape features 14 new instrumental tracks in a host of musical styles, from rock through to acoustic and classical, each bearing that unmistakable Steve Howe sound. Steve plays acoustic, electric, steel and bass guitars along with keyboards and is joined by his son Dylan on drums. Steve has written all of the tracks and produced the album "This album has given me the opportunity to do something different," says Steve. "I bought a Novation Summit keyboard and found that it had a wealth of inspiring sounds. It gave me a golden opportunity to create my own keyboard structures - chordal movements and structures that I thought were a bit different. I think differently on a keyboard, I don't see the chords looking the same but then I had fun playing around with the guitar to see where that goes. "I've utilised most of the colours, as I like to I think of my styles, and I'm always pleased when I hear them running through and it moves from a steel, maybe, to a Spanish guitar. Because it's a different sort of album, I'm not using terribly conventional chord sequences but things that give me a fresh feeling and opportunities to improvise and stretch out as well as be melodic and make this a nice tuneful experience. "I began feeding the tracks to Dylan. We get on great and he seems to know what to play around my guitar, it's almost instinctive. Dylan and I fit together really beautifully. We've had the chance to do this together, so it's wonderful. "The bass parts and the keyboards are pretty interesting, everything had to be interesting but also work together. I like doing things that are super fresh and this album says what I am today.

Picture a time when you could have a good time all the time. It was an era when fast cars rolled under neon lights, yachts were a sensible housing decision and fighting for your right to party was a full time occupation. This mythical age had an equally flamboyant soundtrack to match, and it blared from boomboxes and dashboards in every time zone. It was the 1980s, and bands like Van Halen, Toto and Def Leppard personified a summertime sound built on big beats, bigger melodies and choruses so epic that singing along was the law, and places like Vegas, Hollywood, and Miami Beach became hedonistic epicenters of a global, sonic heatwave.

"Co-produced by Jerry Finn (Rancid, Green Day, Jawbreaker) and Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins), Sing the Sorrow retains the Bay Area outfit’s signature aggression and pathos – forging ever forward into uncharted territory like the virtuoso guitar intro of “The Leaving Song Pt. 2” or the industrial-leaning break and Dead Can Dance-worthy outro of “Death Of Seasons.”
Meanwhile, from its sublime intro through beautifully subdued verses and infectious choruses, first single “Girl’s Not Grey” is a standout that both recalls AFI coming into its own on 2000’s The Art Of Drowning and hints at a myriad of future directions. For the purists, “Dancing Through Sunday” and “Bleed Black” come strapped with generous chant-along opportunities and heavy-as-hell, bolt-tight riffs and rhythms. And as with virtually every track on Sing The Sorrow, these are all imbued with alternately brooding and celebratory lyrical imagery of rebirth, resurrection, apocalypse, all somehow deeply personal – in other words, classic AFI.
“When you’re playing a style of music that doesn’t really fit anywhere, you run a risk. You’re challenging people to leave their niche, to leave their predetermined ideas of what they’re supposed to like. Luckily, we have a lot of people who just focus on the music and appreciate us for what we are. So we get fans from all different genres of music, the jocks, the spooky kids, skaters, college kids, punk rockers, hardcore kids, metal kids, all that.” — Davey Havok"

2024 Repress

Undoubtedly the darlings of electro-pop, Satin Jackets finally unveil their debut artist album, 'Panorama Pacifico' featuring a string of cameos from vocalists familiar and exotic, jetting in from LA, Berlin, London, Belgium and Australia.

Scaling the heights of the Hype machine from their first release to the latest, and clocking up almost ten million plays on spotify, Satin Jacket's original brand of diva funk and smooth disco has whetted the tastebuds of the likes of Majestic Casual and i-D mag who said the duo's "super sexy, infectious house music is filled with the vibe of summertime." Their smash single, 'You Make Me Feel Good' has accumulated close to three million plays on Soundcloud (soundcloudsatinjackets/you-make-me-feel-good) and Youtube concurrently.

"The idea came from our character, Mr. Satin Jackets, who's been travelling the world quite a bit the past two years," explained Tim Bernhardt, the founder of the duo. "Four continents, about twenty countries in, he's on the West Coast and takes a break. He watches the ocean to put his mind at ease and out pours Panorama Pacifico."

This idyllic perspective is launched by the vocals of Scavenger Hunt, the Los Angeles-based electro-pop 4-piece, charted by Billboard and featured by the likes of Nylon mag. They explain about their contribution, "Feel Good' feels like jumping into a cool pool on a hot summer day- refreshing, exhilarating and sexy." Nigerian born and Birmingham based UoB's Got Talent winner, IsaacO contributes to 'Keep Moving On'. He explains it's, "a song about having a nonchalant attitude towards life regardless of what it throws at you. Best listened to on a nighttime drive on the highway."

The album also takes a peek into the past successes of Satin Jackets, with last year's smash single, 'Shine On You' featuring UK born and Berlin based talent Esser, dubbed by Clash magazine as "an exploratory glimpse into the mind-expanding side of Satin Jackets' electronics," and recent single 'We Can Talk' featuring vocals from Emma Brammer.

Further new collaborations include Ghent-based collective I will, I swear, Melbourne's Kids At Midnight and diamond in the rough of Belgian pop Marble Sounds. Fellow Eskimo artist and Greek producer NTEIBINT and KLP from Australia also feature. Each plots a similar narrative about the struggles of love. "'Say You' is about being afraid of being happy,' explains Jane Elizabeth Hanley AKA Kids At Midnight; 'Coast To Coast' is "a sweet love song that could also work on the dancefloor," says George Bakalakos AKA NTEIBINT; and Emma Brammer explores the concept of, "the exciting and painful first love - maybe it's not so good for you but it feels historical."

Pieter Van Dessel of Marble Sounds digs further on 'Find Out'. "The lyrics 'Shut your eyes, and you'll find out' started as a reference to childhood memories: as kids we often had to close eyes when somebody wanted to surprise us with a gift. But it can also mean that you could learn more about reality when you disconnect and close your eyes, instead of gathering (too) much information."

Three quarters of the tracks are fresh and introduce exciting guest vocalists and producers. These are complemented by the much-loved staples from the duo, 'Girl, Forever' and 'You Make Me Feel Good'. Tim of Satin Jackets explains, "We're ending the journey of this album with 'You Make Me Feel Good',

German music producer, Tim Bernhardt and lead performer Den Ishu are Satin Jackets. Their eponymous live show has relentlessly toured the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe, opening their fluid pop appeal and accessible four-to-the-floor groove up to the world at large. Their debut album, 'Panorama Pacifico' is set for release on 8th April on their home label, Eskimo Recordings. The Belgian imprint has been a purveyor of disco, house and everything in between for over fifteen years.

"Niagara's third LP Afire is the rarest one from kraut drummer, formerly of Sunbirds, Klaus Weiss' band. An astonishing album which returns to the minimal sounds based on percussion and rhythm of their first album, yet retaining a feel of harmony all through it - this time not provided by the brass instruments that had been added in S.U.B., but though to the high emphasis put on combining a variety of drums each tuned to their perfect pitch, and the contribution of Embryo's bass player Dave King. Also present on the sessions were percussionists George Brown, Sabu Rex and Norman Tolbert. The phenomenal rhythms contained on this LP have made it a very sought after piece among those looking for cool samplers to mix.

Klaus Weiss is considered one of the best drummers of the German jazz scene, he was always very active and played with a lot of USA jazzmen travelling Germany like Hampton Hawes, Herbie Mann, Mal Waldron or Johnny Griffin, as well as with German greats as Klaus Doldinger, George Gruntz, Friedrich Gulda, etc. "

A new piece by minimalist / experimental composer PHILL NIBLOCK (1933 - 2024), co-composed and performed by ANNA CLEMENTI & THOMAS STERN. Intense, menacing layers of thick drones and alien sounds.

In summer 2022, within just a few weeks and by pure coincidence, 2 proposals regarding PHILL NIBLOCK albums arrived: one suggesting an overdue vinyl reissue of a CD release (more on that when the time has come for it), the other email was from ANNA CLEMENTI saying she and THOMAS STERN were working on new pieces that PHILL NIBLOCK has written for her … when "Zound Delta 2" was complete, PHILL sent photographs for the two artworks, we met twice to discuss details, but unfortunately he died unexpectedly early january this year so the album now is, sad as it is, a posthumous release … an intense goodbye from one of 20thcentury most iconic composers.

Phill Niblock

Phill Niblock (1933-2024, USA) was an artist whose fifty-year career spans minimalist and experimental music, film and photography. Since 1985, he has served as director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation for avant-garde music based in New York with a branch in Ghent, and curator of the foundation's record label XI. Known for his thick, loud drones of music, Niblock's signature sound is filled with microtones of instrumental timbres that generate many other tones in the performance space. In 2013, his diverse artistic career was the subject of a retrospective realised in partnership between Circuit (Contemporary Art Centre Lausanne) and Musée de l'Elysée. The following year Niblock was honoured with the prestigious Foundation for Contemporary Arts John Cage Award.

Anna Clementi

Italian-Swedish singer Anna Clementi grew up in Rome, where she first studied the flute and completed acting training before moving to Berlin and studying experimental vocal music and experimental music theater with the composer Dieter Schnebel at Hochschule der Künste (now UdK Berlin). Anna Clementi sees herself as an "actress of the voice" rather than exclusively as a singer. In this way she also articulates the diversity of her artistic expression, with which she is always searching for new connections between voice, gesture, language, dance and theater.

During her decades spanning career, Anna Clementi has performed at the most important festivals, has premiered numerous works, many of which have been composed especially for her, and worked with Fast Forward, Michael Hirsch, Rupert Huber, Christian Kesten, Alexander Kolkowski, Olga Neuwirth, Josef Anton Riedl, Iris ter Schiphorst, Dieter Schnebel, Laurie Schwartz, Elliott Sharp, and many others.

A special focus of hers is the work of John Cage, whose pieces she has performed worldwide.

Thomas Stern

Born in Bremen, Thomas Stern moved to Berlin in 1984 where he joined Mona Mur with Alex Hacke and F. M. Einheit (both from Einstürzende Neubauten, with which Stern also worked as live sound engineer for many years). Around 1987 he co-founded the Berlin set up of Crime And The City Solution (Mick Harvey, Alex Hacke a.o.). Over the years, he has has collaborated with artists like Ulrike Haage, Phew, Nick Cave, Ton Steine Scherben, Meret Becker, Nina Hagen, Jaki Liebezeit, Ben Becker, N.U. Unruh, Gry, Iris ter Schiphorst, Automat, Swans, Hans Joacxhim Irmler and many more, on the road or in his own Sternstaubstudio.
credits:

Anna Clementi: voice

Thomas Stern: slide guitar, bass and soundprocessing

Composition by Phill Niblock, Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern

Recorded and mixed by Thomas Stern at Sternstaubstudio, Berlin

Mastering and lacquer cut: Kassian Troyer at D&M, Berlin

Cover photography by Phill Niblock

Layout and design by kaidoh

"Distant Call" ist im Gegensatz zu "Spell Blanket" eine Sammlung früher Demos von Songs, die später als fertige Produktionen auf den Alben "Haha Sound", "Tender Buttons" und "The Future Crayon" erscheinen sollten. Das Album enthält außerdem zwei Songs, die James nach Trishs Tod entdeckte: "Come Back To Me" und "Please Call To Book". Diese waren ihre Antwort auf das "Let's Write A Song"-Projekt von Broadcast aus dem Jahr 2006, bei dem Fans gebeten wurden, Songtexte auf einer Postkarte einzusenden, die dann in einen fertigen Song eingearbeitet wurden. "Distant Call" schließt die Tür zu Broadcast und wird die letzte Veröffentlichung der Band sein.

From Cape Town to Cairo, and now to fans, stages and screens around the world, PJ Morton shares his newest album, fully made in the motherland. Cape Town to Cairo is a collection of songs that he created in 30 days throughout 4 countries in Africa — South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt. Described as the best trip of his life, this transformative journey began as just the seed of an idea last fall, but instantly grew into his most sonically-sprawling and immediately-inspired record to date. With no music, lyrics or preconceptions, he stepped foot onto the continent with two thoughts: a wild dream to write and record his next LP in less than a month, and a mission to immerse himself in as many different cultures, stories and communities as he could.

Surrounded by featured collaborators like Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, Asa, Ndabo Zulu, and Soweto Spiritual Singers, as well as additional producers including P.Priime and The Cavemen., his own live band and local musicians, PJ Morton used music as his common language. Always his greatest way of communicating, he expressed his feelings and experiences of Africa through songs he and others were forming together on the spot, side-by-side in different studios, cities and towns for the very first time. None of the tracks were written before he arrived or after he left, and the arrangements showcase both the countries’ native genres as well as the innate, stylistic instincts that have made Morton a 5x GRAMMY-winner and 20x GRAMMY-nominee, whether it be his soul, R&B and gospel roots, or the pop prowess he has further honed as a member of Maroon 5.

“When you’ve been in music as long as I have, you’re constantly looking for inspiration,” says PJ Morton. “And you’re looking for the things that made you want to do it in the first place. I’ve made albums every type of way you can think, so I wanted to try something I hadn’t done before. As a Black American who had never been to South or West Africa, I knew there was something there waiting for me. So I put a little pressure on myself to make a full record in a month, but I also said, ‘If I’m gonna go to Africa, I want to see Africa.’ We made music, but we also formed connections. We made new friends, and this is just the start.”

ESSENCE adds, "This trip is not just a physical move, it's a spiritual return…The soul of Africa pulses through every note he plays and every word he sings,” and VIBE adds that “the multi-faceted artist is fully embracing a new phase in his life.” Cape Town to Cairo marks PJ Morton’s first album since 2022’s Watch The Sun, which featured collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Nas, JoJo, Wale, Jill Scott, Alex Isley and more. Since then, Morton has become the first Black composer to write an original song for a Disney attraction, having just finished making the music for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, opening on June 28th, 2024 at Disney World and Fall 2024 at Disneyland. He also won his latest GRAMMY earlier this year, worked with Samara Joy on “Why I’m Here” for Regina King’s Netflix film Shirley, and landed a cover of his song “Don’t Let Go” as the soundtrack to Apple’s iPhone 15 commercial.

PJ Morton recently returned from headlining his debut shows in Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and announced an extensive Cape Town to Cairo Tour for North America summer and fall 2024. Following iconic performances at New Orleans Jazz Fest, The Kennedy Center, Roots Picnic and Newport Jazz Fest, Morton will embark on a run of more than 25 dates across the country, including New York City’s Beacon Theatre, Chicago’s Chicago Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, and dozens of others.

On the heels of his headline tour and Maroon 5’s Las Vegas residency, PJ Morton will publish a life-spanning new book titled Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. The memoir sees him recounting and reflecting upon a trailblazing path that continues to defy expectations and straddle the tensions of music and faith, race and culture, expression and identity. As the son of two pastors and gospel artists, Morton grew up grounded by the sound of the Church, but soon found himself drawn to R&B, pop and soul, writing songs that the industry, his family and community struggled to understand. In the face of mounting pressure, rejection and constant miscategorization, he committed himself to a steadfast path of independence: making music on his own terms, launching his own record label, joining one of the biggest bands in the world while staying true to his New Orleans roots. The risks he took paid off, and through his transformation from preacher's kid to the busiest man in showbiz – performing everywhere from his local congregation to the Super Bowl, collaborating with everyone from his father to Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste and Lil Wayne – he hopes to encourage readers and listeners to overcome obstacles as they seek their dreams.

Most of the writing of Naima Bock's second album, Below A Massive Dark Land, was a solitary affair. It may not sound like it - it's made up of strong, purposeful arrangements with a huge host of musicians, filled with cradling space and warm light. This will also come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Naima perform in the time since the release of her 2022 debut Giant Palm, which was undoubtedly a communal experience. But there's power in the solitary, too. Giant Palm was arranged with collaborator Joel Burton, but going this one alone in search of something that was truly hers, Naima found she was capable of more. "After me and Joel stopped working together", she remembers, "it was an impossibility to even fathom doing arrangements myself but then I started learning violin and it was possible". Finding that she could go it alone was incredibly powerful for Naima: "I think I needed it, to be able to feel proud of something". Beyond the writing process, however, the record is not a stark, stripped back affair. Below_ still has the majesty that made Giant Palm so remarkable. Having tugged the first record down from the skies and spreading it across the earth, Naima finds a newfound vocal power and confidence born from hundreds of hours on stage, and the music sounds fuller, more tangible, and no less enveloping. This can be heard on the album's lead singles: "Kaley" feels fresh and surprising in its rug-pull choppiness but is distinctly Naima in its swinging, jubilant choruses. The accompanying "Further Away" takes a different tack, drawing you in with its simplicity. Finally, the hazy, luxurious beauty of "Feed My Release" draws on the sepia-toned traditions of The Roches, John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III and imbues them with the kind of stark confessional songwriting of Mount Eerie. These are ambitious, rich arrangements that reach deeper and darker lyrically than Giant Palm. Below a Massive Dark Land was predominantly produced by Jack Osborne (Bingo Fury) and Joe Jones, and recorded at The Crypt in north London, with additional production and arrangement by Oliver Hamilton (caroline, Shovel Dance Collective) and Naima herself. Six of the tracks on Below_ were mixed by Jason Agel, with the remainder done by Osborne and Jones. The album was mastered by Kevin Tuffy.

Tahiti 80, the cult French group, is back with a tenth album entitled Hello Hello.

Since their formation in Rouen in the 90s, Tahiti 80 have built a substantial discography, collaborating with artists such as Cornelius, Tore Johansson, Adam Schlesinger and Richard Swift. The indie pop quintet offers us today twelve irresistible and captivating songs on a solar tenth album. With its welcoming title, Hello Hello presents itself as a desire to merge the spontaneity of live performances with the chemistry of a band working in the studio. Xavier Boyer, lead singer and songwriter, explains: “We felt a slight frustration with our previous album, Here With You, released in 2022. The pandemic had forced us to record separately at home. When we realized our new demos were going in this live direction, we looked for the perfect place to capture that spirit."

It is at the Paraphernalia studio, located in the French countryside, that the members of Tahiti 80, including in addition to the singer, Pedro Resende, Médéric Gontier, Raphaël Léger and Hadrien Grange, perfected their musical interactions for ten days during the summer 2023. Integrated very early in the process, Stéphane Laporte, aka Domotic, brought his distinctive experimental touch to the arrangements and production. The vocals and additional synthesizers were then finalized between Paris, Rouen and Montpellier in the fall

The twelve songs that make up Hello Hello form a homogeneous suite, highlighting the creativity, diversity and maturity of a group which has just celebrated twenty-five years of career. Opening the album, “Every Little Thing” subtly mixes shoegaze guitars and synth pop. It’s also one of the rare Tahiti 80 tracks that keeps the same chords from start to finish. The singer confides: “It was an exercise in minimalism, with the constraint of finding varied vocal melodies revolving around the same chords. Singing the line ‘I Love Every Little Thing About Us’ made me realize that it could also be about us as a group.” The title song also plays the simplicity card with Boyer’s unique timbre, complemented by a drum machine passed through a tape echo and a catchy recorder theme – proof that years of practice of this instrument in French schools was not in vain!

The other distinctive trend is Brazilian: “Lose My Head”, “Soft Echo” or “Poison Flower” each display tropicalist attributes: swaying rhythms, rounded bass, soft guitars, all enhanced by a reverberated sound treatment. “From Caetano Veloso to Tim Bernardes, there is a unique way,” notes the vocalist, “of linking rhythm and melody that has always inspired us.”

However, the Tahiti 80 touch is not being put aside. “About Us”, sung by guitarist Médéric Gontier who can also be heard on “1+1” and “Anyway”, marks a return to the roots of indie pop. An impression confirmed by the hit “Vertigo” and its signature all in major sevenths supported by the elastic groove of bassist Pedro Resende. The song which sounds like a quick return trip between late 70s California and Tokyo City Pop, will find its place after “Crush!” and “Heartbeat” in the Rouennais’ songbook. Xavier Boyer concludes: “ if we manage to surprise ourselves, it will also work for the listener. but when you reach the tenth album, you must also manage to renew ourselves without denying ourselves what we did previously.”

With their innovative and unique approach to indie pop, their timeless melodies and their sophisticated productions, Tahiti 80 has never ceased to resonate with fans around the world. Their latest collection, Hello Hello, should easily consolidate their status as a singular group and esteemed personalities on the international music scene.

Mutant, in partnership with Hollywood Records and 20th Century Studios are proud to present the premiere physical release of John Paesano's score to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.



Paying homage to Jerry Goldsmith's iconic original Planet of the Apes score, while embarking on a wholly original sonic journey into this unexplored era of the series chronology. Paesano has crafted an incredible musical odyssey, full of wonder and powerful emotional passages.



Paesano has been quietly producing some of the best genre scores of the last decade. His music for the Daredevil TV series, Marvel's Spider-Man video games and The Maze Runner trilogy if films have all led to this in some way. With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, he has crafted a beautiful and sweeping score for a massive dystopian world inhabited with nuanced and delicate characters. And he does so while respecting the source material and the legacy of the franchises that loom large. It's a tightrope that Paesano deftly walks with well-earned confidence.

LUMINOUS ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC COMPOSITIONS LAYERED WITH SUPERB IMPROVISATIONS

Frida Kahlo said, "Can we invent verbs? I'd like to tell you one: I sky you, so my wings stretch, enormous, to love you without measure". It was this message of love from the Mexican poet and painter that inspired the debut album Yo Te Cielo ("I Sky You") by the French southern quartet Chocho Cannelle. It's a canvas on which the different worlds of the four band members blossom. Full of nuances and contrasts, between harmonic softness and rhythmic subtlety, it bears witness to the musical maturity acquired within the quartet. Chocho Cannelle follows in the footsteps of contemporary jazz groups who have abolished stylistic boundaries. From the very first notes, the electro- llanera harp propels us into the band's colorful universe. The eclectic compositions are luminous, evocative and layered with superb improvisations. The musicians play with their timbres and seem to dance, all in balance. Across a wide range of musical influences, the fluidity and coherence of the tracks are self-evident, confirming once again the quartet's strong identity. The album exudes a life force reminiscent of Frida's own personality.

Tig Notaro is an Emmy, Grammy and SAG Award-nominated comedian, actor, writer, director and podcast host originally from Mississippi, and named by Rolling Stone one of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time. She appears in Season 3 of THE MORNING SHOW on Apple TV+ alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and STAR TREK: DISCOVERY on Paramount Plus. Tig recently starred in the Netflix films YOUR PLACE OR MINE and WE HAVE A GHOST, as well as Zack Snyder's ARMY OF THE DEAD. Prior to that, she starred in the heartwarming Paramount film INSTANT FAMILY alongside Mark Wahlberg and Octavia Spencer. Tig wrote, produced and starred in the semi-autobiographical Amazon Prime Video series ONE MISSISSIPPI, also directing the premiere episode of Season 2. The show yielded critical acclaim and several award nominations, including WGA, GLAAD and The Critics Choice Awards. Tig's HBO standup special, DRAWN, made history as the first-ever fully animated stand-up special, and was nominated for a Hollywood Critics Association Award. She was previously nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy Award for her 2016 HBO special BOYISH GIRL INTERRUPTED, a GLAAD Award nomination for the Netflix Original Documentary TIG, and her memoir I'm Just a Person is a New York Times Bestseller. In 2013, Tig was also nominated for a Grammy for her sophomore release, LIVE, which was the #1 selling comedy album in the world that year. LIVE is a stand-up set delivered just days after Tig was diagnosed with invasive bilateral breast cancer, from which she is now in remission. Tig remains a favorite on talk shows, including "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon", public radio, and continues to tour internationally. Tig and her wife, Stephanie Allynne, co-directed the feature film, AM I OK?, starring Dakota Johnson and Sinoya Mizuno, which premiered at Sundance and premiered on HBO Max in June 2024. Tig also hosts HANDSOME, a critically acclaimed comedy podcast, alongside friends and co-hosts Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin. Her newest special, TIG NOTARO: HELLO AGAIN, premiered in March 2024 on Prime Video.

“I am OBSESSED with the 80s. I love the loud neon colours and fashion and the kinetic energy of the music. It’s uplifting and bittersweet with a ton of keyboards, what’s not to like?” reasons Morgane when asked what it is she likes about the decade. This exuberance is brightly reflected in the mirror ball synthpop of her third album released at the end of September. It is her second long player to appear on vinyl after the release of Between The Funk And The Fear debut on the Polytechnic Youth label.

Morgane was the keyboard player in Stereolab between 1995 and 2001 during which time they released Emperor Tomato Ketchup (her favourite) and Dots And Loops. As a teenager though she first played the drums, then guitar and bass. She only learnt the keyboards one month before joining the group. “They gave me 40 songs to learn, it was a baptism of fire”.

After leaving Stereolab, Morgane first moved to New York for nine years; she’d always planned to move to America having spent a lot of time there with her parents and of course those space-pop pioneers. The warmer weather of LA enticed her though and you can hear its pulse in Day-Glo Chaos. The album’s thumping heart is pumped by the city’s night sky and when asked she cites three particular albums as her favourites: the oddball analogue electro of Jacno’s 1979 debut; John Carpenter’s ‘Escape From New York’ and The B-52’s ‘Cosmic Thing’. There’s also a strong nod to the playful computerised harmonies of Yellow Magic Orchestra whilst she’s somewhat partial to the synth prog of Yes and Soft Machine. “I actually created a synth on Ableton Live named after Rick Wakeman’. I should create one after Mike Ratledge next!”

Throughout her work (but especially on this record) you can hear the influence of computer games. “I’m an avid gamer and have been one since I was a teenager and fell in love with my Commodore 64”. Though not a fan of Hotline Miami or the GTA series (“too violent”) she liked Hang On and loved Outrun which she used to play a lot on her Sega Master System. “I just got the soundtrack reissue from Data Disc and it is beautiful” she enthuses.

You’ll see and hear such influences on the lead single from the album ‘Midnite Rogue’ the video to which pays (im)perfect juddering homage to such arcade culture. Car tyres glued to sticky tarmac, French pop music lost in the air. The title was inspired by a Fighting Fantasy book which she adored as a kid. “I love the idea of this entity causing mischief during night time”, she beams. It’s not hard to see why.

Axel Boman returns in defiantly good form with a brand new original EP on his very own Studio Barnhus label, blessing this fast paced world with some slow moving music inspired by the Eterna Primavera mountains outside Medellin. Specifically, this record was created during months of isolation spent on an avocado farm, with the Swedish producer letting the outside world disappear bit by bit, until only clear shapes of unclear importance remained.
Of course, this is all just an attempt to poetically describe a collection of tracks that sound exactly like the kind of disco business Axel has been meddling in for the last 15 years. Don't be fooled by the rocks that he got, he’s still, he's still Axel from the block. Viva house music!

2 x LP on 180 g gold nugget vinyl with insert

Worm Records is thrilled to present its debut release, featuring four tracks that blend danceable rhythms with melodic audible hints, from some of the scene's finest producers. The A Side kicks off with “Rockin”, a sonic deep-dive from Bristol-based producer Gallegos. Next up is “Festern” a track from Canadian native, The Mole with his deep trade-mark sound. The B Side switches the vibe with “Booster” a moody one from Wallace which feels like it lives in the same universe as Afefe Iku’s - “Mirror Dance”, but with the right amount stripped back. The final track on the EP is a stretched-out remix of Ruf Dug’s “Manctalo Beach”, a discofied journey by More Amour (Artwork & Jon Solo), described by Artwork at last year’s Pikes Halloween as Punk Electro.

All proceeds will support UK Food Banks through the LIVEFORLOVE campaign.

Big thanks to Prime for their incredible support on this project.

Designs by Jay Vaz & Daniel Lovrinov.

Sun-scorched riff-rock propelled from the windswept heart of the desert! Blue Heron expand on their unyielding desert sound with a new slab of propulsive, sun-scorched riff-heaviness. Everything Fades finds the band reveling in low-tuned roil and amplifier hum, churning out swerving grooves as if the atavistic, primordial spirit of the desert itself compels them. Balanced between laid back, meditative atmospherics and heavier, more aggressive lunges, these cruising jams and gritty stoner romps call to mind echoes of Kyuss, Clutch and Soundgarden, along with modern contemporaries like Valley of the Sun and High Desert Queen. Full of rhythmic intensity, sledgehammer riffing, and vocals ranging from clean and moody to howling and raw, Blue Heron cover a wide expanse of musical ground that shows how familiar influences can still be molded into inventive, exciting new forms. New album of grooving, raw desert rock for fans of Kyuss, Valley of the Sun, Clutch and High Desert Queen Presed on sleek blue vinyl, available as Digipak-CD, too.

Sun-scorched riff-rock propelled from the windswept heart of the desert! Blue Heron expand on their unyielding desert sound with a new slab of propulsive, sun-scorched riff-heaviness. Everything Fades finds the band reveling in low-tuned roil and amplifier hum, churning out swerving grooves as if the atavistic, primordial spirit of the desert itself compels them. Balanced between laid back, meditative atmospherics and heavier, more aggressive lunges, these cruising jams and gritty stoner romps call to mind echoes of Kyuss, Clutch and Soundgarden, along with modern contemporaries like Valley of the Sun and High Desert Queen. Full of rhythmic intensity, sledgehammer riffing, and vocals ranging from clean and moody to howling and raw, Blue Heron cover a wide expanse of musical ground that shows how familiar influences can still be molded into inventive, exciting new forms. New album of grooving, raw desert rock for fans of Kyuss, Valley of the Sun, Clutch and High Desert Queen Presed on sleek blue vinyl, available as Digipak-CD, too.

On March 24, 2023 Rob Mazurek assembled his endlessly psychedelic and explorative large ensemble Exploding Star Orchestra under the dome of Chicago’s Adler Planetarium to perform material from their recently released album Lightning Dreamers along with a number of new pieces.

A digital projection flashed an ever-changing stream of vividly colored, abstract shapes derived from Mazurek’s paintings and animations over the audience’s heads, while the Orchestra, which on this night numbered eight musicians besides its leader, transformed the stylistically disparate pieces from Lightning Dreamers into an enveloping maelstrom. Electric pianists Angelica Sanchez and Craig Taborn pushed layers of plush texture back and forth over the intricate, tripartite grooves of bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and two drummers, Chad Taylor and Gerald Cleaver. Mazurek’s trumpets and wordless cries, Tomeka Reid’s cello and Nicole Mitchell’s flute and voice periodically surfaced out of the flow, issuing sharp, energetic statements, while Damon Locks’ proclamations flickered in and out of the mix like an erratic signal from some interstellar radio announcer. Together, they reimagined the brooding sound of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew as a force for transcendent uplift.

At one point, Mitchell put down her flute, spoke into Mazurek’s ear and pointed up to toward the dome. As he looked up, his own horn came down, and for a moment, the two of them gazed with undisguised awe at the spectacle that the Orchestra had unleashed. In a time when so many forces conspire to bring people down, this concert was an invitation to look up and out past the horizon.

Die britisch-bengalische Musikerin Tara Lily aus Südlondon verbindet auf ihrem Debütalbum "Speak In The Dark" Alternative-R&B, Jazz, Electronica und traditionelle indische Klänge zu einer einzigartigen Fusion. Produziert von Dom Valentino, sind ferner US-Jazz-Trompeter Theo Croker, UK-Rapper Surya Sen und Archy Marshall (aka King Krule), mit dem sie schon die Bühne teilte, beteiligt. Erste EPs erschienen bei Motown UK, der Musikexpress zählte sie zu den hochgehandelten internationalen Newcomer*innen 2023".

- "Spellbinding" - The Guardian

- "Beautiful, melancholic" - Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2

- "One to watch!" - Jamz Supernova, BBC 6Music

- "An all-star jazz collaboration." - Clash

- "One to watch for 2024" - Simon Phillips, Jazz FM

- "Soulful and heartfelt" - Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1

Brand new remastered version of PENTAGRAM legendary album Sub-Basement in new coloured vinyl and with a brand new cover designed by Solo Macello. Doom is made out of 666 tons heavy riffing, vocals filled with pain, regret and spite as well as leaden song-structures stretched taut to the point of ripping. PENTAGRAM embody all those virtues like no other contender in this oldest of all genres of Metal being founded by none other than Black Sabbath. Many have named PENTAGRAM the true heirs of those originators of Heavy Metal and honourably dubbed them 'the American Black Sabbath'. In this sixth incarnation of the band, Doom lord Bobby Liebling had reunited with drummer Joe Hasselvander, who had already been a member of PENTAGRAM twice before. Hasselvander played all the instruments, while Liebling added his matchless vocals. "Sub-Basement" was the second output of this line-up and is regarded as the most Rock N' Roll effort of the doomsters ever. On top of PENTAGRAM's perfect Doom sound an irresistible groove and capturing catchiness was added, which made the album an all time favourite for many fans. "Sub-Basement" will kick your ass and twist your legs.

Blue jay vinyl, limited to 400 copies. Brand new remastered version of PENTAGRAM legendary album Sub-Basement in new coloured vinyl and with a brand new cover designed by Solo Macello. Doom is made out of 666 tons heavy riffing, vocals filled with pain, regret and spite as well as leaden song-structures stretched taut to the point of ripping. PENTAGRAM embody all those virtues like no other contender in this oldest of all genres of Metal being founded by none other than Black Sabbath. Many have named PENTAGRAM the true heirs of those originators of Heavy Metal and honourably dubbed them 'the American Black Sabbath'. In this sixth incarnation of the band, Doom lord Bobby Liebling had reunited with drummer Joe Hasselvander, who had already been a member of PENTAGRAM twice before. Hasselvander played all the instruments, while Liebling added his matchless vocals. "Sub-Basement" was the second output of this line-up and is regarded as the most Rock N' Roll effort of the doomsters ever. On top of PENTAGRAM's perfect Doom sound an irresistible groove and capturing catchiness was added, which made the album an all time favourite for many fans. "Sub-Basement" will kick your ass and twist your legs.

"In partnership with Milan Records, Waxwork Records is proud to release KINDS OF KINDNESS (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) with music by multi-instrumentalist, producer, and Oscar®-nominated composer JERSKIN FENDRIX. The album reunites Fendrix with director Yorgos Lanthimos following the breakout success of Poor Things, which earned the first-time composer an Oscar® nomination and marked Lanthimos’ first-ever collaboration with a composer. For Kinds of Kindness, Fendrix has crafted a soundscape rooted in solo piano and choral music, peppering the 22-track collection with hymnals throughout. Rounding out the soundtrack album are pop tracks like Cobrah’s “Brand New Bitch” and Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” both of which were featured in the film’s trailers, plus a cover of “How Deep Is Your Love” by film star Margaret Qualley as well as a demo from Fendrix’s personal discography. Searchlight Pictures’ Kinds of Kindness is available in theaters now.

Similar to Poor Things, Fendrix began working on Kinds of Kindness with relatively few materials, utilizing only the film’s script, black and white photographs from set, and conversations with Lanthimos as a guide. This time around, however, Lanthimos provided Fendrix with specific guidance on instrumentation, instructing the composer to craft a soundscape rooted in piano and choral music.

“I love working with Jerskin, and I guess he’s the reason why I am now working with a composer – I’ve found someone that works for me,” says director Yorgos Lanthimos, continuing, “Jerskin worked on this in the same way he worked on Poor Things, which is before even seeing a frame of the film. I gave him the script and started sending him black and white pictures that I shot on set. Our agreement in the beginning was, ‘This time, I want to use piano and choir, and go down that direction,’ which was very different to Poor Things. When I went into the edit, he had this library of music that he created to work with, and it turned out great.”

Also helpful to Fendrix at the start of the project was a conversation with Kinds of Kindness star Jesse Plemons, who helped the composer wrap his mind around the complexity of Lanthimos’ triptych story.

“I was very lucky to go on set at the very beginning of filming, and I asked Jesse about the emotions because I was struggling to understand where so many of these characters were coming from,” composer Jerskin Fendrix confesses. “He spoke to me about his interpretation, and how he planned to embody his characters, which was great. I ended up thinking about the abstract space between the emotions and whether that space was empty or noisy. From there, I utilized the piano and choir to explore those spaces.”

Waxwork Records is thrilled to release KINDS OF KINDNESS as a picture disc featuring artwork and design by Vasilis Marmatakis housed in a crystal clear poly-bag.

ABOUT KINDS OF KINDNESS

KINDS OF KINDNESS is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader."

20 year anniversary pressing, remastered for vinyl !

Limited edition of 1000 copies on devil red vinyl / Includes the original 12x18 promo poster

"Zach Hill (Death Grips) and Spencer Seim (The Advantage) “‘The Devil Isn't Red’ systematically shakes down like it was the rocker's score to upper- level Tetris – no matter how swiftly the pieces descend, Hella manage to drop them in place.” – Pitchfork-

Dokkens viertes Bestseller-Album von 1987 mit den Hits 'Dream Warriors' und 'Burning Like A Flame' jetzt als Limited Edition Color Vinyl (LP1 Magenta & LP2 Sky Blue) und Digipak erhältlich.

As the 21st century was born, so Kreator underwent what was nothing less than a seismic creative rebirth. By this time, the iconic German band had released nine studio albums in the 1980s and '90s, which had established them as one of the most important metal names of these decades.In the first period, they had helped to shape and pioneer the thrash scene through such releases as 'Pleasure To Kill' (1986), 'Terrible Certainty' ('87) and 'Extreme Aggression' ('89). During the following decade, the band had opened up exciting horizons of experimentation on albums like 'Coma Of Souls' (1990), 'Renewal' ('92) and 'Endorama' ('99).
Now, though, it was time to move into a fresh era, as vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza explains.
“During the 1990s, we were definitely experimenting with what the band were doing. But (drummer) Ventor and I decided that for this album – our first of the new millennium – we wanted to go back to the sort of sound that we had at the start of Kreator. In other words, to get back to the reason why we began the band in the first place.”

There was also new guitarist introduced, as Sami Yli-Sirniö (who had made his reputation with Finnish band Waltari) took over from Tommy Vetterli. The latter (also known as Tommy T. Baron) had joined in 1996 and played on the 'Oucast' (1997) and 'Endorama' albums.

The producer for this album was Andy Sneap, who was now making a name for himself as one of the pre-eminent masters of this art in the modern metal world.“I had known and liked Andy since the days he had been the guitarist in Sabbat, as they were signed to Noise Records as Kreator were on that label. He was our first choice to work on this new project. I liked what he'd done for Testament on their album 'The Gathering' (released in 1999). He had given them a sound they'd never had before, and that really was what we were after. It was natural and organic, and also very modern. I remember phoning him at his Backstage Studios in England (Ripley in Derbyshire). And Warrel Dane, the vocalist in Nevermore, answered. Andy was producing their new album at the time ('Dead Heart In A Dead World', 2000). And when I heard this, again I was very impressed. So, I was delighted when he agreed to produce the new Kreator album.”

The album title came from something Petrozza had read. “In a book I came across a comment that John F. Kennedy said (in 1962). This was: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”. I thought 'Violent Revolution' would make a good title for an album. So, I kept it in my mind for this record. I think 'Violent Revolution' is a title that makes a real impact.”

One interesting aspect of the track listing was that the 52 second instrumental 'The Patriarch' actually came after the opening song 'Reconquering The Throne'. Fans might have been expected that it would have opened the album. But for Petrozza, there was a logical reason for this not to happen. “We really wanted to lead off with a thrashing track, to show everyone what we were now doing musically. After 'Endorama', it was important that everyone should recognise this was a new era for Kreator.”

'Violent Revolution' is without question an excellent album. While in some ways it does hark back to the glories of the band's earlier days, nonetheless it does not sound at all nostalgic. The performances and production values are very much part of the contemporary era, and the strength of the compositions themselves are of the highest values. Rising to the challenge offered by a new generation of ambitious metal bands, Kreator proved they were far from being a spent force. Unlike so many of their peers, here was a band who still had so much creativity to offer, and were also clearly excited themselves by what they were doing. And when you hear the band themselves enjoying the entire process, then you know this is a bona fide revitalisation.

Jamaican roots reggae master, and frequent collaborator with British trip hop group Massive Attack,
teams up with former PiL bassist Jah Wobble for a
brand new set of studio recordings!
•Andy’s voice is one of the most distinguished and
inimitable in reggae and thoroughly shines on such
classics as Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” The Beatles’
“Come Together,” and America’s “A Horse With No
Name” PLUS new versions of Andy’s own classics
“Skylarking” and “Natty Dread A Weh She Want” and
more!
Wobble’s production blends reggae with modern
dub and world music for one of the richest reggae
albums likely to be relased this year!

Ruby Wine Vinyl. Manchester UK's Space Afrika make music of what they term "overlapping moments" - oblique mosaics of dialogue, rhythm, texture, and shadow, half-heard through a bus window on a rainy night. Honest Labour, the group's first full-length since 2020's landmark hybtwibt? (have you been through what i've been through?) mixtape, expands the project's palette with classical strings, shimmering guitar, and visionary vocal cameos, leaning further into their enigmatic fusion of ambient unrest and cosmic downtempo. It's a sound both fogged and fragmented, at the axis of song craft and sound design, born from and for the yearning solitudes of life under lockdown.The album title is tiered, alluding to a legendary patriarch from co-founder Joshua Inyang's Nigerian family tree (who was lovingly called "Honest Labour" for his loyalty and resilience) as well as the nature of self-designated work, such as Space Afrika's music - a "labor of love" in its truest sense. With fellow co-founder Joshua Reid recently relocated to Berlin, the pair began sharing files last fall, piecing together poetic vignettes of looping haze and found sound, inspired by the notion of "records that leave an impression, and help the listener deal with their life." As the isolation of Covid compounded with the worsening winter, the songs skewed increasingly introspective and emotive, reflecting a mood of dissipating futures and the infinite nocturnal unknown.The artists cite two core motivations for Honest Labour: to transcend the sum of their influences, and "to show what we're capable of." Both ambitions are entirely realized. The collection's 19 tracks flow with a synergy and sophistication as rare as they are radical, untethered to the dusty dub-techno templates of Space Afrika's early years. These are interstitial anthems, expressionistic and open-ended, delirious but deliberate, attuned to the drift and dreamstate of the present moment: "Ultimately this is an homage to U.K. energy, and an album about love and loss."

Dean Spunt"s all-new Basic Editions is an excursion in electronic sound that instrumentally unpacks his fascination with language - in this case, the syntax of systems and processes. By turns meditative, compulsive and consumptive, Basic Editions distills a 64 voice module through a head full of ideas - somewhat like pouring a cornucopia of possible ambient moods and EZ listening impulses backwards through a funnel, inspiring a deceptively absurd rainbow of soul to spray out the other end. With this new release, Dean IDs his process as "using sounds, rather than making sounds". This approach to music-making is a train of thought that"s been rolling out from the far horizon of the past for ages now - but for Dean, whose previous works within and without No Age depended on their making of sounds, it"s a fresh work stance. Given, however, No Age"s traditional sonic manipulations (via loops and treatments), Basic Editions delivers further unexpected hard-rights and lefts in the non-aesthetic aesthetic that has defined Dean"s path over the past two decades. Steering toward wacked digital soundscapes that bounce colorfully across the stereo azimuth, Dean creates a kind of post-ambient neo-exotica that hinges upon a giddy conflation of cosmic and comic.

Die umjubelelten, schrill-bunten Rockerinnen von The Hot Damn! sind mit einem Paukenschlag zurück und veröffentlichen ihre elektrisierende neue Single Can You Hear Me Now? zusammen mit der Ankündigung ihres mit Spannung erwarteten Debütalbums Dancing on the Milky Way, das am Freitag, den 27. September 2024, über Fat Earth Records erscheinen wird. Die vierköpfige britische Rockband wird als das ,farbenfrohe Chaos" des Rock bezeichnet und bringt mit jedem Song, jedem Video und einer energischen Live-Show nach der anderen wieder Farbe in die Musikszene. Mit knackigen Riffs und wilden Harmonien bringen The Hot Damn! dich zum Tanzen, bevor du es merkst. Die vier temperamentvollen Damen, die unter anderem von Kerrang!, Planet Rock und BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 und Radio BOB gelobt wurden, sind keine Unbekannten in der Musikszene. entstand die Band u.a. aus der Asche von The Amorettes und Tequila Mockingbyrd und besteht aus den Talenten von Gill Montgomery (The Amorettes), Josie O'Toole (Tequila Mockingbyrd), Laurie Buchanan (Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics) und Lzi Hayes (New Device/Sophie Lloyd Band).The Hot Damn! aus Marlow, Buckinghamshire, mögen es laut, aber sie machen nicht nur mit ihrer Musik auf sich aufmerksam, sondern auch auf ein Thema, das ihnen am Herzen liegt - den Gehörschutz. Da die Band erkannt hat, wie wichtig die Gesundheit des Gehörs sowohl für das Publikum als auch für die Musiker ist, hat sie sich dazu verpflichtet, bei all ihren Konzerten Einweg-Ohrstöpsel anzubieten. Neben einzelnen Headline-Gigs reisen The Hot Damn! im November 2024 als Support von D-A-D durch Deutschland um ihr hart rockendes Werk zu präsentieren. CD mit zwei Akustik-Bonustracks, LP als Sunshine Yellow Vinyl!

For the past two decades, Dr Roman Belavkin (Solar X) has been deeply involved in AI research and mathematics at British universities. His albums from the 1990s are a testament to an era defined by the early internet-bulletin boards, FTP sites and mailing lists. In keeping with this, Solar X's music sounds surprisingly futuristic, a romantic artifact of a time eagerly anticipating tomorrow.

Following the re-issue of Solar-X's "Xrated" in 2019, GALAXIID is releasing his debut "Outre X Mer". All tracks are from the original DAT tapes and have been remastered for this release. "Pozdno Utrom", "Dileg" and "Solar X" were originally released on the "Outre X Mer EP" on Defective Records in 1995. Other tracks are out on vinyl and digital platforms for the first time.

"I was homebound for two years between 1992 and 1994, and the only way I could escape was through computer networks and writing," Belavkin recalls. Before the nasty car accident he was a member of the USSR/Russia national wushu team. Confined to his home, Belavkin started creating tracks based on ideas from his school days in the late 1980s, when he first recorded melodies on cassette tapes. This time, however, he fused those sounds with Soviet analogue synthesizers and PC sound cards. He shared these tracks via email with friends in different countries, becoming part of the "Analogue Heaven" mailing list, a community of enthusiasts united by their passion for analogue synthesis dating back to the 1960s.

During his initial pursuit of a PhD in Computer Science, Roman wanted to explore the intersection of what electronic music could offer humanity, the potential for AI to experience emotions, and whether emotions enhance or hinder intellect. These themes resonate in the music of Solar X. The album embodies ambient techno with intricate rhythms and ear caressing melodies, choppy percussion and blissful synths, making it both tranquil and danceable. Like a shimmering spaceship navigating between anxious dreams and visions, it transports the listener to a naively hopeful era yet to come.

Greasy Mike präsentiert 18 Scheiben Rott n' Roll-Platten aus Weirdsville, USA. Rockabilly, Garage, Psych, Surf, Horror, Swamp, Weirdo, Exotica - von Vampiren, Werwölfen, Ghostridern, Hexern und Monstern. "Hier ist niemand außer uns Monstern!", rief ich verzweifelt. "Monster? Hier sind keine Monster!", kam die Antwort aus der Dunkelheit, "Das sind meine Kinder! Meine Babys!!" Ich drehte meinen Kopf zurück und schrie die schattenhafte Gestalt an, die ich zurückgelassen hatte: "Das ist Hexerei, du verrückter Vollidiot! Du durchgeknallter, schizoider Abschaum!" Und damit verschwand ich durch die Leere und in die Nacht.

Planet Asia and 38 Spesh is that team-up fans didn’t know they needed until they got it. When Trust The Chain dropped in 2020, heads were afforded a dose of the antidote. While Asia is always nice on the mic, he was in rare form over Spesh’s soulful production. So, it should come as no surprise that the sequel, Trust The Chain II, is a level jump once again. In fact, the project is so packed with heat, almost every song was released as a single. Joints like “Checking Traps,” “Crumble Cake,” and “Inertia” have had listeners eagerly anticipating this LP since last year. Guests include Klass Murda, Tristate, The Musalini, and A Plus Tha Kid

The Skies, They Shift Like Chords, Roger Enos zweites Soloalbum für die Deutsche Grammophon, wurde im
Oktober 2023 unter allgemeinem Beifall veröffentlicht und enthielt zwölf schillernde musikalische Porträts,
die einen anregenden und nachdenklich stimmenden Weg durch Klang und Stille nachzeichneten. Nach einer
Reihe von Live-Auftritten, darunter ausverkaufte Shows in der Londoner Queen Elizabeth Hall und im National Sawdust in New York, präsentiert der britische Komponist und Musiker nun ein neues Mini-Album mit
acht Tracks, ”the skies: rarities”. Diese Sammlung besteht aus Neuinterpretationen und unveröffentlichten
Highlights der ”the skies...”-Aufnahmesession, zusammen mit Enos 2023 populärem World Piano Day-Track
”Through the Blue (Piano Version)” und dem ehemaligen Amazon Original Track ”Above and Below”.
„the skies:rarities“ beginnt mit zwei Stücken, die unterschiedliche Klangwelten erkunden; die Sänger des
Vocalconsort Berlin liefern den wortlosen Chor in ”Patterned Ground” für Chor und Elektronik, während
das Eröffnungsstück ”Breaking The Surface” von Scoring Berlin stammt.
”Viele dieser Tracks stammen aus Improvisationen”, erklärt Roger Eno. ”Aber sie werden dann ”aufgeräumt”,
was in der Regel bedeutet, dass Noten herausgenommen werden, um den verbleibenden Noten mehr Raum
zu geben, was wiederum den Leuten Zeit zum Nachdenken gibt.”

Warped and dragged through the murky underbelly of the Levantine underground comes 'Volume 1' the x-rated left-field debut from the pseudonymous DJ GAWAD.

Via pitched up vocals dripping with delay, DJ GAWAD takes us on a tour of the region's most urgent artists, his interjections oscillating between cocky boast and frustrated lament.

Through this new persona, DJ GAWAD pulls back the curtain to reveal himself as the protagonist of the mixtape-like album, as replete with features as it is with expletives, an enigmatic ghoul in the back of the studio with an endless supply of broken sample flips, giving the album its old school feel while still speaking to contemporary hip hop aesthetics.

A Jordanian/Palestinian Memphis gangster rap parody par excellence, the album is infused with satirical commentary on the state of the contemporary music scene, yet DJ GAWAD shows as much as he tells, expertly fashioning a sound that makes you wonder about the identity of the artist behind the braggadocious persona of the self-titled "best producer in the Middle East."

Drawing heavily from the Memphis rap mixtapes of the mid 1990s, DJ GAWAD has clearly identified the same brooding atmosphere in his own surroundings. On Mat3'anish (feat. Bleng & Fara7) DJ GAWAD makes his most explicit reference to the Memphis sound, twisting the hallmark cowbells that defined that movement to reflect the equally raw nature of his own setting.

Similarly, in Bandana (feat. Jurum), DJ GAWAD finds the perfect tension between his romantic sampling tendencies and the brutal sensibilities of his featured artist. As if liberated by DJ GAWAD's anonymity and irreverence, his menagerie of artists appear to have been emboldened, embracing the obscene free naturedness of the album, setting their lyrical prowess free to wander.

No expense was spared in the post production treatment of DJ GAWAD's debut, with Iraqi-American artist Mark Gergis incorporating the Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck in the mastering process, as is evidenced by the crisp saturation of the album's sonics.

With THEE CHURCH OV ACID HOUSE's third EP, the miracle is now complete, the trinity has come full circle, the triptych is complete, the church has fully handed over the Holy Spirit to its disciples. For this celebration, apostles such as Glow, Tyson and Elektra, as well as the church leaders of THEE CHURCH OV ACID HOUSE themselves, come together again to celebrate a Dionysian Bachanal.

It starts with Glow's ‘Acid House Planet’, an epic-ambient call to the gods at the foot of the Acid House Olympus.

And the next track on the EP, ‘Coming Home’, a no less epic house tune that calls the children of faith home to the church with the vocoder voice of the gods, shows that they listen to their disciples.

‘Mitzubishi’ by Tyson celebrates the holy sacrament of acid painting in chords that melt on the tongue like a lollipop over a ritual beat.

This is followed by Elektra, which has already provided highlights on the previous EPs. And this time too, her hypnotic acid anthem worms its way deep into the ear canals and brains of the trance-listening worshippers.

Shortly before the end, the church leaders return to deliver an abstract breakbeat hymn with ‘Waves Ov Power’, which, surrounded by numerous sample memories of house history, sings of the pure power of the acid ecstasy techno religion.

Finally, THEE CHURCH OV ACID HOUSE disciples are dismissed from the service with a powerful hymn of distorted bass drums, namely Random Noise Generator's ‘SM 58’ in the T.C.O.A.H. Schranz remix - a track that will give the inspired followers of the CHURCH OV ACID HOUSE enough strength to spread the happy acid message throughout the land.
Amen.

Long time in the vaults, soon out in pop heaven: Andrea & Alexander, a handsomely nostalgic pop project by Andrea Noce aka Eva Geist and Alexander Arpeggio. Originally launched in 2014, revitalized in 2023, the project originated as a live set-up consisting of synthesizers, ePects pedals, and analogue drum machines. From there it slowly metamorphosed into a crew of songs with raw minimal-wave grooves and romantically haunting English and German pop lyrics, loosely evoking the aura of Siouxsie Sioux, Gudrun Gut or Nadine Bal. After becoming a live mainstay in the Berlin based underground club Sameheads, they went on a tour through Lithuania and soon after several unfortunate troubles led to the break-up of the band, prompting both Andrea and Alexander to focus on their solo careers. Andrea became Eva Geist and released for various international labels, played live and formed the female duo As Longitude. Alexander founded his own label Eine Welt, took over the management of the renowned underground festival Camp Cosmic and created two musical projects with Cid Hohne, Otto and Aufgang B. Now, years later, almost becoming a Soundcloud corpse some Andrea & Alexander recordings caught the attention of the R.i.O. folks and just seconds later they offer six freshly recorded cuts of Andrea & Alexander tunes that stood the test of time as authentic, soulful pop music. “What are we going to wear for tonight’s party?” Andrea Noce asks in their song “Tiney Party”. The answer is “Loved Up” a musical celebration outfit of six sincere recorded, emotionally accorded songs, who make the dance, give verve a chance, to be there, in that moment of all moments. An album for the listener that likes to dance. In his head, on the local carpet. “Loved Up” humming Andrea & Alexander tunes.

"Fairground Attraction’s first single, ‘Perfect’, came out on 21 March, 1988 and quickly went to Number One on the UK charts and in countries all around the world. Their debut album The First Of A Million Kisses, earned triple-platinum sales status and the group won Brit Awards for Best Single and Best Album of 1988 – they were the first band to win both these coveted awards in the same year; only Blur, Coldplay and Adele have done it since.
While ‘Perfect’ has gone on to become regarded as a genuine pop classic, Fairground Attraction imploded on the first day of recording what should have been their second album, leaving fans, and the band themselves, wondering what might have been had they been able to continue.. There is no other band like Fairground Attraction and, after more than 35 years, this is only their second album. Will there be another? Who knows, but whatever happens, don’t miss this, it is beautiful. TV appearances on BBC Breakfast, ITV This Morning, Channel 5 News and Sky "

THE DAWLESS present BROKEN AUX LP, their own modern vision of true & old school electro, bass and ghetto-house, - we are super excited to share this first full length project on System 108 by Rami aka Goddeem and Serega aka GOL'D! Already a multi-million streaming project, now it is time for the vinyl release, all comes as superb 2 x LP with gatefold format.

BROKEN AUX is a collaboration heavy album produced in fine style, highlighting the duo's studio production skills, advanced drum machine programming and a perfect feel for that groovy street vibe that everyone loves. Like classic hip-hop and electro albums from the golden era of the genre, the LP is massive (4 sides, including bonus tracks) and unites the band's music friends under one roof, featuring KACCETA, Kristina Si, Kovyazin D, Errortica, Raw Takes and many many more!

MICHELLE’s first project of buoyant R&B tracks was an ode to New York City, the city where all 6 members of the band grew up. But amid the success of that project, 2018’s HEATWAVE, and 2022’s AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS, they left home and broadened their perspective. The band travelled across the U.S. and Europe opening for Gus Dapperton, Arlo Parks, and Mitski, headlining their own shows, and playing festivals.

While writing their new album, Songs About You Specifically, MICHELLE decided to rent out a house in Ojai, California. Surrounded by lizards, the smell of ripe cactus fruit, and endless expanses of sand, they experienced a sense of solitude and closeness they hadn’t before. It shifted the tone of their work. While their earlier music channelled the churning restlessness of the city, these news songs meander and expand into starry shoegaze reveries, slick funk riffs, and lilting 80s synth pop.

Their newfound closeness also helped them write more vulnerable music. On Songs About You Specifically, the band members express their complicated desires, voice their regrets, and own up to their moments of selfishness. By slowing down, cutting out any distractions, and fostering a sense of communal closeness that necessitated honesty, MICHELLE ended up with a collection of songs that feel like the truth.

In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to touring, and before long The Lumineers started attracting devout fans. They're drawn by songs like "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love," Americana-inflected barn burners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. The roots revival of the last few yeas has primed listeners for a new generation of rustic, heart-on-the-sleeve music. The Lumineers walk that line with an unerring gift for timeless melodies and soul-stirring lyrics.

In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to touring, and before long The Lumineers started attracting devout fans. They're drawn by songs like "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love," Americana-inflected barn burners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. The roots revival of the last few yeas has primed listeners for a new generation of rustic, heart-on-the-sleeve music. The Lumineers walk that line with an unerring gift for timeless melodies and soul-stirring lyrics.

“Big City Blues” is the title of the new – fifth – album by the Antwerp band Handkerchief , which will be released on September 27. As the title suggests, the big city now plays a more central role in the band's world. This results in a harder rocking sound, more guitars, but
still the bluesy feeling with a steamy horn section and the rough voice of Christof Annaert, which also sounds like he has single-handedly cleared every dark alley in the big city of every possible scum.

Their latest albums “Mutiny Ballads & Fishguarding Songs” and “Ghosts of this Town” were particularly well received by the press and fans. Singles such as “They Drive by Night”, “Human Sense” and “Lucky Day” were regularly heard on national radio: including Willy,
Radio 1… and the band played dozens of shows in Belgium and the Netherlands. This fall the band will go on tour to present the new album.

Info: Appearing on The Voice in 2012. A semi-finalist on Sir Tom Jones team. Performed nationwide including multiple appearances at London Fashion Week, the alternate Effie White in the London production of Dreamgirls (Sonia Friedman Production). Ruth Brown has also been busy with a successful 2-night sold out show at The Other Palace, a regular for Sofar sounds. Ruth returns with her EP - A Moment Of Truth.

UK DJ & Radio support:Craig Charles, Gideon Coe, Lauren Laverne, Deb Grant, Huey Morgan, Huw Stephens, Amy Lame, Chris Hawkins(BBC Radio 6 Music), Ex Friendly(Radio Alhara),Rita Ray & Max Reinhart, DJ Kobayashi (Soho Radio),Steve Barker(On the Wire),Debbie Golt(Resonance FM),EHFM, Celtic Music Radio, Poppyland Radio

BBC Jools Holland confirmed TV appearance (film 13th May, TX Sat 15th June)
BBC Radio 6 Music Playlist (2 x weeks B list, 1 x C list )
BBC Radio 6 Music Craig Charles interview (Broadcast 1st April)
BBC Radio 6 Musiclive session with Craig Charles (15th May)here
BBC Radio 3live session for Music Planethere
BBC World Service Session and ITW - here
BBC Africa(Africa Daily) Session and ITW -here

The Telegraph feature confirmed here
MOJO Rising feature published
MOJO album review confirmed
MOJO Playlist - Sharaf included here
Far Out Mag album review here
Songlines feature confirmed
Songlines Top of the World here
Songlines album review May 2024 (#197), on sale April 5.


Sahra Halgan, Somaliland's iconic singer, freedom fighter, and cultural activist, returns with third album Hiddo Dhawr, a culmination of enduring friendship and global exploration

Seamlessly blending age-old Somali traditions with abrasive guitar riffs, sun-drenched percussion, and vintage keys, the album offers a fresh take on the music of Somaliland, the independent but not internationally recognizedd state in the Horn of Africa

Inside a large, tent-like structure in downtown Hargeisa, Somaliland's tranquil capital city, the atmHiddo Dhawr, Somaliland's first music venue. Halganoured head scarfs, revealing elaborate hairdos and impeccable eyebrows, as they rise to their feet and start to dance. On the stage at the far end of the room a drummer and oud player up the tempo, while the singers pass the microphone to one another. The atmosphere is electric, and as the evening progresses, the joy in the room is palpable.

This is Hiddo Dhawr, Somaliland's first music venue. "I started it because I wanted to bring back our culture, so that people can be proud of it," says Sahra Halgan, cultural activist, musician, and founder of this lively Hargeisa cultural hub, which opened in 2013.

Hiddo Dhawr, which translates to "promote culture", is also the name of Halgan's new album, an electrifying blend of Somali melodies, distorted guitar riffs, thumping West African percussion, and Halgan's unique, warbling vocals. Halgan chose this name for the album to honour the women of Somaliland.

Confirmed feature article in Electronic Sound Magazine and other media. “There’s A Rhinoceros In The Mega Church” is their debut LP released on Sound Records. U.S.E. (also often expressed as Unicorn Ship Explosion, but feel free to interpret this yourself), are unfortunately two boys known to their mums as Rob & Sash. Since we last saw Rob he has been working really hard as a multi-instrumentalist. He’s almost mastered the drums (he’s even been to jazz school), and he’s near to the final chapter of piano lessons. He’s really talented. He has his own music studio where he produces & writes music for the likes of, The Staves, Holysseus Fly & other fantastic acts that are well worth a listen if you have the time. Sash (or Sasha) is a great guy. Everyone loves working with him. He’s an average musician with big ideas, which is why he uses modular synths. He has written much music for many artists you’ve probably not heard of and has collaborated with some musicians you’ve definitely heard of. He sometimes works as a sound designer for some fashion brands you can’t afford, but you wouldn’t want to wear them anyway (so don’t feel bad for not being successful enough to spend £400 on a t-shirt). Sometimes a really cool woman called, Agnieszka Szczotka, collaborates with these two loveable boys. She is a performance artist of great skill. She studied art at the Royal Academy and chose to abandon her supreme painting and sculpture skills to dedicate her life to confrontational live performance art. Big respect. Together they are Unicorn Ship Explosion (not yet known as U.S.E. as it hasn’t caught on yet). It’s a creative attempt to be in the present and not overwork music as is often the norm these days.As a result an exciting new genre is emerging from this album. The genre hasn’t a name yet, but what is certain is that A.I. can’t recreate it, and wouldn’t want to either. Let’s be human together and accept and appreciate we can’t always be great. Enjoy the good moments with the bad. And together, yes together, you the reader and us(e) your new best friends, shall show A.I. that humanity is beautiful.

Limited Neon Yellow Vinyl. Rahiem Supreme links up with WiFiGawd on new album YUNG $AKS 5TH - a record that moves freely through old school hip hop to esoteric new school rap. Rahiem paints vivid imagery with his lyricism, reminiscent of Slick Rick's storytelling where fact meets fiction, wit and charisma. Both artists hail from Washington D.C. and it was inevitable they'd cross paths after bumping into each at mutual studio sessions. WiFi played Raheim some of his beats, they connected instantly and the collaboration was born. The album is produced entirely by WiFiGawd, who also features on 'Run Shh Up', alongside a guest feature from Al Divino on 'Vintage Fendi'. Rahiem has previously collaborated with the likes of Fly Anakin, YUNGMORPHEUS, Ankhlejohn, Obijuan, Sadhugold, Ohbliv & Lean Low. WiFiGawd has previously worked with Soudiere, Tony Seltzer, Wiki and Trippjones.

A collection of 18 rare disco tracks from Yugoslavia. Compiled by Leri Ahel & Zeljko Luketic from original master tapes. Fox & His Friends label owners Ahel & Luketic selected obscure 7'' singles, b-sides, out-of-print releases and digged deep into the vaults of Jugoton to tell the story of how disco infiltrated clubs and pop music. This compilation is vinyl counterpart to their pioneering research and work in two major exhibitions tracing roots, influences and social significance of disco in music, fashion and design held in 2015 in Klovicevi Dvori Museum and HDD Gallery in Zagreb. "Socialist Disco - Dancing Behind Yugoslavia's Velvet Curtain 1977-1987" double gatefold LP with extensive liner notes contains tunes from KIM Band, Gabi Novak, Arian, Ljupka Dimitrovska, Ana Sasso, Moni Kovacic, Milka Lenac, Rok Hotel, Ivica Surjak, Grupa ST, Nano Prsa and many more in various sub-genres including classical orchestrated disco, dance reworkings of international chart hits and synth-filled italo-disco stompers performed by Yugoslavian music stars, fashion models and even sports and football heroes. Disco, a vital Trojan horse (in local notion: a pop music you can dance to), stayed quite a long time In Yugoslavia, refusing to be silenced and refusing to jump into the bandwagon of expected. It was influenced by American and European disco sound, for example, by the Boney M, Amanda Lear or Love Machine, who all visited Yugoslavia and had live concerts. The producers and the big record companies like Jugoton, PGP RTB, Diskoton or ZKP RTVL, noted the hype in music and they constantly probed the market with limited run of seven inchers or special performances. Some artists were quite successful, but the rest were in the 7'' single empire which was free enough to experiment with all things disco had to offer - genre hybrids, use of electronics, sexual innuendo, bizarre lyrics and most importantly, great musicians and major composers having fun. The no-restrictions policy of disco was there to evade the rules and surely it did.

Cultivated Electronics Ltd's ''For The Floor'' series features split EPs available on vinyl (only) with Electro tracks aimed strictly at the dance floor, bringing together CE regulars alongside new artists. Previous instalments have presented tracks by DeFeKT, Rico Casazza, Tripeo, Cycloplex, Steve Allman and Alex Jann. Volume 4 now delivers 2 new tracks apiece by Ben Pest and Maelstrom. Bristol's Ben Pest has established notoriety as an exponent of jacking live hardware-based techno and electro with numerous releases on labels including Asking For Trouble, I Love Acid, No Static / Automatic, Orson Records, Don't and more. Here he delivers heavy bass, vocal distortions and tough beats on ''Who Would Have Thought I'd Be'' and the accompanying ''26 Hybrid''. Maelstrom has a history of aliases and side projects, illegal raves thrown in warehouses, fields and basements, but he came into his own under his Maelstrom moniker, releasing music on the likes of RAAR (the label he co- founded with Louisahhh), Cultivated Electronics, Central Processing Unit, Mechatronica, Private Persons and Discos Atonicos.

"Evolution" wasn't originally planned as an album. While writing Subjects tunes, it felt like certain tracks were naturally fitting together, and could be part of a bigger project. Still, Tony and Lee decided we should only do an album if it truly felt like something special - the best release we've ever done. Otherwise, we'd just stick to smaller EPs. Well, after many months of work, I think we've reached our goal. We're both incredibly proud of "Evolution" - and hope you all like the tracks as much as we do.

Repress.

Acen's Trip To The Moon series is simply unmissable, and these color vinyl represses are severely limited in number. Spanning all the original mixes, plus new material and new remixes from the likes of Pete Cannon, Danny Byrd, Phuture Assassins and Scott Brown, every EP in this series is essential.

DJ Beeno and Paul Bradley have been mainstays of the Kniteforce roster for some time now, and it was only a matter of time before they appeared on the same EP, and this seemed like the perfect time.

DJ Beeno makes a rare traditional piano breakbeat track in the style of early Remix Records, circa 1994. Then, Paul Bradley takes the track and makes it more 1995 in style with big kicks, bigger breaks, and stabs for days.

Paul Bradley then goes back, once again, to the 1994 sound with his track, with all the energy of a freight train only stopping for the euphoric breakdowns. DJ Beeno then takes the track and flips it upside down with his signature sound, a sound that cannot be described easily but will put a fat smile on your face none the less!

Liquid Crystal, AKA NRG, is on top form with this 4th Volume in the Chromatic EP series. Three absolutely tearing tracks, showcasing his ability to drop ruff beats and up lifiting piano riffs like no one else!

Untitled 7' is a new track originally started in the 90's and never finished, now brought up to date. Featuring the huge Straight Outa London vocal, alongside some tasty amen edits, lush strings and a killer bassline. Made on an Akai Sampler for the original authentic sound, this track fits perfectly into the Golden era.

'Untitled 8' was made at the same time as the early Heavyweight releases, and like Volumes 1,2 and 3 was engineered by the Original Don 'Dillinja". You can really hear the heavy bass that is synonymous with everything that came our of that vibey Brixton studio!

Blurb:
A confident, two track release, cut loud to a split 12” from Meat Beat Manifesto & ScanOne
Following on from featuring together on the Yellow Machines BLE-EP series.

Bleeps, Breaks, Space and Bass.

Meat Beat Manifesto's ‘Into The Sun’ kicks off pulsing techno and IDM spasms against evocative NASA samples, the track evolves into a frenzied and unstable tower of wonky jungle break edits and heavy sub sweeps threatening imminent collapse. Weaving the contrasting rhythms with a narrative of eerie analogue pads and incidental atmospherics, Jack Dangers delivers a striking and fresh piece reminiscent of mid 90s left field rave acts such early Plug, Bedouin Ascent, and Law & Auder crew, both in their worldly experimental stylings as well as their forward-leaning progressivism.

ScanOne’s track ‘Secondary Loop’ is a seven minute galactic adventure of a slightly less hectic pace, and a brighter array of scenery. With a firm thematic nod to that 89 / 90, pre-hardcore sound exemplified by the likes of 808 State, FSOL, and Orbital, the voyage is signposted by chunky, shuffling breaks, glowing invigorating rave pads and sparkling arpeggiated sequences, built for those peak dance moments, light and dark, sundown or sunrise.

The brand new ANORAX RECORDS label’s mantra is #eatsleepcollect - which makes its’ debut release right on point.

Drizabone’s anthemic “Pressure” has become a huge collectors want with appeal to Modern Soul fans, Northern Soul followers and House addicts via the much loved Roger Sanchez remix.

Drizabone burst on to a dazzling British Soul scene in the early 1990’s, following the footsteps of Soul II Soul and Loose Ends, rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Brand New Heavies as UK acts laid down their own distinctive Soul DNA.

After debuting with “Real Love” which went from a mystery white label to a chart smash, Drizabone went on to record the iconic “Conspiracy” album.

“Pressure” has endured like fine wine and is now hailed as an all time classic.

ANORAX present the original and very in-demand original backed with Roger Sanchez’s Nu- Solution remix on limited edition 7 inch single.

Rodenwald - Tauchstation ENNI2
by Rodenwald feat. Remixes by Pozek & Too Old Boys

With their grandiose deep techno remix of Peska's "Kick It Slow", released on Endless Night 1 (ENNI1), the duo from Rodenwald shot themselves straight into the role of favorites for the subsequent release on our sister label. And here it is, the latest Rodenwald creation - Tauchstation. Flanked by 2 outstanding remixes by Pozek and Too Old Boys.

It goes pumping downwards into the depths of nighttime worlds when „Tauchstation“ sets off on its journey. We sink deep with whipping synthesis in which the acid soon gets involved... a grandiose intro that prepares you for the fact that this journey will expand your consciousness... It's good that you're on board! It's going to be long…and deep!

Pozek´s Remix tickels the potential for the driving force of this journey. 145 bpm is a must - your training pulse - so stay calm - we sink together and experience worlds that no individual has seen before. You can feel the passion with which Pozek navigates here.

The Two Too Old Boys (Tommers and Introspective Views) bring a harder gear with their remix. The characteristic sound of 90s synths underpinned by biting industrial beats lets us sink deeper with Rodenwald's "Tauchstation" - and feels like you're in the middle of one of Stefan ZMK's superbly arranged sets. Goosebumps that will make you realize once again - What looked like morning was the beginning of Endless Night.

Includes digital download code, artwork sticker & label sticker and the highly coveted “What looked like morning... “ sticker


CREDITS

Creation/Performance: Rodenwald, Pozek, Too Old Boys
Mastering: Pozek
Artwork/Layout :TDSiGNZ
Executive Producer: Lyta Hall

"On clear vinyl a collection of disco classics, that features the iconic disco anthems ""Le Freak,"" and Chaka Khan’s ""I'm Every Woman” and many more that celebrate love, empowerment, and self-expression.
"

Heavy support by Radio Slave, Sam Divine, Acid Pauli, Green Velvet and Maceo Plex to name a few, while also being played on radio stations world wide. The album marks the beginning of a new chapter for The Glitz as they embark on a journey beyond the world of electronic music. After a wide range of beautiful, inspiring, provoking and uplifting The Glitz-singles, we are now approaching the full album in all its might. The singles have shown us the diverse soundscapes you can find in Andreas and Daniels musical multiverse, with the genres ranging from the classic House and Techno genres, to also introducing their take on Trip Hop, Neo RnB, Hip Hop, Ballad and Electronica. This journey into their musical realm has resonated with fans and colleagues alike the last months, putting the first single on position 1 in the German Club Charts for four weeks straight (it is still in the Beatport top100 after 7 months). Born out of a desire to create a space to explore and expand their unique sound, their new album is a bold extension of The Glitz vision and purpose. It has been a long time coming and is the result of four intense years in the studio together with the unique and talented singer and songwriter Mulay. And now it is time to present the full album to the world. is the mesmerising product of one of their many jam sessions in the studio. It carries the unique The Glitz fingerprints all over it while also letting them shine in a new context. The slow flowing Hip Hop beat paired with Mulays raw vocals and incredibly poetical and personal lyrics is a must hear for old and new The Glitz-fans alike.



Placed between some of the beautiful singles we have heard before, "Ergh" hits us with full force. The track takes us on a breaky, synth loaded trip. As an energetic and driving fresh breath of air, the track combines a frisky attitude with a tension building arrangement, showing that while Andreas and Daniel embrace new genres and styles, they still have good ears for club oriented, heavier hits as well. "Flummi" is put to work in a similar setting, but with a completely different world of sounds. Bright synths slowly build up, paralleled with the pulsating low end and guiding the listener towards an explosive breakdown. The track is followed by the wild and intoxicating "Rabbit Underground" that swoops you off your feet like a rocket launch. A skilfully crafted yet raw drum work with an exquisite snare creates a foundation for tantalising synths and captivating vocals that radiates with power. After this rollercoaster of a track, the wilderness is countered with the soft and playful "Mother". The Glitz bring together various layers of soft synths and smooth percussions, creating a beautiful sphere where the captivating vocals by Mulay shine in a new way. Ending this incredible journey of sound exploration is the stunning ballad "Seven Rivers". No noise, no distractions, just a beautifully stripped down ballad that carries an ocean of emotions. A perfect completion of "Axen". In their own way, each song carries the unique sound characteristics that Andreas and Daniel are so known and loved for, while giving them space to experiment and show themselves in new ways. The mix of emotionally charged, dance floor oriented and vibrant songs are bound to give the listeners an entrancing, unforgettable experience.

Rick Holmes’ breath-taking track, ‘Remember To Remember’ gets its first ever officially licensed, remastered reissue on Gold Mink Records. With prices of the original topping £60 this one will be a welcome sight for many.

Title track, ‘Remember To Remember’ is a celestial, emboldening downtempo cut. Beginning with the timeless line, ‘Pass the information, extend the knowledge…’ Rick dives into a spoken word stream of inspirational black artists and key figures whose most memorable words and song titles are framed into snippets of wisdom that get ever more significant the greater in number they become. A powerful monologue, in Rick’s warm reassuring tones, shining a light on those men and women who have made ‘strong contributions to mankind because of their compassion and humanitarianism’, laid over instrumentation you lose yourself in just as easily.

‘Remember to remember, to never forget.
How Long… how long… how long will it take man?
For us to come together.
It will take us as long as you make it…’

Words that ring just as true today, as they did 40 years ago, yet with a new sense hope in the air and prospect of progress approaching.

The B side houses another of Rick’s mesmerising monologues – ‘To The Unknowledgeable One’ motivational, moving and smooth as you like.

Licensed from Uno Melodic Records, Inc, courtesy of Expansion Records.

LA threesome ASHRR aka lead vocalist Steven Davis and producer-musician-vocalists Josh Charles and Ethan Allen are back with a brilliant new album for Ralph Lawson's superb 20/20 Vision Recordings that finds them working by the old mantra of 'art for art's sake'. This effortlessly eclectic record collides electronic soul, post-punk, space disco and indie-dance and is rich in melancholic melody, hazy, late-summer moods and late-night dancing. The vocals bring an indie edge to jangling delights like 'Please Don't Stop The Rain' while 'What's Been Turning You On' is a laidback and languid groove for lazy sessions.

We are delighted to present the debut record by pianist, poet and radio producer Phil Smith. Turning his attention away from BBC feature-making, and his cult Jazz-Disjunction NTS show, Phil offers us the diaristic, heartfelt and homespun "Tagebuch".

"Tagebuch" is a collection of musical journal entries, spanning Phil's time living in Berlin from 2013—2017. Using sweetly tumbling piano as a starting point, he flexes his storytelling chops, shifting from scene to scene via voice, folk-jazz arrangements, musique concrète and the occasional techno-synth chugger.

Don't be fooled by Phil's back-of-envelope charm, this is an expertly-crafted radio biopic without words; the minutiae of life percolated through layers of accordion, U-Bahn harmonics and beer foam. A talented cast of guests and friends, notably multi-instrumentalist Zac Gvi, add an unassuming weight and emotional muscle to this deeply personal source material.

Recommended if you like John Carroll Kirby, Penguin Cafe Orchestra or Alabaster DePlume. The vinyl edition of "Tagebuch" comes complete with a book of poems and photos by Phil.

This is the limited edition pressing of the Rob Hardt album track
„Weekend“ which became the family barbecue anthem and the title theme
song of the first 45 Weekender Hamburg festival.
With remixes from DJ/producer greats like Rob Hardt, DJ Friction and
producer duo EFBNMXMIX this double 7“ vinyl is a must have for the
summer season and should be put on during every family barbecue,
blockparty or in smooth DJ sets in general.
This special edition in coloured vinyl and with a 4C full cover was pressed
originally for the festival and hit the opening party on July 12th 2024.
Fresh from the press plant it was handed out to the 30 international
participating 45Soulciety DJs and took their heart and the audiences
during the festival by storm.
Limited to 300 copies it already is a classic

Acid jazz pioneer Chris Bangs returns with a brand
new album for 2024, following his early-2023
release ‘Firebird’, and 2022’s collaboration with
Mick Talbot ‘Back To Business’. His latest longplayer ‘Dream World’ is set for release on the Acid
Jazz label on 20 September – a characteristic font
of latin jazz from the maestro producer.
Bangs is known for originally coining the term
‘acid jazz’ – a movement which subsequently
morphed into the label – as he and likeminded DJs
(including Gilles Peterson and Eddie Piller) began
to combine jazz, soul and rock-fusion with the
prominent sounds of acid house in the late ‘80s.
He has since worked extensively as a producer
and DJ – including credits with his own The Quiet
Boys and Yada Yada, along with Paul Weller,
Galliano and of course most recently Mick Talbot.
The new album see some new collaborators in the
Bangs ranks – including Argentine keyboardist
Luciano De La Rosa, Italian Massimo Morganti on
trombone, Chile’s Juan Pi Salvo on trumpet, and
Fabio Tiralongo on sax – making it a truly global
production. Described as ‘pure labour of love’ by
Bangs himself, the album is a further expansion of
his remarkable sound and vision, and his own
ever-expanding dream world of (acid) jazz that
moves far beyond genre-casting

Aesthetically, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat hates to tread water. At the same time, the Baltimore-based two-piece of vocalist Ed Schrader and bassist Devlin Rice won’t force their songs to fit a preconceived style. “The next album’s always gotta be different from the last one. We’re different people from record to record. So, writing authentically to ourselves will always bring our work to a place that we haven’t been to yet,” Rice said. Schrader added, “We’re terrified of turning into AC/DC. We never want to be married to one scene or time or sound. We want to be the Boba Fett of bands! Constantly altering the way in which we make records has been pretty key in that process.”
For Orchestra Hits, the band’s latest, that alteration was welcoming longtime musical comrade Dylan Going into the fold as a co-writer and co-producer. A songwriter in his own right, a guitar sideman for ESMB on their last two tours, and a collaborator with Rice in the noise riffage band Mandate, Going had both a unique vision and an intimate familiarity with the ESMB vibe.
“Dylan came to every show we’ve ever played in New York—no matter how weird it was,” Schrader said. “He’d be standing there ready to move an amp or feed us barbecued cactus after the gig and toss on some Golden Girls so we could decompress. It felt like family as soon as we began working, but I honestly had no idea how damn good he was at tossing out these hooks.”
According to Schrader, the songs “just poured out of us” over the course of a highly caffeinated three-day weekend in a tiny room in Devlin’s house while his cat, Sandy Goose, screamed continually. “It was like three kids hiding from the world to get into some lovely mischief,” they said. The lack of external pressure in the process gives Orchestra Hits an almost paradoxical vibe. For all of the album’s layers, that mix live and sequenced instruments, it never loses the raw energy of a small handful of friends in the same room plugging in, cranking up, and playing until they pass out.
Lyrically, the album finds Schrader, now 45, meditating on experiences in their youth to make sense of the present moment. “We are not into the garden,” Schrader wails on the relentless “Roman Candle,” a song about the sad debacle of Woodstock ’99, and a direct response to Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock,” a utopian ode to hippie idealism. A 19-year-old Schrader, having snuck into Woodstock ’99 through a hole in the fence, was there the night members of the crowd used candles intended for a vigil for victims of the Columbine High School massacre to set fires all over the grounds. Even before the fires, Schrader remembered feeling disconnected from the music, the nostalgic cash grab, and the meatheads in the crowd. After watching a press tower collapse, they boarded a random shuttle bus and were dropped off near a Denny’s. “It was a far cry from the Garden of Eden,” Schrader said. “That experience defined what I didn’t want to be a part of, and yet America is more like Woodstock ’99 than ever.”
With percolating synthesizer arpeggios, and climbing bass grooves, “IDKS” is the album’s dance-floor slapper. “’IDKS’ is a funny one,” Schrader said. “We already had a pretty satisfying suite of songs when Dylan was packing up to head back to New York, but he missed the train because of a freak snowstorm. Realizing he’d be stuck in town another day, he says to me, ‘Here’s this other weird thing I have.’ It was ‘IDKS.’ The hooks were so good I felt like Homer Simpson at a free donut convention. I just dove right in, and we cranked that baby out in like 20 minutes.”
Lyrically, “IDKS” is a letter from the true self to public-facing self. “It’s an angry song,” Schrader said. “Because the public-facing self is always looking for an easy escape, but it forces the true self into a cage. I honestly thought my lyrics were corny and was about to change them, but Dylan was digging it just the way it was. So that’s what you hear.”
With the soaring “Daylight Commander,” the band went against all of their musty-basement-bred instincts. “I went full High School Musical with the vocals,” Schrader said. “At first it felt almost embarrassing, but I remember reading somewhere that Bowie recommended always floating a little bit above your comfort zone, and that’s what we did here.” The song is part exercise in absurdity and part pop Trojan horse. “If ever we had a ‘Shiny Happy People’ moment, I guess this is it,” Schrader said.

Born in Aldershot on 11 September 1947, Catley's family moved to the Tile Cross area of Birmingham when he was young. He went on to attend the nearby Central Grammar School for Boys (Birmingham) and left to start an apprenticeship at the GPO before deciding on a musical career shortly after meeting similarly minded individuals at college. Whilst at college he joined several bands, such as The Smokestacks (Jeff Clark-guitar, Ron Savage-guitar, Derek Danks-bass & Brian Worrell-drums, Life and Clearwater). His first professional band was when he joined local outfit The Capitol Systems. The initial line-up was Bob Catley (vocals) Paul Sargent (guitar) Paul Whitehouse (bass), Dave Bailey (keyboards) and Bob Moore (drums). Shortly afterward they changed their name to Paradox, inspired by a science-fiction novel. A one-off deal was arranged with Mercury after Paradox had come to the attention of Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt. The tracks were "Ever Since I Can Remember", backed with "Goodbye Mary". In addition, they recorded "Mary Colinto" and "Somebody Save Me". All of these songs were written by Dave Morgan. Paradox played festivals in the Netherlands and Italy before splitting up upon their return to the UK in 1970. Formed in 1972, Magnum throughout the next 16 years consisted mainly of Bob Catley on vocals and Tony Clarkin on guitar. Magnum began as the house band at Birmingham's famous Rum Runner night club (later the home of Duran Duran). They began to develop their own style by playing Clarkin's songs at a residency at The Railway Inn, in Birmingham's Curzon Street, in 1976. Joining Clarkin and Catley were drummer Kex Gorin and bassist Dave Morgan (later a member of ELO). Their most notable success during these early years was the Jeff Glixman produced Chase The Dragon (1982) which reached No. 17 in the UK, and included several songs that would be mainstays of the band's live set, notably ‘Soldier of the Line’, ‘Sacred Hour’ and ‘The Spirit’. Their breakthrough album came in 1985 with On a Storyteller's Night which featured the single ‘Just Like an Arrow’. This success continued in the following years with the Roger Taylor (Queen) produced Vigilante in 1986, the top 5 album Wings of Heaven in 1988, and the Keith Olsen produced Goodnight L.A. reaching No. 9 in the UK album charts in 1990. Subsequently, Clarkin decided to maintain a tighter control, and after their initial mainstream success, the band lost their major label backing and returned to a more personal level of production. This finally found the band splitting and the formation of Hard Rain in 1995, which saw Clarkin pursue a more Pop orientated direction with a band that included Sue McCloskey on lead vocals. This new direction didn’t sit well with Catley, and after a headline performance at The Gods in the late 90s, a conversation with Bruce Mee of Now & Then Records saw Catley agree with a decision which eventually led to his debut solo album, ‘The Tower’. This release was completely written by Gary Hughes of Ten, with the writing completely decided to be in the vein of classic Magnum. The album itself was recorded by various members of Ten, including the amazing Vinny Burns (Dare) on guitar. On release, the many positive reviews concluded that the release of ‘The Tower’ had succeeded beyond its wildest imagination…..and Bob Catley’s solo career had been launched with amazing success!! With a lyrical intricacy and majestic pomp, songs like ‘Far Away, ‘Fear of the Dark, ‘Madrigal’ and ‘Deep Winter’ take you back to that glorious period of Magnum between ‘Chase The Dragon’ and ‘Wings Of Heaven’ whilst hard melodic rockers such as ‘Scream’, ‘Dreams’ and title track ‘The Tower’ show just what Magnum would have sounded like if they’d gone a little bit harder. Another absolutely brilliant album that totally deserves to be filed alongside those mid-period Magnum classics.

Rhetoric & Terror is Berlin-based Hemphill’s second album since leaving Liars back in 2016.

No stranger to reinventing his approach towards composition, Rhetoric & Terror feels like we are – perhaps for the first time – opening a doorway into Hemphill’s personal life, to his disparate sonic influences, his wide-ranging journeys through philosophy, and his own reflections on his role as an artist.

Like different thoughts and feelings emerging in a state of meditation, Hemphill invites you to pause on one ‘scene’ for a moment before moving onto the next. There’s space to get lost here – both emotionally and in the colour of the album’s wide-ranging textures.

With his wife Angelika Kaswalder on vocals throughout the album and multi-instrumentalist Morgan Henderson – a longtime friend of Hemphill’s since Henderson’s time in the post- hardcore band The Blood Brothers - adding woodwind, Nonpareils is no longer simply a solo project – and it’s apparent in this openness.

The name of the album – Rhetoric & Terror – describes this split that Hemphill is making from the conceptual nature of his first solo album (2018’s Scented Pictures), and the new direction that he – perhaps – hopes to continue taking. The title comes from a chapter in Giorgio Agamben’s book, “The Man Without Content”, where he describes the concepts of rhetoric and terror to describe two different types of writers: the rhetorician and the terrorist. The terrorist is a misologist who is only into the feeling; the rhetorician is committed to logic and form.

“With Rhetoric & Terror, I wanted to start with emotions and feeling. I was playing with my kids, listening to Cocteau Twins, I have a wonderful partner, and it seemed very contrary to any sort of growth to sequester myself from this life in order to get into character as a musician. Instead, I tried to remove the boundaries between my creative life and my. responsibilities and have it all be one fluid thing. All things at all times, and trust that this will guide my music rather than more intellectual concepts or limitations.”

Despite its catalysts being in philosophy and conceptual art, Hemphill has created an album that’s deeply “emotionally available”. It’s also helped him take a new stance on life that combines his life as a partner and parent in a kind of unity with his role as the artist. It’s plain to hear as a listener – Rhetoric & Terror, despite its intimidating name, is welcoming
and playful, even during its most intense moments.

We can't hide the fact that we're a Manchester label with some very strong feelings for the Red side of the city. Regardless of your tribal affiliation - whether you have one or not - Edric Connor's "Manchester United Calypso" is an undisputedly joyous, soulful classic. Like the bunch of bouncing Busby Babes the song sought to raise up, it's remarkable, stylish and profoundly memorable; and its magical legacy has only grown in the 70 years since it first surfaced.




A testament to its enduring brilliance, "Manchester United Calypso" is heard to this day on the terraces of Old Trafford and beyond. However, it's impossible to find a copy of the original 78rpm shellac release or, indeed, the 45rpm vinyl. So, we're delighted to reissue this unforgettable anthem - with Lord Kitchener's equally dazzling "Manchester Football Double" on the B-Side - and make it available on 7" vinyl to United fans of any vintage; as well as fans of vintage calypso fire! Featuring typically striking, specially commissioned artwork from the legendary Stan Chow, this record is a collectors item for the ages.


"Manchester,
Manchester United
A bunch of bouncing "Busby Babes",

They deserve to be knighted

If ever they're playing in your town,

You must get to that football ground

Take a lesson come to see,

Football taught by Matt Busby

Manchester,

Manchester United"



Whether you have United in your heart or not, "Manchester United Calypso" is a record that, like the best football teams in Old Trafford's history, swaggers with an addictive beauty that's impossible to ignore.
It's impossible to discuss the significance of the calypso without remembering what ultimately ripped through the heart of this most beloved youthful side.
Eight of the Babes who were celebrated in the Calypso tragically lost their lives on 6th February 1958 in the Munich air disaster.
Like the players and the club itself, the United calypso radiates a special type of magic and speaks to the spirit of United:
the demand to be fearless, unrelenting, creative and obliged to entertain the viewing public.



The Calypso was written by Eric Watterson and Ken Jones and sung by Edric Connor, who moved to England from Trinidad in 1944.
Connor is considered a pioneer, popularising calypso music, becoming the first black actor to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company, setting up the Afro-Asian Caribbean Agency to represent Black and minority artists with his wife, Pearl and establishing a theatre workshop.
“I would think coming to this country right after the war, as Edric did, and getting into BBC radio, and moving among the people, he did a great deal of good for our own community,” Pearl once revealed.
He saw himself as a self-appointed ambassador for his country, Trinidad. We were very nationalistic back then. We believed we had a country worthy of recognition”.



The B-Side is another doozy.
Swoon along to Lord Kitchener's fantastically woozy "Manchester Football Double" - a fitting ode to the city where you'll "find football's headquarters".


Then and, after the 2024 FA Cup Final, now.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 7" well and truly soars.

The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this sought-after gem finds a home in many more collections, from Manchester to Malta, Mumbai to Malaysia.

Lutalo's highly visceral folk goes electric on The Academy, the Vermont multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer's debut LP. Recorded in January 2024 at the storied Sonic Ranch and self-produced along with Jake Aron (Snail Mail, Protomartyr, L'Rain), The Academy feels like watching the best underground film you've seen in years; establishing Lutalo as a singular voice of this generation of indie rock. Lutalo describes The Academy as their "first chapter" - a time capsule of the lessons they've learned in their 20-something years of life. "This record is exactly that: a `record' of my early life," they say of their debut album, out via Winspear. "The experiences, thoughts and feelings I was holding at those times and am currently processing. To me, this is the first big stamp of my existence I'm sharing." While Lutalo's 2022 EP Once Now, Then Again introduced them as a lo-fi acoustic guitar wunderkind, The Academy is bigger and bolder without compromising Lutalo's inviting sense of emotional intimacy, inspired by alt-rock veterans like Thom Yorke and Rob Crow as well as electronic greats like Aphex Twin and Bowery Electric. The Academy's grander arrangements are heard in the biting adrenaline rush of "Ocean Swallows Him Whole," or the anti-war jangle of album closer "The Bed." Their lyrics are often deeply intuitive, flowing as a stream of consciousness, albeit with weighty meanings. With their unique baritone and finesse for lyrical world building, Lutalo cuts to the bone-while only just beginning to reveal the depth of their artistry and vision.