quête:mal one

This one-off Belgian New Beat project from The Zodiacs at first glance seems like standard fare from this time and place in dance music history - even with call to action, commanding listeners to ‘Move & Dance To The New Beat!’ that could well have earned a place at one of the slogans of the entire movement in an alternative universe where this record was a hit. However, a hit it was not - what we have here is an obscure piece of music shrouded in mystery, previously released only on 7 inch, and its enigmatic nature only adds to eerie quality of the children’s voices throughout the record. This, alongside its higher tempo not usually associated with New Beat as a musical form, come together to bring forth a bizarre oddity of the genre that also has the potency of a modern, peak time weapon. Anatolian Weapons on remix duties takes the material and reduces the speed but increases the malevolence and is a testament to his skills as one of the great producers working today!

Repress!

Mario Acquaviva’s 1983 ‘Notturno Italiano’, one of the most sought after italian boogie songs, receives a full on rework/reconstruction from Azymuth’s Alex Malheiros and Daniel Maunick of Far Out fame. On the flipside Ron Trent no presentation needed takes all the ingredients and delivers a fierce boogie remix that has the word Classic written all over it!

In the vibrant streets of Tembisa, South Africa, amidst the sprawling urbanity connecting Johannesburg and Pretoria, the story of Moskito began. Formed in 2001 by Mahlubi "Shadow" Radebe and the late Zwelakhe "Malemon" Mtshali, the group first emerged as a powerhouse of pantsula dancers. However, their undeniable passion for music soon led them down a new path_ one that would cement their place in kwaito history. Spending countless hours on the street corners of their township, where they were born and raised, Shadow and Malemon danced and sang with an infectious energy that attracted crowds. It wasn't long before the duo decided to channel their talents into a kwaito group, and after adding friends Patrick Lwane and Menzi Dlodlo, Moskito was born. (Pantsula dancing emerged in the 1950s among Black South Africans in townships and continually evolved until it became intertwined with kwaito music culture. The stylized, rapid foot movements and characteristic low-dancing became associated with kwaito as it took over South African urban culture into the early 2000s.) With limited resources, the group displayed immense creativity, recording demos using two cassette decks and instrumental tracks from other artists. They would rap and sing over an instrumental playing on one deck while the second deck records their performance. Their determination paid off when they submitted their demo to Tammy Music Publishers, who were captivated by Moskito's style. "Kwaito was the thing `in' at the time. If you did music you did kwaito. We wanted to fit in and actually it was easy," says Radebe. "We didn't have engineers in the group, so the first time in a real studio was with Percy and Thami to record Idolar." That same year, the group released their debut album, Idolar, under Tammy Music. The album was an undeniable success reaching gold status selling over 25,000 units and earning them a devoted fan base across South Africa and neighboring countries like Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Moskito collaborated with industry legends such as Chilly Mthiya Tshabalala, who was known for his work with Thiza and Spoke "H." They drew inspiration from Thami Mdluli a.k.a Professor Rhythm, who had dominated the disco scene back in the 80s and 90s. Mdluli helped with musical arrangements and executive produced the album and signed on producer-engineer Percy Mudau, while Shadow and Malemon took pride in composing most of their songs. Like many of the rising kwaito artists of the time, they didn't have music production or engineering backgrounds so they required support from engineers together their ideas down on tape. They were inspired from South African kwaito icons like Trompies, Mdu, Mandoza, and Arthur Mafokate, alongside international heavyweights like Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, and R. Kelly, Moskito created a sound that was uniquely theirs_a perfect blend of local flavor and global influence.

WOW. Daniel O'Sullivan's transcendent new album, Eros, is one of the greatest things we've ever heard. A simply stunning song cycle of hypnotic, experimental contemporary chamber music composed for a 14-piece ensemble. Combining minimalism, complex syncopation, detailed acoustic textures, weird intervals and samurai precision, this record will elegantly blow your mind. When Daniel first sent us this, he pitched it as “Liquid Swords meets Michael Nyman”. Trust us, he wasn't wrong. A "unique hybrid orchestral music", it presents a confluence of Daniel's longstanding fixations; indeed, there's elements of Nyman, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Magma, Aaron Copland and RZA. But this is wholly O'Sullivan's. Originally commissioned for the Sonoton Music Library in Munich, Eros now receives a deluxe vinyl release courtesy of Be With Records, bringing this meticulously crafted work to a wider audience. Limited to just 500 copies for the world, these are gonna fly.

An English composer and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel O'Sullivan’s career has been marked by versatility and innovation. In addition to his work with Sonoton, he has composed extensively for the legendary KPM music library, contributing to its storied legacy of production music. As a deep virtuoso and collaborator, O'Sullivan has also played in a number of influential projects, including Ulver, Sunn O))), This Is Not This Heat, Grumbling Fur and Miracle (with Steve Moore), leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary experimental music landscape.

O’Sullivan’s first foray into classically informed chamber music, Eros is a culmination of his long-standing fixations and expansive musical influences. The album features arrangements that are as detailed as they are emotionally resonant, showcasing his unparalleled ear for intervals and mastery of counterpoint. The music brims with complex rhythmic syncopation and a sensitivity to texture and space, resulting in a soundscape that is both intoxicating and dauntingly precise.

Recorded June 2023 and February 2024, in Brussels, London and Carmarthenshire, Wales, Eros features members of Echo Collective (Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant), Thighpaulsandra (from seminal post-industrial band Coil), and jazz pioneer Oren Marshall. Daniel's sonic weapons of choice, in his own inimitable words, were "Big Bad Drum, Pee Anne Oh, Low End Brass, Willowy Winds & Samurai Strings." You get the picture. As a cyclical suite, this is a record that really needs to be heard in its entitreity, from start to finish, to truly appreciate the genius at work here.

A jaw-dropping statement of intent, the minimalist "Golden Verses" sets the tone with its complex cue which has your neck snapping right when it feels like it needs to. Listen and you'll understand. A syncopated tangle of sharp strings, crunchy bass, drums percussion and bright piano and mallets vie for position with French horn and woodwind melody in the most compelling and unexpected ways. Quite simply, it's one of the finest album openers I've ever heard. It's followed by the atmospheric rippling minimalism of "Lyre Lyre", a gorgeous gem with shimmering chimes, bright melody, human percussion and syncopated pizzicato strings. It kinda comes on like a less-abstract Boards Of Canada, bursting with typical wonderment. The piano and string-drenched "Dolorous Stroke" effortlessly builds its warm, pastoral orchestration with flowing piano arpeggio, steadfast drums, expressive string quartet, rich low brass, woodwind and lyrical flute. Just sublime.

The insistent frenetic propulsion of "Plain Paper" is utterly beguiling, featuring a determined string motif, urgent drums and percussion, driving low brass and breathless, energetic flute. The haunting, interweaving string arpeggios that propel "Grapes Draped" presents a claustrophobic minimalism for chaos and darkness, with growling low woodwind and brass, spiky harpsichord, skittering flutes and tight drums. Up next, "Xanix Annum" is a stately minimalist waltz with expressive lyrical string quartet and delicate woodwind, anchored by drums and percussion. "Painting Rose" is a bouncy stop-start track with angular syncopated strings and a piano pulse underneath bright harpsichord and flutes. "Rotunda Garden" presents ethereal textural minimalism for landscapes and reflection with flowing string arpeggios, warm, low woodwind drones, floating choir and cymbal swells. Closing out this extraordinary side of music, the glowing, flowing minimalism of "Flowry Orb" features urgent organ, piano and woodwind arpeggios, half-time drums with shimmering cymbals, a soaring, beautiful violin solo and hypnotic vocal chant.

Side 2 opens with "Theia Mania" a determinedly off-kilter, angular track featuring low wind, brass and drum stomp in dialogue with lively string trio, woodwind and solo horn. The light, airy minimalism of "Painting Percy" is built around an interplay of rhythmic motifs for piano, low brass, bassoon, fluttering flutes, urgent strings, drums and percussion whilst "For Archetypes" is a delicate, gently syncopated chamber cue for nostalgia, nature, reflection and moments of calm, with steady piano motif, intimate woodwind and French horn, and warm, graceful strings. The urgent Ars Memoriae is a propulsive march for progress, processes and industry, underpinned by driving tuba, with determined strings, resolute drums, and vivid, expressive flute, clarinet and French horn.

The syncopated energetic minimalism of "Mirrored Seven" presents layers of melodic and cyclical piano, drums, low brass, harp, flute and strings. "Pure Ornament" follows, a slowly evolving chamber cue with flowing clarinet, string and harp arpeggio, plodding tuba and percussion, fluttering flute and graceful, lyrical solos. Stunning! Up next, "Brave Boy" moves from its tender, warm, lullaby-like intro with lyrical flute, clarinet and strings before opening into a playful backend driven by a bouncy tuba riff and syncopated piano, woodwind, string trio, and drums and percussion. Rounding out this astonishing piece, "Waxen Waned" is a warm, pastoral chamber cue with light lyrical woodwind, tender French horn and subtly pulsing string trio.

The album's title is a reference to Plato’s conception of Eros, which is more than romantic or physical desire. It is a dynamic and creative force that drives individuals to seek perfection whether in art, relationships, philosophy or the pursuit of truth. Wholly appropriate, here, we think. When asked what his influences were in making this astounding record, he answered thusly: "Non-musical: Householding, Pythagoras, Goethe, Grail romances, Hermeticism, Doctrine of Signatures (Parcelsus, Bohme, Pliny), Eric Rohmer, John Stezaker, Yasujiro Ozu. Musical: Duke Ellington (late suites), Smile-era Brian, early RZA, Wagner (Parsifal Overture), Magma, Mancini, Axelrod, YMO, Hildegard, Nyman, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Jobim (Stone Flower), Alessandro Alessandroni, Tavener, Moondog, Orthodox Music, Secular Music." That's some pretty deep shit. Makes you want to dive in, no?

Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis, and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. Truly, Eros is a work of extraordinary depth and sophistication. It invites listeners to immerse themselves in its intricate layers, to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms, and to marvel at the precision of its execution. With this release, O’Sullivan reaffirms his position as one of the most inventive and uncompromising voices in contemporary music. Do. Not. Sleep.

Der meisterhafte Selektor Mark Iration hat vollen Zugang zu den Greensleeves-Archiven erhalten und eine sorgfältige Auswahl von Roots- und Dub-Schätzen zusammengestellt, die seit langem zu den Grundpfeilern des Iration Steppas Soundsystems gehören. Die Sammlung enthält legendäre jamaikanische Sänger wie u.a. Michael Prophet, Johnny Osbourne und Wailing Souls. Die zweite Disc entführt in die Echokammer und zeigt Dub-Versionen von Schwergewichten wie Roots Radics, Augustus Pablo und The Revolutionaires. Die illustrierten Innenhüllen von Tony McDermott und Fotos aus dem Iration Steppas-Archiv runden die Gatefold-Verpackung ab. Die erste Ausgabe unserer Soundsystem-Reihe (mit Channel One Soundsystem) war so schnell vergriffen, dass die Nachfrage das Angebot bei weitem übertraf - verpassen Sie dieses Mal nichts!

In the vibrant streets of Tembisa, South Africa, amidst the sprawling urbanity connecting Johannesburg and Pretoria, the story of Moskito began. Formed in 2001 by Mahlubi "Shadow" Radebe and the late Zwelakhe "Malemon" Mtshali, the group first emerged as a powerhouse of pantsula dancers. However, their undeniable passion for music soon led them down a new path_ one that would cement their place in kwaito history. Spending countless hours on the street corners of their township, where they were born and raised, Shadow and Malemon danced and sang with an infectious energy that attracted crowds. It wasn't long before the duo decided to channel their talents into a kwaito group, and after adding friends Patrick Lwane and Menzi Dlodlo, Moskito was born. (Pantsula dancing emerged in the 1950s among Black South Africans in townships and continually evolved until it became intertwined with kwaito music culture. The stylized, rapid foot movements and characteristic low-dancing became associated with kwaito as it took over South African urban culture into the early 2000s.) With limited resources, the group displayed immense creativity, recording demos using two cassette decks and instrumental tracks from other artists. They would rap and sing over an instrumental playing on one deck while the second deck records their performance. Their determination paid off when they submitted their demo to Tammy Music Publishers, who were captivated by Moskito's style. "Kwaito was the thing `in' at the time. If you did music you did kwaito. We wanted to fit in and actually it was easy," says Radebe. "We didn't have engineers in the group, so the first time in a real studio was with Percy and Thami to record Idolar." That same year, the group released their debut album, Idolar, under Tammy Music. The album was an undeniable success reaching gold status selling over 25,000 units and earning them a devoted fan base across South Africa and neighboring countries like Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Moskito collaborated with industry legends such as Chilly Mthiya Tshabalala, who was known for his work with Thiza and Spoke "H." They drew inspiration from Thami Mdluli a.k.a Professor Rhythm, who had dominated the disco scene back in the 80s and 90s. Mdluli helped with musical arrangements and executive produced the album and signed on producer-engineer Percy Mudau, while Shadow and Malemon took pride in composing most of their songs. Like many of the rising kwaito artists of the time, they didn't have music production or engineering backgrounds so they required support from engineers together their ideas down on tape. They were inspired from South African kwaito icons like Trompies, Mdu, Mandoza, and Arthur Mafokate, alongside international heavyweights like Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, and R. Kelly, Moskito created a sound that was uniquely theirs_a perfect blend of local flavor and global influence.

Salty Millers einziges Album ist ein verstecktes Juwel der Yachtrock-Szene, das 1980 in begrenzter Auflage erschien. Aufgenommen mit Mitgliedern der legendären Yachtrock-Combo The Embers, mischt die LP Soul, Disco und Midtempo-Stepper zum charakteristischen Szenetanz, dem Shag. Durchdrungen von pazifischen Sounds und gefühlvollen Streichern dient die LP sowohl als Liebesbrief an die goldenen Yachtrock-Jahre als auch als Ausreisser, der die Konventionen überschreitet. Während viele Songs nostalgische Yachtrock-Themen wie Liebe und Freude feiern, bieten andere mit einem nachdenklicheren Unterton eine seltene Abkehr vom traditionell sonnendurchfluteten Geist des Genres. Lang ersehnte, in den AIR Studios neu remasterte und geschnittene Neuauflage mit neuen Liner Notes.

NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series, and the final one representing an individual year from the 1980s: NOW – Yearbook 1989. 78 tracks across 4CDs – celebrating a magnificent and eclectic year in pop! This release is available as a standard 4-CD set, and as a special edition 4-CD set in ‘hardback book’ packaging, which includes a 28-page booklet packed with notes about all of the 78 featured tracks. Also available as 42 tracks across 3LPs, pressed in stunning pink vinyl…celebrating a magnificent and eclectic year in pop!

Deranged Records and Forward! Records will release Wildhoney's first LP, Sleep Through It. The group formed in late 2011, aiming to write pop songs with the energy and malcontent of hardcore punk, but without its entrenched masculinity. The five-piece has since become one of the loudest—and sweetest—bands in its hometown of Baltimore. Sleep Through It expands on two excellent 7-inches and one cassette EP, drawing influences from '60s girl groups, '80s post punk, indie pop, and shoegaze. New songs like first single "Fall In" showcase just how well Wildhoney combines wall-of-sound power with delicate passages and gorgeous vocal melodies. Older songs such as "Super Stupid" and "Seventeen" return on the LP, newly realized and sounding better than ever. Throughout the album, the group's blasts of distortion and use of dense textures are balanced with beautiful pop tunes and chiming guitar work. The swirl of noise surrounding singer Lauren Shusterich's voice is not unlike the best of the Cocteau Twins, or even Deerhunter, especially on the soaring title track. Sleep Through It was recorded at Beat Babies Studio in Woodstock, Md., with Chris Freeland (Lower Dens, Wye Oak). The album is Wildhoney's first with synthesizers and features liberal amp and pedal experimentation. The recording process was intense and fast, cramming lots of work into a small amount of time. That hectic schedule is impossible to hear on the LP, which unravels at its own dreamy pace.

Reissue of both EPs on one single vinyl: "Ruiner." on side A, "Clean." on side B. * Gatefold: cover of "Ruiner" is on the front, cover of "Clean" is on the back. Since their inception in 2010, Whores. has laid waste to both presumption and audial functioning. Beginning with 2011's Ruiner EP, Whores.brought a welcomed new vision to the often-tired "extreme music" scene. Two years later saw the release of the Clean. EP, a six-track musical display of visceral rancor and songwriting brilliance. Highly anticipated by critics and fans alike. For Whores.,the cavalcade of anticipation provides no pressure or expectation as Lembach states: "We don't just want to fill in the blanks." The only pressure here is to maintain authenticity, and to that end, Whores. are the quintessential example of genuine malice. "You have to bring a sense of realness to the music, otherwise it's fake, and it sounds fake. You have to be honest about it, and it's about getting to the really ugly stuff inside of you, and that's what we do." Classic black vinyl, pn: split cover that is the main product image here is just a mockup (original front showing the Ruiner.cover art)

CADAVER, one of Norway's first and most influential death metal bands, has carved a distinctive path through the annals of extreme music. Formed in 1988 in Fredrikstad by Anders Odden (guitar/vocals) and Ole Bjerkebakke (drums/vocals), the band emerged from the ashes of their earlier black metal project, Baphomet. Their vision blended thrash and death metal with progressive influences from bands like Voivod and the chaotic insanity of Napalm Death, forging a sound that defied conventions. In 2024, Anders Odden delved deep into CADAVER 's history, unearthing unreleased material that offers a fascinating glimpse into the band's formative years. Before signing with Earache Records in 1992, CADAVER had worked on what would eventually become their second album, ...In Pains. During this period, they recorded raw and unpolished versions of many tracks in the same studio where Hallucinating Anxiety was born. These early recordings featured working titles that were later changed, and among them was a song titled "Maltreated Mind Makes Man Manic," which was never completed at the time. Anders revisited these hidden gems at Studio Tomb, located in Råde, Norway—the very place where CADAVER was first formed. With the old lineup reunited for this session, they finished the additional recordings necessary to bring their original vision to life. The result is Hymns of Misanthropy, a newly completed album from 1991 that will finally see the light of day through Listenable Records in April 2025. This release showcases CADAVER's unique approach to extreme music and highlights their previously underappreciated influence on the early Norwegian black metal scene. With Hymns of Misanthropy, listeners can experience a raw and powerful chapter of CADAVER's history, demonstrating once again that they were never just a typical death metal band. Instead, they remain an ever-evolving force that consistently pushes the envelope of what extreme music can achieve.

After "RUINER", "CLEAN" and "GOLD", Atlanta's noise juggernauts WHORES. return with fierce new album ,WAR". American Muscle to drown out the American Dream as it careens into the ditch_ "WAR" is a an album full of brazen rhythms, serpentine riffs, walls of feedback, and howls of contempt. It is an album that is as rowdy and boisterous as it is anxious and savage. "Helmet comparisons are understandable but Helmet wishes they sounded this authentic and convincing in 2024", Heavy Mag wrote in their rave review, and Rolling Stone included "WAR." in their 20 best metal records of 2024. "It pisses me off when people talk shit about us. They don't know the lengths I go through to keep this band going" says guitarist/vocalist Christian Lembach in an interview with New Noise Magazine on why it's taken eight years between albums. Personal issues, accidents and then the pandemic presented obstacles for the band. Lembach injured both of his knees and tore the meniscus in his right one, and he broke both elbows and his ribs in an accident at his day job. WHORES. have dealt with setbacks that would have killed other bands, but instead it's made them stronger. And Lembach's high standards haven't exactly accelerated the making of "WAR": "It takes a while because I need to make a record I can stand behind. I just don't want to put anything out to just do it. I never think the one I'm working on is a masterpiece. To me the masterpiece is the next one", he says. "Lyrics are the most important part to me. Not the riffs not the song structures but the actual words" Lembach elaborates. "I always have the title before I write the lyrics. All the lyrics and song titles fit thematically into the album title. In this case I did a lot of soul searching. I was trying to figure out what it takes to be happy. I had to confront the ugly parts of myself. The title isn't political, it's about conquering the ugly parts of yourself." "WAR" is a battering ram of a live band, slugging like a doomsday clock towards midnight. Originally self-relased in 2024, we are happy to finally release in Europe what we're sure will become a noise rock genre-classic. PRESS "time is just a construct and Whores. are forever" - Everything Is Noise " ein weiterer musikalischer Schlag in die Magengrube" - Visions 10/12 " Frontman Christian Lembach is not so much a singer as a verbal assailant a spitting cobra of a human who leaves you drenched in his venomous wordplay." - Heavy Mag FOR FANS OF CHAT PILE, HELMET, HIGH ON FIRE, KEN MODE, INTERCOURSE, UNSANE, NAILS

After "RUINER", "CLEAN" and "GOLD", Atlanta's noise juggernauts WHORES. return with fierce new album ,WAR". American Muscle to drown out the American Dream as it careens into the ditch_ "WAR" is a an album full of brazen rhythms, serpentine riffs, walls of feedback, and howls of contempt. It is an album that is as rowdy and boisterous as it is anxious and savage. "Helmet comparisons are understandable but Helmet wishes they sounded this authentic and convincing in 2024", Heavy Mag wrote in their rave review, and Rolling Stone included "WAR." in their 20 best metal records of 2024. "It pisses me off when people talk shit about us. They don't know the lengths I go through to keep this band going" says guitarist/vocalist Christian Lembach in an interview with New Noise Magazine on why it's taken eight years between albums. Personal issues, accidents and then the pandemic presented obstacles for the band. Lembach injured both of his knees and tore the meniscus in his right one, and he broke both elbows and his ribs in an accident at his day job. WHORES. have dealt with setbacks that would have killed other bands, but instead it's made them stronger. And Lembach's high standards haven't exactly accelerated the making of "WAR": "It takes a while because I need to make a record I can stand behind. I just don't want to put anything out to just do it. I never think the one I'm working on is a masterpiece. To me the masterpiece is the next one", he says. "Lyrics are the most important part to me. Not the riffs not the song structures but the actual words" Lembach elaborates. "I always have the title before I write the lyrics. All the lyrics and song titles fit thematically into the album title. In this case I did a lot of soul searching. I was trying to figure out what it takes to be happy. I had to confront the ugly parts of myself. The title isn't political, it's about conquering the ugly parts of yourself." "WAR" is a battering ram of a live band, slugging like a doomsday clock towards midnight. Originally self-relased in 2024, we are happy to finally release in Europe what we're sure will become a noise rock genre-classic. PRESS "time is just a construct and Whores. are forever" - Everything Is Noise " ein weiterer musikalischer Schlag in die Magengrube" - Visions 10/12 " Frontman Christian Lembach is not so much a singer as a verbal assailant a spitting cobra of a human who leaves you drenched in his venomous wordplay." - Heavy Mag FOR FANS OF CHAT PILE, HELMET, HIGH ON FIRE, KEN MODE, INTERCOURSE, UNSANE, NAILS

Berlin-based French-Irish multimedia artist Zoe Mc Pherson levels up on their third full-length "Pitch Blender", mangling years of experience DJing and performing live into a tight set of cybernetic soundsystem experiments that flicker between the rave and the art space.

Cast your mind back to February 2020 for a moment, when Mc Pherson released their last album "States of Fugue". The world seemed less tangled somehow, and yet Mc Pherson's precision-engineered fusion of exploratory sound design and visceral club pressure seemed to hint at a cataclysmic event none of us were really expecting. Only a few weeks after its release the world changed forever, and the majority of us were grounded - forced to consider our lives and the movement (or lack thereof) surrounding us. The philosophy of this extended time period is welded into the bones of "Pitch Blender", Mc Pherson's supple third album. They have learned plenty in the last two years, and infuse all of that anxiety and spiky emotionality into a spread of tracks that sound as powerful in headphones as they do over a well-tweaked soundsystem, soldering vocals, environmental recordings and instrumental flourishes to unpredictably pneumatic, cybernetic beats.

Anyone that's caught one of Mc Pherson's energetic live performances over the last few months will have an idea of what "Pitch Blender" is made of. They're an artist who's somehow able to match the raw energy of post-punk and no-wave music with the brain-altering potential of the best experimental club tracks, vocalizing an incongruous post-lockdown reality over beats that sound as if they're in a permanent state of flux. 'On Fire' splutters to life in a frenetic patter of drums that blur into oddly soothing hoover sounds, snaking lysergically towards a drop that's teased constantly, and never comes. We're forced to wait until 'The Spark' for that, fighting through choppy, pitch-mangled guitar and rolling beats until a gruesome kick drum forces its way through the psilocybin mists and heaving Bristol-inspired bass clonks. Backed up with just the inverted traces of recognizable breaks, this vigorous pulse lies at the heart of "Pitch Blender", the driving force that powers Mc Pherson's sound even when it's only hinted at.

'Blender' is the moment where Mc Pherson show their full hand, using crackling sound effects, ghost vocals and uneven rhythms to build a textural landscape that's so evocative you can almost taste it. Squealing modular synth effects sound like gameshow buzzers being triggered in another dimension and propel the track forward - it's club music, just about, but Mc Pherson's motivation is world-building, and their world is colorful, abstract, and dizzyingly surreal. "Obsolete user," their voice echoes over driving airlock kicks. But they take a swift left turn with 'Lamella', reducing the kinetic club rhythms to a longing simmer and letting loose with powerful vocals, intoning with robotic, gender-fluxed intensity. On 'Wait', New York City's clacking crosswalk signal - already an effective club track on its own - is transformed into a reminder to slow down, juxtaposed with booming sub-heavy kicks, acidic synths and effervescent percussion that rattles in time with the vibrations. It's foley rave, built for pure psychedelic intensity to blur the line between real life and sonic fiction.

One of the album's most galvanic tracks, 'Power Dynamics' curves a double-time rhythm around breathless HQ sound design squiggles until it hits a polyrhythmic crescendo, striking a queasy balance between rave hedonism and ritualistic hand drum energy. It all builds towards eerie closing track 'Outside' that acts as an important wind down, spotlighting Mc Pherson's ability to operate outside of the rhythmic spectrum, using cinematic scrapes and flickering neon synths to create music that's tense but never terrifying. The track feels like the end credits of a particularly bewildering movie - something between the cyberpunk dystopia of "Ghost in the Shell" and the vivid, sky-scraping beauty of "Koyaanisqatsi". Mc Pherson has managed something special with "Pitch Blender": mashing together genres with rare focus, and sharpening their engineering skills to a fine point, they've concocted an antidote to contemporary malaise - a wakeup call that's begging us to loosen our limbs and move.

Mit seinem ersten Full Length Album "Ruinenkampf" begibt sich Das Kinn auf einen musikalischen Parforceritt durch die Ruinen unserer Zeit. Mittels Kickbox Phonetik und Elektronik Armada führt es uns durch eindringliche Klanglandschaften irgendwo zwischen DAF, den Kosmischen Kurieren und Frankfurter Bahnhofsviertel. Beats auf Anschlag. Knochen klappern. Die Orgel leiert. Warme Synthlines, gespielt von kalten Händen. Ein Saxophon sinniert über das Danach. Hymnen für den Abriss. Musik zum feierlichen Untergang. Toben Piel geht gern auf Friedhöfe. Orte der Ruhe und Idylle. Abstand finden, Vergänglichkeit erahnen. Das Danach als konkreten Ort erkunden. Auch sein Debut-Album "Ruinenkampf" stammt aus diesem Mindset. Dort geht er in Distanz, um dann mit Anlauf auf den Punkt zu kommen. Nach Ruhe und Idylle klingt das nicht. Kassettenszene, 80er Jahre, Stakkatogesang, Synths zwischen DAF und den Kosmischen Kurieren. Ästhetik des Untergrunds. Reißende Melodieströme, Raffinesse, unentwegt pendelnd zwischen Hymne und Abriss. Dieser krasse, erhobene Kraftgesang. Acht Stücke Zuhören, ohne eine Sekunde des Abdriftens. Wie geht das? Wie erschafft man so etwas? Nun, der Mit-40er aus FFM, jung geblieben und hungrig, hat eben gut gelernt: Bei Antitainment (2005-2010), danach zusammen mit der großen Charlotte Simon bei les trucs, im Kontext seines Kassettenlabels MMODEMM, aber auch als Musiker für diverse Theaterbühnen. Zum ersten Mal hat er mit DAS KINN nun das Gefühl, Musik im Sinne einer Selbstbefreiung hervorgebracht zu haben. Vielleicht liegt das am Alter. Da, wo er zuvor oft verkopfte, die Kontrolle suchte, Dinge zerdachte, nicht aufhören konnte im Sinne eines Perfektionismus, hat er sich diesmal ein loses Konzept grundiert, um dieser Selbsterkenntnis entgegenzutreten: Schnelligkeit. Fokus. Abschluss, Absprung. Nicht in Abwertung seines bisherigen Werkes - sondern vielmehr im Sinne einer Geistesgegenwärtigkeit, diese Erfahrungen walten zu lassen, ohne sich ihrer bewusst zu sein. Es ist ihm äußerst gut gelungen!

The Freedom Affair hat von Anfang an tiefe Wurzeln in der Soulmusik geschlagen, aber nach fast einem Jahrzehnt gemeinsamer Arbeit konzentriert sich der Sound der Gruppe auf ihrem selbstbetitelten zweiten Album genau dort, wo Muscle Shoals und Memphis Soul aufeinandertreffen. Es ist eine Meisterleistung an leidenschaftlicher Message-Musik, die zeitlose Themen wie Ungerechtigkeit, Liebe und Zusammengehörigkeit erforscht. Eine schicksalhafte Begegnung mit dem Grammy-prämierten Toningenieur Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) in den Royal Studios im Februar 2023 löste einen Funken aus, der die Band mit neuer musikalischer Überzeugung zurück nach Kansas City schickte. Im November kehrte die Band zurück, um in dem legendären Studio in Memphis völlig neue, vom Southern Soul inspirierte Songs aufzunehmen. Das stets starke weibliche Trio an der Spitze der Band - Paula Saunders, Seyko Groves und Shon Ruffin - ist das Markenzeichen des Sounds und der Identität von The Freedom Affair, und ihr kollektives stimmliches Können ist in vollem Umfang zu hören - von hart bis zart, von Herzschmerz und Hoffnung. Die Erfahrung in den Royal Studios hat die Band davon überzeugt, dass es keinen besseren Raum gibt, um Bläser aufzunehmen. Die ,One-Take"-Bläser von Pete Carroll an der Trompete und Brett Jackson am Saxophon beweisen, dass sich ihre jahrelange Zusammenarbeit mit ihrer Präzision und den perfekt auf die Stimmung abgestimmten Linien ausgezahlt hat. Das Personal der Rhythmusgruppe ist das gleiche wie auf dem Debütalbum "Freedom is Love", aber Chris Hazelton wechselt vom Bass zu seinem Hauptinstrument, der Hammond B3-Orgel, sowie zu verschiedenen Keyboards. Branden Moser tauscht den Bass, der auch sein Hauptinstrument ist, mit seiner früheren Rhythmusgitarre aus. Cole Bales greift an der Leadgitarre weiterhin zu zeitlosen Riffs, und Dave Brick sorgt am Schlagzeug für das Rückgrat mit dem schweren Boom-Bap. Dieses Album hat den Sound von The Freedom Affair zementiert: beständige Melodien mit reichhaltigen Arrangements, unterstützt von einem düsteren Puls. Royal war der perfekte Ort für dieses Album, und die Band nutzte die Geschichte des Studios in vollem Umfang, indem sie Studiogeräte und Relikte während des gesamten Prozesses einbezog. Da die Band nur vier Tage Zeit hatte, um das zehn Songs umfassende Album aufzunehmen, bestand sie darauf, das gleiche Ampex 1"-Bandgerät zu verwenden, mit dem alle Hi-Record-Hits von 1974 und davor aufgenommen wurden, um die Authentizität zu wahren. Es war das erste Mal seit 1974, dass dieses Gerät für ein Album verwendet wurde. Die Einschränkungen und Macken, die sich aus der Verwendung alter, analoger Geräte ergeben, machten Platz für magische Momente, die den Charme des Albums ausmachen. Die Platte erweckt den klassischen Southern Soul zu neuem Leben, mit all der Gemütlichkeit und Wärme, die man erwarten würde, wenn man Al Green oder Ann Peebles Aufnahmen aus dem selben Raum hört. Abgemischt von Vince Chiarito (Hive Mind, Jalen Ngonda, Charles Bradley) und gemastert von JJ Golden (Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, The James Hunter Six, Antibalas), ist dieses Album eine wahre Lektion in Sachen Soulmusik.

Die irische Musikerin Maria Somerville kündigt ihr zweites Album "Luster" für den 25. April an. Es ist zugleich ihr Debüt bei 4AD. Mit dem Announcement erscheint die Single "Garden". Der Track taucht ihre sirenenhaften Vocals in einen Sound aus schwirrendem Feedback, luftiger Percussion und nostalgischen Gitarren, der Erinnerungen an die klassische 4AD-Phase heraufbeschwört. Bereits im letzten Jahr war der hypnotische Shoegaze-Track "Projections" erschienen, mit dem Somerville eine erste Spur in Richtung des Sounds ihres kommenden Albums gelegt hatte. Somerville wuchs im ländlichen County Galway an der bergigen und rauen irischen Westküste auf. Sie zog später nach Dublin, wo sie an ihrem Signature-Sound arbeitete: atmosphärischem Dreampop, der von der Landschaft ihrer Jugend geprägt bleibt. Die ätherischen Gitarrenklänge, spärlichen Rhythmen und elektronischen Ambient-Sounds hielt sie erstmals auf dem 2019 selbst veröffentlichten Album "All My People" fest, einem Werk, das knietief in Nostalgie und Sehnsucht watet. Erst als sie nach Connemara zurückkehrte, in ein Haus nicht weit von dem, in dem sie aufwuchs - und von wo aus man einen der größten Seen des Landes, den Lough Corrib, überblicken konnte - begann Somerville mit der Arbeit an Musik, die schließlich zum neuen Album "Luster" werden sollte. Während ihr DIY-Debüt Erinnerungen und Melancholie in nebligen Slowcore hüllte, zeigen die zwölf neuen Tracks eine Künstlerin, die sich des Weges, den sie eingeschlagen hat, viel sicherer ist. "I can see more clearly than I could before. I know now what"s true for me", singt sie passend in "Trip". Gestärkt durch die neue, alte Umgebung und ermutigt durch ihre Community, entwickelte Somerville wieder kreative Energien. Der Boden erwies sich im wahrsten Sinne als fruchtbar, als sie in lockeren Wohnzimmer-Sessions erste Demos aufnahm, die später u. a. mit J. Colleran und Ian Lynch (Lankum) ausgearbeitet und schließlich vom New Yorker Engineer Gabriel Schuman (Oneohtrix Point Never, Princess Nokia, David Byrne) gemixt wurden. Eine gewisse Popularität erreichte Somerville auch durch ihre "Early Bird Show" auf NTS Radio, wo sie seit 2021 zwei Mal die Woche ein Morgenprogramm hostet, in dem sie Musik zwischen Shoegaze und traditionellem irischen Folk vorstellt. Im selben Jahr unterschrieb sie ihren Vertrag bei 4AD, wo sie bislang zwei Compilation-Beiträge veröffentlichte und mit ihren Labelmates Dry Cleaning auf Tour ging. 2025 wird sie mit Band Shows auf der ganzen Welt spielen, darunter auch Konzerte in Deutschland.

Halo Studios und Laced Records haben sich zusammengetan, um die ikonische Musik der ursprünglichen Halo-Trilogie zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl zu veröffentlichen.

Diese drei LPs enthalten die Musik des legendären dritten Teils des Erfolgs-Konsolen-Ego-Shooters, die speziell für Vinyl neu gemastert und auf heavyweight LPs gepresst wurde. Die Schallplatten befinden sich in einer breitrandigen Außenhülle und drei bedruckten Innenhüllen.

Das Original-Cover-Artwork stammt von Art Director und Concept Artist Isaac Hannaford (alias Rhizus / Space Ship Guru), dem ehemaligen Lead Concept Artist und Mitwirkenden an Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST und Halo Reach. Das zusätzliche Artwork des Sets wurde von der Grafikdesignerin Maren Landsnes erstellt.

Halo 3 zeichnet sich durch Tribal-Drums und Prog-Rock-Refrains aus, während Klaviermelodien neben einem 60-köpfigen Orchester und einem 24-stimmigen Chor dem Soundtrack emotionale Tiefe verleihen.

- 31 speziell remasterte Titel aus dem Spiel von 2007
- Cover-Artwork von Isaac Hannaford (ehemaliger Lead Concept Artist bei Bungie)

Melancholische Gitarrenakkorde, ein introspektiver Gesang, und immer wieder bedrohliche und energische Ausbrüche mit Percussions und Stakkato. Zwischen intimem Songwriting und Soundtrack-inspiriertem Pathos bewegt sich Jerome Reuter, der nun, 2025, das zweite Jahrzehnt seiner Band ROME feiert.

Zwei Dekaden begleitet das Luxemburgische Bandprojekt ROME nun also die Europäische Tragödie. Und während sich die Alben der ersten zehn Jahre noch vor allem historischen Themen widmeten, treten in der nicht mindert produktiven Ära zwischen 2016 und 2025, die auf dieser neuen "Anthologie" dokumentiert wird, auch aktuelle und grundsätzliche philosophische Fragestellungen ins Zentrum. ROME orientierte sich immer am großen Bild. Im Songwriting deutlich inspiriert vom französischen Chanson, dem späten Johnny Cash und Nick Cave, wurden von Beginn an auch literarische Quellen verarbeitet, und werden sie nicht namentlich genannt (wie bei "The Secret Germany" Paul Celan), so schwingen sie doch zwischen den Zeilen mit, die Denker - nicht nur - des 20. Jahrhunderts. Philosophische und gar okkulte Aspekte werden auf den Alben reflektiert ("The Hyperion Machine", "Hall of Thatch", "The Lone Furrow", "Le Ceneri di Heliodoro"), doch immer wieder wird es konkret, sei es mit Blick auf die russische Invasion in der Ukraine ("Gates of Europe", "World in Flames") und grundlegende Konflikte, die mythisch gelesen werden ("Coriolan", "Hegemonikon"). Wiederkehrend ist das mythische Motiv der Sonne, so auch auf dem jüngsten Werk "Civitas Solis".

Mal als volles Band-Line-Up, mal als Singer-Songwriter, und immer wieder im Austausch mit anderen Musikern (etwa Nergal von Behemoth oder der schwedischen Punklegende Thåström), Jerome Reuter erfindet sich beständig neu, und arbeitet kontinuierlich an einer singulären Stimme in der gegenwärtigen Popkultur. Wie ein Januskopf zurückgewandt in die Zukunft blickend.

Die Emo-Rocker Heart Attack Man aus Cleveland, Ohio, präsentieren ihr viertes Album "Joyride The Pale Horse". Die Band befindet sich derzeit auf einem Höhenflug nach ihrer bisher erfolgreichsten Veröffentlichung, dem Vorgängeralbum "Freak of Nature" aus dem Jahr 2023, dessen Titeltrack bislang über 2.2 Millionen Mal auf Spotify gestreamt wurde.