quête:matt matter

MJ Lenderman is a songwriter born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. The anatomy of an MJ record might go something like this: warped pedal steels and skuzzed out guitar; crackin" a cold one with some buds; a voice reminiscent of the high lonesome warble of a choirboy. Songs snake their way from a lo-fi home recording to something glossier made withn longtime friends at Asheville"s Drop of Sun studios, but the recording setting doesn"t seem to matter much - at its core, a Lenderman song rings true. Manning Fireworks is a remarkable development in MJ Lenderman"s story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humor always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an ernerging guitar hero. There"s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman Iets listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens.

Maurizio 'Angus' Bidoli's brilliant 'Diary Of Dreams' was issued in 1998 as a very limited CD only release given to friends and colleagues. It has never been re-issued, and therefore this is its’ first ever appearance on vinyl and official CD. Angus is a native of Rome, and has played guitar with many bands, most notably the Italian metal outfit Fingernails. However, his love for the trippier, Hendrix-inspired psych jamming has manifested itself in several solo projects, and this is a great example of that. Angus plays all the instruments on this outing, and it's his wonderful guitar playing that comes to the fore. Blue Matter are genuinely thrilled to be able to make this great album available for the first time in 25 years. We've been fans of Angus since we met him at a gig in Rome in the early 90s, and he gave us a cassette of some of his solo psych jamming. To share his talent with other like-minded souls is something we’ve wanted to do all that time, and finally we’ve been able to put out one of his projects. We truly hope you enjoy it.

We expect that many of you will have heard of Anton Barbeau, but for those who haven’t, and indeed those who have but don’t know much about him, here’s some relevant information. Anton is from Sacramento, California and has been putting out his music on a variety of labels since the early 90s. He has lived in the UK and Germany, and we believe he’s now back in California. A brilliant singer/songwriter and performer with an ear for a catchy, psychedelic tune, Anton has worked with plenty of celebrated artists over the years, including Scott Miller, Colin Moulding, Kimberly Rew, Andy Metcalfe, Morris Windsor, Robbie Mackintosh and many more. In 2006 he released ‘In The Village Of The Apple Sun’ on San Francisco’s Four Way Records as a CD only issue. When we started Blue Matter, Anton contacted us suggesting we might like to re-issue the album, as it had never been on vinyl, and he thought it’s overtly psychedelic direction would suit the label. We, of course, agreed. Having worked with Anton over 20 years ago, we were familiar with his output, and were overjoyed to get the opportunity to release this masterpiece on our label. Great songs, great playing, it’s a thoroughly wonderful album, and it’s a genuine pleasure to be working with the excellent Mr Barbeau once again.

Blue Matter are extremely proud to be releasing a brand-new album by the great English eccentric, Paul Roland. ‘Morbid Beauty’ will make its’ appearance in mid 2024 and is a fantastic example of Paul’s trademark mixture of gothic rock and psychedelia, if perhaps a little more rock flavoured than usual. To Blue Matters’ surprise and delight the album features our old friend Mick Crossley (Flyte Reaction) on guitar throughout. Paul Roland is from Kent and has been making music since the late 70s. He has issued countless albums on a variety of labels and has been cited as a ‘psych legend’, a ‘true cult hero’ and a ‘great innovator’. Frank Zappa is quoted as saying somewhat amusingly ‘Paul Roland writes nice music, but it’s too complicated for me!’ Paul’s musical reputation is probably somewhat greater in Europe than in the UK, which seems strange as he has been so influential to many British acts. Paul is also a celebrated music journalist and successful author having written books on cinema, history and music. For us, to be able to release a new album, and a fantastic album at that, by an artist of his calibre is a long and handsome peacocks’ feather in Blue Matters’ Edwardian top hat

On August 16, Toronto-based musician and producer David Psutka aka ACT! (fka Egyptrixx / Anamai / Ceramic TL) will release his latest project ‘Face to Face, Day by Day’ for his own Halocline Trance imprint.

This is is Psutka’s third album proper as ACT! following the release of the “sonic mixtape” ‘Universalist’ in 2018 and the augmented reality soundtrack ‘Grey Matter AR’ in 2021; a series of Snapchat filters created by artist Karen Vanderborght and soundtracked by ACT! which explored the poetic and existential potential of AR and social media.

“Aesthetic accidents in the periphery of the ‘work’ can be the message. In 2018, at an Egyptrixx concert at Bagni Misteriosi de Teatro Franco Parenti - a gorgeous, sprawling outdoor pool theatre in Milan - I had a clarifying moment. Gigs around then had mostly been in pummelling, dark music venues, so I wasn't prepared for this expansive space (and the thoughtful work of the organisers who had layered sheets of plastic film on the pool to parallel eco-materialist themes from a previous album). It was the midday soundcheck that struck me most - brittle digital sounds from the set echoed off the colonial Milanese facades and ricocheted down the Via Carlo Botta, pinging off buildings in the distance and clashing with the noise of traffic, tourists and whatever else. It was a strange, collisionist moment, and a reminder that my essential approach to music is, above all, a preoccupation with the materiality of sound. 

Everything on Face to Face, Day by Day began as an improvisation. Openness to accidents and the emotional complexity that comes from centering them in composition has become important to my work, and helps the music go beyond the possibility of what is playable, imaginable. I also wanted to channel adventurous solo pop records of the 1970’s and 80’s, like Yasuaki Shimizu, Jon + Vangelis and Stevie Wonder. These came from an interesting era in commercial music as studio production techniques became increasingly formalised as compositional devices, like AMS RMX16 percussion sounds and early digital stereo effects. 

Like many musicians, I’ve been travelling and performing less since the pandemic and as a result, have wanted studio sessions to feel more collaborative and improvisational. There were great writing and recording sessions for this album. Vox, synth, sax and guitar jams - much of what ended up on the record isn’t edited much, if at all. I jammed a sm57 into Colin Fisher’s sax bell and created feedback loops using various preamps and distortion units. The clunky sounds were sampled and used as percussion elements. I also had a great synth jam session with Jeremy Greenspan at Barton Building Studio in Hamilton, which was recorded by filmmaker Liz Adler. 

I’ve had a few months to sit with this album and see clear throughlines connecting it to previous projects. There are aspects of the experiential and structuralist sound design ideas from the EGYPTRIXX records; and also some arrangement tricks borrowed from ANAMAI - specifically, the use of interruptionist sound events. Perhaps most of all, it feels connected to the Ceramic TL + Ipek Gorgun record ‘Perfect Lung’ and its splattered take on musical complexity. “ (David Psutka)

In addition to ACT!, Psutka has released music with numerous projects including Anamai, Egyptrixx and Ceramic TL, he has collaborated widely with artists such as Junior Boys, Ipek Gorgun, and Kuedo as well as Jessy Lanza (2016) and an official remix for Massive Attack’s ‘Hymn of the Big Wheel (2012). The contributions on this album, from Robin Dann and Ben Gunning, reflect the deeply collaborative nature of the Halocline Trance label and the Toronto creative scene more broadly.

Many of Psutka’s releases have received critical acclaim from media outlets such as Pitchfork, Exclaim, The Quietus and Resident Advisor. As a live performer, he has toured extensively including performing at Sonar Festival, Roskilde, Mutek, MOMA PS1 Warm-UP and CTM Festival. He’s also presented sound installations at various institutions such as Galeria Civica Commune di Modena, and Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

In 2015, Psutka launched Halocline Trance as a home for his various sound projects, events and collaborations. Now a creative collective and label, it has grown to include a diverse array of artists including Casey MQ, Xuan Ye, Myst Milano, Colin Fisher and others. The label is described as “genre-agnostic” and conceptually open, supporting work across a wide spectrum of creative fields including soundtrack recording, AR design and traditional artist albums. Their impeccable roster also includes, theorist/improviser Eldritch Priest, and AR/VR artist Karen Vanderborght. In recent years, Halocline Trance has established itself as a platform that facilitates many of Canada’s most exciting creative music projects. Many of the releases have received critical acclaim from outlets including Pitchfork, Exclaim, Bandcamp and Resident Advisor.

Das Top-20-Live-Album aus dem Jahr
1993, ist zum ersten Mal überhaupt
auf LP erhältlich.

MJ Lenderman is a songwriter born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. The anatomy of an MJ record might go something like this: warped pedal steels and skuzzed out guitar; crackin" a cold one with some buds; a voice reminiscent of the high lonesome warble of a choirboy. Songs snake their way from a lo-fi home recording to something glossier made withn longtime friends at Asheville"s Drop of Sun studios, but the recording setting doesn"t seem to matter much - at its core, a Lenderman song rings true. Manning Fireworks is a remarkable development in MJ Lenderman"s story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humor always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an ernerging guitar hero. There"s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman Iets listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens.

‘Zerinjit’ invites us to the molecular world of sound, where every sonic entity is meticulously compounded to constitute the alchemic matter of the doomed reality and post-tribal escape, putting every cell into motion. Born out of debut collaboration between Den Haag’s JEANS and Florence’s TOMO from DE RIO, the EP is a massive merge of like-minded brains in a sonic dialogue, re-shaking the otherworld of techno music. An exhilarated heartbeat amidst industrial cries, shrieks, and squeals is levitated by fat hypnotic synth lines, while the rudimentary “chuckles” over the fate of the progressive, amplifying towards infinity in a symphonic and rhythmic celebration. The “Spectral Pattern” unveils the mystic force behind dragging and pulling the Hertz of the wavelength cycle, reflecting the emitted energy from the hardware core. We are turning around in vertigo, trying to capture “Gengar” bouncing across space, catching the liquid multiples of themselves. We are approaching the smoky clouds around “Acondrite-ung”, the unclimbable mountain that samarium creatures obsessively climb in hypnosis, never destined to reach the peak.

‘Zerinjit’ is a tale of the otherworld, its creatures, patterns, rhythms, saints, and martyrs, science and utopia, translated into a dance floor body language of the ordinary.

Dive into the pulsating depths of the electronic cosmos with "Star Travel," the groundbreaking double album vinyl release from the visionary techno maestro Orlando Voorn. Renowned for his innovative soundscapes and masterful command of the genre, Voorn takes listeners on an electrifying journey through the uncharted realms of techno music. Across two meticulously crafted vinyl records, "Star Travel" delivers an immersive sonic experience that transcends boundaries and defies expectations. Each track is a sonic odyssey, meticulously designed to ignite the senses and propel listeners into a state of euphoria. From the hypnotic rhythms of "Aerosol Waveforms" to the relentless energy of "Extraterrestrial" Voorn's mastery is on full display as he seamlessly blends intricate melodies with driving basslines and hypnotic beats. With a keen sense of experimentation, he pushes the boundaries of the genre, infusing elements of ambient, acid, and industrial techno to create a truly immersive sonic tapestry. As the needle glides across the vinyl grooves, listeners are transported to a dimension where time and space dissolve, and the only thing that matters is the pulsating rhythm of the music. Each track unfolds like a sonic revelation, inviting listeners to lose themselves in the hypnotic vibrations of Voorn's musical universe. With its lush artwork and meticulous attention to detail, "Star Travel" is not just an album, but a testament to the enduring power of techno music to inspire, uplift, and transcend. Whether experienced on the dancefloor or in the solitude of a dimly lit room, this double vinyl release is sure to leave a lasting impression on all who dare to embark on its exhilarating journey. Experience the future of techno music with "Star Travel" - a testament to Orlando Voorn's boundless creativity and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of electronic music.

repress !

“Tubby did three original dub albums, ‘Dub From The Roots’. ‘The Roots of Dub’ and the third is ‘Brass Rockers’ with Tommy McCook ‘pon the flying cymbals. Where he mixed it with the horn going in and out in a dub way and one named ‘Shalom Dub’ you can call Tubby’s too because he mixed the versions as they were off forty fives’’
Bunny ‘Striker‘ Lee

King Tubby and Producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee are intertwined in the birth of Dub Music. After discovering a mistake that made a ‘serious joke’ ( more of which later...) they went on to release the first pressings of this new musical genre namely ‘Dub Music’. Tubby’s vast knowledge of electronics and Bunny’s vast catalogue of rhythms would lay the foundations of what today is taken as a standard... the Remix / Version cuts to an existing vocal tune.

Osbourne ‘King Tubby’ Ruddock was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 28th January 1941 and grew up in the High Holborn Street area of downtown Kingston. He studied electronics at Kingston’s National Technical College and also on two correspondence courses from the U.S.A... When he had qualified Tubby began repairing radios and other electrical appliances in a shack in the back yard of his mother’s home. His work in the early days included winding transformers and building amplifiers for Kingston’s Sound Systems. Tubby built his first Sound System in 1957 playing jazz and Rhythm & Blues at local weddings and birthday parties. His reputation as a man who knew and understood both electronics and music grew steadily and as the sixties drew to a close. Tubby purchased his own basic two track equipment. He installed this alongside his dub cutting machine, a home made mixing console and his impressive collection of Jazz albums in the back bedroom of his home at 18 Dromilly Avenue which he christened his music room.

Tubby and Striker were at Treasure Isle Studio’s one day while Ruddy from Spanish Town was working with the engineer Byron Smith....

“Tubby and myself was talking when Ruddy was cutting some dub but Smithy (engineer) made a mistake through we were talking and forgot to put in the voice. It was two track recording in those days. Ruddy said ‘No Man! Make it stay! and so they cut the rhythm. When I went over to Ruddy’s that Saturday night a dance was in progress and when they played the vocal to the tune... then he said we’re going to play ‘Part Two’. They never called it ‘Version’..and then he played the rhythm track. The song was a catchy song and everybody started to sing along and the deejay started to toast so everything went down well. On Monday morning I went up and I said ‘Tubbs the mistake we made was a serious joke.It mash up Spanish Town! The people went wild. So you have to start to do that now ‘cause when the man put on the ‘Part Two’ everyone start singing this song. It played about twenty times. I said you try Tubbs!’...Well the next Saturday night now when Tubby strung up down the farm U Roy said he’s going to play ‘Part Two’ but Tubby did it different now. He started with the voice then dropped it out and let the rhythm run and then he brought in the voice in the middle and from there Tubby started to get really popular.’’
Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee

Dynamic Sounds upgraded to sixteen track recording in 1972 and Tubby purchased, again with the help of a deal brokered by Bunny Lee. The old four track equipment and the MCI console from their Studio B. The four tracks now gave him far wider scope to work with and he began to create a new musical form where the bass and drum parts were brought up while the faders allowed Tubby to ease the vocal and rhythm in and out of the mix. It was only a matter of time before Tubby’s dub plate experiments began to make it on to vinyl and the first ever long playing King Tubby releases would feature a collection of his mixes to a selection of Strikers rhythms. So please sit back and enjoy this historic set of sounds. Lovingly restored and with a few extra gems added to the CD Editions. These releases were the first to carry the name of King Tubby and the first to credit the great musicians that contributed so much to the rhythms that made these albums possible.

reissue

Waxwork Records präsentiert stolz den Original-Soundtrack von George A. Romeros DAWN OF THE DEAD. Dieses umfangreiche Dreifach-LP-Set enthält erstmals das vollständige De Wolfe-Archiv-Material aus Romeros Schnitt des Zombie-Klassikers von 1978 auf Vinyl. Diese besondere Veröffentlichung des ikonischen Dawn Of The Dead-Soundtracks enthält den US-amerikanischen Kino-Soundtrack, darunter "Cause I’m A Man" von der britischen Band Pretty Things sowie den beliebten "The Gonk" von Komponist Herbert Chappell. George A. Romeros Dawn Of The Dead gilt als einer der besten und fesselndsten Zombie-Filme aller Zeiten, indem er Horror, Gore und soziale Kommentare zur Konsumgesellschaft miteinander verbindet. Roger Ebert gab dem Film vier von vier Sternen und nannte ihn "einen der besten Horrorfilme, die je gemacht wurden". Der Film wurde 2008 von Empire Magazine als einer der 500 besten Filme aller Zeiten ausgewählt und erschien auch auf der Liste der besten 1000 Filme, die je gemacht wurden, die von der New York Times veröffentlicht wurde. Waxwork Records veröffentlicht nun stolz diesen Original-Soundtrack von George A. Romeros DAWN OF THE DEAD mit zahlreichen Features, darunter die 3 LPs auf farbigem Vinyl, ein schweres Deluxe--Gatefold Cover mit matter Satinbeschichtung mit dem Artwork von Ruiz Burgos, ein vierseitiges Booklet und umfangreiche Liner Notes von Jim Cirronella, Living Dead Archivar und Historiker für Filmmusik.

More than two years after the release of 'Impressões de Outra Ilha', Discrepant's head honcho returns home under his birth name with the appropriately titled 'Exotic Immensity'. Conjured from the seeds of an exhibition of dioramas at Le Bon Accueil in Rennes, this double LP feels quietly epic in scope, a sprawling travelogue through imagined scenarios and what if possibilities. Discarding the more rough around the edges collages of previous works under a myriad of aliases - Discogs it, if you will -, Cardoso's approach here is more meticulously composed, with seamless transitions within his own personal soundworld giving way to this hallucinated landscape of field recordings, subtle electronic tweaks, cascading patterns, queasy ambiences and kösmiche-like synth harmonies.

Perfectly embodied in Evan Crankshaw's cut up poem, filled with occult and sci-fi references such as Agrippa's Book of the Occult, William Blake's Book of Urizen, Dr. Moreau or 50's pop-science books, the music on 'Exotic Immensity' transverses time and cartography in a deeply personal matter, from the cricket-like textures and reverse loops of 'Réplica(s)' until the closing moments with the touching chord progression and mangled voices of 'Pó Nuno'. In-between, the foghorn meets bass clarinet melody of 'Ossos' recalls the unassuming but essential harmonic patterns of Laurence Crane, surrounded by an almost percussive sheet of field recordings that drift into the gliding synth tones of 'Desumanização (I & II)' until tape orchestral swells carry us into the aether. 'Aquário Novo Mundo' brims in an undisplaced cartography, from electronic marimba stabs to synth choirs, the call of the loom to labyrinthine keyboard harmonies and underwater radiance. Are we still here? Somewhere? The muffled looped rhythmic sequence of 'Imagem/Miragem', cut by the glow of cascading synths doesn't offer a reply. Nor does it need to.

'Exotic Immensity' exists on the perpetual outside. Blessed be Cardoso for showing us a way in.

The new album is ready and it’s the best! Cornell says “This is more than an album to me…. It is an up close and personal expression of the many things that move me in life and how I feel about life, love and all the things I value most. The love that went into making this album is without question a collaboration of great musicians and producers who put their Souls into it. No matter what your mood is, there is a song on this album that will relate to all of the different emotions we experience Every Day!”
The first single from this album was “The Change”, released earlier in the year ahead of the massive new song “Everyday”. The album is coming 26th July on CD and will be followed up with a vinyl release (of selected tracks) 23rd August.
Cornell is from Berkeley, California and raised in San Francisco where his debut album “Vindicated Soul” was released in 2017. Since then he has taken the soul scene by storm through further prolific albums “One Love”, “Absolutely” and “Next Life”. Earlier in his career he recorded with The Isley Brothers and performed on stage with James Brown. Cornell performs songs from the album for the first time at The Sussex Soul Weekender Friday 2nd August.

From 2019 to 2023 Lindsay Reamer worked as a field scientist. With a guitar and a bag of books in tow, she would leave her home in Philadelphia for the postcard scenes of the American landscape to gather data on visitation in National Parks. She counted cars and RVs, surveyed visitors, and made a temporary home for a few weeks at a time wherever she landed. All the while, she collected her own observations like specimens and slowly weaved the songs that would form her debut full-length, `Natural Science.' Recorded throughout 2023 by Lucas Knapp, `Natural Science' paints with a full spectrum. Humor rubs elbows with heartbreak. Acoustic guitars brush up against synthesizers, cradling Reamer as she sings about the American Chestnut tree extinction, employee gossip at a Day's Inn, fishing beside a power plant, turf grass farms, and waking up next to day-old take-out. The indifferent beauty of nature is held up next to the everyday as Reamer does her very best to find clues for navigating the latter by musing upon both. Following the release of her self-produced EP `Lucky' (Dear Life Records) in 2021, Reamer assembled a band with musicians from Philadelphia's vibrant music community and began working her once solo-acoustic songs into full band arrangements. After a brief flirtation with dance music which led to 2022's viral single "Touch Tank," Reamer settled into a sound that lies somewhere in the folkrock-pop matrix, explored with the humor and lightness of songwriters like Sheryl Crow or Melanie. Reamer reflects: "When I heard the songs with the band, I knew it was time to make the record. It felt like something I had been working towards my whole life. I grew up around musicians but I never thought I was good enough to be in a band or even to make my own music. My grandmother Joan gave me voice lessons after school, my mom was an opera singer, and my dad a guitar player. But it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized I could do it. It didn't matter if I could shred on the guitar or something. It was like some illusion shattered." Reamer is a sincere storyteller. The self-doubt and heartbreak expressed in songs like "Spring Song," "Sugar," or "Red Flowers" give way to the triumphant moments of self-acceptance and love in "Lucky," "Necessary," and "Figs and Peaches." `Natural Science' chronicles a path to confidence, an honest reflection of someone with the capacity to hold a deep well of emotion who also makes sure to not take it all too seriously. "Gardens on the land / Castles on the beaches / I trust my hand and / Pluck my figs and peaches," Reamer sings, as she works to reconcile the strange difficulty we have at finding happiness despite the obvious beauty all around us.

Buzzkunst ist PETE SHELLEY (Buzzcocks, solo) & HOWARD DEVOTO (earliest Buzzcocks, Magazine, solo). 'SPECIAL SAUCE' ist größtenteils eine Neukonfiguration des 2002er CD-only-Albums 'Buzzkunst' von ShelleyDevoto. JETZT (!) zum ersten Mal auf VINYL, mit einer neuen Reihenfolge und zwei (2) bisher unveröffentlichten Tracks - 'Psychosomatic' und 'Punk Of Me'. Und als ob das noch nicht genug wäre, gibt's noch ein zweites Mini-Album: 11 NEVER BEFORE RELEASED HOWARD DEVOTO ARCHIVE RECORDINGS aus der gleichen Zeit, mit dem Titel 'DESIGNOID'. Instrumentalstücke und Songs, eigenwillig wie immer, inklusive eines 21st century re-work von 'Breakdown', das ursprünglich auf der selbstveröffentlichten Debüt-EP der Buzzcocks, 'Spiral Scratch', enthalten war. "This Shelley is Pete Shelley _ old punks will remember him from the legendary Buzzcocks, while '80s rockers may recall his electro-pop hit Homo Sapien. The Devoto is Howard Devoto, Shelley's old Buzzcocks partner who went on to form the arty post-punk outfit Magazine. Now working together again for the first time in 25 years, the duo have achieved a sound that incorporates most if not all of their previous endeavours without reverting to cheap nostalgia. Their 14-track reunion album Buzzkunst is a progressive step forward, combining the grinding guitars of Shelley's youth and the poppy synthesizers of his middle age with the artsy sonic sculptures and post-punk yelp of Devoto's past." - Tinnitist,2002/2022

Viele sehen Louis Cole immer noch in erster Linie als Schlagzeuger. „nothing“, Coles fünftes Album und sein drittes auf Brainfeeder wird diesen Eindruck sicherlich ändern. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Metropole Orkest und Jules Buckley lehnte er den ausgetretenen Pfad der orchestralen Wiedergabe seiner größten Hits ab und entschied sich stattdessen, eine Reihe brandneuer Musik für dieses Album zu komponieren - größer, kühner und ausladender als je zuvor. Ja, es gibt Anspielungen auf sein GRAMMY-nominiertes Album, „Quality Over Opinion“, aus dem Jahr 2022, aber 15 der 17 Titel auf diesem Album sind brandneu. Das ist Jazz. Das ist klassische Musik. Es hat diesen Funk. Du wirst Synthesizer und Loops hören. Du hörst eine Band und Live-Schlagzeug. Es spielt ein Weltklasse-Orchester. Einige Stücke sind ultrapräzise, während das ausufernde „Doesn't Matter“ die Zehn-Minuten-Marke überschreitet. Für Cole war der Jazz schon immer der einzige Ort, an dem man wirklich alle Erwartungen loslassen kann - bei „nothing“ lässt er der Musik freien Lauf.
Das Metropole Orkest erwies sich als der ideale Partner für dieses Unterfangen. Im Laufe seiner 80-jährigen Geschichte hat es mit Legenden wie Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Metheny und Herbie Hancock zusammengearbeitet - genau die Art von grenzüberschreitender Mentalität, die Cole suchte. Wenn man dann noch den Dirigenten, Arrangeur, Kurator und Komponisten Jules Buckley hinzunimmt, ist das eine dreifache Bedrohung von epischem Ausmaß. Buckley ist ein einzigartiger und seltener Künstler - ein GRAMMY-Preisträger, der das Regelwerk der Orchestermusik und die Rolle des Dirigenten neu definiert hat.

The ever-present and unstoppable Welsh legend Sir Tom Jones continues to grow his deep-rooted legacy around the world. His recording of ‘It’s Not Unusual’ (released in 1965) has been covered by a number of incredible artists including Cher, Brenda Lee, Glen Campbell and more. The song first resurged in the 90s when it was synced on ‘The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air’ bringing the world ‘The Carlton Dance’, and many times since Along Came Jones, the debut album from Tom Jones, contains the monumental hit ‘It’s Not Unusual’ alongside a beautiful renditions of ‘Autumn Leaves’ and Spanish Harlem. Presented on vinyl for the first time since it’s release, this will be a real collectors item for Tom Jones fans worldwide.

A truly one-of-a-kind artist, Kaitlin Butts has a deep affinity for country music’s more theatrical side: the extravagant storytelling, dazzling showmanship, songs embedded with both unbridled emotion and quick-fire humor. After discovering her passion for performing as a little girl, the Tulsa native later brought her boundless energy and radiant voice to her own unapologetic yet soulful songwriting. When it came time to create her third album, the Nashville-based musician leaned into her lifelong love of musical theater and dreamed up a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favorite musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! The result: a high-concept but candidly autobiographical LP called Roadrunner!, whose 17 powerhouse songs show the full force and extraordinary depth of Butts’ artistry for the very first time. Produced by Oran Thornton (Brent Cobb, Logan Brill), Roadrunner! marks a major tonal shift from Butts’ 2022 sophomore LP what else can she do, a character-driven exploration of complex matters like addiction, domestic violence, and generational trauma. “With the last album I wanted to write about the struggles I’d seen people go through or experienced myself, so a lot of the songs had a sadness or darkness to them,” she says. “I feel like Roadrunner! is much closer to what I’m like onstage, where there’s real emotion and truth but also humor and a tendency to poke fun. It’s all those different versions of me at once.”

For nearly three decades, WHY? have thrived in subverting expectations. Across seven unpredictable and adventurous studio albums, the band led by Cincinnati songwriter Yoni Wolf has stretched the fringes of psychedelic pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. No matter the genre experiments and thematic departures, their discography is remarkably consistent, anchored by Wolf's disarming lyrical transparency. His writing is provocative, self-lacerating, and always considered, coming from a place of blunt emotional openness. The Well I Fell Into, the eighth full-length from WHY?, is Wolf at his most cohesive and poignant. An autopsy of heartbreak, the album charts the ups and downs of a devastating breakup while trading bitterness for healing. Self-released on Waterlines, Wolf's new label that follows in the footsteps of Anticon, the trailblazing artist-run collective he co-founded, its 14 tracks stand as the band's prettiest and most immediate work yet.

In 1995, schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson started a band which they named after a gas-station-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen" (Swedish for The Radio Department). In 2001, the Radio Dept. sent recordings to music magazine Sonic, receiving a positive review and being featured on the free CD sampler that came with the magazine. Labrador Records heard them on the disc and signed them to their label. The band"s debut album Lesser Matters (2003) was well received by the music press, scoring 10 out of 10 in the NME. NME would rank Lesser Matters ninth on their list of the 50 best albums of 2004. The album received an 84/100 (Universal acclaim) on Metacritic from a total of five reviews.