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Guests are Jessica Higgins and Matthew Walkerdine of Glasgow, UK, both formerly of the bands Vital Idles and Mordwaffe. They have been closely tied with DIY music, art and publishing for over a decade. Using (amateur) electronics, singing, speaking and field recording they make songs which blend the rhythms of popular music and contemporary approaches to collage, sampling, improvisation and repetition. As inspired by film and art as they are the legacies of twee underground and avant garde experimentalism, their loose, domestically twinged compositions explore feelings, atmospheres and moments which are hard to articulate and the quite literal notion of being a “guest”.

“I wish I was special” is their debut record, and with it a chance taken to explore terrain not previously covered by their other groups. The ideology of DIY practice appears integral to these eleven compositions, side-stepping virtuosity in favour of instinct and impression, unafraid to press unknown buttons and walk head first into mistake, finding inspiration where convention might not otherwise allow one to tread. The results are confoundingly fresh, sharp-of-mind, and unusually intimate. There’s an obvious intelligence at play here, and no little humour of course, but crucially there’s also a sense of the personal, a first-thought/best-thought (auto)didacticism that celebrates shared understanding and implicit trust. What, ultimately, we might view as the fearlessness in radically being yourself around another. It’s an approach that draws some comparison with the private musings of Flaming Tunes, Idea Fire Company’s domestic electronics, or perhaps even Annea Lockwood’s framing of emotional connection within avant garde structures. More so, Guests represent a compelling continuation of DIY post-punk experimentation that values intuition over prowess, and with it guides the listener into unexpected spaces that somehow comfort as much as they challenge.




d Arrangements, as in Making Them [VIDEO]

Ondrej Zajac doesn't practice. Neither does he play his guitar with as little as a hint of striking technical prowess. Despite this, he makes music with the confidence of a master instrumentalist who doesn't let their chops get in the way. This is because Ondrej Zajac understands that the point of playing an instrument is to transcend it.

Such principles have been the source of pride for the idioms of experimental and free music, but these suffer from the chronic peddling of artistic narcissism. Ondrej Zajac works in the confines of these genres, but impressively avoids all their pitfalls. His music is almost pure content, as straight as a line, and so immediate and so fucking honest it leaves you wondering.

I Will Be Forgotten offers plenty of opportunities for such wondering, regardless of whether the composition is sixteen minutes or sixty seconds long. The structure of the whole thing, the appreciation of all properties of sound without indulgence in any of them, the playfulness and composure beyond it all, not even the beautiful sonic grain of the guitar itself, none of this does dwarf the most remarkable accomplishment of this record // its utter artistic integrity.

Recorded live at Divadlo 29 in Pardubice and co-produced and mixed by Václav Šafka, I Will Be Forgotten is the second solo release by Ondrej Zajac (Banausoi, Data Koroptev) and the 19th release by the sincere label Weltschmerzen.

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk.

A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion.

The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one.

Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants.

Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings.

The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’.

Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind.

Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk.

A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion.

The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one.

Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants.

Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings.

The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’.

Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind.

Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

Original soundtrack of the acclaimed anime, printed on red vinyl.

Thus begins the story of the man who would become the greatest thief of all time...While Tokyo is experiencing tremendous economic growth, a young schoolboy leads a boring life. One day, he catches a guy pointing a gun at a delinquent. When he meets up with this person again a little later, something happens that leads them to team up...

Since the early 90s Rotterdam is known throughout the world of dance music for its many influential creative endeavours and one of these was the short-lived label See Saw. Active between 1991 and 1995, the label was the home to mostly Dutch producers who were just dipping their toes in the waters of house and techno. Or, who already had a whole leg in like Speedy J.

Sandwiched between two of his early releases as The Melody (Discogs detectives know what’s up!) sits The Jewel EP, the only EP Gijs Vroom did under his Diamonds & Pearls alias. A kind stranger online once described the record as effective and joyful and we couldn’t agree more. It’s a mixed bag of zippy breaks, swirling pads, tight Lately basses, and foxy vocal snips and like many records of the era it maximises charm with minimal equipment. It’s these kinds of twelve-inches that stood at the cradle of the Dutch house sound and so it is very deserving of a little nook in your record bag.

Monika Enterprise welcomes a new act to her roster with Berlin based experimental pop duo Post Neo releasing their new EP. Individually known as Nicole Luján and Pauline Weh, both musicians pursued their own solo projects before forming the duo Post Neo. On “Alles Immer Wieder” they combine as more than the sum of their parts to produce 5 songs of dark and powerful experimental avant- pop which is released as an exclusive 10” vinyl.

Pauline and Nicole met making music in Berlin during the summer of 2019 and kept collaborating online, until Nicole moved to Berlin in 2022. The musicians' different musical backgrounds result in diverse intuitions which complement each other perfectly when producing tracks together - Nicole was more into synthesis and electronic music production in Mexico City while Pauline received a classical piano education in Munich before she started doing electronic music.

In 2022 they released their first EP, «do you?», which consists of five tracks that were composed and produced as an inter-continental project between Berlin and Mexico City. In autumn of that year Post Neo received a residency at Sternhagen Gut from Musicboard Berlin where they caught the ear of monika head Gudrun Gut who was so taken with their compelling mix of techno beats and dreamy melancholic atmospheres she immediately signed them to her label.

The EP’s opening and title track “Alles Immer Wieder” (trans. Everything again and again) is a reflection on repetition and monotony as transcendence in the form of sleep, dreams, work and other daily cycles. The rhythmic juxtapositions and tempo shifts make for a captivating opening track. “Ganz Schön Was Los” (trans. A lot happening) has a proper synthwave electro pop vibe while the vocals lend a little light hearted humanity to the otherwise calculated computer music aesthetic. With its fusion of synthesizers and drum machines track B1 “Die Verwirrung” (trans. The confusion) brings a sense of melancholic doom. The flow of B2 “Wenn Wir Wüssten” (trans. If we knew what would happen) is a future-focused reflection on the unidirectional movement of time's arrow. Sampled harmonies and instrumental breakdowns make it possibly the most emotive track on the EP. And the record comes to a close with “Dreh dich” (trans. Turn around) which lures us in with delicate vocals before menacing synthesizer sounds blast us into oblivion. It is an invitation to turn the record over and start listening from the beginning again.

Post Neo’s music is steeped in minimalism: at once managing to be hugely expressive and evocative while still retaining a sense of privacy and mystery for the listener to decrypt. Like all great pop music their songs are musically captivating while also conveying a strong message. As their band name suggests, Post Neo are essentially futuristic and with live shows at some of Berlin’s hottest underground venues under their belt as well as in their hometowns of Munich and Mexico City, plus the release of „Alles Immer Wieder“ in 2024, great things are in store for the electronic pop duo.

The legendary Norwegian rockers Backstreet Girls, was founded in 1984 (!) and have delivered hard rocking, no-compromise boogie rock inspired by AC/DC, Ramones, Rose Tattoo, Hanoi Rocks and Status Quo to their faithful fans ever since. "Let's Have It" is the band's fifth studio album, originally released on Warner Music in 1992, and was the first and only studio album featuring the swedish singer Olle Hillborg. Now available on vinyl for the first time.

The Stanford Family Band release their debut EP "For Your Listening Pleasure" via Goo Records on 5th April 2024. Fronted by the captivating lead vocals of Elliot Stanford, the EP's six songs captures a vintage pop aura whilst retaining a fresh indie and garage rock edge.

Offering a sound which journeys through bittersweet memories, nostalgia, and the warmth of sunlit days, The Stanford Family Band have started to make a name for their unique sonic approach - drawing inspiration from iconic acts such as The Beach Boys and The Modern Lovers, built around complex four-part harmonies and irresistibly memorable melodic hooks.

Speaking about the EP, Elliot Stanford (lead vocals, piano, guitar and songwriter) said: "When we were first signing with Goo, we really had no idea what we would release or how it would end up looking. We have a lot of songs, old and new, some of which have been floating around for many years. In the end we just really wanted to put out a body of work that really encapsulates everything we are about! We love big dramatic songs and arrangements, but at the same time, a little cheeky country/garage rock beat has always tickled us so we just really wanted to capture everything that we love in one concise record. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work on this with our friend Harry Hayes (Producer) and we are mega proud of how it all came together!"

Having already garnered tastemaker press coverage (Earmilk, Fame Magazine among others), a whole host of radio play (John Kennedy - Radio X, RTE 2XM), The Stanford Family Band have quickly started to gain critical acclaim. This EP showcases the outfit’s uncanny ability as songwriters, creating memorable, charming and beautifully constructed melodic tracks.

"Jerskin Fendrix should have tea with Jarvis Cocker" - Iggy Pop on BBC 6 Music "Winterreise has proved his brilliance, but it has also only affirmed his status as an enigma" - The Quietus. Originally billed as the "quasi-godfather of the south London Scene" by The Quietus for his influence on bands like Black Country, New Road, Black Midi and Famous, Jerskin Fendrix has recently made the leap onto the global stage for his Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe-nominated film score for Yorgos Lanthimos' latest film 'Poor Things'. Since this stratospheric rise to red carpet fame, the Shropshire-born musician's debut 'Winterreise' has been put into a fresh perspective; at the time of its release it was lauded as something of an enigma, a collection of errant pop songs that gave little away about the artist behind them. Now, the record that was awarded album of the year in 2020 by Loud & Quiet, can be seen as a prototype for Jerskin's strange blend of baroque, pop, electro, punk - an amalgam that takes the record beyond the referential. Having been out of print for a number of years, untitled (recs) has re-pressed it with its original artwork on a limited run of 1000 copies

This is the first re-release on 7inch vinyl single of the early Reggae classic “She Caught The Train” by Ray Martell released in 1970 on the Trojan sublabel Joe in the U.K. and later covered by UB 40 in 1983. This original song, a huge hit, has featured on many compilations but has never been repressed as a single, until now…
It was initially released with the track “Tea House From Emperor Roscoe” by Dice The boss on the B side (which we will also release separately on the 22nd of March 2024). On this release, we chose to showcase a super rare Ray Martell song, the gorgeous “Cora” initially released on Attack in 1970.
About Joe Mansano:
“She Caught The Train” was credited to Joe Mansano, real name Joel Mansano who also produced the song. Joel was a Trinidadian who moved to London in 1963. He was a record shop seller, song writer and producer and became heavily involved in the early reggae era producing and writing tracks for several Jamaican artists, enough for Trojan to dedicate a label to him: the “Joe” label aimed at the emerging Skinheads market. He also owned a shop the Joe's Record Centre in Brixton and recorded two handfuls of singles under the name Joe The boss…
About Ray Martell:
“Cora” is credited to Ray Martell himself and was produced by Philligree, an alias for Graham Goodall and Phil Chen. The Philligree duo produced about 20 very interesting singles on a variety of labels with artist such as Desmond Dekker, Millie, Pat Sandy and Ray Martell among others between 1969 and 1970. Although “She Caught The Train” is indeed a famous track, little is known about Ray Martell aka Martel Robinson. Ray was born in St Catherine parish in Jamaica in September 1943. He started to sing at school and church and later on moved to U.K. where he kept on singing in clubs in Coventry and Birmingham … He eventually moved to London where he recorded 4 great tracks in 1970 “She Caught The Train” on Joe, “Cora” and “Loving Lover” on Attack, and “Lover” on Trojan, the last three being written by himself. In 1973 he started his own label “Ray” featuring his own productions but these were unfortunately not as interesting as his previous releases…

"Psychedelic rock from Minneapolis psych madmen Jokers Wild! Includes all of their rare singles, plus 15 more originally unreleased mind-melting cuts - complete with slide whistle!

When looking through the amount of outta-this-world acid-tinged, garage and psychedelic rock that came out of Minneapolis during the 1960s, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume that there was something in the water. Their sound was unlike any other Minneapolis ‘60s band – a true feat during that time.

Though the band began playing more local gigs during the early part of 1967, it wasn’t until May that they recorded their slide-flute-farfisa-organ infused psych wonderment, “All I See Is You "Psychedelic rock from Minneapolis psych madmen Jokers Wild! Includes all of their rare singles, plus 15 more originally unreleased mind-melting cuts - complete with slide whistle!

When looking through the amount of outta-this-world acid-tinged, garage and psychedelic rock that came out of Minneapolis during the 1960s, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume that there was something in the water. Their sound was unlike any other Minneapolis ‘60s band – a true feat during that time.

Though the band began playing more local gigs during the early part of 1967, it wasn’t until May that they recorded their slide-flute-farfisa-organ infused psych wonderment, “All I See Is You / I Just Can’t Explain It.” The single was recorded at the famed Kay Bank Studios (where groups like The Trashmen, Vaqueros, Readymen, Castaways and many, many more laid down tracks) but received very little airplay. Their second single featured “Echo” as the A-side, and it’s equally as fun, bringing a ? and The Mysterians-esque farfisa beat behind a driving, delightfully fuzzy bass and guitar. Like their first single, it didn’t go anywhere. The lack of budget really hurt the band, and with too many bills to pay, they weren’t able to recoup on recording costs. Poof… it ended up sitting on the shelf.

The remnants of their unfinished album can be heard here, along with unreleased material, a cover of the Hollies’ “Have You Ever Loved Somebody,” and three of their limited release singles, “All I See Is You/I Just Can’t Explain It,” “Peace Man/Tomorrow,” and “Because I’m Free/Sunshine.” Catchy yet complex, tune out and turn on to this unsung Twin Cities garage-psych treasure and prepare to Step Outside Your Mind."

There's a new guitar in town....nein besser gesagt altbekannte Recken mit neuer Band, die 2022 beim Rebellion-Festival vom Geheimtipp schnell auf sich aufmerksam machten: We proudly presents: ON THE HUH mit ihrem Debut "Bit on the side" und wer auch nur einen Hauch für den good oldschool UK-Streetsound übrig habt wird diese Band lieben! Aufgenommen in den altehrwürdigen Londoner Perry Vale Studios und produziert von Pat-"Vibrators"-Collier verbergen sich hinter der East-Coast-Slangphrase "On the Huh" (meint: slightly on the piss) Musiker von Infa Riot, Braindance und Special Duties und liefern 15 Brickwall-Oi! / Streetpunk Hymnen mit dezentem Glam-Touch der Extraklasse ab! Klassische Singalongs, eine unglaubliche Spielfreude, rotzige Chorals und traditionelle Punkrock-Einflüsse aus vielen Jahrzehnten "Made in Britain" und dabei extrem abwechslungsreich und halt a little "Bit on the side"!

Limited edition tri-color splatter vinyl. The vinyl edition of Daedelus' new LP "Xenopocene" features a die cut cover title album text which allows the viewer to see the multi color swirling vinyl beneath. Xenopocene means Alien Age. Some have theorized our current is the Anthropocene; however in an era where artificially generated and deep faked, what is terrestrial in origin vs u.f.o.? Daedelus’ latest LP ‘Xenopocene’, inspired by their artist-in-residency with S.E.T.I. follows a timeline from an extraterrestrial first contact thru to 10k days hence and spiraling towards the nearest exoplanet 6,000+ years away. Attempting to parse out science informed fiction from the fact that in an unfathomable universe life exists outside our confines. Actually there are guidelines in place for receiving such a communication. In S.E.T.I.'s Protocols for an ETI Signal Detection (which first line reads "Declaration of Principles Concerning the Conduct of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence...") well measured steps from such an awesome event could almost be read as unexceptional. Hyperbole has little place in the sciences whereas music makes the most from. Daedelus across 11 tracks deftly deals with space inspired sounds pulling equally from Gustav Holst and Sun Ra as Alice Deejay and Amon Tobin. No techno-optimism here, ultimately this is Earth music made to dream upwards. Asking us to reckon with our humanity while daring us to envision a new epoch. Interlaced throughout are quavering violins by Vivek Menon. Featuring words from the singular R.A.P. Ferreira on "Starfire" and extra instrumentation from Eli Henry Goss of the Breathing Effect in "Float

Repress!

He made remixes matter more than the original songs. He introduced dramatic, forceful horns to rap’s sonic discussion. It almost goes without saying that Pete Rock is among the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, and Soul Brother #1 is still crafting timeless music. Now back on vinyl for the first time in years, Pete’s acclaimed album NY’s Finest features an impressive lineup of vocalists, including Wu-Tang emcees Raekwon and Masta Killa, Jim Jones, Little Brother, Styles P, Redman, Max B, Papoose, and more. Entirely produced by Pete Rock, the album is a modern masterpiece from a legendary artist. This repress also includes the bonus track “It’s So G” featuring Roc Marciano, a lost treasure from the NY’s Finest sessions that wasn’t on the original tracklist.

HoneyLuv impresses on her Crosstown Rebels debut with ‘Right Spot’, accompanied by remixes from house heavyweights Dennis Ferrer and Byron The Aquarius Unveiling her first solo production of 2024, the DJ Mag North America ‘Best Breakthrough Producer’ 2023 winner showcases a deeper side to her growing sound, backed by a pair of unorthodox remixes from two of house music’s favourite names.

One of the most hotly-tipped artists within the current house landscape, it’s safe to say Cleveland-born, London-based DJ/producer HoneyLuv arrived in 2023 and hasn’t looked back since. Riding high following a whirlwind twelve months, featuring as one of Radio 1’s Future Stars, Tomorrowland’s ‘20 of 2023’, and as a DJ Mag North America cover star, plus being selected as one of Beatport’s ‘Beatport Next: Class of 2023’ and most recently as one of Spotify’s ‘Mint Artists To Watch’, her 2024 account opens with a big label debut as she heads to Damian Lazarus’ iconic Crosstown Rebel for the first time. Paying homage to the rich house history of Chicago, she unveils her latest single, ‘Right Spot’ - joined by a double-dose all-star remix cast in the form of house icons Dennis Ferrer and Byron The Aquarius, two individuals who need little introduction.

Groove-laden and rich, harnessed by the alluring vocal at the heart of the production, ‘Right Spot’ is an excellently crafted trip through varying shades of house music as slick percussion and vibrant leads accent hazy textures to offer up a future-focused cut with nods to the past.

Dennis Ferrer’s interpretation sees the NYC icon switch things up as he veers towards the after-hours with a bubbly, stripped-back take that leans on colourful stabs, sweeping melodies and off-kilter drum shots. To close, Alabama’s finest, Byron The Aquarius’ remix ups the tempo and launches right into the action as tunnelling grooves and skippy hats take hold for an energy-charged ride.

Omit’s in/Sec is “new,” but not new. Recorded in 2013, the masters lost in the label’s murky somewheresville that always shows up when moving. For those who don’t know, Omit is an experimental electronics artist from New Zealand’s south island who, since 1990, has released thirty-some xerographed cassettes and CDrs in the Dead C orbit for those who do. It’s not enough to say that in/Sec is an ambient masterpiece bringing to mind a John Carpenter soundtrack performed by the Hub because listening to it engineers new species. The infectious and corrupting sounds synthesize new life forms in your brain's enzymes. If you specialize in a niche too much, you are prey to predators outside, but Omit never goes for low-hanging fruit and isn't simulating anything. I can vomit a better looking face than the ones on these little fuckers eating my brain right now. In this century that flatters itself to be of drinking age, it is a queer thing we haven’t come face to face with aliens. There is a time for everything and they're all intermixed. Besides the xenobiological effects, Omit constructs your sentiment through timbral concepts that repeat and shift with minimal reference to harmony, melody, key, or mode. Streams jump and skitter, knitting tightly high and low in a dense rattling driven to the long and most plaintive tones amongst the countless gizmos (that’s including you, but not “you”). This one is for big fans of Anode/Cathode, Ikue Mori, Papa Srapa, Fronte Violeta, and Insignia refrigerators.

limited repress available! *gatefold sleeve + insert, regular 120g black vinyl!0 Through the recent years of lockdowns and silence and having too much time to think, Tex Perkins always found solace in the company of song. Having his friend Matt Walker as a co-writer-conspirator, Perkins revelled in the experience which prompted the forming and recording of the first Fat Rubber Band album at Walker & #39's Stovepipe Studios with bassist Steve Hadley, drummer Roger Bergodaz and percussionist Evan Richards. After such an affirmative and creative experience Perkins was itching to commence work on what has become the band's second album, Other World. "The first Fat Rubber Band album was kind of deliberately a little ragged. A bit fuzzy around the edges" said Perkins. "There is a certain maturity that we now possess where ideas can be realised and take form very quickly. We've become a real band. I think what you heard on the first album is the band being formed." While he's played with many musicians, finding true collaborators is something that Perkins treasures. During the lockdowns, he pondered whether he would ever have that day-to-day musician experience again. With The Fat Rubber Band it's not just another grouping of musicians playing music together, but a gathering that is very much about the head, heart and soul and something he is clearly grateful for. "Roger Bergodaz was incredible. His drum kit was in the control room and he engineered the record and played drums pretty much at the same time! He constantly created the surroundings where an enthusiastic and positive atmosphere always prevailed. We never came away empty handed. I loved making this record so much," Perkins says, "because fucking magic happened. Yes, that's right, magic or how about alchemy? (A medieval science with a mysterious process that seeks to turn base metals into Gold.) Well, I dunno about gold, but I witnessed ideas, thoughts, whims and imaginings transmute almost effortlessly into living breathing songs with a soul and a heartbeat and even their own private history every time we went into the studio for this recording. Actually, no, magic is better." Perkins explains "This magic came about with the help of over 4O years of experience from each of the Fat Rubber band members. They're all truly great players and they're all really generous collaborators, so I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't matter what happens from here. I'm very aware these days, with 100s of new releases each week, it's harder than ever to get people to give a shit about a new album from anybody, let alone from a bunch of hairy blokes in their 50s from Australia fronted by a dude that's been around since the early eighties named Tex. Actually, I can't believe you're still reading this! But you know it doesn't really matter, I've seen the magic."

Recorded by award-winning mastering engineer Kevin Gray's record label, Anthony Wilson's Hackensack West is Cohearent Records' follow-up to Kirsten Edkins' Shapes & Sound album. Produced by Joe Harley and recorded all-analogue/all-tube at Gray's studio, Cohearent Recording, the AAA vinyl release is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI and housed in a deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket.

From the liner notes:

The week before these sessions in the summer of 2023, I sat down each morning with the goal of composing one new song by day's end. I knew I'd soon be in the room with my dear friends Gerald Clayton, John Clayton, and Jeff Hamilton, three musicians whom I trust the most, and with whom I've played the most over the last couple of decades. I tried to imagine themes that would feel natural to us, the kinds of songs we could simply dive into without much thinking. When we headed to Kevin Gray's studio to record, I brought seven new songs along with me. Five are included on this album.

"Daido" is dedicated to Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama, who became known in the late 1960s for his grainy, sometimes blurry, high-contrast black and white images made throughout Japan. I love his pictures taken on the streets of various Tokyo neighbourhoods such as Shinjuku. His portrait of a menacing stray dong, from his series "A Hunter," is the kind of picture that, seen just once, is unforgettable. These days Daido is still out on the street making pictures, at the ripe young age of 85.

"Verdesse" has a sinuous, chorinho-like melody and rhythmic feel. The tune seems to weave and bob playfully in a space of brightness the way a grapevine seems to curl towards the sunlight. So I named it after a wine grape native to the pre-Alpine region of Isère, near Grenoble in eastern France, that makes a particularly delicious and drinkable white wine.

I wrote "Sunday," well...on Sunday. It unfolds slowly, like a good Sunday does when there's nothing to do, you can sleep in, you've got your person beside you, and you just relax into the day.

"The Lands" is dedicated to a family very dear to my heart: that of tenor saxophonist Harold Land. My mother met Harold when they were both teenagers growing up in San Diego, California. The two of them became lifelong friends, and a little later, Harold enjoyed a fruitful musical association and close friendship with my father, Gerald Wilson. Harold, his lovely wife Lydia, and their son Harold Jr. were extended family for us; they looked after me with love and care. Some of my first gigs ever as a young guitarist were with Harold's incredible band that included Oscar Brashear, Billy Higgins, Richard Reid, and Harold Land Jr.

I've loved Todd Rundgren's "Marlene" since I first heard it on his epic double-album Something/Anything. With its tender, well-contoured melody buoyed by a few special harmonic surprises, it almost seems like something from the pen of Burt Bacharach. It tells such a complete musical story. Rundgren's recorded version has a beautiful endlessly repeating tag. So we played the melody simply, and used the tag as a small staging area for a bit of improvising.

Hackensack West is our alias for engineer Kevin Gray's studio Cohearent Recording, a place inspired by Rudy Van Gelder's first studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. Located inside Van Gelder's parents' home, the musicians played in the living room! It was there, in 1954, that Thelonious Monk recorded his classic tune "Hackensack," a "contrafact" melody over the chord changes to the Gershwins' "Oh, Lady Be Good!" In contrafact-like fashion, my own bebop-spirited melody "Hackensack West" seems to nod toward the changes of a few recognizable standards, without corresponding to any particular one.

Tom Saltas (Deathloop, PUBG, Halo) zutiefst beunruhigender Soundtrack zum Horror-Survival-Spiel 'The Outlast Trials' (Red Barrels Games, 2023) wurde komplett (35 Tracks) für 180g Heavyweight-Doppelvinyl gemastert und erscheint samt Linernotes-Einlage. 'The Outlast Trials' bietet einen abwechslungsreichen Horror-OST mit gruseliger Audioproduktion und ungewöhnlichen Orchester- und Musique-Concrète-Techniken, ergänzt durch einen nervtötenden falschen Mid-Century-Jingle, jazzige Fahrstuhlmusik und Honky-Tonk-Klavier. Salta nutzt geschickt die Sprache der Musik, um die Menschen in eine alptraumhafte emotionale Dimension eintauchen zu lassen und die grausamen Erlebnisse zu unterstützen, denen die Spieler begegnen werden.

"Soul artist Bettye Swann was born in Shreveport, USA on October 24, 1944 and spent her first nineteen years in Louisiana. She moved to California and signed a deal with Money Records, recording her breakthrough hit ""Make Me Yours"" in 1967, which is still her biggest selling record. After the contract expired, she signed to Capitol Records and teamed up with producer Wayne Shuler and recorded a R&B version of Hank Cochran's country song ""Don't Touch Me"". On this comprehensive self-titled double album, compiled by Mark Ainley, classic songs such as ""Tell Me Like It Is"", ""Stand By Your Man"", ""(My Heart Is) Closed For The Season"", ""Willie & Laura Mae Jones"" plus 18 heartfelt soul songs showcase Bettye's unique voice. Bettye Swann is available as a 2LP and includes an insert with liner notes written by Tim Tooher. "

Bettye Swann by Bettye Swann, released 29 March 2024, includes the following tracks: "I'm Lonely For You", "Little Things Mean A Lot", "Just Because You Can't Be Mine", "Sweet Dreams" and more.

This version of Bettye Swann comes as a 2xLP. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

Anna Gréta goes gentle...into her second album on ACT, “Star of Spring”. The Reykjavik-born pianist, singer and a songwriter, who has lived in Stockholm since 2014, has her own way of approaching the art of quiet, artful, deeply personal songs, often drawing inspiration from the beauty and power of Iceland’s natural landscape. Her 2021 ACT debut "Nightjar in the Northern Sky" was named after a bird, and this follow-up album lands gracefully on a flower, the “glory of the snow”, also known as the "star of spring", which symbolises the ending of winter and the arrival of spring.

But look closer, and there are always other levels of meaning. Her "Nightjar”, the rare bird she once saw in front of the northern sky, was a metaphor for the search for the things which are special and essential. In fact, almost all of Anna Gréta's lyrics have more than one significance, and her storytelling has now taken a leap forward on "Star of Spring". She says of the little flower on the title track: "I wasn't just inspired by the way it takes over the meadows in spring and turns them from green to blue, but also by the fact that it blooms because it is compelled to do so. It cannot do anything else."

Anna Gréta's starting point to creating music was and is the piano. She first studied classical music, then switched to jazz. She only started singing later, when she was writing the songs for Nightjar and wanted to express herself in words. Anna Gréta's debut as a singer, pianist and songwriter earned her international acclaim: Downbeat Magazine called it „an album with the metamophoric diversity of a year’s seasons and a voice like the everchanging colours of the Northern lights“, France Musique “a remarkably immersive experience” and Jazzwise “starkly beautiful”.

On "Star Of Spring" Anna Gréta has further developed her individual style. Her vocal lines can resemble piano motifs, often doubling them and resonating with an impressively quiet vibrato, sometimes quirkily reminiscent of Björk, at other times with the brooding ease of Norah Jones. The album also bears a very distinctive production style. For each of the songs, Anna Gréta has created her own little world of choirs, rhythmic textures and various smartly used keyboard instruments. The album ranges from the hymnal and elegiac - in "She Moves" or in the title track - to the playful and cheerful "Space Time" or the extremely pared-down melancholic ballad "Denouement". And even if the general mood of the music exudes above all warmth and comfort, Anna Gréta also deals with serious topics, such as the forced birth control of women in Greenland during the 60s and 70s in the song "The Body Remembers".

There is a directness of expression and emotionality, even sensuousness about the new album, and that is not least because Anna Gréta’s band has developed and become a properly played-in unit with the experience to take this album’s more complex arrangements in its stride. The sheen and brightness of her piano playing is contrasted with a deeper voice, that of her father Sigurður Flosason's bass clarinet, on three tracks. "This album is more playful and experimental," she says. "A lot of things were easier for me than on the first album. And while I was still completely focussed on my own world then, now I was even more conscious and aware of what was going on around me."

The result is music that is rooted in jazz, but at the same time goes far beyond it in a very subtle and deeply touching way.

Auf Korsika auf einem Campingplatz im Örtchen "Calcatoggio" lernten sich 1998 fünf junge Berliner kennen. Sie beschlossen eine Band zu gründen und der Plan ging auf. Seit nunmehr 20 Jahren mischen Les Calcatoggios in der Berliner Ska-Szene mit. Zunächst machten sie sich einen Namen bei Konzerten im Heimatbezirk Köpenick und Umgebung. Mit der Zeit erweiterte sich der Kreis der Zuhörer und der Wirkungskreis der Band: Konzerte spielten sie nun über die Berliner Stadtgrenzen hinaus bis Paris, Barcelona und Valencia. Mittlerweile zählen Les Calcatoggios zu den dienstältesten Akteuren der Berliner Ska-Szene. Sie machen nach wie vor eine lebendige und erfrischende Musik, mit der sie jede und jeden bewegen wollen. Immer tanzbar, durchaus mal rockig, mit eingängigen Melodien und Offbeats gewürzt und mit satten Bläsersätzen garniert.

Auf BLIP teilt Rapper NAHreally witzige Alltagsbeobeachtungen zu luftig-melodischen Beats von The Expert. Für das originelle, unprätentiös unterhaltsame Album wird das Duo von Open Mike Eagle, Hemlock Ernst (aka Samuel T. Herring/Future Islands), Dillon (Full Plate) und Jesse The Tree (Strange Famous Rec.) begleitet. BLIP markiert einen Kollabo-Hattrick für The Expert. Das letztjährige RITUAL mit Stik Figa zählt zu den besten Hip-Hop Alben 2023 und erhielt auch Probs von Chuck D./Public Enemy. Davor begann The Expert mit Jermiside und THE OVERVIEW EFFECT eine Reihe psychedelischer Hip-Hop-Platten. Für Rapper NAHreally ist BLIP das Vinyldebüt nach diversen digitalen Tapes.

As she's gotten older, Ella Smoker has found that her subconscious has been trying to tell her "some pretty wacky stuff". Thoughts will come to the 21-year-old singer-songwriter in dreams, or as she writes lyrics in studio sessions, words floating onto the page before she's really had a moment to realise what they are. "As soon as we start making the music, my brain sort of turns off," she explains. "I'll be sitting there, writing all this stuff that feels like a load of nonsense, and a month later, I'll look back and be like `oh'. It all comes from a place I didn't even realise was there." In learning how to open up to herself, gglum ended up finding a kindred spirit in producer Karma Kid (Maisie Peters, Shygirl, Connie Constance), pushing past her natural bedroom-pop introversion to find joy in the process of collaboration. Whether it's the ragged radio-rock of `SPLAT!' ("basically about realising that somebody you held up very highly is actually just a massive shambles of a person") or the riotous, industrial energy of `Easy Fun', Smoker is able to reshape her vocal around the mood, creating a record which expertly balances light and shade. "I've never really done anything in like that vocal style before," she says of `Easy Fun's near-spoken delivery. "I love that song because it's not something I would have come up with on my own, but Karma Kid was great at pushing me out of my comfort zone. I just thought like, look: I can be a little silly with this." The release of `The Garden Dream' will offer gglum plenty more opportunity to get both silly and serious, to be bold in her exploration of new ideas and sounds But it will also offer the opportunity to further accept herself as the dreamlike artist she always wanted to be; confidently embellishing acoustic worlds that her listeners can burrow safely within. "I feel like I naturally gravitate towards wanting to make musical spaces that you can feel like you're living in, rather than trying to make songs", she says. "That's something I really wanted to solidify with this album: I basically want to make music that feels like when you're looking out the window and it's the end of the film and you're imagining what comes next. That's the sound of what I want to be doing."

As she's gotten older, Ella Smoker has found that her subconscious has been trying to tell her "some pretty wacky stuff". Thoughts will come to the 21-year-old singer-songwriter in dreams, or as she writes lyrics in studio sessions, words floating onto the page before she's really had a moment to realise what they are. "As soon as we start making the music, my brain sort of turns off," she explains. "I'll be sitting there, writing all this stuff that feels like a load of nonsense, and a month later, I'll look back and be like `oh'. It all comes from a place I didn't even realise was there." In learning how to open up to herself, gglum ended up finding a kindred spirit in producer Karma Kid (Maisie Peters, Shygirl, Connie Constance), pushing past her natural bedroom-pop introversion to find joy in the process of collaboration. Whether it's the ragged radio-rock of `SPLAT!' ("basically about realising that somebody you held up very highly is actually just a massive shambles of a person") or the riotous, industrial energy of `Easy Fun', Smoker is able to reshape her vocal around the mood, creating a record which expertly balances light and shade. "I've never really done anything in like that vocal style before," she says of `Easy Fun's near-spoken delivery. "I love that song because it's not something I would have come up with on my own, but Karma Kid was great at pushing me out of my comfort zone. I just thought like, look: I can be a little silly with this." The release of `The Garden Dream' will offer gglum plenty more opportunity to get both silly and serious, to be bold in her exploration of new ideas and sounds But it will also offer the opportunity to further accept herself as the dreamlike artist she always wanted to be; confidently embellishing acoustic worlds that her listeners can burrow safely within. "I feel like I naturally gravitate towards wanting to make musical spaces that you can feel like you're living in, rather than trying to make songs", she says. "That's something I really wanted to solidify with this album: I basically want to make music that feels like when you're looking out the window and it's the end of the film and you're imagining what comes next. That's the sound of what I want to be doing."

As she's gotten older, Ella Smoker has found that her subconscious has been trying to tell her "some pretty wacky stuff". Thoughts will come to the 21-year-old singer-songwriter in dreams, or as she writes lyrics in studio sessions, words floating onto the page before she's really had a moment to realise what they are. "As soon as we start making the music, my brain sort of turns off," she explains. "I'll be sitting there, writing all this stuff that feels like a load of nonsense, and a month later, I'll look back and be like `oh'. It all comes from a place I didn't even realise was there." In learning how to open up to herself, gglum ended up finding a kindred spirit in producer Karma Kid (Maisie Peters, Shygirl, Connie Constance), pushing past her natural bedroom-pop introversion to find joy in the process of collaboration. Whether it's the ragged radio-rock of `SPLAT!' ("basically about realising that somebody you held up very highly is actually just a massive shambles of a person") or the riotous, industrial energy of `Easy Fun', Smoker is able to reshape her vocal around the mood, creating a record which expertly balances light and shade. "I've never really done anything in like that vocal style before," she says of `Easy Fun's near-spoken delivery. "I love that song because it's not something I would have come up with on my own, but Karma Kid was great at pushing me out of my comfort zone. I just thought like, look: I can be a little silly with this." The release of `The Garden Dream' will offer gglum plenty more opportunity to get both silly and serious, to be bold in her exploration of new ideas and sounds But it will also offer the opportunity to further accept herself as the dreamlike artist she always wanted to be; confidently embellishing acoustic worlds that her listeners can burrow safely within. "I feel like I naturally gravitate towards wanting to make musical spaces that you can feel like you're living in, rather than trying to make songs", she says. "That's something I really wanted to solidify with this album: I basically want to make music that feels like when you're looking out the window and it's the end of the film and you're imagining what comes next. That's the sound of what I want to be doing."

Das Stockholmer Rocktrio REACH verfeinert in Zusammenarbeit mit dem renommierten Frankfurter Musikproduzenten Christian Schneider seinen einzigartigen Sound und vermischt spielerische Elemente mit rohem musikalischen Talent. Dieses besondere Markenzeichen erwacht bei den explosiven Live-Auftritten zum Leben, bei denen ihre Leidenschaft für Musik und Improvisation unvergessliche Erlebnisse für das Publikum schafft. Das neue Album ist ein echter Beweis für die bemerkenswerte Kunstfertigkeit und Kreativität von REACH und ihr Talent, dramatische Erzählungen in ihre Musik einzuweben. Die Band lässt sich von realen Ereignissen inspirieren und fügt dunkle, fesselnde Wendungen hinzu, um zum Handeln und Nachdenken über aktuelle Themen aufzurufen. PROPHECY ist randvoll mit spannenden und manchmal unerwarteten Einflüssen aus einem breiten Spektrum an Genres.

The Cream by John Lee Hooker, released 29 March 2024, includes the following tracks: "Tupelo", "She’s Gone", "Sugar Mama" and more.

This version of The Cream comes as a 2xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a cream disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a red disc.

Kendra is excited to release a new 45, featuring a special a bonus track written and recorded during the 'I Am What I'm Waiting For' sessions, as well as a new 45-edit of her instant classic 'Birthday Song.' The A-side 'Fine Right Here,' the bonus cut from Kendra Morris's brand new LP 'I Am What I'm Waiting For' (which has received incredible support from the likes of Rolling Stone France, KCRW, WNYC, Flood Magazine, and countless others), takes a look into the deeply introverted side of Kendra. "This song is about being ok just sitting inside and missing the party," Kendra explains. "It's the antithesis to FOMO." Written to accompany a rainy day, the song feels like you're being enveloped in a hug. Sonically, the track tips its hat to Ethiopian Jazz and soul of the 70s, like Rose Royce and the Delfonics. The warm vibraphone, sturdy bass line, and vocal reverb create a layered tapestry of sound that wraps around your shoulders and drifts into your ears. The new 45-edit of 'Birthday Song' is for the DJs. It's an upbeat and funky jubilant jam that's ready and waiting to take the place of outdated standards. Both tracks were co-written and produced by Torbitt Schwartz (AKA Little Shalimar) of Run the Jewels, 'Fine Right Here' is a welcome departure to the upbeat nature of 'I Am What I'm Waiting For' whereas 'Birthday Song' is set to be a celebratory go-to

This is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley’s first release on the Prestige label, after one previous Blue Note release. Here he is joined by Donald Byrd (trumpet), Barry Harris (piano), Doug Watkins (bass) and

Art Taylor (drum) with a guest appearance from Jackie McLean (alto saxophone) on one track. As one might expected, the program is quite « be boppy »,

with the band running through bop standards like Bud Powell « Bouncing with Bud », Monk’s « 52nd Street » and Parker’s « Au Privave ». Mobley’s supremely confident solos are

highlights of these tracks and he swings through the rather plain arrangements of « Bouncing with Bud » and « Au Privave » , with exceptional phrasing and melodic finesse, through Byrd’s and Harris’s solos as satisfying as well.

Once billed as "Europe's First Lady of Jazz," Rita Reys was a legend overseas during the second half of the 20th century, and certainly one of the top European jazz singers. Two Jazz People finds Reys sharing the spotlight with Swedish jazz pianist Bengt Hallberg's trio. Hallberg (1932-2013) played with bassist Thore Jederby, saxophonists Arne Domnérus and Lars Gullin, and during the 1950s, performed with leading visiting American players, including the Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, Clifford Brown, and Quincy Jones.

"Two Jazzy People" by Rita Reys includes the following tracks: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "I'm Glad There Is You", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "Love For Sale" and more.

‘’Music is a gift and a burden I’ve had since I can remember who I was. I was born into music. The decision was how to make the best use of it.’’
Recorded during a tumultuous period in the 1960s, “Rebellious” is a compilation album that captures Nina Simone at the height of her artistic prowess. Soul, with its roots in gospel and R&B, is an integral part of Nina Simone's musical identity. The album serves as a powerful soundtrack to the civil rights movement, capturing the zeitgeist of the era and inspiring generations to come.

LP back in again soon, note new price. 5 stars; ‘50 Essential Albums of the 1970s.’ Eccentric & uncompromising, savage & beautiful, literate & guttural. Rolling Stone // Raunchy, pithy, and deeply redolent ... lines quiver with a raw vision rarely heard in folk or country. Pitchfork // Legendary Texan artist Terry Allen occupies a unique position straddling the frontiers of country music and visual art; he has worked with everyone from Guy Clark to David Byrne to Lucinda Williams, and his artwork resides in museums worldwide. Widely acclaimed as a masterpiece, his deeply moving (and hilarious) satirical second album, a complex memory palace to his West Texas hometown Lubbock, is often cited as the urtext of alt-country. Produced in collaboration with the artist and meticulously remastered from the original analog tapes, this is the definitive edition: the first to correct the tape speed inconsistencies evident on all prior versions; the first U.S. vinyl reissue. “Lubbock’s got a hard bark, with little or no self-pity; its music has an edge that can be smelled, like Lewter’s feed lot. No one from Lubbock ever apologized for what they were or where they lived.” – Terry Allen (2016) Three hundred forty-four miles of “blue asphaltum line” separate Ciudad Juárez, Mexico from Lubbock, Texas. Even if Allen’s music is more accurately described as art-country, Lubbock (on everything) sowed the seeds of alt-country’s emergence a decade later. It’s no accident that Lloyd Maines went on to play on classic albums like Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne (1993) and Wilco’s A.M. (1995), and to produce Richard Buckner, nor that Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell play “Amarillo Highway” in concert. This is the urtext, the template for everything that followed

Kaleida are the transatlantic duo whose darkly mystic soundworld finds glimmers of hope in the disquiet. Span- ning an ocean, the pair have nurtured a long-distance partnership that withstands the shifting patterns of life. They first formed in 2013 when a friend introduced them over email. Christina Wood was working in the Indone- sian forest while recording demos in her bedroom each night, and Cicely Goulder had been composing for film productions in London. Despite the miles between them, they found an instant musical chemistry.
Kaleida first came to international renown in 2014, when their single “Think” went viral overnight and was featured in the soundtrack for the cult Keanu Reeves film, John Wick. Their debut album Tear The Roots arrived in 2017 and crystallised the pair’s moody pop aesthetic, which merges Wood’s sylph-like, operatic vocals with Goulder’s neo-Noir electronica. The record earned the duo their sec- ond spot in a film soundtrack, this time for Atomic Blonde with a tender take on Nena’s 1980s anti-war classic “99 Luftballons”. It was followed in 2020 by the pair’s second album Odyssey dubbed “a consummate work of electronic artistry.” Their new album In Arms is a record that leans into a near transcendent spiritualism, where their minimalist production conceals a raw, celestial power. With a departure from their previously insular way of working, they invited other musicians into the production process, most notably producer Johan Hugo (Self Esteem, M.I.A, Skepta).

An R&B band formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, in 1961. The members were lead vocalist and guitarist Harvey Scales (b. 1941, Arkansas, USA), Monny Smith, Bill Purtie, Rudy Jacobs, Al Vance, Bill Stonewall and Ray Armstead. Superstar James Brown was sweeping the charts in the late 60s with his new kind of hard soul called ‘funk’, and under his influence, Harvey Scales And The Seven Sounds, like numerous other groups at that time, made their presence felt recording new funk sounds. The group’s one hit, ‘Get Down’ (number 32 R&B, 1967), was recorded on Lenny LeCour’s Magic Touch label. The b-side, ‘Love-itis’, was later recorded by the rock group J. Geils Band. After signing with Chess Records, Scales and his group had a regional hit with the LeCour-produced ‘The Yolk’ in 1969. Later, under the aegis of Detroit producer Don Davis, the group recorded for Stax Records with little success. In 1976, for southern soul hit-maker Johnnie Taylor, Scales co-wrote the massive hit ‘Disco Lady’. That success secured Scales a recording contract with Casablanca, with whom the artist released two albums. Scales was still recording in the early 90s.

Marilyn Monroe (born June 1, 1926, Los Angeles, California, U.S.—died August 5, 1962, Los Angeles). Known for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. She had a good voice that matched her seductive visual appeal, and her limited catalog includes effective interpretations of the work of such songwriters as Harold Adamson and Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer; Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn and Cole Porter. Marilyn Monroe's singing constitutes a significant part of her overall appeal as a performer. On this album “Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend”," I Wanna Be Loved By You", “Happy Birthday (For President Kennedy) ”, “The River of No Return ”, “Two Little Girls From Little Rock (ft. Jane Russell)”. a.o. Limited Edition on Blue Transparent coloured vinyl.

For Fans of Robyn, Tirzah, Charli XCX, Mica Levi, Jessy Lanza, Maurice Fulton. "Don't come closer, because I might hurt you boy / You don't deserve it, I treat you like a toy." So sings 28-year-old South East London musician Tatyana on "It's Over", the sad and squelchy electro-leaning title track to her second album. Primarily written and produced over the summer of `23, It's Over follows the loose trajectory of a not-quite-relationship from the year before. But, more than that, it's an album about modern dating, alienation and the confines of existing online. If you've heard Tatyana's name before, it's probably because she released a debut album back in 2022, Treat Me Right, co-produced with Metronomy's Joe Mount, a record she describes as more of a collaboration. For It's Over, Tatyana took control of every aspect of the album's creation, from the production (she co-produced it alongside Mikko Gordon) to the artwork and the technology she used throughout. "This record made me technically proficient because I really pushed myself," says Tatyana. "I figured out a lot of things that I didn't know before. In the past, I allowed others to lead the charge and I'm not doing that any more." Born in London, before moving to Russia, Holland and Singapore in her teens, before eventually studying music at Berklee College in the USA - which she attained on full scholarship - and then back to London, Tatyana imbues her music with both haywire technical proficiency and encyclopaedic, far-flung tastes. Mostly, though, her sound originates from a pure love of the dancefloor: Robyn, Tirzah, Mica Levi, Jessy Lanza, The Knife. You can hear these dance-pop influences everywhere, from the colourful synth shapes of "Control (ft. Dave Okumu)" to the crackling analogue hiss of "Nothing is True, Everything is Possible". Lean in a little closer, too, and you might catch the shimmer of a harp on every song (she's played harp since she was a little girl, and toured extensively as a professional session harpist). "I write about love, I write about romance, these are the things that interest me," says Tatyana. "That's what this record is. It's about this relationship that broke my brain and I had to write about it."