Cerca:man forever

Lindstrom returns with his sixth studio album Everyone Else is a Stranger, and the first since 2019's On a Clear Day I Can See You Forever. The title of the album was inspired by John Cassavetes' original title for his 1984 film Love Streams, and contains four tracks of his signature chord-stacking disco epics and freeform cosmic voyages, stretching across nearly 40 minutes. An album that in many ways sums up his career, and gathers his different musical paths into one sound and one album. Where his previous album had a slower and more mellow feel, 2023's Everyone Else is a Stranger sees Lindstrom take on a much more rhythm-oriented and uptempo approach, containing tracks that fit perfect with the artist's revered live sets. That said, this album also contains the unexpected twists and turns that has become the Norwegian producer's trademark, including recordings of him playing a cheap Chinese cello and violin for the first time alongside the old Solina String-Ensemble he has used on essentially every track since his debut. Named "the king of space disco" by The New Yorker, Lindstrom has always made a virtue of his obsessive work ethic, turning his city center studio into a factory floor for churning out monster tracks. He has collaborated with the likes of Todd Terje, Prins Thomas and Todd Rundgren, has remixed a slew of acts including LCD Soundsystem, Lana del Rey, Haim, Grizzly Bear, Flume, RAC, London Grammar and more.

90's Movie Hits Collected is a throwback to the glory days of movies like Batman Forever, Man On The Moon, GoldenEye, Young Guns II, Pretty Woman, Godzilla, The Bodyguard, Trainspotting and many more blockbusters. The 2LP 90's Movie Hits Collected includes classics from U2, R.E.M., Tina Turner, Jon Bon Jovi, Roxette, UB40, Jamiroquai, Whitney Houston. Seal, and Lenny Kravitz amongst others.

This film music compilation album is part of the Collected compilation series, which is a collaboration between Universal Music and Music On Vinyl. The compilations bring together the biggest and best names of its genre, combined with forgotten hits and less discovered gems, giving the listener an experience of both nostalgia and uncovering new musical grounds at the same time.

90's Movie Hits Collected is available on black vinyl and includes an insert with photos.

Salute to the Sun: Live at Halleì St Peter's documents a very special concert recorded at the iconic Manchester venue during lockdown.

Released in November 2020, Matthew's Halsall's Salute to the Sun was the trumpeter's first album since 2015's Into Forever, and marked the debut of his new band. A hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester's finest young musicians. The album drew it's energy from the band's weekly sessions and was inspired by Halsall's love of nature. Lush and spiritual it received universal praise, but Halsall and his band were frustrated that they were unable to share their beautiful new sound live with an audience.



On November 25th 2020, Halsall took his band into the iconic Manchester venue, Hallé St Peter's, for a concert recording in aid of the charity Mind, that was streamed on January 21st 2021 to a global audience in the thousands. The concert was also recorded for posterity.



"When we recorded Salute to the Sun, I wanted to create something playful but also quite earthy and organic that connected to the sounds in nature. It seemed to strike a chord with people and I was blown away by the response to the album. Our concert film, recorded at the height of last winter's lockdown was a special moment for us all and I feel that the concert recording captured something beautiful that we wanted to share".



Salute to the Sun: Live at Halleì St Peter's features Matthew Halsall– trumpet, Matt Cliffe- flute & saxophone, Maddie Herbert– harp, Gavin Barras– bass, Liviu Gheorghe– piano, Alan Taylor– drums and Jack McCarthy- percussion



The recording has been mixed by Matthew Halsall and George Atkins at 80 Hertz and is mastered by Peter Beckmann at Technology Works. The vinyl was cut at Calyx in Berlin and the album is pressed at Optimal in Germany. It is presented in the form of a limited edition 2LP set with artwork by legendary designer Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic.



Spread over three sides of the vinyl LP for maximum fidelity the fourth side of the LP (side D) features an etching of Daniel Halsall's now iconic artwork for the album Salute to the Sun and copies are strictly limited with just 3000 available in total. The album will also be available for download and on streaming platforms.

Lost private press gem "The Swimmer" by Florida native Danny Morgan, is a cool and breezy, beguiling easy glide from 1987. It should've been huge. It still could be. It's a mellow marina masterpiece and quintessentially Balearic. Over the past few years, it's gathered a cult following yet the album from which it derives is virtually impossible to come by.

Finally available on a standalone, fully remastered 12", it's been backed by an instant classic "Seahawks Swimming Through Space Remix", courtesy of those beloved cats Jon Tye and Pete Fowler.

These won't be around for long, limited to just 500 copies for the world, so don't drown in procrastination.

One listen and you'll want to dive in.

Fans of the deeply entrancing, nautically and narcotically-enhanced cuts of Dennis Wilson or Michael Nesmith’s The Prison will be instantly mesmerised by the sheer beauty of "The Swimmer". After tracking Danny down, we wanted to know more. How does something so magical come about? The man himself answered thusly:

"At the time I was running many miles on the Sanibel Island beach and doing a bit of swimming in the Gulf Of Mexico. Keeping my mind busy on a long run, I imagined a “what if” movie scene. Almost every run or swim someone is sitting there on the beach watching what goes by. Back at my desk I started finger picking some chords and the picture in my head showed up. I punched in a rhythm loop and the song was on its way.

Adrian Belew and I had the same manager Stan Hertzman so I was listening to some of Adrian’s work. I was a huge fan of Joni Mitchel and the unusual chord changes and melodies in some of her songs. All of this influenced the sound on “The Swimmer”

I had a support band at the time living in my house on Sanibel Island so we practiced a lot. We came up with an arrangement of the song and we took across the bridge to John McLane’s Important Studios and recorded it. I played finger picking acoustic guitar and sang, Tim Miller played drums, Jeff Holck played fretless bass, Dave Dust played lead guitar and John McLane played keyboards and sang harmony."

Our deep thanks must go out to Jon Tye (MLO / Seahawks / Ocean Moon) for first hipping Be With to this stunner. We returned the favour by giving him the keys to the stems and requesting a strung out remix to go on the flip - he returned having conspired with Pete Fowler to conjure a cosmically copacetic rerub with the subtropical chug of the "Seahawks Swimming Through Space Remix".

Putting together the artwork for this 12" release was an enjoyable process. It was nice to be able to flip the original sleeve for the Beach Life album by using previously unseen photos, sent to us by Danny. We wanted to create something that looks like it would've gone with the LP sleeve. We think we've cracked it. Simon Francis remastered Danny's original audio and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" sounds appropriately outstanding. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this previously lost masterpiece stays forever found.

El Nido: a welcoming embrace in uncertain times. The world changed forever in the second quarter of 2020. The life we were used to ceased to be, as we were overcome by constant fear, distrust in all that surrounded us and a fatalist attitude towards the world we lived in. With the pandemic came lockdown, mandatory isolation for months, empty streets, face masks, hand sanitizer, the fear of going out, an absurd roll call of Covid fatalities, the daily tension of not knowing when it would all end and the urge to "get back to normal," something that certainly never happened. Out of that pandemic saturation and that urge for "normality" came El Nido ("The Nest"), the third album by Italy-based Colombian producer Montoya, who describes this record as "becoming virgins of destiny again, facing up to that fatalist world and creating that longing for tranquility. Savoring that moment prior to the pandemic, that instant when the most important thing wasn't the immediate reality or the global situation." Montoya sees El Nido as that quiet place that you think of when you close your eyes; it is a beach or a mountain, a sunrise or a sunset, a wave in the sea refreshing your body, or an almost-whispering wind that immediately silences everything around you. On his previous records, Iwa in 2015 and Otún in 2019, his work as a producer prevailed, feeding the growing wave of Latin American electronica, fusing IDM and techno with indigenous root music, Andean folklore and rhythms from the tropical Caribbean coast and ancestral Pacific in terms of instrumentation. But on El Nido Montoya splits the balance, offering us five merely instrumental tracks and six collaborations with Latin American artists, including Colombians Nidia Góngora on "Soñé," Montañera on "Sierra" and Pedrina on "Nubecita." It also features Mexican artist Pahua on "Flor del Mar," the Peruvian Lara Nuh on "El Faro" and the Franco-Venezuelan La Chica on "Palosanto." Starting from the name itself ("The Nest"), an evocation of home, El Nido is also a Filipino municipality on the island of Palawan, a place that turned out to be Montoya's last live experience before the pandemic. That place with crystal clear seas and white sand became the scene and starting point for this work, reflecting on the abstraction of a chaotic world and proposing blurred destinations with each song, like places that exist within memories when we close our eyes, letting us inhabit them, for a couple of minutes at least. On the other hand, it's a record that approaches love; as a yearning and a refuge, as a guide and an anchor, but also as a rhetorical figure that makes us vibrate and elevates us, while at the same time keeping us grounded and letting us settle in the place that we can use as our shelter.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this latest Studio One compilation which features non-step 100% stone-cold classic Studio One killers! Spanning 40 years of the legendary label, this album is a fitting tribute to Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd and is a who's who of Jamaicaan Reggae.

On their sophomore effort Tusky, surrealist duet Robbie & Mona ascend beyond the lo-fi scrawlings of their debut album to something altogether more grandiose. Between the lights down drama of sprawling opener ‘Sensation’, to the ‘roll credits’ coda of closer ‘Always Gonna Be A Dead Man’, Tusky exists as a glitzy, lucid journey playing out before the listener.
While debut album EW captured William Carkeet and Ellie Gray as they were finding their feet with one another, creating Tusky was a wholly symbiotic process from day one. “We got better at knowing what each other wanted,” William offers. “This was the album that we were trying to make from the beginning.”

Simultaneously evoking multiple eras of music, the album drifts through worlds of synth pop, jazz, trap, drill, ballroom waltz and leftfield electronica, with the scatterbrain sound palette melded by a peppering of instrumental motifs and William’s addiction to sampling sounds across multiple tracks. “I wanted there to be this weird dimensional thing going on,” William explains, “where songs from the album are playing in multiple places.”

The record sees an expansive cast of musicians assembled, with a much heavier focus on live instrumentation than previous outings. Alongside the expected fare of crackly synths, samplers and drum machines, Tusky gets its glossy sheen from a rich tapestry of jazz drums, double bass, grand piano and saxophone.

Most of the tracks are laden with improvised saxophone from Campbell Baum (Sorry, Broadside Hacks) and Ben Vince (Housewives, Joy Orbison), much of which was scrambled by William in post-production, lifting scraps from one song and layering them atop an entirely different track. Elsewhere, session musicians were cherry picked, including Bingo Fury, his drummer Henry Terrett, and a string ensemble led by Caelia Lunniss and Jo Silverston (Spindle Ensemble).

Most surprising is a rap feature from Monika (of South-East London collective Nukuluk), who brings album centrepiece ‘Mildred’ to new heights with a fiery verse on pain. Aside from being the most unlikely addendum to a sombre piano ballad, it demonstrates Robbie & Mona’s natural state of playfulness, forever following emotions and sensuality over any notion of traditional compositional boundaries.
Many of Tusky's tracks owe their inception to cinema, be it the soundtrack to Betty Blue, the glowing films of Wim Wenders, or the surprising parallels between La Belle Et La Bete and Bad Boys. Equally, much of Robbie & Mona's new-found sense of tension and spectacle comes from William’s recent work soundtracking independent filmmakers, while Ellie gave greater priority to threading a narrative through her stream of consciousness writing style.

In all its majesty, Tusky celebrates creativity with creation. “If you begin to see fiction as real, you can reincarnate and become different things. You can grow,” Ellie implores. “Nothing stays the same. You can shed old characters in yourself. There’s great joy in that.”

Lewis Taylor's legendary magnum opus: The Lost Album. "Now you're talking. That's my favourite LT album. Unlike all of the others, there isn't anything about it that embarrasses me." Straight from the genius's mouth. What can we say about this? Well, it's the most requested record ever at Be With Towers. The Lost Album was the intended follow-up to his first album but Island rejected it for fear of "confusing" the marketplace and its conception of Lewis as a soul artist. Their loss. It's a breezy sunset masterpiece.

The genesis of this incredible record needs unpicking a bit. Lewis stopped promoting the first album after a year and went home to record a completely different record that was the most un-R&B album you could probably ever hear: "I pushed in such an extreme direction the other way with what eventually became The Lost Album. It was a knee-jerk reaction to a perceived ‘trapped in R&B’ feeling I was going through at the time. Some people around me were in favour of it and others weren’t. In the end I think I lost confidence in it and did Lewis II instead." We did at least get Lewis II, which is a remarkable album, and he kept Island happy...for a bit. Not long after, Lewis was dropped. And what was to become The Lost Album could've been...er...lost. Forever.

Thankfully, however, Lewis and longtime partner Sabina Smyth revisited those scrapped demo tracks in 2003. They decided to re-arrange, re-record and then self-release them. So it was that the brand new version of The Lost Album finally dropped in late 2004. It's sheer perfection, and we don't say that lightly. The Lost Album was a fully 50/50 collaboration between Lewis and Smyth. As well as production, Sabina did a lot more writing on it, from the melody to "Listen Here" to the chord sequence for "Let's Hope Nobody Finds Us." Thankfully, Sabina is credited this time around.

No, it's not straight up "soul music" in the vein of his previous work. Yet, in its perfectly formed suite of one dozen songs, The Lost Album is dripping in soul. It's so warm, so effervescent and so alive with possibilities. It features deep, fresh imprints on well-loved, accessible sounds. It's a proper 70s style double album. Just one listen and the musical influences on The Lost Album are fairly self-explanatory, as Lewis recently told us, but it's always nice to hear that, in case we were in any doubt, he was definitely channeling Love, Yes, Brian Wilson, CSN, Laura Nyro and, of course, Todd Rundgren. The influences don't end there: "I’m particularly fond of my bass playing on that album, there’s a lot of Chris Squire going on which is cool."

Deep orchestral opener "Lost" is a sublime, harp-laced, string drenched gem, a cinematic, melancholic Axelrod-esque mini-epic that simply beguiles. Written by Smyth, it evokes Donny Hathaway's celestial "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry" from Extensions Of A Man. The only problem is the brief 90 seconds running time. It segues into the classic Brian Wilson-meets-power-pop-rock splendour of "Listen Here" which, with its outstanding extended harp-licked beatless intro, sounds like the younger cousin to Boston's "More Than A Feeling". We then drift into the ringing guitars of classic 70s rock anthem "Hide Your Heart Away". It's Lewis's personal favourite, "especially the multi-tracked guitar solo – I was listening to Boston at the time, which was fun." A-ha!

A new version of the heart-stopping, shoulda-been-a-massive-pop-hit "Send Me An Angel" opens Side B before the arrival of, in Lewis's completely correct words, "the clear standout, "Leader of the Band"; the perfect distillation of everything that album was trying to achieve." Soaring, piano-led Rundgren-esque power pop that makes the hairs on the back of your next stand on end. Truly, otherworldly. This is pure pop for now (and then) people. The simple jangly brilliance meets experimental prog-rock of "Yeah" sounds like simultaneously like prime CSNY and late 90s Radiohead (if they'd had a slightly more accessible bent and could write better tunes).

Oh, you wish The Beach Boys had continued writing amazing songs beyond Holland? Well, allow us to point you in the direction of the downlifting stunner "Please Help Me If You Can" and the warm textures and brilliant atmospherics of goosebump-inducer "Let’s Hope Nobody Finds Us". Words can't really describe the sheer beauty of these songs. So we'll stop trying. Just listen. Listen, listen, listen. Closing out this remarkable side of music, the accidentally Balearic "New Morning" should be blasting out at every sunrise set in Ibiza, this summer and forevermore.

The final side opens with the vaguely Beatlesey "Say I Love You". It's just classic, soaring pop-rock songwriting and should strictly be canonical. It's that good. The sassy, Stonesy swagger of "See My Way" injects enough rock'n'roll attitude to compensate for the rest of record's peace-loving, AOR sun-dappled vibe whilst album closer, "One More Mystery", emerging out of the rubble of the previous track, comes on initially like a Baroque-Pop George Harrison before piling crunching drums and screeching guitar solos atop the dreamy harmonies til close.

When asked what it means to have these records available on vinyl for the first time, Lewis is in no doubt: "It’s great and it’s really nice to be able to offer fans a different listening experience. There’s a whole other dimension with vinyl that taps into that whole nostalgia thing, well for me anyway. Something about the physical aspect of pulling it out of the sleeve and putting it on, it does tend to make you feel like you’re more engaged."

Lewis was adamant that he wanted all new artwork for The Lost Album vinyl sleeve and his brief was just the sort of classic tropical-beach-at-sunset you’d want to see on the front of a record that sounds like this. On the finished sleeve, the beach at sunset is just where we start out, before heading up through the painterly clouds and heading out into the stars. And yes, the lettering is a definite subtle nod to all those in-between-period Beach Boys bootlegs we all love. Simon Francis's sensitive mastering combines with Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios so the album sounds appropriately outstanding. The immaculate Record Industry double LP pressing will ensure this previously lost masterpiece stays forever found.

Mike Viola is a producer, musician, songwriter and singer. Viola may be best known for his work with Panic! at the Disco, Andrew Bird, Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis and Mandy Moore, but his solo career stands on its own starting with a number of acclaimed records as the leader of New York based cult favourite Candy Butchers and 7 critically adored Mike Viola records. His original music has been featured on soundtracks for movies such as That Thing You Do!, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Get Him to the Greek. Decades into his career his music continues to resonate with and inspire new generations of musicians and music lovers. Viola is cranking out more music than ever including the fan favorites; “The American Egypt” from 2019 and “Godmuffin” from 2021. Paul McCarthy was recorded over the summer of 2022 on 1/2” tape at “Barebones”, Viola’s home studio in Los Angeles. Joined by his friends Jake Sinclair on bass and Brendon Urie on drums. Viola says, “I set out to make a sonic monster using the legs of James Gang Rides Again, the heart of Black Sabbath Paranoid, with my kid brain inside my greying middle aged head on top. I’ve hit a point in my life where instinct has taken the reins fully, logic now waits in the wings to sweep up the stage and pay the taxi fare home. This album is the result of committing to this path fully and laughing all the way.” Viola will support the album release with his first tour in over a decade with dates in Europe and the US in Winter/Spring 2023, and more dates to follow later in 2023.

FOR FANS OF: LED ZEPPELIN, THE YARDBIRDS, ROLLING STONES.
Im Sommer 1994 kamen Jimmy Page und Robert Plant für einen MTV-Fernsehauftritt in London zusammen. Dabei wurden alte Led Zeppelin-Songs neu arrangiert eingespielt. Die allgemeine Resonanz auf die Ausstrahlung der Sendung war derart positiv, dass man von den Aufnahmen eine CD veröffentlichte. Es entwickelte sich eine weiterführende Zusammenarbeit der beiden Ex-Led-Zeppelin-Bandmitglieder, in deren Rahmen es zu einer erfolgreichen Welttournee mit über 110 Konzerten kam. Diese strikt limitierte 10" Picture Schallplatte enthält legendäre Radio-Broadcasts aus den
Jahr 1996 inklusive den grossen Welthits; damals Live übertragen von diversen Radiostationen.

Wytch Hazel melden sich fulminant mit einem neuen Album zurück!
Ihre musikalische Ausrichtung wird meistens als Hard Rock mit mittelalterlichen Anklängen beschrieben. Als wichtige Einflüsse werden häufig Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash und Jethro Tull genannt. Die drei Vorgänger-Alben erreichten auch bei deutschen Musikkritikern aus der Hardrock- und Metal-Szene gute bis sehr gute Bewertungen, u.a. war das 2020er Album 'III: Pentecost' im renommierten Deaf Forever-Magazin 'Album des Monats'. Mit fieberhafter Kreativität, progressiver Dynamik und beflügelt von charakteristischem Twin Guitar-Salven sucht die englische Band nach dem perfekten Sound - und ihrer ganz eigenen Interpretation von klassischem Hardrock. Und diese glitzernde Schatzkiste von 'IV: Sacrament' erweist sich als überaus würdiger Nachfolger des gefeierten Vorgängers. Ist es nicht nur die beste Produktion des Quartetts aus Lancashire, sondern auch ihre durchgehend stärkste Sammlung von ergreifenden Hooks und zeitlosen Melodien.

ROCK HARD
Soundcheck #3
"…Wer sich vor dem Kauf des Albums ein Bild vom "neuen" Sound der Briten machen möchte, kann sich auf YouTube ´A Thousand Years´ reinziehen. Im Grunde ist das für Kenner der Band aber nicht nötig: Wer WYTCH HAZEL bisher mochte, wird auch an ihrem neuen Album seine helle Freude haben."

ECLIPSED
"... Auf "IV: Sacrament" geht es zwischen Riffs und Gitarrenduellen oft melodisch, aber immer heftig zur Sache, Luft holen kann man nur bei einem anderthalbminütigen Zwischenspiel. Dass die Songs verhältnismäßig kurz sind, ist hierbei allerdings ein kleiner Wehrmutstropfen, da die Band mit dem epischen siebenminütigen Finale 'Digging Deeper' deutlich zeigt, dass sie gerade in der Langform zu bestechender Form aufläuft."

VISIONS
"…In den zehn Songs auf IV: Sacrament operieren Wytch Hazel mit allen Soundcharakteristika ihrer Vorgängeralben. Das bedeutet massig Reverb auf mittig abgemischten, analogen Gitarrenamps und wenige Spitzen in Riffing und Gesang. All das wird durchzogen von träumerischen Gitarrenleads, die Hendras sich gerne mit Alex Haslam teilt und in The Fire's Control oder A Thousand Years auch mal an den Songanfang setzt…"

powermetal.de
"…Dass eine Band auch mit dem dritten Studio-Album noch Weltklasse sein kann in heutigen Zeiten, in denen die meisten wirklich guten Bands ja komplett als Hobby-Truppen agieren kommt kaum vor (Ausnahme ATLANTEAN KODEX?). Auch das vierte Album ist also eine Großtat, eine 43-minütige Traumreise. Vielleicht sehe ich es in ein paar Monaten sogar auch auf Zehner-Niveau. Im Moment muss es sich mit 9,5 Punkten zufrieden geben. Klar gab es dieses Jahr noch keine stärkere Veröffentlichung, aber zur Perfektion fehlt halt das letzte kleine bisschen (noch). Das ist für mich ok."

Wytch Hazel melden sich fulminant mit einem neuen Album zurück!
Ihre musikalische Ausrichtung wird meistens als Hard Rock mit mittelalterlichen Anklängen beschrieben. Als wichtige Einflüsse werden häufig Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash und Jethro Tull genannt. Die drei Vorgänger-Alben erreichten auch bei deutschen Musikkritikern aus der Hardrock- und Metal-Szene gute bis sehr gute Bewertungen, u.a. war das 2020er Album 'III: Pentecost' im renommierten Deaf Forever-Magazin 'Album des Monats'. Mit fieberhafter Kreativität, progressiver Dynamik und beflügelt von charakteristischem Twin Guitar-Salven sucht die englische Band nach dem perfekten Sound - und ihrer ganz eigenen Interpretation von klassischem Hardrock. Und diese glitzernde Schatzkiste von 'IV: Sacrament' erweist sich als überaus würdiger Nachfolger des gefeierten Vorgängers. Ist es nicht nur die beste Produktion des Quartetts aus Lancashire, sondern auch ihre durchgehend stärkste Sammlung von ergreifenden Hooks und zeitlosen Melodien.

ROCK HARD
Soundcheck #3
"…Wer sich vor dem Kauf des Albums ein Bild vom "neuen" Sound der Briten machen möchte, kann sich auf YouTube ´A Thousand Years´ reinziehen. Im Grunde ist das für Kenner der Band aber nicht nötig: Wer WYTCH HAZEL bisher mochte, wird auch an ihrem neuen Album seine helle Freude haben."

ECLIPSED
"... Auf "IV: Sacrament" geht es zwischen Riffs und Gitarrenduellen oft melodisch, aber immer heftig zur Sache, Luft holen kann man nur bei einem anderthalbminütigen Zwischenspiel. Dass die Songs verhältnismäßig kurz sind, ist hierbei allerdings ein kleiner Wehrmutstropfen, da die Band mit dem epischen siebenminütigen Finale 'Digging Deeper' deutlich zeigt, dass sie gerade in der Langform zu bestechender Form aufläuft."

VISIONS
"…In den zehn Songs auf IV: Sacrament operieren Wytch Hazel mit allen Soundcharakteristika ihrer Vorgängeralben. Das bedeutet massig Reverb auf mittig abgemischten, analogen Gitarrenamps und wenige Spitzen in Riffing und Gesang. All das wird durchzogen von träumerischen Gitarrenleads, die Hendras sich gerne mit Alex Haslam teilt und in The Fire's Control oder A Thousand Years auch mal an den Songanfang setzt…"

powermetal.de
"…Dass eine Band auch mit dem dritten Studio-Album noch Weltklasse sein kann in heutigen Zeiten, in denen die meisten wirklich guten Bands ja komplett als Hobby-Truppen agieren kommt kaum vor (Ausnahme ATLANTEAN KODEX?). Auch das vierte Album ist also eine Großtat, eine 43-minütige Traumreise. Vielleicht sehe ich es in ein paar Monaten sogar auch auf Zehner-Niveau. Im Moment muss es sich mit 9,5 Punkten zufrieden geben. Klar gab es dieses Jahr noch keine stärkere Veröffentlichung, aber zur Perfektion fehlt halt das letzte kleine bisschen (noch). Das ist für mich ok."

In August 2020, following some typical delays at the plant, Fourth Dimension Records released the limited edition 2LP (and now sold out) set of Kleistwahr's This World Is Not My Home and Over Your Heads Forever albums, originally released by the same label in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Packaged together in a single sleeve with printed inners reproducing all the artwork found on the original CDs, the 2LP was always designed to represent the first volume in a series of them. This next volume gathers everything on the next two albums, Down But Defiant Yet and Acceptance is Not Respect, both also initially released on CD in, respectively, 2017 and 2018, and presented in the exact same way. 2017's long sold out at source album, Down But Defiant Yet, collects four lengthy cuts which catch Gary Mundy (also known for Ramleh, Breathless and Broken Flag Records) furrowing his distinct and recognisable take on a kinda contemporary psychedelia with dystopian leanings. Each piece nods towards the fug generated by certain ‘krautrock’ groups whilst retaining threads of those uncompromising power-noise surges he built his reputation on, this is music guaranteed to take you to new spaces before forcing you to nervously look over your shoulder. 2018's Acceptance is Not Respect collects two lengthy pieces themselves broken down into seven parts often tempered to the point restraint assumes new, often disturbed (and disturbing) psychedelic or even filmic, properties, this music arrives like a spitting and foaming scream into the insanity of the void and the myriad challenges and questions it inexorably keeps hurling at us. Whereas Ramleh captures the sound of at least two people dealing as best they know how with the constantly rising rivers of shit around us, Kleistwahr is akin to one man having scaled a great height poking out of an infinite chasm and wondering why he bothered. This is uneasy listening sometimes renderedvirtually elegiac by dint of a prowess rarely found in such realms. Of this, Gary himself quite prophetically, in light of how events have shaped the world since said, “I was trying to make the music more spiritual sounding this time as the album is about belief. The first half is about personal and political belief and the second half about religious belief. I was wondering about whether in the 21st Century, you can seriously get anyone to completely change their beliefs and [am] asking is there anything you believe that you would be willing to die for, and the difference between the way that most beliefs have been accepted/tolerated and [are] supposedly respected in recent times in [the UK]. Now our society is starting to break down, it becomes clear that that acceptance tends not to actually be the same thing as respect at all.”

The story of Lucia Rango, an Apulian singer who was active for a short period during the Sixties, rightfully belongs to that category and meets all requirements for becoming a legend. In 1967, when she was almost unknown, she recorded Lucia Rango Show, an entire album made of songs taken from the repertoire of her friend Piero Ciampi, who worked closely with her on their selection and arrangements. Being one of the most maudit and personal authors of national songwriting, Ciampi had always been a perfect outsider: blunt, shy, extremely talented, and unable to adapt to the rules of the music business. But above all, the Leghorn-born singer was a superb songwriter. The match between his songs and Rango's classical voice and ethereal beauty looked like a very promising one, but never brought any success.
Arranged and orchestrated by Maestro Elvio Monti, and embellished by the participation of Alessandro Alessandroni's I Cantori Moderni, the record is a perfect child of the Sixties, featuring beat tunes and “yè-yès”, Italian canzone, intense ballads, Brigitte Fontaine-like atmospheres and a rediscovered duet of Lucia with her friend Piero, Non chiedermi più, whose recording was known among insiders at the time but sadly appeared to be lost forever. Ciampi's voice lives again in a song that has remained unreleased for more than 50 years within this new expanded version of Lucia Rango Show, thanks to the long research of journalist Lucilla Chiodi (Musica Jazz). Needless to say, the album is an enormously valuable historical document for all fans of Ciampi's output and Italian music in general: along with classics such as Fino all'ultimo minuto, Quando il giorno tornerà and Hai lasciato a casa il tuo sorriso – all originally included in Ciampi's first LP released under the alias Piero Litaliano in 1963 – Lucia Rango's voice consigns to history as many as six songs conceived and written specifically for her recording debut by Ciampi along with Elvio Monti. To date, Rango's invaluable interpretations are the only versions ever recorded of Samba per un amore, Il tuo volto, Stasera resta qui, Primavera a Roma, Ti ho sognato and Sono stanca.

NOW Music is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series, NOW – Yearbook 1978; 85 tracks from a magical year in Pop! The 85 track special edition CD is housed in ‘hard-back-book’ packaging, including a 28-page booklet featuring a summary of the year, a track-by-track guide, a quiz, and original singles artwork. NOW – Yearbook 1978; 46 tracks on a 3LP set pressed on translucent pink vinyl - from a magical year in Pop!

Detroit’s Eddie Fowlkes returns to Rekids this June with ‘Bahama Man EP’

Hot on the heels of his recently released ‘Forever EP’ on Radio Slave’s evergreen Rekids, Eddie ‘Flashin’ Fowlkes returns to the label with ‘Bahama Man EP’, another four-track EP of red-hot dancefloor cuts. From the swinging opening title track through to the jacking low end of closer ‘Cube’, Eddie’s knack for crafting his unique style of club-friendly cuts is on full display across the record, some of his finest work to date.

As one of Techno’s originators, Eddie Fowlkes has shaped the Techno genre for over 36 years. With his releases on Metroplex, Tresor, Sony, Peacefrog, and his own imprints CityBoy Records and Detroit Wax, Fowlkes' contribution to the blueprint of modern electronic music cannot be overstated.

Beatservice are delighted to present the debut album from the irrepressible Norwegian outfit, b0ka, with 13 genre-surfing tracks lovingly presented on the gloriously pop-centric 'Forever, My Friend'.

Friends since as far back as kindergarten, the b0ka players released a selection of highly regarded singles between 2013 and 2016, with their music arriving via prestige imprints including Eskimo, Paper Recordings, Diamond Club, and their own b0ka Recordings. They've since pursued a diverse range of projects, including Lakehouse, OJKOS, Bjørnar Sira and Den Kosmiske Overorden, with their expansive sounds routinely winning admirers throughout the global music community. The pandemic-induced lockdowns allowed the band an opportunity to re-visit long lost b0ka projects: reviewing dusty hard discs before funnelling the best morsels into the Sagrada Jukebox mixtape earlier this year. It was during this journey of sonic rediscovery that the masterfully diverse 'Forever, My Friend' was ushered into existence.

Drawing on all-manner of far-flung influences and brilliantly assembling the components with a pop-ready sophistication, this is spectacular work from b0ka, marking their return to release action in breathtaking style.

Gatefold, 2 x black Vinyl, Special Cover vanish, printed Innersleeves

Das Album SHADOW KINGDOM präsentiert Dylan mit einigen Songs aus seinem legendären Backkatalog in neuen Interpretationen - darunter Fan Favorites wie "Forever Young" und "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" sowie ausgesuchte Katalogperlen wie "Queen Jane Approximately" und "The Wicked Messenger". Ursprünglich für ein exklusives Streaming-Film-Event eingespielt, das im Juli 2021 lediglich in einem begrenzten Zeitraum von einer Woche ausgestrahlt wurde, ist SHADOW KINGDOM nun erstmals auf Vinyl, CD und digital erhältlich. Die Setlist des Albums umfasst 13 Originalsongs, die Dylan für seinen Auftritt in "Shadow Kingdom" persönlich ausgewählt hat, sowie das abschließende Instrumental "Sierra's Theme". "Dylan zeigt immer wieder, wie sehr man selbst als notorische lebende Legende auf der Höhe der Zeit bleibt." (Joachim Hentschel, Süddeutsche Zeitung). "Die für diesen Anlass halbakustisch umarrangierten Songs sind dabei geradezu betörend. 'Tombstone Blues' als entschleunigtes Rezitativ ist einer der Höhepunkte, ein geisterhaftes 'What Was It You Wanted' ein anderer." (Maik Brüggemeyer, Rolling Stone).

“Crystal Motion” were a vocal quartet of Cape Verdean descendancy from New Bedford Massachusetts. The group’s original members being lead vocalist “Kevin Gomes”, Kevin’ s cousin, Rodney “Skeeta” Santos, Daniel “Buddy” Monterio and John Paris, the man responsible for coining the group’s eventual performing name “Crystal Motion”.

Entering a local now defunct recording studio “Metcalf’s” the grouped recorded the Kevin Gomes penned demonstration song, the sweet soul ballad “There’ll Be Another”.

A copy of this song was eventually submitted to the recently formed Independent Recording Studio, “Omega Sound Productions” in Philadelphia, PA. The label was owned by Frank Fioravanti who having just hit paydirt with William DeVaughn’s smash hit “Be Thankful For What You Got” continued with his policy of supporting up and coming talent and upon hearing Crystal Motion’s demo decided to offer them a recording contract. Although deciding against using their submitted demonstration song (which was to remain unissued) Fioravanti chose to record the group on a song he had co-written with another Philly writer and recording artist Pal Rakes, the title of the song was “You’re My Main Squeeze (Part 1 & 2)” an exciting disco dance orientated song that Frank released on them in 1975 on his Sound Gems label imprint. The song became a minor hit in Boston MA, Providence RI and Philadelphia areas also receiving extensive airplay in Atlanta GA and Houston TX. John Paris was to leave the group being replaced by a longtime friend of the other group members Douglas “Dougie” Mendes. With attention coming from the producers of “American Band Stand” and “Soul Train” the group toured the East coast circuit throughout 1975 and 1976 in preparation for an upcoming album project which was never finished before lead singer Kevin Gomes left for unforeseen personal reasons and ultimately the group broke up. Little did “Crystal Motion” know at the time but their solitary 45 release was finding a new audience across the pond in the UK with “You’re My Main Squeeze” being championed by inspirational DJ Colin Curtis in the hallowed halls of Blackpool Mecca, a timeless classic that never fails to bring a smile to the listening audiences faces even to this day.

Returning to the groups unfinished Sounds Gems album project only one track was ever completed, the Fioravanti/Rakes composition “Million Dollar Baby” which along with “There’ll Be Another” has been licensed from their respective owners and paired together for a long overdue 45 release for your delectation. With ‘Crystal Motion’s’ “You’re My Main Squeeze” cult and anthemic status being forever assured with Northern/Modern Soul devotees we’d like to think the discovery and release of these two slightly differing Sweet Soul offerings will garner and enhance the group’s wider appeal with the growing aficionados of the Chicano, Group Harmony and Lowrider genres, Enjoy.