quête:mark i

Hammered Hulls' debut LP, Careening, may very well be the last record to be recorded and mixed at the famed Washington, D.C. area recording studio, Inner Ear. Engineered by studio owner Don Zientara and produced by Ian MacKaye, Careening was started right before the pandemic lockdown and completed in summer/fall of 2021.

A new band of long-time players, Hammered Hulls' music hews close to some of their early influences. Alec MacKaye is the voice, Mark Cisneros is the guitarist, Mary Timony takes a nimble and rarely-heard turn as bassist, and Chris Wilson commands the drums. Each of them bring their individual imprint to the total sound. This concussion of strength upon strength, unified by vulnerable songs, only barely contained, is the signature sound of Hammered Hulls.

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitement, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitement, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitement, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitment, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

CNPY007 marks a strong return to Canopy for Sam Redmore, on the second edition in the Alafia series where he impresses with two powerful and inspired re-imaginings of these tropical synth future-classics.

Tough afro-centric broken beats meet dirty fuzz basslines. Chic-esque guitars and icy synths swirl among horn crescendos and steel drums. Sam assembled a troupe of tight players who deliver slick performances which sincerely compliment the original arrangements, while he turns the electronic tropical funk factor to full - Inspired music reinvented for inspired dancefloors!

Tunesday Recordings proudly presents its third release, bringing the two balearic pop originals "Brazilian Breeze" and "Mysterious Nights" from the sought-after 1986 LP "Leaving You" by Preludio to today's dance floors. The Italo-influenced songs mark the very ¦rst work of Peter LaSalle who has made a name for himself with several releases under the moniker Sound Surgeons in the 2000's. As a ¦rst endeavour
under the moniker DNA (standing for Danny, Norm & Andres), the trio centered around Andres Astorga aka Trujillo brings out their own vsionary reworks with nothing but the songs' titles as inspiration. On "Brazilian Breeze", they dive deep into an ocean-blue rippling with cool synthesizer sequences and steel drums. "Mysterious Nights" teases you into a Linn Drum-driven adventure in which hazy waves mingle with late 80's guitar licks and soothing brasses. Many thanks to Peter LaSalle for making this reissue possible and many thanks to
Santi Oviedo for literally revising the original artwork.

Factory Benelux presents a limited crystal clear vinyl edition of Dark Light, the eighth studio album from post-punk trailblazers Section 25, originally released in 2013.
Recorded in 2012, Dark Light would be the band’s first collection of new material since the tragic loss of founder Larry Cassidy in 2010, and marked a return to the smooth electro and synth-pop textures first explored on their seminal 1984 album From the Hip. These echoes are amplified by the presence of co-vocalists Beth and Jo Cassidy, as well as a sublime cover image by iconic artist/designer Peter Saville.
Much of Dark Light was produced in collaboration with remixer Derek Miller (aka Outernationale), and includes new versions of single tracks Colour Movement Sex & Violence and Inner Drive. Other stand-out cuts include future pop classic My Outrage, also released as a single on Record Store Day.
“A revelation. The group were once doomy post-punks whose 1984 electronic album From the Hip anticipated house music and thrilled New York clubland. Now the deaths of singers Larry and Jenny Cassidy have inspired their daughter Bethany to carry on the family business and give the band a makeover. The collision of the original members’ brittle rhythms and the angelic voices of Bethany and similarly fresh-faced co-singer Jo takes recent material into shimmering club-pop heaven” (The Guardian, 2014)
Now released on vinyl for the very first time, FBN 145 is limited to just 500 copies pressed on crystal clear vinyl. The digital copy contains several bonus tracks.

Ash sind seit 30 Jahren zusammen, aber es waren die zwei Jahre, die sie voneinander getrennt waren, die sie zu ihrem brillanten neuen Album inspirierten. Wie der Rest der Welt wurden auch Tim Wheeler (Gitarre/Gesang), Mark Hamilton (Bass) und Rick McMurray (Schlagzeug) von der Pandemie überrumpelt. Es war nicht nur die erste längere Auszeit, die die Band in ihrer unglaublichen drei Jahrzehnte währenden Karriere hatte, sondern auch die längste Zeit, in der die drei sich nicht gesehen hatten, seit sie sich in der Schule in Downpatrick, Nordirland, erstmals begegnet waren. Tim Wheeler - wie man es von einem der größten Songschreiber seiner Generation erwarten würde - hatte während Ashs Zwangspause weiter Songs geschrieben. Zum Reboot-Camp der Band erschien er bereit zum Loslegen mit einem Rucksack voller Hard-Rock-Hymnen. Und schwere Zeiten verlangen schließlich nach härterer Musik. Das selbst produzierte "Race The Night" - das achte Studioalbum der Band - ist in jeder Hinsicht herausragend. Aufgenommen im Oh Yeah-Studio in Belfast und mit neuem Fokus, kombiniert die Platte die unwiderstehlichen Rock-Riffs von "Meltdown" (2004) mit der melodischen Meisterschaft von "Free All Angels" (2001) - und das alles verpackt mit einem deutlichen Twist ins Jahr 2023. Und mit den fernen Anzeichen eines oft beschworenen Rock-Revivals am Horizont, könnte es das essentielle gitarrenzentrierte, hymnenreiche Album sein, auf das die Welt gewartet hat. Seit Ash als Teenager mit ihrem Nummer-Eins-Debütalbum "1977" aus Downpatrick auftauchten, ist die Band ein vitales, wachsendes Anliegen. Die meisten ihrer Zeitgenossen sind verschwunden oder haben sich zumindest aufgelöst, bevor sie zurückkehrten, aber Ashs Licht leuchtet so hell wie eh und je. Für dieses Album sind sie sogar zu Fierce Panda Records zurückgekehrt, die eine ihrer ersten Aufnahmen, "Punkboy", auf der 1994 erschienenen Crazed And Confused EP veröffentlicht haben.

Das neue DAMNATION'S HAMMER Album besticht durch unbarmherzigen Heavy Metal und dem für die Band typischen doomigen Groove. Die Band präsentiert sich hier deutlich experimentierfreudiger als auf dem Vorgängeralbum "Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres".
Erneut von Mark Mynett produziert, baut das Werk auf dem Fundament des Vorgängeralbums "Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres" auf.
Die Eröffnungssalven "Sutter Cane" und "Do Not Disturb The Watchmaker" sind ein Riff-geladenes Feuerwerk - ersteres fast chaotisch und mit einem kurzen Spoken-Word-Part von Aaron Stainthorpe von My Dying Bride! Dann setzt "Do Not Disturb The Watchmaker" mit seinem schlängelnden Groove ein, bevor es in einen thrashigen Refrain mündet.
Das Album hat immer noch die gewaltigen Riffs, für die DAMNATION'S HAMMER bekannt sind, aber "Into The Silent Nebula" ist abenteuerlicher ausgefallen als sein Vorgänger.
Das Gegenstück zum Titeltrack - einfach "The Silent Nebula" genannt - zum Beispiel, ist ein atmosphärisches, bluesiges Instrumentalstück; ruhig, aber dennoch mit einem bedrohlichen Charakter. Es schließt mit einer trägen, melodischen Basslinie, während Sakis von Rotting Christ aus dem Titeltrack des Albums zitiert.

Every once in a while, a library record's absurd level of perfection will be enough to throw up your hands and pack it all in. "How will I ever find this record in the wild?!", you may despair. And, yes, up until now, Michel Gonet's Phasing News Volume 2 was such a work of this ridiculous standard. Not just hyper-rare, but hyper-brilliant. Its high points transcend the "library" genre. This is a record that has always been so so hot on secondary markets. And it's easy to hear why! It's a big big French library classic with mad crazy demand.

Opening with "Mondial Scoop (Number III)", it continues on from where the dramatic tracks of Phasing News Volume 1 left off. The group of "Phasing Percussions" get under your skin, sample material for days here. "Phasing Leitmotive A" and "Phasing Leitmotive B" hypnotise with their analogue synth loops. Yet it's "Phasing March", closing out the side, that is absolutely sensational. Timpani drums merge with open breaks making for an irresistible neck-snapping tour de force.

Side B starts with "Devil Dance A", an unbelievably infectious bass instrumental whilst "Devil Dance B" adds more percussion and bass flourishes and is all the more funky for it.

And now for the main event. "Flower Dance A". What can we even say? An instantly captivating, sparkling keys loop and glittering percussion neatly arranged atop a very strong bassline and drums, all lean and potent. The melody was lifted wholesale by The Soulsavers for "Rumblefish" back in 2002 and you can't really blame them. "Flower Dance B" removes the bassline for a lighter feel but that loop still burrows inside your brain. It's perfect.

"Happy Smith (Number II)" was used by Madlib for Erykah's "My People" (!!!) whilst the set closes out with a group of tense, phased workouts.

The audio for Phasing News Volume 2 has been remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the original, iconic Tele Music house sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

"PETROL", das zweite Album der Schweizer Doom-Visionäre TAR POND, wurde einerseits von US-Doom-Klassikern wie SAINT VITUS inspiriert, greift aber andererseits auch auf die britischen Wurzeln zu, die von BLACK SABBATH verkörpert werden. In anderen Momenten blitzt bei TAR POND eine Verbindung zu zeitgenössischen Doom-Acts wie ELECTRIC WIZARD und ACID BATH auf. Parallel dazu verkörpern TAR POND aber auch die bekannte Eigensinnigkeit des Schweizer Metal, der sich durch Individualität und kreative Eigenständigkeit auszeichnet, so wie es herausragende Acts wie CELTIC FROST, CORONER und ZEAL & ARDOR musikalisch vorgelebt haben. Als Martin Ain, Bassist der Kultband CELTIC FROST und eines der Gründungsmitglieder von TAR POND, im Oktober 2017 plötzlich verstarb, stand auf einmal alles in Frage. Der legendäre Schweizer Musiker hatte vor diesem tragischen Tag das Debütalbum bereits aufgenommen - zusammen mit den anderen Gründungsmitgliedern, dem ehemaligen CORONER-Drummer und Lyriker Marky Edelmann sowie dem renommierten Scratchboard-Künstler und Sänger Thomas Ott. Nach einer langer Pause und intensiven Überlegungen entschieden sich TAR POND schließlich dafür, als Band weiterzumachen und das Debüt im Gedenken an Martin Ain unter dem Titel "Protocol of Constant Sadness" zu veröffentlichen. Aufgenommen wurde das Debüt unter der Leitung von Produzent und Gitarren-Legende Tommy Vetterli (CORONER) in den Jahren 2016/17. Beflügelt von der enthusiastischen Reaktionen auf "Protocol of Constant Sadness", haben sich TAR POND erneut mit Tommy Vetterli im New Sound Studio zusammengetan, um den Nachfolger "PETROL" einzuspielen. Aufgrund von Besetzungswechseln vor und während der Studioaufnahmen ist "PETROL" aus einer Zusammenarbeit von alten und neuen Bandmitgliedern zu verschiedenen Zeiten entstanden. Trotz dieser Umstände erscheint das zweite Album sowohl kohärent als auch auf das erklärte Ziel von TAR POND fokussiert - nämlich: Einen Soundtrack aus brachialer Kraft und ein elektrisches Protokoll einer fortwährenden Traurigkeit abzuliefern. Während die Schweizer ihr Debüt unter der Bezeichnung 'Doom'n'Gloom' einordneten, wurde ihr Sound auch schon als eine Kombination aus Doom und Post-Metal beschrieben. Mit "PETROL" lösen TAR POND ihr ursprüngliches Versprechen ein: Dieses Album ist ein wunderbarer Soundtrack voller bedrückender Dunkelheit und tiefer Trauer.

New Model Army, wie du sie noch nie gehört hast: 21-Songstarke Live Performance erstmals mit großem Orchester!

Ihre Musik eignet sich perfekt für diese neue, frische Interpretation, ohne ihre Identität zu verlieren. Experimentieren ohne Kompromisse ist das Markenzeichen von New Model Army und einer der Hauptgründe, warum sie auch nach über 40 Jahren von Fans und Kritikern gleichermaßen gefeiert werden.

ORKA is a duo comprising Francine Perry from London and Jens L. Thomsen from the Faroe Islands. They crossed paths in the vibrant club scene of London, an immersive world that had a profound impact on their creative journey. ORKA's music draws inspiration from the Hardcore Continuum and UK sound system culture, blending it with elements of minimal techno, progressive electro, and ambient music, resulting in a diverse range of stylistic influences. Now ORKA emerges with their long-awaited new album. Once again, they greet us with their distinct blend of earthy tones and a bold, adventurous spirit, taking us to a realm bursting with neon-lit hues, pulsating club beats, and an abundance of sensory stimulation. Aptly named "All At Once," the album title provides a clue to the auditory and sensory experience that awaits the listener in this immersive record. ORKA has continuously evolved as a project over many years and iterations, embracing fluidity and a relentless quest for fresh sonic amalgamations. Their journey has been marked by a gradual refinement, stripping away layers to reach the core essentials. This transformative process has unfolded over the years, reaching from their site-specific, cowshed sampling and band-based expedition in "Livandi oyða" (2007) to the bold, innovative exploration of minimalist techno in "Vað" (2016). However, their latest release, "All At Once," signifies yet another remarkable leap forward in their artistic evolution. The seeds of this artistic progression were already planted in previous releases like the <13 EP (2017) and the hard-hitting techno single "Juno" (2018). However, it is with the arrival of the album "All At Once" that ORKA's vision fully blossoms, unveiling a vivid and expansive sonic landscape. This latest offering presents a glorious and vibrant tapestry, showcasing a maximalist approach to techno that pulsates with energy coupled with their signature meticulous attention to sound design, reflecting a deep awareness and intentionality in their creative process. If this album was to be thought of as a place, it would be a shimmering, futuristic, buzzing kind of city with vibrating night-time drizzle from above and endless glowing lights in the distance. Several of the tracks are built around cut-up vocal samples that are divided from their semiotic meanings and reconfigured as loops, and thus mined for their timbral and percussive qualities. Recurring collaborators South London duo LV (Hyperdub, Keysound, Brownswood) are featured on a handful of these tracks, mixing in their complex cocktail of grime and bliss. The result is a sort of queer erotic dance-floor mysticism, and the closest to a full-blown dance record that ORKA have ever made. There must be a club in that shimmering futurist city of the night.. and it is a collective, inclusive and alluring place. There is no need to fear any dancefloor exhaustion by listening to this album though, as there are also moments of floating cyber beauty and pure enveloping warmth to be found among its tracks. As always, following the artistic journey of ORKA is a joyous experience, filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep us captivated.

Das war längst überfällig: The Headlines "In the end" erscheint zum ersten Mal endlich auf Vinyl. 2017 markierte das Album für die skandinavischen Punk Rocker The Headlines einen Wendepunkt, denn fortan übernahm die fantastische Sängerin Kerry Bomb das Mikro, während Mastermind Jake Lundtofte als Songwriter und Lead-Gitarrist den Sound weiter perfektioniert und prägte. "In the end" ist dabei nicht nur vom Titel auch 5 Jahre nach Erstveröffentlichung aktueller denn je: Kerry im Interview mit dem Pressure Magazine dazu: "Der Titel "In The End" ist unsere Antwort darauf, wo die Menschheit derzeit steht. Mit unserer Energie geht es dem Ende zu und der Planet zerstört sich mehr und mehr von Tag zu Tag selbst.

Auf intellektueller Ebene, sind wir irgendwie am Ende angelangt." Das Ergebnis ist schlichtweg ein Punkrock-Meilenstein voller Energie und Leidenschaft, der einen sofort in seinen Bann zieht...straight forward, rotzig-frech und doch ausgeklügelt und extrem abwechslungsreich. Kurz gesagt die Scheibe rockt vom ersten bis zum letzten Ton.

"If you can imagine a love child between MAC DEMARCO and SPAR-KLEHORSE, then this would be what you're left with." - SO YOUNG MAGA-ZINE
Raised in North Queensland, Australia, Jarrod Mahon is not one to shy away from bold new endeavors. Once parting ways with his previous record label in 2019, Mahon chose to go fully independent, relocating to Berlin in 2019 (where he still resides), despite having no contacts at all in the country. What’s more, having recorded/performed under the pseudonym Emerson Snowe for over a decade - during which time he home-recorded five albums and 13 EP’s, toured with the likes of King Krule or Ariel Pink, played showcases SXSW and the Great Escape, the works - Mahon took that brave, most uncommercial decision to release under his own name and start almost totally anew.
“There was never really a concept to that name Emerson Snowe other than having some kind of separation from who I was as a person,” Mahon explains, “using a moniker gave me that confidence to push myself further mentally and to give myself some kind of a freedom”. And through the process of creating what would become his debut album, Mahon saw that he had outgrown the need for this protective persona. ‘Everything Has A Life’ was meant to be the debut Snowe album”, he admits, “but after I finished mixing it with Syd Kemp, co-producer I realized that I had actually grown a lot and was much more comfort-able with who I am and what my personal beliefs are.”
The choice of ‘Everything Has A Life’ as the album title, pulled from beauteous opening track ‘All I Know’, neatly summarizes this new outlook: moving on from ‘self-pity’ of the past-self by becoming present for the loved ones around you, improving understanding of one’s own self, via the wider world at large.
That track marks the first written during a lockdown stint in LA where Mahon wrote and recorded every day for 2 months, produced nigh on 250 demos and birthed the bulk of the record. It also brought Mahon back to his all-time favorite, Sufjan Stevens’ Ilinois and its blend of widescreen orchestral landscapes and more candid, naked acoustic-leaning variations - an important influence for the album's stylistic contrasts. Another key inspiration for the record too brought Mahon back to his roots - those full-bloom strains of his Mum’s Beloved Neil Diamond, an annual Christmas irritant to Mahon as a child, yet an artist he’s come to respect in adulthood. “Whatever the reason, with age I came to love the big show band sounds,” he says, “the idea of a performer on stage with a mas-sive orchestra with strings was amazing to me.”
With the help of producer Syd Kemp (Ulrika Spacek, Vanishing Twin), such grand designs could be met. - “When we first met, he asked me if I would like real strings on it. I said of course.” Enter Magda Mclean on violin (Caroline/the Umlauts), and Gamaliel Rendle Traynor on Cello (Sweat, Fat White Family), whose strings helped lift the record to romantic new heights.
He continues: “I said to Syd that the only thing I wanted to achieve with this rec-ord was that I wanted it to make me cry at one point. And we got there eventual-ly.” The final culmination of all these strands, ’Everything Has A Life’ is indeed a treasure trove of emotive riches. Locking into that bittersweet, quintessentially ‘pop’ combination of triumphant rhythms and confessional, stream-of-consciousness lyrics plucked straight from the heart, Mahon faces up to years of substance abuse with a series of gorgeous, blushing melodies: “I was using, I was drinking, I was lying to my friends, I was messing up again, I was hiding from myself”, he joyously chants on ‘The Growing’.
A banquet fit for an indie king, Everything Has A Life is loaded with psych-pop lusciousness (‘All I Know’) and anthemic glam fuzz (‘Death Of The Ladies Man’, ‘Deadstar’, or ‘Sonny is my Best Friend’); recalling that foundational Sufjan Ste-vens influence too with shambling flecks of country (‘Charly (Romantic Heart)’). There’s also those lo-fi crepitations of ‘My Man’ and ‘I can’t’ harking back home-recorded demos that lie at the core of Mahon’s creative process.

Erstmals und endlich auf Vinyl erhältlich - das Solodebüt des Musikers und Produzenten Tobias Kuhn aka Monta aus dem Jahr 2004. Erscheint als weißes 180g Vinyl im Gatefold-Sleeve. "Wir unterteilen das Leben gerne in künstlich voneinander getrennte Kapitel, sprechen von "Neuerfindung" oder "zweiter Geburt", wenn jemand nun plötzlich etwas scheinbar ganz anderes macht als zuvor. Tatsächlich aber ist das Neue immer schon im Alten angelegt, die meisten Übergänge sind fließend. Nehmen wir zum Beispiel Tobias Kuhn: Natürlich ist Kuhn heute vor allem als einer der renommiertesten und besten deutschen Musikproduzenten bekannt. Kuhn hat mit Clueso, Udo Lindenberg und den Toten Hosen gearbeitet. Man kennt ihn als Produzenten und Co-Songwriter so unterschiedlicher Künstler wie Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Mark Forster, Alec Benjamin, Alice Merton, Noah Kahan, Lost Frequencies, Gurr und Milky Chance, er schrieb für den "Tatort" die Musik, man könnte die Liste endlos fortsetzen. Aber vor dieser Geschichte, vor der Geschichte des Top-Produzenten Tobias Kuhn gab es eben noch eine andere - und wenn man genauer hinguckt, gehören beide untrennbar zusammen. Begonnen hatte sie in Würzburg. Es sind die Neunzigerjahre, Familie Kuhn hatte in Cambridge und in Peking gewohnt und war nun ausgerechnet nach Unterfranken gezogen: Das malerisch gelegene, architektonisch reizvolle Würzburg mag bedeutende Universitäten haben, mit 130.000 Einwohnern knapp als Großstadt gelten und das sogenannte "Herz der Weinregion Franken" sein, als Popmetropole ist die Stadt eher nicht bekannt. Aber natürlich kommt der beste Pop traditionell ja genau aus solchen Orten, aus der Provinz, von den Hochschulen, aus den Fabriken. Eben dort, in Würzburg, gründet Tobias Kuhn mit 15, 16 Jahren die Band Miles gemeinsam mit Gilbert Hartsch zunächst als klassische Schülerband. Der Schlagzeuger Andreas Wecklein und René Hartmann (Bass) komplettieren das Line-up, letzterer wird später durch Nina Kränsel ersetzt. Wie gesagt, es sind die Neunzigerjahre: In den USA initiiert der Sänger und spätere Pop-Impressario Perry Farrell die erste Ausgabe der heute weltweit erfolgreichen Festivalreihe Lollapalooza als grellen Rock'n'Roll-Zirkus und Abschiedstournee seiner Band Jane's Addiction. Das gefällt Kuhn und seinen Freunden natürlich, also schmieden sie in der bayerischen Provinz den einigermaßen größenwahnsinnigen Plan, in Deutschland etwas ähnliches aufzuziehen. Spoiler: es gelingt. Auf diese Weise entstanden drei Alben, bis der Gitarrist ausstieg und irgendwie allen klar wurde: alles erlebt, alles erzählt, mehr geht nicht. Kuhn schrieb sich daraufhin für Medizin ein, doch die Musik ließ ihn nicht los. So begann das zweite musikalische Kapitel im Leben des Tobias Kuhn. Unter dem Namen Monta wendete er sich einem intimeren, Folk-grundierten Ansatz zu und nimmt so zwei Alben auf, deren Veröffentlichung er selbst übernimmt. Bald gab es ein weltweites Netzwerk kleiner Indie-Labels, die die Monta-Musik vertrieben und sogar die "Sunday Times" machte "Where Circles Begin" zum Album der Woche. Und so begann die dritte, bis heute andauernde musikalische Karriere von Tobias Kuhn: die des Produzenten und Songschreibers. Kuhn wäre nicht Kuhn, wenn nicht auch dieser Abschnitt wieder von einer Reihe scheinbarer Zufälle und Begegnungen befeuert worden wäre, die sich eben nahtlos aus allem, was davor war, ergaben." Torsten Groß

Killah Priest’s Mystery Channel EP is his first release on 600 Block Records after his acclaimed features on Pugs Atomz’ Test Drive LP in 2022. The EP, coming on limited edition vinyl, features two original productions from Tusk57, an amazing Tall Black Guy Productions remix, and instrumentals of all three tracks. Tall Black Guy’s remix of Mystery Channel is a soulful jazzy take on the EP’s namesake, bringing his signature style to his first collaboration with 600 Block Records. From humble origins in Detroit, raised on a healthy diet of Motown, Jazz and early Hip Hop...Tall Black Guy has become a standard bearer for the current hip hop beats scene. Through a steady stream of productions filled with incredibly clever sample flips and deft production chops, he has won fans across the world, including Gilles Peterson, Lefto, Jazzy Jeff, Questlove and countless others. Killah Priest made his first appearances on such Wu-Tang side and solo projects as Gravediggaz’ 6 Feet Deep, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s Return to the 36 Chambers, and Genius/GZA’s seminal Liquid Swords. His contributions to those releases especially Liquid Swords’ “B.1.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth),” essentially a Priest solo track paved the way for the release of the MC's acclaimed debut album, 1998's Heavy Mental, and a lengthy and respected career in the hip-hop underground. In addition to his prolific solo work, he was an integral member of the groups Sunz of Man, the HRSMEN (aka the Four Horsemen), and Black Market Militia. About Tuskb 7 - A musician turned producer, Tusk57 brings a live feel to recording sessions and is most at home leading a band in front of a live audience. He is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter who has released multiple records under many other stage names in various genres, garnering critical acclaim including a Billboard hit. He is how based in LA and is using this moniker to develop a signature textured sound for hip hop and soulful music.

Detroit-based duo Ataxia and Mister Joshooa come together on Life and Death with their new EP 'Mastermind'. The record marks a new installation of Ataxia's punk forward house vibe; however, this time the group has their blinders on - this mini album is 100% dance floor oriented, all suited up to scratch the insatiable itch of the worldwide dance
Starting off strong with 'Mastermind', the collaboration delivers from the second we hit play. The A-side maintains similar elements such as a resonant kick and skipping percussive beats masterfully intertwined with vocals that echo and stutter. Record scratches, cowbell, and classic vocal hits can all be found on the B-side, bringing old-school sounds to the forefront with dynamic, rhythmic grooves.