Buscar:litt

Admittedly, I'm not a great salesperson when it comes to running our little label. I do my best not to give into hyperbole or build something up too intensely if someone has not heard a new artist yet. I prefer to simply present the music and let the listener decide how they feel about it. However, we live in an age when the "story" put together by publicists, labels, and managers are often the driving force of an artist's ascension into the zeitgeist. And for me, that's always felt rather artificial, even when the narrative is genuine. But every once in a while, a project comes along that takes on a life of its own. And I can say without a doubt that the growth of Pale Jay's reach since we first started working with him has little to do with conjured narratives or clever marketing, but more to do with how the music makes the listener feel. It's that simple. In fact, Jay is so enigmatic and without a narrative that the mere absence of a story has become the story. Who is he? Where is he from? What's next? Some questions are better left unanswered in my opinion, my friend. Including the question, "Why does this music make me feel so much?" You're better off just sitting back, disconnecting, and letting Low End Love Songs by Pale Jay wrap you up. Enjoy and spread the good word. - Terry Cole

"Low End Love Songs", more so than previous releases, is a diary in form of song. I knew I just had to wait for the songs to be ready to be picked, like ripe fruit from a tree. Each tune encapsulates a distinct moment in my life, with music serving as my means of processing complex and sometimes conflicting emotions. In this album, I depart from loop-based song structures towards more intricate and lush compositions. Latin influences permeate the music, adding new layers of rhythms and textures to my soul-music roots. - Pale Jay

Nilüfer Yanya veröffentlichr ihr neues Album ‘My Method Actor’ auf Ninja Tune!

Während sie am neuen Album schrieb, zog sich Nilüfer mit ihrer kreativen Partnerin Wilma Archer (Sudan Archives/ Celeste) ins Studio zurück. Sie war ein Jahr lang mit ihrem zweiten Album „PAINLESS“ auf Tournee und befand sich in einer Phase des Übergangs, zwischen Alben, zwischen Plattenfirmen und zwischen Wohnorten. „My Method Actor“ hat viel mit der Idee zu tun, von einem Lebensabschnitt in einen anderen zu wechseln. Die Samen für „My Method Actor“ wurden Anfang 2023 gepflanzt, aber erst im Frühjahr desselben Jahres begannen die ersten Triebe zu sprießen. Als die Songs zu entstehen begannen, zogen sich Yanya und Archer von der Welt zurück. „Dies ist in dieser Hinsicht das intensivste Album.“, sagt Yanya. „Weil es nur wir beide waren. Wir haben niemanden sonst in diese Blase gelassen.“ Sie schrieben und nahmen in kleinen Sessions auf, verteilt über London, Wales und Eastbourne. Die Atmosphäre des Albums spiegelt diesen Kokon kreativer Energie wider: Es umhüllt die Hörenden mit cineastischen Schwüngen und wirkt gleichzeitig intim, indem es ihn in die kleine Welt einlädt, die sie geschaffen haben, und seine Geheimnisse preisgibt.

Nilüfers vorheriges Album, „PAINLESS“, wurde durchweg als eines der herausragendsten Alben des Jahres 2022 gefeiert, mit glühenden Kritiken von The Guardian (Album der Woche), The Sunday Times, Crack Magazine, NME und anderen. Das Album enthält die herausragenden Tracks, „anotherlife“, „stabilise“ und „midnight sun“, die Nilüfer in der „Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon“ performte. Nilüfer trat auch in „Late Night with Stephen Colbert“, „Later with Jools Holland“ und in der Tiny Desk-Konzertreihe von NPR auf.

Sie hat Adele, The xx und Mitski auf ihrer Tournee begleitet, war Headlinende im Londoner Shepherd's Bush Empire und hat Shows in ganz Europa, Australien, Japan und den USA ausverkauft. Yanya wurde auch von Sampha, King Krule und Little Dragon geremixt und hat mit Bombay Bicycle Club und Liss zusammengearbeitet.

Emotional Response returns with a second volume of its All Trades compilation which is named after its own NTS show. It is just as vast both in terms of style but also the eras it spans with a mix of dub, new wave, slow motion electronics and plenty in between. Tolouse Low Trax kicks off with the filthy dirty and seriously heavy dub glitch of 'Ossia' to provide an early highlight before the likes of Al Wootton get percussive and tribal with 'Altai' and HLM38 channels some African Head Charge on another devastating dub cut. Later on, London's Good Block brings a little more light and sunshine with their lovely 'Strong Relax.'

DJ Feedback

Vladimir Ivkovic (Offen):
"I don’t like it, I love it!"

DJ Gibl’r (Versatile):
"A trip through so many electronic styles, much of which has been featured on my Rinse show and DJ sets beyond. "

Valentina Magaletti (CZN / Holy Tongue / Tomaga / Vanishing Twin):
"Delighted to be part of the Emotional Response 10th birthday celebrations and what an amazing selection."

Lovefingers (ESP Institute):
"Always an inspiration, Emotional Response has weaved a long, wide road this past decade and the All Trades compilations are the zenith of that music journey. "

Lena Wilikins (Salon Des Amateurs):
"Great to see so many artists that have represented our scene for the past years, including D�sseldorf luminary Stefan, aka While My Sequencer Gently Bleeps."

Sean Johnston (A Love From Outer Space / Hardway Bros):
"The perfect music to listen to before or after the party. Bravo! "

Trevor Jackson (Output / NTS):
"Congratulations on 10 years anniversay Emotional Response. This compilation covers a lot of bases perfectly."

PM Warson returns with the new album "A Little More Time". Having established himself as "one of the leading lights on the modern-day R&B scene" (Shindig! magazine UK), his third long-player represents an expansion of his mid-century vision. Less a departure, more an arrival, the album moves beyond the R&B revivalism of his previous work, taking in a breadth of styles and moods within its distinctly '60s sonics.

Recorded at Lightship 95, London's floating analogue studio, the 10 original tracks combine the direct feel of live performance, alongside a developed songwriting and production approach. The album is led by the second single (following "Right Here, Last night") and title track "A Little More Time" setting the tone with a dose of sweeping vintage pop and uptown soul. "For this record I wanted to channel the sound I'd developed playing live with a band, while at the same time further exploring my songwriting. I allowed my wider influences to permeate a bit more and placed the vocal and lyric more forward in the songs" PM Warson says.

PM Warson is a UK musician, songwriter and producer. He emerged in 2021 with the album "True Story", after a series of DIY vinyl releases. Breakout single "(Don't) Hold Me Down" surfaced initially among soul collectors (with the original release clocking in at over $200 on collector sites), before finding a wider audience on European radio and streaming platforms.

With touring opportunities limited due to the ongoing pandemic travel restrictions, he turned his attention to a quick-fire follow-up. The lean, brooding "Dig Deep Repeat" was released in May 2022, led by the single "Leaving Here". Extensive tour and festival dates throughout Europe followed, where he gained a reputation as an impressive live act, performing alongside the likes of Cedric Burnside, Robert Finley, Nick Waterhouse and GA20.

After a run of dates in France, and an appearance at the legendary 100 Club in London, he set about working on new music during 2023. Having released the single "Right Here, Last Night" as a 7inch vinyl on his own Acid Jazz-distributed FYND marque, he teams up again with Légère Recordings for his third album, the expansive "A Little More Time".

Die definitive Vinyl-Neuauflage von Nancys drittem Album mit den Hits "Summer Wine" und "Friday's Child" und tollen Versionen von "On Broadway", "Wishin, and Hopin'" und "This Little Bird". Frisch remastered von den analogen Originalbändern durch den GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin, enthält das LITA-Reissue vier Bonustracks: die kompletten 1969er Mickie Most-Sessions inklusive dem bisher unveröffentlichten "Colors Are Changing" Wunderschön verpackte und erweiterte Gatefold-LP mit 20-seitigem Booklet mit Q&A von Nancy und dem GRAMMYr-nominierten Co-Produzenten Hunter Lea PLUS nie zuvor gezeigte Fotos aus Nancy Sinatras persönlichem Archiv. "Strawberries, cherries, and an angel's kiss in spring_" waren die unsterblichen Worte, die die fünfundzwanzigjährige Nancy Sinatra an einem eiskalten Frühlingstag in London sang, während der Aufnahmen zu ihrer dritten LP innerhalb von nur vier Monaten! Das Album wurde 1966 in nur drei Tagen in den Pye Studios aufgenommen, in denen Mitte der 1960er Jahre auch The Kinks, Petula Clark und David Bowie sich die Klinke in die Hand gaben. Durch die Wahl von Songs wie "On Broadway", "Wishin, and Hopin'" und "This Little Bird" hat das Album einen eindeutig britischen Touch. Die LP enthält zudem das zeitlose Duett "Summer Wine" von Nancy und Lee Hazlewood.

Die definitive Vinyl-Neuauflage von Nancys drittem Album mit den Hits "Summer Wine" und "Friday's Child" und tollen Versionen von "On Broadway", "Wishin, and Hopin'" und "This Little Bird". Frisch remastered von den analogen Originalbändern durch den GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin, enthält das LITA-Reissue vier Bonustracks: die kompletten 1969er Mickie Most-Sessions inklusive dem bisher unveröffentlichten "Colors Are Changing" Wunderschön verpackte und erweiterte Gatefold-LP mit 20-seitigem Booklet mit Q&A von Nancy und dem GRAMMYr-nominierten Co-Produzenten Hunter Lea PLUS nie zuvor gezeigte Fotos aus Nancy Sinatras persönlichem Archiv. "Strawberries, cherries, and an angel's kiss in spring_" waren die unsterblichen Worte, die die fünfundzwanzigjährige Nancy Sinatra an einem eiskalten Frühlingstag in London sang, während der Aufnahmen zu ihrer dritten LP innerhalb von nur vier Monaten! Das Album wurde 1966 in nur drei Tagen in den Pye Studios aufgenommen, in denen Mitte der 1960er Jahre auch The Kinks, Petula Clark und David Bowie sich die Klinke in die Hand gaben. Durch die Wahl von Songs wie "On Broadway", "Wishin, and Hopin'" und "This Little Bird" hat das Album einen eindeutig britischen Touch. Die LP enthält zudem das zeitlose Duett "Summer Wine" von Nancy und Lee Hazlewood.

Admittedly, I'm not a great salesperson when it comes to running our little label. I do my best not to give into hyperbole or build something up too intensely if someone has not heard a new artist yet. I prefer to simply present the music and let the listener decide how they feel about it. However, we live in an age when the "story" put together by publicists, labels, and managers are often the driving force of an artist's ascension into the zeitgeist. And for me, that's always felt rather artificial, even when the narrative is genuine. But every once in a while, a project comes along that takes on a life of its own. And I can say without a doubt that the growth of Pale Jay's reach since we first started working with him has little to do with conjured narratives or clever marketing, but more to do with how the music makes the listener feel. It's that simple. In fact, Jay is so enigmatic and without a narrative that the mere absence of a story has become the story. Who is he? Where is he from? What's next? Some questions are better left unanswered in my opinion, my friend. Including the question, "Why does this music make me feel so much?" You're better off just sitting back, disconnecting, and letting Low End Love Songs by Pale Jay wrap you up. Enjoy and spread the good word. - Terry Cole

"Low End Love Songs", more so than previous releases, is a diary in form of song. I knew I just had to wait for the songs to be ready to be picked, like ripe fruit from a tree. Each tune encapsulates a distinct moment in my life, with music serving as my means of processing complex and sometimes conflicting emotions. In this album, I depart from loop-based song structures towards more intricate and lush compositions. Latin influences permeate the music, adding new layers of rhythms and textures to my soul-music roots. - Pale Jay

New one-off pressing coloured vinyl 18th anniversary edition of the long-out-of-print Studio One Soul 2, the long-awaited second volume of one of the largest selling Soul Jazz Records’ Studio One collections.

Studio One Soul 2 takes us deep into Jamaica’s long-standing fascination with American Soul and Funk music.

Featuring a host of seminal Reggae artists who all first established their careers at Studio One before finding worldwide success. Featured artists include Horace Andy, The Heptones, Cornell Campbell, Ken Boothe, Jackie Mittoo, Jacob Miller and many more A-Class Studio One legends interpreting both classic and littleknown American Soul and Funk tunes by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, The Five Stairsteps, Marvin Gaye, The Stylistics, Lee Dorsey, Al Green, Syl Johnson and more.

Curtis Mayfield is without a doubt the main soul influence for many reggae groups in the 1960s and 70s. Cornell Campbell’s ‘Ten to One’ featured here is a stunning recut of the original Studio One single by The Mad Lads who first covered this Curtis-penned hit for the Impressions. Another great Curtis Mayfield production, The Five Stairsteps and Cubie’s ‘Don’t Change’, is interpreted by Studio One soul man Winston Francis. Similarly, Devon Russell’s superb ‘Make Me Believe in You’ is, if anything, superior to Curtis Mayfield’s ground-breaking original.

While American Soul and Funk remain a constant source of inspiration on this album, classic DJs such as Prince Jazzbo and Little Joe also used these rhythms to ride vocal toasts over to serious effect. This selection features a mixture of classics, super-rare and unreleased tracks from Studio One all lovingly digitally re-mastered for this release. The vinyl edition also comes on super-loud double vinyl housed in gatefold sleeve and with download code. The new CD edition comes as digipack plus booklet. Another essential Studio One release.

The true test of originality for any musician comes when you hear an instrument being played and you instantly know who’s playing it. For electric guitarists, certainly Hendrix qualifies; Page and Clapton, too. Maybe Eddie Van Halen before the legion of imitators. You probably have your own list, but to us, standing toe-to-toe (or pick-to-pick) with those legends is Television guitarist and solo artist Tom Verlaine. His self-taught, jazz-influenced style, largely devoid of effects, and vibrato tone (oh, that tone!) makes any Verlaine solo unmistakably a Verlaine solo. That he was quite an accomplished, idiosyncratic songwriter is just a bonus. Real Gone Music is very, very proud to announce that we have arranged with the Verlaine estate to release Tom’s last three solo albums on LP; Songs and Other Things was the last record he released, in the same year (2006) as the all-instrumental Around. As the title indicates, this was indeed a return to lyrics and vocals, the first record with “songs” since 1990’s The Wonder (although the first track, “A Parade in Littleton”—one of the “Other Things”—is a low-key, funky instrumental that would have been home on a late Talking Heads album). The time off clearly allowed Verlaine to build up a strong cache of compositions, with “Nice Actress” and “The Earth Is in the Sky” among the highlights. The record also marks a welcome return of Verlaine’s enigmatic lyrics, which as always prompt head scratching while somehow making intuitive sense. But in the end, it’s the amazing guitar work—ably supported by Fred Smith of Television fame and Jay Dee Daugherty of The Patti Smith Group among others—that elevates Songs and Other Things to essential status, worthy of its exalted position as the final release of Tom Verlaine’s career. Bassist and original engineer Patrick Derivaz has mastered the album for its vinyl debut; Verlaine’s long-time partner Jutta Koether contributes notes. Teal vinyl pressing!

Punk pioneers Crass continue their vinyl reissue series, re-pressing their limited releases by adjacent artists through Crass Records, in association with One Little Independent. Absurdists jazz-infused post-punks, The Cravats originally released single 'Rub Me Out' with Crass Records in 1982. A favourite of John Peel's, the Redditch band left a long legacy, reforming in 2009. Penny continues; “Fast, furious, fiery and often very funny, the Cravats were nothing like the average punk band, indeed, like Zappa before them, their sensibilities leant more towards progressive jazz mixed in with an ample helping of gallows humour; ‘make mine rare’. Dada also comes to mind as The Shend weaves his way through the complex vagaries of everyday existence. ‘Now you see me, now you don’t’. There’s no doubt about it, the Cravats are worth keeping your ears open, and your eyes out for, but mind the gaps!”

Kevin Godley and Lol Creme worked together for several decades, were part of many different bands and wrote hit after hit. Two highly successful multi-instrumentalists, singers and producers who became world renowned video producers as well. Godley & Creme's Collected album features inventive, eclectic music blending pop, rock, and art influences, showcasing their unique, avant-garde style. This 2LP features the duo's biggest hits, including ""An Englishman In New York"", ""Freeze Frame"", the top hit ""Cry"" (which showcased their amazing video), ""Wide Boy"", and ""A Little Peace Of Heaven"" among others. The 2LP Godley & Crème Collected is housed in a gatefold sleeve with liner notes.

Reissue

'Find Me Finding You', the new album from the new organization called the Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble, manages to strike new chords while touching familiar keys in the song of life.
From its percolating opening beat, 'Find Me Finding You' locates new systems within the sound-universe of Laetitia Sadier. This in itself isn't a surprise - Laetitia has relentlessly followed her music through different dynamics and into a variety of dimensions over the course of four solo albums since 2010 (not to forget her three albums with Monade and the long era of Stereolab) - but the nature of the construction here stands distinctly apart from her recent albums. Laetitia was inspired by a mind's-eye envisaging of geometric forms and their possible permutations. As she sought to replicate the shapes in music, this guided the process of assembly for the album.
Part of the freshness of 'Find Me Finding You' comes from working and playing within the Source Ensemble and exploring new sound combinations via a set of youthful and evolving musical relationships. Laetitia recognized the energy of the tracks in their initial form and sought to preserve their vitality by not retaking too many performances - instead, the rawness in the tracks was retained and refined at the mixing stage, maintaining an edge throughout. When we hear synth lines diving, lifting and drifting, unusual guitar textures, the plucked sound of flat wound bass strings or the bottomless pulsing of bass pedals stepping out of the mix with an exquisite vibrancy, this is the sound of the Source Ensemble.
A key to Laetitia's music is her use of vocal arrangements. Throughout 'Finding Me Finding You' the shifting accompaniment creates space to bring this element gloriously forward. Arranged by Laetitia with Joe Watson and Jeff Parker making string charts that were subsequently transposed to vocal parts for several songs, richly arranged choirs of voices provide depth along with the thrilling presence of extra breath in the sound. Laetitia's community-politic is well-served by the groups of voices lending support to the machining of the song craft, providing additional uplift to her quintessentially forward-facing viewpoint - as well as massed voices from three different countries sharing space in harmony.
Working in collaboration is Laetita's tradition and a key to this album's view on being free together. The designation of Source Collective implies a new togetherness phase, alongside long time collaborators Emmanuel Mario and Xavi Munoz, keyboard and flutes parts played by David Thayer (Little Tornados) were essential contributions, as well as further keys, synths and electronics from Phil M FU and several intense guitar sequences from Mason le Long. Chris A Cummings (aka Marker Starling, Laetitia's favourite composer) graciously wrote 'Deep Background' for her. The duet with Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor on 'Love Captive' (not to mention Rob Mazurek's distinctive coronet playing) gives voice to an ideological cornerstone of 'Find Me Finding You'

’The Blues’ was B.B. King’s second Crown LP drawn from his RPM singles recorded between 1951-1958. This album traces his early development into a world class artist. ‘The Blues’ used a single hit tune (in this case “When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer,” a Top Ten R&B chart entry in 1954) to help sell a package of lesser-known material, but thankfully the label also picked some great tunes that hardly sound like filler, even if they didn’t make the charts. King’s songwriting was already stellar, with “I Want to Get Married,” “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me,” and “Ruby Lee” demonstrating his way with a melody and a lyrical conceit. ‘The Blues’ demonstrates he was already near the top of his class. The LP is extended with 2 bonus tracks.

Im Jahr 1998 standen Alanis Morissette und Co-Produzent Glen Ballard vor der herausfordernden Aufgabe, ein Album zu kreieren, das dem riesigen Erfolg von "Jagged Little Pill" gerecht werden konnte. Doch die beeindruckende und vielfältige Mischung auf "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" lässt "Jagged" fast zahm erscheinen. Das Album bietet eine bunte Palette an Stilen und Themen und erfüllte die Aufgabe, Alanis' Ruf nach dem großen Durchbruch ihres ebütalbums zu festigen, mit Bravour.


Anlässlich des 25. Jubiläums des Albums bringt die neue 'Thank U Edition' eine 2LP-Wiederveröffentlichung mit neu gestalteten Artworks sowie eine digitale Deluxe-Edition heraus, die seltene B-Seiten und Demos enthält. Zu den Hits zählen „Thank U“, „Unsent“ und „That I Would Be Good“.




[a] a1. FRONT ROW [4:12]
[b] a2. BABA [4:28]
[c] a3. THANK U [4:17]
[d] a4. ARE YOU STILL MAD [4:03]
[e] b1. SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER [5:11]
[f] b2.. THAT I WOULD BE GOOD [4:16]
[g] b3. THE COUCH [5:23]
[h] b4. CAN’T NOT [4:35]
[i] c1. UR [3:30]
[j] c2. I WAS HOPING [3:49]
[k] c3. ONE [4:39]
[l] c4. WOULD NOT COME [4:04]
[m] d1. UNSENT [4:09]
[n] d2. SO PURE [2:50]
[o] d3. JOINING YOU [4:24]
[p] d4. HEART OF THE HOUSE [3:45]
[q] d5. YOUR CONGRATULATIONS [3:54]

Im Jahr 1998 standen Alanis Morissette und Co-Produzent Glen Ballard vor der herausfordernden Aufgabe, ein Album zu kreieren, das dem riesigen Erfolg von "Jagged Little Pill" gerecht werden konnte. Doch die beeindruckende und vielfältige Mischung auf "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" lässt "Jagged" fast zahm erscheinen. Das Album bietet eine bunte Palette an Stilen und Themen und erfüllte die Aufgabe, Alanis' Ruf nach dem großen Durchbruch ihres ebütalbums zu festigen, mit Bravour.


Anlässlich des 25. Jubiläums des Albums bringt die neue 'Thank U Edition' eine 2LP-Wiederveröffentlichung mit neu gestalteten Artworks sowie eine digitale Deluxe-Edition heraus, die seltene B-Seiten und Demos enthält. Zu den Hits zählen „Thank U“, „Unsent“ und „That I Would Be Good“.




a a1. FRONT ROW [4:12]
[b] a2. BABA [4:28]
[c] a3. THANK U [4:17]
[d] a4. ARE YOU STILL MAD [4:03]
[e] b1. SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER [5:11]
[f] b2.. THAT I WOULD BE GOOD [4:16]
[g] b3. THE COUCH [5:23]
[h] b4. CAN’T NOT [4:35]
[i] c1. UR [3:30]
[j] c2. I WAS HOPING [3:49]
[k] c3. ONE [4:39]
[l] c4. WOULD NOT COME [4:04]
[m] d1. UNSENT [4:09]
[n] d2. SO PURE [2:50]
[o] d3. JOINING YOU [4:24]
[p] d4. HEART OF THE HOUSE [3:45]
[q] d5. YOUR CONGRATULATIONS [3:54]

[a] a1. FRONT ROW [4:12]
[b] a2. BABA [4:28]
[c] a3. THANK U [4:17]
[d] a4. ARE YOU STILL MAD [4:03]
[e] b1. SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER [5:11]
[f] b2.. THAT I WOULD BE GOOD [4:16]
[g] b3. THE COUCH [5:23]
[h] b4. CAN’T NOT [4:35]
[i] c1. UR [3:30]
[j] c2. I WAS HOPING [3:49]
[k] c3. ONE [4:39]
[l] c4. WOULD NOT COME [4:04]
[m] d1. UNSENT [4:09]
[n] d2. SO PURE [2:50]
[o] d3. JOINING YOU [4:24]
[p] d4. HEART OF THE HOUSE [3:45]
[q] d5. YOUR CONGRATULATIONS [3:54]

Thandii (aka Jessica Berry, Graham Godfrey) first made waves with their debut album A Beat To Make It Better in 2023. The album gained somewhat cult critical acclaim long after it’s release, with listeners luxuriating in the unusual sound collaged from offcuts of Soul, Lo-fi Hiphop & Psych. Thandii’s world comes bolstered by collaborations with esteemed artists such as Michael Kiwanuka, Inflo, SAULT, Joy Crookes, Jordan Rakei, and Little Simz. The duo’s sophomore offering comes in the form of two companion albums Dream With You & Come As You. The two albums make up a single conceptual statement celebrating dissonance, contradiction, polarity and opposition.

The pair believe that binary thinking has a lot to answer for in today’s world and is often used to divide us as a people. ‘We wanted to explore what it felt like to hold disparate notions in both hands whilst making the music. Starting with the title tracks, we explored the idea of unashamedly being your authentic self in every moment - this is admirable for those that can live their life in an uncompromising way. In contrast to that idea, we explored those moments where we perhaps wished we were more than our reality - a dreamed up, imagined self’. It’s no surprise that duality is central to what Thandii is all about with the pair co-writing, co-recording & co-producing from their seaside studio HaloHalo in Margate, Kent.

The albums each have a distinct flavour of their own. Dream With You is built on cassette-tape-driven lofi beats, art-pop melodies and soulful piano breaks. Whilst Come As You explores more experimental song-form that wouldn’t seem out of place on Tender Buttons - Broadcast or Dots And Loops - Stereolab. Jessica’s voice is the transcendent, ethereal form that shapeshifts between the realms of the two statements; dancing playfully through falsetto harmonies, confessional spoken word, detuned alter egos and haunting choirs.

Thandii (aka Jessica Berry, Graham Godfrey) first made waves with their debut album A Beat To Make It Better in 2023. The album gained somewhat cult critical acclaim long after its release, with listeners luxuriating in the unusual sound collaged from offcuts of Soul, Lo-fi Hiphop & Psych. Thandii’s world comes bolstered by collaborations with esteemed artists such as Michael Kiwanuka, Inflo, SAULT, Joy Crookes, Jordan Rakei, and Little Simz. The duo’s sophomore offering comes in the form of two companion albums Dream With You & Come As You. The two albums make up a single conceptual statement celebrating dissonance, contradiction, polarity and opposition.

The pair believe that binary thinking has a lot to answer for in today’s world and is often used to divide us as a people. ‘We wanted to explore what it felt like to hold disparate notions in both hands whilst making the music. Starting with the title tracks, we explored the idea of unashamedly being your authentic self in every moment - this is admirable for those that can live their life in an uncompromising way. In contrast to that idea, we explored those moments where we perhaps wished we were more than our reality - a dreamed up, imagined self’. It’s no surprise that duality is central to what Thandii is all about with the pair co-writing, co-recording & co-producing from their seaside studio HaloHalo in Margate, Kent.

The albums each have a distinct flavour of their own. Dream With You is built on cassette-tape-driven lofi beats, art-pop melodies and soulful piano breaks. Whilst Come As You explores more experimental song-form that wouldn’t seem out of place on Tender Buttons - Broadcast or Dots And Loops - Stereolab. Jessica’s voice is the transcendent, ethereal form that shapeshifts between the realms of the two statements; dancing playfully through falsetto harmonies, confessional spoken word, detuned alter egos and haunting choirs. Key collaborators on the albums include bass player Jonathan Harvey and pianist Steve Pringle, both members of Margate’s burgeoning Arts scene. Thandii escaped London nearly a decade ago, their sights set on creating a means for prolific expression, without the distractions that the city can bring. The albums find them in an exploratory stage, throwing paint at the canvas with joyful abandon, gifting themselves permission for uncensored expression. The LPs muse on relationships - romantic, platonic & familial - community, self-worth, self love, healing and boundaries, at times from differing perspectives. This contrast of opinion makes for rich listening throughout a vast emotional landscape

Villagers drittes Album 'Darling Arithmetic', ist ein sehr intimes Album das Conor O'Brien im Alleingang in seinem Haus nördlich von Dublin geschrieben, aufgenommen und produziert hat. Die Instrumentierung ist spärlich, Klavier, Gitarre und Mellotron sind zu hören. Ursprünglich erschien das Album im April 2015.

- Format: Rotes Vinyl inkl. Downloadkarte

Lukas de Clerck brings us the ancient greek instrument, the aulos, of which his new interpretation of long form expression is coaxed forth on this tremendous recording. Lukas de Clerck explores a niche of archaeological research in music; the aulos is a historical Greek instrument that Lukas analyzed and reinterpreted by a luthier in modern times_navigating this impression as an artwork or living sculptural object, as there is an absence of historical partitions or written information about how to recreate technique on the instrument. Lukas de Clerck has interpreted information from the rare archaeological resources and visual art of the classical Greek period to recreate both playing technique and possible sound timbres with the instrument. With his contemporary approach to drone, post-minimalist music, and contemporary folk, we find a deeply satisfying and compelling, even playful set of songs, timbral exercises and compositions. An important document of new music meets contemporary archaemusicological research via Stephen O'Malley of SUNN O)))'s label Ideologic Organ. _ The telescopic aulos is speculative: might it have existed? It takes on features from the historical aulos, a double-reed instrument of which we know how it looked but little about what music was played on it or how it would have really sounded. It's an instrument without the limitations of canon or manual, providing creative freedom and awakening curiosity. The new instrument featured on this album is ancient and futuristic at once. The aulos has no tone holes; instead, each of the two tubes consists of three parts that can slide into each other. In this sense, the metal pipes bear a certain resemblance to the principle of a trombone. However, since both hands are already in use to hold both tubes, the sliding has to be done by way of gravity and the help of a «phorbeia», a leather mask which helps keep the reeds in place. The aulos's material is metal (instead of wood), which gives it a certain electronic allure and intensity, as well as a variety of sonic possibilities and textures. It produces overtones efficiently and allows them to play with their microtonality. The aulos Lukas plays on this recording was developed at Brasserie Atlas, a temporary occupation of a former brewery in the heart of Brussels where Lukas lives. It is quite a poetic coincidence that the birthplace of the instrument is named after the Greek titan condemned to carry the sky, while this instrument needs to be turned skywards to lower its pitch with the help of gravity. At Brasserie Atlas, Lukas has found collaborators who have shared in the process of building this new instrument: the collective Noir Métal has constructed the tubes, in this way becoming instrument builders; the phorbeia has been manufactured by Jot Fau; a former water reservoir in the vast cellar of the building carried the instruments' resonance for its first sounds. The place has left an imprint on this new instrument. With all of the telescopic aulos' layers, its sonic, musical and extra-musical components are still unfolding their potential as a medium for discovery and research, next to being an instrument of great musical potential. The music on The Telescopic Aulos of Atlas reflects this spirit. In several miniature pieces, it presents an encyclopaedia of musical possibilities that the instrument offers while keeping an intense and corporeal sonic specificity. The short pieces are studies that reflect on the sonic possibilities of this instrument that are yet to be explored. It meanders, searches and interacts with itself and the space. It needs to answer common expectations of old instruments being harmonious or pleasing. It transports a kind of experimental archaeology that, by formulating hypotheses in the present, allows us to reflect on what might have been in the past and simultaneously questions concepts of beauty, harmony or virtuosity. However, in the end, this instrument might have never existed before. -Julia Eckhardt