This Album is a collection of what I call Punk Art Poetry.
Poetry put together like a lyric to tell a certain story or explain a thought on some punk related matter. Some of these stories did actually turn themselves into a song which I released on my Punk Art imprint.
Most of these poems were influenced or inspired a piece of art I was working on.
Hope you like them or can relate to these stories.
Since her re-discovery in 2013 via cult favourite The Space Lady’s Greatest Hits, The Space Lady’s mission of galactic peace and celestial harmony has grown into a world-wide underground phenomenon. Recorded in 1990, The Space Lady’s original repertoire is a parallel universe greatest hits: songs familiar are transmogrified into shimmering bliss while new compositions amplify the message. The Space Lady’s Other Hits, released on April 20th for Record Store Day 2024, constitutes the songs recorded by Susan “The Space Lady” Dietrich Schneider as part of that repertoire that never made the original Greatest Hits, save for a limited bonus CD on the first CD pressing. Remastered by Mikey Love for vinyl, The Space Lady’s Other Hits completes the picture.
The Space Lady began her odyssey on the streets of Boston in the late 70s, then San Francisco ten years later, playing versions of contemporary pop music with an accordion and dressed flamboyantly. Following the theft and destruction of her accordion , The Space Lady invested in a then-new Casio keyboard, complete with a phase shifter, delay pedal and headset mic, birthing an otherworldly new dimension to popular song that has captured the imaginations of the underground and its leading exponents ever since.
The Space Lady’s Other Hits were recorded as they were played on the street, live, one-take, with Schneider playing, singing and simultaneously manipulating the various effects. Beginning with Elvis Presley’s iconic All Shook Up, the walking bassline underpinning the vocal, phasing in and out of this dimension, providing a fragile, extraterrestrial shadow to Presley’s original lust-driven performance. Slapback Boomerang is an original composition, written by Schneider’s then-husband Joel Dunsany a Rock ’n’ Roll pounder that could have been performed by The Cramps, its tale of relationship turmoil changed into a meditation on the nature of echo and feedback. There are moments where Schneider performs vocal caesuras, swimming in delay and phase for the pleasure of it, a pantomime drama performance that rings out. Closing Side B, Puttin’ On The Ritz is Irving Berlin’s 20s smash hit manipulated into a sombre ballad with its latent class struggle narrative brought to the fore.
A staple of The Space Lady’s performances to this day, Golden Earring’s 70s global hit Radar Love retains something of the original’s driving gallop but in The Space Lady’s telling it is shorn of the tight-trousered, taut machismo. The Space Lady coos and reaches up into the heavens away from the road, the phaser waves drenching the composition with transcendence.
Schneider’s falsetto performances in the choruses do nothing but lift the spirits ever-arching upwards. Next, The Space Lady emasculated Jim Morrison’s performance in The Doors’ 20th Century Fox. Faithfully playing Ray Manzarek’s keyboard parts on her Casio, Schneider disintegrates Morrison’s lust into waves of echo and delay, creating a Dubbed out version of the song, sounding eroded and decayed in all its ghostly glory. Pioneering Rock ’n’ Roll outfit Pete & The Pirates’ 1960 hot Shakin’ All Over, something of a response to Elvis’ All Shook Up, is blown out in warm fuzz and the celestial hug of The Space Lady’s
spirit.
Yeast Machine veröffentlicht ihr Debüt-Album. Ruhe. Spannung. Sensation.REM-Schlaf auf Koffein. Wegträumen, dann Augen aufreißen. Geboren im 90s Grunge, aufgewachsen im Heavy Stoner und Fuzz, bahnt sich Yeast Machine ihren Weg, den es noch nicht gibt. Organisch, roh, drop-fanatisch und für die, die schon immer Hefe beim Aufgehen zuhören wollten. Mit Vocals, durch die der Geist von Jim Morrison hallt und Gitarren, die von allen Seiten zu erschlagen drohen. Seit 2021 kreieren Yeast Machine ihren eigenen, rohen Sound, der ständig zwischen laut und leise pendelt und der Eingängigkeit zelebriert, ohne das Fuzz-Pedal auch nur ein kleines Bisschen runterzudrehen. Zwei Gitarren und Bass, psychedelisch atmosphärische Downtempo-Parts und ein rauer, abwechslungsreicher Gesang sind dabei charakteristisch für die Band. Inhaltlich oszilliert SLEAZE zwischen Melancholie, Vergänglichkeit und Wahnsinn.
Bruno Berle, the young songwriter and poet originally hailing from Maceió, the capital of Brazil’s Alagoas state, crafts songs that are simple, direct, and full of tender nuance. With his first album No Reino Dos Afetos (which translates to "In the Realm of Affections” and was released in 2022), Berle firmly established himself as a unique and important voice in the burgeoning scene of new Brazilian artists making a global impact, including peers like Ana Frango Elétrico, Tim Bernardes, Bala Desejo, Sessa and more. Now back with his second album, No Reino Dos Afetos 2, he stretches that further.
Bruno Berle’s music lives between two worlds – a traditional Brazilian folk talent steeped in history, and a contemporary, dreamy electronic pop; the result is songwriting that’s genre-bending, intentional, iconoclastic and consuming, spacious and sinewy and singular, a striking reflection of its composer while leaving space for the listener to settle in. The album follows Bruno’s relocation to São Paulo, and the songs are a reflection of his past and present. A rebuke of former categorizations of his work in Brazilian music scenes, and an idea of where his music can move, unfettered.
Berle’s music is purposeful in being a true portrait of himself, and a reflection of the music, art, and fashion scenes he personally moves through. Berle aims to provide an entrypoint for Black queer joy in his music, in his storytelling, in his presence and vision as a creative. For him, it feels subversive to be playing MPB laced with dubstep and lo-fi, a sort of intentional sacrilege, capturing a dialogue of modernity in traditional music.
Berle wrote most of the arrangements and co-produced his new album, Reino Dos Afetos 2 with longtime friend and musical partner Batata Boy, who is also from Maceió; the album was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Maceió, and São Paulo, his new home, and picks up the conversation begun in 2022 on Berle’s debut album No Reino dos Afetos. Both records are the result of a nonlinear but coherent seven-year music creation process culminating in these albums, holding hands across space and time.
“Tirolirole,” the first single from the record, was released at the end of 2023; sun-soaked rhythms and soft voice coat the song, the lilting refrain of “Tirolirole” throughout – hushed, gentle, but somehow almost tactile, a golden-hour moment unlocked in the mind. “Tirolirole” is a triumphant future classic about the temporality of a blossoming love, with Bruno’s stunning vocal soaring over melodies which ebb and flow like the waters on the Atlantic shore. Of the track, Berle explains: “Despite ‘Tirolirole’ being an expression that evokes my childhood, just like the light words about nature, the harmony, and the poetry are epic, carrying a great hope for love.”
In fact, the guiding theme of No Reino dos Afetos 2 is a relationship, unfolding in the arc of a weekend. It traverses the innocence of an early young love, how that can be formative, can stretch on to take new shapes, or shape you. The album happens at the genesis of meeting someone and falling for them, before the relationship is thrown into overdrive – set in a big city, against a backdrop of major life changes, rising energy, the sound of São Paulo.
Something transcendental emerges in “Dizer Adeus,” with an arrangement that echoes a gospel atmosphere (evangelical and Catholic environments were pivotal to Berle’s upbringing). On “É Só Você Chegar,” piano and flute gracefully intertwine, a dance, while “Quando Penso” skews sparser, the voice-and-guitar minimalism somehow cultivating an entirely different shape – somehow both cozy and melancholy, with the background sound of a rainy day. Coupled with the lo-fi aspects that shape much of the album’s personality in the vocals and the production, No Reino Dos Afetos 2 is meticulously elaborated by Berle’s sonic alchemy, like on the mid-album instrumental “Sonho,” which feels like floating. “It’s the apex. It’s when lovers are sleeping together,” Berle explains of the feeling he wanted to encapsulate in the song.
On “Love Comes Back” Berle interprets Arthur Russell, the late Iowa musician who only reached greater visibility after he died in 1992. “His way of making music is similar to mine,” Berle explains. “He sings in a more fragile way, has more of an experimental way of recording, letting ‘chance’ appear in the final work.”
Even so, Berle doesn’t want his music to be buried in sentimentality – and the purposefulness of his craft serves as a sort of north star. The production, the arrangements, his restraint and intentionality in crafting his songs feel just as vital as their emotional cores. His songwriting is amorphous, fluid, an encompassing genre-bending movement in-and-of-itself, quietly daring. The songs are often in conversation with other works – drinking in fountains as diverse as the filmmaking of Ingmar Bergman, the poetry of Walt Whitman, the rhythm of Djavan, and the painting of Maxwell Alexandre. Musically he weaves together a rich tapestry of Brazilian folk, UK 2-step garage/dub, trip hop and sun soaked west coast songwriters; something akin to the worlds of Milton Nascimento, Arthur Russell, James Blake, Feist, and Sade colliding into one. But even then No Reino Dos Afetos 2 floats separately, a romanticism driven by a simplicity and intimacy, an open-ended possibility, Berle’s singularity as an artist at the helm of the ship.
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Is this the future sound of black American jazz - an inclusive yet rhythmically complex groove based music that owes as a much to black urban culture - predominantly hip hop and trap music rhythms - as it does to jazz improv techniques and rhythms? It's certainly interesting that similar elements swim through the music of Robert Glasper and Kamasi Washington, who along with Scott are currently big box office, pulling-in substantial new audiences for their music. Ruler Rebel is the first album of a trilogy celebrating 100 years of recorded jazz, and will be followed by Diaspora and Emancipation Procrastination later. At the heart of this music are polyrhythmic grooves that might come from jazz, New Orleans black Indian music, trap, Malian rhythm Kassa Soro and the interplay between an SPD drum machine and live drumming. Largely featuring Scott's trumpet, the record introduces his articulate and frequently eloquent voice as the narrator of Ruler Rebel, much like the Persian Princess Scheherazade narrating her tales of the mysterious east to Sultan Shahriar over one thousand and one nights. A key track is `Encryption', a summation of Scott's direction of travel on the album. Here the running rhythm is derived from the New Orleansian Afro-Indian culture married with Malian Kassa Soro. This is in turn is layered with SPD-SX electronic drum machine and sampling machine played by Joe Dyson and Cory Fonsville that introduce rhythmic elements from trap and hip hop. Sounds complex? Well it is, but it works. Other highlights include `New Orleansian Love Song' and `New Orleansian Love Song II' and a celebration of Afro-Indian culture on `The Coronation of K. Atunde Adjuah'.
Is this the future sound of black American jazz - an inclusive yet rhythmically complex groove based music that owes as a much to black urban culture - predominantly hip hop and trap music rhythms - as it does to jazz improv techniques and rhythms? It's certainly interesting that similar elements swim through the music of Robert Glasper and Kamasi Washington, who along with Scott are currently big box office, pulling-in substantial new audiences for their music. Ruler Rebel is the first album of a trilogy celebrating 100 years of recorded jazz, and will be followed by Diaspora and Emancipation Procrastination later. At the heart of this music are polyrhythmic grooves that might come from jazz, New Orleans black Indian music, trap, Malian rhythm Kassa Soro and the interplay between an SPD drum machine and live drumming. Largely featuring Scott's trumpet, the record introduces his articulate and frequently eloquent voice as the narrator of Ruler Rebel, much like the Persian Princess Scheherazade narrating her tales of the mysterious east to Sultan Shahriar over one thousand and one nights. A key track is `Encryption', a summation of Scott's direction of travel on the album. Here the running rhythm is derived from the New Orleansian Afro-Indian culture married with Malian Kassa Soro. This is in turn is layered with SPD-SX electronic drum machine and sampling machine played by Joe Dyson and Cory Fonsville that introduce rhythmic elements from trap and hip hop. Sounds complex? Well it is, but it works. Other highlights include `New Orleansian Love Song' and `New Orleansian Love Song II' and a celebration of Afro-Indian culture on `The Coronation of K. Atunde Adjuah'.
Originally released in 1986 ‘Power’ was the work of Philly producer Derrick Graves and vocalist Terrance T. The machine lead production on ‘Power’ was part of an emerging wave of post disco producers embracing a dub aesthetic that proved to be the precursor to the emergence of house music. The vocal harmonies from Terrance were influenced by Cameo and Prince and combined with the powerful production results in a dancefloor bomb in the Larry Levan style, stripped back and dubby with a strong song at its core. This level of musicality and production was no fluke, Derrick was a seasoned session musician who worked extensively with the likes of Sister Sledge, Dexter Wansel & Donny Hathaway. Derrick had a clear understanding of emerging studio trends “Music production was evolving into a new phase where home studios were developing and it was becoming more possible for real recordings to be made! From there, I eventually enhanced my production skills by learning how to compose using sequencers, computer software (DAWs), and midi instrument implementation in the 80's and 90's. I went from a 4-track to eventually a 24-Track 2" tape machine setup!”.
The fully remastered 12” includes the essential Instrumental mix.
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Der in Brooklyn ansässige Komponist, Arrangeur, Produzent und Multiinstrumentalist Sly5thAve präsentiert "Liberation", eine 2LP mit Auswahl von Originalkompositionen und Reorchestrierungen, die die Schönheit und Gewandtheit der Jazzmusik feiern. Feat. MonoNeon, Roberto Verástegui, Robert “Sput” Searight, Nate Werth.
Liberation" ist das neue Album des Produzenten, Komponisten, Arrangeurs und Multiinstrumentalisten Sly5thAve. Sly5thAve überwand kreative Schwierigkeiten und konzentrierte sich darauf, sich selbst treu zu bleiben, und fühlte sich nach der Fertigstellung des Titeltracks "Liberation" befreit - ein Gefühl, das den Titel des Albums prägte.
Liberation" entstand aus einem Demo, das vor fünf Jahren während Sly5thAves erstem Versuch, das Album zu konzipieren, entstanden war, und ist inspiriert von geliebten Blaxploitation-Filmsoundtracks und ikonischen Künstlern wie Curtis Mayfield, Willie Hutch, Herbie Hancock, Gordon Parks & J. J Johnson.
Der Grammy-Preisträger Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II alias Sly5thAve ist bekannt für seine ausgefeilten Kompositionen. Sein Sound ist geprägt von seinem Glauben an Hip-Hop und seinem tiefen Verständnis von Soul, R&B und Jazz. Er hat eine große Anhängerschaft im Underground und wurde von berühmten Musikern wie Jarobi White (A Tribe Called Quest), Dr. Dre, Questlove und The Roots sowie dem Schauspieler Martin Freeman unterstützt.
Großen Respekt hat er sich durch seine Arbeit mit einer Reihe von hochkarätigen Musikern erworben, darunter Prince (als Mitglied der New Power Generation Band), Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, das Dave Brubeck Quartet, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monae, Freddie Gibbs und Quantic. Sly5thAve ist als Mitglied von Ghost Note, Quantic und mit seinem eigenen Nebenprojekt IGBO auf Tournee gegangen und hat Alfa Mist auf seiner Nordamerikatournee unterstützt.
Vor allem seine orchestrale Hommage an Dr. Dre, "The Invisible Man", erntete viel Lob und Aufmerksamkeit und wurde sogar von Dr. Dre selbst bewundert.
Big Machine Records und Surfdog Records kündigen heute das Album „Glen Campbells Duets - Ghost on the Canvas Sessions“ von Glen Campbell an. Das von der Kritik gefeierte und geschichtsträchtige Abschiedsalbum von 2011 erscheint am 19. April 2024, neu interpretiert mit einigen der größten Ikonen der Musik. Das Projekt ist das erste seiner Art. Ein Album, das posthum komplett als Duett neu aufgenommen wurde und den Originalgesang des verstorbenen Campbells und ”Größen” wie Brian Wilson, Carole King, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Hope Sandoval, Linda Perry, Sting, Brian Setzer und vielen anderen Artists beinhaltet. Mit der Ankündigung werden auch zwei neue Tracks, „Hold On Hope“ mit Eric Church und „Nothing But The Whole Wide World“ mit Eric Clapton, veröffentlicht. „Glen Campbells Duets - Ghost on the Canvas Sessions“ wird am 19.04.2024 als 2LP und 1CD erhältlich sein.
Crash Course in Science are a post punk band that formed in 1979 in Philadelphia.The band members, Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago and Michael Zodorozny, met while attending art school. They began to experiment with crude electronics and off-beat writing. CCIS avoids conventional instrumentation by using toy instruments and kitchen appliances to augment the distorted guitar, drums and synthesized beats.Their first single, 'Cakes in the Home' was released in 1979 and their 4-song 12'' EP ''Signals From Pier Thirteen'' in 1981. Pier 13 was an abandoned coal-loading pier along the Delaware River near where CCIS rehearsed. The band went there often and was inspired by the huge silent machinery, shapes, shadows, ghosts and debris. The songs 'Cardboard Lamb' and 'Flying Turns' quickly became club favorites during the early 80's. This EP's raw, percussive sound influenced both techno and industrial music in later years. CCIS feel a strong connection to Throbbing Gristle, although they consider themselves as working in a parallel universe rather than being influenced by them. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl is housed in the original jacket featuring stark black and white photos of Pier 13. Each LP includes a double sided 11x11 insert with lyrics, photos of the band and the atmospheric pier. Crash Course in Science go above and beyond what is considered 'New Wave' in attitude and sound.
Swansong wurde 2020 in Kuopio, Finnland, gegründet. Die Gründer der Band, die ehemalige Up Yours-Punk-Sängerin Jemiina und der Verjnuarmu-Gitarrist Topi Pitkänen, taten sich zusammen und begannen, gemeinsam Musik zu machen. Swansong bringt etwas Neues in die Metalszene und kombiniert Melodic Death, Heavy und Folk Metal, um nur einige zu nennen. Die kraftvollen Melodien mit knallharten Riffs lassen die 80er und 90er Jahre aufleben. Oldschool-Elemente erhalten durch weibliche Death-Growls und -Schreie einen neuen Twist.
Treten Sie ein in die Swansong-Welt - Geschichten mit Mitternachtskriegern, starken Jungfrauen und kaltem, frostigen Wind! Die Mitglieder der Band sind erfahrene Musiker von Bands wie Verjnuarmu, Tornado, Carnal Demise und Omniversum und die Songs sind seit dem Jahr 2020 in Arbeit.
Die finnischen Melodic-Death-Metal-Newcomer Swansong veröffentlichten am 25.02.2022 ihre erste EP Winter Maiden, produziert von Mathias "Vreth" Lillmåns (Finntroll, ...And Oceans, Dispyt). Swansong hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, weiterhin eine eigene Welt voller großartiger Melodien, Geschichten und visueller Elemente zu erschaffen, die bei den Hörern auf der ganzen Welt bereits auf große Resonanz gestoßen ist.
Jlin’s detailed and meticulous exploration of rhythm’s inner and outer reaches has made her one of the most distinctive and recognisable voices within both the electronic and classical music worlds. Her compositions are consistently appealing and have an accessibility to them, yet often defy expectations. She exists within her own locus solus - no matter the collaborator, no matter where sounds ultimately lead her. Whatever the situation – from composing the Pulitzer Prize shortlisted ‘Perspective’ for Third Coast Percussion, to ‘Godmother’ her AI-powered collaboration with Holly Herndon, Jlin always expresses her outlook to the fullest. Her new album ‘Akoma’ sets a new benchmark in her personal road map, not only since the album features guest appearances from Björk, Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet but for her continued sonic persistence and resistance. Jlin does what Jlin does and it’s beloved across genres, across scenes and across generations. ‘Akoma’ is a new entry point into her sound and a new approach for both those who have been following diligently and those who are just now entering her world.So how did she get here? Here’s a rundown for those looking for the facts. She was both a math nerd and a steel factory worker. She got inspired by Footwork and started making tracks with mentorship assistance from RP Boo and DJ Rashad, but her music was far from typical for footwork from the get-go. In 2011, she released her first track ‘Erotic Heat’ on the Planet Mu anthology ‘Bangs & Works Vol.2.’ Fashion designer Rick Owens heard it and invited her to soundtrack his Paris Fashion Week show. Already before an EP or an album Jlin was in new cutting-edge territory. And it hasn’t stopped since. Everyday Jlin wakes up early and clocks into her home studio working hard on new music. Her discipline and craft-like approach means that those who would try to copy her sound simply can’t get to the level she is at. Since ‘Erotic Heat’ she has released two bold albums, 2015’s ‘Dark Energy’ and 2017’s ‘Black Origami.’ She has also released her soundtrack to Company Wayne McGregor’s dance piece ‘Autobiography’ (2018) and most recently (2023) the mini-album ‘Perspective.’ She’s remixed µ-Ziq, Factory Floor, Ben Frost, Max Richter, Björk, Martin Gore and others. She’s collaborated with Holly Herndon and the late SOPHIE. She’s worked with visual artists Kevin Beasley and Nick Cave. She composed a string quartet for Kronos Quartet and performed with them live in a tribute to Philip Glass. She also recently completed a tribute to Sun Ra with Kronos. ‘Perspective’, her very well received percussion work for Third Coast Percussion has further opened doors for her in classical music. She’s even thinking of one day writing an opera. She had a residency at MassMoca Museum earlier this year (2023). She’s performed live at Pitchfork Festival, Unsound Festival and too many others to mention. She’s also worked with Indian dancers, Company Wayne McGregor and renowned choreographer/MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham. There’s more but you get the picture - she’s working in contexts and in ways that few of her peers are able to. ‘Akoma’ is the next step - all these paths have led to this. We encourage you to tune in.
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Quantum´s upcoming album, "Down the Mountainside", contains eight very elaborate and intense compositions, spanning 45 minutes of music that shimmers in acoustic soundscapes one minute to explode into spastic grooves in the next. The lyrical themes deal with humans alter egos - or masks - that people in our society rely on in order to get by with their everyday lives, and how these affect them psychologically and eventually lead them towards a breaking point. There is also commentary on how this behavior affects the general attitude in the society we live in. Overall, with "Down the Mountainside", Quantum has created a timeless progressive rock album, which feels both fresh and innovative, which will appeal to old prog diggers as well as listeners of the more modern school.
The album features guitar solos from the brilliant Richard Henshall and Tom MacLean from the band Haken.
Quantum´s upcoming album, "Down the Mountainside", contains eight very elaborate and intense compositions, spanning 45 minutes of music that shimmers in acoustic soundscapes one minute to explode into spastic grooves in the next. The lyrical themes deal with humans alter egos - or masks - that people in our society rely on in order to get by with their everyday lives, and how these affect them psychologically and eventually lead them towards a breaking point. There is also commentary on how this behavior affects the general attitude in the society we live in. Overall, with "Down the Mountainside", Quantum has created a timeless progressive rock album, which feels both fresh and innovative, which will appeal to old prog diggers as well as listeners of the more modern school.
The album features guitar solos from the brilliant Richard Henshall and Tom MacLean from the band Haken.
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Gabon, 1980’s. President Omar Bongo has been in power since 1967. Together with his wife, the infamous singer Patience Dabany, he invents one of the ultimate political propaganda machine: ‘animation groups’, massive female choirs and dancers, up to 60 women deep, singing the praise of his regime over some of the best soukous rhythms ever, broadcasted live on TV.
Between 1982 and 1989, mainly thanks to the flourishing oil economy, a record-label is created, a state-of-the-art recording studio is set up, and the best Gabonese and Congolese musicians are recruited. Dozens of vinyls are pressed and sold with huge success all over the country.
The Bongo family has reigned continuously over Gabon until the 2023 coup d’état.
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Reissue of early Japanese house outing by Junichi Soma, Shuji Wada and Katsuya Sayo. Comes with insert with liner notes.
All musical movements require a spark to set them alight; in the case of Japanese house music, that spark was provided by the forward-thinking resident DJs of The Bank in Roppongi, Tokyo. In 1989, to celebrate the ground-breaking club’s first birthday, the venue released a 12” EP featuring first-time productions from three of its DJs, Junichi Soma, Shuji Wada and Strong Katsuya AKS Katsuya Sayo.
Widely considered to be one of the first ever EP of house music produced in Japan, 1st Unit was never officially released. Instead, 500 of the 1000 copies pressed were given away at The Bank’s first birthday party, with the rest initially being sold not in local record stores, but rather the venue’s own in-house shop. Three decades on, the 12” is finally set to get its first worldwide release via Rush Hour’s Store JPN Series.
The record has its roots in The Bank’s willingness to give its ever-changing roster of DJs a free hand to play what they liked – at the time a rarity in Tokyo nightclubs, whose musical offerings usually revolved around strictly defined playlists. At The Bank in 1989, it was not only common to hear European body music and the kind of post-disco New York productions associated with Larry Levan’s sets at the Paradise Garage, but also acid house – something not offered at the time by other clubs in the city.
This cutting-edge blend of sounds, combined with the venue’s unique decor (it was modeled on the inside of a London bank, complete with a cashier’s window to take entrance fees), made The Bank a go-to spot for young party-goers, celebrities and forward-thinking Japanese musicians (Ryuichi Sakamoto was reportedly a weekly visitor).
When it came to celebrating the club’s birthday by cutting a unique record, it made sense for The Bank’s owners to turn to three of their most exciting resident DJs, who were assisted by Heigo Tani and Jun Ebi. The collective name, 1st Unit, was chosen to reflect the fact that all three resident DJs were debutants with no previous studio experience.
As this reissue proves, the music remains timeless, magical, and authentic to the sound of American house productions of the period – albeit with occasional twists,. Katsuya Sano’s EP opener, ‘I Need Love’, sounds like a twist on Larry Heard productions of the period – all jacking TR-909 drums, undulating analogue bass, dreamy JUNO synthesizer chords and evocative vocal samples.
The influence of Chicago acid house is also evident on Junichi Souma’s ‘Ubnormal Life’, whose unusual title contains what he says was an intentional misspelling. Driven forwards by restless drum machine handclaps, sweet chords and rising and falling melodic motifs, the track is an energetic and uplifting treat.
Perhaps the most influential of the three tracks at the time – within Japan at least – was Shuji Wada’s similarly misspelled ‘Endless Load’. Deeper and more melodic with a more expansive arrangement, the track’s combination of marimba-style lead lines, tribal drum patterns, dreamy chords and jazz-funk influenced bass offered a loose blueprint for the more successful and better-known Japanese deep house tracks that followed.
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Sounds Good ist ein Album, das, vereinfacht ausgedrückt, seinem Namen alle Ehre macht. Die aktuelle Single Hanging On folgt auf den Bombast-Track Nobody But You und Gift of Life mit Kevins Delfonics-artigem Gesang, der die Bandbreite der menschlichen Erfahrung thematisiert. Kevin und Tony Martin sind Brüder, Eric ist ihr Bruderund langjähriger Freund durch die Musik. Während die anfängliche Verbindung der Band auf der berauschenden Mischung aus Jazz-Performance-fokussierter Musikschule und der Plackerei lokaler Auftritte gründet, wurde ihre Bindung durch unzählige Stunden auf Tour und die Produktion von zwei Studioalben gestärkt – 2019 das Debütalbum Buck und 2021 die EP Ripe. "Being on the road, doing our own tours, and backing incredible people like Lady Wray, has sharpened our skills and really revved us up for this record", sagt Kevin."It's been four years since our last full length record, and with everything that's happened since, it's like we've been catching up to ourselves." Das ist eine Möglichkeit, Veränderungen zu beschreiben: sich selbst einzuholen. Jedes Mitglied von Brainstory hat Veränderungen durchgemacht, sowohl persönlich als auch musikalisch, und all das zieht sich durch diese Platte. Der Weg zur Weiterentwicklung ihrer Musik ist klarer denn je zuvor. Wenn es eine Sache gibt, die auf diesem Album überdeutlich wird, dann ist es, dass Brainstory sich entwickelt haben. Ein Teil ihrer Entwicklung ist zweifellos darauf zurückzuführen, dass sie ihr eigenes Studio in Long Beach haben und dort ständig arbeiten. Ein weiterer wichtiger Faktor ist, dass sich ihre Gemeinschaft erweitert hat. "I've been playing music with my brother all my life and now with Eric for a long time", erzählt uns Tony. "Leon, though, is like another brother I've just met." Aus der Freundschaft ist die Band entstanden, und jetzt trägt die erweiterte Gemeinschaft dazu bei, sie weiter voranzutreiben. Die Sterne stehen günstig, dass sie mit diesem neuen Album einen großen und wohlverdienten Schritt machen, und das hört man ihrer Musik an – music that just Sounds Good.
Das neue Album 'Tarantula Heart' der Melvins ist wie nichts, was die Band je zuvor gemacht hat. Ein Meilenstein, keine Frage. Vielleicht sogar ihre beste Platte. Ganz sicher aber eine ihrer schrägsten. Im Mittelpunkt des fünf Songs umfassenden Albums stehen der 19-minütige Opener 'Pain Equals Funny' und der lärmende Heavy-Hit 'Working the Ditch'.
Neben den drei Kernmitgliedern sind auf dem Album auch Drummer Roy Mayorga (Ministry, Soulfly, Stone Sour und Nausea) und We Are The Asteroid-Gitarrist Gary Chester, mit dem die Melvins kürzlich auf Tournee waren, zu hören.
So zeigen sich auf diesem Album mehr denn je die vielseitigen Einflüsse, die Buzz‘ Schaffensprozess informieren. Seien es nun Judy Garland-Klassiker, The Birthday Party oder aber auch die improvisatorische Herangehensweise eines Miles Davis.
'Tarantula Heart' klingt nicht nur gut, nein, es sieht mit dem brillanten Coverartwork von Mackie Osborne auch noch gut aus.
Das neue Album 'Tarantula Heart' der Melvins ist wie nichts, was die Band je zuvor gemacht hat. Ein Meilenstein, keine Frage. Vielleicht sogar ihre beste Platte. Ganz sicher aber eine ihrer schrägsten. Im Mittelpunkt des fünf Songs umfassenden Albums stehen der 19-minütige Opener 'Pain Equals Funny' und der lärmende Heavy-Hit 'Working the Ditch'.
Neben den drei Kernmitgliedern sind auf dem Album auch Drummer Roy Mayorga (Ministry, Soulfly, Stone Sour und Nausea) und We Are The Asteroid-Gitarrist Gary Chester, mit dem die Melvins kürzlich auf Tournee waren, zu hören.
So zeigen sich auf diesem Album mehr denn je die vielseitigen Einflüsse, die Buzz‘ Schaffensprozess informieren. Seien es nun Judy Garland-Klassiker, The Birthday Party oder aber auch die improvisatorische Herangehensweise eines Miles Davis.
'Tarantula Heart' klingt nicht nur gut, nein, es sieht mit dem brillanten Coverartwork von Mackie Osborne auch noch gut aus.
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Die Formation ist seit 2003 eine Pionierkraft im norwegischen Progressive-Extrem-Metal. Die von Gitarrist Johnar Haaland und Sänger Andreas Frigstad gegründete Band zeichnete sich schon früh durch ihren melodischen Extreme-Metal-Sound aus.
Im Jahr 2018 erschien mit 'Currents' ein gefeiertes Album, das sich mit zeitgenössischen, gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen beschäftigt. Es erhielt in verschiedenen Veröffentlichungen weltweit top Bewertungen, darunter 10/10-Bewertungen von Metal Temple (UK), Metal Only (GER) oder HeavyMetal.de (GER), um nur einige zu nennen. Mit vielen Live-Auftritten u.a. mit Solefald, Borknagar, Vreid und Keep of Kalessin untermauern die Norweger immer wieder ihre wuchtige Bühnen-Präsenz.
In Vain bleiben ein Kraftpaket im Extrem-Metal, das mit seinen dynamischen Kompositionen fesselt, und seinen Ruf als treibende Kraft im progressiven Extrem-Metal weiter verankert. Die Fähigkeit der Band, progressiven Drive, Verspieltheit, berührenden Gesang und metallische Härte nahtlos miteinander zu verbinden, beweist auch das brandneue 'Solemn' auf Indie Recordings (u.a. Kvelertak). 'Solemn' stellt auf ganzer Linie außergewöhnliche Musikalität unter Beweis und dies wird untermauert mit einer mächtigen, aber organischen Produktion für die Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Katatonia, Devin Townsend, Kreator u.s.w.) verantwortlich war.
Die Formation ist seit 2003 eine Pionierkraft im norwegischen Progressive-Extrem-Metal. Die von Gitarrist Johnar Haaland und Sänger Andreas Frigstad gegründete Band zeichnete sich schon früh durch ihren melodischen Extreme-Metal-Sound aus.
Im Jahr 2018 erschien mit 'Currents' ein gefeiertes Album, das sich mit zeitgenössischen, gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen beschäftigt. Es erhielt in verschiedenen Veröffentlichungen weltweit top Bewertungen, darunter 10/10-Bewertungen von Metal Temple (UK), Metal Only (GER) oder HeavyMetal.de (GER), um nur einige zu nennen. Mit vielen Live-Auftritten u.a. mit Solefald, Borknagar, Vreid und Keep of Kalessin untermauern die Norweger immer wieder ihre wuchtige Bühnen-Präsenz.
In Vain bleiben ein Kraftpaket im Extrem-Metal, das mit seinen dynamischen Kompositionen fesselt, und seinen Ruf als treibende Kraft im progressiven Extrem-Metal weiter verankert. Die Fähigkeit der Band, progressiven Drive, Verspieltheit, berührenden Gesang und metallische Härte nahtlos miteinander zu verbinden, beweist auch das brandneue 'Solemn' auf Indie Recordings (u.a. Kvelertak). 'Solemn' stellt auf ganzer Linie außergewöhnliche Musikalität unter Beweis und dies wird untermauert mit einer mächtigen, aber organischen Produktion für die Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Katatonia, Devin Townsend, Kreator u.s.w.) verantwortlich war.
Älter geworden sind sie, milde jedoch nicht, denn Anlass zum Wütend-Sein und Feiern gibt es noch immer. Über 40 Jahre später folgt nun mit ihrem zweiten Album also Die Rückkehr des Bumm! Ende der Siebziger begannen Annette "Bärchen" Simons und eine Gruppe Teenager-"Milchbubis", Hannover unsicher zu machen. Von da an war die Band mit ihren humorvoll-subversiven Texten breitflächig vertreten: Von Jugendzentren, Underground-Tapes und nischigen Fanzines über die Bravo bis ins BRD-Fernsehen sowie auf den großen Bühnen des Landes - viele waren dem Bärchen-Charme verfallen. Nach einer LP und einer EP folgte 1983 mit der Label- auch die Bandauflösung und die Gruppe verschwand vorerst von der Bildfläche. 2021 meldeten sich Bächen und die Milchbubis dann mit der Werkschau Endlich Komplett Betrunken zurück. Es folgten Auftritt-Anfragen kleinerer Punk-Festivals: Hätte die Band nicht Lust, nach all der Zeit mal wieder live aufzutreten? Und wie sie es hatte! Annette Simons, die zu Gründungszeiten "nur" Sängerin war, hat sich ganz in Punk-Manier das Gitarrenspielen beigebracht. Auch Kai Nungesser bleibt an Bass und Gesang erhalten. Neuzugang ist der ehemalige Rotzkotz-Schlagzeuger Markus Joseph. Bärchen und die Milchbubis kitzeln die Wut vom ernsten Punk-Habitus am verkrampften Bierbauch und vertonen das unfreiwillige Lachen, das dabei rauskommt. Entstanden ist so also ein Album, das den Punk ins Jahr 2024
Älter geworden sind sie, milde jedoch nicht, denn Anlass zum Wütend-Sein und Feiern gibt es noch immer. Über 40 Jahre später folgt nun mit ihrem zweiten Album also Die Rückkehr des Bumm! Ende der Siebziger begannen Annette "Bärchen" Simons und eine Gruppe Teenager-"Milchbubis", Hannover unsicher zu machen. Von da an war die Band mit ihren humorvoll-subversiven Texten breitflächig vertreten: Von Jugendzentren, Underground-Tapes und nischigen Fanzines über die Bravo bis ins BRD-Fernsehen sowie auf den großen Bühnen des Landes - viele waren dem Bärchen-Charme verfallen. Nach einer LP und einer EP folgte 1983 mit der Label- auch die Bandauflösung und die Gruppe verschwand vorerst von der Bildfläche. 2021 meldeten sich Bächen und die Milchbubis dann mit der Werkschau Endlich Komplett Betrunken zurück. Es folgten Auftritt-Anfragen kleinerer Punk-Festivals: Hätte die Band nicht Lust, nach all der Zeit mal wieder live aufzutreten? Und wie sie es hatte! Annette Simons, die zu Gründungszeiten "nur" Sängerin war, hat sich ganz in Punk-Manier das Gitarrenspielen beigebracht. Auch Kai Nungesser bleibt an Bass und Gesang erhalten. Neuzugang ist der ehemalige Rotzkotz-Schlagzeuger Markus Joseph. Bärchen und die Milchbubis kitzeln die Wut vom ernsten Punk-Habitus am verkrampften Bierbauch und vertonen das unfreiwillige Lachen, das dabei rauskommt. Entstanden ist so also ein Album, das den Punk ins Jahr 2024
Die schwedischen Power Metaller von BLOODBOUND feiern Geburtstag! Zwanzig Jahre Bandbestehen und zwanzig Jahre vollgepackt mit Studioalben und einer Liternei an großen Festivalauftritten und Tourneen. Nun ist es an der Zeit mit einem Livealbum die Band zu huldigen, welche durch Songs wie "Battle in the Sky", "The Warlock's Trail" oder "Drink with the Gods" einen nicht mehr weg zu denkenden Platz auf dem Power Metal Thron und ein Standing als grandiose Liveband erarbeiten konnten.
"The Tales of Nosferatu - Two Decades of Blood" ist das zweite Livealbum der Band und das Paket ist picke packe voll. Neben der 2LP Variante im passenden Blood Splatter-Design wird es ein CD Earbook geben, welches eine extra Blu-Ray mit verschiedenen Liveauftritten und allen Musikvideos beinhaltet. Beide Konfigurationen werden einen Comic beinhalten, welcher extra für dieses Album entworfen wurde und die fiktive Entstehungsgeschichte des Bandmaskottchens Nossen darstellt. Wer sich für das CD Earbook entscheidet, darf sich ebenfalls über Liner Notes jedes Bandmitgliedes freuen, wo auf zwei Dekaden Bandgeschichte reflektiert wird.
Es ist also nicht einfach nur irgendein Livealbum. Es ist eine Collage aus allem was BLOODBOUND so gut macht: ihre Shows, ihre Songs & ihre Kreativität.
Ein bahnbrechendes Amalgam aus aufzugfreundlichem R&B und Synthesizer-lastigem Smooth Jazz. Tony Palkovics Debüt aus dem Jahr 1986 geht so leicht runter wie ein Hauch von zahnärztlichem Lachgas. Die seidigen Grooves und Ausbrüche der Drum Machine 1.0 auf "Born With A Desire" bleiben als 80er-Jahre-Vision einer zukünftigen Erde bestehen, mit 8-Bit-Grafiken und pastellfarbene Paletten in einem Synthesizer-Shangri-La.
Ein bahnbrechendes Amalgam aus aufzugfreundlichem R&B und Synthesizer-lastigem Smooth Jazz. Tony Palkovics Debüt aus dem Jahr 1986 geht so leicht runter wie ein Hauch von zahnärztlichem Lachgas. Die seidigen Grooves und Ausbrüche der Drum Machine 1.0 auf "Born With A Desire" bleiben als 80er-Jahre-Vision einer zukünftigen Erde bestehen, mit 8-Bit-Grafiken und pastellfarbene Paletten in einem Synthesizer-Shangri-La.
"Ein Großmeister der Pianoballaden" schrieb der Rolling Stone zu Martin Bechlers Solo Liedern, "betörend und souverän".
An zwei ausverkauften Abenden in der Kölner Kulturkirche wurde eben diese Magie in beeindruckender akustischer Kulisse eingefangen.
Der Kopf der Kölner Indie Abräumer Band Fortuna Ehrenfeld führt in einem der seltenen Solokonzerte beeindruckend intensiv sein Publikum durch die Aggregatszustände eines Schrammenlebens.
Blut, Schweiß, Tränen.
"Ein Großmeister der Pianoballaden" schrieb der Rolling Stone zu Martin Bechlers Solo Liedern, "betörend und souverän".
An zwei ausverkauften Abenden in der Kölner Kulturkirche wurde eben diese Magie in beeindruckender akustischer Kulisse eingefangen.
Der Kopf der Kölner Indie Abräumer Band Fortuna Ehrenfeld führt in einem der seltenen Solokonzerte beeindruckend intensiv sein Publikum durch die Aggregatszustände eines Schrammenlebens.
Blut, Schweiß, Tränen.
Demenz ist ein Dieb. Die bösartige Krankheit raubt ihren Opfern erst Stück für Stück ihr Gedächtnis, dann ihre Identität, schließlich Familie und Freunde - und oft genug sogar ihre Menschenwürde. Die in Los Angeles ansässigen Electro-Forscher THIEF nehmen auf ihrem vierten Album "Bleed, Memory" das Thema "Erinnerung" sowohl lyrisch als auch musikalisch unter die Lupe, was sich wie ein roter Faden durch das gesamte Album zieht. Der Kopf des Soloprojekts, Dylan Neal, wurde zu diesem Album durch das Schicksal seines Vaters inspiriert, der nach der Diagnose einer Demenz von leichter Vergesslichkeit und Verwirrung unaufhaltsam zu akuten Episoden von falschen Erinnerungen, Wahnvorstellungen, Visionen und seltsamem Verhalten überging. Das macht "Bleed, Memory" zu einer sehr persönlichen Schöpfung. Durch die harte Erfahrung begann Neal damit, erst seine eigenen Erinnerungen zu hinterfragen und dann mit der Erforschung, wie sie seine Identität und Realität formen. Erinnerung besteht nicht nur aus den Geschichten, die wir uns selbst und anderen erzählen. Neal vergleicht sie mit Geistern, die keine physische Existenz haben und dennoch unter denen Schrecken verbreiten, die an sie glauben. Das Rückgrat von THIEF bilden wieder einmal gesampelte sakrale Gesänge. Einige wurden beim Wühlen in digitalen Kisten gefunden und gesampelt, andere in verschiedenen orthodoxen Kirchen aufgenommen. Diese Samples wurden gedehnt, geschnitten, verstümmelt, umgeformt und gepitcht, um letztlich so wie jedes andere Instrument zu funktionieren. Neal hat "Bleed, Memory" bewusst so gestaltet, dass es gespenstisch klingt. Eine der Techniken, die er zur Erzielung dieses Effekts einsetzte, ist "Granular Synthesis". Der verstärkte Einsatz der Methode auf diesem Album bedeutet, dass Samples in kleine Audioschnipsel zerlegt wurden, die kaum mehr als 100 Millisekunden andauern. Dieser einzigartige Ansatz, der musikalische Elemente aus Ambient, Industrial, Chormusik, Black Metal und Trip-Hop sowie andere Einflüsse zu einem neuen Klangerlebnis verschmelzen lässt, hat THIEF unter Eingeweihten längst Kultstatus verschafft. Den Großteil des Albums hat Neal wieder einmal in seiner Wohnung aufgenommen und abgemischt. Für das Mastering konnte er erneut John Greenham gewinnen, der mit Künstlern von THE LOCUSTS über KATY PERRY bis hin zu DEATH GRIPS zusammengearbeitet hat und für sein Mastering für BILLIE EILISH im Jahr 2019 mit drei Grammy Awards ausgezeichnet wurde. Mit "Bleed, Memory" liefern THIEF eine verstörende und doch wunderschöne künstlerische Betrachtung eines grausamen Leidens, die gleichzeitig Emotionen wie Wut, Melancholie, Trauer und Verlust als lyrisches, musikalisches und visuelles Gesamtkunstwerk verarbeitet. Aber Vorsicht! Dieser Geist aus Klängen wird lange in der Erinnerung seiner Hörer spuken!
Factor City kicks off its third decade in full swing, led by Undo solo and accompanied by its usual partners Casiowaves and Vicknoise.
It all began in 2003 when Undo & Vicknoise laid the foundation for the label with "Noctámbula," and over the years, they continued to collaborate closely, managing the label and producing "hits" such as "Orca" or "Happy Monday." From 2011 onward, following an amicable parting, Undo began to run the label solo while maintaining the same spirit and distinctive sound of the Barcelona-based label, always at the forefront of dance music produced in Spain.
Now, in 2024, in a "digital” world where fewer and fewer things can be touched with our fingers and where 100,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify every day, Factor City is charting a different course and starts a new decade on the dance floors by returning to vinyl releases and persisting in their low key and relaxed approach, releasing few and carefully curated records from their artists each year.
“Ciudad Futura” opens with "Good Times," a track by Undo that radiates joy and positivity. An euphoric ride through landscapes of analog synthesizers and drum machines. The second track on side A is signed by Undo & Vicknoise, who hadn't produced together in 15 years. And we hope they won't take as long to get back in the studio together after hearing the fantastic track "Electric Rainbow." A delightful slice of electro-disco. The B side is signed by the recent combo of Undo and Casiowaves. The first track, "Secret Worlds," follows in the wake of their recent releases on Factor City and Melodize with that winning combination of retro 80s and 90s synths with vocoders and a more contemporary production. Closing out the record is "Astralia," a vibrant "power synth pop" anthem adorned with FM synths and acid-tinged melodies. Thanks for listening!
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Für das aktuelle Album lassen die Sidewalk Surfers den rissigen Asphalt des Hometown-Skateparks endgültig hinter sich und präsentieren stattdessen einen doomigen Soundtrack zu Road Movie und Klassenkampf. Mit zwölf Songs, die den düsteren Zeitgeist einfangen und dennoch den letzten Schluck aus der Calippo Cola zelebrieren, kann man getrost auf Tour gehen. So sicher waren sich Kinzi, Dom, Pecko und Kiwi in ihrem Schaffen noch nie. Dafür pennt man auch gern mal zu fünft im 90cm-Bett. Spätestens der Pizzaautomat macht alles wieder gut.
In the ever-evolving landscape of the underground music scene, few bands have made an impact quite like Selofan, an immensely talented duo of Joanna Pavlidou and Dimitris Pavlidis, has carved a niche for themselves within the international pantheon of darkwave, post-punk, and '80s synthpop, blending these influences to create a sound uniquely their own. Their journey, marked by a commitment to artistic integrity and evolution, has taken them from the cozy confines of local venues to the grand stages of international festivals, earning them a dedicated following and critical acclaim along the way. Their sixth album, Partners in Hell, released in October 2020, navigated the band through unprecedented times, testing their adaptability and resilience. Despite the hurdles to performing live and the global pandemic's challenges, Selofan emerged stronger, embarking on international tours with a newfound appreciation and connection with their global audience, during this period of introspection and isolation, Joanna Pavlidou embarked on a new venture, GIOVANNA, released under Selofan’s house label, Fabrika Records. GIOVANNA, which places Pavlidou at the helm of vocal and lyrical composition, represents a full on foray into synth-pop. showcasing a different facet of her artistic identity, with lyrics entirely in Greek. In 2023, Selofan hit the circuit hard, lighting up revered festivals with their presence. They stood shoulder to shoulder with heavy hitters like Molchat Doma and Lebanon Hanover at Grey Scale and performed with with the likes of The Sisters of Mercy, VNV Nation, and She Past Away at the Death Disco fest in their hometown of Athens. With each album they have released Selofan made significant strides in their evolution, deepening their engagement with their art. And their forthcoming seventh full length studio release, Animal Mentality, is poised to be their most compelling work yet. Animal Mentality unfolds as a labyrinthine journey through the elemental aspects of human emotion and experience, set against the backdrop of Selofan's signature darkwave sound. Each track on the album delves into different facets of the human condition, from the depths of desire to the pangs of isolation, encapsulating the duo's profound understanding of the intricate spectrum of human emotion and subjective experiences. The album kicks off with "Sticky Fingers," a track that melds cinematic scope with a haunting storyline, reminiscent of Jean-Michel Jarre's icy synths and a lyrical nod to Joy Division. This opening salvo revisits the tragic allure of classic car accident songs, weaving a tale of joy turned to sorrow amidst the snowy Alps. "Love's Secret Game" delves into the depths of forbidden desire, with vocals that echo the melancholy timbre of Xmal Deutschland, Lebanon Hanover, and Nico. It's a tale of passion and ephemeral connection, promising an enduring presence despite the inevitable fracture of time and distance. In "Lucille," sung by Dimitris Pavlidis, the plot is ensnared in the machinations of a tempestuous affair, with gothic undertones evoking the dramatic soundscapes of Ultravox and Clan of Xymox. The lyrics are steeped in danger and desire - a dance with the shadows. "Sacrifice Me" plunges into the abyss of despair, driven by a Bauhaus-esque bassline. It's a plea for release from the chains of alienation, a yearning for a final gesture of solace in the face of overwhelming darkness. "Bluebirds" offers a poignant reflection on solitude, with the fleeting imagery of bluebirds symbolizing the elusive quest for happiness. The song serves as a meditation on the internal struggle to maintain hope in a world shaded by sorrow. The narrative shifts with "Glassplitter," where German lyrics paint a portrait of deceptive allure and toxic entanglement. We are confronted with irresistible danger, masked by a veneer of beauty. "Ignoranz" continues the exploration in German, pondering the universality of misunderstanding. It's a reflection on the subjective nature of truth and the shared human experience of ignorance. "Behind My Eyelids" closes the odyssey, a contemplation on melancholy and metamorphosis. The phoenix rises from the ashes of betrayal to the brighter realm of renewal - a beautiful homage to the resilience of the human spirit amidst the often harrowing cycles of life. More than just an album, Animal Mentality is a milestone in Selofan's career, marking a decade of musical innovation and growth. It's a testament to their enduring spirit and a bold step into new realms of artistic expression. As Selofan continues to evolve, they remain at the forefront of their genre, pushing boundaries and exploring the depths of the human psyche through their haunting melodies and poignant lyrics.
Die schottische Progressive-Post-Metal-Band DVNE wird ihr neues Album "Voidkind" am 19. April über Metal Blade Records veröffentlichen. Die 2013 in Edinburgh vom Franzosen Victor Vicart und dem gebürtigen Schotten Dudley Tait gegründeten Progressive-Post-Metal/Sludge-Künstler DVNE haben seit ihrem zweiten Album, dem kaleidoskopisch hypnotisierenden "Etemen Aenka" aus dem Jahr 2021, mächtig Dampf gemacht. Die LP, ihre erste Veröffentlichung für das legendäre Label Metal Blade Records, war ein konzertierter Aufstieg für diese rätselhafte Band, der es DVNE ermöglichte, in Großbritannien und Europa auf Headline-Tour zu gehen und Spots auf so anspruchsvollen Festivals wie Hellfest, ArcTanGent, Desertfest, Damnation und Resurrection zu bekommen. Die Live-EP "Cycles Of Asphodel" aus dem Jahr 2022 mit neu interpretierten Titeln des Albums sorgte für eine stetig wachsende Fangemeinde, und jetzt, im Jahr 2024, wird das dritte Album "Voidkind" die fünfköpfige Band (mit Maxime Keller an den Keyboards) an die Spitze ihres Könnens katapultieren.
New Jackson marks his long awaited follow-up to 2017’s From Night To Night with its successor OOPS!... POP for long-time collaborators Permanent Vacation. A concise triumph in techno pop, its 9 tracks elevate his signature electronic sounds into anthemic new heights.
David Kitt is a prolific sonic polymath who’s enjoyed a colourful career making whatever he likes.
While releasing music under a vast array of aliases and collaborations for close to two and a half decades, New Jackson has remained his irregular home since 2011 for when ‘at one with the machines’. It offers a kaleidoscopic window into his love of dance music, and on his debut album under the alias From Night To Night (released in 2017 on Dublin’s All City label) he unfurled his singular vision; a dilated suite of nocturnal soul coaxed from his beloved electronic equipment with songwriter’s nous, sonically etched as blunted whispers coalesced from the dusky billows of Dublin bay. Further EPs and singles followed, alongside a beloved live show he toured globally, plus detours with his critically-lauded Garies duo (with Lumigraph) and a David Kitt solo album.
In the time since his New Jackson debut, he’s slowly distilled his studio methodology to help mine the true core of his musical self. Within this experimentation, he has stumbled upon the bounty that is OOPS!... POP, his most direct and euphoric body of work to date. Recorded across the span of five years and three different countries, Kitt has managed to transform his beloved alias into a leaner beast, tightening the screws around arrangements and songwriting to inspire an album sonically effortless in demeanour and spontaneously playful in structure and form. Aided by a stacked cast of collaborators including Rita Lynn, Donnacha Costello, Riche “Jape” Egan, Yenkee, Kean Kavanagh, Margie Jean Lewis, Meg Cronin and Fehdah, it bears the hallmarks of the studio albums of yesteryear in its dynamism and gratification while drawing on his rich bouquet of influences across a century of recorded music.
Opener SI SI SI lulls you in with its smothered vocoder’d croons and patient groove, BURNT DEEP next yields a surprising deep house turn, lit gently with casual hedonism. LIKE rewires the playbook entirely, shuffling along its minimal 80’s boogie groove with a cheeky grin, before lead single OUT OF REACH further mines the golden pastures with its glorious stuttering techno power-pop fit with that anthemic chorus. DAY IN SHOCK digi-dubs around the wonderful vocal turn of Fehdah in purest heads-down manner, then THE OK HOLE and STROBE both descend the psychedelic wormhole of anaesthetised breaks and electro with its entranced dancefloor gaze. I WANNA BE ADORED, the Madchester anthem from The Stone Roses, is then surprisingly reimagined as a lost kraut-pop robo sung classic while WITH THE NIGHT AT OUR FEET is our climactic conclusion, a mechanised symphony of dual proportions; a humane core of angelic harmonies chugging along in electro rhythm before soaring strings take us on our way.
New Jackson’s oeuvre, indeed David Kitt’s musical world, is vast; OOPS!... POP then might just be his opus across it all, a towering achievement of soaring catharsis in melody and song that soundtracks the most direct transmissions from his heart to yours
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The incendiary proto hard rock and ambitious epic journeys this album delivers are all the more uncanny and devastating when you realize Gary Del Vecchio was a mere 16 years old when the title track Buzzin was unleashed! Even more astonishing is how far he travelled over the next five years, documented in this brilliant selection of nine tracks from the classic daze of early 1970s underground rock. Ohio was a hotbed for hard rock at the time with bands like the James Gang, Glass Harp, Poobah, Left End, Damnation Of Adam Blessing… what you get here matches the style any of those bands laid down. Gary's music grabs you immediately and grows over time. Grabber and Grower… best of both worlds style! It makes sense that Gary later owned a recording studio, right out of the gate he was laser focussed on all the aspects involved in making music that stands the test of time. The guitar action is incredible, shards of sound flying free yet hitting the bullseye continuously, vocals confident with none of the macho posturing that ages poorly in much early hard rock. These tracks are all vividly recorded and meticulously mixed in a way that balances fiery performance and intelligent structure to maximum effect. The bass and drumming here are phenomenally inventive and propulsive, the several players involved across the album nail it in their support of Gary's vision. This is rock music born in the 'anything is possible' life affirming energy of the late '60s right on time with where the most enduring artists of the early '70s took it. Had he scored the major label deal he pursued with labels like Mercury or London at the time I am confident we'd be hearing his music on classic rock radio today! The music on this album is both uncompromising and accessible. In particular, the two long tracks Wasted King and Starman have all the moves needed to grab fans of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the likes by the throat and brain in the extended progressive epic department! RidingEasy Records sets a high bar when it comes to unleashing the best vintage hard rock you never heard… take my tip people, the ride this one takes you on is definitely an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10… Gary Del Vecchio really knows how to do it!
On their eponymous debut, Super American Eagle deliver manna for heavy rock fans craving ergine detours into noise, psych and sludgy dank, herbal grooves. A union delivered via chance, Brent DeBoer of The Dandy Warhols, Dave Mudie from the Courtney Barnett band and Bob Harrow of Immigrant Union, played an impromptu Immigrant Union NYC show as a three-piece. That night the chemistry was undeniable and so Super American Eagle soon took flight. Known for the individual talents they bring to other’s bands, the trio take control of the destination, reveling in the creative liberty that beats at the heart of the project. From a lightening moment of musical connection Super American Eagle have built a thrilling, fuzz-filtered debut of urgent and essential psych and super heavy rock vibes.
FIRST 100 ORDERS COME WITH A DOUGLAS DARE OMNI CONDOM, ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS**First Pressing on Limited Translucent Red Vinyl**British artist Douglas Dare announces the release of his fourth album Omni. Seen by Douglas himself as a bold rebirth and embrace of the electronic, Omni is all at once a throbbing, avant-garde, queer, dark and cinematic record imbued with a love of rave culture and sense of fearless storytelling that’s deeply evocative. Omni will be released on May 10 via Erased Tapes. To mark the announcement, Douglas today shares the first taster of the record with ‘Mouth To Mouth’, a pulsing, synth-laden track that begs to be played loud. ‘Mouth To Mouth’ sees a collaboration with label mate Daniel Brandt who appears on production duties, with beats supplied by Rival Consoles. Speaking on the track, Douglas says, “life, death, fate and orgies; this is the heartfelt club track I always wanted to write.” Since 2013, Douglas has blurred classical, chamber-pop, folk and avant-garde to dazzling effect, with a startling voice that can stop you in your tracks. It’s why he’s played with luminaries like Nils Frahm, Perfume Genius and Ólafur Arnalds, and was selected by David Lynch and The Cure’s Robert Smith for their respective cultural festivals in Manchester (MIF) and London (Meltdown). But Douglas’s fourth album, Omni, is a fresh awakening. Encouraged by Erased Tapes founder Robert Raths, he decided to step away from acoustic instruments, especially the piano he grew up playing, and swapped them for synths and drum machines. His new music has much in common with Arca and the late SOPHIE, two artists for whom self-expression meant liberation. “I got to hang out in the studio with her,” says Douglas of the latter musician, “the way she made music made a big impression on me.” And yet Omni is steeped in the kind of deft storytelling, sweeping strings, elegant contrasts and fairytale atmosphere that marks Douglas out as a crucial and singular voice. It’s not often you hear a strutting electro banger that could have been straight out of 90s Soho, with vocal loops inspired by US experimentalist Meredith Monk. For Douglas, Omni is about reconciling all those different sides of himself – the songwriter, the raver, the lover, the observer. It’s a hugely queer record: seductive, sexy, lusty, untethered from the genre binary. “It’s even got sailors on it!” laughs Douglas. “You don’t get more queer than that.
Das neue Flamingods-Album 'Head Of Pomegranate' wurde vom Grammy-gekrönten Produzenten Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, M.I.A.) aufgenommen. Die Londoner Band kreiert seit über einem Jahrzehnt unverwechselbare, genreübergreifende Musik. Das Durchdringen von Genres wie Psychedelia, New Wave, Electronica und Punk – oft innerhalb desselben Songs – ist ihre Spezialität, ebenso wie das Talent, Einflüsse aus dem einzigartigen kulturellen Erbe und die Liebe zum UK Rock'n Roll der 70er Jahre zu vermischen. Opener und erste Single 'Dreams (On The Strip)' geben mit stimmungsvollen Synths, düsteren Drum-Machines und dem euphorischen Refrain den Ton vor. Es ist eine neue Ära für die Band und sie möchte, dass wir dies von Anfang an wissen.
Das neue Flamingods-Album 'Head Of Pomegranate' wurde vom Grammy-gekrönten Produzenten Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, M.I.A.) aufgenommen. Die Londoner Band kreiert seit über einem Jahrzehnt unverwechselbare, genreübergreifende Musik. Das Durchdringen von Genres wie Psychedelia, New Wave, Electronica und Punk – oft innerhalb desselben Songs – ist ihre Spezialität, ebenso wie das Talent, Einflüsse aus dem einzigartigen kulturellen Erbe und die Liebe zum UK Rock'n Roll der 70er Jahre zu vermischen. Opener und erste Single 'Dreams (On The Strip)' geben mit stimmungsvollen Synths, düsteren Drum-Machines und dem euphorischen Refrain den Ton vor. Es ist eine neue Ära für die Band und sie möchte, dass wir dies von Anfang an wissen.