Cerca:matt john

Jenny from Thebes begann, wie viele Alben der Mountain Goats, mit John Darnielle am Klavier, bis ein Text entstand. Dieser Text, "Jenny was a warrior / Jenny was a thief / Jenny hit the corner clinic begging for relief", wurde zu "Jenny III", einem Song, der eine Herausforderung darstellte, der er sich nie zuvor gestellt hatte: eine Fortsetzung zu einem seiner beliebtesten Alben zu schreiben.

Der Katalog der Mountain Goats ist voll von wiederkehrenden Charakteren_Jenny, die ursprünglich in dem ihren Namen tragenden Stück All Hail West Texas auftaucht, sowie in "Straight Six" von Jam Eater Blues und dem Transcendental Youth side two jam "Night Light", ist einer von ihnen, jemand, der unerwartet in einen Song eintritt und die Ohren der Fans spitzt, die darauf erpicht sind, die verschiedenen Erzählstränge fortzusetzen, die sich durch die Diskografie der Mountain Goats ziehen, bevor sie im Nebel verschwinden.

In diesen Liedern wird Jenny weitgehend durch ihre Abwesenheit definiert, und diese Definition wird ihr von anderen Charakteren gegeben. Sie läuft vor etwas weg.

Diese Merkmale sind betörend, sowohl für die Figuren, die ihre Geschichte bisher erzählt haben, als auch für den Zuhörer. Sie laden zu bestimmten Fragen ein: Wer ist Jenny wirklich? Wovor läuft sie weg? Nun, sie ist eine Kriegerin und eine Diebin, und da es sich um ein Album der Mountain Goats handelt, ist es eine sichere Wette, dass das, wovor sie flieht, etwas Schlimmes ist. Etwas katastrophal Schlimmes. Jenny from Thebes ist die Geschichte von Jenny, ihrem Haus im südwestlichen Ranchstil, den Menschen, für die dieses Haus ein Ort der Sicherheit ist, und der westtexanischen Stadt, die sich mit ihrer Existenz nicht anfreunden kann. Es ist eine Geschichte über das Individuum und die Gesellschaft, über Sicherheit und Schutz und diejenigen, die sich dafür entscheiden, sich um sie zu kümmern, wenn es sonst niemand tut. Aufgenommen im legendären The Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma, mit der Grammy-prämierten Produzentin/Technikerin Trina Shoemaker, ist Jenny from Thebes eine üppige Sammlung von Songs, die Darnielle als Sängerin und die Mountain Goats als Band vorantreibt, indem sie ihre klangliche Palette wieder einmal erweitert und sich an Einflüsse wie Godspell, Jim Steinman und The Cars anlehnt. Getragen von den Bläser- und Streicherarrangements von Matt Douglas, der verträumten Gitarre der Bully-Leaderin (und Bleed Out-Produzentin) Alicia Bognanno und den Backing Vocals von Kathy Valentine von den Go-Go's und Matt Nathanson, ist Jenny from Thebes ein Musical von großem Ausmaß, ein Melodram mit detailreichen Charakteren und mitreißenden Emotionen.

Even as a little boy, Johnny Cash has a feeling he was going to be famous one day. It wasn’t the kind of premonition he could go about telling people. They’d have thought dreams of fame and riches pretty far removed from the Cash’s barely-productive 40-acre cotton farm in Arkansas. Especially since Johnny had no idea how he was going to make his mark.

Johnny left the farm to go into the Air Force — and in his travels he acquired first, a wife — and secondly, a guitar. Assigned to Germany and forced to leave his wife behind, Johnny found a faithful companion in his guitar. The boys in his barracks seem to like his “pickin’ and singin'” and gradually the plan for a career began to take shape. He would be a singer — a country singer.

When he got back from service, Johnny was not so modest about his plans for the future. He let his Memphis friends know he was going to be a singer — a good singer, a famous singer — a singer who would revolutionize country music. No matter how long it took — he was determined!

As it happened, Lady Luck inclined her face toward Johnny almost immediately. His releases on the Sun label were instantly acclaimed, and in 1956, one year after Johnny Cash launched his recording career, he was named the most promising country and western artist of the year in four separate polls.

After the success of “I Walk the Line” as a simultaneous C & W and popular hit, it was indicated the course Johnny’s career should take. Though always identifying himself as a singer for the country fans — a favorite entertainer on the Grand Ole Opry — Johnny Cash with “Ballad of a Teen-Age Queen” came to be a top selling artist in the pop recording field.

Almost reluctantly, Johnny evolved a pop-county style in arrangement and instrumentation, evident in such hits as “Guess Things Happen That Way” and “The Ways of a Woman in Love” to supply the demand for Cash records by fans of both types of music. It is ironic that Johnny Cash caused more of a revolution in pop music than in country music, as was his aim, by being one of the first C & W artists exposed on national “general entertainment” TV shows; and the first C & W artist to capture the LP market with one great release (Sun 1220).

Johnny Cash — in his voice, looks and demeanor — carries a certain aura of “specialness.” He is a very dramatic figure — tall, muscular, with blue-black hair. He looks the part of a folk singer — a 20th century wandering minstrel. And his fatalistic style, both in composing and singing, has a quality of monotone, but of “emotional monotone” that defies analysis, but which is genuinely powerful.

Johnny Cash is one of those persons endowed with an exceptional talent which has to express itself. And being expressed, his talent has been uniquely recognized and applauded by many loyal fans, who will enjoy this reminiscent album of the songs which to date are landmarks in the career of the one and only Johnny Cash.

More Than A Whisper: Celebrating The Music Of Nanci Griffith is an all-star tribute to the legacy of the GRAMMY award-winning singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Featured artists include Brandy Clark, Shawn Colvin, Iris Dement, Steve Earle, Mary Gauthier, Emmylou Harris, Sarah Jarosz, Lyle Lovett and Kathy Mattea, Ida Mae, John Prine and Kelsey Waldon, Todd Snider, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and The War And Treaty covering some of Griffith’s most notable releases. ★★★★ - MOJO “More Than A Whisper is Olympic standard” 9/10 Americana UK

Formed by Monster Magnet’s John McBain and Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron & Ben Shepherd in 1993 during some downtime from their day jobs and side project Hater (who released a self-titled album in 1993), Wellwater Conspiracy set about immersing themselves in the dayglo world of sixties psychedelia, channelling the vibrations of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd and the 13th Floor Elevators to produce the garage lo-fi-lysergic assault on the senses that is their debut album ‘Declaration of Conformity’. Originally issued on Mudhoney’s Steve Turners Super Electro label in 1997, the album was met with critical acclaim upon its release, and Rolling Stone magazine said, “Declaration’s tinny, fuzzed-out sonics decidedly evoke the Summer of Love.” God Unknown Records are proud to be welcoming the album back into print and on all digital platforms, and this coming September 22nd will see the release of a remastered vinyl pressing with extra tracks and new artwork taking influence from Blue Note Records’ fabled artwork. From start to finish, ‘Declaration Of Conformity’ is a loving homage to the true beginnings of psychedelic rock, long before the music got harder and heavier. Songs like ‘Green Undertow’ and ‘Sleeveless’ hark back to the time when The Beatles were spinning the world on its axis with ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, Syd Barrett was the piper at the gates of dawn and Roky Erickson was introducing the world to his Texan psychedelic sounds. Wellwater Conspiracy’s music exists at that moment when pop music started to fracture and go far further out. It was still pop music, but the edges were starting to blur and the sounds were starting to fracture. This is where ‘Declaration of Conformity’ sits; at the dawn of one of the biggest cultural shifts in musical history. The Bandcamp link will also feature two bonus download-only tracks, a cover of ‘Akka Ragga’ by Shocking Blue and ‘Late Night’ by Syd Barrett. Both tracks feature Josh Homme on guitar and bass. Tracklisting A1 Sleeveless A2 You Do You A3 Trowerchord A4 Green Undertow A5 I Love You Every Day Sandy A6 Nati Bati Yi A7 Far Side Of Your Moon B1 The Ending B2 Space Travel In The Blink Of An Eye B3 6-6-5-4-3-2-1 B4 Shel Talmy B5 Lucy Leave B6 Declaration Of Conformity B7 Palomar Observatory

Skarra Mucci is a Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall artist born in Kingston. Known as the "Dancehall President", his career counts 7 solo albums, including the essential "Return of the Raggamuffin" (2012) and countless classics and cult collaborations, such as the hit "My Sound" from the album "Greater Than Great" (2014) which exceeds 15 million cumulative Spotify and YouTube streams and the critically acclaimed album "Dancehall President" (2016) with its tour of more than 100 dates around the world, from Mexico to China.

5 years after the release of "Skarra Mucci & The One Love Family" (2018), this essential figure of Jamaican music, with his versatile flow and recognizable voice, announces a new studio album with multiple influences "Perfect Timing", which is scheduled for release on September 29, 2023.

The album opens with a hybrid roots-tinged hip hop riddim. Brass and percussion resonate throughout the track as Skarra Mucci gives way to a mesmerizing voice sample that gives the track “Here I Come” all its depth.

An introduction that sets the tone for an album tinged with a mix of genres by Skarra Mucci and his team of top producers brought together by Undisputed Records. "Perfect Timing" is indeed an ode to Reggae of all eras, full of nods to the Sound System culture, from its beginnings to the present day. From the choice of the featurings to that of the producers, nothing is left to chance to offer us a journey through the highlights of this rich culture which has never ceased to evolve, without any period being left behind.

For his 1st single, it is with a major player in the current Reggae scene that Skarra Mucci has chosen to announce the release of his 8th solo album by inviting the Martiniquais Yaniss Odua on the title "Roots Rock Reggae".

Accustomed to albums teeming with successful collaborations, "Perfect Timing" is obviously no exception to the rule. We find in particular on the title "Street Dance" the essential French producers of L'Entourloop, with whom he released the very successful EP "Golden Nuggets" (2019, 6 titles, 17M cumulative streams Spotify and YouTube) to drop once again a banger between Hip-Hop and Dancehall in line with their huge 2013 hit “Dreader Than Dread” (38M combined Spotify and YouTube streams).

Jamaican legend Johnny Osbourne also takes part in the celebration for a version of his classic of the digital era "What A La La", with Skarra Mucci on the Stalag riddim replayed for the occasion by the beatmaker specialist in the matter: Manudigital.

Skarra Mucci continues his exploration of various styles and influences with the very groovy "Dancehall", produced by the musicians of Dub Akom, in which he lets us perceive all his class and his swing. We also find the massive “Who Fool Them”, a UK stepper track produced by Evidence Music, but also the future Dancehall classic “Rappa Pam Pam”, or the huge “Misty Babylon” in a much more Roots register.

The album "Perfect Timing" ends with the eponymous title, on a riddim and Lovers Rock melodies carried by a joyful piano and a groovy bass. A finale in the form of a declaration of love for Reggae, this music which gave him so much and to which he gave everything.

See you on September 29, 2023 to discover "Perfect Timing", Skarra Mucci's new album.

A pungent ooze emanates from the subway. As a sticky drum machine sequence rolls out like thick dark fog, ice cold synth swirls rise from the depths.

Since the debut album Europe By Night, one of the main references associated with Henrik Stelzer and his Metro Riders project has been that of cinema, and particularly the European genre films of the 1980s. With its seedy subject matters manifesting both in visual style and music, the vibe of that era has crystallized over time. Passed down to us from deteriorating video cassettes, it became an invaluable key to decoding our present day reality.

And this is true for this album as well; Stelzer does not hide the fact that he builds heavily on that vibe; referencing it through track titles and utilizing a particular recording setup consisting of a Fostex and a reel to reel in order to achieve and recreate the feeling of those soundtracks — as heard on magnetic tape rather than vinyl.

The motion picture soundtrack as an arbitrary genre definition becomes, in the hands of Stelzer, a pair of X-ray specs for him to envision a kind of music that deals in grains and contrasts rath- er than hooks and choruses. And like Roddy Piper in John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live, he hands those glasses over for us to see the true face of our times.

On Lost In Reality Metro Riders maps out an emotional geography of the cities at night, wherein the cinematic haze becomes a tool by which we can view the cities with new eyes. Not steering away from the darker alleys nor the harsh realities of modern day politics masquerading as progress. Yet escapism, in the end, seems the only viable option. But not as an endgame, but rather a stepping stone for building a new vocabulary for an utopian language.

The only album to soundtrack both late-'70s Minneapolis lounges and a Travis Scott x Dior fashion show. Recorded in a host of living rooms with only a Fender Rhodes piano, a Donca Matic Mini Pops drum machine, and Senrick's wide-eyed, 20-year-old voice, the 1977 LP disappeared into the wild and joined the Wendigo in Minnesota lore. A provocative mix of marina soul, easy listening, and loner folk, Dreamin' is a sanguine sliver of the American private mind garden. Harsh winters coupled with a relative lack of interest amongst siblings allowed Chuck Senrick years of unfettered access to the family piano in their Farmington, Minnesota, home. Learning both by ear and by instruction, Senrick began gigging professionally at age 15, joining John Zimmer and the CR4 for a weekly rundown of Allman Brothers, Blind Faith, and Cream covers at the Sea Girt Inn in Lake Orchard. Tapping into James Taylor's pop-chart achievements in songwriting and enunciation, Senrick composed the bulk of the songs featured on Dreamin' before graduating from Farmington High School. At 20, Senrick migrated 30 miles north to the Twin Cities to pursue music full-time. Using borrowed equipment and borrowed living rooms, a string of informal recording sessions generated the quarter-inch tape for Dreamin'. "I didn't know how to do it," Senrick says about producing an album. "I just knew it could be done." Constructed with vocals, Fender Rhodes, and an assortment of rhythm presets on his Donca Matic Mini Pops drum machine, a mere 200 copies of the private-press masterpiece were stamped and sleeved and sold hand-to-hand at performances. Chuck's wife Lesli illustrated the album cover_a pen-to-paper portrait of her husband against the backdrop of the Minneapolis Skyline, she and their newborn son situated on a nearby knoll. Any plans for a re-press were quashed when producer Bruce W. Hansen lost the reels during a messy divorce. "I was a kid with big ideas and not much hope to do anything but play," Senrick said of the Dreamin' era. "It still amazes me that people are interested in it."

Originally released on Rocket Girl in 2000, Piano Magic’s third album proper heralded a seismic and surprising shift away from its more electronic predecessors, ‘Popular Mechanics’ and ‘Low Birth Weight.’ ‘Artists’ Rifles’ is Piano Magic’s first band-band album and marks their debut, actual recording studio appearance. Improvised on the spot and produced/recorded over just five days by John A. Rivers (Dead Can Dance, Felt), at his Woodbine St Studios in Leamington Spa, stylistically, the record could feasibly be described as the first (only?) baroque post-rock record, utilising as it does, consciously or otherwise, influences as broad as Bach and Codeine.
For ‘Artists’ Rifles’ the core of Glen Johnson (vocals/guitars/keyboards), John Cheves (guitars), Paul Tornbohm (bass) and Miguel Marin (drums/percussion) were augmented by guests Caroline Potter (vocals) and Adrienne Quartly (cello).
The success of ‘Artists’ Rifles,’ particularly in Spain, kickstarted a wealth of touring possibilities and over the next 16 years, the band toured all over Europe. It also caught the attention of 4AD Records, for whom they signed to the following year.
This 2023 vinyl re-pressing honours the original (Matt Dornan) sleeve design and beautiful photography of Royal Artillery Memorial (Hyde Park, London), by John Cheves of the band.
“Classic English folk music for the 21st century” – Record Collector
“Glen Johnson and cohorts explore a doomed English romanticism, boldly linking contemporary romantic mores with the lost generation of 1914 – 18…. strangely it works….” – The Wire
“Another endearingly odd record, drifting along the seawall between the macabre and melancholy. This is the work of 4AD obsessives who have learnt to love electronica.” - Q

Glacial Domination, das zweite Album von FROZEN SOUL, lässt das Death-Metal-Quintett aus Dallas in noch tiefere Abgründe eintauchen als es ihr Century Media-Debüt Crypt of Ice aus dem Jahr 2021 andeutete. Tracks wie 'Invisible Enemy' (unter Mitwirkung von Mitgliedern von Power Trip und Creeping Death), 'Abominable' oder der Titeltrack des Albums sind eine Lawine von Riffs und unvergesslichen Hooks, die an eiskalte Klassiker des Death Metal erinnern und FROZEN SOUL zu einem Spitzenprädatoren des modernen Extrem-Metal machen. Glacial Domination, das von Matthew K. Heafy (Trivium) mitproduziert wurde, markiert eine Verschiebung hin zu brutaler Zugänglichkeit, ohne FROZEN SOULs Markenzeichen - die Düsternis und Grausamkeit - aufzutauen. Mit dem 2-Song-Zyklus des Albums, 'Frozen Soul' / 'Assimilator', inspiriert von John Carpenters antarktischem Sci-Fi/Horror-Klassiker 'Das Ding aus einer anderen Welt', verfeinern Frontmann Chad Green und seine kalte Crew den unverwechselbaren Sound und die Vision der Band weiter. Der ewige Winter ist da. Die Eiszeit von FROZEN SOUL ist angebrochen. Glacial Domination ist als Standard CD Jewelcase, Ltd. black LP (in schwerem 180g-Vinyl und mit einer speziellen Matt/Glanz-Beschichtung der Cover-Hülle)

ANTI- Records is honored to share a never-before-heard album by Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse titled Bird Machine. Originally recorded in 2010 and mixed by Mark Hamilton (who also worked on It"s A Wonderful Life), Mark"s brother Matt notes "great care has been taken to archive and preserve Mark"s music.

We are very thankful for Mark and the beauty he brought to this world." Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band formed by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous in the mid-1990s.

Born on September 9, 1962, in Arlington, Virginia, Linkous began playing music as a teenager. Described as an artist who "compelled listeners to heed the beauty of darkness" by Pitchfork, Sparklehorse released many influential records, including the renowned albumsn Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot and Good Morning Spider in the "90s, It"s A Wonderful Life and Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain in the early aughts, and a collaborative album Dark Night of the Soul released in 2010.

Throughout his career Mark collaborated with thought provoking artists like Vic Chesnutt, Daniel Johnston, Tom Waits, Danger Mouse, and David Lynch.

While Mark recorded in various studios, collaborating with other musicians and producers, he did much of his work in his home studio, Static King, often playing and recording everything on his own. He was "very much kind of a working-class guy with a very poetic sensibility, who was drawn to artists like himself, who worked in isolation," said NPR Fresh Air"s Ken Tucker.

ANTI- Records is honored to share a never-before-heard album by Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse titled Bird Machine. Originally recorded in 2010 and mixed by Mark Hamilton (who also worked on It"s A Wonderful Life), Mark"s brother Matt notes "great care has been taken to archive and preserve Mark"s music.

We are very thankful for Mark and the beauty he brought to this world." Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band formed by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous in the mid-1990s.

Born on September 9, 1962, in Arlington, Virginia, Linkous began playing music as a teenager. Described as an artist who "compelled listeners to heed the beauty of darkness" by Pitchfork, Sparklehorse released many influential records, including the renowned albumsn Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot and Good Morning Spider in the "90s, It"s A Wonderful Life and Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain in the early aughts, and a collaborative album Dark Night of the Soul released in 2010.

Throughout his career Mark collaborated with thought provoking artists like Vic Chesnutt, Daniel Johnston, Tom Waits, Danger Mouse, and David Lynch.

While Mark recorded in various studios, collaborating with other musicians and producers, he did much of his work in his home studio, Static King, often playing and recording everything on his own. He was "very much kind of a working-class guy with a very poetic sensibility, who was drawn to artists like himself, who worked in isolation," said NPR Fresh Air"s Ken Tucker.

Available only n Germany!

ANTI- Records is honored to share a never-before-heard album by Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse titled Bird Machine. Originally recorded in 2010 and mixed by Mark Hamilton (who also worked on It"s A Wonderful Life), Mark"s brother Matt notes "great care has been taken to archive and preserve Mark"s music.

We are very thankful for Mark and the beauty he brought to this world." Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band formed by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous in the mid-1990s.

Born on September 9, 1962, in Arlington, Virginia, Linkous began playing music as a teenager. Described as an artist who "compelled listeners to heed the beauty of darkness" by Pitchfork, Sparklehorse released many influential records, including the renowned albumsn Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot and Good Morning Spider in the "90s, It"s A Wonderful Life and Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain in the early aughts, and a collaborative album Dark Night of the Soul released in 2010.

Throughout his career Mark collaborated with thought provoking artists like Vic Chesnutt, Daniel Johnston, Tom Waits, Danger Mouse, and David Lynch.

While Mark recorded in various studios, collaborating with other musicians and producers, he did much of his work in his home studio, Static King, often playing and recording everything on his own. He was "very much kind of a working-class guy with a very poetic sensibility, who was drawn to artists like himself, who worked in isolation," said NPR Fresh Air"s Ken Tucker.

Gold nugget vinyl (2023 repress)! A masterclass in cinematic psychedelia, `God Intentions' is the third studio album from Glasgow outfit Helicon and is due out April 28 on Fuzz Club. Their most ambitious and collaborative album to date, it was recorded at Dystopia, Glasgow with producers Luigi Pasquini and Jason Shaw, mastered by RIDE's Mark Gardener and includes contributions from the Rhona MacFarlane String Quartet, Lavinia Blackwall (Trembling Bells), Mark O'Donnell (Tomorrow Syndicate), Sotho Houle (French avant-garde violinist) and Anna McCracken. Talking about the new record, guitarist/vocalist John-Paul Hughes says: "`God Intentions' is inspired by my brother Gary's story and a few other influences. It's a journey through regret, redemption and resurrection. Our familiar darkness is there, but the record carries a fresh and uplifting positivity. I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to sound and feel long before it began. We're so pleased we achieved it. We managed to hold true to the idea whilst allowing the string quartet, Sotho, Lavinia, Anna, Mark, Jason, Luigi and other collaborators the space to put their mark on it. The album art, by San Francisco-based collage artist Nina Theda Black, captures the depth and breadth of themes and sounds we brought together to create a kind of motion in your mind."

From the towering influence of Charley Patton and Son House to lesser- known artists shrouded in mystery, these seminal recordings helped lay the foundations or the electric blues and rock explosion to come.

"One Sunday afternoon in 1990, I had a phone call from Keith saying that Sarah Records had received the demo cassette the two of us had recorded on a 4-track in a friend's shed and were interested in putting out two of the songs as a single. T

hey were Clearer and Alison. Delighted by this news, we booked some recording time with a studio we'd regularly used in our previous incarnation as Feverfew, the White House in Weston-super-Mare.

This was the first time we'd ever played a note of music that was using someone else's money, so the pressure was being felt. We recorded Clearer, Fearon and Chelsea Guitar, with Clearer becoming Sarah 55, the first of eight singles for the band across two labels. At that time, we were still toying with a name for ourselves and had settled with the Art Bunnies.

While driving us back home from Weston, though, I declared that I really couldn't see how people would take us seriously with a name like that. Disappointed, Keith (Girdler) then got out a piece of paper upon which he'd written several other contenders. These included Opal Trumpet, the Smiling Monarchs and (thankfully) Blueboy."

A Colourful Storm presents Blueboy's singles collection and the band's final retrospective release. Beautiful gatefold sleeve designed by Sarah Records' own Matt Haynes with original artwork insert, postcard and liner notes by Paul Stewart.

Their second LP, Astral Plains, arrives on via We Are Busy Bodies. While the group's 2021 debut Noteland was described as "akin to getting stuck in a sensory deprivation tank with Keith Jarrett", in itself by no means a bad scenario, by contrast Astral Plains opens up, offering spacious and blue- sky arrangements and production. Perhaps it's closer to laying in a prairie field looking for animals in the clouds with Mark Hollis.

A year after its first edition, the Open Space series returns in order to keep exploring what ambient music might mean nowadays.

A breadth of fresh artists, some new to the label and others renowned for their more dance-centric works, the compilation aims to give each individual artist their creative freedom to explore the space.

Techno producers such as Arthur Robert or label head Len Faki himself keep the beats present but this time focus on evoking states of introspection rather than the shuffle of dancefloors.
On the other end of the spectrum, we find seasoned multi-instrumentalist Laraaji, who has been crafting deeply meditative soundscapes since the 80’s. Using the special opportunity, the label reaches outside its usual sphere, inviting artists like the modular synth expert Jeremy Wentorth or Jimmy LaValle’s band project The Album Leaf. All while still featuring some well known veteran producers the likes of John Beltran or Exos.

No matter their respective scene or background, all artists are using their unique approach to display something deeply emotive. Be it the warm, expansive electro of Future Beat Alliance or a bubbly cosmic arpride by Hamburg Duo Can Love Be Synth.

Truly living up to its name, the Open Space series aims to open up possibilities for artists to freely pursue their creativity in a completely undefined area, a space for exploration and connection.

Ivory colored vinyl, limited to 150 copies. "When did time start flying by so fast? It's getting harder to recall the past." The opening lines of As Friends Rust's upcoming album Any Joy are a fitting start for a band that has existed in one form or another for over 25 years (minus a hiatus from 2002-2008). Originally formed in the late `90s, As Friends Rust has been through a few iterations, but it is the core line-up of vocalist Damien Moyal, guitarist Joseph Simmons, guitarist James Glayat, and drummer Timothy Kirkpatrick that are creating thought-provoking melodic punk music for the modern age. With three EPs, two 7 inches, and a full-length in their history, As Friends Rust already have a lifetime of work in their pocket, but the seven songs on Any Joy might just be their most striking yet. Originating in Gainesville, Florida and now spread across the country, As Friends Rust wrote, recorded, and produced Any Joy mostly from the comfort of their own homes. Vocals in Ann Arbor, MI, guitars in Gainesville, FL and Brooklyn, NY, with the exception of the drums, which were recorded in a studio by John Howard in Gainesville. Not currently having a permanent bassist, the band called upon friend Andrew Seward (of Against Me!) to play bass on most of the record, with additional contributions from Simmons. Mixed by James Paul Wisner in Orlando, FL and mastered by Matthias Lohmöller in Germany, the creation of the album was truly a collaborative and international effort. Working in separate spaces allowed the band to experiment more as the songs came together, resulting in a familiar but fresh sound that has more bite than past releases. It's more focused, more direct, more confrontational, more catchy, while still staying true to the band's melodic punk and hardcore roots. Lyrics tackle everything from the emptiness of emoticons as a form of communication on "Positive Mental Platitude" to the need for political and social activism versus the occurrences of daily life on "??No Gods, Some Masters."

Now here's a cover album with a few interesting angles to it -
First there is the fact that Matthews Southern Comfort have a, let's call it:
Woodstock history - Well over 6 million spotify streams confirm the
legendary status of Matthews Southern Comfort's global hit
And of course: although this collection is called the Woodstock Album, the song
itself is not featured on this album as it was written post festival and therefor
never performed at Mac Yasgur's farm.
In 2022 MSC were looking for a way to reactivate the band as a viable and touring
unit again. The concept they came up with was a Matthews Southern Comfort reinterpretation of songs that were all performed at the Festival by artists like Joe
Cocker, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, John Sebastian and The
Grateful Dead
The songs very much speak for themselves, as do these new versions with a
distinct Matthews Southern Comfort signature.

Incredible jazz / prog / folk score to groundbreaking tattoo film by maverick filmmaker. Unreleased until now, so don’t go saying it’s a reissue because it isn’t, but I’m sure some people will because they always do.

John Samson (1946 - 2004) was a truly great documentary maker. He must be as I’ve been obsessed with his work for many years. Educated first at Glasgow School Of Art (circa 1963) and then finally in the art of film making at The National Film And Television School in Beaconsfield - he headed there in its opening year of 1971 having made a short film that got him a scholarship.

It was at the NFTS that Samson met Mike Wallington, who was to become his right hand man and eventual producer; together as a quite brilliant team they made a handful of inspiring, entertaining and hugely prescient films about important, overlooked, unseen and marginal fringes in society. Tattoo (1975) Exploring the rather clandestine world of tattooing in the UK. Dressing For Pleasure (1977) Exploring the rather clandestine world of festish in the UK. Brittania (1979) A film about railway enthusiasts and a steam train restoration.

Arrows (1979) The life of dart player Eric Bristow. Drag Ball (1981) An unreleased film about the annual Porchester Hall Drag Ball. The Skin Horse (1983) BAFTA winning film about The Outsiders Club, a dating agency for disabled people. The subject matter in all films was always unusual for the time, and Samson managed to navigate his way with compassion, interest and subtlety, immersing himself in the chosen scene and producing moving, fascinating and sometimes darkly amusing situations. His documentaries also do not rely on traditional voiceovers, with stories, facts and narrative threads being dictated by the subjects.

I’ve tried for a long time to find the music for a couple of his early films (there was actually an original 7” for Arrows) - so far this is the only unreleased soundtrack I have found. This one was written by Steve Jolliffe, who met Samson at the NFTS. Joliffe was the resident composer and had a room at the college complex where he could work on scores for the fledgling film makers. Jolliffe was and still is a multi-instrumentalist and prolific composer who had met Edgar Froese at the Berlin Konservatorium in the late 1960s and played in an early incarnation of Tangerine Dream. He toured with blues rock outfit Steamhammer, before hanging out at the NFTS, making this recording (and many others) and eventually rejoining Tangerine Dream in the late 1970s. Jolliffe still writes, records and releases today and once i had made contact with him we traced the original Tattoo master tape to a box at his brother’s house. Musically it’s charming, slightly folky, a touch baroque, there’s a whiff of prog too, and it perfectly suited this early documentary about the art and desire of tattoos. I only wish it was longer. But the film is only 16 minutes long. Seek it out if you can. Try and find all the Samson films, they really are a joy.

As well as featuring intimate footage of tattooed people, the film also includes a rare and very early interview with Alan Oversby (better known as Mr Sebastian), a seminal character in the development of tattoos and body modifications worldwide - it was he who eventually was to tattoo and pierce Genesis P-Orridge.

The images for this vinyl release were all found in Mike Wallington’s Tattoo documentary research folder from 1974, and were photos sent in to Mike and John by people who wanted to feature in the film. Most answered an advert in Time Out, and others included people from my home town of Aldershot where tattooist Bill Skuse and his wife, Rusty (the most tattooed woman in Britain at the time, and featured in the film) were based. His parlour was situated at the back of the arcade where we all used to lose all our pocket money in the slot machines.
The Musicians:
Steve Jolliffe - keyboards, flute, sax Geoff Jolliffe - bass guitar Julian Furniss - guitar Mick Kirby - drums