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Mr Bongo is proud to present 'The Original Sound of Mali', compiled by Vik Sohonie & David Buttle.
Malian music is arguably deeper, more sophisticated and lyrical than any other form of African music. Those of us deeply entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a
selection of songs from across the country.
Compiled by Vik Sohonie & Dave 'Mr Bongo' Buttle, the story of this release began in 2015 when Dave happened upon the Soul Bonanza blog. A treasure chest of rare finds from around the world! One mix in particular stood out and totally enthralled Dave - le monde à change: a tribute to mali 1970 - 1991. He
already knew of Malian legends such as the Rail Band, Salif Keita, & Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako, but this mix was something else! Deep & culled from the collections of some of the heaviest African music collectors in the world, legends like Vik Sohonie, Hidehito Morimoto, Philippe Noel, Gregoire
Villanova, and Rickard Masip. Dave immediately contacted Vik and a journey of discovery tracking down the rights-holders began. He also turned to the font of Malian music knowledge, Florent Mazzoleni. Florent has written the definitive book about Malian music - 'Musiques modernes et traditionnelles du Mali'. He
proposed some incredible tracks to include and provided the back bone of the sleeve notes and photos that are used in the album. No Malian album would be complete without a striking front cover photo, and ours is sourced from the late great Malian photographer Malick Sidibé.
On this album you will find well-known artists sitting next to rarer
discoveries. The Rail Band, who are one of the best known of all the big bands in Mali, gave us the stars Mory Kanté and Salif Keita. Les Amabassedeurs du Motel de Bamako were another big act that had Idrissa Soumaoro, Kanté Manfila, and for a while Salif Keita in their ranks. Sometimes Salif would play in both bands in one night, quite a feat considering the bands were fierce rivals. As an albino Salif has had to face considerable prejudice from society, focussing on his musical career to help overcome this.

A major discovery on the album has been Idrissa Soumaoro et L'Eclipse de L'Ija. L'Eclipse de l'Institut des Jeunes Aveugles was a Blind teenagers institute and their record was produced by the German association that took care of blind Malian teenagers in Bamako. It was never properly released commercially and was the first recordings by the legends of Malian music Idrissa Soumaoro, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia. Amadou & Mariam later got married and became household stars, including making an album with Manu Chao.
This album is a concerted global effort to showcase the most vital cornerstone of Malian culture in an attempt to preserve its reputation in the face of its current, grim reality. We hope our highlights of Mali's rich history of musical innovation will serve as a starting point for reclaiming an image tainted by unnecessary conflict. May peace and music return to Mali soon.
Dedicated to Malick Sidibé.

Legendary 7X GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning artist/producer Dr. Dre celebrates the 30th anniversary of his magnum opus, The Chronic by announcing the album will be re-released. The Chronic, which is not currently available on streaming services, will again be available to fans on all major DSPs .

Steve Berman, Vice Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, said: “Dr. Dre is without a doubt one of the most iconic and groundbreaking artists in the modern era. He has also used his platform to fuel some very impactful philanthropic efforts that will ensure his legacy is felt for generations to come. Dre’s solo career all started with the The Chronic, one of the most celebrated recordings of all time.

First released on December 15, 1992, The Chronic peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has spent 97 weeks on the chart since its release. The album also spawned three top 40 hits on the Hot 100, including top ten records with "Nuthin' But a “G” Thang" (No. 2) featuring Snoop Dogg and "F— Wit Dre Day" (No. 8). The Chronic topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for eight weeks, while "Nuthin’ But a "G" Thang" hit No. 1 for two weeks on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Last June, Rolling Stone placed The Chronic on its 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time List, boasting how the album "redefined the West Coast Hip Hop sound." Pitchfork also holds the seminal album in high standing, saying The Chronic lives on as a “timeless show of strength” and “gave shape to L.A.’s present and future.” Videos from The Chronic are also available on Dr. Dre’s official YouTube channel.

Last year, Dr. Dre dazzled during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show in Los Angeles. His enormous set was star-studded, as Dre performed alongside some of music's biggest stars, including Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and 50 Cent. Dre commanded the stage – just a few miles from his birthplace of Compton – with a groundbreaking setlist anchored by hits such as "The Next Episode" and the 2Pac-led "California Love." The historic performance earned Dr. Dre his first-ever Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). The Hollywood Reporter called the halftime show "thrilling and nostalgic," while Billboard credited Dre for his "seismic impact" on music.

The Leaves’ sophomore album weaves blues, folk and garage together through kaleidoscopic shards of psychedelia to bring listeners All The Good That’s Happening. On translucent chlorophyll green vinyl! Fired by youthful exuberance and a well-rounded repertoire of musical fashions, The Leaves, by all rights, should have turned into major stars. Despite the fact the band’s second and final album, “All The Good That’s Happening,” parented no winning singles and isn’t quite as potent as the first disc, the platter remains terribly underappreciated. Tracks such as the moody stupor of “On The Plane” and the ping-pong pulsations of “Lemmon Princess,” which carries a chaotic circus-like air, are decorated in psychedelic decals, while “Twilight Sanctuary” features some hard-driving harmonica blowing chained tight against giddy blues rock jamming.

The band’s blues influences additionally prevail on honest recyclings of Jimmy Reed’s raspy-throated “Let’s Get Together” and Buffy Sainte-Marie’s candidly cryptic “Codine,” along with “Flashback (The Rhythm Thing),” a retooling of John Lee Hooker’s “Crawling King Snake” that morphs into an intense boogie woogie instrumental. A copy of Manfred Mann’s “The One In The Middle” weighs in as another blues based item, and “To Try For The Sun” is a stark and haunting folk ballad. Snapping guitars, compounded by strong and solid harmonies give the album a strutting garage rock edge, where smatterings of offbeat arrangements and curious effects zone in on the freakier side of The Leaves. To call the album trailblazing would be stretching the truth, but there are enough amusing and exciting ideas to keep listeners awake and interested. Personnel issues, paired with lack of promotion prevented “All The Good That’s Happening” to be heard, resulting in the end of a band that died on the vine (pun intended) way too soon.

In partnership with Hollywood Records and Regency Enterprises, Waxwork Records is thrilled to present BARBARIAN Original Motion Picture Music by Anna Drubich. Barbarian is a 2022 American Horror film written and directed by Zach Cregger in his solo screen writing and directorial debut. The film stars Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long. The plot follows a woman finding out that the rental home she has reserved has been accidentally double-booked by a man, not knowing of a dark secret within the dwelling. Anna Drubich is an award-winning film composer from Moscow. Her diverse body of work includes live action features, animated features, television series, documentaries, and plays and concert halls across the world. Anna has score over 35 major film and TV projects including a co-score with Oscar-nominated composer Marco Beltrami on the Guillermo Del Toro adaptation of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, Netflix's hit feature Fear Street: 1994, the horror-comedy Werewolves Within, and more. Waxwork Records is proud to present BARBARIAN Original Motion Picture Music as a deluxe vinyl album featuring 180 gram "Mother's Milk & Blood" splatter colored vinyl, heavyweight gatefold jackets with matte satin coating and UV spot-gloss varnish, new artwork by Steven Reeves, and an 11"x11" art print insert!

A collection of 18 rare disco tracks from Yugoslavia. Compiled by Leri Ahel & Zeljko Luketic from original master tapes. Fox & His Friends label owners Ahel & Luketic selected obscure 7'' singles, b-sides, out-of-print releases and digged deep into the vaults of Jugoton to tell the story of how disco infiltrated clubs and pop music. This compilation is vinyl counterpart to their pioneering research and work in two major exhibitions tracing roots, influences and social significance of disco in music, fashion and design held in 2015 in Klovicevi Dvori Museum and HDD Gallery in Zagreb. "Socialist Disco - Dancing Behind Yugoslavia's Velvet Curtain 1977-1987" double gatefold LP with extensive liner notes contains tunes from KIM Band, Gabi Novak, Arian, Ljupka Dimitrovska, Ana Sasso, Moni Kovacic, Milka Lenac, Rok Hotel, Ivica Surjak, Grupa ST, Nano Prsa and many more in various sub-genres including classical orchestrated disco, dance reworkings of international chart hits and synth-filled italo-disco stompers performed by Yugoslavian music stars, fashion models and even sports and football heroes. Disco, a vital Trojan horse (in local notion: a pop music you can dance to), stayed quite a long time In Yugoslavia, refusing to be silenced and refusing to jump into the bandwagon of expected. It was influenced by American and European disco sound, for example, by the Boney M, Amanda Lear or Love Machine, who all visited Yugoslavia and had live concerts. The producers and the big record companies like Jugoton, PGP RTB, Diskoton or ZKP RTVL, noted the hype in music and they constantly probed the market with limited run of seven inchers or special performances. Some artists were quite successful, but the rest were in the 7'' single empire which was free enough to experiment with all things disco had to offer - genre hybrids, use of electronics, sexual innuendo, bizarre lyrics and most importantly, great musicians and major composers having fun. The no-restrictions policy of disco was there to evade the rules and surely it did.

Electronic titan Sasha combines with Sentre for the latest in a series of collaborative releases. The release of 'Glastacy' coincides with this year’s Glastonbury festival and comes with something special for fans.

Even by his own high standards, electronic luminary Sasha is in a superb run of form that has already yielded some stellar singles in the last year, both solo and in collaboration with like-minded talents. TheGRAMMY Award-nominated artist is renowned for pushing musical and technological boundaries, as well as for platforming exciting sounds on his Last Night On Earth label. The next release finds him working with Sentre, aka Dave Gardner & Dennis White, who have been electronic mainstays for many years. They have plenty of major credits under their belts, including working with Sasha on his seminal ‘Involver’ album and also 'Track 10' which they made with Sasha many years ago. It was Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune at the time and is one of many gems from these self-confessed studio nerds.

The release of ‘Glastacy’ also marks a new approach for Sasha and LNOE as they extend their relationship with fans beyond just the music. For the first time, along with the single release, fans will be able to collect and own the single artwork for free. The label has always sought to marry together music and art across its releases and now fans get the chance to own a piece for themselves. Using pioneering technology, those who claim the art will also be able to convert it to a smartphone wallet pass which will bring with it future benefits and surprises from Sasha and LNOE.

'Glastacy' is their latest collaboration, and it works angelic, wordless vocal sounds into heavenly loops that shimmer in and out of focus. Deft hi-hits and a supple bassline bring movement as a lead synth motif rises up out of the mix to bring dramatic tension and take dancers to the stars. It's emotive, hypnotic techno of the highest order, with a spine-tingling breakdown leading towards more trance-inducing musical pleasures. The Intro:Outro Mix is an ambient tool stripped of beats.

Principal member Keith Finch linked up with reggae manager and publisher Othman Mukhlis at Stanley House Studio in 2001 and began a series of projects featuring there love of retro reggae. JA13 worked with major reggae stars of the sixties on the ‘Heroes of Kingston’ project, Alton Ellis, Derrick Morgan, Dave Barker Dave and Ansell Collins Winston ‘Mr Fixit’ Francis, Denis Alcapone, Owen Grey, BB Seaton Gaylads and legendary trombonist Rico Rodriguez. [Which lead to two solo albums with Rico Rodriguez]. Project championed by David Rodigan and Ranking Miss P. Music in films and TV including Hawaii 5-0, various US films, BA, Tesco, various BBC, latest and currently they have many tracks on BBC most successful export ‘Death in Paradise’. They also feature two tracks in the forthcoming Shaggy documentary Other reggae artists projects include Bob Andy, Joseph Cotton, General Saint and Clint Eastwood, Don Campbell, J C Lodge, Susan Cadogan, Glen Adams [Upsetters] Pat Rhoden [first artist on Trojan] Tippe Irie, Tenor Fly, Spanna Banner, FYA [Platinum in Japan], Bounty Killer, Elephant man, and many more on ‘Bar Mitzvah riddim’ which was co written and produced with Skatta Burrell. Written for UK pop reggae band Madness on last two albums, and on the project ‘Charge of the Dance Brigade’ with Lee Thompson [Madness] and Jennie Matthias Belle stars singer] with Brazilian jazz accordionist/pianist Chico Chagas. And a host of other top musicians. [Which he co wrote, produced, engineered and nurtured] JA13 have featured on many reggae projects and remixes, the latest offering is ‘World Radio Dub – Chapter One’

Co-founded by Detroit natives Rahill Jamalifard and Lenny Lynch, Habibi got its start in Brooklyn in 2011, earning early raves every- where from Pitchfork and NME to All Things Considered and The New Yorker, who praised the band for infusing “the Colgate-white glisten of sixties-girl-group pop with an uncensored edge.” Dreamachine, Habibi’s mesmerizing new record releasing on Kill Rock Stars, marks a major sonic evolution for the band, rising beyond the critically acclaimed five-piece’s garage rock roots to arrive at a singular swirl of analog and digital elements that underpin their search for spiritual and physical transcendence. Produced by Tyler Love and longtime collaborator Jay Heiselmann and featuring MGMT multi-instrumentalist James Richard-son, the collection draws on a mix of post-punk, experimental pop, and vintage disco, calling to mind Tom Verlaine, Diana Ross, Kate Bush, and Kim Deal, all filtered through the band’s shared love of Middle Eastern psych music. The songs here are their own distinct worlds, each an immersive quest in pursuit of something greater, and the band’s performances are relentless and hypnotic to match, driven by lush synthesizers, sinewy guitars, and a muscular rhythm section. The result is a record as fearless as it is enthralling, an alternatingly fierce and joyous work that ascends to new heights as it reckons with desire and escape, love and surrender, rebellion and reality.

Elevating, uplifting and beautifully arranged. Jasmine Myra's sophomore album Rising builds on the success of her

breakthrough album Horizons to deliver a major statement from one of UK Jazz's rising stars. Produced by Matthew Halsall and mixed by Greg Freeman (Hania Rani, Matthew Halsall, Portico Quartet), Rising delivers a confident and vibrant follow up that joins the musical dots between Myra’s influences Kenny Wheeler, Bonobo and Shabaka Hutchings while delivering something unique, beautiful and profound.

Rising is also the sound of a composer and performer growing in stature and adding extra layers of confidence and poise to both her playing and composing. Aided and abetted by Matthew Halsall who once again lends his production skills, Rising is fuller, richer and deeper as Myra develops her uniquely uplifting sound.



Much like my first album, Rising is a reflection of a period of my life. It is a continuation from Horizons, which was all about my experience during lockdown, and entailed overcoming my struggles with mental health. Following on from that experience, I set out to continue building my self-confidence. This album has an uplifting and spiritual sound, drawing influence from artists such as Makaya McCraven, Bonobo and Shabaka Hutchings.



Rising features the same core of musicians as Myra’s debut album Horizons (Gondwana records GOND052): guitarist Ben Haskins, drummer George Hall pianist Jasper Green, harpist Alice Roberts (who both also perform with Matthew Halsall) and bassist Sam Quintana who collectively bring a deft understating of the subtle textures of Myra’s music and perform with a collective empathy and drive that really pushes the music on a radiant journey. And a string quartet add gently elevating textures to Still Waters, Knowingness, From Embers and How Tall The Mountains.

The making of Congo Funk!, our long-awaited journey to the musical heart of the African continent, took the Analog Africa Team on two journeys to Kinshasa and one to Brazzaville. Selected meticulously from around 2000 songs and boiled down to 14, this compilation aims to showcase the many facets of the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic tunes emanating from the two Congolese capitals nestled on the banks of the Congo River.

On its south shore, the city of Kinshasa – capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country formerly known as Zaïre – is often seen as Africa’s musical Mecca, the city that spawned such immortal bands as African Jazz, O.K. Jazz and African Fiesta, and the place to which aspiring musicians from throughout the continent would go to make a name for themselves.

But the city of Brazzaville on the north shore of the river – capital of the Congo Republic – played an equally important role in spreading Congolese sounds continentally. In addition to producing legendary bands such as Les Bantous de la Capital, it was the powerful transmitters of Radio Brazzaville that allowed the unmistakable groove of Congolese Rumba to be heard as far away as Nairobi, Yaoundé, Luanda and Lusaka thus turning the electric guitar into the continent’s most important instrument!

Although the musical landscape of these cities had been defined by a core group of bands in the late 1950s, the modernisation of Congolese music has been steadily evolving until the events surrounding the Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman boxing match marked a turning point. The promoter of that event known as “Rumble In The Jungle” was none other than the notorious Don King who needed 10 millions dollars to get Ali and Foreman into a boxing ring. The only candidate willing to put this kind of cash on the table was Mobutu Sese Seko, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mobutu - the megalomaniac dictator who got to power with the support of the United States and Belgium in exchange for unlimited and affordable access to the riches of the country - had a soft spot for music and it doesn’t come as a surprise that he agreed to a three-day live music festival being organised prior to the “Rumble”. Zaïre 74 - as the festival was dubbed - was meant to hype the boxing match and many stars were invited.

Although a myriads of artists flocked in for the occasion, it was the performance of James Brown on Zairian soil that caused havoc among the younger generation, inspiring hundreds of would-be musicians to take up their electric guitars and reverbs cranked to the max in search of a new sound in which hyperactive Rumba was blended with elements of psych and funk. While the results were very different from the popular music of the three Musketeers - as Tabu Ley, Franco and Verckys were known - they weren’t a complete break with tradition.

These new sounds emerged at a time when the Congolese record industry – previously dominated by European major labels – was experiencing a period of decline due to rising production costs and needed a radical change. The void was filled by dozens of entrepreneurs willing to take chances on smaller scale releases. It was the beginning of a golden age for Congolese independent record labels, and the best of them – Cover N°1, Mondenge, Editions Moninga, Super Contact – preserved the work of some of the region’s finest artists, while launching a generation of younger musicians into the spotlight.

The movement was greatly helped by legendary radio shows but it was the dynamic productions of Télé-Zaïre that set the dynamite on fire. Legend has it that TV shows were so huge that president Mobutu himself ordered RTV du Zaïre to put on daily concerts since it halted criminal activities for the duration of the evening.

Congo Funk! is the story of these sounds and labels, but most of all it is the story of two cities, separated by water but united by an indestructible groove. The fourteen songs on this double LP showcase the many facets of the Congolese capitals, and highlight the bands and artists, famous and obscure, who pushed Rumba to new heights and ultimately influenced the musical landscape of the entire continent and beyond.

Whether they were singing hymns or secular songs, Ladysmith Black Mombazo always raised their voices in glorious harmony

They are the unmatched masters of South African a cappella and this release documents their vocal prowess. This album is comprised of their very best performances from over a long and prestigious and celebrated career. It covers from when they burst onto the scene when they participated with Paul Simon on his hugely successful "Graceland" album and launched their years of worldwide touring to appearances on venues like Saturday Night Live, and providing music for movies with major stars like Michael Jackson and Dolly Parton. Their unparalleled artistry won them great fame and five Grammy awards. They also always found time to lend their voices in Support of South Africa's Struggles away from apartheid rule.

When the grunge explosion of the early `90s elevated Seattle's flannel-clad misfits out of the divey clubs of downtown and into the mainstream, a new generation of restless artists filled the void left in the Pacific Northwest's underground music scene. The under-21 crowd making music in the wake of Nevermind seemed even less enamored with the slick production values, classic rock nods, and testosterone-fueled moshing culture that came with the Zeitgeist, favoring their own kind of Revolution Summer-style pivot away from the popular sounds of the era towards a more emotionally nuanced, melodic, and inclusive style of punk. The Puget Sound trio Lync perfectly captured the spirit of that era, blending the passionate chaos of the DC and San Diego scenes with the rough-hewn DIY pop sensibilities of Olympia's thriving indie community into one unified sound. Though they were only a band for two years, they helped define the next era of the Northwest underground, inspiring countless other artists and instigating the creation of beloved records from the region. After being out of print for over a decade, the band's sole LP These Are Not Fall Colors has been remastered and expanded into a 2xLP with the inclusion of "Can't Tie Yet"_a compilation track from the album's recording session_into a deluxe edition available courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records. Originally released on K Records in the summer of '94 just a few months before the band called it quits, These Are Not Fall Colors is a boisterous collection of scrappy basement-show anthems played on duct-taped-together gear. Led by the off-kilter melodies of late singer/guitarist Sam Jayne and hammered into place by the driving bass of James Bertram and drum battery of David Schneider, the album's eleven songs channel that undefinable sound of the early `90s before descriptors like "post-hardcore" and "emo" became pejorative terms. Sure, you get a sense of the more sophisticated mid-tempo punk approach on songs like "B" and "Silverspoon Glasses," and maybe catch wind of wistful songwriting on "Pennies to Save" and "Cue Cards," but Lync seemed to cull their ideas from whatever bits of inspiration they could find in the gray gloom and geographic isolation of western Washington, absorbing it all and churning it together into a style uniquely their own. Despite Lync's short existence, modest aspirations, and DIY approach, their work had a ripple effect. Jayne would go on to make music under the moniker of Love As Laughter. Built to Spill's Doug Martsch was so enamored by the album that he enlisted Bertram and Schneider to serve as his rhythm section on the There's Nothing Wrong with Love tour. These Are Not Fall Colors engineer Phil Ek would go on to help record and produce records by Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, and The Shins. Early bassist Isaac Brock and These Are Not Fall Colors album art contributor Jeremiah Green would go on to form Modest Mouse. Bertram and Green would also go on to form the revered indie rock group Red Stars Theory. At times it feels like you could pick any major Northwest indie rock group from the `90s and `00s and trace their DNA back to Lync. The deluxe edition of These Are Not Fall Colors comes pressed on 180g vinyl and packaged in a gatefold cover with printed inner sleeves and expanded artwork by Jesse LeDoux. The 2xLP also features an 18x24 poster with extensive liner notes by Brian Cook. Altogether, this new version of These Are Not Fall Colors not only brings this celebrated classic back into analog libraries of old fans, it also provides new context and appreciation for Lync's ongoing impact on both a local and international level.

Trailblazing instrumental synth pop experiments created to soundtrack Japan’s booming 1980s cartoon and comic industries. The brightly futuristic instrumentals on this collection reflect the mindset of composers and musicians who believed in a technological future where everything was possible.

In the late 1980s Japan experienced a brief but heady period where societal changes combined with new-found wealth to open up a world of possibilities. A huge influx of cash - artificially created by slashed interest rates after an agreement with the US to weaken the dollar relative to the yen - resulted in the inflation of real estate and stock market at a rapid pace. While the economic bubble it created was unprecedented and impossible to sustain, for a while money was in plentiful supply.

The musical genre City Pop reflected the aspirations of the country’s booming leisure class. Video games flourished with Nintendo's 1983 launch of their Family Computer (or FamiCom). Studio Ghibli was founded 1985 to later became one of the most famous and respected animation studios in the world, and Anime and Manga were established as major forms of entertainment for all generations of the Japanese public.

Music was no mere footnote to the anime and manga boom: the two forms of media often went hand in hand, and not simply through the presence of background melodies. With generous budgets available, even two-dimensional static manga comics could be released with an accompanying soundtrack of original music known as an ‘Image Album’.

Composer and arranger Kazuhiko Izu was one such beneficiary of this open budget approach. Written to accompany artist Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga comic Domu, the composer and arranger took advantage of the world-leading (and wallet-busting) Japanese synthesiser technology available at King Records’ fully equipped studio. Featured on this compilation, A3: Act 2 Scene 26 reflected the story’s sci fi themes with a blazingly futuristic yet warmly funky slice of synth pop that presents a joyful celebration of synthesisers and their seemingly endless possibilities.

Kan Ogasawara was another composer who made early mastery of the litany of synthesisers, drum machines and sequencers that had become available. Two tracks written to accompany the 1985 period manga Yume No Ishibumi are featured here; Honowo’s experimental electronic textures add spice to a jaunty electro pop melody that recalls the Rah band’s 1983 hit Messages From Stars; the jazz-tinged Utage rounds out Ogasawara’s shimmering synth textures with beautifully crafted backing from legendary musicians Yuji Toriyama (guitar), Pecker (percussion) and Jun Fukamachi (piano).

Before becoming one of the pioneers of Japanese Kankyo Ongaku (Ambient Music), Takashi Kokubo worked on the proto techno track Kiki (Jungle At Night). It was put together for the 1984 anime film Shonen Keniya (Kenya Boy) using some of the most expensive music technologies available at the time. This Africa-Inspired dance track offers a contemporary parallel to the early techno music that young Detroit based producers were then creating using cheap Japanese Roland drum machines and synthesisers.

This is the first compilation of Japanese anime and manga soundtracks curated by Kay Suzuki and Rintaro Sekizuka from Vinyl Delivery Service (a Tokyo based online record shop which also operates in East London's renowned wine and hifi shop Idle Moments). With a cover by artist Kazuki Takakura and two pages of liner notes, this vinyl only compilation of music never before released outside of Japan, captures a vital aural snapshot of an era whose forward-thinking sounds went hand in hand with cutting edge technology.

Celebrating 30 years of success, Candlebox has revealed their final studio album, titled 'The Long Goodbye,' will be released on Friday, August 25th via Round Hill Records. Emerging from Seattle’s burgeoning mid-90s grunge scene, Candlebox quickly found mainstream success with their deep, lyrically-driven melodies and big radio hooks, as evidenced by their massive hits “Far Behind,” “You” and “Cover Me” that propelled their self-titled debut album to sell more than 4 million copies worldwide. Their follow-up album, 'Lucy,' earned a platinum certification and solidified Candlebox as a tour de force in the thriving alt-rock scene. While the commercial success of the first album played a pivotal role in the band’s trajectory to the top, it was their raw and unapologetically honest live performances that ultimately solidified their place among Seattle’s elite. In 1998, Candlebox released 'Happy Pills,' which would be their last album before going on hiatus from 2000 to 2006. In 2008, the band reformed and released their fourth album, 'Into The Sun,' and hit the road for the first time in 10 years, touring extensively and releasing 'Alive In Seattle,' a live album that included tracks from every era of their career. 2016 marked the triumphant return of Candlebox with the release of 'Disappearing In Airports,' a more classic rock-tinged album hailed by many critics and fans as their best work in years. Singles “Vexatious” and “Supernova” drove the album to debut at #9 on the Billboard Charts and spurred multiple U.S. and international tours including major festival appearances at Carolina Rebellion, Welcome To Rockville, and Lollapalooza Chile. While these iconic rockers have been blazing full-steam since, releasing their latest album, Wolves, in 2021, Candlebox is now wrapping up their long and illustrious 30-year career with The Long Goodbye.

This two-time Grammy nominee’s career has taken Cidny from singing back-up on tour with Elton John, working with Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, and singing three lead vocals on the “Grease” movie
soundtrack to having nine critically acclaimed solo albums, including the award winning Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth. Cid’s friends on the albums include friends Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda
Williams, Steve Earle, Bryan Adams, Emmylou Harris, Delbert McClinton, and Sir Elton John himself.

Cidny has also co-written many Country songs in Nashville, including Radney Foster’s hit “Hammer and Nails”. Since 2007, Cidny has been one-third of “super-group”, The Refugees with Wendy Waldman and Deborah Holland. In 2011, Cidny made the difficult and daunting decision to start transitioning from female to male, from Cindy to Cidny. He has written and has been performing his one-person theatrical show Somewhere Between: Not An Ordinary Life all over the U.S. An award-winning documentary short about his life called The Gender Line screened at major film festivals around the world from 2019-2022. Cid will be releasing his first album as “Cidny Bullens” Little Pieces in the fall of 2023. Cid’s memoir, TransElectric: My Life as a Cosmic Rock Star, with foreword by Sir Elton John was released on June 6, 2023, and is now available for purchase at all major bookstore sites.

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of this seminal album, Belle & Sebastian are releasing If You’re Feeling Sinister on coloured vinyl for the first time. Originally released on November 18th 1996, it will be available on transparent red vinyl through Jeepster on November 26th 2021 and included as part of the Black Friday sales event. The album is released on gatefold vinyl and is distributed by Republic of Music

The album was recorded in Glasgow at CaVa Studios in August 1996 over just 10 days and was the first album released by Jeepster. There were no singles released from the album which was a famous Belle & Sebastian trait of the time. In line with this, there were also no interviews given and promotion involved a three gig tour over London, Manchester and Glasgow.

For the recording of this album, the band consisted of the six original members but this time also included Sarah Martin as the seventh member in her debut for the band. This was the second album released by Belle & Sebastian and all songs were written by Stuart Murdoch. The session produced 11 songs of which 10 made it to the album and the other became the single ‘This Is Just A Modern Rock Song’. Although there were no videos made for any of the album tracks, Sarah Martin recorded a video for this eleventh track.

The album cover features Ciara MacLaverty, a great friend of Stuart’s, beside a copy of Franz Kafka’s ‘The Trial’. The inside cover features some members of the band with friends in their impression of The Last Supper.

Indonesian trio Grrrl Gang builds on their considerable worldwide buzz with Spunky!, their full-length debut album. Released on 22 September 2023 by Green Island Music in partnership with exclusive licensees Kill Rock Stars (United States), Trapped Animal Records (United Kingdom) and Big Romantic Records (Japan and Taiwan), the album is preceded by its title track and first single dropped on May 30, featured from the same title of the album, 'Spunky!' Spunky! arrives following some major life changes for Angeeta Sentana (vocals, guitar), Akbar Rumandung (bass, vocals), and Edo Alventa (guitar, vocals), including a switch in locale from Yogyakarta, the city where they formed the band while still in college. “This is Grrrl Gang’s first release after we graduated and got day jobs that made us have to move to Jakarta, which is undeniably 180 degrees compared to Jogja,” says Rumandung. “But moving to Jakarta enabled us to work with Lafa on Spunky! from start to finish.” The song itself essentially describes Sentana's experience during a manic episode. “I feel like I’m on top of the world, untouchable. I do things without thinking, always chasing after that feeling of instant gratification. I feel extra confident in myself to a point of grandiose thinking and that I could do anything,” Sentana explains. That would be Lafa Pratomo, the in-demand producer brought in to help shape the ten tracks that make up Spunky! With a resume that includes the likes of the chanteuse Danilla and legendary singer-songwriter Iwan Fals, Pratomo might not seem the obvious choice to take the Grrrl Gang producer’s chair. But according to Rumandung, “In terms of production, this was something new for us by working with someone outside of Grrrl Gang’s comfort zone.” Indeed, Pratomo considerably beefs up Grrrl Gang’s sound particularly Alventa’s guitar tones, Rumandung’s rumbling bass, and touring drummer Muhammad Faiz Abdurrahman’s muscular beats while preserving the band’s signature raucous energy, catchy melodies, and Sentana’s attitude-filled, equal-parts-honey-and-vinegar vocals. The music video for Spunky! premieres on the Grrrl Gang YouTube channel on the same day as the release of the song. The video, directed by Bathroom Girls, is part of a continuous movie, with Spunky! being the second chapter. It tells the story of an introverted girl who goes to a house party to validate herself among her peers. Despite facing challenges to her self-esteem, she manages to overcome her discomfort to survive the night. During the party, she watches Grrrl Gang perform Spunky! and is mesmerized by the confident performance of Angee, the lead singer. The girl imagines herself as Angee, a confident and cool person that she will never be. Hailing from the cultural city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Grrrl Gang is a rising force in the independent music scene with their infectious melodies, anthemic songs, and electrifying live performances. The power trio, composed of Angee Sentana on guitar and vocals, Akbar Rumandung on bass, and Edo Alventa on guitar, has been making waves in the Southeast Asian music scene since their formation in 2016. Grrrl Gang's music is a celebration of their collective roots and a testament to the power of pop music to connect people across cultures and borders. Their lyrics touch on themes such as feminism, mental health, and relationships with a raw honesty that speaks to a generation of young listeners. With their infectious energy, socially conscious lyrics, and unique sound, Grrrl Gang is poised to take the global music scene by storm and become a voice for a new generation

Peter Schilling gehört zu den großen Stars der Neuen Deutschen Welle. 2023 legt der deutsche Sänger sein Debüt »Fehler im System« neu auf als 1LP auf schwarzem Vinyl. Das Album produzierte und veröffentlichte Schilling im Jahr 1982. Die erste Single »Major Tom (völlig losgelöst)« erreichte im selben Jahr Platz eins der Charts in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz und ist bis heute einer der erfolgreichsten Hits der Neuen Deutschen Welle. Single Nummer zwei, »Die Wüste lebt«, erreichte im Sommer 1983 Platz sieben. Das Album »Fehler im System« landete in Deutschland auf Platz zwei, in Österreich auf der Vier.

They've crafted a swirling, past- future, future- past, sorta- rock, collage- rock, melange borne from the confined anxiety of the pandemic. It's a full- length undeniably of its moment, rich with musical references while radiating a visionary path forward.

To assemble Giddy Skelter, Kinsella and Pulse aggressively culled their tracklist until they had a lean and impactful 11 songs, unlike anything either musician has released before. Opening track "Unblock Obstacles" chugs along on a three-chord riff and dubbed-out drums before venturing into a hypnotic, feedback-filled drone that channels pre- Loveless My Bloody Valentine. "Over and Over" imagines a world where Slowdive or Lush collaborated with Prefuse 73. On "Nena," one minute features loops of classical piano, the next Spacemen 3-style psychedelic drone, and the next contemporary R&B. The majority of songs on Giddy Skelter foreground Pulse's yearning, ethereal vocals, giving the music a distinctly feminine overtone.

Sometimes the thing that makes great rock n' roll is the ineffable and the intangible, something you can only describe as alchemy; other times it's the rigors of process. On Kinsella and Pulse's Giddy Skelter, it's both -- and it sounds unlike anything else you'll hear this year.

teely Dan's gold-selling third studio album Pretzel Logic, charted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and restored the group's radio presence with the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," which became the biggest pop hit of their career and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1974 album was produced by Gary Katz and was written primarily by Walter Becker (bass) and bandleader Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards). The album marked the beginning of Becker and Fagen's roles as Steely Dan's principal members.

They enlisted prominent Los Angeles-based studio musicians to record Pretzel Logic, but used them only for occasional overdubs, except for drums, where founding drummer Jim Hodder was reduced to a backing singer, replaced by Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro on the drum kit for all of the songs on the album. Steely Dan's Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played pedal steel guitar and hand drums.

Pretzel Logic has shorter songs and fewer instrumental jams than the group's 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy. Steely Dan considered it the band's attempt at complete musical statements within the three-minute pop-song format. The album's music is characterized by harmonies, counter-melodies, and bop phrasing. It also relies often on straightforward pop influences. The syncopated piano line that opens "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" develops into a pop melody, and the title track transitions from a blues song to a jazzy chorus.

Other standout tracks include "Any Major Dude Will Tell You," a reflective ballad with lush harmonies, and "Parker's Band," a playful ode to the jazz great Charlie Parker.

Lyrically, the album explores themes of nostalgia, lost love, and the struggles of the creative process. In "Barrytown," the band reflects on their early days as struggling musicians, while in "Through with Buzz," they offer a biting critique of the music industry and the pressure to conform to commercial expectations.

One of the defining characteristics of Pretzel Logic is its use of unusual chord progressions and unexpected musical twists and turns. The band's intricate arrangements and skilled musicianship are on full display throughout the album.

Rolling Stone praised the album, calling Steely Dan the "most improbable hit-singles band to emerge in ages."

"When the band doesn't undulate to samba rhythms (as it did on 'Do It Again,' its first Top Ten single), it pushes itself to a full gallop (as it did on 'Reelin' in the Years,' its second). These two rhythmic preferences persist and sometimes intermingle, as on 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number,' which jumps in mid-chorus from 'Hernando's Hideaway' into 'Honky Tonk Women.' Great transition." — the review said.

AllMusic gave the album 5 stars, with reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noting that "instead of relying on easy hooks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen assembled their most complex and cynical set of songs to date." Dense with harmonics, countermelodies, and bop phrasing, Pretzel Logic is vibrant with unpredictable musical juxtapositions and snide, but very funny, wordplay.

The album's cover photo featuring a New York pretzel vendor was taken by Raeanne Rubenstein, a photographer of musicians and Hollywood celebrities. She shot the photo on the west side of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street, just above the 79th Street Transverse (the road through Central Park), at the park entrance called "Miners' Gate."

After a brief battle with esophageal cancer, Walter Becker died on September 3, 2017 at the age of 67. Steely Dan has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. VH1 ranked Steely Dan at No. 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 15 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

This stereo UHQR reissue will be limited to 20,000 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets, housed in a premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine.

Overall, Pretzel Logic is a standout album in Steely Dan's discography. The album's blend of catchy hooks, complex arrangements, and thoughtful lyrics has made it a favorite among fans of classic rock and pop music.

100% Analogue 33RPM 180g 1LP
Remastered from the Original Analogue Stereo Masters for the First Time!

Hear this album as it was meant to be heard! Absolutely Stunning!
The greatest assembly of musical talent ever on one album! Features Performances by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Ben Webster & 27 More Jazz Greats!



In 1958, a young, successful French composer-arranger with a major infatuation on American jazz, worked his way to New York and convinced the very best players of the time to record an album of largely jazz standards. Michel Legrand would go on to win numerous prizes and accolades (3 Oscars, 5 Grammies, 2 Palmes D'or, etc.), but little of what followed matched the sheer brilliance of Legrand Jazz.

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Phil Woods and practically every other session man in town signed up for sessions with Legrand to record his idiosyncratic arrangements of standards ("Django", "Don’t Get Around Much Anymore", "Night in Tunisia", etc.). Instead of regurgitating then current bop styles, he reinvented the very nature of orchestral jazz band repertoire to make a unique and forward-looking statement on the genre.

The sound of Impex's all-analogue LP preserves the wide soundstage of late 50’s Columbia recordings while creating intimate spaces between players on the stage for maximum definition. This rare, highly-praised recording has never sounded as good as it does now. Go big with Legrand Jazz.

Legrand Jazz was greeted by an enthusiastic review in the magazine Down Beat. Dom Cerulli awarded it five stars out of a possible five.

The meticulously recreated outer jacket is packaged in a gatefold with an original photo montage inside honoring Michel Legrand's masterpiece of reinvention and sublime fan-boy enthusiasm.

"The music is luscious and this just may be one of the best-sounding records you'll ever hear." - Ken Kessler, Hi Fi News, Rated 95/100 Sound Quality!

The master sleuths at Dark Entries bring us Forbidden Overture, another tantalizing mystery from the hidden depths of sleaze. It all began years ago when Bijou Video’s Jules Zinn introduced the label to the soundtracks of the pornographic films of legendary filmmaker Steve Scott and gay superstar Al Parker. It wasn’t until The Magazine’s Bob Mainardi gifted a cassette copy of the soundtrack to the film TURNED ON—a bathhouse fantasy from 1982—that the wheels started turning. The steamy, hypnotic sounds were credited only to “Forbidden Overture…” but who was that? This question remained unanswered for some time, and countless hours of research, Venn diagramming, and elaborate flow charts all proved fruitless.
It wasn’t until a chance screening of BAD GIRLS DORMITORY, a 1986 women-in-prison movie from gay porn director Joe Gage that happened to reuse some of the same music did the answer become clear: Forbidden Overture was none other than the mighty Man Parrish!​

The soundtrack to TURNED ON consists of two epic side-long pieces, both of which employ classic Man Parrish production techniques. “Primal Overture” slinks along with brooding pads and ominous chords, building and oozing throughout its 27 minute runtime like a sultrier Goblin soundtrack. “Strictly Forbidden” takes a similar groove to a major key, but it’s optimistic chirp conceals a wry, mysterious wink. Says director Steve Scott: “It took us about two weeks to find the right piece for the jockstrap scene. But it's like anything else—you know when it’s right.”

​Also included is a 20 page booklet featuring photos, archival material, a pull-out poster, and interviews with Steve Scott and stars Al Parker and Scott Taylor. TURNED ON is an exciting musical rediscovery as well as a vital document of queer history.

Sophistication is a very apt description of both the music and the performing artist that is Bill Albright (real name Anthony Bills). Born in 1961 and raised in Baltimore, MD. Albright received a vocational as well as an associates degree in Electrical Engineering and Technology during 1981 the same year as he was blessed with the birth of his son Anthony Jr. From 1982 through to 1985 Bill had moved to New York City to model professionally for several major retail corporations such as Macy’s and Bloomingdales making good use of 170 pounds, six feet tall frame and handsome photogenic looks, while still finding time to hone his singing, songwriting and studio engineering skills through attending art Composers Theatre. His musical management and composing skills were to continue upon his return to his native Baltimore in 1986 as the prelude to him joining the national fundraising touring team for The United Negro College Fund in conjunction with the National Basket Ball Association (NBA) Slam Dunk Contests. Interacting with such celebrity players as Magic Johnson, Arsenio Hall, Spike Lee and Robert Townsend and Atlanta Hawks team mates Spud Webb and Dominique Wilkins.



Through his travels during 1989 Albright decided to settle in Atlanta, GA, making it his home to this present day. Once settled he founded his own cleaning business ‘All Bright Cleaning Services Inc’ built on good old-fashioned ethics of hard work and a strong determination to succeed, the exact same traits that he would later display in his future musical journey. While providing his cleaning services to major commercial companies, home, office and car detailing Albright found the time to continue pursuing his musical ambitions with a strong emphasis on live and recorded performances. In 1993 Albright formed ‘Bill Albright Productions Inc’ working with the late Keith “Keecho” Rawls the former Keyboardist and Musical Director for Peabo Bryson. Albright’s work has often been likened to Peabo’s for obvious reasons as well as Luther Vandross and Johnny Gill, He also draws inspiration from the stars of his youth Nat King Cole, The Isley Brothers, Frankie Beverley and Marvin Gaye amongst others. Albrights productions while being contemporary still retain an old school leaning which widens his appeal to a broader audience. Feeling that the time wasn’t right to release his material Albright continued with his successful cleaning business and live performances, that was until 2022 when he released the first of his productions (as a download only) the stylish “Sitting By The Phone” which gives more than a passing nod to Billy Stewart’s timeless classic “Sitting In The Park” but recorded in Albright’s own unique way. Albright’s second and forthcoming release is the more contemporary mid-tempo mover “In The Middle Of The Night” (only available as a download in the United States) but is due for a simultaneous vinyl 45 release in the UK paired with the aforementioned “Sitting By The Phone” as Soul Junction’s next 45 outing.

2026 Repress

Originally released in 2007 on CD and now re-released on double vinyl. "Heimische Gefilde" was the second full-length release on Traum at that time from Westerwald based DJ, producer and park ranger, Dominik Eulberg. Dominik has since then expended his activities enormously now appearing as a book author with best selling books in the German official bestseller list. He ist he ambassador of the most popular Conservation Union in Germany NABU, he has created a bird quartet and a hand made insect hotel and appears on national German TV regularly next playing in clubs world wide and producing stunning music. "Heimische Gefilde" includes spoken words by the man himself and the release won the price of the German critic awards for music. It is the only compilation that comprises a selection of Dominik Eulberg’s best early works and it is for the first time available on vinyl now.

As Dominik Eulberg says in his own words: „After more than 16 years, "Heimische Gefilde" is finally released on vinyl. At that time it was still a daring experiment to combine music with lustful science communication. Quickly one was thrown into the pot of the "weird eco-techno sound owl". Today, we are increasingly finding that we cannot stop the impending ecocide in a cognitive way. For more than 60 years we have known about the concrete threats to humanity from global warming and species extinction; yet nothing changes. Many alarmist efforts fail miserably, red lists grow longer and longer each year, and global temperatures continue to rise unchecked. It is becoming clearer and clearer that we have to reach out to our fellow human beings in a positive emotional way in order to make a difference, because we only protect what we love. Then sentimental minorities become majorities that change something. Art and culture are low-threshold vectors to make things majority-friendly. They are a fertile and valuable breeding ground to sensitize people outside the eco-bubble and to let their environment become a co-environment again. Today my transdisipilnary work is inseparable. I write books, develop games, lecture, make film, and am a visiting scholar at museums. "Heimische Gefilde" was a valuable cornerstone for my creative work, a very intrinsic work to go my very own way.“

We would also like quote here the description of Forced Exposure done at the time when the album was originally recorded and released to keep the authentic feel: „The influence of nature (bird twitters, owl hoots, flowing water, crunching leaves) and other domestic sounds has made his music easy to identify with. „Heimische Gefilde" means "native habitat," and this release takes the concept of his debut a step further and at the same time is a retrospective of his major hits. Tracks like "Die Rotbauchunken vom Tegernsee" and "Björn Borkenkäfer" are included here in unreleased edits that are even stronger than the originals, and as a bonus, previously vinyl-only

Legendary 7X GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning artist/producer Dr. Dre celebrates the 30th anniversary of his magnum opus, The Chronic by announcing the album will be re-released. The Chronic, which is not currently available on streaming services, will again be available to fans on all major DSPs .

Steve Berman, Vice Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, said: “Dr. Dre is without a doubt one of the most iconic and groundbreaking artists in the modern era. He has also used his platform to fuel some very impactful philanthropic efforts that will ensure his legacy is felt for generations to come. Dre’s solo career all started with the The Chronic, one of the most celebrated recordings of all time.

First released on December 15, 1992, The Chronic peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has spent 97 weeks on the chart since its release. The album also spawned three top 40 hits on the Hot 100, including top ten records with "Nuthin' But a “G” Thang" (No. 2) featuring Snoop Dogg and "F— Wit Dre Day" (No. 8). The Chronic topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for eight weeks, while "Nuthin’ But a "G" Thang" hit No. 1 for two weeks on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Last June, Rolling Stone placed The Chronic on its 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time List, boasting how the album "redefined the West Coast Hip Hop sound." Pitchfork also holds the seminal album in high standing, saying The Chronic lives on as a “timeless show of strength” and “gave shape to L.A.’s present and future.” Videos from The Chronic are also available on Dr. Dre’s official YouTube channel.

Last year, Dr. Dre dazzled during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show in Los Angeles. His enormous set was star-studded, as Dre performed alongside some of music's biggest stars, including Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and 50 Cent. Dre commanded the stage – just a few miles from his birthplace of Compton – with a groundbreaking setlist anchored by hits such as "The Next Episode" and the 2Pac-led "California Love." The historic performance earned Dr. Dre his first-ever Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). The Hollywood Reporter called the halftime show "thrilling and nostalgic," while Billboard credited Dre for his "seismic impact" on music.

Enemy is a 2013 psychological drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve and produced by M. A. Faura and Niv Fichman. The A24 film stars Jake Gyllenhaal in a dual role as two men who are physically identical, but different in personality. Enemy premiered in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September. The movie earned ten nominations at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards, winning five, including Best Director for Villeneuve, and Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress for Gadon. It was named Best Canadian Film of the Year at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2014.

The score is composed by Daniel Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans who gained major acclaim for their score of the popular Netflix series Ozark. Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans have been creating music together for over twenty years. In the last 10 years, they have completed well over 100 acclaimed film and TV scores.

Enemy is available on vinyl for the first time. This is a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on translucent yellow coloured vinyl. The gatefold includes liner notes by director Denis Villeneuve.

Formed by Alison Statton of much-loved Welsh avant-garde/indie pioneers the Young Marble Giants alongside guitarists Simon Booth and Spike, Weekend have been more than a cult band during their short career. La Varieté was their 1982 debut album a delicate collection of songs set against a jazz backdrop, switching across several musical settings including samba, cabaret, Afrobeat and truly original contemporary exotic pop. The album was originally released in 1982 on the Rough Trade label and still deserve the status of a masterpiece. It was revered by critics on release as a bold new departure from the prevailing post-punk ethos and served as a major influence on future indie stars as Saint Etienne and Belle And Sebastian.

• Bob Thiele is one of the great producers. For his work with John Coltrane alone, where he gave free reign to the saxophone great's wildest musical visions including “A Love Supreme”, ignoring the usual cost consciousness of a major label, he deserves to be lauded. In addition to this, his eight years at Impulse! saw him recording seminal works by scores of musicians including late-blooming masterpieces by Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges, and a whole wave of 'new thing' jazzers such as Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders. He didn't stop there and when he launched his own label, Flying Dutchman in 1969, he continued to innovate and record music that reflected its times, but that also resonates down through the ages. It is to Flying Dutchman that we are paying tribute on this compilation.

• Gil Scott-Heron's recordings for the label ran to three records, which sold well but not spectacularly at the time. They have since taken on a resonance that makes the album "Pieces Of A Man" in particular one of the most important recordings of the last century, and its opening track 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' an anthem. Pianist Lonnie Liston Smith had been on Thiele's final important Impulse! Recording, Pharoah Sanders’ "Karma", and continued to appear on Flying Dutchman, first as a sideman and then as a leader. His 1975 album "Expansions" was the perfect encapsulation of his 'cosmic jazz' and the title track is a moment of near perfection which has become one of the foundation pieces of modern dance music.

• Flying Dutchman's other great discoveries are here. Vocalist Leon Thomas found a new route for jazz vocals in the early 70s, which made him a star and earned him a place in Santana. Gato Barbieri became one of the major saxophone stars of the era, after Thiele enabled him to meld his free jazz leanings to the rhythms of South America. The label also made important recordings with Tom Scott (featured on Thiele's own 'Head Start'), Ornette Coleman and Oliver Nelson, whilst interesting records appeared by Esther Marrow, Harold Alexander and many more.

• This is Flying Dutchman is a considered tribute to the label, and features in depth and fully illustrated sleeve notes. In the year when Bob Thiele's son is gearing up to release the first new music on the label since 1976, it is an apt and timely reminder of the power of the music.

WRWTFWW Records is very excited to present a new full-length collaborative project by Japanese ambient/environmental legend Takashi Kokubo (Ion Series) and Italian/Swiss trombonist Andrea Esperti (Esperti Project): Music for a Cosmic Garden.

Recorded during the heights of the pandemic and completed in February 2021, the majestic 8-track ethereal/botanical soundscape created by Kokubo and Esperti is available as a limited edition double LP, a digipack CD, as well as in digital format.

Takashi KOKUBO, environmental music figure, celebrated sound designer, and founder of Studio Ion, has released over 20 albums, including the genre-defining and highly sought-after Ion Series. He's also played a major role in the sonic identity of Japan, creating the country’s mobile phone earthquake alert sound, credit card payment validation jingles, and much more. In 2020, Takashi Kokubo received a Grammy nomination for his track "A Dream Sails Out to Sea, Scene 3" off Light in the Attic’s Kankyo Ongaku compilation. He is known for recording “sound scenes from nature” around the world using a binaural CyberPhonic microphone of his own invention and for his very unique brand of healing music.

Andrea ESPERTI is a Swiss trombonist and composer originally from Puglia (Italy). He plays in multiple genres (classical, pop, world, electro, jazz) with a globe-trotting approach: encounters with peers, rhythmic exchanges, and unplanned music projects; this is where lies the foundation of his work.

Music for a Cosmic Garden is an ode to celestial botanics, a contemporary and hallucinogenic take on the soothing ambient genre immortalized by artists such as Midori Takada and Satoshi Ashikawa, a beautiful pairing of synthesizers and the mighty trombone, taking you to a meditative galaxy far, far away, where other-worldly is just another word for cozy.

Recommended track for maximum pleasure: "Gaia’s Love Theme".

100% Analogue 33RPM 180g 1LP
Remastered from the Original Analogue Stereo Masters for the First Time!

Hear this album as it was meant to be heard! Absolutely Stunning!
The greatest assembly of musical talent ever on one album! Features Performances by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Ben Webster & 27 More Jazz Greats!



In 1958, a young, successful French composer-arranger with a major infatuation on American jazz, worked his way to New York and convinced the very best players of the time to record an album of largely jazz standards. Michel Legrand would go on to win numerous prizes and accolades (3 Oscars, 5 Grammies, 2 Palmes D'or, etc.), but little of what followed matched the sheer brilliance of Legrand Jazz.

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Phil Woods and practically every other session man in town signed up for sessions with Legrand to record his idiosyncratic arrangements of standards ("Django", "Don’t Get Around Much Anymore", "Night in Tunisia", etc.). Instead of regurgitating then current bop styles, he reinvented the very nature of orchestral jazz band repertoire to make a unique and forward-looking statement on the genre.

The sound of Impex's all-analogue LP preserves the wide soundstage of late 50’s Columbia recordings while creating intimate spaces between players on the stage for maximum definition. This rare, highly-praised recording has never sounded as good as it does now. Go big with Legrand Jazz.

Legrand Jazz was greeted by an enthusiastic review in the magazine Down Beat. Dom Cerulli awarded it five stars out of a possible five.

The meticulously recreated outer jacket is packaged in a gatefold with an original photo montage inside honoring Michel Legrand's masterpiece of reinvention and sublime fan-boy enthusiasm.

"The music is luscious and this just may be one of the best-sounding records you'll ever hear." - Ken Kessler, Hi Fi News, Rated 95/100 Sound Quality!

San Diego born and raised DJ/Producer, Dillon Marinez, today releases his latest EP ‘Wormhole’, out now on Dirtybird.

Curated by Claude VonStroke, the compelling two-track project presents a dynamic soundscape showcasing the sonic duality of one of Dirtybird’s newest rising stars. The chaotic, high-energy sound of its titular track ‘Wormhole’ is instantly mesmerizing, while its companion ‘Facelift’ is a deep, rolling burner.

Regarding the EP, Dillon Marinez said, “My first Dirtybird Campout inspired both tracks. Claude’s set especially was full of some thick stabby bass which was right up my alley. This sound gave me an idea for each lead and the rest flowed naturally.”

Continuing to grow as a consistent member of the Dirtybird flock, Marinez’s latest EP, ‘Wormhole’ marks his fifth release on the esteemed label following last year’s ‘No Pressure’ EP and earlier singles like ‘Dance For Me.’

Taking inspiration from funk, hip hop, and reggae, Marinez credits his father and brother for exposing him as a kid to the multi-genre sounds that shape his music style today. A bassist since childhood, it was only natural for Dillon to be drawn to the ebbs and flows of house music. Learning Ableton in college, Marinez was able to incorporate a blend of rhythmic elements to create his unique bass lines and incredibly catchy beats known to captivate crowds.

Releasing music on Dirtybird marks a full circle moment for Dillon, as he has previously named Dirtybird’s artists Justin Martin and Shiba San as major sources of inspiration for his music.

Marinez invites fans to join him on his rhythmic journey and stream ‘Wormhole’ today.

repress

Levon Vincent returns with his fourth full-length studio album Silent Cities a striking departure from his previous records. This, his first release experimenting with the cassette format, Silent Cities is a kind of mixtape through more private moods and personal pitches (literally given Levon’s non-standard tunings).

While Levon has always pro
duced dance floor jams with the intention of raising people’s heart rates, Silent Cities began with 72 bpm: his average resting heart rate, and the concept of tuning the music he was making to his own body rather than increasing anything. This brought the tempos down to 72 bpm or even half of that, at 36bpm. Programming the record during the empty cityscape of Berlin lockdowns, this is the first time Levon’s created an album for the home stereo or for headphone listening whilst navigating through a city. A mixtape specialist in his youth; he was always wanted to play with the cassette format. The results are sure to delight any listener, with the ever-present ambient, krautrock, shoegaze, hip-hop and electro influences coming to the foreground on this work.

“I was expanding further along the lines of a surprise favourite from my previous LP, a song called She Likes To Wave To Passing Boats which was not a 4 on-the-floor piece to play in clubs but a more impressionistic piece of music that I wrote to expound some emotions one day” says Levon. “It was a song written using just intonation. I really love how warm the pure 4ths sound, so when working on the new LP Silent Cities I decided to use my own tunings”.

Historically, the use of just intonation has meant that such instruments could sound "in tune" in one key but at the expense of more dissonance in the other keys. None of the songs on Silent Cities use standard Western equal temperament, Levon created his own scale designs coupled with the ancient ratios found in just intonation.

Born in Houston in 1975, Levon’s life changed dramatically when his parents moved their family to New York in 1981, uprooted from what he knew, the shock, the change from Houston to New York at 6 years old, is referred to constantly in Levon’s Musical output over the years. Levon's family moved houses in and around NYC from 1981 -2010, never more than a mile or two from the WTC. He lived on the Lower East Side during his teenage years and early 20s. This time period and this locale are also a big theme recurrent in his music as he tries to convey how the "downtown" lifestyle and culture-melding affected him so much at a tender age. He cut his teeth working in record shops around lower Manhattan, and while working at the Halcyon Record shop in Brooklyn he (alongside DJ Jus-Ed) was instrumental in creating the wave that came to be known as the "NYC House Renaissance" circa 2010. During the Y2K years he studied 20th C post-minimalism at Purchase college of New York under James McElwaine (who tangentially produced Man Parrish’s Self-Titled proto-hip-hop debt LP). Levon was fortunate to study theory with avant-garde composer Dary John Mizelle and orchestration under conductor Joel Thome. He undertook masterclasses with Philip Glass and also served as intern for John Kilgore, engineer for Steve Reich, where he was present for notable mix sessions such as “Violin Phase.”

Post-minimalism clearly remains an influence not to mention the early sampler stars of 80s freestyle and synth pop. Mixing such far-reaching influences is something Levon executes tremendously well. The first track Everlasting Joy moves at a head nodding 96 BPM tempo, reflecting formative influences like Paul Hardcastle’s Rainforest or Art Of Noise’s Moments in Love. “Those types of songs were a big eye opener for me as a youth, because it was where I realised songs in popular culture didn’t have to be kept to just 3 minutes, and they didn’t require vocals either. So, Everlasting Joy is a song with that intention, one that might be radio-friendly, despite the long arrangement and without vocals. You could say it was inspired by 107.5 in NY because that was a station I listened to a lot in the 1980’s.”

The majority of demos on Silent Cities were recorded before Covid-19 hit the world - when Levon had found a studio space outside of home in his adopted city of Berlin. It was a career first - working on music outside the bedroom. This riding the train or bicycling ‘going to work’ in Berlin opened up a new mood in his music, using the time back and forth to be inspired - commuting as an NYC transplant who still feels as a tourist in Berlin, with a pair of headphones, looking out the window on the train, or stopping on bridges and parking his bike to enjoy Berlin's skyline and horizon. Then, the pandemic struck and “work” came to a halt. Levon had recorded so much material during that year in the studio out of house it seemed like an inflection point for him to lighten the burden of the possessions he was carrying.

“People close to me have watched me give away synths and hardware regularly and I have given away my record collection every few years for my whole life. As a struggling artist in my 20s who had worked in record stores that whole time, I learned that moving constantly with 12k records just wasn't the way to live. So, in light of the pandemic, I set up a shop online, and sold all my music equipment. I also created a separate shop for all my sneakers and clothes. Easy come, Easy go. This provided me with a slow drip type of income that carried me quite well through the pandemic and it allowed me to focus on my own art and music. Getting rid of all my possessions felt like a weight being lifted from my shoulders and I was able to stay the course and remain committed to the music. I needed a further 2 years to mix and arrange the LP. If it weren’t for the pandemic, I would not been able to make this type of LP, so in light of everything, I was able to turn a depressing time in to something lasting and musically very positive.”

You can hear how his approach to a cassette release retains the "Medium is the Message." ethos. Silent Cities is a spooling, warm piece about life memories and embodiment.

Gondwana Records announces Horizons the debut album from Jasmine Myra, produced by Matthew Halsall, it's an elevating debut record of understated beauty

Jasmine Myra is a Leeds-based saxophonist, composer and band leader Her original instrumental music has a euphoric and uplifting sound, influenced by artists as diverse as Kenny Wheeler, Bonobo and Olafur Arnalds and like Mammal Hands and Hania Rani her music has a special, emotive quality that draws the listener into her world. Matthew Halsall first heard Myra's music in 2019 shortly before the pandemic hit, signing her to Gondwana Records and producing her beautiful debut album, Horizons.

"I was immediately drawn to Jasmine's music. I could hear jazz, electronica in her music but with a deep, honest, emotional quality. I was really impressed with her skills as a composer and bandleader, that she is open and intelligent enough to bring all those influences together, to make something fresh and original. We were also delighted to work with a young artist from the North of England. London is often seen as the place to be, but cities like Manchester and Leeds are full of creative musicians too, and that sense of local community is at the heart of our values as a label."

Myra came-up through the bustling, creative Leeds music scene and her music draws on the sense of community that permeates life in the city and which is notable for a strong DIY ethos in its musical community. She attended Leeds Conservatoire and played with the Leeds based Abstract Orchestra, a jazz big-band, led by tutor Rob Mitchell that explores the synergy between jazz and hip-hop found in the recordings of Madlib, MF Doom of J Dilla. Indeed, Myra cites MF Doom and Soweto Kinch as early influences on her own music. It was in her last year at the conservatoire that Myra started to consider leading her own group and started to really think about what her own music might sound like and her first band featured guitarist Ben Haskins and drummer George Hall who both feature on Horizons and her band draws heavily on the Leeds community featuring rising stars such as pianist Jasper Green and harpist Alice Roberts.

Myra also mentions local legend, Dave Walker, who owns an instrument repair shop called 'All Brass and Woodwind' which is right next to the music college. She worked there while studying and he introduced her to a lot of local musicians. Walker also has his own line of saxophones (played by Shabaka Hutchins, Pete Wareham and Nubya Garcia), and gifted Myra the saxophone she plays on Horizons. It was Walker who encouraged Myra to apply for Jazz North Introduces, a scheme that supports emerging jazz artists in the North of England and Myra credits her winning a place, in 2018,with helping her grow in confidence.

" It gave me the opportunity to start gigging outside of Leeds, which I was very keen to do. I was quite surprised by people's reaction to the project and the support I was being shown, which helped me gain a lot of confidence. It became clear to me very quickly that being a solo artist was what I wanted to do and it was also apparent to me that mine was one of the only female-led instrumental bands on the Leeds scene, which encouraged me even more, as I wanted my project to inspire younger female musicians".

Horizons was produced by Matthew Halsall and mixed by Portico Quartet collaborator Greg Freeman, and much of the music was written during lockdown. It was a hard time for a lot of people, and initially Myra struggled mentally, deprived of shows and the connections of making music with her band and friends, but she also realised what she wanted as an artist and the result is heard on Horizons.

"I realised that my aim was to start writing music that made people feel happy and uplifted. Writing is one of my biggest passions, but I also love performing. Playing live and seeing the audience connect with my music and have a positive experience brings me so much joy".

This sense of elevation is at the heart of Horizons, together with the feeling of a journey, of reaching new ground. Prologue and Horizons were originally composed as one piece as they encapsulate Myra's own personal development as she worked on the album - taking the listener on a journey, especially Prologue; and then Horizons is that moment of release when you've reached the end goal. 1000 Miles takes inspiration from the music of Shabaka and the Ancestors. Whereas Words Left Unspoken was written after Myra's grandmother unexpectedly passed away in June, and due to Covid restrictions she was unable to visit her before she passed and say how much she loved her. Morningtide is a nod to Kenny Wheeler, particularly the track Opening from Sweet Time Suite on Music for Large and Small Ensembles but Myra also puts her own spin on it as she also does with Promise, another track influenced by Wheeler. Awakening has a calm and euphoric quality and represents that sense of problems lifting, or of reaching the other side, and New Beginnings finishes the album with a positive vibe and a sense of moving forward from darkness

This then is Horizons. A soulful, emotional and up-lifting debut from a major new voice. A snapshot of a young artist at the beginning of her journey - drawing on jazz and electronica influences to create something fresh and new. But also a celebration of her home town Leeds, and a record built on a sense of support and community before looking out to wider Horizons.

Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2 "...That's Jasmine Myra and 'New Beginnings', wonderful to hear new music from a new artists i've not heard before, a great new artist!"

Tom Ravenscroft on BBC 6 Music "Leeds-based saxophonist, composer and band leader Jasmine Myra. 'New Beginnings' on Gondwana Records. Compositions drawing influence by Kenny Wheeler, Bonobo, Ólafur Arnalds. Produced by Matthew Halsall"

CITY OF CATERPILLAR return with their first new album in 20 years, Mystic Sisters! When guitarist/vocalist Brandon Evans, guitarist Jeff Kane, drummer Ryan Parrish and bassist/vocalist Kevin Longendyke unveiled their self-titled debut in 2002, their emotional, frenzied and often cinematic music was at the vanguard of the burgeoning screamo movement. Along with bands like Pg.99 (with whom they shared members), Majority Rule, Planes Mistaken For Stars and others, they helped develop a style of music that took hardcore into convulsive new territory. After years spent living in other parts of the country and playing in other bands—including Darkest Hour, Malady and Ghastly City Sleep, the long awaited CITY OF CATERPILLAR reunion shows snowballed into writing sessions. The result - Mystic Sisters, an album that recaptures the magic of old while taking the band’s music into exciting new territory! The winding and atmospheric title track that embodies CITY OF CATERPILLAR's experimental side features some noise violin from Evans’ former Pg. 99 bandmate Johnny Ward, while tracks like "Decider" and "Paranormaladies" showcases the band's roots with a flurry of viceral, noisey hardcore swagger. Tracked primarily at Montrose Recording in Richmond, Mystic Sisters was self-produced by the band and then mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Bosse-de-Nage). Ultimately, CITY OF CATERPILLAR are more concerned with creating a mood than telling a story. “The band is always focused on mood,” Evans confirms. “To me, that’s the most important thing. I don’t really want people dissecting what we’re trying to say, because it’s not really about us. It never has been. What we cared about 20 years ago was innocent, raw emotion, and that’s what we care about now.”

New album by Steamhammer - British blues-rock band STEAMHAMMER
was formed at the end of 1968 by Martin Quittenton (guitar), Kieran White
(vocals, harmonica, guitar), Martin Pugh (guitar), Steve Davy (bass) and
Michael Rushton (drums)
Their first album "Reflections" (AKA "Junior's Wailing") was released in 1969. Pete
Sears played piano on this album before he joined Rod Stewart on his four early
classic recordings. Pugh also played on Rod Stewart's first solo album, "The Rod
Stewart Album" (AKA "An Old Raincoat Would Never Let You Down") with Ron
Wood, Mickey Waller, Martin Quittenton and Keith Emerson. After "Reflections",
Quittenton and Rushton both quit the band to be replaced by Mick Bradley
(drums) and Steve Joliffe (sax, flute), who gave a jazzy influence to the band in
their second album, "Mk. II" (1969). Shortly after this release, Joliffe left the band,
which continued as a 4 piece in their third album "Mountains" (1970), which was a
returning to the blues- rock of the first album. After a major turnover, Pugh and
Bradley invited Louis Cennamo (bass) and, along with special guest Garth WattRoy (vocals), recorded "Speech" in 1971. This last album was released
posthumously, after Bradley's death in 1972.Now, exactly 50 years after the
release of "Speech" and 53 years after Pugh and Sears collaborated on the band's
first LP, Steamhammer will release a new album, "Wailing Again". Featuring beside
1968 founder member Martin Pugh (guitars) and Pete Sears (bass, keys &
background vocals), member of Jefferson Starship from 1974 to 1987, Manfred
Mann's Earth Band - drummer John Lingwood, who joined Steamhammer in 1972,
and Phil Colombatto (vocals & harmonica).

In the music business, there are certain sidemen — players who back the stars — who play with such prowess that they gain fame of their own. By all rights, Herman Hitson should be one of those people. Over the years, he played with Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Joe Tex, Bobby Womack, Wilson Pickett, Garnet Mimms, Major Lance, Jackie Wilson, the Drifters, the Shirelles, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters and many others. “I played behind Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke on the same doggone show,” he said, recalling one night at the Royal Peacock. Along the way, he picked up every style of music that was popular in the early years of his career. Arguably, the original seeds of psychedelic rock were planted after Hitson and Hendrix became running buddies in the early 1960s. Both were playing the Chitlin’ Circuit, tours that would load somewhere between ten and two dozen African American musicians on a bus and tour the South, playing Black nightclubs. The two spent weeks together, Herman says. As the 1970s rolled in, Herman wound up playing funk guitar, recording some tracks with the Ohio Players and releasing some of his own funk singles, including the powerful “Ain’t No Other Way,” a number firmly in the James Brown vein which he reprised on ‘Let The Gods Sing.’ In the mid-1960s, he moved to New York City, where he once again hooked up with Hendrix. Early in 1966, Herman began work on his own psychedelic rock album under the title “Free Spirit.” Hermon sang and played lead guitar, and Hendrix played bass on a few tracks that went unreleased by ATCO at the time. Those recordings wound up being the source of a controversy in the 1980s that brought Hermon’s name into the limelight in a different way. The title song of the album, “Free Spirit,” was released on two albums of music allegedly recorded by Hendrix and then “lost” to history. “That’s my song,” Herman says today. "He Hendrix didn’t never play no lead on nothing of mine. And he didn’t sing on nothing of mine. In fact, back then he thought he couldn’t sing. We had to keep pushing him". Jimi would say, ‘I can’t sing.’ I’d say, ‘Man, you don’t have to be Wilson Pickett. All you got to do is sing like you sing.” Recorded and co-produced by Bruce Watson at his Delta Sounds Studio in Memphis, Hitson’s backed on the new album by guitarist and co-producer Will Sexton and some of Memphis’ best musicians.

Generation '22: Chanson mit Seele

Wenn andere Jubiläen begehen, dann schwelgen sie in Erinnerungen. Le Pop ist anders:
Unsere Nummer 10 schaut nach vorn. Sie ist jünger, femininer und souliger als ihre
Vorgänger. Und stellt 16 neue Namen vor, die zuvor auf keiner anderen Ausgabe zu finden
waren. Die neuen Stars heißen Emma Peters, Iliona, UssaR, P.R2B, Ariane Roy und
Clou. Viele dieser Namen stehen am Anfang ihrer Karriere, haben bisher erst eine EP, ein
Album oder ein paar Singles draußen und doch ist spürbar, dass diese neue Generation das
Nouvelle Chanson prägen wird. Nicht alle sind Newcomer, aber Künstlerinnen und Künstler
wie KCIDY, Voyou, Malik Djoudi und Laura Cahen haben in den letzten 4 Jahren (so lange
ist Le Pop 9 schon draußen) eine so fulminante Entwicklung gemacht, dass wir sie diesmal
unbedingt vorstellen wollten. Dazu gesellen sich Schauspielerinnen wie Edwige, Elisa Erka
und Suzanne Lindon, die sich zum ersten Mal als Sängerinnen präsentieren. Ganz
besonders erwähnenswert: Camélia Jordana – einerseits als Musikerin in der Charts-Welt
etabliert, anderseits César-prämierte Schauspielerin, trägt sie in dieser illustren Runde sicher
den glamourösesten Namen.

Doch was macht sie aus, diese neue Generation? Zuerst einmal das Offensichtlichste: Nur
vier der hier vorgestellten Stimmen sind männlich. Das Chanson wird weiblicher und
orientiert sich damit an den Erfahrungen der letzten 20 Jahre. Denn meistens waren es die
Frauen der aktuellen Szene, die sich in der Breite auch im Ausland durchgesetzt haben (man
denke nur an Zaz, Coeur de pirate und Angèle). Le Pop 10 ist nicht nur femininer, die neue
Generation ist auch viel stärker durch die Präsenz von HipHop und R'n'B geprägt. Ein
richtiges Crossover findet zwar nicht statt, dafür merkt man, dass das heutige Chanson
grooviger geworden ist, soul-lastiger auch und punktuell tatsächlich Rap-Anklänge mitliefert.
Besonders deutlich wird das bei P.R2B, die gelegentlich in den Sprechgesang wechselt, bei
Emma Peters, die sogar ein ganzes Album mit Coverversionen von französischen Rap- und
R'n'B-Hits veröffentlichte, bevor sie eigene Songs aufnahm und bei UssaR, der als
Bühnenmusiker auch Rapper wie Kery James und Youssoupha begleitet. Vielleicht nicht
ganz so deutlich, aber wunderschön und subtil binden Iliona aus Belgien (was für eine
Entdeckung!) und Ariane Roy aus Kanada Soul-Elemente in ihre Musik mit ein. Selbst bei
Uptempo-Nummern wie "Le confort" von Voyou ist ein Hauch Motown zu spüren.
Selbstverständlich fehlt auch diesmal nicht der Einfluss von britischem Pop und Americana.
Die Band Palatine etwa ist gitarrenlastig, bringt Folk-Elemente mit und verbindet dies sehr
elegant mit Chanson-Tradition. Bei Laura Cahan finden wir Einflüsse der Cocteau Twins,
Kate Bush aber auch Anklänge an Camille oder Keren Ann. Eine erstaunliche Entwicklung
legte KCIDY hin, die nach einer längeren Phase des Experimentierens mit Elektro und Wave
auf einmal einen mit Vocal-Harmonien, Kraut- und 70ies-Elementen veredelten Gitarrenpop
aus dem Hut zaubert, der nur theoretisch aus der Zeit zu fallen scheint und sich doch ganz
harmonisch in den Gesamtklang der Compilation einfügt.

Und dann ist da auch noch Edwige, eine belgische Schauspielerin, der es nicht mehr
genügte gelegentlich auf Theaterbühnen zu singen. Sie hat ein traumhaftes, in dezenten
Gitarrenarrangements ausgekleidetes Debüt-Album aufgenommen, das im Herbst 2022
erscheinen soll. Ihren Song "Corps & Ame" hat sie uns vorab exklusiv für diese Compilation
überlassen. Den Tipp, uns mit Edwige zu beschäftigen, bekamen wir übrigens von Albin de
la Simone (seit Le Pop 2 immer wieder vorgestellt), der auch schon ein Duett mit ihr
aufgenommen hat.

Mit De La Simone, seit seiner Arbeit für Carla Bruni und das Durchbruch-Album von Pomme
(Le Pop 9) einer der meist gebuchten Produzenten der Szene, sprachen wir anlässlich
seines Konzerts bei der Kölner Reihe "Le Pop La Série" über junge Künstlerinnen wie Iliona,
Clou, Emma Peters und über deren Karrierewege. Dabei machte er uns auch auf Ariane
Roy aufmerksam. Wie sie sind viele der hier vorgestellten Namen Labelmates oder Protegés
etablierter Künstler.

Das sind nicht immer zufällige Beziehungen. In Frankreich erntet das neue Chanson zudem
immer mehr die Früchte des Casting-Show-Booms der letzten 15 Jahre. Hier bekommen
viele Teilnehmer irgendwann die Chance mit renommierten Musikern zusammenzuarbeiten.
Carla de Coignac zum Beispiel flog zwar noch vor dem Finale bei "Nouvelle Star" (2017)
aus dem Wettbewerb, trotzdem nahm Louane (die bei der Konkurrenz-Sendung "L'école des
stars" entdeckt wurde) fünf Songs in ihr Repertoire auf, die die Aussortierte für sie
geschrieben hatte. Teilnehmerin der gleichen Show war auch Camélia Jordana, allerdings
schon 2009. Jordana scheiterte damals im Halbfinale, bekam aber beim Major Sony einen
Vertrag. An ihrem Debüt-Album arbeitete sie mit Jean Felzine (Mustang, auf Le Pop 8
vorgestellt), BabX (Le Pop 8), "L" (Le Pop 7) und Mathieu Boogaerts (seit Le Pop 1 dabei)
zusammen. Inzwischen ist Jordana in der Musik- und Filmwelt etablierter Star und Celebrity.
Wir lernten sie abseits glamouröser Welten bei einer "sièste acoustique" kennen, einem
speziellen Konzertformat in Paris, bei dem das Publikum tatsächlich Siesta hält. Dort trat sie
mit Le Pop-Künstlern wie Armelle Pioline (Holden), BabX und Siesta-Gastgeber Bastien
Lallemant auf. An diesem Beispiel sieht man einmal mehr, wie durchlässig die französische
Szene geworden ist. Jordana ist heute ihre eigene Songwriterin – bei dem hier vorgestellten
Song, dem wunderbar groovenden "Jusqu'au bout des cils" stammen Musik und Text aus
ihrer Feder.

Der Mainstream zeigt sich immer wieder offen für Impulse von Indie-Acts, Kooperationen
zwischen diesen scheinbar gegensätzlichen Szenen sind inzwischen nahezu
selbstverständlich und verschaffen dem Underground zusätzliche Unabhängigkeit.
Le Pop 10 zeigt die Vielfalt dieser Welt auf authentische Weise und formt daraus eine
kohärente Einheit. Wie immer hat auch diese neue Ausgabe keinen Anspruch auf
Vollständigkeit. Wir lassen bewusst Künstler außen vor, die manche Fachleute hier erwarten
würden, die aber nicht "unsere Tasse Tee" sind. Im Vergleich zu ihren Anfängen ist die
Szene heute dynamischer und diverser. In den 50er und 60er Jahren haben Jazz und Brazil
ihre Einflüsse im Chanson der Gegenwart hinterlassen. Zu Beginn der Le-Pop-Reihe waren
es Indie, Electro und Reggae. Heute sind darüber hinaus die Einflüsse von HipHop und R'n'B
zu spüren. Das neue Chanson ist in Bewegung und wird es sicher auch in Zukunft bleiben

40th anniversary edition, which includes bonus tracks and 20-page booklet featuring rare photos, flyers, testimonials and detailed history of the album

Chris Imler likes to play drums standing up. He‘s the dandy with the killer offbeat, or, as one major German newspaper once put it, the "Grand Seigneur of the Berlin Underground". He has been making his mark on countless Berlin musical affairs since long before the fall of the Wall, with The Golden Showers, Peaches, Oum Shatt, Driver &Driver, Die Türen, Jens Friebe, to name but a few. He has also been perfoming across Europe as a solo artist for the past decade.

In "Operation Schönheit" (German for "Operation Beauty"), he has recorded his most, well, beautiful album to date. But Benedikt Frey's warm production subverts its own beauty with a multitude of clanking and ingling synth sounds, making the work very much about the cosmetic surgery it performs on itself. It's all in the tradition of the more experimental and electronic side of post-punk in which Imler and his unique groove are rooted. It doesn't take insider knowledge of Berlin's post-punk underground to realise that that Imler groove consists of rhythm that sings, vocals that dance and a look that fits, as illustrated by "Disappoint Me", his latest video: https://youtu.be/YeVJ75ljjB8

Elsewhere - such as in "Movies" - the rhythm sings, less electronically reduced, into the acoustics of an old, high-ceilinged Berlin apartment; metal clatters, a zither trembles and Imler plays with the metronome. Sometimes he moves ahead of time, sometimes trails behind it. He always manages to be in his very own groove, which carries everything along. And this is precisely the essence of the Imler rhythm, which lends itself to being applied to the very rhythm of life: Stretch and compress your time and loop it according to your own groove! Optimise nothing but feel everything! And dance to it! Even when contemplating everyday information overload, as Imler's high-speed mumbling suggests in the hectic yet smooth opening track "Temperature".

But being the ultimate night owl he is, Imler manages to make even the odd bout of paranoia seem like a good thing: like some kind of krauty, groovy B-horror-soundtrack-inflected high-pressure environment, "Whip Me" is a cross between Conrad Schnitzler and Bauhaus. In the title track, whose lyrics were written together with Jens Friebe, he intones: "You want to be something greater / You break your leg / When it heals again / You break it again" and sounds like the most gleeful fatalist you can imagine. Because in his city, one can still lose oneself better than anywhere else - a night easily becomes a whole universe that can be traversed, marvelled at and played with, and one might find one's old self again only when hearing "church bells" and "small birds singing". At least that's how Imler illustrates it in "Emptiness full of stars", and it seems likely that those "stars" are the human companions of the Berlin night in question.

And so once again Imler becomes Berlin's most important cultural ambassador: that scene of the eternally, and somehow successfully, failing creatures of the night, once the envy of the international postmodern bohème, has, despite many claims to the contrary, not been completely "optimised away", and its attitude to life is perfectly summed up in Imler's groove. And, of course, his look. "Schau Hin" (German for "Look!"), he sings in the track of the same name, masterfully dubbed out with the help of Melbourne's Leo James.

Quite right! Look - and listen.

Yours, Johannes von Weizsäcker (The Chap)

Album - 3 singles - vinyl “Make all the uncertainty and adventure of growing up sound like the best days of your life” - UPSET “A ripper that channels sounds from all throughout punk history” - Brooklyn Vegan "On a take-no-prisoners assault" - Tom Robinson, BBC 6music “California compacted into three rowdy minutes” - The Rodeo “Scorching slacker pop” - CLASH Reminders approach punk rock from where they know it best: a forgotten seaside town. Formed on the Isle of Wight in 2017, the band cut their teeth writing songs about teenage lust and suburban boredom, gaining attention after they independently released Water Sports and Major Cities. Fresh-faced and excited, the then-teenagers coined their sound 'beach punk'; a tongue-in-cheek ode to their hometown that they stand by today. 
 Firmly solidifying their identity as breakneck but bubblegum, a pop-tinged punk band, Reminders work to introduce themselves to anybody willing to listen. After an unexpected hiatus during COVID which delayed the release of their album, the band are now raring and ready to go with their new label home at Venn and forthcoming tour dates. 
 Already championed at radio by BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music and BBC Introducing, as well as landing placements on esteemed Spotify and Apple Music editorial playlists alike, they were labelled 'scorching slacker pop' by the influential CLASH Magazine, dubbed 'About to Break' by UPSET Magazine, and have already shared stages with rock legends and pop stars Liam Gallagher, The Killers, and Camila Cabello. Debut album Best Of Beach Punk released 1st April 2022