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Die neue Welle des Indie-Pop. Die Band ,Touch Girl Apple Blossom" aus Austin ist dafür bekannt, ihr Herz auf der Zunge zu tragen. Und vielleicht liegt es ja an ihrem Namen, dass die Leute bei K Records das Gefühl haben, sie hätten bei K. ihren richtigen Platz gefunden.

Pete Lambrou, the visionary composer and multi-instrumentalist behind VLMV (pronounced "Alma"), is one of the most singular voices emerging from the ambient, post-rock, and experimental scenes in the UK. With a career that spans atmospheric solo work, film and television scoring, and evocative live performance, Lambrou has carved out a distinctive sonic universe he describes as "ambient-ish post-something" (Pete Lambrou) a playful yet accurate summation of a sound that is at once genre-fluid and deeply immersive. The album takes its title from Sara Teasdale's 1918 poem and Ray Bradbury's later short story, both of which imagine a world continuing quietly after humanity's disappearance. This idea became the gravitational centre around which the record formed. Written during a period of deep engagement with climate fiction and ecological thought, `There Will Come Soft Rains` reflects on humanity's legacy, its technological ambition, and its uneasy relationship with the natural world. A century on from Teasdale's poem, the balance of power feels less certain, and Lambrou's music inhabits that tension with remarkable subtlety. "The initial ideas stem mostly from chaos, randomness or sound exploration and then get shaped as I go. Typically, and certainly for this album. It's evolved since album 1, which was more song / chord based. It's a fun process of finding the sound and then working out whether it's speaking to me - or merely just a cool noise. That's fun, but it sometimes can't evolve or progress, so then begins the long journey of shaping it into some sort of song format - which doesn't have to be a-typica,l but whatever feels right to me. The subject matter and overall theme is important too - it's got to all make sense within itself. There's no point having a slowly creeping theme and then rush the music." (Pete Lambrou) VLMV embody an emotional honesty that works with patience and nuance. Whether you're encountering his music for the first time or returning to its quiet depths, VLMV offers an aural space that resonates long after the final note fades. Lambrou's singular sonic language sits at the intersection of ambient, post-rock, modern classical, and experimental electronic music, while remaining unmistakably human at its core. "Instrumentally it's far more synth based - as soon as I had the concept, I wanted to make sure technology clash and marry with traditional instruments (at different times) in a sort of slow-moving dance I suppose. One is nature, one is human development and technology. Sometimes working together and sometimes in opposition. On my previous albums I'd say that at least half of the tracks started life as songs, whereas with `There Will Come Soft Rains` I think the majority (if not all) started as experiments in sound." (Pete Lambrou) Sonically, the album is VLMV at its most cinematic and textural. Warm, intimate piano figures and elegiac string arrangements are set against unstable modular synthesis, fractured rhythms, and evolving sound design. The organic and the artificial are locked in a slow, shifting dialogue, mirroring the album's central themes. At times the music feels tender and nostalgic, at others unpredictable and mournful, yet it never tips into despair. Instead, a quiet resilience runs throughout the record. "The album is slightly unusual in that it was mixed in Dolby Atmos before being mixed down to stereo. Most, if not all, do it the other way round. That's because I got to work with a superb mix engineer who just happens to live opposite. It was extremely random and lucky, moving to a tiny hamlet in the South of England and there being a Dolby Atmos studio opposite with a genius of an engineer. We had in mind that we would do it this way round and enjoy the mix process and give everything its own space - it still had issues when folding down to stereo, but overall a more pleasurable mix!" (Pete Lambrou) There Will Come Soft Rains has a geological sense of time: themes creep, expand, erode, and reform, resisting conventional structures in favour of something more patient and immersive. Each sound exists because it needs to; they move, recede, and emerge with a three-dimensional clarity that enhances the music's cinematic quality, giving each element room to breathe while maintaining an enveloping sense of cohesion. Lambrou's unique voice is Intimate and fragile, his vocals hover above the instrumentation, a guiding thread through the expansive soundscapes, drawing listeners closer into the emotional core of each piece. "Long time vocal collaborator Anja Madhvani did lots of harmonies on the album - I wanted to include her voice as much as possible on this album. In terms of string players - 3/4 have been long term collaborators with me. Marie Schreer actually recorded all strings on my first album ALMA, and Fraser & Clodagh have worked on every album (and occasional live shows) since Stranded Not Lost. In terms of art - Joel Cammarata designed the cover, and accompanying art - he designed Sing With Abandon and I absolutely adore his work, but also - he's so great at understanding and developing and capturing the concept." (Pete Lambrou) Layered harmonies drift through the music like distant signals or half-remembered voices. Madhvani's presence adds a human fragility to the album's vast soundscapes, reinforcing the sense of memory and longing that runs beneath the surface. The strings, performed by a close circle of trusted collaborators, further ground the record in warmth and physicality, acting as a counterweight to the synthetic elements that threaten to unravel it. "Despite the heavy subject matter, I wanted to create an album that imparts hope and optimism, marrying traditional instrumentation as nostalgia, with technological innovation through the randomness of modular synths." (Pete Lambrou) The partnership with Pelagic Records feels both organic and significant. Known for championing artists who value emotional weight, sonic ambition, and artistic integrity, the label provides a natural home for VLMV's work. Lambrou's music shares Pelagic's ethos: immersive, patient, and unafraid of scale whether intimate or vast. With There Will Come Soft Rains, Pete Lambrou has crafted a work that feels timely without being didactic, expansive without being overwhelming. It stands as a quiet, but powerful statement that lingers long after the final notes fade. FOR FANS OF Sigur Ros * Olafur Arnalds * Radiohead * Keaton Henson * This Will Destroy You

Pete Lambrou, the visionary composer and multi-instrumentalist behind VLMV (pronounced "Alma"), is one of the most singular voices emerging from the ambient, post-rock, and experimental scenes in the UK. With a career that spans atmospheric solo work, film and television scoring, and evocative live performance, Lambrou has carved out a distinctive sonic universe he describes as "ambient-ish post-something" (Pete Lambrou) a playful yet accurate summation of a sound that is at once genre-fluid and deeply immersive. The album takes its title from Sara Teasdale's 1918 poem and Ray Bradbury's later short story, both of which imagine a world continuing quietly after humanity's disappearance. This idea became the gravitational centre around which the record formed. Written during a period of deep engagement with climate fiction and ecological thought, `There Will Come Soft Rains` reflects on humanity's legacy, its technological ambition, and its uneasy relationship with the natural world. A century on from Teasdale's poem, the balance of power feels less certain, and Lambrou's music inhabits that tension with remarkable subtlety. "The initial ideas stem mostly from chaos, randomness or sound exploration and then get shaped as I go. Typically, and certainly for this album. It's evolved since album 1, which was more song / chord based. It's a fun process of finding the sound and then working out whether it's speaking to me - or merely just a cool noise. That's fun, but it sometimes can't evolve or progress, so then begins the long journey of shaping it into some sort of song format - which doesn't have to be a-typica,l but whatever feels right to me. The subject matter and overall theme is important too - it's got to all make sense within itself. There's no point having a slowly creeping theme and then rush the music." (Pete Lambrou) VLMV embody an emotional honesty that works with patience and nuance. Whether you're encountering his music for the first time or returning to its quiet depths, VLMV offers an aural space that resonates long after the final note fades. Lambrou's singular sonic language sits at the intersection of ambient, post-rock, modern classical, and experimental electronic music, while remaining unmistakably human at its core. "Instrumentally it's far more synth based - as soon as I had the concept, I wanted to make sure technology clash and marry with traditional instruments (at different times) in a sort of slow-moving dance I suppose. One is nature, one is human development and technology. Sometimes working together and sometimes in opposition. On my previous albums I'd say that at least half of the tracks started life as songs, whereas with `There Will Come Soft Rains` I think the majority (if not all) started as experiments in sound." (Pete Lambrou) Sonically, the album is VLMV at its most cinematic and textural. Warm, intimate piano figures and elegiac string arrangements are set against unstable modular synthesis, fractured rhythms, and evolving sound design. The organic and the artificial are locked in a slow, shifting dialogue, mirroring the album's central themes. At times the music feels tender and nostalgic, at others unpredictable and mournful, yet it never tips into despair. Instead, a quiet resilience runs throughout the record. "The album is slightly unusual in that it was mixed in Dolby Atmos before being mixed down to stereo. Most, if not all, do it the other way round. That's because I got to work with a superb mix engineer who just happens to live opposite. It was extremely random and lucky, moving to a tiny hamlet in the South of England and there being a Dolby Atmos studio opposite with a genius of an engineer. We had in mind that we would do it this way round and enjoy the mix process and give everything its own space - it still had issues when folding down to stereo, but overall a more pleasurable mix!" (Pete Lambrou) There Will Come Soft Rains has a geological sense of time: themes creep, expand, erode, and reform, resisting conventional structures in favour of something more patient and immersive. Each sound exists because it needs to; they move, recede, and emerge with a three-dimensional clarity that enhances the music's cinematic quality, giving each element room to breathe while maintaining an enveloping sense of cohesion. Lambrou's unique voice is Intimate and fragile, his vocals hover above the instrumentation, a guiding thread through the expansive soundscapes, drawing listeners closer into the emotional core of each piece. "Long time vocal collaborator Anja Madhvani did lots of harmonies on the album - I wanted to include her voice as much as possible on this album. In terms of string players - 3/4 have been long term collaborators with me. Marie Schreer actually recorded all strings on my first album ALMA, and Fraser & Clodagh have worked on every album (and occasional live shows) since Stranded Not Lost. In terms of art - Joel Cammarata designed the cover, and accompanying art - he designed Sing With Abandon and I absolutely adore his work, but also - he's so great at understanding and developing and capturing the concept." (Pete Lambrou) Layered harmonies drift through the music like distant signals or half-remembered voices. Madhvani's presence adds a human fragility to the album's vast soundscapes, reinforcing the sense of memory and longing that runs beneath the surface. The strings, performed by a close circle of trusted collaborators, further ground the record in warmth and physicality, acting as a counterweight to the synthetic elements that threaten to unravel it. "Despite the heavy subject matter, I wanted to create an album that imparts hope and optimism, marrying traditional instrumentation as nostalgia, with technological innovation through the randomness of modular synths." (Pete Lambrou) The partnership with Pelagic Records feels both organic and significant. Known for championing artists who value emotional weight, sonic ambition, and artistic integrity, the label provides a natural home for VLMV's work. Lambrou's music shares Pelagic's ethos: immersive, patient, and unafraid of scale whether intimate or vast. With There Will Come Soft Rains, Pete Lambrou has crafted a work that feels timely without being didactic, expansive without being overwhelming. It stands as a quiet, but powerful statement that lingers long after the final notes fade. FOR FANS OF Sigur Ros * Olafur Arnalds * Radiohead * Keaton Henson * This Will Destroy You

Purple Haze started out in Linköping in 1981. When singer Christer Göransson joined them towards the end of the year, they soon changed their moniker to Genocide (after the Judas Priest song of the same name) and supported local metal heroes Axewitch. A final name change was to follow: In August 1983, the band, now called Mindless Sinner, recorded a four-track demo entitled »Master Of Evil«, consisting of the title track, “Broken Freedom”, “Key Of Fortune” and “Screaming For Mercy”. This attracted Swedish label Fingerprint Records, and they in turn released the NWOBHM-inspired material as a mini-album with an awful cover and getting the band’s name wrong (spelling it Mindless Sinners). By then, the line-up of the band was Anders Karlsson (bass), Magnus Danneblad (guitar), Jerker Edman (guitar), Tommy Johansson (drums) and vocalist Christer Göransson. »Master Of Evil« originally saw the light of day on Fingerprint in January 1984. Christer Göransson takes us back to the early days of Mindless Sinner saying: “We wanted to record an album, but we couldn’t afford the studio cost. We were lucky to win a music contest, and the price money paid for the studio. I remember walking into the studio, and we thought it was like a spaceship in there, with all the buttons and flashing lights everywhere. We recorded the four songs that would become »Master Of Evil«. We then gave the tape to the Axewitch guys, and they played it to their record label at the time Fingerprint/Web Records and they liked it so much that they signed us as well.” Over the years, the music of Mindless Sinner has often been compared to the Tygers Of Pan Tang from England but Christer Göransson doesn’t see too many similarities: “We really love Tygers Of Pan Tang but I don’t think they were a big influence. It was more Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Dio etcetera. That kinda stuff.” In addition to the four tracks of the original edition of »Master Of Evil«, the current High Roller Records pressing also contains the five songs of the band’s first demo tape from early 1983 (including “Mindless Sinner”, “Higher And Higher”, “We All Go Back”, “Heavy Metal Will Never Die” and “City Games”). All nine tracks were mastered by Patrick W. Engel at his Temple Of Disharmony in November 2025. Cutting by SST Germany on Neumann machines for maximum quality on all levels ... The ultimate audiophile re-issue of this Swedish metal classic!

Floh de Cologne – Lucky Streik ist ein Klassiker der deutschen Krautrock-/Rockgeschichte, erstmals veröffentlicht Anfang der 1970er Jahre und nun wieder als 2LP-VinylEdition erhältlich. Die Platte vereint politisch engagierte und experimentelle Rockmusik mit gesellschaftskritischen Texten, für die die Band bekannt ist

2026 Repress


Another Thought was the first collection of Arthur Russell’s music to be released after his death in 1992. Released in 1993 on Point Music it marked the beginning of nearly 30 years of work to let the world hear the enormous archive of unreleased recordings Arthur left behind. Be With revisits this first compilation for a new gatefold double vinyl version and a triple-fold digipak CD reissue.

Both versions of Be With’s 2021 reissue of Another Thought have been mastered by Simon Francis and the vinyl cut by Pete Norman. The original artwork has been restored and tweaked at Be With HQ for the gatefold sleeve and the triple-fold digipak, with the essential help of Janette Beckman. Each version comes with an insert reproducing the liner notes and lyrics from the original CD release.

Together with Calling Out Of Context, Soul Jazz’s World of Arthur Russell, and much of the ongoing work of Audika, Another Thought is absolutely essential for even the most casual Arthur Russell collection. In fact we’d argue it’s essential for any fan of non-obvious pop music. This is the only place where you can hear some of Arthur’s most recognisable tunes and it’s an album that absolutely deserves to be kept in press.


We’ll assume that by now you’re all at least a little familiar with the story of Arthur Russell, the farm boy from Iowa who moved to 1970s New York. Arthur Russell the genuine musical genius who died just 40 years old, leaving behind a wealth of music that dwarfed the few 12"s and LPs that were released during his short life.

Although Arthur had been working on an album for Rough Trade during his last years, with the label no-longer operating it was Point Music (Philip Glass and Michael Riesman’s label set up together with Philips) who stepped in to help Arthur’s partner Tom Lee start working out exactly what Arthur had left behind.

Tom suggested that Arthur’s friend Mikel Rouse was the right person to make the first catalogue. Working in Tom and Arthur’s apartment he had only two weeks to go through what turned out to be around 800 tapes.

As Tom explained “at the end of each day he would generally wait for me to come home and I would, to the best of my knowledge, name and identify pieces in question from that day’s work. As he worked Mikel compiled about a dozen cassettes that he thought would present the most finished sounding songs for Don/Point to use. As Don listened he would then suggest and ask me and thus we collaborated on the choices.”

Don is Don Christensen, Another Thought’s producer. With a final selection of songs from recordings made between 1982 and 1990, including sessions with some of Arthur’s regular collaborators Peter Zummo, Steven Hall, Mustafa Ahmed, Elodie Lauten, Julius Eastman, Jennifer Warnes and Joyce Bowden, it was then Don’s job to turn these into a finished album.

Another Thought is a little different from the compilations of Arthur’s music that came out since. In our conversations with Steve Knutson (who founded Audika Records and who manages Arthur’s estate together with Tom), he explained that “more than any project released by Arthur during his lifetime or posthumously by Audika, ‘Another Thought’ is the most worked over. The material was significantly edited and rearranged from the original source tapes”.

If the aim was to release a comprehensive exploration of every facet of Arthur’s music, from the most avant-garde of his avant-garde compositions through to the most disco-not-disco of his disco-not-disco tunes then the project was a spectacular failure. But as a coherent album of non-obvious pop music Another Thought is wonderful.

Starting with the sparse voice-and-cello of the title track, A Little Lost adds some guitar along with the sneaking suspicion that we’re listening to something nowhere near as simple as it first sounds. By the time we get to This Is How We Walk On The Moon - it could be the moment you notice the congas, or the percussion that’s been building behind them, or maybe it’s that blast of trumpet and trombone - we realise we’ve gone from splashing around to being completely submerged in the musical world of Arthur Russell.

From here the album heads off on its journey around the sounds of the left-field contemporary classical music of the time, re-directed towards pop ears, with minor detours through the swirling woozy disco of the half-remembered night before on In The Light Of The Miracle and My Tiger, My Timing. Whether it’s just Arthur, his cello and some bleeps on Just A Blip, or whether he has some vocal help as he does on the bounding Keeping Up, this is difficult music made so, so easy. And through it all is Arthur’s voice and cello. Sometimes drowned in distortion and sometimes clear as a bell, but always there somewhere.

A Sudden Chill finally returns us to the calmer waters we started in and this last track closes the album with a melancholy that’s not surprising given how soon after Arthur’s death the album was put together.

Whilst Another Thought holds together with the consistency of a proper album, there’s still no getting away from the fact that this was put together from audio recorded in different ways, in different places, with different people at different times. Those with keen ears will hear traces of tape hiss, the occasional blown-out note and some digital fuzz, all fingerprints of those original recordings as well as of the 1990s digital equipment that was used to piece Another Thought together.

Add to this Arthur’s obvious pleasure in making music from the sort of sounds that can make microphones, speakers and ears uncomfortable, it’s no surprise that Another Thought isn’t glossy and pristine. Don Christensen’s productions have been careful to not scrub up those original recordings so much that they lose their original vibe, understandable given that Arthur wasn’t around as a guide. We’ve applied a similarly light touch with the mastering for these Be With versions, just working to make sure they sound like they should on both the vinyl and the CD.

Despite the Discogs rumours, Another Thought was never originally released as an LP. So when it came to the sleeve for this Be With vinyl version we took the original CD artwork as a starting point to come up with something that looks like it could have been in the record racks back in 1993.

We have to thank Janette Beckman for helping us reproduce her iconic photograph of Arthur in his newspaper boat hat. One of many photographs she took of Arthur, Janette shot this in her New York studio back in 1986 for a short article in the January ’87 issue of The Face Magazine. Those with eagle-eyes will notice we’ve used an ever-so-slightly different shot from the one that appeared in The Face and then again on the original cover of Another Thought. The original has long since been lost so we’ve worked with what is left in Janette’s archives. And we also have to thank Tom Lee for giving us permission to reproduce his liner notes from the original CD booklet, together with Arthur’s lyrics.

And another new volume of the Meeting Of The Minds series is here, with 4 new collaborations I've done with other producers in the jungle scene!

"Casual Loop" is a collaboration that me & Submerse started working on in 2023 but it was another one of the tracks that I had lost due to my computer being stolen in early 2024, & I hadn't fully backed up everything I had done for a few months, including this track. This meant I had to re-do a lot of the work I had done with what Submerse had started but I was lucky enough to get it near identical to how it was sounding and ready for release. Submerse has been on Future Retro London a few times, with his EP release (FR033) & a track featured on the atmospheric VA EP (FR049) that came out late last year, I'm a huge fan of his musicality & his melodies, which made this track really fun to work on, even with all the obstacles faced!

My first interaction with Quaad goes way back to 2013, when he asked me for a guest mix for a radio show called The After Party that was on C89.5FM in Seattle (which is still up on my SoundCloud for anyone curious) and then before he started his current label (Heavy Sounds), he had started a label with Wetman called Vivid Recordings, which he was sending me the releases on (but I think in standard fashion, I kept forgetting to check them!). But it wasn't until 2022 when me & Dwarde played in Seattle with him and I saw his live Amiga set where he was playing a lot of his own music, & from then on, I was better aware of what he was doing & I got to hang out with him & know him a bit better, which is when I then fully started following what he was doing. Then eventually, we ended up doing a track together (he also uses FL Studio, just like me) and "Judge Dredd" is the end result of that.

Samurai Breaks is also someone that I've known of for a long time but didn't really properly connect with until recent years where I saw what he was doing with his label Super Sonic Booty Bangers, which also does events in Sheffield which I played for in 2024. It was quite an interesting collab because I don't think many people would have necessarily expected our styles to really gel well together but I think we managed to hit a nice midpoint between his craziness & mine haha

Fixate is most likely another person that people would not have anticipated as someone that I would collaborate with, mainly because the style of tune people know him for is more tied with the footwork/halftime sound that became popular in the 2010s, as well as his output as 1/2 of dubstep duo Leftlow, but he has made some jungle in the past & I'm always down for the challenge of stepping outside of my comfort zone to work with people who are not mainly based in the newskool jungle scene but have an appreciation for it. I found out about him through the releases he had on Exit Records from 2015 onwards, plus he was also a part of Richie Brains (the project in 2016 involving many artists forming a loose collective) so I was aware of what he was doing but I properly got to know him from when I went bowling with him, Dwarde & LMajor back in 2022 and then he sent me something to work on early last year (another FL Studio producer btw!), which I took my sweet time in starting it but eventually got done & here we are! And for those wondering, the track title (May Contain Traces) alludes to me & Fixate's shared allergy towards nuts (although his is a lot more severe than mine), which was the only thing I could think of to name the track after when it came down to it!

At the start of this summer, following a three-year hiatus for Daphni (punctuated only by his first ever collaborative Daphni track ‘Unidos’ alongside Sofia Kourtesis), he dropped ‘Sad Piano House’. The track represented something of a continuation in the Daphni catalogue, its roots growing from Cherry’s ‘Cloudy’ and its subsequent Kelbin remix, something in that song’s makeup having a profound effect when played on dancefloors by Snaith and countless others. ‘Sad Piano House’ deployed more intangibly irresistible bendy piano to equally satisfying effect and continues to achieve similarly rhapsodic dancefloor saturation.
Though a sizeable gap for Daphni releases, between Cherry and Butterfly however of course sits Honey, the latest Caribou album and one that saw the more instantaneous and dancefloor leaning traits of Daphni peaking through the cracks more than ever before. This blurring of the lines leads to an intriguing collaboration in Butterfly’s lead single ‘Waiting So Long (feat. Caribou)’. An unlikely duo - in that both artists are the same man, Dan Snaith - ‘Waiting So Long’ is not so much an identity crisis, ego trip, or the result of a chemical spill in the Snaith laboratory. It’s simply a track that Snaith felt for the first time belongs to both aliases, and might appeal to fans of both. He has never sung on a Daphni track before, and did not set out with the intention to do so this time, and yet this strange billing was born.

Daphni music has always been Snaith’s way of hitting directly to the core of the dancefloors he spends so much of his time playing to, and those dancefloors have been steadily expanding as his name grows, with the music following suit. This album however also draws from further back with a definite kinship to the very first Daphni album, the invigorating bag of ideas that was Jiaolong.
Butterfly is a showcase of the wonderful variety and surprising twists and turns that made that album such an exciting new prospect and that still to this day make Snaith such an intriguing DJ. There are more heavy hitters here, tracks that fill those dancefloors better than anyone, like ‘Clap Your Hands’ which picks up the energy of ‘Sad Piano House’ and flips it, exposing the gritty and intoxicating underbelly of Snaith’s hitmaking side, while retaining the playful urgency that runs through all of his work of late. Meanwhile ‘Hang’’s comic-strip horns are unpinned by gleeful force, unrelenting and thrillingly unshakeable. Elsewhere though comes a clutch of other tunes that might creep out somewhere more off the beaten path, a path Snaith has never stopped seeking in amongst his larger billings. ‘Lucky’ is squirmy and elusively intoxicating, ‘Invention’ skitters down meandering, inviting corridors, ‘Talk To Me’ grumbles and broods in the murk, and ‘Miles Smiles’ could roll on endlessly, so confident in its groove. There are no obvious peaks in these tracks or unifying moments, in fact many of them really have no business being on the dancefloor at all, and yet in the right setting, they could be the most fun to be had all night.

One such club is a good microcosm for the ethos of Butterfly as a whole. “Around the time I was finishing up this album I played a long set in a club called Open Ground in Wuppertal, Germany.” Snaith recalls, “It’s kind of, in one sense, the platonic ideal of the kind of club I’d want to play in. Every single decision has been taken, at great expense, with the aim of making the perfect sounding medium sized club room. But on top of it being the perfect acoustic environment it also is run by an amazing collection of people in a way that gives it a sense of community that dance music at its best provides. It is an absolute pleasure to play in that room to a crowd of people who come from all over. Playing in there you feel like you can play anything, and I played works in progress of pretty much every track on this album in my set there. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing a short set at a festival or in a more raw warehouse kind of club where you bang it out and only really functional music works but on record I guess the point of these Daphni records is to keep in mind a more expansive idea of dance music where the parameters are broad and the church is broad. I think that actually, putting really functional stuff next to weirder tracks (both on an album and in a dj set) might be the thing that’s still most interesting to me.”
This is the feeling that’s most palpable on Butterfly, and in every single time you see Snaith DJ. Right from the inception of the Daphni alias - and even before that – the thrill of trying stuff out, pushing at the boundaries has always been there and on Butterfly is present in all its twists and turns. It leaps all over the place and yet it hangs together, never feeling like a grab bag of dancefloor utilities but rather a distillation of all the strings to Snaith’s bow, exhilaratingly human and unified by one singular concept – simple and joyful exploration.

Wigwam's previously unreleased rare live recording from 1976 out in February via Svart Records In the summer of 1976, Wigwam performed not only in Finland but also in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany. However, the pace slowed down afterward. The early autumn tours planned for European countries were cancelled, and even the replacement shows in Finland had to be postponed due to bassist Måns “Måsse” Groundstroem's sick leave. In October 1976 an opening appeared in the schedule for a studio session, during which Jim Pembroke’s third solo album, Corporal Cauliflower’s Mental Function, was recorded. After that, Wigwam played five gigs in Denmark at the end of November, followed by an equal number in Sweden. No exact information has survived about the concert setlists, but the band was in a stable phase, and certain songs had become staples in their live repertoire. Albums from Wigwam's deep-pop era, which began in autumn 1974, as well as Pembroke’s first solo records had already been released, and rehearsals were underway for what would become the Dark Album, released in 1977. It can be said that this concert, recorded for Danish Radio, is a strong representation of the band’s era at the time. The recording took place in northern Denmark, in a district called Lundtofte in Lyngby. Before this, Wigwam had performed in Køge and Århus, and after Lundtofte, gigs in Ballerup and Copenhagen awaited. Lundtofte was home to the Danish Technical University (DTU), where a student venue called “Studenterhuset” (Building 101) hosted a one- to two-day music events known as Polyjoint during the 1970’s. The events typically featured Danish bands, but also visiting acts like Wigwam. Most importantly, Danish Radio was sometimes present at these events. Wigwam had performed a studio concert for Danish Radio the previous year, but this particular recording is considered the more energetic of the two. Details have faded with time — for example, the identity of the second act at the concert is unknown. In any case, both guitarist Pekka “Rekku” Rechardt and keyboardist Pedro Hietanen remember the band being in high spirits, in top form, and highly motivated.

Wigwam's previously unreleased rare live recording from 1976 out in February via Svart Records In the summer of 1976, Wigwam performed not only in Finland but also in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany. However, the pace slowed down afterward. The early autumn tours planned for European countries were cancelled, and even the replacement shows in Finland had to be postponed due to bassist Måns “Måsse” Groundstroem's sick leave. In October 1976 an opening appeared in the schedule for a studio session, during which Jim Pembroke’s third solo album, Corporal Cauliflower’s Mental Function, was recorded. After that, Wigwam played five gigs in Denmark at the end of November, followed by an equal number in Sweden. No exact information has survived about the concert setlists, but the band was in a stable phase, and certain songs had become staples in their live repertoire. Albums from Wigwam's deep-pop era, which began in autumn 1974, as well as Pembroke’s first solo records had already been released, and rehearsals were underway for what would become the Dark Album, released in 1977. It can be said that this concert, recorded for Danish Radio, is a strong representation of the band’s era at the time. The recording took place in northern Denmark, in a district called Lundtofte in Lyngby. Before this, Wigwam had performed in Køge and Århus, and after Lundtofte, gigs in Ballerup and Copenhagen awaited. Lundtofte was home to the Danish Technical University (DTU), where a student venue called “Studenterhuset” (Building 101) hosted a one- to two-day music events known as Polyjoint during the 1970’s. The events typically featured Danish bands, but also visiting acts like Wigwam. Most importantly, Danish Radio was sometimes present at these events. Wigwam had performed a studio concert for Danish Radio the previous year, but this particular recording is considered the more energetic of the two. Details have faded with time — for example, the identity of the second act at the concert is unknown. In any case, both guitarist Pekka “Rekku” Rechardt and keyboardist Pedro Hietanen remember the band being in high spirits, in top form, and highly motivated.

love is everyday magic. That's the impression you get listening to Water, the new album by Chicago trio Dehd. Veterans of Chicago's increasingly fruitful DIY scene Jason Balla ( Ne-Hi and Earring) Emily Kempf (Vail and formerly with Lala Lala) and drummer Eric McGrady share a strange and inexplicable chemistry. The music is hazy and reverb-drenched, a scuzzy and hyped-up take on surf rock that could only come from the Third Coast. It's all animated by the red-lining feel-good spirit of the Velvet Underground's Loaded and the breezy melodicism of C86-era indie rock, with a dash of the Cramps' spooky-hop bop courtesy of McGrady's locomotive drumming.It's a clear-eyed look at the wild nature of everyday life that's been spun up in sugary sweet melodies and scratched-crystal sounds. More than anything, it's the embodiment of Dehd's m.o. from the start: As Kempf puts it, "Work with what you have and make it magical."

Supergroups existed before Emerson, Lake & Palmer formed in 1970. And, as we all know well, many came after. But few, if any, matched the English trio’s chemistry and its elevated combination of virtuosity, vision, and verve. Having influenced a multitude of followers, ELP’s prowess was obvious from the start. The band’s self-titled debut stands as a towering statement of creative imagination, execution, and discipline more than five decades after its original release.

Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, housed in a Stoughton jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM LP of Emerson, Lake & Palmer presents the benchmark album in audiophile sound. Clear, dynamic, and balanced, this collectible edition honors the perfectionist approaches that both informed the playing and recording of the record.

Distinguished with black backgrounds, this reissue brings to light the epic scope, tonal depth, and mind-bending degrees of musicianship on display. Aspects — textures, nuances, effects, melodies, tempo changes — that go hand-in-hand with the trio’s compositions and interplay are rendered amid broad soundstages and delivered with pinpoint detail. Whether you’ve owned multiple copies of this touchstone or seeking out your first version, you’ll relish the presence, separation, imaging, and crispness that help make every song come across as if the group has set up shop in your listening space.

Opening the door to the seemingly infinite possibilities of progressive rock while steering clear of excess, Emerson, Lake & Palmer achieved a rare feat in that its complex, cerebral music didn’t prevent it from attaining mainstream success. The gold-certified effort launched the career of a band that would sell tens of millions of records. It also landed a Top 50 single in the form of the ballad “Lucky Man,” whose vocal harmonies, folksy strumming, multi-tracked instrumentation, and breakthrough Moog solo almost feel quaint in the face of the other fare on the album.

Comprised of genre-defying originals and hybrid arrangements of two classical pieces, the album Rolling Stone originally and rightly said is “best heard as a whole” matches outrageous ambition with the otherworldly skills of three musicians who remain among the finest to ever pick up their respective instruments. While Emerson soon drew the lion’s share of headlines for his ability on keys — clavinet, Moog, piano, Hammond organ, and pipe organ included — Greg Lake’s aptitude on guitar and bass, along with well as Carl Palmer’s monster talents behind the kit, created a three-headed hydra that devoured everything in front of it.

That extends to the radical reinterpretation of Bela Bartok’s “The Barbarian” that begins the LP, a performance that in less than four-and-a-half minutes runs the gamut from distorted to churchy to angular and blustery. More classical flourishes, keyboard wizardry, hard-rock heaviness, and gothic signatures emerge throughout “Knife-Edge,” which reimagines music by Leos Janacek and J.S. Bach — and ultimately invites you to explore a cathedral of sound teeming with separate bursts of keys and percussion.

And did someone say “drumming”? Check out Palmer’s monster salvo on “Tank,” a rhythmic showcase that marches out with knee-bent notes and mirror-reflected passages. Or dive into the mythological suite “The Three Fates.” Replete with three parts and Emerson playing the pipe organ at Royal Festival Hall, it shoots off sonic fireworks via sophisticated arpeggios, jazz improvisations, dancing counter-meters, sizzling chords, and a few explosions. Please don’t hold anyone at MoFi responsible if your system cannot handle it; this is heady stuff.

Indeed, everything on Emerson, Lake & Palmer is there for a purpose. Whether you aim to attempt to dissect all of the notes, shifts, and polyrhythmic bluster or just want to absorb this album as one living, breathing organism, this version invites you to do both as many times as you desire.

The stunning debut album by Peki Momés is back in store after selling out the first edition in a few weeks! This 2nd pressing has a different label design. Featuring twelve outstanding original tunes. Turkish psychedelic, global disco and outernational!

Peki Momés is a Turkish artist living in Germany - who only started to record music by accident in 2024. Blessed with style and intuition rather than formal education, her fresh and uncompromisingly authentic approach to music took hearts and ears by storm.

Ever since her debut 45 on Mocambo Records, Peki Momés has become a little sensation in and outside the organic groove scene: turntablist DJ Koco played doubles of "Göc Mevsimi" in his set, Iggy Pop announced "Rüya" on his "Iggy Confidential" show on BBC and the second vinyl single surprised everyone with a mesmerizing cover of Marco Valle's much loved "Estrelar" in the turkish language. Both records sold out quickly and are in the bags of tastemakers like Coco Maria.

Peki Momés' music is an eclectic mix of sounds from the global underground, tastefully crafted by producer Dustin Braun and a troupe of ridiculously talented jazz musicians. Dirty disco, fuzzy funk, anatolian rare grooves, experimental synth, library music and japanese city pop all blend naturally with her distinct vocals to create a unique ethereal outernational sound that is all her own.

Once dubbed as 'turkish discodelic', Peki's songs have a dreamlike, enchanted and psychedelic quality and instantly take the listener on a journey. In a poetic way, she approaches topics like "dreams and a naive fear of losing or not fulfilling them" or expresses "worries about our weary world and call for solidarity from all" - always with an outlook of hope. You do not have to speak turkish to understand - the message is transported by a universal language.

With her debut album, Peki Momés is now telling her full story. Displaying a young Peki on the cover, the artwork hints at the freshness and enthusiasm of the project. We should consider ourselves lucky that Peki chose to disrespect rules in favor of self-empowerment and made this wonderful longplayer that you never knew you needed.

Back again with another release for the Meeting Of The Minds series, this time with lucky number 13!

First track on this is by me & Fez The Kid, who has been regularly sending me music for years, most of which I admit to sleeping on due to the sheer volume of demos submitted to the label. But when I was able to actually check some music that he sent me, there was one tune (at the time called All Round Juggling) of his that I gave me a few ideas on how it could sound. He was thankfully up for me working on it with him & the end result is "Skin Out Crew (Magnificent Mix)", which I've been playing a lot in sets this year.

"BDC" is a track done by me & The Last Ronin (aka Stretch & Enjoy) which they had started and I was really into it because it reminded me of some of the "ruff with the smooth" ragga jungle style tracks I'd hear on labels like Slam!, Tom & Jerry, Kemet & so on. It was really fun to work on this with them & we were also able to do a 2nd collaboration, which will be coming out on the next Defender compilation on Stretch's label AKO Beatz.

Settle Down is someone that was on my list of potential collaborators for a long long time but I just kept neglecting to reach out to him about actually doing something together. I eventually got round to getting in touch with him last year for collaborating on a track for Meeting Of The Minds, so he sent me something he had started, which I added some more to & sent back to him, so that he could add the finishing touches. The end result is "Shell Of A Man", which I like because it's quite sparse & ominous, dark but not in the typical "darkside hardcore" way.

"Altitude" by me & Flex Luthor has been through quite a lot haha. He initially reached out about working on a tune together in 2021 & at the time, I was keen but already quite occupied with other artists I was collaborating with for the series, as well as contemplating ending the series on Vol. 10, due to the amount of work it takes to compile each one (which also explains why Vol. 14 is not currently ready for release yet). But around the end of 2022, he sent me a track he had done where he said that he was struggling to get any kind of bassline that he was happy with. I liked what he sent so I asked him to send the track over for me to work on, but I then sat on the track for a whole year due to other commitments before finally working on it in 2024, during a long plane ride where I had time to actually focus on it. I was able to get the track to a place we were both happy with, until it became one of the tracks of mine that got lost when my backpack was stolen a few weeks later, with my computer inside. I didn't have the backup of the project, so unfortunately, we had to master this track for release from the mp3 file of the first & only version we had of it. I think it still sounds fine though, especially as this is not the first (or only) time I've had to send mp3 files off for mastering, but yeah, what a journey this tune has had!

A new release from Fox & His Friends Records, Chapters (Screen & Stage Dancefloor Jazz from Yugoslavia 1971-1984) by Ozren Depolo brings to light a trove of previously unreleased music spanning more than a decade of his work in film, theater and television. This gatefold audiophile 180g LP, including a 12-page booklet with archival photos and detailed liner notes, offers for the first time a full album composed exclusively of Depolo's own authorship, drawn from master tapes held in private and institutional archives. Mastering and cutting was done by Frank Merritt from The Carvery Ozren Depolo rarely pursued opportunities to record original material, in part due to a general lack of interest among local publishers in jazz discography. Yet he was more than a gifted composer: he was also an accomplished saxophonist, clarinettist, flutist, pianist, arranger and occasionally, a jazz journalist who contributed articles to specialized programs on Radio Zagreb. Depolo also played in international big bands alongside jazz greats such as Clark Terry, Oliver Nelson and Gerry Mulligan, as well as in formations led by Bosko Petrovic, including the Nonconvertible All Stars and the B.P. Convention Big Band. He was a member of ensembles including The Alfi Kabiljo Orchestra, The Dragutin Diklic Ensemble, Jugoslovenska Pop Selekcija, The Stipica Kalogjera Octet, Vaclav Zahradnik & His East All Stars Band and the Zagreb Jazz Quintet. As both composer and arranger, he produced a significant body of work for large jazz orchestras and small ensembles. He was deeply engaged in jazz improvisation and avant-garde classical music, recording numerous chamber pieces for saxophone. A long-standing member of Acezantez, Zagreb's renowned contemporary music ensemble, he also collaborated with international figures such as Ted Curson, John Lewis, Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, Leo Wright, Art Taylor, Slide Hampton and Lucky Thompson. This selection also includes his collaboration with Igor Savin and jazz vocalist Zdenka Kovacicek who were played on Karl Lagerfeld's fashion shows. The release demonstrates how Depolo was able to shift fluidly between idioms: from driving big-band passages to intimate chamber-like arrangements, from funk-tinged motifs to lyrical, impressionistic soundscapes. This stylistic breadth, always anchored in his deep jazz and funk sensibility, gave his music an adaptability perfectly suited to the hybrid world of stage and screen. The LP highlights that versatility while also presenting the coherence of his artistic voice, one that had gone unrecognized precisely because it was dispersed across so many contexts.

Camp Trash ist das Ergebnis von zwei Freundschaften: 1. Friendship America, die kurzlebige Band aus Sarasota, die von den Brüdern Keegan und Levi Bradford und Bryan Gorman gegründet wurde, und 2. die jahrzehntelange Freundschaft und Zusammenarbeit beim Songwriting zwischen Keegan und Bryan. Nachdem Keegan Florida verlassen hatte, blieben er und Bryan in Kontakt, indem sie an Musik arbeiteten und sich Song-Demos per E-Mail schickten. Obwohl sie in verschiedenen Bundesstaaten lebten, beschlossen die drei Freunde, dass es Zeit war, mit den Songs, die sie geschrieben hatten, ein neues Projekt zu starten. Sie gründeten Camp Trash, ohne einen Plan zu haben, wie sie aufnehmen oder auf Tour gehen würden, nur mit einer Handvoll Songs und der Freude, gemeinsam mit Freunden etwas zu schaffen. Camp Trash unterschrieb 2020 bei Count Your Lucky Stars Records, veröffentlichte 2021 ihre Debüt-EP ,Downtiming" und 2022 ihr erstes Album ,The Long Way, The Slow Way". Ihr neues Album ,Two Hundred Thousand Dollars" wurde von James Palko aufgenommen, produziert und gemischt, von Zach Weeks bei God City Studios gemastert und enthält einen neuen Beitrag von Kyle Meggison (ehemals Worst Party Ever) am Schlagzeug. Die zweite LP der Band ist das Ergebnis jahrelanger Begeisterung für Fountains of Wayne und Guided by Voices und dem Wunsch, kurze, laute und eingängige Songs zu schreiben. Die Songs sind lose miteinander verbundene Charakterskizzen, die unglücklichen Betrügern, Spielern, Sektenmitgliedern und kleinen Gangstern folgen, die von etwas Größerem träumen und sich narrensichere Pläne ausdenken, um dorthin zu gelangen, aber feststellen, dass der Weg dorthin komplizierter ist, als sie sich jemals vorgestellt haben.

Eine halbe Dekade nach der Veröffentlichung ihres Albums "Anak Ko" (2019) hat sich Melina Duterte, alias Jay Som, sich selbst und ihren Erinnerungen geöffnet und Songs geschrieben, die den Klang ihrer Jugend wieder aufleben lassen, und dabei ihre Erfahrung als Musikerin, Produzentin und Performerin einfließen lassen. Kein vorheriges Jay-Som-Album klingt so wie "Belong", ein packendes 11-Song-Set über Selbstdefinition und Zugehörigkeit, das zwischen kraftvollen Power-Pop-Hits und verschwommenen Balladen, zwischen elektronischen Kuriositäten und aufheiternden Hymnen schwebt.

Melina wuchs mit Alternative-Rock außerhalb von San Francisco auf und lernte als Teenager die Hits des Pop-Punk/Emo der frühen 2000er auswendig. Passenderweise ist es Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World), einer dieser Kindheitshelden, der bei "Float" die backing vocals übernimmt. Während Hayley Williams sanfte Harmonien auf dem schwungvollen "Past Lives" beisteuert und Lexi Vega (Mini Trees) zu "Cards On The Table" beiträgt, sind diese drei Jay Soms allererste Gastsänger*innen und repräsentieren Dutertes Bestreben, mit Menschen ihres Vertrauens Neues auszuprobieren.

Seit ihrem letzten Album hat Melina beschlossen, sich selbst und ihrem lebenslangen Interesse am Recording etwas zu gönnen. Mit dem Kauf einer alten Neve-Konsole nahm sie sich vor, mehr zu werden als nur ihre eigene Tontechnikerin zu Hause. Fünf Jahre später kann sie nun auf eine umfangreiche Liste an Produktions- und Mixing-Credits zurückblicken, darunter auf Lucy Dacus’ neuestem Album "Forever Is A Feeling", Gastauftritte an der Seite von Troye Sivan, No Rome und beabadoobee, einen Beitrag zum Soundtrack von A24s "I Saw The TV Glow" und einen Grammy für ihre Arbeit an "The Record" von boygenius, der Band, der sie später als Tourmitglied beitrat.

Die neuseeländischen Indie-Rock-Royals The Bats haben sich in letzter Zeit intensiv mit der Aufnahme neuer Musik beschäftigt, was ihr elftes Album ,Corner Coming Up" zum Ergebnis hat. The Bats sind Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean und Malcolm Grant, die beliebte Indie-Rock-Band aus Aotearoa. Seit ihrer Gründung 1982 in Christchurch haben sich The Bats mit ihrer Musik eine treue Fangemeinde auf der ganzen Welt aufgebaut und sind nach wie vor einer der beliebtesten und beständigsten Exportschlager Neuseelands. Ihre Musik ist eine perfekte Mischung aus bittersüßer Schönheit und trügerischer Einfachheit, und die Band hat die phänomenale Fähigkeit, Melodien zu kreieren, die noch lange nach dem Ende der Platte nachklingen. Das neue Album trifft einen sehr charakteristischen und vertrauten Akkord, der in den Herzen der Fans auf der ganzen Welt, die den Sound lieben, mitschwingt. Während ihrer über 40-jährigen Existenz und nun mit ihrem elften Album, sind The Bats ihren Wurzeln treu geblieben und haben zeitlose Musik geschaffen, die alte und neue Fans gleichermaßen begeistert. ,Corner Coming Up" wurde im Chicks Studio in Port Chalmers von Flying Nun-Legende Tex Houston aufgenommen. Für Fans von The Chills, The Clean, Toy Love, Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Chris Knox

Die neuseeländischen Indie-Rock-Royals The Bats haben sich in letzter Zeit intensiv mit der Aufnahme neuer Musik beschäftigt, was ihr elftes Album ,Corner Coming Up" zum Ergebnis hat. The Bats sind Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean und Malcolm Grant, die beliebte Indie-Rock-Band aus Aotearoa. Seit ihrer Gründung 1982 in Christchurch haben sich The Bats mit ihrer Musik eine treue Fangemeinde auf der ganzen Welt aufgebaut und sind nach wie vor einer der beliebtesten und beständigsten Exportschlager Neuseelands. Ihre Musik ist eine perfekte Mischung aus bittersüßer Schönheit und trügerischer Einfachheit, und die Band hat die phänomenale Fähigkeit, Melodien zu kreieren, die noch lange nach dem Ende der Platte nachklingen. Das neue Album trifft einen sehr charakteristischen und vertrauten Akkord, der in den Herzen der Fans auf der ganzen Welt, die den Sound lieben, mitschwingt. Während ihrer über 40-jährigen Existenz und nun mit ihrem elften Album, sind The Bats ihren Wurzeln treu geblieben und haben zeitlose Musik geschaffen, die alte und neue Fans gleichermaßen begeistert. ,Corner Coming Up" wurde im Chicks Studio in Port Chalmers von Flying Nun-Legende Tex Houston aufgenommen. Für Fans von The Chills, The Clean, Toy Love, Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Chris Knox

Die neuseeländischen Indie-Rock-Royals The Bats haben sich in letzter Zeit intensiv mit der Aufnahme neuer Musik beschäftigt, was ihr elftes Album ,Corner Coming Up" zum Ergebnis hat. The Bats sind Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean und Malcolm Grant, die beliebte Indie-Rock-Band aus Aotearoa. Seit ihrer Gründung 1982 in Christchurch haben sich The Bats mit ihrer Musik eine treue Fangemeinde auf der ganzen Welt aufgebaut und sind nach wie vor einer der beliebtesten und beständigsten Exportschlager Neuseelands. Ihre Musik ist eine perfekte Mischung aus bittersüßer Schönheit und trügerischer Einfachheit, und die Band hat die phänomenale Fähigkeit, Melodien zu kreieren, die noch lange nach dem Ende der Platte nachklingen. Das neue Album trifft einen sehr charakteristischen und vertrauten Akkord, der in den Herzen der Fans auf der ganzen Welt, die den Sound lieben, mitschwingt. Während ihrer über 40-jährigen Existenz und nun mit ihrem elften Album, sind The Bats ihren Wurzeln treu geblieben und haben zeitlose Musik geschaffen, die alte und neue Fans gleichermaßen begeistert. ,Corner Coming Up" wurde im Chicks Studio in Port Chalmers von Flying Nun-Legende Tex Houston aufgenommen. Für Fans von The Chills, The Clean, Toy Love, Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Chris Knox

Die neuseeländischen Indie-Rock-Royals The Bats haben sich in letzter Zeit intensiv mit der Aufnahme neuer Musik beschäftigt, was ihr elftes Album ,Corner Coming Up" zum Ergebnis hat. The Bats sind Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean und Malcolm Grant, die beliebte Indie-Rock-Band aus Aotearoa. Seit ihrer Gründung 1982 in Christchurch haben sich The Bats mit ihrer Musik eine treue Fangemeinde auf der ganzen Welt aufgebaut und sind nach wie vor einer der beliebtesten und beständigsten Exportschlager Neuseelands. Ihre Musik ist eine perfekte Mischung aus bittersüßer Schönheit und trügerischer Einfachheit, und die Band hat die phänomenale Fähigkeit, Melodien zu kreieren, die noch lange nach dem Ende der Platte nachklingen. Das neue Album trifft einen sehr charakteristischen und vertrauten Akkord, der in den Herzen der Fans auf der ganzen Welt, die den Sound lieben, mitschwingt. Während ihrer über 40-jährigen Existenz und nun mit ihrem elften Album, sind The Bats ihren Wurzeln treu geblieben und haben zeitlose Musik geschaffen, die alte und neue Fans gleichermaßen begeistert. ,Corner Coming Up" wurde im Chicks Studio in Port Chalmers von Flying Nun-Legende Tex Houston aufgenommen. Für Fans von The Chills, The Clean, Toy Love, Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Chris Knox

Mariel Buckleys ,Strange Trip Ahead" ist der mit Spannung erwartete Nachfolger ihres für den Polaris Music Prize nominierten Albums ,Everywhere I Used to Be". Auf diesem Album widmet sich Buckley noch stärker dem Alternative-Americana und Indie-Rock, mit klirrenden Akustikklängen, rauer Pedal Steel und ihrem charakteristischen melancholischen Ton. Die Lead-Single ,Vending Machines", produziert von Jarrad K (Ruston Kelly, Wild Rivers), leitet dieses neue Kapitel mit filmischen Details und schwungvollen Rhythmen ein und fängt die Orientierungslosigkeit des Lebens im Wandel mit beeindruckender Ehrlichkeit ein. Buckleys Ruf als scharfsinnige, verletzliche Geschichtenerzählerin wächst weiter, sie hat sich ein treues Publikum in der Americana-, Folk- und Alt-Country-Szene erarbeitet. Zu ihren Tourneen gehören Support-Slots für Orville Peck, The Bros. Landreth und k.d. lang sowie Auftritte bei SXSW, AmericanaFest und dem Philadelphia Folk Festival, die ihre Position in der modernen Roots-Landschaft festigen. Strange Trip Ahead ist Buckley in ihrer kühnsten Form - roh, echt und ohne Angst, Genregrenzen zu verwischen. Vom Pedal-Steel-Hook von ,Vending Machines" bis zum kraftvollen Album-Closer ,Anvil" bringen ihre geerdete Stimme und ihr exzentrischer Charme frische Energie in die zeitgenössische Americana. Es ist ein überzeugender Schritt nach vorne von einer Songwriterin, die sich still und leise zu einer der angesehensten Stimmen der kanadischen Roots-Musik entwickelt hat.

Eine halbe Dekade nach der Veröffentlichung ihres Albums "Anak Ko" (2019) hat sich Melina Duterte, alias Jay Som, sich selbst und ihren Erinnerungen geöffnet und Songs geschrieben, die den Klang ihrer Jugend wieder aufleben lassen, und dabei ihre Erfahrung als Musikerin, Produzentin und Performerin einfließen lassen. Kein vorheriges Jay-Som-Album klingt so wie "Belong", ein packendes 11-Song-Set über Selbstdefinition und Zugehörigkeit, das zwischen kraftvollen Power-Pop-Hits und verschwommenen Balladen, zwischen elektronischen Kuriositäten und aufheiternden Hymnen schwebt.

Melina wuchs mit Alternative-Rock außerhalb von San Francisco auf und lernte als Teenager die Hits des Pop-Punk/Emo der frühen 2000er auswendig. Passenderweise ist es Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World), einer dieser Kindheitshelden, der bei "Float" die backing vocals übernimmt. Während Hayley Williams sanfte Harmonien auf dem schwungvollen "Past Lives" beisteuert und Lexi Vega (Mini Trees) zu "Cards On The Table" beiträgt, sind diese drei Jay Soms allererste Gastsänger*innen und repräsentieren Dutertes Bestreben, mit Menschen ihres Vertrauens Neues auszuprobieren.

Seit ihrem letzten Album hat Melina beschlossen, sich selbst und ihrem lebenslangen Interesse am Recording etwas zu gönnen. Mit dem Kauf einer alten Neve-Konsole nahm sie sich vor, mehr zu werden als nur ihre eigene Tontechnikerin zu Hause. Fünf Jahre später kann sie nun auf eine umfangreiche Liste an Produktions- und Mixing-Credits zurückblicken, darunter auf Lucy Dacus’ neuestem Album "Forever Is A Feeling", Gastauftritte an der Seite von Troye Sivan, No Rome und beabadoobee, einen Beitrag zum Soundtrack von A24s "I Saw The TV Glow" und einen Grammy für ihre Arbeit an "The Record" von boygenius, der Band, der sie später als Tourmitglied beitrat.

“This album is us appreciating how amazing this thing we have is. The realization of how lucky we are that we get to be part of something like this for 25 years, and to have built a community that cares for each other in the way it does. It’s not about any of us individually. When we all work together to make something happen, something bigger happens.” - Jono, Paavo and Tony – Above & Beyond.

If much of the mindset and mantra behind Above & Beyond over the last quarter of a century has been born from the idea of connection, then their fifth artist album ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ is best summed up in one word: reconnection. It’s been seven years since Jono Grant, Paavo Siljamäki and Tony McGuinness released their fourth electronic album, Common Ground. A #3 on the Billboard charts – an achievement that speaks to the British band’s huge, arena-to-amphitheatre scale profile in America, a level of success replicated in pretty much every other corner of the world.

The time since has seen a series of projects come to life both collectively and individually: 2019’s ambient, yoga-and-meditation-friendly album Flow State, streamed over 400 million times worldwide; a series of club ready instrumentals under the Tranquility Base moniker; radio records ‘See The End’, ‘Over Now’ and ‘Crazy Love’. In the meantime, the band embarked on personal projects outside of the Above & Beyond framework. Grant collaborated with long time friend Daren Tate on 2022’s self-titled synthwave JODA album. In 2023 Siljamäki, reprised his P.O.S. alias, releasing dance floor focussed album Deeper Tales. Last year, McGuinness dug in his own crates for Salt, an album based on a studio-freshened selection of emotional singer-songwriter compositions originally written as the ’90s rave and Britpop fever-dreams faded. A worldwide touring schedule, their weekly Group Therapy radio show, and overseeing a family of iconic dance labels, Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep and, most recently, Anjunachill – it’s never quiet in the world of Above & Beyond.

Finally, I was able to devote some time to actually getting some collaborations completed for a new release of the Meeting Of The Minds series, with some brand new names arriving to Future Retro London!

Nebula is one of my favourite artists making new jungle atm, his versatility in music on the darker & lighter sides of the spectrum, the richness of his atmospherics and melodies & the way his drum edits flow throughout his tracks, I consider him a big inspiration in what I make. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to work with him on "Without Fear".

I've been enjoying some of what Stekker's been doing in his music, representing the ruffer lo-fi side of production and he's been putting out some great stuff on his own label Ruff 'n' Tuff as well as on a release he did for Coco Bryce's label Myor. I reached out to him about a collaboration and he had started something, which I was really into and that led to "The Quest".

I owe a lot to DJ Trace, as he was one of the first big names in jungle/d&b to really show me support for what I was doing. He gave me my debut vinyl release when he asked me to remix an old classic of his called "Final Chapta", which he released in 2011 on his label DSCI4. I also had music released on a label he started a few years after that called 117 (which I also helped design artwork for), so we go way back. He's been making more music than ever before recently and I was lucky enough to be able to get a collaboration in with him and "Patterns Of Thought" is the end result of that.

I've known Ark X & Duburban for a number of years, I would see them at a lot of events up north, as well as at events in London that they'd travel down for. They also were good friends with Kid Lib and would drive down with him whenever he was visiting/DJing in London & I was becoming familiar with their music through him, through Ark X's labels Supercharger & Hypercharger (where some of Ark X's music was being released under his previous alias of Black Orchid) & through Duburban's collaborations with Jahganaut. Big up to both of them for collaborating with me on "Come A Dance"

Since 2006, listeners have been curious about the origin of the label name Italians Do It Better. Some say it's an homage to Italo Disco, others guess it's related to ancestry, but in fact it's a nod to the iconic T-shirt Madonna wears in the "Papa Don't Preach" video circa 1986.
Fast forward to a world pandemic... To encourage creativity & lift spirits, Italians Do It Better President, Megan Louise asked every artist “If you could cover your favourite Madonna song…What would it be?”

As a tribute to their label muse & the impact Madonna’s music has had on the world around us, Italians Do It Better are sharing a compilation of covers simply titled “Italians Do It Better”. One of the tracks (“Lucky Star” by Club Intl) is even produced by Max Kamins, the son of Mark Kamins, the New York DJ who helped break Madonna in the early 1980's. From the experience he says “Dance music was the soundtrack of my early childhood. Working on "Lucky Star" reconnected me not only to my father, but also reminded me that a good song is timeless".

Executive produced by Johnny Jewel, the compilation is a passport to 20 covers from the bedrooms of 19 artists across 10 different countries.

Pop-punk veterans Teenage Bottlerocket are primed to release their new LP Ready to Roll, the band's first full length for Pirates Press Records. "This time around, there was no big concept, no pressure. We just wrote songs that felt good to play," explains bassist Miguel Chen. "That freedom brought something fresh. It reminded us why we started doing this in the first place. The vibe is all about reconnecting with the joy of making music together. "The band returned to The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO, with Andrew Berlin behind the board & Jason Livermore overseeing the final master. "The Blasting Room is like home for us," says Miguel. "Working with Andrew and Jason is always a smooth ride-they know how to pull the best out of us." Fans got their first taste of what's to come via the lead single "She's the Shit." Ray Carlisle wrote the song for his wife Rachel, who he says "loves to give me a hard time-she rolls her eyes when I rock out in front of the mirror, makes fun of the music I love, and calls me an old man when I bring up movies she's never seen. And I totally love her for it." As for the song, Ray says, "It kicks the door open. It sets the tone for the whole record-fast, catchy, and not taking itself too seriously. Just the way we like it." This back to basics approach carries through the album, making it equally satisfying for longtime fans & newcomers alike. "Whether it's your first TBR album or your tenth," says Miguel. "There's something here for you." It's packed with everything you'd expect from TBR with a few surprises the band think you'll love - including a couple of songs where Miguel steps up to the mic for his first-ever lead vocals! "We're lucky to still be here, making music with our best friends, and connecting with people who get it," sums up Miguel. "Ready to Roll is exactly what it sounds like-we're stoked, and, in a way, we're just getting started."

Pop-punk veterans Teenage Bottlerocket are primed to release their new LP Ready to Roll, the band's first full length for Pirates Press Records. "This time around, there was no big concept, no pressure. We just wrote songs that felt good to play," explains bassist Miguel Chen. "That freedom brought something fresh. It reminded us why we started doing this in the first place. The vibe is all about reconnecting with the joy of making music together. "The band returned to The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO, with Andrew Berlin behind the board & Jason Livermore overseeing the final master. "The Blasting Room is like home for us," says Miguel. "Working with Andrew and Jason is always a smooth ride-they know how to pull the best out of us." Fans got their first taste of what's to come via the lead single "She's the Shit." Ray Carlisle wrote the song for his wife Rachel, who he says "loves to give me a hard time-she rolls her eyes when I rock out in front of the mirror, makes fun of the music I love, and calls me an old man when I bring up movies she's never seen. And I totally love her for it." As for the song, Ray says, "It kicks the door open. It sets the tone for the whole record-fast, catchy, and not taking itself too seriously. Just the way we like it." This back to basics approach carries through the album, making it equally satisfying for longtime fans & newcomers alike. "Whether it's your first TBR album or your tenth," says Miguel. "There's something here for you." It's packed with everything you'd expect from TBR with a few surprises the band think you'll love - including a couple of songs where Miguel steps up to the mic for his first-ever lead vocals! "We're lucky to still be here, making music with our best friends, and connecting with people who get it," sums up Miguel. "Ready to Roll is exactly what it sounds like-we're stoked, and, in a way, we're just getting started."

In truth, singing is not all that different from acting. Performing a song is very similar to playing a role in a theatrical production. A singer's delivery — the way they interpret and emphasize certain parts of a song — is much like what an actor does with their character.

That's why we often find singers who go on to gain popularity as performers — some on stage, but more often on the silver screen (film).

These are called 'singing stars' — vocalists who are also featured actors, usually given roles specially created to suit their primary strength: singing.

Among them, a few have become even more famous for their acting talents, which sometimes surpass their singing ability. However, the number who manage to do this successfully is very small. Oslan Husein is lucky enough to be counted among that small number. As his fame as a singer began to rise sharply, he also began his film career as an actor. It's true that he had previously appeared in a film, but only as an extra, alongside the orchestra he performed with.

Following that, he appeared in several other films, including Detik-detik Berbahaya, 1000 Langkah, Kasih Tak Sampai, Hadiah 2.000.000,-, Maut Menjelang Magrib, and Antara Timur dan Barat. Six films over a span of just about 2.5 years — quite an impressive achievement.

Over time, a number of songs that Oslan had performed in his films began to accumulate. Together with a few additional songs — also from films — there were eventually enough to compile into one long-playing (LP) record.

And so, accompanied by Jack Lemmers — who, for this project, created special arrangements and musical treatments unlike the usual (for example, the use of four guitars at once) — Oslan carried out the recordings at Irama studios.

By releasing this LP of songs from the silver screen, Irama took an exciting step forward and opened many new possibilities in its history. Because the world of recorded music and the world of film, wherever they are in the world, are like siblings — and they work best when they collaborate, shoulder to shoulder, in harmony.

Its no secret that Samiyam is a certified beathead and appreciated hiphop producer - we have been in touch with him since his self released Rap beats volume 1 CD (or actually since his contribution with FlyLo as Flyamsam on the Beat Dimensions compilation), and later took in further releases on Stones Throw, Brainfeeder, Poo-Bah, All City & Hyperdub . What we did not know is Sam got heavily into Death Metal for the past 5 years and is a big horror movie fan. (check the artwork here !)


On Death Metal, Sam mentioned 'I started revisiting some old shit and realized I really love it and there's so many cool bands I didn't even know about.. I started making some shit with drums, drum programming, and ideas inspired by some of the stuff I like and realized I should just make an album out of it."

So here it is - 13 beat takes, Metal style - put together by a man whose output is sparse but never dissapoints !

Limited edition US import

"Astral Americana hymns hovering somewhere between the dirt and the stars" Pitchfork

"Mood music for moments of solitude, best experienced without distraction" The Times

"Overwhelmingly effective and ravishingly beautiful" The Wire

American Dust is an ode to the beauty of the American Southwest, where vast desert landscapes hold stories both stark and tender. Eve Adams’ characteristic folk noir weaves a vivid tapestry of love, sacrifice and quiet revelation, conjuring images of dust storms, stray dogs and far off trains.

The high desert of California is a vast and confounding place. Equally inspiring as it is punishing, it’s a landscape that carries magic in its deep dark nights, holding stories both tender and stark in the coarse layer of dust that settles upon everything. It’s long been a source of inspiration for musicians, writers, and painters, each of them adding to the same current, carried forward over time, through hope and hardship and the passing years.

Somewhere out there in that broad and boundless landscape, Eve Adams has been living her own desert life, quietly writing the follow-up to 2021’s Metal Bird LP. Where that album sang of liminal space, the dream-like turbulence of Hollywood’s golden age, American Dust is far more rooted in traditional storytelling; a eulogy for the American Dream channeled through that sweeping part of the country that holds such power and mystery. Slipping into different and varied costumes throughout its ten songs, it finds Eve not just observing the people around her but stepping into their shoes and peeling back the layers of their quiet lives.

Adams writes from within. A few years ago she moved out there, to “the middle of nowhere”, finding a slowness that didn’t exist in the city, and she knows only too well about the mystical nature of the land and those who live within it. Weaving together themes of grit and romance, American Dust holds its focus on the bittersweet poetry of lives lived in solitude, most notably the women who sustain life at the center of it all. “There’s something very radical about domestic life,” Adams says of this thread. “So many women live their entire lives behind closed doors, completely in the shadows. Within those lives is such sacrifice, devotion, and love. I wanted to honor that: the poetry in the mundane, the longing in the repetition. The way love survives boredom and dust and time.”

Eve is joined on American Dust by Canadian musician Bryce Cloghesy, aka Military Genius of Crack Cloud, who plays throughout and also helped produce the album. Musically bold and vivid, it’s an ambitious and detailed stride forward from what’s come before, the scope of the LP’s narrative reflected in the radiant sweep of the playing. On top of gentle piano and guitar, gorgeous strings drift through the album, lending the songs a woozy sense of romanticism; a collaboration with Gamaliel Traynor (Cello) and Caroline’s Oliver Hamilton (Violin).

For all the drama that’s coiled around these songs, it’s the recurring notion of love and hope fighting against everything that holds true throughout American Dust. Musically it’s lush and vibrant, intimate and cinematic side by side, and always bursting with warmth. But it’s what it holds in its weary bones that elevates it to something truly special, something more than just a collection of songs penned in the heart of the desert. The characters it speaks of, and from, feel shadowed but wholly real, like they’re bursting to share their stories that have remained hidden for years and years and they allow Eve Adams to grow as a songwriter right in front of our eyes.

“The same swirling dust that clung to the covered wagons of my ancestors as they crossed the Great American Desert is the same dust my great-great-grandmother swept off her porch during the Dust Bowl of 1936 in Oklahoma, is the same dust that blows in through the cracks in my windows here in the desert, carrying stories from a time long gone,” Eve says, reflecting on the personal narrative that runs through her new album.

“It’s not just dust—it’s American Dust, the kind that settles into the bones of a family and never leaves. I think about that dust as a symbol of the passage of time. I hope this album will be part of that same current, carrying forward for the next generations of my family to find. I’ve been lucky enough to have journals and poetry from my ancestors that documents their lives during times of pure hope and pure hardship. I’d like to think of this album as a contribution to that family history.”

Zum 40. Jubiläum von Modern Talking überrascht Sänger Thomas Anders mit einem ganz speziellen Album-Projekt: Eine Hommage an Modern Talking!

Zum 40. Jubiläum von Modern Talking überrascht der Sänger mit Neuaufnahmen der ersten sechs Modern-Talking-Alben und ist somit der erste deutsche Künstler überhaupt, der sein komplettes Frühwerk neu interpretiert! Seit 2003 geht das erfolgreichste Duo der deutschen Popgeschichte bekanntlich getrennte Wege, doch die Modern Talking Songs, zu denen man bis heute in aller Welt tanzt, bleiben nach wie vor weltweit unsterblich.

Die Neuaufnahmen der ersten Modern-Talking-Alben sind mit seiner unverwechselbaren Stimme eine Hommage an das einzigartige Erfolgsduo und an die glorreiche, vermeintlich bunte und sorgenfreie Zeit Mitte der Achtzigerjahre. Die einst vom pulsierenden Italo-Disco-Sound inspirierten Songs sind alle auf Anhieb zu erkennen, klingen jetzt aber dank modernerer Drums und Synths zeitgemäßer. Zusätzlich erscheint das 6-Album-Paket erstmals im Dolby-Atmos Sound, also 3D-Audio. Auf jedem Album überrascht Thomas Anders außerdem mit zwei bislang unveröffentlichten Songs, etwa “Don’t Fly Too High“ oder “Hold Me Tight In The Night“ auf dem ersten Album. Versierte Studiomusiker haben alle Stücke zusammen mit Thomas Anders unter der Ägide von Christian Geller komplett neu eingespielt, begleitet wird Anders dabei übrigens von denselben Chorsängerinnen und Sängern, die schon damals auf den Originalaufnahmen zu hören waren. Bei der Produktion wurden Spuren aus der Originalproduktion so detailgetreu wie möglich neu produziert und den neuen Versionen hinzugemischt.

Die sechs Alben – “The 1st Album“, “Let's Talk About Love“, “Ready For Romance“, “In The Middle Of Nowhere“, “Romantic Warriors“ und “In The Garden Of Venus“, auf denen alle großen Modern-Talking-Hits der 80er vertreten sind – erscheinen ab März 2025 in regelmäßigen Abständen bis Ende des Jahres beim Label Stars by Edel. Zum 40. Jubiläum von Modern Talking kommt es jetzt also einmal ganz Anders ...

Jessica Winters Debüt ist ein vollendetes, mutiges und hinterfragendes Album voller Persönlichkeit, das irgendwo zwischen Therapie und Tanzfläche angesiedelt ist. Musikalisch finden sich Anklänge an Kylie Minogue und dem Glanz der 80er-Jahre-Madonna, der Extravaganz von Prince und Queen, der Energie und des gelegentlichen Knurren des Punk und der verträumt hochgezogenen Augenbraue der Psychedelia. In einer Welt, in der maximalistischer Pop zurück ist und Therapie-Memes das Mass aller Dinge sind, ist "My First Album" der perfekte Soundtrack.

Jessica Winter ist eine britische Sängerin, Songwriterin und Produzentin, bekannt für ihre experimentelle Popmusik, die Elemente verschiedener Genres wie Pop, Industrial und Indie vereint. Bisher hat Jessica eine Reihe von EPs veröffentlicht, die ihre Fähigkeit, unkonventionelle Themen und introspektive Texte in Popsongstrukturen einfließen zu lassen, unter Beweis stellen. Zusätzlich zu ihrem Soloprojekt verfügt Winter über eine umfangreiche Liste an Referenzen als Co-Autorin und Produzentin, die mit Künstlern wie The Horrors, The Big Moon, Jazmin Bean, Phoebe Green, Lauren Auder, Pre Goblin, Sundara Karma, Walt Disco und Brodka zusammenarbeitete.

Come On Come On isn’t just Mary Chapin Carpenter’s most popular album, with sales of 3 million copies. It’s also a contemporary country landmark. No less than seven of its songs became country hits: “I Feel Lucky,” “I Take My Chances,” “Not Too Much to Ask,” “The Hard Way,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” and two inspired covers, of Dire Straits’ “The Bug” and Lucinda Williams’ “Passionate Kisses.” More importantly, though, this 1992 release pointed the way towards what country music would become in the 21st century with its savvy seasoning of pop and soft-rock sounds into a more personal style of country songwriting from a female point of view. If you’re thinking that sounds familiar, you’re not wrong; Come On Come On’s prodigious commercial prowess isn’t the only thing this record has in common with the early work of Taylor Swift. But, it also crossed over into the rock realm in a way that, arguably, Swift’s records have not; the flourishing Americana and alt-country audiences of the early ‘90s ate this album up, and guest stars like Rosanne Cash, The Indigo Girls, and Shawn Colvin just upped its street cred. Somehow, this classic record has never (come on!) made it to vinyl; we’re making up for a whole lot of lost time with a grape vinyl pressing housed inside a color inner sleeve with lyrics. Essential!

2025 Repress

It's rare that a certain sound is entirely an artist's own. Although undeniably a stew of impeccable influences - from blues to folk to Latin to dusty funk, soul and hip-hop - one cannot hear a Tommy Guerrero song without immediately recognising it as his - and his only.The cult skater from San Francisco is globally renowned as one of the original members of the legendary "Bones Brigade" team. And as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, his laid-back soul is beloved by all who've basked in its blissful glow.There's something elemental about this music that really stirs the soul. Strikingly beautiful and instantly addictive, it's a kind of funk-fuelled, melody-driven, groove-based magic. There's a serenity and heart in the playing that radiates warmth and splendour, as if crafted for endless sunsets. His albums that surfaced on Mo Wax at the turn of the century have been treasured since their release and it's two of his most vital LPs that we're honoured to reintroduce.The originals were quietly pressed on to a single piece of vinyl so we've worked closely with Tommy this year to bring you these fresh, limited editions. They have been lovingly remastered, cut nice and loud on to heavyweight double vinyl and presented in deluxe gatefold jackets.A Little Bit Of Somethin' is a quietly majestic gem. Brimming with Guerrero's horizontal "loose grooves", these brief but innovative instrumentals demonstrate a rich variety and, as such, comprise an LP that is aptly titled. An enchanting start-to-finish listen, it was instantly regarded as essential upon release via Mo Wax in 2000. It has aged remarkably well.Throughout this inspired collection, simplicity is key. In deploying it, Guerrero presents a beautifully crafted melodic soundscape. The distinctive, mellifluous approach of his guitar style, blending Brazilian, Cuban, Mexican, soul and jazz motifs, is at once startlingly new and tantalisingly familiar. Set against unrushed percussion, the music releases a crystal clear stream of healing frequencies to create a fragile, hypnotic atmosphere.Each track clocks in at around three minutes and, with a lack of studio polish or commitment to traditional song structure, it's a wonder how this enigmatic record demands your attention. However, through its gentle dynamism and impressive playing, it does just that. Whilst resolutely low-key, this lo-fi aesthetic feels genuinely organic and remarkably personal, its powerful intimacy truly connects. It's what makes this album so beloved of those lucky enough to be already familiar with it. From Margaret Kilgallen's truly iconic cover artwork to the music contained within, it's all brilliantly effortless.Guerrero's musical ideas are consistently compelling throughout, making it impossible to select highlights. The album's laconic drift touches upon jazz-fusion workouts and slow-mo hip-hop drums, Tortoise-style experimental post-rock and cinematic sound textures. It's at once hazy, light and bouncy yet sombre and bluesy. The Latin soul of El Chicano blends with the breezy jazz of Grant Green. By employing guitars and drum machines to create a stripped down rhythmic tapestry of spellbinding, addictive songs, there are even traces of The Durutti Column. A little bit of country, a little bit of rock & roll. A Little Bit Of Somethin', indeed.

Discover the Sound of IBIZA with our new vinyl collection ! One double vinyl focussing on Techno with gems from Laurent Garnier, Stve Bug, Chrstopher Just... One double vinyl dedicated to House Music with perls from Ultra Naté, Kings of Tomorrow, Bob Sinclar...

o encapsulate the themes. “Aseurai means around you in the atmosphere, hard to reach, fading away,” Choi says. “It’s a poetic expression. You wouldn’t say it in normal conversation, but I like that.”

Following the four-piece band’s 2024 self-titled EP, Aseurai adds disco and city-pop influences while staying true to dream-pop roots. While Phoebe Rings was originally a solo project of Choi’s, Aseurai marks a shift with contributing songwriting credits from the whole band. The four musicians cut their teeth working on other notable NZ projects such as Princess Chelsea, Fazerdaze, Tiny Ruins, AC Freazy,, Sea Views and Lucky Boy.

With a more ambitious collection of instruments, Choi says this album heralds the start of true collaboration: “I feel more precious about this LP because it includes everyone’s gems.” Guitar/synthesist Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent spearheads unexpected arrangements, with bold fuzzy guitar textures, to spice up the mix. Benjamin Locke adds maturity to the lyrics, paired with perfectionist bass lines. And drummer Alex Freer’s slick production soars Aseurai to diverse and synergetic heights. The broth is richer with more cooks in the kitchen, and the brewing of textures creates a distinct ‘Phoebe Rings’ sound.

If the EP was spacey, then Aseurai settles on earth, rooted in tangible moments. “Without getting too gloomy, it’s a weird world out there. A lot has changed in the world since the EP came out,” says Kavanagh-Vincent on this transformation. The album delves into hope and longing across all possibilities, and this exploration of holding on and letting go is organically threaded throughout. Across ten songs, Phoebe Ring’s storytelling ranges from tongue-in-cheek musings on gentrification to tender autobiographical memories.

아스라이 흩어지는 하늘의 별이 (May the falling light of faraway stars) / 그대의 손 끝에 닿아 숨이 돼주길 (Reach your fingertips and let you breathe),” Choi sings in the title track “Aseurai.” Imagined as a breezy track inspired by a 90’s Korean pop band, Choi discovered, when fleshing out the lyrics, that it was about yearning for people she couldn’t see anymore. In the old-school disco track, “Get Up,” Locke addresses struggles with mental health in a Matrix-inspired driven mantra:  ‘Just get up / Just get up.’ The groove persists with ‘Fading Star,” a quirky ballad filled with steely jazz/rock guitar solos dedicated to a suburban aging musician. Kavanagh-Vincent’s lead single ‘Drifting’ is an unrequited celestial love song with bouncing bass and playful synths.

The band wrote, produced, and engineered the album across studios and band members’ homes in 2023/2024 in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). It features mixing/mix production by local legend Jeremy Toy (Bic Runga, Aaradnha, Princess Chelsea) and mastering by Kelly Hibbert. With Aseurai, Phoebe Rings mark out a brilliant new constellation in their sky, bringing their individual compositions to the fore whilst seamlessly threading them into one celestial body - launching skyward on Carpark Records in June 2025.

The stunning debut album by Peki Momés is back in store after selling out the first edition in a few weeks! This 2nd pressing has a different label design. Featuring twelve outstanding original tunes. Turkish psychedelic, global disco and outernational!

Peki Momés is a Turkish artist living in Germany - who only started to record music by accident in 2024. Blessed with style and intuition rather than formal education, her fresh and uncompromisingly authentic approach to music took hearts and ears by storm.

Ever since her debut 45 on Mocambo Records, Peki Momés has become a little sensation in and outside the organic groove scene: turntablist DJ Koco played doubles of "Göc Mevsimi" in his set, Iggy Pop announced "Rüya" on his "Iggy Confidential" show on BBC and the second vinyl single surprised everyone with a mesmerizing cover of Marco Valle's much loved "Estrelar" in the turkish language. Both records sold out quickly and are in the bags of tastemakers like Coco Maria.

Peki Momés' music is an eclectic mix of sounds from the global underground, tastefully crafted by producer Dustin Braun and a troupe of ridiculously talented jazz musicians. Dirty disco, fuzzy funk, anatolian rare grooves, experimental synth, library music and japanese city pop all blend naturally with her distinct vocals to create a unique ethereal outernational sound that is all her own.

Once dubbed as 'turkish discodelic', Peki's songs have a dreamlike, enchanted and psychedelic quality and instantly take the listener on a journey. In a poetic way, she approaches topics like "dreams and a naive fear of losing or not fulfilling them" or expresses "worries about our weary world and call for solidarity from all" - always with an outlook of hope. You do not have to speak turkish to understand - the message is transported by a universal language.

With her debut album, Peki Momés is now telling her full story. Displaying a young Peki on the cover, the artwork hints at the freshness and enthusiasm of the project. We should consider ourselves lucky that Peki chose to disrespect rules in favor of self-empowerment and made this wonderful longplayer that you never knew you needed.