Search:mc lan

Auf ihrem umfangreichen neuen Album "Water Made Us" stellt die Chicagoer Musikerin und Dichterin Jamila Woods die Frage, was es bedeutet, sich der Liebe voll und ganz hinzugeben. Auf "Water Made Us" umarmt Jamila neue Genres, verspielte Melodien und hypnotisierende Wortspiele, während sie durch die berauschenden Turbulenzen von Liebeswracks und Zuflucht watet. Während Jamila auf "HEAVN" (2017) ihre Community innerhalb der schwarzen feministischen Bewegung feierte und auf "Legacy! Legacy!" (2019) ihre Lebenserfahrungen durch die Geschichten schwarzer und brauner Künstlerinnen und Künstler verarbeitete, ist "Water Made Us" eine völlig neue Art der Selbstoffenbarung und damit ihr bisher persönlichstes Album. "Water Made Us", das sie zusammen mit dem in LA ansässigen Produzenten McClenney aufgenommen hat und auf dem langjährige Freunde aus Chicago wie Saba und Peter CottonTale zu hören sind, ist ein weitläufiges und intimes Porträt der Selbstreflexion, das geschickt die verschiedenen Phasen einer Beziehung widerspiegelt: Die Anfänge, in denen man leicht Kompromisse eingeht, kokettiert und Spaß hat; das vorsichtige Aushandeln von Momenten des Konflikts oder der Verletzung; die Trauer über etwas Verlorenes; und die zärtliche Erkenntnis am Ende von allem, dass die Person, die gegangen ist, einen nie wirklich verlässt, sondern bei einem bleibt, während man bereit ist, es noch einmal zu versuchen, erfrischt und beruhigt. Der Titel des Albums - eine Zeile aus dem Highlight des Albums "Good News" - ist eine subtile Anspielung auf das berühmte Toni-Morrison-Zitat "All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was". Es ist dieses Gefühl - der Erinnerung, des Ortes und der Rückkehr - das als Pfeiler für den Bogen des Albums dient. "Water Made Us" erinnert uns daran, dass die Liebe im besten Fall ein warmer, stiller Ozean ist. Tief, schimmernd und endlos in seinem Wunder. Und im schlimmsten Fall kann die Liebe ein reißender Strom sein, der uns so weit von uns selbst entfernt, dass wir kaum den Weg zurückfinden, ja nicht einmal mehr wissen, wie wir schwimmen sollen. Und doch ergibt sich Jamila dieser Brandung - jeder Welle und jedem Sog - weil vielleicht sogar die schmerzhaftesten Enden eine Einladung sein können, die sie zurück nach Hause ruft, zurück ans Ufer, zurück zu sich selbst.

Raw Poetic, das Duo aus MC/Poet Jason Moore und Gitarrist P-Fritz (Patrick Fritz) präsentiert sein neues Werk auf Def Pressé. Nach den 'radikal optimistischen Unternehmungen' (The FADER) und dem 'spirituell abgestimmten Hip-Hop' (Bandcamp) von 'Laminated Skies' und dem Triple-'Magnum Opus' (Jazziz) von 'Space Beyond The Solar System' folgt mit 'Away Back In' eine transzendente musikalische Fusion aus Hip-Hop, Jazz und Garage-Rock, untermauert durch das geschickte Drum-Programming und die Produktion des langjährigen Kollaborateurs Damu The Fudgemunk. Progressiv und voller Soul ist 'Away Back In' vollkommen anders als seine Vorgänger.

The greatest dance hits from the past decades now again available on coloured vinyl! This series only contains the greatest dance hits from the 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and 10’s, in the original versions. Collected by decade on a seperate vinyl.

A ‘must have’ for any true dance-music lover!

The long-awaited repressing of THE WARRIORS. This deluxe double LP features the re-mastered 1979 original soundtrack, in addition to, the vinyl debut of the complete film score by Barry DeVorzon.

Directed by Walter Hill and based off the 1965 novel by Sol Yurick of the same name, THE WARRIORS is the absolute definition of an influential cult-classic film. THE WARRIORS has permeated the landscape of pop culture, music, film, fashion, comics, and video games.

Waxwork worked directly from the original master tapes of both the original 1979 soundtrack and film score to bring audiences a brand-new transfer of every musical cue heard in the movie, for the very first time on vinyl.

Features artwork by Marvel Comics artist Dave Rapoza, Double LP 180 gram “Warriors” red and rust vinyl, printed insert, and deluxe packaging.

Toy Tonics going New Wave Disco with Baby’s Berserk’s self-titled debut album (to be released on 29 September).

There are many shades of funk in dance music. Berlin’s Toy Tonics label brings up artists that reflect many of these different aspects in dance music. Now the label comes up with a band! A band that is inspired by 1980ies New Wave as well as the Y2K Indie dance scene. Two guys and 2 girls from Amsterdam and Montreal called Baby’s Berserk.

Baby’s Berserk is about taking the freedom to be who you want to be, about being comfortable. Having played in all-girl punk bands since the age of 14, the bands singer Lieselot is an expert on female empowerment. “Dress like a girl and act like a boy,” is a catchphrase she lives up to every day and it clearly is a message that resonates with the band’s wild fans.

In the great tradition of Roxy Music, Throbbing Gristle and Malcolm McLaren, Baby’s Berserk is not just about the edgy music, but also about a very strong own visual style. They readily blend their sounds with underground fashion. What you see is what you get and seeing Baby’s Berserk is feeling right at home. Lieselot is a visionary when it comes to stage presence. Have you always wanted to see an electronic band with a punk attitude perform wearing a mix of haute couture and Flintstone-style rags? Look no further, it’s Baby’s Berserk.

Following on the critically acclaimed singles ‘What I Mean’ (2020) and ‘Toxic Kisses’ (2022), Baby Berserk’s highly anticipated self-titled full-length is now finally about to see the light on Berlin’s Toy Tonics records. Sonically designed for gritty rock venues as well as up-to-date edgy dance clubs, Mano’s lush compositions smoothly intertwine with the highly associative lyrics written by Puggy and Lieselot. Poets and literary addicts may think they’ve just discovered the rock & roll equivalents of Sylvia Plath, Kurt Vonnegut and Allen Ginsberg. To tell you the truth: their wild guess is pretty accurate as the works by these greats lie scattered around the Baby’s Berserk studio for inspiration.
The band was born in a laboratory back in 2019. Tired of being in bands with unruly and unpredictable humans, Mano Hollestelle set out to create a group of high precision robots to create the post-punk sound he had in mind. His outdated technology of floppy disks and cassette tapes worked well to program the androids, until one day a 90s rave mixtape was mistakenly entered into his computer. House music is a feeling and the punk bots instantly got hooked on it upon hearing it for the first time. They could never be reset to factory settings again. Mano worked tirelessly with his androids, currently known by their humanoid names of Lieselot Elzinga, Puggy Beales and Eva Wijnbergen, to fulfil his evil plan to make the rockers dance and the dancers rock. Baby’s Berserk is the fiendish extension of this plot. Beware, the band’s bass driven grooves and computerized beats have been known to cast a spell upon all within earshot.

So what do the songs on ‘Baby’s Berserk’ tell you? That it’s totally fine to have lots of fun in life! To have a boyfriend as an accessory (‘Accessories’), to get inspired by Sponge Bob (‘Dancing with the Fish’) and to blend your spirits with mixers whenever the hell you feel like it (‘Rum ‘n’ Kola’).

Baby’s Berserk member Puggy Beales on ‘Limousine’: “Decant the wine from my tip jar to yours. Soon we'll be on easy street, chauffeured home from the rat race each evening. Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?”

Check not only the debut album but also the forthcoming Remix EP with remixes by Each Other, Niklas Wandt, Sam Ruffillo, Kris Baha and Nicolini.

It would be insufficient to call Rory McPike “prolific”; it does a disservice to the depth and breadth of his oeuvre as Rings Around Saturn, Cactus Head, Bleekman, 2200, Dan White, and as one half of Turner St. Sound. His work can be broken into a litany of different genres, but at the heart of it all lies an endlessly explorative spirit with a restless desire for expression. This impulse spans his diverse body of work and all the different facets of his musical practice.

‘All Things Shining’ touches on ambient, electroacoustic studies and filmic/VGM composition, but outside of these references, it stands as a beautiful suite of songs and a testament to the power of the creative impulse. Best Effort is proud to present the realization of Rory's vision.

Flint, Michigan-based rapped MC Breed and his crew DFC (Da Funk Clan aka Dope Flint Connection) put the Midwest on the map in 1991 with the release of their self-titled debut album, an underrated gem of the early 90s. The lead single, "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'" with a boomin’ west coast sound would get radio play across the country and video rotation on YO! MTV Raps, BET’s Rap City, and Ralph McDaniels' Video Music Box. The album’s second single “Just Kickin’ It” with MC Breed’s laid-back vocal style over a funky groove landed in the top 10 on the Hot Rap Singles Chart. Tracks like “Underground Slang” have an 80s electro vibe and “Better Terms” has Breed rapping a little faster over a Bomb Squad influenced beat with his DJ on the cut. MC Breed would go on to release another 11 albums and collaborated with artists such as 2Pac on "Gotta Get Mine" and Too $hortís "Gettin It” as well as features with Slum Village, Pimp C, Kurupt, Erick Sermon, and The D.O.C. among others. Breed passed away in 2008 from kidney failure, but his legacy lives on having influenced other Midwest artists including Eminem, Proof, D12, Common, and Slum Village. Out of print on vinyl since 2018, Get On Down is bringing back this Midwest 90s classic on limited edition colored vinyl.

Der aus Seattle stammende Produzent Jeff McIlwain, alias Lusine, kehrt mit seinem 9. Album Long Light zurück und feiert damit sein zwanzigjähriges Bestehen bei Ghostly International. Lusine, der als Einfluss für unzählige elektronische Künstler wie die Londoner Loraine James und andere gilt, ist bekannt für viszerale, kinetisch neugierige Musik, die Techno, Pop und experimentelle Kompositionen miteinander verbindet. In den letzten Jahren hat McIlwain sein Handwerk mit mehr kollaborativer, songorientierter Arbeit in die Höhe getrieben. Long Light" zeigt die durchgehende Linie; seine charakteristischen Looping-Muster und Texturen sind dynamisch und dennoch minimalistisch wie immer. Strukturell geradlinig, straff und hell, strahlt das Material als das direkteste in seinem Katalog, mit Gesangsbeiträgen von Asy Saavedra, Sarah Jaffe und den Sensorimotor-Kollegen Vilja Larjosto und Benoît Pioulard. Lusine hat seinen Sound schon früh gefunden, aber er hat nie aufgehört, an seinem Potenzial zu feilen, geduldig die Ablenkungen zu dekonstruieren und die Rätsel zu lösen. Mit Long Light erreicht ein prozessgeleiteter Künstler ein außergewöhnlich erfreuliches Niveau an Klarheit und Unmittelbarkeit. McIlwain sieht den Titel, der der lyrischen Phrase "long light signaling the fall again" entnommen ist, die Benoît Pioulard für das spätere Titelstück geschrieben hat, als einen Leitfaden, der mehrere Bedeutungen widerspiegelt. "Es gibt diese Art von Paranoia, bei der man nicht weiß, was real ist, es ist ein Zeitalter der großen Angst und es gibt all diese Ablenkungen", erklärt McIlwain. "Es ist wie ein Spiegelkabinett." Dem langen Licht zu folgen ist der einzig wahre Weg, und diese Metapher wendet er auf die Aufnahmen des Albums an, die ebenfalls einen zyklischen Charakter haben, ähnlich wie die Jahreszeiten. Wie der Beginn des Herbstes schließt das Album eine Periode der Kultivierung ab; "Musikmachen ist ein Kampf und man muss eine Menge Geduld haben." Long Light ist der Beweis dafür, dass das, was jenseits des Lärms, am Ende des figurativen Tunnels liegt, all die Arbeit wert ist, die man auf dem Weg dorthin geleistet hat. In der gesamten Sammlung identifiziert McIlwain das zentrale Klangelement, einen Gesangsausschnitt oder eine einfache Beatsequenz, auf dem alles andere aufbaut. Auf dem Opener Come And Go" vervielfältigt er eine Gesangseinlage seiner langjährigen Mitarbeiterin Vilja Larjosto zu einem himmlischen Chor, der an den Sensorimotor-Hit Just A Cloud" erinnert. Es ist die Bass-Hook auf der Single "Zero to Sixty", die sich um die Stimme von Sarah Jaffe windet, deren geschmeidiger Tonumfang und coole Darbietung die Quelle für Lusines unverwechselbares Mapping ist.

Der aus Seattle stammende Produzent Jeff McIlwain, alias Lusine, kehrt mit seinem 9. Album Long Light zurück und feiert damit sein zwanzigjähriges Bestehen bei Ghostly International. Lusine, der als Einfluss für unzählige elektronische Künstler wie die Londoner Loraine James und andere gilt, ist bekannt für viszerale, kinetisch neugierige Musik, die Techno, Pop und experimentelle Kompositionen miteinander verbindet. In den letzten Jahren hat McIlwain sein Handwerk mit mehr kollaborativer, songorientierter Arbeit in die Höhe getrieben. Long Light" zeigt die durchgehende Linie; seine charakteristischen Looping-Muster und Texturen sind dynamisch und dennoch minimalistisch wie immer. Strukturell geradlinig, straff und hell, strahlt das Material als das direkteste in seinem Katalog, mit Gesangsbeiträgen von Asy Saavedra, Sarah Jaffe und den Sensorimotor-Kollegen Vilja Larjosto und Benoît Pioulard. Lusine hat seinen Sound schon früh gefunden, aber er hat nie aufgehört, an seinem Potenzial zu feilen, geduldig die Ablenkungen zu dekonstruieren und die Rätsel zu lösen. Mit Long Light erreicht ein prozessgeleiteter Künstler ein außergewöhnlich erfreuliches Niveau an Klarheit und Unmittelbarkeit. McIlwain sieht den Titel, der der lyrischen Phrase "long light signaling the fall again" entnommen ist, die Benoît Pioulard für das spätere Titelstück geschrieben hat, als einen Leitfaden, der mehrere Bedeutungen widerspiegelt. "Es gibt diese Art von Paranoia, bei der man nicht weiß, was real ist, es ist ein Zeitalter der großen Angst und es gibt all diese Ablenkungen", erklärt McIlwain. "Es ist wie ein Spiegelkabinett." Dem langen Licht zu folgen ist der einzig wahre Weg, und diese Metapher wendet er auf die Aufnahmen des Albums an, die ebenfalls einen zyklischen Charakter haben, ähnlich wie die Jahreszeiten. Wie der Beginn des Herbstes schließt das Album eine Periode der Kultivierung ab; "Musikmachen ist ein Kampf und man muss eine Menge Geduld haben." Long Light ist der Beweis dafür, dass das, was jenseits des Lärms, am Ende des figurativen Tunnels liegt, all die Arbeit wert ist, die man auf dem Weg dorthin geleistet hat. In der gesamten Sammlung identifiziert McIlwain das zentrale Klangelement, einen Gesangsausschnitt oder eine einfache Beatsequenz, auf dem alles andere aufbaut. Auf dem Opener Come And Go" vervielfältigt er eine Gesangseinlage seiner langjährigen Mitarbeiterin Vilja Larjosto zu einem himmlischen Chor, der an den Sensorimotor-Hit Just A Cloud" erinnert. Es ist die Bass-Hook auf der Single "Zero to Sixty", die sich um die Stimme von Sarah Jaffe windet, deren geschmeidiger Tonumfang und coole Darbietung die Quelle für Lusines unverwechselbares Mapping ist.

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.

"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.

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.

Next on Allchival is a compilation tracing the musical pursuits of Cork’s (via Belfast) Finbarr Donnelly and his trilogy of bands – Nun Attax, Five Go Down To The Sea? and Beethoven - before his untimely death by drowning in London’s Hyde Park in 1989. From the post punk of the first band via the discordant indie of the second to the chaos of Beethoven’s short lived existence this compilation shines some light on one of Irelands most enigmatic frontmen over a ten year period. Released on 18th April Record Store Day on a 15 track LP and an expanded CD version with 24 tracks. Featuring tracks released on Setanta, Creation, Kabuki & Abstract plus previously unreleased Fanning Sessions, the LP also comes with a fanzine with detailed liner notes and ephemera.

Nun Attax, formed in the late 70s, are synonymous with the Downtown Kampus at Cork’s Arcadia Ballroom, the lynchpin of the city’s post-punk music scene. Their live performances being the stuff of Southern legend - unforgettable, incendiary events, examples of which can be heard on the tracks here White Cortina, Reekus Sunfare. In the early-80s the band changed its name to Five Go Down To the Sea? and recorded the Knot A Fish EP 7’’ for London–Irish label Kabuki Records and soon after the band left recession-ridden Cork for the UK capital.

Squatting south of the River, working on building sites and collecting welfare under several aliases recording and gigs were sporadic but by 1984 they had hooked into the early Creation scene, and played gigs at Alan McGee’s Living Room club. Working with The Mekons Jon Langford they release The Glee Club on Edward Christie’s Abstract Sounds label. Following it up with the last of their three releases as Five..on Creation itself the band’s chaotic existence led to its demise only re-emerging in 1988 as Beethoven. Down to two original members – Donnelly and guitarist Ricky Dineen – plus two new additions their only release – a 12” on the fledgling Setanta records – features a cover of “Day Tripper” backed with original tracks and was NME’s Single of the Week in the summer of ‘89 when such things carried weight. The planned second single doesn’t go ahead after Donnelly’s death.

As time moves forward, it becomes increasingly clear that the need for emotional expression through artistry is more important than ever, especially in the wake of emerging AI technology that threatens to replace human creativity. Minus & MRDolly's new album, "Giant Stops," is a testament to the enduring power of art to connect with audiences on a deep emotional level.

Named in direct reference to arguably one of the greatest albums ever created, "Giant Steps" by John Coltrane, "Giant Stops" pays homage to the rich legacy of jazz while pushing the boundaries of the genre with a contemporary twist. The album seamlessly blends jazz, hip-hop, and electronic elements to create a unique sonic landscape that is both nostalgic and modern.

For Minus & MRDolly, "Giant Stops" represents a new chapter in his evolution as a musician, showcasing his growth and commitment to pushing boundaries in his genre-bending style. Taking inspiration from the creative process of Makaya McCraven, the album features dynamic instrumentals backed by a live band, with Minus & MRDolly's signature lyricism and storytelling shining through both the instrumentals and the lended work of guest musician such as Meta_ or Luca Argel. By using this production method the album takes a bold stand for the importance of sampling as an art form hoping to encourage listeners to appreciate the rich history and evolution of hip hop and to recognize the essential role that sampling has played in shaping the genre.

As a nod to his Portuguese roots, "Giant Stops" represents a deeper exploration of the artist's identity and a commitment to looking inward to find creative inspiration. With this album, Minus & MRDolly hopes to inspire others to embrace their own unique perspectives and use them to create art that connects with audiences on a deeply emotional level.

In a world where technology threatens to replace human creativity, "Giant Stops" is a reminder that the power of art to connect with people on a fundamental level is enduring and will continue to shape our world for generations to come.

One of the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming, Blakey is known as a powerful musician and a vital groover; his brand of bluesy, funky hard bop was and continues to be profoundly influential on mainstream jazz.

For more than 30 years his band, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers included many young musicians who went on to become prominent names in jazz. Recorded in 1956, Art Blakey's Drum Suite is a wonderful hybrid of African, Latin, and hard bop rhythms that prefigures the concept of Afro-beat by at least a decade. The sheer energy, not to mention its very special and fresh-sounding intimacy, make it especially astounding.

Even more amazing is that the three parts of the suite -- Blakey's "The Sacrifice," Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant," and Oscar Pettiford's "Oscalypso" -- were recorded straight through live, and were only intended to be a pre-take run-through. As is obvious here, Blakey and company nailed the whole thing right out of the box.

Groundbreaking for its time, and still sounding vital, powerful, and visionary, the Drum Suite album is somewhat of a lost masterpiece that deserves a fresh audience.

"Art Blakey's first release for Columbia Records is essentially two records. Side one is a percussion ensemble playing what would, ten years later, be called Afro-Cuban drumming. Side two is the mid-fifties version of the Jazz Messengers featuring Jackie McLean on saxophone. Side one features Blakey, Jo Jones and Charles Wright on drums, Candido and Sabu on bongos, and Oscar Pettiford and bass and cello. The group plays three compositions, one by Blakey, one by Pettiford and one by Ray Bryant, fusing African, Cuban, and calypso percussion into a well-integrated suite.

"The group recorded a run through and it was so perfectly executed that they used the practice run for the release, unedited except to add some Swahili chants by the percussionists during a few passages. One cannot help but think of Olantunji's Drums of Passion, another Afro drumming landmark, here. Blakey's drum suite was recorded at Columbia's 30th Street studios in New York in 1957 and is in mono. The almost stereoscopic image is truly remarkable. Mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at RTI, Drum Suite is a valuable record of one of the most important figures in jazz history. Recording: 9/10. Music 9/10." - Dennis Davis, Hifi+

"...The three-part suite was laid down in one take with no arrangements, and begins with a few tympani thwacks followed by an African chant. Soon the ensemble kicks in and the group takes off an a sweaty Afro-Cuban-bop journey that will leave you breathless, as the thing crackles with terrific energy. Side Two is more conventional hard bop, but given this group's mastery of if not invention of the style, these tracks are extremely satisfying. Kevin Gray's remastering is detailed and immediate, with plenty of bit and air, if not the widest dynamic range. For anyone interested in percussion of this genre, this is not to be missed." - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound

First official reissue for this roots reggae masterpiece, originally recorded in 1977. The Bushrangers, also known as Clem Bushay All Stars is the house band of producer Clem Bushay. They recorded the ''Stuntman'' album with musicians like Barry McVicker, Bunny McKenzie, Candy McKenzie, Carl Lewis, Dennis Bovell, Desmond Charles, Hughie, Janet Kay, Jimmy Haynes, Jimmy Mack, Jimmy Stratdan, Joseph Charles, Junior Bailey, Junior English, Michael Charles, Stanley, Suzy Browne, Moon Rocks and Zabandis...The album was also produced by Bushay.

GAZELLE TWIN - aka composer, producer, singer, and visual artist Elizabeth Bernholz - has scored Sky's brand new TV series "Then You Run".

Created for television by Ben Chanan (The Capture), based on the novel YOU by Zoran Drvenkar, Then You Run follows four rebellious London teenagers on a city getaway to Rotterdam. This contemporary eight-part series boasts an incredible cast of rising stars; Leah McNamara (Normal People) as Tara, Vivian Oparah (Rye Lane) as Stink, Yasmin Monet Prince (Hanna) as Ruth and newcomer Isidora Fairhurst as Nessi.

The four friends embark on what should have been the perfect summer break which soon spirals into a dark and perilous adventure. When their attempt to take on some of the most dangerous people in Europe doesn’t quite go to plan, they find themselves on the run with three kilos of heroin, more questions than answers about Tara’s family, and a gang of deadly criminals tracking their every move.

Invada Records have previously released two recent Gazelle Twin scores (2020’s Nocturne and 2021’s The Power).

Her 2018 acclaimed album Pastoral was described by Pitchfork as “...belonging to a proud tradition of English satire, plumbing the depths of the nation’s psyche and twisting it to wryly discomforting ends”.

To call Current Affairs a Glasgow band may initially seem misdirection. Though Joan Sweeney (ex-Rose McDowall’s Band, Aggi Doom, The Royal We) is a lifer, Sebastian Ymai (Comidillo Tapes, Pissy, Anxiety) came from Chile via York, recently relocating to Berlin in 2021, and new member Gemma Fleet (The Wharves, Order of the Toad, Dancer) alongside Andrew Milk (Shopping, Pink Pound) were persuaded to leave London for the ‘second city’ after touring through with previous bands. However, Glasgow is the heart and hub of the band’s music, musical life and the place where Off the Tongue was solidified and produced. Their current line up formed in 2020, but the four have been circling each other for years, touring and playing with their previous bands within the close UK network of DIY music. Stalwarts of their respective scenes they finally began working together through the creation of the Spitehouse collective – a project designed to promote Queer and female-fronted music through events mainly held at Transmission Gallery and Glasgow Autonomous Space, putting on many local and international acts (Sneaks, Sacred Paws, Still House Plants and Comfort amongst others). When an opening for a new bassist arrived, Gemma was the obvious compliment, the slogan of Spitehouse being the language of Current Affairs – “Everyone’s welcome, but don’t get it twisted.” Following on from 2019’s singles collection, Object & Subject, the wait for their debut full-length may belie the urgency of its sound. Songs that were written in pieces over a long time and distance, but fully formed in the instant of the recording room across just a few days by producer Ross McGowan at Chime Studio. Current Affairs’ song-writing process has always been collaborative. Songs are developed responsively, with each of the band’s members sending/bringing elements or hooks to each other, but practices being the place where the songs flesh out, structure and are fully realised. These new songs feel a little brighter than their previous offerings, yet still hold true to their propulsive and caterwauling sound. Still embryonic in the most exciting way that that can be. Current Affairs’ music straddles new-wave pop and gothic post-punk in the way that you should expect a Glasgow-Berlin band to do so: with grit and panache. Written from within the world of crumbling services, broken bonds and wounded spirits, Off the Tongue rolls off an ecstatic rage, filled with hope for you, them and everyone else. It’s a rallying cry away from hopelessness, forgiving your fears and laying them to waste. Their album holds a place for you to be angry and to be focussed. In lieu of having anything else, we’ve always got each other, and an uncertain future is open game for us too

Texas born guitarist Melvin Sparks is one of the godfathers of Acid Jazz. He first came to prominence in the bands of Jack McDuff and Lou Donaldson, providing an essential element in their funky groove-based classics of the late 60s. He then became part of the Prestige Records funk team, under the tutelage of producer Bob Porter. He made his debut LP “Sparks”, for the label in 1970, alongside Idris Muhammad, Leon Spencer and Houston Person. Two further exciting albums appeared on the label with “Spark Plug” and “Akilah” and over a dozen side-man appearances.

When Porter left to set up Eastbound Records in Detroit - as part of Westbound Records - Sparks followed, recording his label debut "Texas Twister” in 1973. The following year, after Porter left, he recorded the album that became “’75” with some of the label’s top session players, including members of Funkadelic and vocalist Jimmy D Scott, who sang on ‘I Got To Have You’ and ‘If You Want My Love’. The nine tracks featured a slicker sound, that mirrored the contemporary soul jazz of the time and included club classics like 'Get Ya Some' and 'Get Down With The Get Down’.

Sparks began recording one more album for the label which languished in the vaults for decades and then mostly concentrated on session work before he was rediscovered by the acid jazz scene in the late 80s, and was brought over to Europe to tour as part of the BGP All-Stars and this late revival saw him record five further albums.

This is the first vinyl reissue of this album since 1975.

A masterful funky jazz album by one of the godfathers of acid jazz. Produced by Bob Porter, “Texas Twister” was a continuation of Sparks’ sought-after work at Prestige. The Texas-born guitarist had joined Bob Weinstock’s label at Porter’s request in 1970 after several years working with the likes of Jack McDuff, Lou Donaldson and Reuben Wilson. At Prestige, he recorded three albums as a leader and over a dozen as a session player, showing himself to be a wizard at playing funky licks and energised solos.

When Porter left to set up Eastbound Records in Detroit - as a branch of Westbound Records - Sparks followed, recording "Texas Twister” in 1973 as his label debut. The incredible rhythm section of Idris Muhammad (drums), Sonny Phillips (electric piano), Caesar Frazier (organ) and Wilbur Bascombe (bass) make this album a sure-fire funk bomb. On the front-line, a hard hitting horn section that includes Cecil Bridgewater (tenor sax) and John Faddis (trumpet) are a perfect foil for Sparks. The album includes the monster acid jazz club cut 'Whip! Whop!' and the frenetic 'Texas Twister', as well as a beautiful rendition of the Four Tops’ 'Ain't No Woman (Like The One I Got)’.

After Porter left Eastbound, Sparks recorded the more soul-based “’75” and began to record another album that languished in the vaults for decades. He then mostly concentrated on session work before he was rediscovered by the acid jazz scene in the late 80s, when he was brought over to Europe to tour as part of the BGP All-Stars. This late revival saw him record five further albums of funky blues-drenched jazz funk.

Ace Records now offer you the first-ever UK reissue of this album, that should take pride of place in anyone’s collection of 70s jazz funk.

Ced Gee & Kool Keith, both members of the legendary Ultramagnetic MC's, regroup for a new Ultramagnetic MC's record. The resurgence of classic Hip hop moves strong into 2022 with new release from Ultramagnetic MC's "Kool Keith x Ced Gee." Arising from the Boogie Down Bronx in the mid-'80s as a far-flung hip hop trio with a heap of new ideas to try out, Ultramagnetics Kool Keith, Ced Gee, and DJ Moe Love occupy something of a singular place in the old-school pantheon. Combining funk-heavy tracks with jeep-rocking beats and obscure lyrical references, Ultramagnetic MCs have a list of firsts to their credit: the first rap group to employ a sampler as an instrument, the first to feature extensive use of live instrumentation, the first to feature a former psychiatric patient (Kool Keith) on the mic. Early singles like "Something Else" and "Space Groove" were block-party staples and created waves in the underground, eventually landing the group on the disco-dominated Next Plateau label, where they released their underappreciated debut. The following years found the group shuffling from label to label, releasing albums on Mercury and Wild Pitch before splitting to pursue various projects. This special event will feature Kool Keith and Ced Gee performing classic Ultramagnetic MCs songs and sharing stories and history about the making of their iconoclastic catalogue.

LP includes Poster.

When Sacred Bones first began their Mort Garson reissue project in 2019 with a proper reissue of Plantasia, the Garson-naissance began in earnest. Soon after, you could hear Mort Garson and his Moogs bubbling up on TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, hip-hop tracks, or anywhere else, the man a cultural phenomenon once more.

Like a perennial that returns with each new spring, the Mort Garson archives have brought to bear yet another awe-inspiring bloom.

Journey to the Moon and Beyond finds even more new facets to the man's sound. There's the soundtrack to the 1974 blaxploitation film Black Eye (starring Fred Williamson) alongside some newly unearthed music for advertising. Just as regal is "Zoos of the World," where Garson soundtracks the wild, preening, slumbering animals from a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name.

The mind reels at just what project would have yielded a scintillating title like "Western Dragon," but these three selections were found on tapes in the archive with no further information. The crown jewel of the set is no doubt Garson's soundtrack to the live broadcast of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, as first heard on CBS News. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Moogkind. But for decades, this audio was presumed lost, the only trace of it appearing to be from an old YouTube clip. Thankfully, diligent audio archivist Andy Zax came across a copy of the master tape while going through the massive Rod McKuen archive.

So now we get to hear it in all its glory. Across six minutes, Garson conjures broad fantasias, whirring mooncraft sounds, zero-gravity squelches, and twinkling études. It showcases Mort's many moods: sweet, exploratory, whimsical, a little bit corny, weaving it all together in a glorious whole.

Maybe at the time it scanned as crass and opportunistic for Garson to apply his keyboards to subjects like astrological signs, the occult, hippiedom, houseplants, or the moon landing. But more than most other electronic music pioneers of his ilk, Garson foresaw the integration of such electronics into our daily lives, how they would allow us to engage with the world.

LP includes Poster.

When Sacred Bones first began their Mort Garson reissue project in 2019 with a proper reissue of Plantasia, the Garson-naissance began in earnest. Soon after, you could hear Mort Garson and his Moogs bubbling up on TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, hip-hop tracks, or anywhere else, the man a cultural phenomenon once more.

Like a perennial that returns with each new spring, the Mort Garson archives have brought to bear yet another awe-inspiring bloom.

Journey to the Moon and Beyond finds even more new facets to the man's sound. There's the soundtrack to the 1974 blaxploitation film Black Eye (starring Fred Williamson) alongside some newly unearthed music for advertising. Just as regal is "Zoos of the World," where Garson soundtracks the wild, preening, slumbering animals from a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name.

The mind reels at just what project would have yielded a scintillating title like "Western Dragon," but these three selections were found on tapes in the archive with no further information. The crown jewel of the set is no doubt Garson's soundtrack to the live broadcast of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, as first heard on CBS News. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Moogkind. But for decades, this audio was presumed lost, the only trace of it appearing to be from an old YouTube clip. Thankfully, diligent audio archivist Andy Zax came across a copy of the master tape while going through the massive Rod McKuen archive.

So now we get to hear it in all its glory. Across six minutes, Garson conjures broad fantasias, whirring mooncraft sounds, zero-gravity squelches, and twinkling études. It showcases Mort's many moods: sweet, exploratory, whimsical, a little bit corny, weaving it all together in a glorious whole.

Maybe at the time it scanned as crass and opportunistic for Garson to apply his keyboards to subjects like astrological signs, the occult, hippiedom, houseplants, or the moon landing. But more than most other electronic music pioneers of his ilk, Garson foresaw the integration of such electronics into our daily lives, how they would allow us to engage with the world.

Repress!

Repressed, note price increase. Remastered from the original masters and pressed extra loud for DJs. There are very few albums across any genre that stand the test of time better than 93 ‘Til Infinity, the classic debut record from the Hieroglyphics crew’s very own Souls of Mischief. In an era where Gangsta Rap and G-Funk dominated the West Coast Rap scene, Souls broke ground on a completely unique and thoroughly west coast sound. While the Dr. Dre’s and the Snoop Doggs were garnering much of the mainstream attention, Souls were quietly forging a charismatic, critically acclaimed, and cohesively shaped record that when categorized, sounded much closer to A Tribe Called Quest than N.W.A. The sound of their debut is characteristic of the distinct style explored by the collective, including a rhyme scheme based on internal rhyme and beats centered around a live bass and obscure jazz and funk samples. 93 ‘Til Infinity was propelled into success by its title track and lead single, which reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also featured singles “That’s When Ya Lost” and “Never No More” which also reached the Hot Rap Singles. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source’s 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time. Considered by many to be a textbook “slept-on” classic Rap record, 93 ‘Til Infinity has only grown better with age. The album simply defines the Hiero golden age with a sound that would later be fine tuned with strong releases from MCs Del The Funkee Homosapien, Casual and Pep Love. It takes some serious bravado to name your album 93 ‘Til Infinity, but certainly the goal of creating a Hip Hop “classic” must have been on the collective minds of group members A-Plus, Tajai, Opio, and Phesto when recording this landmark moment in Hip Hop history. It’s true, even seventeen years after the album’s initial release many people are still discovering it, and with this re-mastered reissue on double vinyl, fans all over the world will once again discover the brilliance that 93 ‘Til Infinity delivers and will continue to deliver beyond infinity. A1. Let ‘Em Know (Produced by Domino) A2. Live and Let Live (Produced by Domino) A3. That’s When Ya Lost (Produced by Del tha Funkee Homosapien) B1. A Name I Call Myself (Produced by Del tha Funkee Homosapien) B2. Disseshowedo (Produced by Domino and Jay Biz) B3. What a Way to Go Out (Produced by Domino) B4. Never No More (Produced by A-Plus) C1. 93 ‘til Infinity (Produced by A-Plus) C2. Limitations feat. Casual (Produced by Jay Biz) C3. Anything Can Happen (Produced by A-Plus) D1. Make Your Mind Up (Produced by Del tha Funkee Homosapien) D2. Batting Practice (Produced by Casual) D3. Tell Me Who Profits (Produced by Domino) D4. Outro (Produced by Domino)

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

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



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



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



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



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



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

In addition to his day job transforming pop music with his own records, as well as those of Gastr del Sol, Loose Fur and Sonic Youth over the past few decades, Jim O"Rourke has been contracted for several dozen film scores over the years as well. It makes sense - his abilities as an improviser, composer and producer allow him to interpret cinematic moments with a unique understanding for their construction and how they work. It doesn"t hurt that Jim"s a well-versed cineaste, a complete and total fan of watching films, which has given him a preternatural understanding of the role of music in movies. What doesn"t make sense is how Hands That Bind is the first film soundtrack of Jim"s to ever receive worldwide release! He"s worked with filmmakers of international repute, like Olivier Assayas, Allison Anders, Werner Herzog and Kôji Wakamatsu! He served as music consultant on Richard Linklater"s 2003 laff-fest, School of Rock! He"s played in ensembles of award-winning documentaries and films alike! Throw the guy an internationally-promoted soundtrack LP every more often, why doncha? It was left to the "suits" of Drag City Records to innovate, once again, by taking a leap on an O"Rourke work. Made for an indie film that"s been seen by festival audiences and not enough others, the soundtrack for Hands That Bind is a moody, atmospheric delight. Jim"s roots in composition via tape-editing have evolved into a sophisticated assembly of found-and-processed sounds that achieve highly musical, near-orchestral majesty as they hang in the very air of the drama that unfolds in Kyle Armstrong"s Hands That Bind. Described as a "slow-burn prairie gothic drama" set in the farmland of Canada"s Alberta province, and starring Paul Sparks, Susan Kent, Landon Liboiron, Nicholas Campbell, Will Oldham, and Bruce Dern, Hands That Bind is a spellbinding trip to the existential bone of rural working life in North America. As conflict rises over the hard-worked patches of land that provide a mere and mean existence, a desperate air settles in, as a series of mysterious, often supernatural occurrences rock the small community. O"Rourke"s vaporous, serpentine musical backdrops and atmospheres reflect the obsessions and distractions of the film"s principles; moods of all sorts seen or otherwise implied. Additionally, the music highlights cinematographer Mike McLaughlin"s closely observed accounting of the farmers" environment, as well as the striking widescreen images of the big sky country with unnerving flair. For fans of Jim"s ongoing steamroom series as well as collectors of soundtracks, Hands That Bind will provide hours of engrossing listening. And if you get a chance, see the movie projected in a movie house, please - farmers aren"t the only ones struggling these days!

Repress!

Ska, rocksteady, funky reggae, roots, dub mixes, disco mixes, they're all here from the queens of the Jamaican music scene - Studio One Women features a wide mix of classics and obscurities from the finest female voices in reggae.

Until now most of these tracks have only ever been available as extremely hard to find Jamaican 7" and 12" singles and even if you were lucky enough to find them they'd cost you a small fortune

Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley (here with her first group The Soulettes) are two of Jamaica's most famous female singers hugely popular today. Both these artists became internationally famous as The I – Threes (along with Judy Mowatt), Bob Marley's backing singers alongside The Wailers. Also featured are Hortense Ellis, sister of Alton who cut many smash hits on the island, and Jennifer Lara, a lady who had a long career with Studio One, singing on countless sides.

Studio One is the greatest label in the history of reggae and is the foundation of all reggae music. It's where virtually every world renowned Jamaican superstar started out, Bob Marley and The Wailers included. Under the guidance of the legendary Clement Coxsone Dodd the musicians at Studio One recorded hundreds of instrumental rhythms which still provide the backbone for many of the records made in Jamaica today.

Cable Ties are a fierce, tense rock’n’roll trio. They take the three-minute punk burner and stretch it past breaking point to deliver smouldering feminist anthems. Post-punk and garage rock hammered together by a relentless rhythmic pulse. Jenny McKechnie channels her struggles into songs that resonate deeply, giving voice to feelings often buried in modern life. Shauna Boyle and Nick Brown are a rhythm section anchored in Stooges primitivism, relentlessly hammering out a bedrock for McKechnie’s guitar pyrotechnics and vocal wallop. Three friends summoning a rhythmic tide to deliver anthems that turn latent anxieties into a rallying cry.

The band has been committed to an inclusive feminist and political outlook since its inception in 2015, exploring issues of gendered violence, colonialism, and sexual assault. The band members have been involved in benefit shows, organized DIY festivals, and volunteer with Girls Rock!, a not-for-profit organization that aims to empower female, trans, and gender non-binary youth in music.
Cable Ties are dedicated to their local community and independent networks, and to playing diverse and inclusive shows. They have toured Australia a number of times and have developed into a lean and efficient touring band who deliver powerful and meaningful shows. Their debut self-titled album, released in 2017 on Poison City Records, was a Triple J feature album and album of the week on 3RRR, with strong support nationally from community radio. They have also self released three 7” singles which have all sold out. The debut album is on its third vinyl pressing.

The band toured UK/Europe in 2017 supporting Jen Cloher, and played Punk’d Festival in Berlin. They returned to the UK in May 2019 to play The Great Escape and shows with Tropical Fuck Storm and Amyl & the Sniffers. In Australia they played Bigsound 2018 and festivals such as the national Laneway Festival tour in 2018, Boogie Festival 2018, The Plot 2017, and Meredith Music Festival in 2016. Cable Ties have supported artists such as Joan Jett, The Kills, Camp Cope, and Cash Savage. They won Best Hard Rock Act at the 2017 National Live Music Awards and were nominated in five categories. They won the Corner Music Award in 2017, have been nominated for eight Age Music Victoria awards, and were longlisted for The Australian Music Prize 2017.

Auf dem 19. Studioalbum von Marianne Faithfull, das von ihrem langjährigen Partner Hal Willner produziert wurde, greift die 60s Ikone und großartige Sängerin nach 'Easy Come Easy Go' aus dem Jahr 2009 auf ihrem zweiten Cover-Album in Folge acht klassische Songs auf. Zu den insgesamt 13 Titeln gehören Neubearbeitungen von 'Past, Present And Future' (Shangri-Las), 'Love Song' (Lesley Duncan), 'Goin' Back' (Dusty Springfield) sowie mehrere Neu-Kompositionen. Dazu Gastauftritte von Lou Reed, Dr. John und Wayne Kramer (ehemals MC5). Gatefold 180Gr. Doppel-LP (Yellow Vinyl)!

As a member of seminal hip-hop group The Pharcyde, Fatlip helped expand the boundaries of the 1990s L.A. rap scene, releasing classic albums steeped in eccentric creative excursions rather than hard-edged gangsta bravado.

Following in those footsteps, acclaimed emcee Blu has been at the forefront of the independent hip-hop landscape since the late 2000s, narrating the full range of experience in the City of Angels with impressive lyrical ingenuity.

These two famed artists recently joined forces for the collaborative album Live From The End Of The World, a dazzling rhyme whirlwind boasting an overwhelming collection of West Coast lyrical talent, including Del The Funky Homosapien, Gift Of Gab, MC Eiht, and Ras Kass, along with members of iconic groups Jurassic 5, Tha Alkaholiks, Souls Of Mischief, Freestyle Fellowship, and Digital Underground. With production by Madlib, Nottz, Sa-Ra, Knxwledge, and Exile, the album is now available in physical form for the first time ever. This deluxe release includes two new bonus tracks featuring Slimkid3 (of The Pharcyde) and Pigeon John.

In the 1980s, Michael Morley helped to push the jangly New Zealand music scene towards rougher, more exploratory realms, as a member of Wreck Small Speakers on Expensive Stereos, The Weeds, and the almighty Dead C. His gnarled, distorted guitar tone and aggressively moan-based vocal style are both as distinctive as they are secretly beautiful. Morley has released dozens of solo recordings—starting in the late 1980s as Gate, then more recently under his own name, and as the Righteous Yeah. He’s also unafraid to tackle entirely new genres and sounds, and to move into interactive installation-based music as well. Birdman is beyond excited to present the first vinyl release of this archival Gate release. “...I think it is classic Gate material. The idea of the palette is fascinating as I think I did approach it with a set of limited instrumentation and the desire to make something again that could sound like rock music. There is certainly a direct line from Wreck Small Speakers On Expensive Stereos, through the Dead C, and to Gate. I think I was also inspired by listening to infamous and tragically short-lived early 1980s band the Double Happys, and remembering their performances as a duo with the drum machine. There was such utter chaos and anarchy during their sets, with a desire to represent punk rock at its nascent truth, I wanted to see if it was possible to re- imagine that feeling. I was possibly also listening to the Stooges and MC5. —Michael Morley

Das (kurze) Warten hat ein Ende. Nach nur etwas mehr als einem Jahr kehrt Umse mit einem neuen Release im Gepäck zurück. Am Ende muss eine Platte "bloß gut sein, keinen Schwanz hier interessiert konkret wie lange man an ihr saß, es zählt wie lange sie rotiert", äußert er sich dahingehend. Es ist das dritte Album auf seinem Label, Jakarta Records, "Hawaiianischer Schnee" heißt es. Geschrieben und konzeptioniert wurde die Platte in einem kleinen Landhaus in der niederländischen Provinz Gelderland. Für die gesamte Produktion zeichnet sich wie immer Deckah höchst selbst verantwortlich, der im RZwoDrehZwo Studio der Platte den letzten Schliff verlieh. Die Beiden sind "Chef in Sachen Sound, ein Traumduo, ein Ein-Raum-Studio, kein großes Equipment und das ist auch gut so". Seit 1997 ist Umse aka. Christoph Umbeck schon dabei und ist sich stets treu geblieben, ohne den bitteren Unterton, der viele MCs seiner Generation in 2015 auszeichnet. Nach wie vor "keine Zeit für vier Gänge, nur ne Bockwurst auf die Hand", nach wie vor dutzende Shows jedes Jahr zwischen Konstanz und Kiel, nach wie vor "Sternstunden zur Rush Hour". Anerkennung findet der Ratinger mittlerweile auch bei den Helden des Ruhrpott-Sounds - Aphroe (RAG) und Dike beehren ihn mit einem Feature auf "Hawaiianischer Schnee". Trotzdem ist das neue Album kein "hawaiianischer Schnee von gestern". Umse gelingt es wie auf seinen Vorgängeralben den schmalen Grad zwischen Trademarksound und ausprobieren zu meistern. Von vielschichtigen Betrachtungen über "Menschen", zu klassischen Rap-Tracks wie "Hawaiianischer Schnee" bis hin zu Sozialisationsbetrachtungen auf "Wer bist du". In den letzten Jahren findet sein Treiben nun vor immer größerem Publikum statt, harte Arbeit zahlt sich eben aus.

Wiederveröffentlichung des Umse Albums aus dem Jahr 2008 als Vinyl! Das 2008er Konzeptalbum des Ratinger MCs ist durchweg an eine Tageszeitung angelehnt. Seinem eigenständigen und ebenso intelligenten wie humorvollen Stil ist Umse hier durchgängig treu geblieben - nicht zuletzt dadurch konnte er sich stets deutlich vom aktuellen Hip Hop-Geschehen in Deutschland abheben. Chefredakteur Umse nähert sich auf diesem 12 Song-starken Konzeptalbum sämtlichen Themen von "Politik" und "Wirtschaft" über "Kontaktanzeigen" hin zum "TV Programm", dem "Wetter" oder den "Todesanzeigen" mit einem Augenzwinkern: Als Aufhänger dienen all seine persönlichen Erlebnisse zwischen bundesweiten Liveauftritten bis hin zum Fernsehabend auf der Couch. Umses technisch versierter, leidenschaftlich kreativer und perfektionistischer Schreibstil lädt den Hörer hierbei zur akustischen Langzeitlektüre ein. Die Beats auf "Rheinisches Blatt" stammen von Deckah, Firstar, Tesk und DJ Radrum. Besonders die Verwendung zahlreicher Vokal-Schnitte aus der ersten Golden Ära Hip Hops deutscher Machart, machen "Rheinisches Blatt" zu einem Hip Hop-Album klassischer Prägung, mit welchem die Fans der ersten Stunde definitiv ihre Freude haben werden.

»Ced Gee X Kool Keith«, beide Mitglieder der legendären Ultramagnetic MC's, haben sich für eine neue Ultramagnetic MC's-Platte zusammengefunden. Das Wiederaufleben des klassischen Hip-Hop wird im Jahr 2022 mit der neuen Veröffentlichung von Ultramagnetic MC's »Kool Keith x Ced Gee« fortgesetzt Die Ultramagnetics Kool Keith, Ced Gee und DJ Moe Love, die Mitte der 80er Jahre in der Boogie Down Bronx als weit verstreutes Hip-Hop-Trio mit einem Haufen neuer Ideen auftraten, nehmen so etwas wie einen einzigartigen Platz im Pantheon der alten Schule ein.

Die Ultramagnetic MCs kombinieren funkige Songs mit rockigen Beats und obskuren lyrischen Anspielungen und können auf eine Reihe von Premieren verweisen: Sie waren die erste Rap-Gruppe, die einen Sampler als Instrument einsetzte, die erste, die ausgiebig mit Live-Instrumenten arbeitete und die erste, die einen ehemaligen Psychiatriepatienten (Kool Keith) am Mikrofon hatte.

Frühe Singles wie »Something Else« und »Space Groove« wurden zum festen Bestandteil von Blockpartys und schlugen Wellen im Underground, so dass die Gruppe schließlich bei dem von Disco dominierten Label Next Plateau landete, wo sie ihr unterschätztes Debüt veröffentlichte. In den folgenden Jahren wechselte die Gruppe von Label zu Label und veröffentlichte Alben auf Mercury und Wild Pitch, bevor sie sich trennte, um verschiedene Projekte zu verfolgen. Bei dieser besonderen Veranstaltung werden Kool Keith und Ced Gee klassische Ultramagnetic MCs-Songs vortragen und Geschichten über die Entstehung ihres ikonoklastischen Katalogs erzählen.

Wenn die Dämmerung auf das Land der tausend Seen fällt, werden die Schleier zwischen unserer Realität und der Anderswelt dünner im Zwielicht der Wälder und Sümpfe. In solchen Momente gelangen Geschichten wie "das Märchen, das es nie gab" in die Texte und Musik von TENHI. Auf ihrem sechsten Album "Valkama", was unter anderem so viel wie "Hafen" oder "Zuflucht" bedeutet, erzählen die Finnen von einer die ursprünglich als Märchen gedachten Reise aus einem brennenden, vom Krieg zerrissenen Dorf über dunkle Gewässer zu einer Insel der Toten. Auf dieser Insel, die in der finnischen Folklore Verisurma ("der Ort für diejenigen, die den Blut-Tod erlitten haben") genannt wird, wohnen diejenigen, die im Krieg starben oder mit einer Klinge getötet wurden. An den Ufern vergießen sie für immer ihr Blut. Doch in den zehn Jahren, in denen TENHI an dem Album arbeiteten, sickerte zunehmend die blutige Realität mit ihren aktuellen Schrecken und Kriegen in die Märchenwelt ein. Jahr für Jahr spürten die Musiker, wie ihre Geschichte immer wirklicher erschien. Schließlich war ein Pegelstand erreicht, an dem die Band beschloss, ihren Kurs zu ändern. Obwohl noch immer Anklänge an das ursprüngliche Werk hörbar und im Artwork auch sichtbar sind, fühlt sich das finale Album ruhiger, harmonischer und sogar heller an als die erste Fassung. Die Band hätte kaum einen passenderen Namen als TENHI wählen können. Das alte finnische Wort bezeichnet einen "Ältesten" oder "Schamanen". Während die Schamanen des finnischen Nordens unter anderem als Vermittler zwischen ihrer Gemeinschaft und der Geisterwelt dienten, sind TENHI musikalische Grenzgänger zwischen dunklem Folk und Folkrock, die sogar bis in die elektrifizierte Welt des Metal hinein wirken. Dies legt zwar einen Vergleich mit WARDRUNA und HEILUNG nahe, doch nur im spirituellen Sinne und nicht in Hinblick auf den Stil. TENHI wurden im Jahr 1996 von Gitarrist und Sänger Tyko Saarikko ins Leben gerufen. Ein paar Jahre später stieß Ilmari Issakainen zur Band. Gemeinsam bilden die beiden Musiker den kreativen Kern der Gruppe. Nach der Selbstveröffentlichung ihres Demos "Kertomuksia" (1997) und der MCD "Hallavedet" (1998) trafen die Finnen 1999 mit dem Debütalbum "Kauan" auf Anhieb einen Nerv. Ins neue Jahrtausend starteten TENHI dann mit einer weiteren MCD namens "Airut:ciwi" (2000). Es folgte eine Reihe von Alben, die von "Väre" (2002) über "Maaäet" (2006) und "Airut:aamujen" (2006) bis zu "Saivo" (2011) reichte. Mit jedem neuen Album vergrößerten die Finnen ihre treue Fangemeinde, die aus diversen musikalischen Richtungen kommt. TENHI verbanden von Anfang an akustische Instrumente und traditionelle Töne mit Strukturen aus der zeitgenössischen Rockmusik. Während das Vorgängeralbum "Saivo" zuletzt verstärkt in Richtung Ambient und Panorama-Soundtrack tendierte, kehrt "Valkama" zu Songstrukturen zurück - wenn auch oft mäandernd und im epischen Format. "Valkama" kommt mit den typisch finnischen Gefühlen der Sehnsucht und anhaltender Melancholie daher. Doch trotz der hörbaren Dunkelheit bieten TENHI ein musikalisches Antidot für die Schrecken der modernen Welt an. Im Zwielicht der Welt des Nordens ist "Valkama" der Silberstreif am Horizont, der innere Geborgenheit und Frieden verspricht.

Gatefold 2LP (clear vinyl) with etching on side D, insert, padded inner sleeves and protection sleeve (300 copies)

Wenn die Dämmerung auf das Land der tausend Seen fällt, werden die Schleier zwischen unserer Realität und der Anderswelt dünner im Zwielicht der Wälder und Sümpfe. In solchen Momente gelangen Geschichten wie "das Märchen, das es nie gab" in die Texte und Musik von TENHI. Auf ihrem sechsten Album "Valkama", was unter anderem so viel wie "Hafen" oder "Zuflucht" bedeutet, erzählen die Finnen von einer die ursprünglich als Märchen gedachten Reise aus einem brennenden, vom Krieg zerrissenen Dorf über dunkle Gewässer zu einer Insel der Toten. Auf dieser Insel, die in der finnischen Folklore Verisurma ("der Ort für diejenigen, die den Blut-Tod erlitten haben") genannt wird, wohnen diejenigen, die im Krieg starben oder mit einer Klinge getötet wurden. An den Ufern vergießen sie für immer ihr Blut. Doch in den zehn Jahren, in denen TENHI an dem Album arbeiteten, sickerte zunehmend die blutige Realität mit ihren aktuellen Schrecken und Kriegen in die Märchenwelt ein. Jahr für Jahr spürten die Musiker, wie ihre Geschichte immer wirklicher erschien. Schließlich war ein Pegelstand erreicht, an dem die Band beschloss, ihren Kurs zu ändern. Obwohl noch immer Anklänge an das ursprüngliche Werk hörbar und im Artwork auch sichtbar sind, fühlt sich das finale Album ruhiger, harmonischer und sogar heller an als die erste Fassung. Die Band hätte kaum einen passenderen Namen als TENHI wählen können. Das alte finnische Wort bezeichnet einen "Ältesten" oder "Schamanen". Während die Schamanen des finnischen Nordens unter anderem als Vermittler zwischen ihrer Gemeinschaft und der Geisterwelt dienten, sind TENHI musikalische Grenzgänger zwischen dunklem Folk und Folkrock, die sogar bis in die elektrifizierte Welt des Metal hinein wirken. Dies legt zwar einen Vergleich mit WARDRUNA und HEILUNG nahe, doch nur im spirituellen Sinne und nicht in Hinblick auf den Stil. TENHI wurden im Jahr 1996 von Gitarrist und Sänger Tyko Saarikko ins Leben gerufen. Ein paar Jahre später stieß Ilmari Issakainen zur Band. Gemeinsam bilden die beiden Musiker den kreativen Kern der Gruppe. Nach der Selbstveröffentlichung ihres Demos "Kertomuksia" (1997) und der MCD "Hallavedet" (1998) trafen die Finnen 1999 mit dem Debütalbum "Kauan" auf Anhieb einen Nerv. Ins neue Jahrtausend starteten TENHI dann mit einer weiteren MCD namens "Airut:ciwi" (2000). Es folgte eine Reihe von Alben, die von "Väre" (2002) über "Maaäet" (2006) und "Airut:aamujen" (2006) bis zu "Saivo" (2011) reichte. Mit jedem neuen Album vergrößerten die Finnen ihre treue Fangemeinde, die aus diversen musikalischen Richtungen kommt. TENHI verbanden von Anfang an akustische Instrumente und traditionelle Töne mit Strukturen aus der zeitgenössischen Rockmusik. Während das Vorgängeralbum "Saivo" zuletzt verstärkt in Richtung Ambient und Panorama-Soundtrack tendierte, kehrt "Valkama" zu Songstrukturen zurück - wenn auch oft mäandernd und im epischen Format. "Valkama" kommt mit den typisch finnischen Gefühlen der Sehnsucht und anhaltender Melancholie daher. Doch trotz der hörbaren Dunkelheit bieten TENHI ein musikalisches Antidot für die Schrecken der modernen Welt an. Im Zwielicht der Welt des Nordens ist "Valkama" der Silberstreif am Horizont, der innere Geborgenheit und Frieden verspricht.

Gatefold 2LP (clear vinyl) with etching on side D, insert, padded inner sleeves and protection sleeve (300 copies)

Squids zweites Album 'O Monolith' ist voller melodischer Offenbarungen und vielschichtiger Klänge und eine musikalische Beschwörung von Umwelt, Häuslichkeit und selbst geschaffener Folklore. Wie sein Vorgänger, das gefeierte 'Bright Green Field' (2021), ist es dicht und vertrackt, aber auch wärmer und charaktervoller, mit einer mäandernden, fragenden Natur. Dies ist unverkennbar Musik, die von Freunden gemacht wurde, aber sie ist nicht ausgrenzend - sie laden dich ein, mit ihnen zuzuhören. 'O Monolith' wurde von Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Black Midi, Tame Impala)produziert, von John McEntire von Tortoise gemischt und in den Real World Studios aufgenommen. Das Thema der Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Umwelt zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch das Album. Es gibt Anspielungen auf die Welt, in die die Band so sehr eingetaucht ist, auf den ökologischen Notstand, die Rolle der Häuslichkeit und die Verdrängung, die man spürt, wenn man für längere Zeit weg ist. 'O Monolith' ist ein Spiegelbild der überdimensionalen Entwicklung einer Band, die immer in die Zukunft blickt. Wie sein Namensvetter ist auch 'O Monolith' weitläufig und fremdartig, lebendig mit endlosen möglichen Interpretationen seiner inneren Geheimnisse.

Format: Schwarzes Vinyl mit bedruckten Innenhüllen im Gatefold plus 20-seitiges Booklet & Download-Code

Colin McCann didn't pick up a guitar for nearly ten years. The Northern-California-based songwriter, previously performing under Long Dog Bird, had been creating music with longtime friend and collaborator Brian Gossman for much of their adult lives with early-00s Baltimore-based band Wilderness. So what would cause such a stagnant period? And how could McCann find his way back to the joy that music had once so easily conjured? The answer was to go back to the very beginning, where the kinetic forces that urged McCann to make music in the first place could emerge once again. But first, he had to make space in his internal world; a kind of silence where he could hear the exhale of his past, and the blossoming of a new song. That blossoming would soon become the first songs for McCann's latest project Vulture Feather. The band's debut album Liminal Fields exists on an intangible plane: a crack in the concrete, a gauze between worlds. For as long as McCann can recall, he's been using music as a vehicle to try and connect with an underlying, indescribable nature that only the sonic world seems to be able to reach. "There's a feeling of ecstasy that comes when one merges with music," he says. "It's what calls us all back again and again to listen, to sing, and to play." McCann had been striving to reach this outlying environment throughout his career, often stretching in ways that eventually came to negatively impact his life, and his health. The wake up call came when McCann suffered a near-death experience, eerily predicted by a friend through a dream she had had almost a year earlier. Newly awoken to the beauty of being alive, McCann strove to slow down, to listen to the inherent nature in all living things, and to rediscover our mutual connectivity. He stopped playing and listening to music, and instead soaked himself in the cacophony of silence. Then without any epiphany or grand catalyst, something urged McCann to pick up a guitar again. Ideas flowed more naturally than ever, and he soon realized that the liminal space he had been searching for was there all along--he only had to listen. McCann tentatively reached out to Gossman to collaborate and the friends found themselves once again jamming together, in an off-grid quonset hut where they now practice. "It was like no time had passed," McCann says. "That feeling of ecstatic joy, of forgetting your own name, came flooding back." They were soon joined by another old friend, Eric Fiscus, who completed Vulture Feather on drums.

Recycled Col. LP

McKinley Dixon calls the late Toni Morrison the greatest rapper of all time; and the way he tackles topics like survival, violence, and religion within the expansive landscape of the Black experience, evokes her novels. It is from the title of Morrison‘s Beloved trilogy where he finds the title of his new album with City Slang Records: Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? Musically his household was defined by “artists whose first name was Mary,” including Mary J. Blige and gospel duo Mary Mary. Discovering Outkast was formative for Dixon, deepening his love for hip-hop while he also grew curious about the more theatrical rock of groups of the day, bands like My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco that his Maryland friends introduced him to. “Those groups also helped me with my sense of longing, since their music reflected a sense of longing,” he says. Eventually he channelled these competing influences into a debut EP he released in 2013. With time, his music became his primary means of self-expression, whether discussing Blackness or his own relationship with healing. Across his next releases, his style evolved and his confidence grew, especially when it came to live instrumentation. His 2021 debut album For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her was a game changer, as Dixon set his sights on heartache and grief. “I was making these really dense and chaotic songs, stuffing whatever thought I had into five and a half minutes,” Dixon says of that project. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?! is an attempt at channeling different impulses. Sometimes rough and other times delicate, this record is a journey into is a journey into the psyche of McKinley Dixon, with all of the of the attendant peaks and valleys.

Morgan Wallen veröffentlicht sein mit Spannung erwartetes zweites Album „Dangerous“. Der Künstler schrieb die Songs zum größten Teil selbst und wurde in dieser Zeit zum ”am schnellsten aufsteigenden jungen Star des Landes” (Variety). Morgan sagt über sein Album „Ich wollte auch, dass die Lieder mehrere Lebensphasen ansprechen und mehrere verschiedene Klänge haben, je nach meinen Einflüssen und je nachdem, was mir Spaß macht.“ Das Doppelalbum spiegelt somit den unverkennbaren Sound, den Wallen und Produzent Joey Moi auf seinem Platinum Debüt-Album „If I Know Me“ geschaffen haben, wider. Als Vorgeschmack auf „Dangerous“ sind bereits 8 Songs erschienen, darunter die Single „Somebody‘s Problem“ sowie die beiden aktuellen Country-Radio-Singles von Wallen - Top 3 ”More Than My Hometown” und Top 30 ”7 Summers”. Außerdem ist die Country-Album-Version der 3X Platinum Diplo-Kollaboration ”Heartless” enthalten. Künstler wie Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Eric Church und Jason Isbell wirkten bei „Dangerous“ mit. Außerdem sind selbstverständlich Morgan’s engste musikalische Vertraute Hardy, Ernest und Ryan Vojtesak dabei. Wallen ist der Künstler des Country Genres mit den meisten Streams auf allen Plattformen, welche sich auf weit über 3 Billionen belaufen. Außerdem wurde er im November 2020 mit dem CMA Award als „New Artist of the Year“ ausgezeichnet.