Поиск:mark h

10 Year Anniversary Vinyl Release (first time vinyl pressing of Blake Mills’ debut album). Includes Hi Res Audio Download Card & Poster Foldout. BLAKE MILLS is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in Los Angeles. In 2010, Blake’s solo career began with this self titled critically acclaimed album released only on a limited run of CDs and digitally. It became a cult favorite over the years, with 2019 marking the first time it will be pressed on vinyl. In 2015 he produced the highly acclaimed sophomore album SOUND & COLOR for ALABAMA SHAKES. The album reached #1 on Billboard charts and was nominated for six Grammys, winning Best Alternative Album, Best Engineered Album, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. Blake went on to produce the albums NO SHAPE for PERFUME GENIUS, DARKNESS AND LIGHT for JOHN LEGEND, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE for DAWES, and SEMPER FEMINA foR LAURA MARLING - earning him his second Producer of the Year Grammy nomination. Blake also composed original music for DAVID O’RUSSELL’S Academy Award nominated film JOY. As a session player and sideman he has worked with BECK, CASS MCCOMBS, JACKSON BROWN, LUCINDA WILLIAMS, BAND OF HORSES, FRANK OCEAN, RANDY NEWMAN and NEIL DIAMOND, among others. RICK RUBIN and T BONE BURNETT frequently call upon his services as a guitarist, and equally enamored is ERIC CLAPTON who told Rolling Stone magazine “Blake Mills is the last guitarist I heard that I thought was phenomenal

Egil Kalman has levelled up on this one; we were stunned by his last solo opus, and on ‘Forest of Tines’, the bassist/synthesist has traded the EMS Synthi 100 for the Buchla Series 200, recording at Stockholm’s illustrious Elektronmusikstudion (EMS). Here, he builds on themes he explored on his debut with a generous 20 track double album that marks firmer lines between Scandinavian folk music and contemporary electro- acoustic minimalism.

Using woody, synthesised tones that gradually open into sawing wails, Kalman suggests harmonies that lie between the 17th century polska and earlier, pre-Renaissance sounds, mimicking the tonal and textural fluctuations of strings with advanced tuning and sequencing techniques. There are plenty of artists delving into the past to unravel their identity, but Kalman’s approach is refreshingly unadulterated. He recorded the entire set on the fly, using just spring reverb to add extra texture, without overdubs or modern DAW-style layering, the Buchla 200 played almost like an acoustic instrument.

There’s a glimmer of vintage acid on the lithe ‘Dub One’, a complex, rhythmic experiment that lashes its pulses together with willowy portamento slides. And on ‘Klystron’, he absorbs warehouse techno’s architectural oomph, splaying psychedelic, reverberating ascending sequences over jagged kicks; listen carefully, and there’s something else going on in the background too, as Kalman meets his stabs with flute-like echoes. It’s a peculiar cocktail of ideas and provocations: ‘Mbira’ finds the composer shaping his synth into dusty, fluttering hits that resemble the titular Zimbabwean finger harp, and on ‘Drums’, he pipes pre-recorded percussion through the system, triggering its oscillators and helping shape its rhythmic patterns. He’s most comfortable when he’s mines a hazier past, ‘Autumn Leaves’ is a mystickal, just intoned droner that harmonises with Mattias Petersson’s awesome ‘Triangular Progressions’, and ‘Subtines’ sounds as if Kalman has deployed his instrument in a subterranean crevice, resonating his rumbles around synthetic water droplets.

If it’s uncanny court music you’re particularly interested in, there’s plenty of that too. ‘Polska’ is another sublimely hauntological Swedish folk interpolation, while closing track ‘Ocquet’ appears to blur Kalman’s ideas more thoroughly, melting folk phrasing and peaceful, uneasy drones to draw us to a neat conclusion. Soft-hearted but animated, it’s modern electronic music that isn’t afraid of employing vintage techniques to suggest new directions.

Warehouse find!

While the German producer Martin Matiske averages a new release under his given name every few years, there was a long stretch of time in which sightings of his Blackploid alias were much more rare. After dropping an EP for Frustrated Funk in 2006, fans found further material hard to come by over the next decade or so. However, Matiske has reinvigorated Blackploid in recent times, with the project making a few compilation appearances and dropping a couple of EPs across 2020.

That run now culminates inCosmic Traveler, a four-track affair which marks Matiske's debut appearance on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit. Given the long wait, it's great just to see Blackploid back among the fray once again. But for the project's CPU curtain-raiser to be an EP of such high-quality techno jams? Now that really is spoiling us.

Cosmic Traveler's title nods towards the sort of stargazing aesthetics one finds in classic Detroit techno. However, while there are undoubtedly ties to the Motor City in this music, the record ultimately steers less towards spacious atmospherics and more towards the taut, lean machine-funk of seminal practitioners like Dopplereffekt.

Matiske sets his stall out from the off. Opener 'Electric Engine' begins with a run of stiff-necked 808 kicks before hissing hi-hats, a grizzly bassline and all manner of futuristic sounds enter to warp the tune into hyperspace. Following cut 'Night Drive' repeats the trick of 'Electric Engine' but adds a pleasingly dinky synth lead in order to nudge itself slightly towards bleep-techno territory.

The two cuts on Cosmic Traveler's B-side are pure late-night goodness, a pair of mid-set heaters primed for dark basements. 'Pleasure Activism' delivers on the promise of its title and then some, pushing the Kraftwerk template to extremes by bringing a load of gnarly synth lines into play over a wobbling acidic chug. Finally, EP closer 'The Race' is reminiscent of both the twisted machine-funk of Gerald Donald's Japanese Telecom project and the playful modern evolutions of artists like fellow CPU high-flyer Jensen Interceptor.

The resurgence of Martin Matiske's Blackploid project continues withCosmic Traveller, an EP of timeless electro-funk and techno.

FFO: Dopplereffekt, Japanese Telecom, Jensen Interceptor, Cardopusher

Michal Vaľko, aka Line Gate makes a return to mappa with his third cassette for the label. Once again the material is deeply minimalist, but shows marked evolutions in the Slovak, Prague-based artist’s unique trajectory. This time comprising two relatively short pieces (compared to the 40- and 60-minute works previously published on mappa), 'Trap' is perhaps Line Gate’s darkest yet.

Whereas previously his works focused on psychoacoustic phenomena, or highlighted the sacredness and timelessness of “the drone”, ‘Trap’ is a personal reflection of the artist’s innermost feelings, and perhaps a mirror that is held up to each listener: disillusionment, hopelessness and apathy have become an ever-present features of the society around us. ‘Trap’ very directly expresses the feelings of being lost, of despair, of wandering and not seeing the end. Vaľko utilises drones and repetitive vocal/instrumental phrases to express the endlessness of these feelings, and his own captivity within them.

The pieces draw once again on the hurdy-gurdy, but also on Vaľko’s processed, sometimes transposed voice. On “Maze I” layers of humming voices and meandering sung melodies form an impenetrable wall of sound, as the voices’ timbres intertwine and overlap, giving rise to fascinating overtones and singular resonances. On “Maze II” Vaľko returns to the earthy sound of the hurdy-gurdy alongside some deep, crooning voices (transposed an octave lower) and embellishes its drones with a performance on glass cups. More than ever, Line Gate's music resonates not just in sonic terms, but also in its deep humanity and social relevance.

Sylvain Chauveau has been releasing quiet and minimal compositions on various labels for more than two decades. ultra-minimal marks his debut for Sonic Pieces and takes the minimal approach even further, centring on reduction and limitation.

The album was recorded live at Café Oto, London in March 2022 - one of Sylvain’s rare solo concerts and the first time he performed publicly with only acoustic instruments; no machines, no recorded sounds have been used, only piano, guitar, harmonium and melodica, played one at the time. While some of the compositions are completely new, others are live versions of previously released pieces which have either been performed close to their original or stripped-down, reduced to a single instrument and partly rearranged. This reveals a predilection for repetitions and variations that Sylvain shares with Jim Jarmusch, and at the same time it is a personal attempt to avoid electronic devices as a tool for live music.

The artwork and track titles follow this reductionist idea and an aesthetic of miniaturization that Sylvain has developed for many years. They refer to the minimalist, concrete poetry that he writes regularly. In this context rewriting some of the original titles was a consistent implication to achieve a complete work, an album that perfectly represents Sonic Pieces’ aesthetics, both musically and visually.

After the test pressings mysteriously vanished on the Victoria line, the brothers Bend return triumphantly with their second outing on the fledgling Benders imprint. BNDRS002 has been timed to mark the quadrennial celebrations of leap day on the 29th of February and represents their most bent work to date. ‘Rip It Off’ and ‘How’s Your Father’ both chug along at a lazy pace that only the chief benders themselves could get away with. Once again, you have familiar melodies delivered with a twinkle in their eye and a side of acid filtered squelch. Perfect for the last song of the night or first song of the morning.

In den letzten 20 Jahren hat der in Berlin lebende irische Künstler David Hedderman eine beeindruckende Karriere als bildender Künstler hingelegt. Sein markanter, eigenwilliger Stil überträgt sich nahtlos auf sein Songwriting, wie sein Debütalbum belegt. 'Pulling At The Briars' fängt die Übergangszeit ein, in der er von Dublin nach Berlin zog. Die erste Zeit war geprägt von intensiven Schaffensperioden und dem Aufbau einer kreativen Community, samt regelmäßigen Sessions in seinem Kreuzberger Studio. Aufgenommen wurden die zehn Songs live in 5 Tagen mit Brendan Jenkinson (Aoife Nessa Frances, John Francis Flynn, Villagers) in den Dubliner Sonic Studios. Als Produzent diente Heddermans Jugendfreund Conor O'Brien von den Villagers, mit dem er früher die Band The Immediate gründete. Die üppigen Arrangements sind von einer anrührenden Verletzlichkeit getragen, die sich in Heddermans Texten widerspiegelt. In kraftvollen Bildern singt der Ire von seinen Erfahrungen über Trauer, das Scheitern von Beziehungen und das Zurechtfinden in einem neuen Land.

Zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl erhältlich, wird Brainfeeder am 9. Februar 2024 eine wunderbare Deluxe-Edition von Austin Peraltas Album aus dem Jahr 2011 veröffentlichen. „Endless Planets“ war und bleibt ein Meilenstein im Brainfeeder-Katalog und markierte den ersten Vorstoß des Labels in den Jazz. Es erschien ein paar Monate vor dem Debütalbum, „The Golden Age Of Apocalypse“, seines Freundes Thundercat, und vier Jahre vor Kamasi Washingtons „The Epic“. Austin Peralta, ein wahrhaftiges Ausnahmetalent am Klavier, verband mühelos neugierigen Futurismus mit unglaublicher Musikalität und einem gesunden Respekt vor dem Erbe des Jazz, und auf diese Weise ist es eine beispielhafte Brainfeeder-Platte.

Die Neuauflage enthält vier bisher unveröffentlichte Tracks, darunter eine Live-Version von „DMT Song“ aus Flying Lotus’ 2012er Album „Until The Quiet Comes“, die Austin Peralta mitgeschrieben hat. Aufgenommen in den legendären BBC Maida Vale Studios in London im Juli 2011, leitete Austin Peralta eine britische All-Star-Band bestehend aus Richard Spaven (Schlagzeug), Tom Mason (Bass), Jason Yarde (Altsaxophon), Heidi Vogel (Gesang) und Jason Swinscoe von The Cinematic Orchestra (Elektronik). Austin Peralta stammte aus L.A. und war der Sohn von JC Caldwell und Stacy Peralta. Er war ein Jazzmusiker. Nicht in dem Sinne, dass er oder ihm nahestehende Personen das Wort „Jazz“ in Bezug auf seine Musik in den Mund nehmen würden. Eher im Sinne von jahrelanger Übung und Hingabe an eine bestimmte Kunstform. Oder in dem Sinne, dass er unter anderem mit Chick Corea, Hank Jones und Ron Carter gespielt hat. In dem Sinne, dass er wirklich etwas drauf hatte. Dass er Klavier spielte und komponierte wie ein echter Veteran. Und das alles im Alter von nur 20 Jahren. Und das, bevor man sich mit seiner Arbeit als Session-Spieler für jeden und jede, von Erykah Badu bis Shafiq Husayn, oder die Zeit, als er in der legendären Big Band aus Los Angeles, Horace Tapscotts Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, mitspielte.

Die Sterne veröffentlichen ein Compilation-Album voller Sterne Hits aus 30 Jahren Bandgeschichte!
Es handelt sich um die ultimative Zusammenstellung auf Doppel Vinyl und CD. Die Singles einer Band, die vielen immer als höflich und bescheiden galt. Damit ist es jetzt vorbei. Und warum sollte man auch bescheiden sein, angesichts dieser Sammlung von Song aus über dreißig Jahren Bandgeschichte, wenn man über jeden einzelnen von ihnen sagen kann: Ja, verdammt: Die Sterne sind zwar auf den deutschsprachigen Raum limitiert, haben sich aber nie damit zufrieden gegeben. Nie haben sie gesagt: Ja, ok, die Qualität ist ausreichend für den lokalen Markt. Nein- das ist alles internationales Niveau. Und warum? Weil sie euch, liebe Hörer:innen, so sehr schätzen, dass sie euch nichts anderes zumuten möchten. Auch nicht auf Deutsch. Hier kommen 19 Hits, darunter auch ein bisher unveröffentlichter Bonustrack. Einschläge in eure Herzen. Nehmt hin und esst.

Tony Boninsegna: Notes From The Underground 1986-1994 (Volumes 1 and 2) Cold Blow / Musique Pour La Danse

The story of dance music is littered with hidden heroes and underground activists whose immense contributions have been overlooked, ignored and under-documented. Tony Boninsegna, a producer who made and released countless classic cuts and forgotten gems during the acid house and rave era, is one such example.

Melding elements of all that was popular in underground clubs at the time to create his own dancefloor-friendly sound worlds, Boninsegna amassed a huge catalogue between 1986 and '94, while hiding his involvement via an array of oddball aliases and opaque pseudonyms. Boninsegna's story first came to light four years ago when he appeared in Join The Future: Bleep Techno and the Birth of British Bass Music, Matt Anniss's critically acclaimed alternative history of UK dance music in the rave era. Now Cold Blow has joined forces with Musique Pour La Danse to deliver a much-needed anthology of his greatest productions and
co-productions - many rare or hard-to-find - for the first time.
Featuring 24 restored and remastered tracks stretched across two volumes on vinyl and digital, including a handful of previously unreleased tracks and mixes, and accompanied by detailed sleeve notes by Anniss, Notes From The Underground 1986-1994 is a joyful celebration of one of British dance music's most under-appreciated artists. The full breadth and depth of Boninsegna's rave-ready catalogue, as well as an indication of
the sheer volume of aliases he utilised during the period, is explored in detail across the two-part compilation.

Fittingly, volume one features two previously unreleased recordings that mark his earliest explorations of the emerging house sound (both as The Rhythm Squad, with Richard Compton), alongside touchstone releases such as Zeco's 'The Witch Trials' (a 1989 production that marked his first outing on vinyl), celebrated workouts recorded with regular collaborator Mykey Tee (Lab Technicians' bleep-inspired 'We Gave U Life', Big Showdown's epic 'They're Here' and AEK's mind-mangling, bleep & breaks number 'Lick It'), and genuinely overlooked gems (the proto-tribal house of Pierrepoint's acid-smothered 'Tonnerre' and saucer-eyed rush of Estudiantes' 'Let The Music Into Your Mind').

It all adds up to the definitive musical retrospective of a genuine underground, rave-era hero whose time in the spotlight may finally have arrived.

'Sparagmos' von Spectral Voice ist das zweite Album unter dem Banner von Dark Descent Records und markiert den Höhepunkt einer Periode katabatischen Eintauchens in das Material. Der Titel selbst, der auf den dionysischen Ritus des Zerreißens von Gliedmaßen anspielt, bildet die Bühne für eine tiefgreifende Erforschung von Leben, Tod und der ungezähmten Essenz im Inneren.

"Der Inhalt des Albums oszilliert zwischen Wehklagen und Begeisterung. Eine eindringliche, morbide Atmosphäre der Funerealität sehnt sich nach der Befreiung durch den Tod und beklagt die Qualen des Lebens. Gepaart mit Momenten des frenetischen Wahnsinns, der Erhabenheit, des Schreckens und der Ekstase ist der Punkt, den wir zu erreichen versuchen, der Moment, in dem - durch das Opfer - die atavistische Wildheit entfesselt wird und die ultimative Erhöhung des Lebens durch den Tod realisiert wird", reflektiert Schlagzeuger/Sänger E. Wendler.

Einflüsse aus den esoterischen Bereichen von Death, Black und Doom Metal, Dark Ambient und arkaner Literatur fließen in Spectral Voice's neuestem Werk zusammen. Mit dem klanglichen Können von M. Kolontyrsky (Gitarre), P. Riedl (Gitarre) und J. Barrett (Bass) - ebenfalls von Blood Incantation - sowie dem Schlagzeuger/Sänger E. Wendler, weben Spectral Voice einen Klangteppich, der selbst ihre eigenen hohen Standards übertrifft!

Culled from three 1985 gigs in the UK during a transitional and transcendent time in the band’s story, Sonic Youth’s The Walls Have Ears appeared / disappeared as a 2LP set in 1986, not just a live album but an artful tapestry full of live experimentation with songs, between-song tape segues, darkness, humor and audio verité. It’s now issued for the first time officially under the band’s auspices.

The ’85 shows were the second time the band appeared on UK soil, Brits now getting juiced to the mythos of the emerging guitar-slinging American independent underground; an art / punk band from NYC sporting casual attitudes and tees sporting Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Prince made some good press copy on top of their bludgeoning stage appearance. Paul Smith of the newly-founded Blast First label acted as an overseas diplomatic envoy for Sonic Youth through their SST years as well as issuing their classic 1988 Daydream Nation outside the USA. However the Smith-produced ‘bootleg’ of their ’85 UK gigs surfaced much to everyone’s surprise, just before EVOL was to be released. It turned out to be a marker of the group’s dissatisfaction that ultimately led to the release’s deletion, and the band and Smith parting ways after Daydream.

In this 2LP set brimming with primitive classics like ‘The Burning Spear,’ ‘Death Valley 69,’ and ‘I’m Insane’ (uncredited on sleeve), segues and live guitar changes ooze together threaded by Madonna tapes and vocal loops off the board (somewhat a necessity for distraction until the band had a full fledged stage crew to prepare guitars). The first two sides of Walls are massive, cavernous, with newly-drafted drummer Steve Shelley. SY tear it up especially on one trash-fi excerpt of ‘Blood On Brighton Beach’ (actually ‘Making The Nature Scene’) from a legendary outdoor gig November 8th where Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo’s guitars treble-blast dissonant shockwaves over the black-stoned beach of Quadrophenia fame.

The record’s second slab spotlights an April 1985 at London’s Hammersmith Palais and was one of the final appearances live of Bob Bert on drums, again featuring some molten takes on ‘Brother James,’ ‘Flower’ (listed as ‘The Word (E.V.O.L.)’), and others. This document remains an essential representation of some lean and mean years of the quartet’s throttling march out into the world. (by Brian Turner)

Culled from three 1985 gigs in the UK during a transitional and transcendent time in the band’s story, Sonic Youth’s The Walls Have Ears appeared / disappeared as a 2LP set in 1986, not just a live album but an artful tapestry full of live experimentation with songs, between-song tape segues, darkness, humor and audio verité. It’s now issued for the first time officially under the band’s auspices.

The ’85 shows were the second time the band appeared on UK soil, Brits now getting juiced to the mythos of the emerging guitar-slinging American independent underground; an art / punk band from NYC sporting casual attitudes and tees sporting Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Prince made some good press copy on top of their bludgeoning stage appearance. Paul Smith of the newly-founded Blast First label acted as an overseas diplomatic envoy for Sonic Youth through their SST years as well as issuing their classic 1988 Daydream Nation outside the USA. However the Smith-produced ‘bootleg’ of their ’85 UK gigs surfaced much to everyone’s surprise, just before EVOL was to be released. It turned out to be a marker of the group’s dissatisfaction that ultimately led to the release’s deletion, and the band and Smith parting ways after Daydream.

In this 2LP set brimming with primitive classics like ‘The Burning Spear,’ ‘Death Valley 69,’ and ‘I’m Insane’ (uncredited on sleeve), segues and live guitar changes ooze together threaded by Madonna tapes and vocal loops off the board (somewhat a necessity for distraction until the band had a full fledged stage crew to prepare guitars). The first two sides of Walls are massive, cavernous, with newly-drafted drummer Steve Shelley. SY tear it up especially on one trash-fi excerpt of ‘Blood On Brighton Beach’ (actually ‘Making The Nature Scene’) from a legendary outdoor gig November 8th where Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo’s guitars treble-blast dissonant shockwaves over the black-stoned beach of Quadrophenia fame.

The record’s second slab spotlights an April 1985 at London’s Hammersmith Palais and was one of the final appearances live of Bob Bert on drums, again featuring some molten takes on ‘Brother James,’ ‘Flower’ (listed as ‘The Word (E.V.O.L.)’), and others. This document remains an essential representation of some lean and mean years of the quartet’s throttling march out into the world. (by Brian Turner)

One of Europe's most popular alternative / dark wave bands. Lebanon Hanover have over one million monthly listeners on Spotify. Following their first US tour in over a decade, Lebanon Hanover returns with a soul-stirring double A-side single release, marking their first new material since the captivating 2020 album, 'Sci-Fi Sky.' Now, the enigmatic duo of William Maybelline and Larissa Iceglass beckons listeners into unventured sonic domains, intricately weaving folk-driven acoustic dream pop with the vulnerable essence of post-punk in a contemplative exploration of life's ephemeral yet profound nature. Embarking on a Cure-like sonic voyage reminiscent of the 'Head on the Door' and the 'Kiss Me' era, title track 'Better Than Going Under' manifests as a romantic, sombre daydream. William Maybelline's brooding baritone intertwines with sighing back vocals, narrating an ode to life's fleeting yet boundless vistas. The acoustic strums initiate a folk-driven narrative which, when coupled with a celestial choir, crafts a contemplative soundscape of cautious optimism, reminiscent of Echo and the Bunnymen or The Church.. KYIV: Bearing the name of Ukraine's capital, 'KYIV,' voiced by Larissa Iceglass, delves into a narrative reflective of the sorrow and despair entwined within war-torn regions like Ukraine and beyond. The acoustic guitar and drum machine create a Cocteau Twins' 'Treasure'-esque soundscape, evoking a melancholic yet beautiful auditory journey. Iceglass's voice, transitioning from her husky baritone to a more resigned lament, embodies a poignant reflection on the harsh realities faced by those embroiled in conflict-ridden landscap

Christmas comes early, at least for Wu-Tang fans! Vinyl version of 2022s Killah Christmas! Wu-Tang Clan legend Ghostface Killah released his first-ever Christmas album digitally two Christmas' ago. The project features six exclusive tracks with guest appearances from longtime partner-in-rhyme Raekwon, as well as Reek Da Villain, Nizzle Man and Billy Ski-Mask.Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flowand his emotional stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs. In 2006, MTV included him as an "honourable mention" on their list of the "Greatest MCs of All Time",while the editors of About com placed him on their list of the "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987-2007)", calling him "one of the most imaginative storytellers of our time." Q magazine called him "rap's finest storyteller." Pitchfork Media has stated that "Ghostface has unparalleled storytelling instincts; he might be the best, most colorful storyteller rap has ever seen." NPR has called him "a compulsive storyteller", and asserts that "his fiction is painterly." "Ghostface Killah is spreading Christmas cheer to his fans with a new holiday-themed album that comes with some perks" _ Mark Elibert, Hip-hop DX

Third album from Brighton based Indie/Pop singer/songwriter DECLAN McKENNA. The follow up to 2020's "Zeros", this is a x16 trk Guitar/Pop album released via Columbia Records. Produced by Gianluca Buccellati & includes the hit singles "Elevator Hum", "Nothing Works" & "Sympathy". Upcoming UK solo live dates later in the year, alongside festival slots. Extensive promo & marketing activity across all media outlets, with significant spend. Standard Black LP Vinyl, Retail exclusive Ltd Yellow LP Vinyl & standard CD.

The second solo album by Frank Zappa, Hot Rats (October 1969) is one of the most influential Jazz fusion albums ever. It marked Zappa's first recording project after the dissolution of the original version of The Mothers of Invention. Multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood is the only member of the Mothers to appear on the album and was the primary musical collaborator.

Other featured musicians include bassists Max Bennett and Shuggie Otis; drummers John Guerin, Paul Humphrey and Ron Selico; and electric violinists Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Jean-Luc Ponty. The first Frank Zappa album recorded on 16-track equipment, Hot Rats was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and was given a rating of 4½ stars in Al/Music, with Steve Huey stating that "few albums originating on the rock side of jazz-rock fusion flowed so freely between both sides of the equation, or achieved such unwavering excitement and energy". The model on the cover is Miss Christine, from the group GTO's.

repress, yellow viny

When we established Balmat in 2021, neither of us could have imagined that within two years, we’d be putting out an album by one of our musical heroes: Mike Paradinas, aka µ-Ziq. The British producer has been an inspiration to label co-founders Albert Salinas and Philip Sherburne since the 1990s. In fact, his album-length remix project The Auteurs Vs µ-Ziq was one of the very first pieces of electronic music that Philip bought, way back in 1994. To have the opportunity to release his music now feels like a real full-circle moment.

Paradinas, of course, needs no introduction. Under a slew of aliases, chief among them µ-Ziq, the British artist revolutionized leftfield electronic music in the 1990s—coincidentally, this year marks the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Tango N’ Vectif, for his friend and sometime collaborator Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label—and his label Planet Mu has built up a formidable catalog of visionary, forwardlooking records, mapping virtually every corner of the electronic spectrum. With 1977, he turns the clock backward in a sense, and not just with the album’s title: Rooted in classic ambient and electronic sounds, these 15 tracks evoke the anything-goes spirit of the early ’90s, before the tools and tropes had calcified into cut-and-dried styles.

There’s no shortage of familiar sounds on 1977. There are echoes of raves and chillout rooms and transmissions from the fringes of techno; there are detuned synths and glistening reverb tails and, above all, gauzy vox pads, the eerie glue that holds it all together. The title, he says, is meant to invoke a general sense of nostalgia, bookmarking a year in his boyhood when he became more selfaware. More than anything, 1977 sounds like µ-Ziq distilled: Stripped of his signature breakbeats and customary chaos, Paradinas’ first-ever strictly (well, mostly) ambient album presents the essence of his music in a whole new light.

Along the way Paradinas touches on dark-ambient drones (“Marmite”), horror-film themes (“Belt & Carpet”), jungle breaks (“Mesolithic Jungle”), and even house music (“Houzz 13”), which marks the first bona fide dance-floor moment on Balmat to date). Yet the album never—to our ears, anyway— feels expressly retro. Rather, Paradinas plucks timeless sounds out of the ether and gives them a gentle tap, spinning them into unexpected new orbits. At times, 1977 feels like an experience of extended déjà vu: When we first listened to it, we had the sense that we already knew this music. It was as though we had heard it years ago, perhaps on a battered cassette tape lent to us by a friend, and been searching for it ever since. We hope you feel the same.