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Tozzi´s new work on non series, with a singular, hypnotic, flawless and effective four tracker ep.

Seit fast 30 Jahren erweitern SUNN O))) - Stephen O'Malley und Greg Anderson - die Grenzen der Heavy-Musik und verbinden die Welten der Avantgarde und des Rock, um einen Stil zu schaffen, der sofort als ihr eigener erkennbar ist. Jetzt melden sich SUNN O))) mit ihrem ersten Album mit neuem Material seit dem gefeierten Pyroclasts aus dem Jahr 2019 zurück. Ihr zehntes Album - ihr Debüt bei Sub Pop - zeigt, wie gut das Duo mit Zeit und Raum, Licht und Dunkelheit umgehen kann und dass sie bereit sind, ihren unverwechselbaren Sound zu neuen, mutigen Formen weiterzuentwickeln. Das gleichnamige Album ,SUNN O)))" wurde in den Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington, mit Brad Wood (HuM, Tar, Sunny Day Real Estate, Liz Phair) aufgenommen. Dieser Ort erwies sich als entscheidend für den Aufnahmeprozess. ,Der riesige Aufnahmeraum hatte große Fenster mit Blick auf Bäume", sagt O'Malley. ,Wir konnten wandern gehen und draußen im Wald sein, Zeit im Freien verbringen. Das war ein wichtiger Teil davon." SUNN O))) haben schon lange Mitwirkende in ihre eigenständige Welt aufgenommen: In früheren Werken waren Attila Csihar (Mayhem), die Komponistin Hildur Gudnadóttir, der Multi-Instrumentalist Steve Moore, der Universalgelehrte Mark Deutrom, Tim Midyett von Silkworm und der legendäre Singer-Songwriter Scott Walker zu hören. Auf diesem Album haben O'Malley und Anderson jedoch neue Möglichkeiten im ursprünglichen Format des Duos entdeckt und alle Instrumente selbst gespielt. ,Was in den letzten Jahren mit unseren Auftritten zu zweit und ohne weitere Mitwirkende passiert ist, war wirklich neu und aufregend", sagt Anderson. Die Kompositionen auf SUNN O))) sind weitläufig und panoramisch, aber dennoch detailreich und spiegeln die baumreiche Umgebung wider, in der sie aufgenommen wurden. Inmitten von heulendem Feedback und eisigem Knirschen findet man überraschend zarte Momente: eine Feldaufnahme von plätscherndem Wasser im Hintergrund, Klavierzwischenspiele, die eine gedämpfte, feierliche Stimmung erzeugen. Dabei erreicht das Duo neue Höhen telepathischer Intensität, während es Musik formt, die die belebende, erdige Luft des pazifischen Nordwestens atmet. Visuell wird das Album von zwei Gemälden des verstorbenen amerikanischen Künstlers Mark Rothko eingerahmt. Die Liner Notes stammen vom preisgekrönten britischen Schriftsteller Robert Macfarlane, der für seine Werke über Landschaft und die Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Natur bekannt ist. Durch die Arbeit der Band, Macfarlane und Rothko verbinden sich Klang, Wort und Bild zu einem umfassenden Erlebnis, das unbestreitbar ganz und gar SUNN O))) ist.

Like its cover, Nicolas Remondino's Hìeratico plays in the rich shades of crepuscular spaces. A night-tuned, percussion led album where prepared drums are accompanied by flickers of spoken word, acoustic instruments and muted electronics,

The title translates to 'hieratic', for Remondino a "black and gold" term laden with dualities and complex connotations. A sense of teetering between sparkling light and richly coloured darkness imbues the music, the compositions simulating a sense of heightened acuity as they convey us through a spooky elemental soundworld. The opening title track begins with a metallic shimmer, a drum skin activated in a way that sounds like it's being smelted. A cushioned rhythm enters, a smothered timbre akin to hearing something lurking around the garden. On "litho non-danse", percussion cracks like branches and dried foliage under foot.

Remondino recorded initial outlines for the pieces at Giuseppe Ielasi's studio in Milan, before fleshing out these ideas with his own additional instrumentation and contributions from a globe-spanning network of collaborators. On "blue hymne", chiming percussion equal parts jubilant and sinister heralds spoken word from Limpe Fuchs. "Tombal" opens with Massimo Silverio whispering in the Carnic dialect, a minority language from the Carnic Alps. Around, Marco Baldini, Pierre Bastien and Remondino construct a somber soundscape that cranks and sighs in the crevices.

Hìeratico is an album of hybrids. Diverse voices, accents and dialects deliver its lyrics, the instrumentation underpinning it crosses idioms. The drumkit at its core is modified to amplify its resonant tones and harmonics. Inspired by natural substances and phenomena: stone, wood, wind, earth, metal, grass, rain, clouds and bark, Remondino explores how percussion could evoke their materiality, treating drums as lucid textural instruments as much as rhythmic timekeepers. It gives the album a finely shaded depth and clarity as it conjures the vibrancies that reside in darkened corners. Hìeratico dwells in a sensation that crosses borders, the speckles of light in the oblique night sky. Listening is an aural equivalent to stepping into a pitch black forest and waiting for your eyes to adjust, a lightless void turning into a spectacular tableau of shadows and glows. Daryl Worthington

DeepLabs opens 2026 with an exciting new release, “Förvandling,” from Tarik Hensen—the collaborative project of two exceptional producers, Martinou & Ben Kaczor.
This release completes a full-circle journey: rooted in Detroit techno, traveling through Malmö, and landing in Basel, where these influences converge into a singular, immersive statement.
Longtime admirer of both artists’ solo works, Luke Hess joins the project with his own interpretation of Förvandling, bringing his distinct Detroit-informed perspective to the release.
Förvandling is the Swedish word for “transformation,” describing the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.
The title reflects the evolution of techno itself—how it shifts and reshapes across cities, communities, and eras while retaining its core spirit.
Varp refers to the vertical warp threads in woven fabric—essential structural lines that hold everything together.
The track mirrors this concept: hypnotic percussion and immersive ambience interlace with melodic tones, unified through Tarik’s live dub mixing approach, creating a rich, fluid tapestry of sound.
Malm translates to raw ore, the unrefined material that, when forged with alloys, becomes durable metal.
True to its name, the track channels a deep, raw warehouse energy—refined into a functional gem through harmonious stabs, textured layers, and driving momentum.
Closing the EP, Luke Hess’s remix of Förvandling draws from elements across the original works while incorporating new audio stems from the DeepLabs studio.
The result is a seamless transformation of Tarik Hensen’s aesthetic into Luke’s unmistakable Detroit sound—an adventurous, atmospheric journey crafted for extended DJ sets and immersive dancefloor moments.
Tarik Hensen and Luke Hess invite you to weave these tracks into your curated selections and allow them to transform the dancefloor in unexpected ways.

Mr Bongo proudly presents, ‘AFIM’, the second solo album by one of Brazil’s most exciting new talents, Zé Ibarra. You may be familiar with the hypnotic, entrancing tones of Ibarra’s vocals through his work with the Latin Grammy award-winning, four-piece, Bala Desejo and the band Dônica. He has also toured with the musical titan, Milton Nascimento, performing guitar and vocals, which is quite the honour and a testament to Ibarra's craft. As a solo artist, he has performed headline solo shows in Japan, Portugal and the US, as well as recently completing a support tour with the great, Seu Jorge.

‘AFIM’ is comprised of eight tracks, featuring Zé’s own compositions as well as cover versions of tracks by contemporaries and friends, Sophia Chablau, Tom Veloso, and Dora Morelenbaum. It combines elements of MPB, jazz, pop and progressive rock in a bold, authoritative style. The album represents the intersection between different facets of the artist, from the stripped-down, intimate, guitar singer-songwriter, to dense arrangements with sweeping strings sections. Writing this album allowed Ibarra "to explore sides of myself that had not yet been organized in an album: a certain darkness, a more cinematic musicality, a desire for new soundscapes.

The album features the single, 'Transe', a song with an instantly comforting tone reminiscent of classic Brazilian songs of the past (think Caetano Veloso). It is built on a rhythmic guitar that supports dynamic sound layers, opening space for Ibarra's intense interpretation. Cinematic atmospheres that lend an air of mystery come courtesy of string arrangements by Jaques Morelenbaum.

His unique cover version of Sophia Chablau's 'Segredo' is equally compelling, taking Sophia's punky-indie original in a different direction and making it feel like his own. 'Essa Confusão', a song celebrating the intensity of love and co-written by Dora Morelenbaum, is steered into epic, 70's AOR, singer-songwriter territory with wind arrangements by Ibarra, Jorge Continentino and strings by Jaques Morelenbaum.

The album is the result of the collaboration of experienced musicians and long-time partners of Ibarra. Fellow Bala Desejo and Dônica member Lucas Nunes co-produced the album. The core band featured on the record consists of Lucas Nunes on organs, Alberto Continentino on bass, Daniel Conceição and Thomas Harres on drums and percussion, Rodrigo Pacato on additional percussion, Chico Lira on Fender Rhodes and Guilherme Lírio on guitar.

The overall feel of the record is archetypically quintessential without slipping into retro mode. It is a stunning album from one of the finest musicians of his generation. A true star of Brazil’s blooming contemporary scene.

The history of house and disco music is full of gospel soul singers creating anthemic bangers for the dance floor. Annie and the Caldwells, a family band from West Point, Mississippi, are the latest to join their ranks.

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This collection — featuring remixes from musclecars, Kornél Kovács, Alexis Taylor (of Hot Chip), and disco icons Nicky Siano and Justin Strauss — follows the release of the Caldwells’ wildly acclaimed debut Can’t Lose My (Soul) Luaka Bop, Spring 2025. Hailed as “a masterpiece” by The Guardian (★★★★★), and one of the best albums of the year by The Times, MOJO, UNCUT, and The Economist, Can’t Lose My (Soul) found fans all over the world — like Sir Elton John, who called their album “A great, great record that I insist you go out and buy.”

“I was blown away when I first heard the original version of ‘Wrong’,” says Kornel Kovács, whose remix of “Wrong” appears on this white label. “Deborah’s voice floored me, as well as the background singers. One of the greatest vocal performances I’ve heard, let alone worked with. The result is a club-ready take that’s become a highlight in my recent DJ sets.”

Producers Brandon Weems and Craig Handfield (of musclecars) had a similar experience when they heard the family for the first time: “We quickly fell in love with the groovy bassline and the choir vocals,” said Craig. “We thought it’d be fitting to put our own spin on it, while paying homage to those jive brothers from Tulsa. The uplifting keys paired with the punch of the drums, rounded out with that organ…this one is sure to bring a joyful noise!”

Annie Caldwell and her family have since performed in more than twenty countries on four continents, and recently made a star turn on the UK's preeminent music program Later... with Jools Holland. They’re hitting the road again in 2026. Watch this space.





c Wrong You Dropped a Bomb - Extended Wooden Dance Floor Mix (A Nicky Siano Production) 6:48

Get The Hose is the fabled, long awaited debut release from Montreal duo Plumbing, featuring Martyn Bootyspoon aka Jason Voltaire (Fractal Fantasy/LuckyMe/Fool’s Gold Records) and Stephen Ramsay of Young Galaxy (Paper Bag Records/Smalltown Supersound).

Born in 2018 as a live, analog hardware-based studio project, the duo worked quietly on the periphery of the left-field electro scene, only venturing out to do occasional, legendary winter warehouse DJ sets and a still-vaunted live set at MUTEK in 2021, which was so visceral that it knocked every person present into their seats simultaneously.

As cheeky and playful as it is gritty, relentless and overdriven, Plumbing’s new EP showcases their love of the raw and grimy, bare-bulbed basement aesthetic of underground dance music, where Paranoid London, Drexciya, MMM and Blawan meet to steal your drink and ignite the dancefloor.

It’s getting hot in here, it’s time to Get The Hose…

Mit ihrem Debütalbum "Luiza" präsentiert die französisch-brasilianische Sängerin eine faszinierende Mischung aus World, Pop, Electronica und organischen Grooves. Aufgewachsen zwischen Jazz, Tanz, Amazonas-Reisen und Dub-Partys auf La Réunion, formt Luiza aus all diesen Einflüssen einen eigenen, sofort wiedererkennbaren Sound. Ihre Stimme nutzt sie wie ein Instrument - warm, flexibel und voller Emotion, oft mehrsprachig und manchmal sogar in ihrer eigenen Fantasiesprache. Ihr viraler Durchbruch gelang 2025 mit "Soleil bleu", einem Song, auf den sich überraschend Jugend- und Adult-Radiostationen gleichermaßen einigen konnten. Auch in Deutschland wurde der Titel zum erfolgreichsten französischsprachigen Radiosong des Jahres. Das Album "Luiza" knüpft an diesen Erfolg an: ein sonniges, energetisches Werk, das Natur, Freiheit und Lebenslust miteinander verbindet. Zwischen brasilianischen Klassikern wie "Manha de Carnaval", kraftvollen Hymnen wie "Étincelles" und internationalen Kollaborationen entsteht ein vibrierendes Klangbild, das Grenzen aufhebt und pure Lebensfreude transportiert. Luiza zeigt auf ihrem Debüt, wie moderne Global Pop Music klingen kann: farbenreich, mutig, intuitiv und voller Herz. Ein Album, das berührt - und das die außergewöhnliche Persönlichkeit dieser Künstlerin in jeder Sekunde spürbar macht.

Lucciole ist Silvia Tarozzis leuchtendes Nachfolgealbum zu den intimen Reflexionen von "Mi specchio e rifletto" und den tief verwurzelten Folk-Dialogen von "Canti di guerra, di lavoro e d'amore" mit Deborah Walker. Hier bringt Tarozzi Stimmen, Erinnerungen und musikalische Traditionen zusammen, um ein Album zu schaffen, auf dem avantgardistische Kompositionen, persönliche Erzählungen und kollektive Resonanz frei miteinander verschmelzen. Das Album beginnt mit einem strahlenden Blechbläserensemble, das wegen seines populären, feierlichen und spirituellen Klangs ausgewählt wurde, und endet mit dem Piccolo Coro Angelico, dem Kinderchor, mit dem sie seit über fünfzehn Jahren zusammenarbeitet und den sie als ,meine beste Kompositionsschule und ständige Quelle der Hoffnung" bezeichnet. Zwischen diesen beiden Eckpunkten zeichnen Tarozzis Lieder mit seltener Zärtlichkeit die Übergänge des Lebens nach: von der Kindheit zum Jugendalter, von Gesundheit zu Gebrechlichkeit, von Anwesenheit zu Abwesenheit. Die Streicher, Stimmen und melodischen Konturen, die "Mi specchio e rifletto" prägen, tauchen hier mit neuer Wärme und Tiefe wieder auf. Produziert von Tarozzi in enger Zusammenarbeit mit Marta Salogni, die das Album technisch umgesetzt und abgemischt hat, strahlt Lucciole eine Klarheit, Intimität und klangliche Großzügigkeit aus, die ihre gemeinsame Reise durch den Aufnahmeprozess widerspiegeln. Im Kern ist Lucciole ein Album über kleine Lichter, die durch Momente des Übergangs tragen - eine Einladung, genau hinzuhören auf die Orte, an denen sich das Leben verändert, und auf die Menschen, die leben und in Erinnerung bleiben und den Weg erhellen.

Zuukou Mayzie, rapper and member of the 667 collective, continues to push his "Wok Music" — a free universe where everything blends together without limits.



The most love-driven and experimental artist of 667, returns after three years of absence with “19h19”, his 4th album, made up of 20 bold tracks filled with risk-taking. By taking the time to live and feed his experiences, Zuukou delivers a personal and positive project designed to share a sincere energy.



Featurings: Baaba Maal Bleue Electrique Freeze Corleone Jolagreen23 Oxmo Puccino Roi Heenok So La Lune Surkin Wit. Yamê

Born into a musical family Al Manfredi started writing songs when he was child. As a teenager in 1965, he formed the Nuts & Bolts in the small beach town of San Clemente, California. Inspired by the Kinks, the Beatles and the Byrds, the group separated themselves from the pack by also performing original material written by Manfredi and band mate Mike Ingram. In late 1966 they changed their name to the Lost & Found and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where they cut a rare single, “Don’t Move Girl” b/w “To Catch the Sun,” which now commands high coin from ‘60s garage collectors. When they returned to San Clemente in early 1967 their music had taken a more psychedelic direction. The Lost & Found were riding high that year, until tragedy struck. Ingram was found hanged under suspicious circumstances and soon after Lost & Found drummer Mike Ryer died of cancer at the age of 19. Heartbroken, Manfredi gave up on the band scene completely and moved to Garden Grove to teach at his family’s music store. But alone, behind closed doors, he kept writing songs and working on his music, recording hours of tapes, often tracking all the instruments himself. In 1973 he chose six of his best songs, some of them written back in the Lost & Found days, and had them custom-pressed as an LP. Only a handful of copies were pressed, and most of these were sent out to various record companies in the hope of landing a deal. Despite the outstanding quality of the music, there were no takers. But decades later, collectors discovered the Al Manfredi album and hailed it a West Coast rock masterpiece. In his Acid Archives book, Patrick Lundborg called its discovery a deus ex machina and compared it to David Crosby’s first solo album and Hawaii-era Merrell Fankhauser, “not just the acutely captured mellowness, but the self-confidence and the talent.”This little-known West Coast rock masterpiece was rediscovered and celebrated by Acid Archives founder Patrick Lundborg and others around the time that Manfredi died in 1995. This version of the album, overseen by Manfredi’s son Exile, and with Manfredi’s story told by Ugly Things’ founder Mike Stax, presents the complete package of an incredible lost and found artist. Contains the album, as originally issued, on side A with unreleased music on side B.

UILTY RAZORS, BONA FIDE PUNKS.



Writings on the topic that go off in all directions, mind-numbing lectures given by academics, and testimonies, most of them heavily doctored, from those who “lived through that era”: so many people today fantasize about the early days of punk in our country… This blessed moment when no one had yet thought of flaunting a ridiculous green mohawk, taking Sid Vicious as a hero, or – even worse – making the so-called alternative scene both festive and boorish. There was no such thing in 1976 or 1977, when it wasn’t easy to get hold of the first 45s by the Pistols or the Clash. Few people were aware of what was happening on the fringes of the fringes at the time. Malcolm McLaren was virtually unknown, and having short hair made you seem strange. Who knew then that rock music, which had taken a very bad turn since the early 1970s, would once again become an essential element of liberation? That, thanks to short and fast songs, it would once again rediscover that primitive, social side that was so hated by older generations? Who knew that, besides a few loners who read the music press (it was even better if they read it in English) and frequented the right record stores? Many of these formed bands, because it was impossible to do otherwise. We quickly went from listening to the Velvet Underground to trying to play the Stooges’ intros. It’s a somewhat collective story, even though there weren’t many people to start it.
The Guilty Razors were among those who took part in this initial upheaval in Paris. They were far from being the worst. They had something special and even released a single that was well above the national average. They also had enough songs to fill an album, the one you’re holding. In everyone’s opinion, they were definitely not among the punk impostors that followed in their wake. They were, at least, genuine and credible.

Guilty Razors, Parisian punk band (1975-1978). To understand something about their somewhat linear but very energetic sound, we might need to talk about the context in which it was born and, more broadly, recall the boredom (a theme that would become capital in punk songs) coupled with the desire to blow everything off, which were the basis for the formation of bands playing a rejuvenated rock music ; about the passion for a few records by the Kinks or the early Who, by the Stooges, by the Velvet mostly, which set you apart from the crowd.
And of course, we should remember this new wave, which was promoted by a few articles in the specialized press and some cutting-edge record stores, coming from New York or London, whose small but powerful influence could be felt in Paris and in a handful of isolated places in the provinces, lulled to sleep by so many appalling things, from Tangerine Dream to President Giscard d’Estaing...
In 1975-76, French music was, as almost always, in a sorry state ; it was still dominated by Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan. Local rock music was also rather bleak, apart from Bijou and Little Bob who tried to revive this small scene with poorly sound-engineered gigs played to almost no one.
In the working class suburbs at the time, it was mainly hard rock music played to 11 that helped people forget about their gruelling shifts at the factory. Here and there, on the outskirts of major cities, you still could find a few rockers with sideburns wearing black armbands since the death of Gene Vincent, but it wasn’t a proper mass movement, just a source of real danger to anyone they came across who wasn't like them. In August 1976, a festival unlike any other took place in Mont-de-Marsan – the First European Punk Festival as the poster said – with almost as many people on stage as in the audience. Yet, on that day, a quasi historical event happened, when, under the blazing afternoon sun, a band of unknowns called The Damned made an unprecedented noise in the arena, reminiscent of the chaotic Stooges in their early adolescence. They were the first genuine punk band to perform in our country: from then on, anything was possible, almost anything seemed permissible.

It makes sense that the four+1 members of Guilty Razors, who initially amplified acoustic guitars with crappy tape recorder microphones, would adopt punk music (pronounced paink in French) naturally and instinctively, since it combines liberating noise with speed of execution and – crucially – a very healthy sense of rebellion (the protesters of May 1968 proclaimed, and it was even a slogan, that they weren’t against old people, but against what had made them grow old. In the mid-1970s, it seemed normal and obvious that old people should now ALSO be targeted!!!).
At the time, the desire to fight back, and break down authority and apathy, was either red or black, often taking the form of leafleting, tumultuous general assemblies in the schoolyard, and massive or shabby demonstrations, most of the time overflowing with an exciting vitality that sometimes turned into fights with the riot police. Indeed, soon after the end of the Vietnam War and following Pinochet’s coup in Chile, all over France, Trotskyist and anarcho-libertarian fervour was firmly entrenched among parts of the educated youth population, who were equally rebellious and troublemakers whenever they had the chance. It should also be noted that when the single "Anarchy in the UK" was first heard, even though not many of us had access to it, both the title and its explosive sound immediately resonated with some of those troublemakers crying out for ANARCHY!!! Meanwhile, the left-wing majority still equated punks with reckless young neo-Nazis. Of course, the widely circulated photos in the mainstream press of Siouxsie Sioux with her swastikas didn’t necessarily help to win over the theorists of the Great Revolution. It took Joe Strummer to introduce The Clash as an anti-racist, anti-fascist and anti-ignorance band for the rejection of old-school revolutionaries to fade a little.

The Lycée Jean-Baptiste Say at Porte d’Auteuil, despite being located in the very posh and very exclusive 16th arrondissement of Paris, didn’t escape these "committed" upheavals, which doubled as the perfect outlet for the less timid members of this generation.
“Back then, politics were fun,” says Tristam Nada, who studied there and went on to become Guilty Razors’ frontman. “Jean-Baptiste was the leftist high-school in the neighbourhood. When the far right guys from the GUD came down there, the Communist League guys from elsewhere helped us fight them off.”
Anything that could challenge authority was fair game and of course, strikes for just about any reason would lead to increasingly frequent truancy (with a definitive farewell to education that would soon follow). Tristam Nada spent his 10th and 11th unfinished grades with José Perez, who had come from Spain, where his father, a janitor, had been sentenced to death by Franco. “José steered my tastes towards solid acts such as The Who. Like most teenagers, I had previously absorbed just about everything that came my way, from Yes to Led Zeppelin to Genesis. I was exploring… And then one day, he told me that he and his brother Carlos wanted to start a rock band.” The Perez brothers already played guitar. “Of course, they were Spanish!”, jokes their singer. “Then, somewhat reluctantly, José took up the bass and we were soon joined by Jano – who called himself Jano Homicid – who took up the rhythm guitar.” Several drummers would later join this core of not easily intimidated young guys who didn’t let adversity get the better of them.

The first rehearsals of the newly named Guilty Razors took place in the bedroom of a Perez aunt. There, the three rookies tried to cover a few standards, songs that often were an integral part of their lives. During a first, short gig, in front of a bewildered audience of tough old-school rockers, they launched into a clunky version of the Velvet Underground's “Heroin”. Challenge or recklessness? A bit of both, probably… And then, step by step, their limited repertoire expanded as they decided to write their own songs, sung in a not always very accurate or academic English, but who cared about proper grammar or the right vocabulary, since what truly mattered was to make the words sound as good as possible while playing very, very fast music? And spitting out those words in a language that left no doubt as to what it conveyed mattered as well.
Trying their hand a the kind of rock music disliked by most of the neighbourhood, making noise, being fiercely provocative: they still belonged to a tiny clique who, at this very moment, had chosen to impose this difference. And there were very few places in France or elsewhere, where one could witness the first stirrings of something that wasn’t a trend yet, let alone a movement.

In the provinces, in late 1976 or early 1977, there couldn’t be more than thirty record stores that were a bit more discerning than average, where you could hear this new kind of short-haired rock music called “punk”. The old clientele, who previously had no problem coming in to buy the latest McCartney or Aerosmith LP, now felt a little less comfortable there…
In Paris, these enlightened places were quite rare and often located nex to what would become the Forum des Halles, a big shopping mall. Between three aging sex workers, a couple of second-hand clothes shops, sellers of hippie paraphernalia and small fashion designers, the good word was loudly spread in two pioneering places – propagators of what was still only a new underground movement. Historically, the first one was the Open Market, a kind of poorly, but tastefully stocked cave. Speakers blasted out the sound of sixties garage bands from the Nuggets compilation (a crucial reference for José Perez) or the badly dressed English kids of Eddie and the Hot Rods. This black-painted den was opened a few years earlier by Marc Zermati, a character who wasn’t always in a sunny disposition, but always quite radical in his (good) choices and his opinions. He founded the independent label Skydog and was one of the promoters of the Mont-de-Marsan punk festivals. Not far from there was Harry Cover, another store more in tune with the new New York scene, which was amply covered in the house fanzine, Rock News (even though it was in it that the photos of the Sex Pistols were first published in France).
It was a favorite hang-out of the Perez brothers and Tristam Nada, as the latter explained. “It’s at Harry Cover’s that we first heard the Pistols and Clash’s 45s, and after that, we decided to start writing our first songs. If they could do it, so could we!”
The sonic shocks that were “Anarchy in the UK”, “White Riot” or the Buzzcocks’s EP, “Spiral Scratch” – which Guilty Razors' sound is reminiscent of – were soon to be amplified by an unparalleled visual shock. In April 1977, right after the release of their first LP, The Clash performed at the Palais des Glaces in Paris, during a punk night organised by Marc Zermati. For many who were there, it was the gig of a lifetime…
Of course, Guilty Razors and Tristam were in the audience: “That concert was fabulous… We Parisian punks were almost all dressed in black and white, with white shirts, skinny leather ties, bikers jackets or light jackets, etc. The Clash, on the other hand, wore colourful clothes. Well, the next day, at the Gibus, you’d spot everyone who had been at this concert, but they weren’t wearing anything black, they were all wearing colours.”

It makes sense to mention the Gibus club, as Guilty Razors often played there (sometimes in front of a hostile audience). It was also the only place in Paris that regularly scheduled new Parisian or Anglo-Saxon acts, such as Generation X, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Slits, and Johnny Thunders who would become a kind of messed-up mascot for the venue. A little later, in 1978, the Rose Bonbon – formerly the Nashville – also attracted nightly owls in search of electric thrills… In 1977, the iconic but not necessarily excellent Asphalt Jungle often played at the Gibus, sometimes sharing the bill with Metal Urbain, the only band whose aura would later transcend the French borders (“I saw them as the French Sex Pistols,” said Geoff Travis, head of their British label Rough Trade). Already established in this small scene, Metal Urbain helped the young and restless Guilty Razors who had just arrived. Guitarist for Metal Urbain Hermann Schwartz remembers it: “They were younger than us, we were a bit like their mentors even if it’s too strong a word… At least they were credible. We thought they were good, and they had good songs which reminded of the Buzzcocks that I liked a lot. But at some point, they started hanging out with the Hells Angels. That’s when we stopped following them.”

The break-up was mutual, since, Guilty Razors, for their part, were shocked when they saw a fringe element of the audience at Metal Urbain concerts who repeatedly shouted “Sieg Heil” and gave Nazi salutes. These provocations, even still minor (the bulk of the skinhead crowd would later make their presence felt during concerts), weren’t really to the liking of the Perez brothers, whose anti-fascist convictions were firmly rooted. Some things are non-negotiable.
A few months earlier (in July 1978), Guilty Razors had nevertheless opened very successfully for Metal Urbain at the Bus Palladium, a more traditonally old-school rock night-club. But, as was sometimes the case back then, the night turned into a mass brawl when suburban rockers came to “beat up punks”.

Back then, Parisian nights weren’t always sweet and serene.

So, after opening as best as they could for The Jam (their sound having been ruined by the PA system), our local heroes were – once again – met outside by a horde of greasers out to get them. “Thankfully,” says Tristam, “we were with our roadies, motorless bikers who acted as a protective barrier. We were chased in the neighbouring streets and the whole thing ended in front of a bar, with the owner coming out with a rifle…”
Although Tristam and the Perez brothers narrowly escaped various, potentially bloody, incidents, they weren’t completely innocent of wrongdoing either. They still find amusing their mugging of two strangers in the street for example (“We were broke and we simply wanted to buy tickets for the Heartbreakers concert that night,” says Tristam). It so happened that their victims were two key figures in the rock business at the time: radio presenter Alain Manneval and music publisher Philippe Constantin. They filed a complaint and sought monetary compensation, but somehow the band’s manager, the skilful but very controversial Alexis, managed to get the complaint withdrawn and Guilty Razors ended up signing with Constantin with a substantial advance.

They also signed with Polydor and the label released in 1978 their only three-track 45, featuring “I Don't Wanna be A Rich”, “Hurts and Noises” and “Provocate” (songs that exuded perpetual rebellion and an unquenchable desire for “class” confrontation). It was a very good record, but due to a lack of promotion (radio stations didn’t play French artists singing in English), it didn’t sell very well. Only 800 copies were allegedly sold and the rest of the stock was pulped… Initially, the three tracks were to be included on a LP that never came to be, since they were dropped by Polydor (“Let’s say we sometimes caused a ruckus in their offices!” laughs Tristam.) In order to perfect the long-awaited LP, the band recorded demos of other tracks. There was a cover of Pink Floyd's “Lucifer Sam” from the Syd Barrett era – proof of an enduring love for the sixties’ greats –, “Wake Up” a hangover tale and “Bad Heart” about the Baader-Meinhof gang, whose actions had a profound impact on the era and on a generation seeking extreme dissent... On the album you’re now discovering, you can also hear five previously unreleased tracks recorded a bit later during an extended and freezing stay in Madrid, in a makeshift studio with the invaluable help of a drummer also acting as sound engineer. He was both an enthusiastic old hippie and a proper whizz at sound engineering. Here too, certain influences from the fifties and sixties (Link Wray, the Troggs) are more than obvious in the band’s music.

Shortly after a final stormy and rather barbaric (on the audience’s side) “Punk night” at the Olympia in June 1978, Tristam left the band ; his bandmates continued without him for a short while.

But like most pioneering punk bands of the era, Guilty Razors eventually split up for good after three years (besides once in Spain, they’d only played in Paris). The reason for ceasing business activities were more or less the same for everyone: there were no venues outside one’s small circuit to play this kind of rock music, which was still frightening, unknown, or of little interest to most people. The chances of recording an LP were virtually null, since major labels were only signing unoriginal but reassuring sub-Téléphone clones, and the smaller ones were only interested in progressive rock or French chanson for youth clubs. And what about self-production? No one in our small safety-pinned world had thought about it yet. There wasn’t enough money to embark on that sort of venture anyway.

So yes, the early days of punk in France were truly No Future!

Whole Cake Island: Sweets and Dangers in an Unforgiving World! As Luffy and his crew face an Emperor, Big Mom, for the first time, they must join forces to save Sanji in the extravagant kingdom of Totto Land.

Composer: Kohei Tanaka
Kohei Tanaka has been a lyricist, composer and arranger for a multitude of animated works and video games, including Sakura Wars, Assassination Classroom and the One Piece saga, since its inception.

In Soft Power, Funk Assault turns their surgical precision toward the invisible forces that shape modern life - control not through force, but through aesthetics, etiquette, and algorithms. Across five tightly woven tracks, the duo dissects how obedience is engineered through desire, conformity, and digital seduction.

From the sterile luxury of Aesthetics of Desire to the algorithmic exhibitionism of Like Me, Watch Me, and the chilling calm of Obedience Spa, this EP is a reflection on how control has evolved -smoother, quieter, but no less powerful. Soft Power invites listeners to dance, reflect, and perhaps notice the strings they didn't know were there.

Big Crown Records freut sich, das zweite Album von Les Imprimes, ,Fading Forward", zu präsentieren. Unter der Leitung des autodidaktischen Multi-Instrumentalisten und Produzenten Morten Martens beschäftigt sich dieses Album mit Sterblichkeit, Realitätsflucht und einer Vielzahl von Erfahrungen, die mit Liebe verbunden sind. Martens hinterließ mit seinem hochgelobten Debütalbum ,Rêverie" aus dem Jahr 2023 einen bleibenden Eindruck Rêverie einen enormen Eindruck und hat sich seitdem eine treue Fangemeinde aufgebaut, deren Demografie ebenso vielfältig ist wie die Einflüsse, die seine Musik prägen. Er mischt Klänge aus dem Soul der 60er und 70er Jahre mit Anspielungen auf Doo-Wop-Platten, übernimmt die Energie der Hip-Hop-Drums und überzieht das Ganze mit Gesangsstilen aus den 90ern und 2000ern . Aber es sind Martens' Texte, Emotionen und Darbietung, die wirklich alles zusammenbringen und ihm helfen, sich von seinen Kollegen abzuheben. Seine Texte sind ansteckend und poppig und werden mit höchster Klasse und Geschmack umgesetzt, was Les Imprimés die seltene Eigenschaft verleiht, sofort anzusprechen und mit jedem Hören noch besser zu werden. Der aus Kristiansand, Norwegen, stammende Martens spielt fast alle Instrumente auf Fading Forward, produziert und arrangiert das Album und singt natürlich auch. ,Es ist Soulmusik, aber ich habe nicht gerade eine Soulstimme", erklärt Morten bescheiden. ,Aber ich mache es auf meine eigene Art und Weise, auf eine Art, die mir eigen ist." Der Album-Opener ,You & I" ist Mortens Hommage an seine Partnerin, die ,durch das Chaos und die Fehler" mit ihm durchhält. Kraftvolle Drums und kaskadenartige Klaviere machen diesen Song zu einem richtigen Two-Stepper und einer Hymne für diejenigen, die das Glück haben, jemanden zu finden, der sie versteht und ihnen in den Bereichen des Lebens hilft, in denen sie es brauchen. ,Again & Again" verlangsamt das Tempo und beschäftigt sich mit der schwereren Seite der Liebe und des Lebens, während Martens seine Widerstandsfähigkeit angesichts der Missgeschicke, des Herzschmerzes und der Enttäuschungen gescheiterter Liebesbeziehungen bekundet. ,Untainted Love" rückt die süße Seite der neuen Liebe in den Mittelpunkt, mit einer Melodie, die auf den Titel des Klassikers von Gloria Jones anspielt. ,Get Lost" neigt zum Metaphysischen mit der Einladung, die Realität hinter sich zu lassen und Zeit mit Les Imprimés zu verbringen, wo es Raum zum Träumen gibt. ,Only Love" baut auf einem kraftvollen Drum-Break auf, mit einem Refrain, der einfach, aber tiefgründig ist, und das Arrangement verleiht ihm die Energie eines Mantras. Sie wenden sich dem Tanz ,Only Love" baut auf einem kraftvollen Drum-Break auf, mit einem Refrain, der einfach, aber tiefgründig ist, und das Arrangement verleiht ihm die Energie eines Mantras. Sie wenden sich dem Tanz zu in ,With You", einem schnellen, beschwingten Song über eine zufällige Begegnung, die Lust auf mehr macht. Martens sehnt sich nach ihr, aber freudig, als ob allein die Erinnerung daran, dass eine solche Verbindung möglich ist, genau das ist, was er wirklich braucht. ,Fading Forward" endet mit einer völlig düsteren Note mit ,Miss The Days", einer langsam brennenden Ballade, die an einfachere Zeiten erinnert, als die Liebe noch besser war. Martens wird von der Gastsängerin Ama Li in ,Miss The Days" begleitet, einer langsam brennenden Ballade , die an einfachere Zeiten erinnert, als die Liebe noch an einem besseren Ort war. Fading Forward endet mit einer ganz und gar düsteren Note mit ,Paradise", einem Lied, das einem verstorbenen Freund Freiheit und Frieden wünscht. In der kleinen Stadt Kristanland in Norwegen lebt ein großes Talent, das den größten Teil seines Lebens damit verbracht hat, sich zurückzuhalten und im Hintergrund zu bleiben. Der Vertrag mit dem New Yorker Label Big Crown Records inspirierte Morten Martens dazu, seine eigene Musik zu veröffentlichen. Die Reaktionen auf sein Debütalbum ,Rêverie" veranlassten ihn, das Studio zu verlassen und auf die Bühne zu gehen, und all dies diente ihm als Inspiration, um seine Kunstfertigkeit auf ein neues Niveau zu heben. Neue Höhen, die auf Fading Forward voll zur Geltung kommen.

Big Crown Records freut sich, das zweite Album von Les Imprimes, ,Fading Forward", zu präsentieren. Unter der Leitung des autodidaktischen Multi-Instrumentalisten und Produzenten Morten Martens beschäftigt sich dieses Album mit Sterblichkeit, Realitätsflucht und einer Vielzahl von Erfahrungen, die mit Liebe verbunden sind. Martens hinterließ mit seinem hochgelobten Debütalbum ,Rêverie" aus dem Jahr 2023 einen bleibenden Eindruck Rêverie einen enormen Eindruck und hat sich seitdem eine treue Fangemeinde aufgebaut, deren Demografie ebenso vielfältig ist wie die Einflüsse, die seine Musik prägen. Er mischt Klänge aus dem Soul der 60er und 70er Jahre mit Anspielungen auf Doo-Wop-Platten, übernimmt die Energie der Hip-Hop-Drums und überzieht das Ganze mit Gesangsstilen aus den 90ern und 2000ern . Aber es sind Martens' Texte, Emotionen und Darbietung, die wirklich alles zusammenbringen und ihm helfen, sich von seinen Kollegen abzuheben. Seine Texte sind ansteckend und poppig und werden mit höchster Klasse und Geschmack umgesetzt, was Les Imprimés die seltene Eigenschaft verleiht, sofort anzusprechen und mit jedem Hören noch besser zu werden. Der aus Kristiansand, Norwegen, stammende Martens spielt fast alle Instrumente auf Fading Forward, produziert und arrangiert das Album und singt natürlich auch. ,Es ist Soulmusik, aber ich habe nicht gerade eine Soulstimme", erklärt Morten bescheiden. ,Aber ich mache es auf meine eigene Art und Weise, auf eine Art, die mir eigen ist." Der Album-Opener ,You & I" ist Mortens Hommage an seine Partnerin, die ,durch das Chaos und die Fehler" mit ihm durchhält. Kraftvolle Drums und kaskadenartige Klaviere machen diesen Song zu einem richtigen Two-Stepper und einer Hymne für diejenigen, die das Glück haben, jemanden zu finden, der sie versteht und ihnen in den Bereichen des Lebens hilft, in denen sie es brauchen. ,Again & Again" verlangsamt das Tempo und beschäftigt sich mit der schwereren Seite der Liebe und des Lebens, während Martens seine Widerstandsfähigkeit angesichts der Missgeschicke, des Herzschmerzes und der Enttäuschungen gescheiterter Liebesbeziehungen bekundet. ,Untainted Love" rückt die süße Seite der neuen Liebe in den Mittelpunkt, mit einer Melodie, die auf den Titel des Klassikers von Gloria Jones anspielt. ,Get Lost" neigt zum Metaphysischen mit der Einladung, die Realität hinter sich zu lassen und Zeit mit Les Imprimés zu verbringen, wo es Raum zum Träumen gibt. ,Only Love" baut auf einem kraftvollen Drum-Break auf, mit einem Refrain, der einfach, aber tiefgründig ist, und das Arrangement verleiht ihm die Energie eines Mantras. Sie wenden sich dem Tanz ,Only Love" baut auf einem kraftvollen Drum-Break auf, mit einem Refrain, der einfach, aber tiefgründig ist, und das Arrangement verleiht ihm die Energie eines Mantras. Sie wenden sich dem Tanz zu in ,With You", einem schnellen, beschwingten Song über eine zufällige Begegnung, die Lust auf mehr macht. Martens sehnt sich nach ihr, aber freudig, als ob allein die Erinnerung daran, dass eine solche Verbindung möglich ist, genau das ist, was er wirklich braucht. ,Fading Forward" endet mit einer völlig düsteren Note mit ,Miss The Days", einer langsam brennenden Ballade, die an einfachere Zeiten erinnert, als die Liebe noch besser war. Martens wird von der Gastsängerin Ama Li in ,Miss The Days" begleitet, einer langsam brennenden Ballade , die an einfachere Zeiten erinnert, als die Liebe noch an einem besseren Ort war. Fading Forward endet mit einer ganz und gar düsteren Note mit ,Paradise", einem Lied, das einem verstorbenen Freund Freiheit und Frieden wünscht. In der kleinen Stadt Kristanland in Norwegen lebt ein großes Talent, das den größten Teil seines Lebens damit verbracht hat, sich zurückzuhalten und im Hintergrund zu bleiben. Der Vertrag mit dem New Yorker Label Big Crown Records inspirierte Morten Martens dazu, seine eigene Musik zu veröffentlichen. Die Reaktionen auf sein Debütalbum ,Rêverie" veranlassten ihn, das Studio zu verlassen und auf die Bühne zu gehen, und all dies diente ihm als Inspiration, um seine Kunstfertigkeit auf ein neues Niveau zu heben. Neue Höhen, die auf Fading Forward voll zur Geltung kommen.

Killer Groove Records proudly presents "Keep Your Step", the explosive comeback by Italian rock steady & early reggae ambassadors The Appetizers, a soulful celebration of reggae's timeless spirit.


"Keep Your Step" marks the band's much-awaited return, landing April 10th on limited edition LP, CD digipack and digital format featuring two exclusive bonus tracks.

The Appetizers deliver a masterclass in roots reggae music with their highly anticipated second studio album, bridging Jamaica's golden age with contemporary relevance. "Keep Your Step" is a heartfelt sonic journey where the band blends rocksteady and early reggae with funk and soul influences to create a sound that's both genuine and refreshingly modern.

The fourteen tracks move fluidly between infectious dancefloor fillers and socially conscious lyrics. From the laid-back swing of "Feel Like Dancing" to the hypnotic rhythm of "Thicker Than Water", the band demonstrates their versatility while remaining true to the roots of Jamaican sound. "A Message from The Meters" pays tribute to the legendary funk pioneers, while the instrumental "Catch This" and "Make It Reggay" highlight the band's musical prowess and the deep connections between reggae and funk.

Meanwhile, tracks like "Fussy Girl" and "Behind My Shoulders" explore love's complexities with humor and soul. The album's heart lies in its social consciousness. "Cool and Deadly", "The Life", "Stormy Weather" and the album title track "Keep Your Step" tell stories of perseverance through life's struggles.

With the hopeful anthem "We Shall Overcome," The Appetizers deliver a timely message about genuine human connection in a social media-dominated era. The digital edition closes with "Get Some Rollin'" and "Swing and Sway," rounding out the journey with two additional gems.

"Keep Your Step" pays homage to Jamaican music legends, from Jackie Mittoo and Tommy McCook to Toots & the Maytals, while carving out The Appetizers' own distinctive sound. This is a groove made for both the dance floor and the soul, proving that reggae's power to inspire, unite, and uplift remains as vital as ever.

The production stays true to The Appetizers' signature sound: organic tones, deep groove, and that live-room vibe you only get when real musicians are locked in together. Luca Monza and Claudio Mambrini, the band's core members, handled the artistic production. Mastering came courtesy of the great JJ Golden (Black Pumas, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jr. Thomas & The Volcanos, The Frightnrs) at Golden Mastering in Ventura, California. JJ is one of the most trusted engineers working in this sound, ensuring every ounce of warmth and authenticity came through.

The Appetizers are a rocksteady and early reggae band formed in Milan in 2020 by musicians deeply embedded in the Italian and international reggae scene. Musicians from different paths united by a shared vision: recreating that vintage Caribbean and American sound with authenticity, respect and a forward-thinking edge.

Drawing inspiration from Jamaica's golden era and channeling the soul of Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis, the early Wailers, and The Upsetters, The Appetizers carry forward the essence of bass culture with a pure, fully organic approach.

Their debut album Listen Up! (2022), released via Belgian imprint Badasonic Records (home to The Slackers, The Aggrolites, David Hillyard & Victor Rice), featured ten original tracks and a dub cut by Victor Rice. Distributed across Europe, the UK, the US, and Japan, it quickly earned international recognition among reggae connoisseurs and selectors worldwide.

Following extensive touring, including shows with The Slackers, Black Uhuru, Skip Marley, and more, the band returned to the studio to record "Keep Your Step", their second album produced by Killer Groove Records. Here the band expands its musical language, weaving together the spirit of historic Jamaican labels like Studio One and Treasure Isle with '60s funk, arriving at a warm, organic, and timeless sound: soul, Jamaican roots, and modern sensibility in perfect balance. Their lyrics explore heartbreak, social issues, and reflections on life and music, performed with dedication and respect for tradition while always pushing forward.


If you're into The Skatalites, The Ethiopians, and those classic Caribbean rhythms, this one's for you.

Über Jahre hinweg hat Cactus Lee still und leise ein einzigartiges Werk geschaffen, indem er in Honky-Tonks rund um Austin auftrat und gleichzeitig in einem gleichmäßigen, selbstbestimmten Tempo Alben veröffentlichte. Lee's Dream, sein zweites Album für Western Vinyl, wirkt wie die natürliche Essenz dieser Reise - unterwegs geschrieben, zu Hause verfeinert und geprägt vom Spannungsfeld zwischen der Hingabe zur Musik und der Hingabe zur Familie. Die Songs entstanden während einer einmonatigen Solotournee durch den Mittleren Westen und den Süden und begannen als Skizzen, die in Transportern und Motelzimmern geschrieben wurden, teilweise inspiriert durch einen Besuch in Guy Clarks rekonstruiertem Keller in der Country Music Hall of Fame. Die Songs entstanden während einer einmonatigen Solotournee durch den Mittleren Westen und den Süden und begannen als Skizzen, die in Transportern und Motelzimmern geschrieben wurden, teilweise inspiriert durch einen Besuch in Guy Clarks rekonstruiertem Keller in der Country Music Hall of Fame. Die Songs entstanden während einer einmonatigen Solo-Tournee durch den Mittleren Westen und den Süden und begannen als Skizzen, die in Transportern und Motelzimmern geschrieben wurden, teilweise inspiriert durch einen Besuch in Guy Clarks rekonstruiertem Keller in der Country Music Hall of Fame. Als Kevin Dehan nach Hause zurückkehrte und dort persönliche Umbrüche erlebte, wandte er sich nach innen und schrieb Songs, die Unruhe mit Entschlossenheit, Sehnsucht mit Verantwortung in Einklang bringen. ,Lee's Dream" wurde in den Fort Horton Studios mit Produzent Billy Horton aufgenommen und lehnt sich an klassische Country-Formen und die Sensibilität der Sun-Ära an, geleitet von Vorbildern wie John D. Loudermilk, Glen Campbell und dem frühen Gordon Light Aufgenommen in den Fort Horton Studios mit Produzent Billy Horton, lehnt sich Lee's Dream an klassische Country-Formen und die Sensibilität der Sun-Ära an, geleitet von Vorbildern wie John D. Loudermilk, Glen Campbell und dem frühen Gordon Lightfoot. Das Album, das mit Beiträgen eines engen Kreises von Mitwirkenden fertiggestellt wurde, wirkt gemeinschaftlich und lebendig - gleichermaßen fröhlich und melancholisch. Verwurzelt in texanischen Bildern und Country-Folklore, wirkt Lee's Dream wie ein vertrauter Fiebertraum, der die Tradition ehrt und sie gleichzeitig leise an Dehans unverwechselbare Stimme anpasst.

Big Crown Records freut sich, das zweite Album von Les Imprimes, ,Fading Forward", zu präsentieren. Unter der Leitung des autodidaktischen Multi-Instrumentalisten und Produzenten Morten Martens beschäftigt sich dieses Album mit Sterblichkeit, Realitätsflucht und einer Vielzahl von Erfahrungen, die mit Liebe verbunden sind. Martens hinterließ mit seinem hochgelobten Debütalbum ,Rêverie" aus dem Jahr 2023 einen bleibenden Eindruck Rêverie einen enormen Eindruck und hat sich seitdem eine treue Fangemeinde aufgebaut, deren Demografie ebenso vielfältig ist wie die Einflüsse, die seine Musik prägen. Er mischt Klänge aus dem Soul der 60er und 70er Jahre mit Anspielungen auf Doo-Wop-Platten, übernimmt die Energie der Hip-Hop-Drums und überzieht das Ganze mit Gesangsstilen aus den 90ern und 2000ern . Aber es sind Martens' Texte, Emotionen und Darbietung, die wirklich alles zusammenbringen und ihm helfen, sich von seinen Kollegen abzuheben. Seine Texte sind ansteckend und poppig und werden mit höchster Klasse und Geschmack umgesetzt, was Les Imprimés die seltene Eigenschaft verleiht, sofort anzusprechen und mit jedem Hören noch besser zu werden. Der aus Kristiansand, Norwegen, stammende Martens spielt fast alle Instrumente auf Fading Forward, produziert und arrangiert das Album und singt natürlich auch. ,Es ist Soulmusik, aber ich habe nicht gerade eine Soulstimme", erklärt Morten bescheiden. ,Aber ich mache es auf meine eigene Art und Weise, auf eine Art, die mir eigen ist." Der Album-Opener ,You & I" ist Mortens Hommage an seine Partnerin, die ,durch das Chaos und die Fehler" mit ihm durchhält. Kraftvolle Drums und kaskadenartige Klaviere machen diesen Song zu einem richtigen Two-Stepper und einer Hymne für diejenigen, die das Glück haben, jemanden zu finden, der sie versteht und ihnen in den Bereichen des Lebens hilft, in denen sie es brauchen. ,Again & Again" verlangsamt das Tempo und beschäftigt sich mit der schwereren Seite der Liebe und des Lebens, während Martens seine Widerstandsfähigkeit angesichts der Missgeschicke, des Herzschmerzes und der Enttäuschungen gescheiterter Liebesbeziehungen bekundet. ,Untainted Love" rückt die süße Seite der neuen Liebe in den Mittelpunkt, mit einer Melodie, die auf den Titel des Klassikers von Gloria Jones anspielt. ,Get Lost" neigt zum Metaphysischen mit der Einladung, die Realität hinter sich zu lassen und Zeit mit Les Imprimés zu verbringen, wo es Raum zum Träumen gibt. ,Only Love" baut auf einem kraftvollen Drum-Break auf, mit einem Refrain, der einfach, aber tiefgründig ist, und das Arrangement verleiht ihm die Energie eines Mantras. Sie wenden sich dem Tanz ,Only Love" baut auf einem kraftvollen Drum-Break auf, mit einem Refrain, der einfach, aber tiefgründig ist, und das Arrangement verleiht ihm die Energie eines Mantras. Sie wenden sich dem Tanz zu in ,With You", einem schnellen, beschwingten Song über eine zufällige Begegnung, die Lust auf mehr macht. Martens sehnt sich nach ihr, aber freudig, als ob allein die Erinnerung daran, dass eine solche Verbindung möglich ist, genau das ist, was er wirklich braucht. ,Fading Forward" endet mit einer völlig düsteren Note mit ,Miss The Days", einer langsam brennenden Ballade, die an einfachere Zeiten erinnert, als die Liebe noch besser war. Martens wird von der Gastsängerin Ama Li in ,Miss The Days" begleitet, einer langsam brennenden Ballade , die an einfachere Zeiten erinnert, als die Liebe noch an einem besseren Ort war. Fading Forward endet mit einer ganz und gar düsteren Note mit ,Paradise", einem Lied, das einem verstorbenen Freund Freiheit und Frieden wünscht. In der kleinen Stadt Kristanland in Norwegen lebt ein großes Talent, das den größten Teil seines Lebens damit verbracht hat, sich zurückzuhalten und im Hintergrund zu bleiben. Der Vertrag mit dem New Yorker Label Big Crown Records inspirierte Morten Martens dazu, seine eigene Musik zu veröffentlichen. Die Reaktionen auf sein Debütalbum ,Rêverie" veranlassten ihn, das Studio zu verlassen und auf die Bühne zu gehen, und all dies diente ihm als Inspiration, um seine Kunstfertigkeit auf ein neues Niveau zu heben. Neue Höhen, die auf Fading Forward voll zur Geltung kommen.

the first-ever reissue on studio mule of the debut album by japanese jazz legend and bassist yoshio ikeda.

having performed with such illustrious figures as sadao watanabe, masabumi kikuchi, and terumasa hino, ikeda’s first album as a leader features pianist and vocalist ichiko hashimoto—also known for her involvement with yellow magic orchestra—berlin-based jazz pianist aki takase, and leading japanese drummer motohiko hino.

avant-garde yet imbued with a distinctly japanese sense of melancholy, this is a work that resonates profoundly with the present moment.

the gem “whispering weeds,” highlighted by thrilling piano and hashimoto’s evocative scat vocals, was also included on a compilation by bbe.

remastered from the original master tapes by kuniyuki, the album has been revived with a richer, more lustrous sound in this definitive reissue.

Drei Jahre nach seinem #1-Album „Reparatur“ meldet sich Josh. mit seinem vierten Studioalbum zurück. Auf „Wer singt dann Lieder für dich“ beweist der Wiener Singer-Songwriter und fünffache Amadeus-Preisträger erneut, wie er aus persönlichen Geschichten packende Popmusik schafft – mal leicht, mal melancholisch, immer mit einem Gespür für Timing, Humor und Gefühl. Seit seiner Kindheit spielt Josh. klassische Gitarre und war in Schulbands aktiv. Später studierte er sieben Jahre lang Jazz und Popularmusik, brach das Studium jedoch aus wirtschaftlichen Gründen ab – seine Liebe zur Musik blieb davon unberührt. Heute spiegelt sich diese Erfahrung in einem Sound, der organisch, warm und zugleich überraschend facettenreich ist. Für „Wer singt dann Lieder für dich“ hat Josh. so viele Instrumente wie nie zuvor selbst eingespielt – von Gitarre über Bass bis zur Pedal-Steel – und damit jedem Song eine unmittelbare Nähe verliehen. „Es war das bisher entspannteste und lustigste, gleichzeitig aber auch das arbeitsintensivste Album“, sagt er über die Aufnahmen, die erneut in kongenialer Zusammenarbeit mit Produzent Florian Koch entstanden sind. Seit „Teilzeitromantik“ (2021) ist Koch stetiger kreativer Partner, musikalischer Direktor und Schlagzeuger der Band – eine bewährte Konstellation, die für klare Strukturen und kreative Freiheit sorgt. „Ich glaube, dass es ein Album ist, das wieder die Leichtigkeit des Nonsens gefunden hat“, so Josh., „Momente, in denen man lachen, feiern oder einfach man selbst sein kann, treffen auf nachdenkliche, melancholische Songs.“ Es ist die Momentaufnahme eines 39-Jährigen, der reflektiert – und dabei stets offen für das Absurde und Komische in den kleinen Dingen bleibt.
„Ich habe mir beim Schreiben der Songs keine Grenzen gesetzt“, sagt Josh. „Das spiegelt meine Persönlichkeit ziemlich gut wider: Ich bin jemand, der gern einen Schmäh macht, wie wir hier in Wien sagen – aber gleichzeitig auch immer wieder kämpfen muss und viel über Gefühle, Schmerz und all das nachdenkt.“ Das zeigt sich auf „Wer singt dann Lieder für dich“ in jedem Detail, sei es bei humorvollen Beobachtungen, nostalgischen Rückblicken oder in Songs über das Älterwerden und die kleinen Lebenskrisen („Was hat uns bloß so müde gemacht?“). Nach einem Livejahr 2025, das eine Tour durch Österreich und Deutschland, einen Headliner-Gig auf dem Donauinselfest vor 100.000 Fans sowie eine Support-Show für Robbie Williams umfasste, hat „Austropop-Darling“ (TZ) Josh. in diesem Jahr wieder viel vor: Im April und Mai ist er auf komplett ausverkaufter Solotour in Österreich zu erleben, im Anschluss folgen Konzerte in Deutschland und der Schweiz. Im Sommer geht es gemeinsam mit Rian auf Open-Air-Tour durch Österreich.

Amulets is the solo project of Portland-based audio and visual artist Randall Taylor. Amulets employs handmade cassette tape loops and live processed guitar loops to create live, lush soundscapes and immersive drones. Through the recontextualisation of cassettes, sampling, field recording, and looping, these long-form compositions blur the genres of ambient, drone, noise, and electronic music. Amulets has steadily built a catalog defined by tactile intimacy and patient exploration. Deeply immersive, the album navigates the dreamy boundaries between the tangible and the ethereal, where sound behaves as memory itself: unstable, layered, and quietly transformative. Known for his ability to weave soundscapes that evoke powerful emotions with minimalistic instrumentation, Taylor's newest project is a masterful exploration of mood, atmosphere, and texture.Throughout the ambient soundscapes is introspection, melancholy, and an almost hypnotic calm. The album resists forward motion, instead inviting the listener to linger inside its evolving textures, to sit with what's left behind rather than rush toward resolution. Central to Amulets' identity is Taylor's insistence on working, quite literally, outside the box. While many contemporary experimental artists rely heavily on software, Taylor's process remains rooted in physical interaction with sound. "This album differs from previous albums because it's a lot of found sounds, song fragments, and other samples that I have that I wanted to fuse together. I also heavily relied on a lot of ambient guitar and live guitar recording to marry all the sounds together." (Randall Taylor) FOR FANS OF Tim Hecker * Ben Frost * Lawrence English * Alessandro Cortini * This Will Destroy You * Mono * Windy & Carl

Vinyl LP pressing. Bad Brains is the self-titled debut studio album recorded by hardcore punk/reggae band Bad Brains. Recorded in 1981 and released on (then) cassette-only label ROIR on February 5, 1982, many fans refer to it as The Yellow Tape because of it's yellow packaging. Though Bad Brains had recorded the 16 song Black Dots album in 1979 and the 5-song Omega Sessions EP in 1980, the ROIR cassette was the band's first release of anything longer than a single. In coordination with the band, Org Music has overseen the restoration and remastering of the iconic Bad Brains' recordings. The audio was mastered by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Mastering and pressed at Furnace Record Pressing. This Punk Note edition comes with alternate packaging artwork from designer John Yates (Stealworks). The artwork is a nod to Reid Miles and Francis Wolff, and their amazing work at the Blue Note label

New album from Pictish Trail, AKA Johnny Lynch, known for his wildly inventive electro-acoustic psych-pop. Life Slime is the sixth full-length album by Pictish Trail (AKA Johnny Lynch) - a strange, tender, psychedelic electro-pop record shaped by transformation, exhaustion, hope, guilt, and renewal. Written at home on the Isle of Eigg and recorded at Mike Lindsay's studio down in Margate (Tunng / LUMP), the album follows 2022's critically acclaimed Island Family, further refining Lynch's world of lo-fi electronics, warped pop melodies, baggy psych rhythms and emotionally direct songwriting. It's a record that balances woozy synth-pop, motorik propulsion and intimate acoustic songwriting, all infused with the emotional messiness that gives the album its title. Across the album's singles - the guilt-stained psych-pop ballad 'Hold It', the life-affirming shimmer of 'Infinity Ooze', the late-night confession of 'Torch Song', the expansive eight-minute centrepiece 'Another Way', and the cinematic closer 'Werewolf Ending' - Life Slime charts a journey from emotional fracture to uneasy release. 'Sorry Eyes' brings a punchy electro-pop strut with a sharp emotional edge, 'Crystal Cave' drifts through crystalline guitars and shoegaze haze into transformation, and the title track 'Life Slime' moves with a slow, weary swagger toward bittersweet acceptance. Together, these tracks form a cohesive album statement about surrender, resistance, change and renewal. "Wonderfully weird pop"- Brooklyn Vegan For fans of Hot Chip, The Flaming Lips, Liars, Mercury Rev, Beck, John Grant, Empire of the Sun, Grandaddy. Colour vinyl and digisleeve CD

Die 6-LP-Box „60 Jahre Floh De Cologne Vol. 1“ ist eine umfassende Sammleredition mit historischen Aufnahmen der legendären politischen Rockband Floh de Cologne. Enthalten sind die originalen LP-Reproduktionen Vietnam,

Geyer - Symphonie, Lucky Streik, Fließbandbabys BeatShow, Profitgeier, die einen Querschnitt durch das frühe Schaffen der Band bieten. Die Box richtet sich an VinylSammler und Fans deutscher Underground- und Protestmusik und dokumentiert ein wichtiges Kapitel der Musik- und Kulturgeschichte.

Brighton four-piece Lime Garden return with their self-reckoning second album 'Maybe Not Tonight' So Young Records (the record label launched by So Young Magazine).

'Maybe Not Tonight' unfolds as a full night out, charting the pleasures and perils of partying and impulsive decisions.

Vocalist and guitarist Chloe Howard says: “The album is about a night out, from start to finish. As the night progresses, you’re having a great time, until your ex walks in with someone else. You hate the way you look but rather than going home, you press the big red button and get even more drunk. Eventually, you take yourself home full of melancholy, chaos and anger.”

Following their critically acclaimed 2024 debut 'One More Thing', which captured the raw live energy that earned them slots at festivals including Glastonbury and Green Man, Maybe Not Tonight sees Lime Garden expand their signature “wonk-pop” sound upwards and outwards. The result is their most intoxicating and luminous material to date.

Vivel is Alexander Eldefors’ second release under his own name. Built around eurorack and field recordings, many captured during still moments while traveling to visit family and friends. The album was created during a period of transition. It functions as an anchor in a time of change, representing a sense of home, safety, and stillness.

Alexander Eldefors is a producer, composer, and mixing engineer based in the countryside outside of Stockholm, Sweden. With a background as both a sound engineer and musician, he has spent years recording, mixing and playing in a wide range of bands and solo projects. In 2019, he consciously slowed down and returned to a more intimate and quiet musical expression, leading to the release of his debut album Bergen in 2020 under his own name. Bergen is the Swedish word for mountains and reflects the fact that Alexander grew up in the north of Sweden close to the mountains.

His music is minimalistic, melodic, and embracing, shaped by a deep connection to nature. Natural environments are a constant presence in his work, serving both as inspiration and as a sound source. Alongside this, he is drawn to the raw textures of everyday objects, working with foley sounds and field recordings. His arrangements unfold as organic sound collages, where elements blend freely and imperfections are preserved to maintain a natural, human feel.

2026 Repress

Lisa Decker returned with her second studio album "Soliloquise" one year after her debut album "Serendipity" in 2021 with Japanese Jazz trio Nautilus from Tokyo and a superb single remix of "Everytime" by Pat Van Dyke featuring rapper John Robinson.

For this project she worked on eight new songs. Half of the album is arranged by Nautilus and the other half is produced by SaturnVybz who is known for his works with/and projects like Slick Walk, The Ruff Cats and Jazzanova.

Getting a step forward and conceptually a bit different this release gets the "Oonops Drops" FLIP SERIES treatment which means: Side A and Side B are made by different artists or differentiate from each other like the first volume with Nautilus X Anna Sato & Toshiyuki Sasaki (OD006LP).

Songs like "Free", "Let's Wake Up" and "Summer Child" with their feel warm note of groovy, jazzy pop and the more swing-jazz tune "Rimy Whitewater" meet guitar-electronic touched songs like "Love And Hope", "On My Way" and "True Blue" or her dreamt away track "Stay With Me" with smooth bouncy beats and with an atmosphere for being the perfect soundtrack for a night ride on deserted streets.

Lisa is careful about the artwork and after working together with renowned artist Lindsey Kustusch from San Francisco on her first album she collaborates with local artist Sebastian Maria Otto who is known for his signature art style and exhibitions from Germany to Japan.

Lisa will perform live in Hanover, the 20th May at roof top of the Historical Museum together with Nautilus. Japan meets Germany. Lucky coincidence or: "Serendipity".

Mango Glow Edition. Das experimentelle Berliner Trio ZAHN kehrt mit seinem bislang elektrisierendsten Werk zurück. Eine üppige Fusion aus Schwere, Elektronik und halluzinatorischen Farben. Monolithische Grooves treffen auf synthetischen Schimmer. PURPUR strahlt Spannung und Gefahr aus und pulsiert mit Tiefe und Dichte. Bekannt für ihren intensiven, treibenden Sound, der den unerbittlichen Marsch einer Welt am Abgrund widerspiegelt, vertieft das Trio ZAHN - Chris Breuer, Nic Stockmann und Felix Gebhard - seine klangliche Erkundung mit einem Album, das gleichzeitig elektronischer und rockiger ist als seine gefeierten Vorgänger. Purpur orientiert sich am lebhaften Cover des Albums - einer Explosion aus Trauben und Beeren, die seinen üppigen, farbenfrohen Sound widerspiegelt. Das Album verbindet kraftvolle Genres zu etwas Frischem und Elektrisierendem: schwere Fundamente treffen auf reichhaltige elektronische Texturen und schaffen Schichten aus Farbe, Komplexität und einem Hauch von halluzinatorischer Süße. Erneut in Gyhum mit dem Toningenieur Peter Voigtmann (ex-The Ocean, Death By Gong, Heads.) aufgenommen, tritt Purpur in die Fußstapfen der bisherigen Werke der Band, markiert aber auch einen mutigen Sprung nach vorne. Gastbeiträge von Fabian Bremer (Radare, AUA) und Kjetil Nernes (Årabrot) vertiefen das Gefühl der Unruhe und Faszination des Albums, während Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna) mit seinem Mix und Mastering dem Album die Tiefe eines unterirdischen Pulses verleiht - knackig, schwer und lebendig mit mikroskopischen Details. Während ,Adria" eine lebhafte Flucht durch Krautrock, Dark Jazz, Noise Rock und Post-Punk bot, zieht ,Purpur" die Zuhörer in eine dichtere, komplexere und eng verwobene Klanglandschaft. Das dritte Album der Band ist ein berauschender Wirbel aus synthetischem Puls und physischer Schwere - ein Album, das sich eher wie fermentiert als wie komponiert anfühlt.

THE RAPPER ANDPRODUCER"S NEW ALBUM
Palmier is producer and rapper Rocé"s new album. At the crossroads of Sade and Rakim, the album unfolds an impeccable flow over gentle melodies, the mellow sound of the saxophone softening the sharpness of the spoken truths. Rocé delivers a melody of hope, and appreciation of determination in the face of the impossible. "La Voie Lactée" features the captivating voice of Natacha Atlas and the sublime orchestrated violins of Samy Bishaï, the whole thing wrapped up in the style reminiscent of Isaac Hayes" soul and Portishead"s trip-hop. "Laisse les enfants courir" reveals a soulful hip-hop,between powerful groove and relentless flow, where Rocé blends political lucidity and poetic verse while Cisko"s subtle arrangements sculpt an organic, sensitive landscape, poised between tension and serenity. On "Lunaire", Rocé surprises us right away, with a sharp and melodic flow. Driven by powerful imagery and sharp lyrics, the track transforms anger into creative energy. It portrays an artist outsidethe mainstream, awareof the world"s failings but determined to create his own haven. Palmier embodies the melancholy of unfinished struggles, perseverance, and the promise of a brighter dawn.

With Alouette!, Les Louanges attempts to make sense of his human condition and Québécois identity by bringing guitars and Joual (the French language dialect spoken in Québec) to the forefront while still fuelling his signature grooves. More rock-oriented than his previous albums, this third effort is luminous yet rich in sounds, emotion and political commentary. It unfolds through a journey that will lead Loulou to encounter universal experiences such as illness, death, and true love.

The album is also the result of an artistic quest that began during a period of self-reflection, when Vincent Roberge (aka Les Louanges or Loulou) seized the opportunity to take a break after his last extended tour. Alongside the existential questions typical of someone approaching their thirties came a rediscovery of the classics—from Leonard Cohen and Prince to Richard Desjardins and the nursery rhyme that gives the album its name–, followed by total exploration. In addition to playing most of the instruments himself, the singer-songwriter revived obscure Quebec records through sampling and got to experiment with actual sound recording. Roberge co-produced Alouette! with his long-time collaborator Félix Petit (because why change a winning formula).

Four years after the success of his sophomore album Crash, Les Louanges returns more confident than ever, thanks to a renewed cultural and emotional baggage that allows him to reflect on the past to better engage with the present, while also enjoying it to the fullest. All of this, without overlooking the future, which he foresees with hope despite the collective challenges that await us.

The cycle of life and nature is a precious and wondrous thing. We are born. We learn. We live. We die. And after death, another life awaits. When the world succumbs to the cold, dark grasp of winter, the promise of a spring birthing everything anew keeps hope alive. Such is the journey we make, and such is the lifespan of “Faþir”. Heaving, pulsating, filled with contrasts: ardent hostility and fiery revenge, blossoming life and lush fertility, soul-wrenching grief and deep anguish. Such is the path we walk under the guidance of the deities – the helping hand of a father, the nurturing wisdom in times of need. But sometimes, a treacherous god leads us into death and despair, albeit always with an underlying purpose. Such is “Faþir”.

With eloquence, elegance, and emotion, L. Swärd has created another monolith of sublime art to add to Forndom’s impeccable discography. This highly awaited follow-up to 2016’s “Dauðra Dura” is nothing short of a modern masterpiece, rooted in ancient ways. Expressive vocals and strings soar atop a foundation of unyielding drums, like spirits dancing in the skies yet bound to the human pulse. Never surrendering its strong connection to our mortal world, “Faþir” carries a deeply sacred dimension – a glimpse of the divine, seen through a lens of devotion and veracity. The joining of death and life, if you will.

The thick atmospheres and vast inner landscapes Forndom creates are more prevalent than ever, and from the first trembling string introduction of “Jakten” to the last wistful beat of “Hemkomst”, one is transported to another time, another place, and another mindset – leaving behind the calamity, stress, and superficiality of the modern world, and rediscovering the lost wisdom hidden behind the veil of passing years.

JAPAN & PORCUPINE TREE SYNTHESIST RICHARD BARBIERI RETURNS WITH NEW STUDIO ALBUM 'HAUNTINGS' GATEFOLD 2LP EDITION, PRESSED ON CLASSIC BLACK VINYL. Richard Barbieri remains one of contemporary music's most distinctive voices. Emerging as a key architect of the late '70s/'80s synthesiser revolution with David Sylvian's art-rock ensemble Japan, his visionary synthesiser programming expanded the horizons of electronic music & left a lasting mark on artists from The Human League & Duran Duran to Gary Numan & Talk Talk. His subsequent & ongoing tenure with Steven Wilson's legendary progressive outfit Porcupine Tree across albums such as 'In Absentia' (2002), 'Fear Of A Blank Planet' (2007) &, most recently, 'Closure/Continuation' (2022) further affirmed his status as one of the most intuitive & unique musicians of his generation.

'Hauntings' is Barbieri's first studio album since 2021's 'Under A Spell', deepening the pensive, dark instrumental aesthetic of its predecessor. A diverse collection of immersive sound worlds, both dark & uplifting in equal measure, 'Hauntings' is influenced by a nostalgia for the past & future, & for things that didn't happen yet still manage to haunt the mind & soul. What is real & what is simulation? The album finds Barbieri at the height of his powers, his deft keyboard & sonic architecture conjuring a shadowy, creeping Lovecraftian atmosphere. The music wanders through the streets of a gloomy lamp-lit Victorian London & drifts into grain-speckled snapshots of Belle Époque Paris. These journeys into the past are contrasted with nihilistic but euphoric forays into the future, "Traveler" & "A New Simulation" bristling with the itchy modern anxiety that often runs through his best work. Contrasting the sound designs & electronics of Barbieri, the album features performances from renowned musicians Morgan Agren (drums & percussion), Percy Jones (bass guitar) & Luca Calabrese (trumpet). This 2LP 45 RPM edition of 'Hauntings' is presented in gatefold packaging & pressed on classic black vinyl.

American Steel is the last great band to come out of Berkeley's 924 Gilman scene. Forged in the same ¬res as Operation Ivy, Crimpshrine, and Rancid, these soulful punks have at long last decided to unearth their self-titled album from 1998. AmSteel evolved into one of the most artful and sophisticated punk bands around, but this quartet began as a truly raw and wrathful DIY outfit, and we're grateful for the opportunity to share this 17-song hidden gem. We have been begging the band to release this material since Red Scare first began. Literally pestering them for twenty years. Listen to this dynamic debut and you will understand why.

Nehmt Euch einen Moment und lässt Euch die Kataloge dieser Meister des amerikanischen Folk auf der Zunge zergehen: MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO., CENTRO-MATIC, SONGS: OHIA, SOUTH SAN GABRIEL. Und lasst uns ganz ehrlich sein: Eine Dosis des künstlerischen Egos und ein wenig Eitelkeit können einen höheren Dienst erfüllen. Auf dieser Kollaboration von Jason Molina und Will Johnson scheint der jeweils andere Künstler sein Gegenüber und dessen Talent zu befeuern und sowohl die Performance als auch die Kreativität auf neue Höhen zu befördern. Im brüderlichen Teilen von Ideen werden Molina und Johnson zwei Poeten unter Poeten, die sich in ihrer Werkstatt daran machen, eine einzige, übergeordnete Elegie zu erschaffen. Der einzigartige Stil und die typische Produktion jedes einzelnen Musikers fügen sich hier zu einer gemeinsamen Schnittmenge zusammen. Der dokumentarische Ansatz eines Jason Molina richtet sich ganz häuslich in den subtilen Störungen und Produktionstricks eine Will Johnson ein, während der kräftige Tenor von Molina einen perfekten Tanzpartner in der sanften Reibeisenstimme von Johnson findet. Während die individuellen Performances hier bereits atemberaubend sind, ist die Zusammenkunft beider das, was den Zauber von "Molina&Johnson" ausmacht.

Some years ago, Kjell Bjørgeengen and Keith Rowe attempted to convert video signals into sound by setting up Rowe’s pickups next to an old CRT monitor, turning its magnetic field into a sound generator. Rowe further developed the system with David Jones at Alfred University, slimming down the setup using a copper coil, a circuit board, a video input, and a telephone pickup. Jones named it the »Flood Coil«, and it’s that instrument you can see on the album’s front cover and that lies at the core of these recordings, made without any physical live input from the artists themselves. In essence, it’s generative music in its purest form.

Bjørgeengen’s video feed is generated by oscillators, then routed into Marhaug’s pedals and then back into the Flood Coil, so any visual shifts alter the sound, and any modification to the sound changes the video. The duo have played this setup live many times, but for this studio version they left the system to do its thing without any intervention for two minutes at a time before moving onto the next idea. They recorded hours and hours using this process and then selected 18 highlights for this album, extracting harsh noise, power electronics, lulling feedback drone, and peculiar rhythmic snippets to show the scope of their technique.

A wall of growling, hi-octane Pulse Demon-style noise opens the set, gradually exposing us to more asymmetric textures, shifting through unstable repetitions that transform Merzbow’s metal-inspired screams into »Aaltopiiri«-era rhythmic noise. It’s remarkable, actually, how much Marhaug and Bjørgeengen can squeeze from the system, chancing on shivering, lower-case chugs and pops, galloping drums, soundsystem subs, and grinding blast beats that sound like Napalm Death’s »Scum« piped through a broken amp stack. It ain’t pretty, but noise/industrial freaks will revel in the fierce delights inside.