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The year that NOW’s story began, and where we started our ‘Yearbook’ series back in 2021. An incredible year in Pop music, and a fabulous selection of the years’ hits have featured on that first ‘Yearbook’, and on the ‘80-84 Final’ as part of our appreciation of 1983. Those tracks were generally the bigger hits of the year, with their Chart achievement a factor in their inclusion. However, that’s not the whole story, and our celebration of 1983 wouldn’t be complete without shining a light on some of the year’s singles that have been compiled much less frequently over the past 40 years. Welcome to the THE VAULT for 1983…Some of the tracks were Top 40 hits, some missed the Chart completely, and some were huge in the U.S. and not in the U.K. – but all are part of the wonderful Pop story of 1983. Released as 80 tracks across 4-CDs, available as a standard 4CD and as a a special edition 4CD in ‘hardback book’ packaging featuring a 28-page track by track guide, original singles artwork and a quiz and 45 tracks across 3-LPs, pressed on stunning translucent red vinyl -

BODYSYSTEM is the solo project of Finlay McCarthy (synth player for Glasgow art-pop innovators Walt Disco). "Flowerbed" is his debut EP on KIN-TU Records, blending melodic electronics, skittering breakbeats, rave textures, and emotionally charged songwriting.

The EP includes collaborations with Tiger Cohen-Towell (Divorce) and Pearling, bringing two distinct vocal turns to the record. "I’m Still Available" lands as a yearning pop-dance cut with restless breakbeats and rave pressure, while "When I See You" (feat. Pearling) leans into a luminous, emotionally warm club feel. The EP closes out the KIN-TU003 campaign and marks a strong debut statement from a Glasgow artist already known for his work in Walt Disco.

Reissued for the first time ever, here’s the remastered debut album of jamaican singer/producer Enos McLeod, originally released in 1983 on Soul Beat record. An ultra rare affair recorded at Joe Gibb's studio with a great backing band featuring Sly & Robbie, Earl Chinna Smith, Winston Wright and more…

Soul meets Funk 1967-style. Club Sounds, Funk Guitar Groovers, Soul Cha-Cha, Hammond Magic, Freak-Out Party Sounds, Slinky Organ Smoochers. Cornbread And Buttermilk, Chittlin' Salad, Sweet Potato Gravy, and a Bucket Of Grease. Just Instrumentals Soul and Funk-Style. Mmm Mmm Mmm.

Essential compilation from a cult classic singer/songwriter whose first three albums are highly collectible in Europe and Japan. After stopping touring, the industry walked away, but the artist kept writing and recording eight more albums, only available via his website. Crossroads features 14 tracks, including 9 previously unheard, with sociopolitical themes, and poetic visionary lyrics that still resonate today. Legendary jazz musicians such as John Scofield and Paul McCandless (Oregon) contribute.

Studio One Sound is the classic Studio One collection from Soul Jazz Records. Described as ‘The University of Reggae’ by Chris Blackwell, Studio One, and founder Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd are by far the most-important names in the history of reggae music. Originally released in 2012 this album has been out of print for many years, making it one of the most-collectible of Soul Jazz Records’ Studio One Series. This is the first ever colour vinyl edition of this classic album.

The album features some of the most in-demand and collectible Studio One tracks from over its fifty-year history and includes incredible legendary reggae artists such as The Heptones, Ken Boothe, The Skatalites, Johnny Osbourne and Wailing Souls. All these artists (and hundreds more) launched their careers at Studio One under the guidance of Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd. The Studio One Sound collection features everything from classic ska and rocksteady to the deepest roots, heaviest dub and dancehall roots. Sleevenotes are by Rob Chapman, author of the celebrated books about Studio One Records, 'Never Grow Old' and 'Downbeat the Ruler'. The exact reproduction of the original artwork features the classic image of Dennis Brown on the cover. This album is newly fully remastered for vinyl by Jason Goz at Transition. Exclusive one-off pressing on heavyweight double transparent green vinyl.

The recordings on Volume II were captured in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 18, 2020. Guided as much by human instinct as by musical intention, the ensemble moved through the evening with a shared sensitivity…listening, responding, and trusting the moment as it unfolded. Though Morten McCoy admits to having felt quite ill that evening, nothing in the music suggests restraint. Instead, what remains is a vivid, playful exchange, where McCoy and Johannes Wamberg carry both Part I and Part II as a flowing conversation, speaking through sound rather than words.

Part I begins abruptly, almost throwing the listener back in time to the exact moment the improvisation was born. Jonathan Bremer steps to the forefront, providing a solid, melodic bassline as Kristoffer and Eliel, perfectly in sync, lay down a steady foundation for whichever voice chooses to rise above the rhythm.

This is also one of the few I Am An Instrument recordings to feature two guitarists. Johannes Wamberg leads the way, shaping the harmonic direction, while Steven Jess Borth II adds subtle rhythmic textures through muted palm work, deepening the groove without ever stepping into the foreground.

Part II unfolds with Morten McCoy on his Moog One, delivering a beautiful, expansive solo. Using a carefully chosen patch, the sound pulses through the rhythm, moving with the groove rather than above it, riding the beat like a wave through the ocean.
Shaped by trust, presence, and collective improvisation, Volume II captures a group deeply attuned to one another, allowing intuition and momentum to guide the unfolding form.
——
Volume III was recorded in Copenhagen on March 5, 2020. Little did anyone know that only days later, the world would be placed on pause for years. Captured just before that moment of global stillness, this session carries a heightened sense of presence, a final gathering before silence reshaped everything. Recorded in a space more commonly associated with a club atmosphere, the music draws on a different kind of energy and immediacy. With Eliel Lazo unable to attend, the group invited Victor Dybbroe of Girls In Airports to join on percussion, subtly reshaping the ensemble while preserving its core spirit. Part I opens with Steven Jess Borth II calling out on tenor saxophone, answered by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. The piece gradually unfolds into a meditative groove, patient and expansive, carrying the listener through an eight-minute journey of layered rhythm and restraint.

Part II begins with Jonathan Bremer on stand up bass, slowly joined by the rest of the ensemble as each voice enters with intention. Midway through, an unexpected vocal melody from Borth emerges, drenched in reverb and delay, later reappearing as a melodic line on the tenor saxophone.

Part III is led by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. His signature melodic language sets the direction, guiding the ensemble while leaving ample space for the music to breathe and evolve through collective improvisation. Reprise returns to the closing moments of Part II, its title reflecting its origin. The familiar groove reappears, transformed into a distinctly Jamaican-influenced rhythm, over which Borth delivers a final tenor saxophone solo, bringing the conversation to rest.

Any questions about any of these products feel free to get in touch and we'll help you out!

[a] a1. Part I [Vol.2]
[b] a2. Part II [Vol.2]
[c] a3. Part I [Vol.3]
[d] b1. Part II [Vol.3]
[e] b2. Part III [Vol.3]
[f] b3. Reprise [Vol.3]

Naive Melodies is a bold and visionary tribute to the music of Talking Heads, reinterpreted through the lens of Black musical innovation. Curated by Drew McFadden — the creative mind behind BBE’s acclaimed Modern Love (David Bowie tribute album) — this new collection dives deep into the Afro-diasporic rhythms and experimental soul roots that helped shape Talking Heads’ unmistakable New Wave sound. Inspired by artists like Fela Kuti, Parliament, and Al Green — whose influences loomed large in the band’s rhythmic DNA — Naive Melodies shines a light on the Black music traditions that underpinned their artistry. Far from a conventional tribute, Naive Melodies reframes the band’s catalog through the voices and visions of a new generation of genre-defying artists. These interpretations illuminate the foundational grooves and sonic textures that fueled Talking Heads’ rhythm-forward aesthetic, bringing them full circle with authenticity. “With Naive Melodies, I wanted to spotlight the deep and often overlooked influence of Black music on the sound of Talking Heads, drawing from the rhythmic foundations of Afro-diasporic traditions, soul, gospel, Latin, and spiritual jazz. This project is a chance to reimagine Talking Heads’ legacy through the lens of the very innovations that helped shape it, bringing those influences to the forefront through the voices of today’s most forward-thinking artists.” — Drew McFadden The album features a globally minded lineup, including Liv.e, Bilal, Rogê, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Aja Monet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Theo Croker, Kenny Dope, Rosie Lowe, Pachyman, W.I.T.C.H., and more — spanning Afrobeat, jazz, soul, funk, gospel, dub, electronica, orchestral, and Latin styles. It reflects not only the boundary-pushing ethos of Talking Heads, but also the influence of Black music as a cultural force that helped shape it. This is not just a tribute album — it’s a recontextualization. A cultural conversation. A rhythmic reawakening.

Mit seinem neuen Solo-Projekt „NEOCORTEX“ präsentiert Thomas D ein Werk, dessen Entstehungsprozess teilweise über ein Jahrzehnt zurückreicht. Abseits der großen Stadion-Produktionen der Fantastischen Vier liegt der Fokus hier auf einer persönlichen und inhaltlich dichten Auseinandersetzung mit dem menschlichen Sein. Im Gegensatz zu den vorangegangenen Veröffentlichungen mit der Hamburger Band The KBCS handelt es sich bei den zwölf Titeln ausschließlich um neues Material und keine Remakes.

Musikalisch setzt Thomas D erneut auf die Zusammenarbeit mit den KBCS, die für einen organischen und geerdeten Sound sorgen. Ergänzt wird das Album durch Kollaborationen mit dem Künstler Gu sowie der Liedermacher-Legende Reinhard Mey.

„NEOCORTEX“ dokumentiert eine über 13 Jahre gereifte künstlerische Entwicklung und zeigt Thomas D als Songwriter, der sich direkter und lebensnäher als in bisherigen Solo-Arbeiten positioniert.

A magus is a wizard…a sorcerer. Magus, the band, is certainly interested in such things (who isn’t), but the name is especially apt due to the band’s approach to alchemy, the blending of rock, gothic, proto metal, and psychedelic styles to create a sound that is, ultimately, unique. Part of that uniqueness comes from the instrumentation. While guitar is often a dominant instrument of the rock oeuvre, the Fender Rhodes generally plays a supportive role. Not so here, where Jessica Weeks’ deft use of the keyboard dovetails with Greg Weeks’ more standard six-string approach. Not standard is the band’s sound. Doomy yet inspirational, dour yet vibrant, the duo’s tunes map sinister realms whose subjects span metaphysical creatures to enigmatic portals. You know, the typical stuff that rubs elbows with a magus.

Formed in late 2024, Magus sprung from a desire by both artists to experiment with darker, heavier sounds. Long enamored of artists like Flower Travelling Band,, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple, the duo delved deeply into trance like riffs and euphoric solos to create the backbone of what has become their debut album, Music for Mandrax. This thirteenth Language of Stone offering features grounded, metronomic grooves, organic, lugubrious synth lines, and tandem vocals (supplied by both Weekses) that, in total, weave a heavy, trancelike spell sure to entice fans of bands as disparate as Sabbath is to Pink Floyd. Recorded at Weeks’ Hexham Head studio (to analog tape, of course), the band enlisted long-time counterparts Jesse Sparhawk (bass) and Ben McConnell (drums) to round out their sound and lock down the grooves that propel the album.

Mixed by Brian McTear and Amy Morrisey at Miner Street in Philadelphia, the band’s fully realized vision came to fruition, which left only the album art to contemplate. The band, wishing to further the gothic aesthetic of their sound, enlisted fashion designer and artist extraordinaire Hogan McLaughlin (Game of Thrones) to create the starkly beautiful line drawings of the front and back covers. The duo travelled to Salem, MA to complete the package with Courtney Brooke Hall, who shot the moody and evocative photographs that grace the gatefold release’s inner panels.

Eines der besten Metal-Alben des Jahres 2025 wird 2026 als exklusive Metal Hammer Picture Disc geehrt. Klasse Artwork, einmal "The Rat Queen" aka Band-Chefin Riley Pinkerton, einmal die gesamte Band plus Logos und Tracklist. Das Fantasy-Mittelalter-Metal-Phänomen CASTLE RAT präsentiert sein zweites Album! Castle Rat ist die NY Fantasy-Heavy-Metal-Band, die von der Rat Queen angeführt wird, welche die Mission verfolgt, ihr Refugium gegen diejenigen zu verteidigen, die es zerstören wollen. Ihr zur Seite stehen The Count, The Plague Doctor und The All-Seeing Druid. Gemeinsam stellen sie sich mit Heavy Magie dem unerbittlichen Zorn ihrer Erzfeindin - dem Tod in Form von The Rat Reaperess. The Bestiary ist ein riffgeladenes Kompendium mystischer Kreaturen und vorwarnender Erzählungen aus einer vergessenen Welt. Es erzählt 13 allegorische Geschichten von mythischen Bestien und dem Zauberer, der sie beschwört, und verwebt kraftvolle Heavy-Hymnen und dunkle Verzückungen zu einer betörenden und unvergesslichen Heavy-Metal-Odyssee. Als ob Grace Slick mit Black Sabbath ca. 1200 A.D. auf einem Kiss-Konzert Liebe macht. Aufgenommen von Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk) und gemischt von Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Restless Spirit), bietet das Album episches Heavy-Gemetzel und doomy Hard Rock. Hervorgegangen aus New Yorks abscheulichem, kreaturenverseuchtem Untergrund, schlugen die Fantasy-Heavy-Metaller zunächst mit ihren Live-Auftritten und später mit ihrem Debütalbum "Into The Realm" im Jahr 2024 große Wellen. Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2019 haben CASTLE RAT ein lebendiges Labyrinth aus Erzählungen und Mythen geschaffen, welches sie nun rund um die Welt führt. Die MH Picture Disc kommt in durchsichtiger, halbfester PVC-Hülle mit Lasche (semi-rigid transparent PVC sleeve with flap), ansonsten auch noch auf CD (aufklappbares Digipak), MC (mit gefaltetem Inlay) und auf LP (farbiges Vinyl, inklusive ausklappbarem Lyrics-Insert)!

Eines der besten Metal-Alben des Jahres 2025 erhält eine hochwertige Zoetrope Vinylversion. Ein farbenfroh animiertes, detailreiches Sammlerstück für Musikliebhaber. Das Fantasy-Mittelalter-Metal-Phänomen CASTLE RAT präsentiert sein zweites Album! Castle Rat ist die NY Fantasy-Heavy-Metal-Band, die von der Rat Queen angeführt wird, welche die Mission verfolgt, ihr Refugium gegen diejenigen zu verteidigen, die es zerstören wollen. Ihr zur Seite stehen The Count, The Plague Doctor und The All-Seeing Druid. Gemeinsam stellen sie sich mit Heavy Magie dem unerbittlichen Zorn ihrer Erzfeindin - dem Tod in Form von The Rat Reaperess. The Bestiary ist ein riffgeladenes Kompendium mystischer Kreaturen und vorwarnender Erzählungen aus einer vergessenen Welt. Es erzählt 13 allegorische Geschichten von mythischen Bestien und dem Zauberer, der sie beschwört, und verwebt kraftvolle Heavy-Hymnen und dunkle Verzückungen zu einer betörenden und unvergesslichen Heavy-Metal-Odyssee. Als ob Grace Slick mit Black Sabbath ca. 1200 A.D. auf einem Kiss-Konzert Liebe macht. Aufgenommen von Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk) und gemischt von Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Restless Spirit), bietet das Album episches Heavy-Gemetzel und doomy Hard Rock. Hervorgegangen aus New Yorks abscheulichem, kreaturenverseuchtem Untergrund, schlugen die Fantasy-Heavy-Metaller zunächst mit ihren Live-Auftritten und später mit ihrem Debütalbum "Into The Realm" im Jahr 2024 große Wellen. Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2019 haben CASTLE RAT ein lebendiges Labyrinth aus Erzählungen und Mythen geschaffen, welches sie nun rund um die Welt führt. Zoetrope-Vinyl kommt in durchsichtiger, halbfester PVC-Hülle mit Lasche (semi-rigid transparent PVC sleeve with flap),auch noch auf CD (aufklappbares Digipak), MC (mit gefaltetem Inlay) und auf LP (farbiges Vinyl, inklusive ausklappbarem Lyrics-Insert) erhältlich.

Intense and intensely personal, The Dead Ones marks The Last Ten Seconds of Life’s Metal Blade label debut. 10 original tracks of pulverizing deathcore produced by Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland of Pennsylvania’s Atrium Audio. In creating The Dead Ones, “everyone took what we learned from the past two releases and assembled what we thought would bring out the best of us from song structure, tonality of instruments, the mix/master, and the lyrical themes,” furthers McLaughlin.

The end result reflects a more personal and human experience rather than the philosophical and fictional approach used on earlier releases. The Dead Ones follows 2024’s acclaimed No Name Graves in the theme of death and rebirth, but in contrast, is directly focused on the human experience and the band members’ own struggles.

Concert at Prades-le-Lez marks the origins of the Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra. In 1974, François Tusques and his companions (Michel Marre, Jo Maka, Adolf Winkler and Guem), in the spirit of Don Cherry or Chris McGregor, playfully dismantle all borders and all styles of creative music.

On this second volume, the Intercommunal builds unprecedented soundscapes around a song of revolt, a dance tune, or a burst of dissonance. The journey is unforgettable, no question about it. On repeat listening, it even becomes… lunar!

“The music that we make is primarily meant to be listened to live,” warned a leaflet from the Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra. This is precisely why the (restored!) reissue of the two volumes of Concert at Prades-le-Lez, recorded on January 25 and 26, 1974 by François Tusques and his comrades, is such an important event.

In 1971, after recording a series of albums that would leave a lasting mark on French jazz (Free Jazz, of course, with Michel Portal, François Jeanneau, Bernard Vitet, Beb Guérin and Charles Saudrais, but also Le Nouveau Jazz with Barney Wilen, or the solo Piano Dazibao), François Tusques founded the Intercommunal—a grouping whose very name called for the fraternization of the various communities making up the country: Our music will help, we hope, to resolve the contradictions that exist between workers be longing to different communities, by breaking down various forms of national chauvinism, and more particularly the chauvinism of certain French people toward the cultures of Third World countries… Long live the friendship between the peoples of the whole world!

Among the great records made by the Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra, the two volumes of Concert at Prades-le-Lez come first, before L’Inter Communal, Vol. 4, Le Musichien, and Après la marée noire (four titles already reissued by Souffle Continu). François Tusques and his companions (Michel Marre and Jo Maka on saxophones, Adolf Winkler on trombone, and Guem on percussion) performed on January 25 and 26, 1974 at the Moulin de Prades-le-Lez, a few kilometers from Montpellier. It was thus in the southern region of Occitanie that the first echoes of this musical vision of a borderless brotherhood were recorded.

“We’re not among the Colonels,” the Intercommunal reassures us right away, performing a stride piano tune carried by African winds that the audience cannot resist for long. The energy is already striking and it never lets up throughout these two recordings, from start to finish: jazz, blues, traditional music, minimalism, even funk… The musicians of the Intercommunal have heard a lot of great music and now delight in reinventing it by mixing it all together.

“We want the song form to take its place as a weapon in the struggle against capitalist exploitation and all those who oppress us morally and materially,” declared an Intercommunal leaflet, quoting Jean-Baptiste Clément, author of the lyrics to “Le Temps des cerises.” The struggle was therefore serious—but it did not prevent François Tusques and his group from waging it in a festive spirit: each piece on Concert at Prades-le- Lez sends out a call for love and fraternity. Fifty years later, the message remains as relevant as ever—and once again, it is François Tusques who makes it heard.

Concert at Prades-le-Lez marks the origins of the Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra. In 1974, François Tusques and his companions (Michel Marre, Jo Maka, Adolf Winkler and Guem), in the spirit of Don Cherry or Chris McGregor, playfully dismantle all borders and all styles of creative music.

On this first volume, the Intercommunal takes its audience from New Orleans to Brittany and on to North Africa. The journey was bold, without a doubt—and its memory remains unforgettable.

“The music that we make is primarily meant to be listened to live,” warned a leaflet from the Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra. This is precisely why the (restored!) reissue of the two volumes of Concert at Prades-le-Lez, recorded on January 25 and 26, 1974 by François Tusques and his comrades, is such an important event.

In 1971, after recording a series of albums that would leave a lasting mark on French jazz (Free Jazz, of course, with Michel Portal, François Jeanneau, Bernard Vitet, Beb Guérin and Charles Saudrais, but also Le Nouveau Jazz with Barney Wilen, or the solo Piano Dazibao), François Tusques founded the Intercommunal—a grouping whose very name called for the fraternization of the various communities making up the country: Our music will help, we hope, to resolve the contradictions that exist between workers be longing to different communities, by breaking down various forms of national chauvinism, and more particularly the chauvinism of certain French people toward the cultures of Third World countries… Long live the friendship between the peoples of the whole world!

Among the great records made by the Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra, the two volumes of Concert at Prades-le-Lez come first, before L’Inter Communal, Vol. 4, Le Musichien, and Après la marée noire (four titles already reissued by Souffle Continu). François Tusques and his companions (Michel Marre and Jo Maka on saxophones, Adolf Winkler on trombone, and Guem on percussion) performed on January 25 and 26, 1974 at the Moulin de Prades-le-Lez, a few kilometers from Montpellier. It was thus in the southern region of Occitanie that the first echoes of this musical vision of a borderless brotherhood were recorded.

“We’re not among the Colonels,” the Intercommunal reassures us right away, performing a stride piano tune carried by African winds that the audience cannot resist for long. The energy is already striking and it never lets up throughout these two recordings, from start to finish: jazz, blues, traditional music, minimalism, even funk… The musicians of the Intercommunal have heard a lot of great music and now delight in reinventing it by mixing it all together.

“We want the song form to take its place as a weapon in the struggle against capitalist exploitation and all those who oppress us morally and materially,” declared an Intercommunal leaflet, quoting Jean-Baptiste Clément, author of the lyrics to “Le Temps des cerises.” The struggle was therefore serious—but it did not prevent François Tusques and his group from waging it in a festive spirit: each piece on Concert at Prades-le- Lez sends out a call for love and fraternity. Fifty years later, the message remains as relevant as ever—and once again, it is François Tusques who makes it heard.

Internationally acclaimed producer INKSWEL makes a vibrant return to his house and club foundations with a powerful new 7 track EP. Featuring reworks from ANTON ZAP & SEAN McCABE and a never heard before collaboration with the late great ERIK RICO.

Bob Stanley’s latest compilation “Wednesday Morning 6AM” literally turns back the clocks.

In the late 70s and early 80s, there was a parallel world of hits that people only heard when their clock radio went off. BBC Radio 2 had little time for the Top 40 music played by Radio 1 and beamed into living rooms by Top Of The Pops. Radio 2 effectively created a chart of its own playing singles or album tracks that their DJs enjoyed and wanted to share with their listeners. These tracks were given multiple plays on rotation and became earworms for millions of listeners.

“Wednesday Morning 6AM” is the warming soundtrack of eating breakfast or driving to school or to work in the cold and dark early hours to the sound of Art Garfunkel’s ‘99 Miles From LA’, Dolly Parton’s ‘The Bargain Store’, Hoyt Axton’s ‘Evangelina’, Paul Simon’s ‘Train In The Distance’ and Air Supply’s ‘Lost In Love’.
Other featured artists include Gilbert O’Sullivan, Crystal Gayle, Carly Simon, John Denver, Lou Rawls, Lindisfarne, Bob James, Stella Parton and Dionne Warwick.
The 2-LP version includes the bonus track ‘Danny’s Song’ by Anne Murray.

Multi Culti seasonal balance returns with Equinox III Kicking things off Guadalajara-based Bofo Dab (known for their blog 'Drops a Banger') does what their name suggests. This one has been getting caned by the Keinemusik crew, legions of phone-holders' shazam-prayers will only now be answered. It's a restrained big-room horn-loaded banger. Mehmet Aslan slides in to the proceedings with an awesome FM-sounding heads-down slice of clubby introspection. Long-time cult-hero Gilb'R of Versatile records fame spaces out the side with a deep, sparkly, live synth jam. On the flip, Mytron brings a fun stripped-back cover of a stone-cold classic with Higher (state of consciousness, that is). Brazillian hotboy Niev sounds right at home on the label with the aptly titled 'Professor Banjo.' Yuki Miyauchi lends an ethereal 90s bleep-inflected chunk of vibe with 'Donkey Conga.' Finally, fellow Japanese but London-based DJ Himitsu drops the deep, rollicking 'Waterfall.'

Ungeschützt, vollkommen verwirklicht und ganz und gar sein Eigen - Wesley Josephs lang erwartetes Debütalbum zeigt den Sänger, Songwriter, Produzenten und Regisseur von seiner selbstbewusstesten und verletzlichsten Seite und bringt die vielen Facetten seines kreativen Lebensweges zum Ausdruck. Das Ergebnis ist ,Forever Ends Someday": 13 Tracks voller Selbstreflexion und weitreichender Realitätsflucht. Auf dem Danny Brown-Feature ,Peace of Mind" hingegen überwindet Joseph seine Ängste und liefert eine basslastige Hymne voller Selbstvertrauen und Zuversicht. Auf ,July" arbeitet Joseph mit Jorja Smith zusammen, und die beiden performen einen freudigen Rückblick, aufgenommen in ihrer Heimatstadt Walsall, in dem sie sich daran erinnern, wie weit sie gekommen sind und was sie alles verloren haben. Joseph nahm sich drei Jahre Zeit, um sich aus dem Rampenlicht zurückzuziehen und seine Geschichte zu finden. Er entschied sich dafür, der Ehrlichkeit seiner Kunst nachzugehen, anstatt aus seiner Karriere Kapital zu schlagen - mit Höhepunkten wie einem ausverkauften Headliner-Konzert im Londoner KOKO und einer ausverkauften Nordamerika-Tournee. ,Ich habe das Album einfach wie ein Gefäß behandelt und ständig Dinge aus meinem Leben hineingeworfen", sagt er. Der Titel ,Forever Ends Someday" bezieht sich auf die vergängliche Schönheit des gegenwärtigen Augenblicks - ,die Vorstellung, dass Dinge, wenn man jung ist, ewig währen, aber dann wird man erwachsen und erkennt, dass die Jugend nur geliehen ist", erklärt Joseph. Die Titel des Albums spiegeln ehrlich die menschlichen Erfahrungen wider, sowohl die hellen als auch die dunklen Seiten. Aufgenommen in London, Walsall, Los Angeles und ,auf halber Höhe eines Berges in der Schweiz", holte Joseph ein Kernteam von Mitarbeitern und Co-Produzenten an Bord, um seine Vision während der drei Jahre des Schreibens umzusetzen. Er arbeitete eng mit dem Komponisten Nicholas Jaar (The Weeknd, FKA Twigs), der mehrere Tracks mit seiner Sensibilität für Soundscapes bereicherte, dem Produzenten Harvey Dweller (Loyle Carner, Joy Crookes), dem für den Mercury Prize nominierten Tev'n (Rina Sawayama, SBTRKT), A. K. Paul (Nao, Fabiana Palladino), Al Shux (JAY Z, Kendrick Lamar, SZA), Ryan Raines (Paul McCartney, Dominic Fike) und dem Produzenten Romil Hemnani (Brockhampton) zusammen. Von Walsall in die Welt hinaus zeigt ,Forever Ends Someday", dass Josephs Vermächtnis gerade erst begonnen hat.

Hard Texas Funk aus der renommierten Szene von San Antonio. Während Abe Epstein auf dem General McMullen Boulevard nach West Side Brown-Eyed Soul-Gruppen suchte, antworteten Mickey Foster und seine gemischtrassige Soul Generation Band auf Browns Aufruf, südlich des River Walk den richtigen Weg einzuschlagen. Hier sind ein Dutzend ihrer schwungvollsten und unkonventionellsten Instrumentalstücke versammelt, eine stimmungsvolle Übersicht über die Band von 1969 bis 1977, darunter der Hit ,Iron Leg". Entscheiden Sie sich hier für Ihr nächstes Sample.

Hard Texas Funk aus der renommierten Szene von San Antonio. Während Abe Epstein auf dem General McMullen Boulevard nach West Side Brown-Eyed Soul-Gruppen suchte, antworteten Mickey Foster und seine gemischtrassige Soul Generation Band auf Browns Aufruf, südlich des River Walk den richtigen Weg einzuschlagen. Hier sind ein Dutzend ihrer schwungvollsten und unkonventionellsten Instrumentalstücke versammelt, eine stimmungsvolle Übersicht über die Band von 1969 bis 1977, darunter der Hit ,Iron Leg". Entscheiden Sie sich hier für Ihr nächstes Sample.

Killer Groove Records proudly presents "Keep Your Step", the explosive comeback by Italian rock steady & early reggae ambassadors The Appetizers, a soulful celebration of reggae's timeless spirit.


"Keep Your Step" marks the band's much-awaited return, landing April 10th on limited edition LP, CD digipack and digital format featuring two exclusive bonus tracks.

The Appetizers deliver a masterclass in roots reggae music with their highly anticipated second studio album, bridging Jamaica's golden age with contemporary relevance. "Keep Your Step" is a heartfelt sonic journey where the band blends rocksteady and early reggae with funk and soul influences to create a sound that's both genuine and refreshingly modern.

The fourteen tracks move fluidly between infectious dancefloor fillers and socially conscious lyrics. From the laid-back swing of "Feel Like Dancing" to the hypnotic rhythm of "Thicker Than Water", the band demonstrates their versatility while remaining true to the roots of Jamaican sound. "A Message from The Meters" pays tribute to the legendary funk pioneers, while the instrumental "Catch This" and "Make It Reggay" highlight the band's musical prowess and the deep connections between reggae and funk.

Meanwhile, tracks like "Fussy Girl" and "Behind My Shoulders" explore love's complexities with humor and soul. The album's heart lies in its social consciousness. "Cool and Deadly", "The Life", "Stormy Weather" and the album title track "Keep Your Step" tell stories of perseverance through life's struggles.

With the hopeful anthem "We Shall Overcome," The Appetizers deliver a timely message about genuine human connection in a social media-dominated era. The digital edition closes with "Get Some Rollin'" and "Swing and Sway," rounding out the journey with two additional gems.

"Keep Your Step" pays homage to Jamaican music legends, from Jackie Mittoo and Tommy McCook to Toots & the Maytals, while carving out The Appetizers' own distinctive sound. This is a groove made for both the dance floor and the soul, proving that reggae's power to inspire, unite, and uplift remains as vital as ever.

The production stays true to The Appetizers' signature sound: organic tones, deep groove, and that live-room vibe you only get when real musicians are locked in together. Luca Monza and Claudio Mambrini, the band's core members, handled the artistic production. Mastering came courtesy of the great JJ Golden (Black Pumas, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jr. Thomas & The Volcanos, The Frightnrs) at Golden Mastering in Ventura, California. JJ is one of the most trusted engineers working in this sound, ensuring every ounce of warmth and authenticity came through.

The Appetizers are a rocksteady and early reggae band formed in Milan in 2020 by musicians deeply embedded in the Italian and international reggae scene. Musicians from different paths united by a shared vision: recreating that vintage Caribbean and American sound with authenticity, respect and a forward-thinking edge.

Drawing inspiration from Jamaica's golden era and channeling the soul of Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis, the early Wailers, and The Upsetters, The Appetizers carry forward the essence of bass culture with a pure, fully organic approach.

Their debut album Listen Up! (2022), released via Belgian imprint Badasonic Records (home to The Slackers, The Aggrolites, David Hillyard & Victor Rice), featured ten original tracks and a dub cut by Victor Rice. Distributed across Europe, the UK, the US, and Japan, it quickly earned international recognition among reggae connoisseurs and selectors worldwide.

Following extensive touring, including shows with The Slackers, Black Uhuru, Skip Marley, and more, the band returned to the studio to record "Keep Your Step", their second album produced by Killer Groove Records. Here the band expands its musical language, weaving together the spirit of historic Jamaican labels like Studio One and Treasure Isle with '60s funk, arriving at a warm, organic, and timeless sound: soul, Jamaican roots, and modern sensibility in perfect balance. Their lyrics explore heartbreak, social issues, and reflections on life and music, performed with dedication and respect for tradition while always pushing forward.


If you're into The Skatalites, The Ethiopians, and those classic Caribbean rhythms, this one's for you.

UILTY RAZORS, BONA FIDE PUNKS.



Writings on the topic that go off in all directions, mind-numbing lectures given by academics, and testimonies, most of them heavily doctored, from those who “lived through that era”: so many people today fantasize about the early days of punk in our country… This blessed moment when no one had yet thought of flaunting a ridiculous green mohawk, taking Sid Vicious as a hero, or – even worse – making the so-called alternative scene both festive and boorish. There was no such thing in 1976 or 1977, when it wasn’t easy to get hold of the first 45s by the Pistols or the Clash. Few people were aware of what was happening on the fringes of the fringes at the time. Malcolm McLaren was virtually unknown, and having short hair made you seem strange. Who knew then that rock music, which had taken a very bad turn since the early 1970s, would once again become an essential element of liberation? That, thanks to short and fast songs, it would once again rediscover that primitive, social side that was so hated by older generations? Who knew that, besides a few loners who read the music press (it was even better if they read it in English) and frequented the right record stores? Many of these formed bands, because it was impossible to do otherwise. We quickly went from listening to the Velvet Underground to trying to play the Stooges’ intros. It’s a somewhat collective story, even though there weren’t many people to start it.
The Guilty Razors were among those who took part in this initial upheaval in Paris. They were far from being the worst. They had something special and even released a single that was well above the national average. They also had enough songs to fill an album, the one you’re holding. In everyone’s opinion, they were definitely not among the punk impostors that followed in their wake. They were, at least, genuine and credible.

Guilty Razors, Parisian punk band (1975-1978). To understand something about their somewhat linear but very energetic sound, we might need to talk about the context in which it was born and, more broadly, recall the boredom (a theme that would become capital in punk songs) coupled with the desire to blow everything off, which were the basis for the formation of bands playing a rejuvenated rock music ; about the passion for a few records by the Kinks or the early Who, by the Stooges, by the Velvet mostly, which set you apart from the crowd.
And of course, we should remember this new wave, which was promoted by a few articles in the specialized press and some cutting-edge record stores, coming from New York or London, whose small but powerful influence could be felt in Paris and in a handful of isolated places in the provinces, lulled to sleep by so many appalling things, from Tangerine Dream to President Giscard d’Estaing...
In 1975-76, French music was, as almost always, in a sorry state ; it was still dominated by Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan. Local rock music was also rather bleak, apart from Bijou and Little Bob who tried to revive this small scene with poorly sound-engineered gigs played to almost no one.
In the working class suburbs at the time, it was mainly hard rock music played to 11 that helped people forget about their gruelling shifts at the factory. Here and there, on the outskirts of major cities, you still could find a few rockers with sideburns wearing black armbands since the death of Gene Vincent, but it wasn’t a proper mass movement, just a source of real danger to anyone they came across who wasn't like them. In August 1976, a festival unlike any other took place in Mont-de-Marsan – the First European Punk Festival as the poster said – with almost as many people on stage as in the audience. Yet, on that day, a quasi historical event happened, when, under the blazing afternoon sun, a band of unknowns called The Damned made an unprecedented noise in the arena, reminiscent of the chaotic Stooges in their early adolescence. They were the first genuine punk band to perform in our country: from then on, anything was possible, almost anything seemed permissible.

It makes sense that the four+1 members of Guilty Razors, who initially amplified acoustic guitars with crappy tape recorder microphones, would adopt punk music (pronounced paink in French) naturally and instinctively, since it combines liberating noise with speed of execution and – crucially – a very healthy sense of rebellion (the protesters of May 1968 proclaimed, and it was even a slogan, that they weren’t against old people, but against what had made them grow old. In the mid-1970s, it seemed normal and obvious that old people should now ALSO be targeted!!!).
At the time, the desire to fight back, and break down authority and apathy, was either red or black, often taking the form of leafleting, tumultuous general assemblies in the schoolyard, and massive or shabby demonstrations, most of the time overflowing with an exciting vitality that sometimes turned into fights with the riot police. Indeed, soon after the end of the Vietnam War and following Pinochet’s coup in Chile, all over France, Trotskyist and anarcho-libertarian fervour was firmly entrenched among parts of the educated youth population, who were equally rebellious and troublemakers whenever they had the chance. It should also be noted that when the single "Anarchy in the UK" was first heard, even though not many of us had access to it, both the title and its explosive sound immediately resonated with some of those troublemakers crying out for ANARCHY!!! Meanwhile, the left-wing majority still equated punks with reckless young neo-Nazis. Of course, the widely circulated photos in the mainstream press of Siouxsie Sioux with her swastikas didn’t necessarily help to win over the theorists of the Great Revolution. It took Joe Strummer to introduce The Clash as an anti-racist, anti-fascist and anti-ignorance band for the rejection of old-school revolutionaries to fade a little.

The Lycée Jean-Baptiste Say at Porte d’Auteuil, despite being located in the very posh and very exclusive 16th arrondissement of Paris, didn’t escape these "committed" upheavals, which doubled as the perfect outlet for the less timid members of this generation.
“Back then, politics were fun,” says Tristam Nada, who studied there and went on to become Guilty Razors’ frontman. “Jean-Baptiste was the leftist high-school in the neighbourhood. When the far right guys from the GUD came down there, the Communist League guys from elsewhere helped us fight them off.”
Anything that could challenge authority was fair game and of course, strikes for just about any reason would lead to increasingly frequent truancy (with a definitive farewell to education that would soon follow). Tristam Nada spent his 10th and 11th unfinished grades with José Perez, who had come from Spain, where his father, a janitor, had been sentenced to death by Franco. “José steered my tastes towards solid acts such as The Who. Like most teenagers, I had previously absorbed just about everything that came my way, from Yes to Led Zeppelin to Genesis. I was exploring… And then one day, he told me that he and his brother Carlos wanted to start a rock band.” The Perez brothers already played guitar. “Of course, they were Spanish!”, jokes their singer. “Then, somewhat reluctantly, José took up the bass and we were soon joined by Jano – who called himself Jano Homicid – who took up the rhythm guitar.” Several drummers would later join this core of not easily intimidated young guys who didn’t let adversity get the better of them.

The first rehearsals of the newly named Guilty Razors took place in the bedroom of a Perez aunt. There, the three rookies tried to cover a few standards, songs that often were an integral part of their lives. During a first, short gig, in front of a bewildered audience of tough old-school rockers, they launched into a clunky version of the Velvet Underground's “Heroin”. Challenge or recklessness? A bit of both, probably… And then, step by step, their limited repertoire expanded as they decided to write their own songs, sung in a not always very accurate or academic English, but who cared about proper grammar or the right vocabulary, since what truly mattered was to make the words sound as good as possible while playing very, very fast music? And spitting out those words in a language that left no doubt as to what it conveyed mattered as well.
Trying their hand a the kind of rock music disliked by most of the neighbourhood, making noise, being fiercely provocative: they still belonged to a tiny clique who, at this very moment, had chosen to impose this difference. And there were very few places in France or elsewhere, where one could witness the first stirrings of something that wasn’t a trend yet, let alone a movement.

In the provinces, in late 1976 or early 1977, there couldn’t be more than thirty record stores that were a bit more discerning than average, where you could hear this new kind of short-haired rock music called “punk”. The old clientele, who previously had no problem coming in to buy the latest McCartney or Aerosmith LP, now felt a little less comfortable there…
In Paris, these enlightened places were quite rare and often located nex to what would become the Forum des Halles, a big shopping mall. Between three aging sex workers, a couple of second-hand clothes shops, sellers of hippie paraphernalia and small fashion designers, the good word was loudly spread in two pioneering places – propagators of what was still only a new underground movement. Historically, the first one was the Open Market, a kind of poorly, but tastefully stocked cave. Speakers blasted out the sound of sixties garage bands from the Nuggets compilation (a crucial reference for José Perez) or the badly dressed English kids of Eddie and the Hot Rods. This black-painted den was opened a few years earlier by Marc Zermati, a character who wasn’t always in a sunny disposition, but always quite radical in his (good) choices and his opinions. He founded the independent label Skydog and was one of the promoters of the Mont-de-Marsan punk festivals. Not far from there was Harry Cover, another store more in tune with the new New York scene, which was amply covered in the house fanzine, Rock News (even though it was in it that the photos of the Sex Pistols were first published in France).
It was a favorite hang-out of the Perez brothers and Tristam Nada, as the latter explained. “It’s at Harry Cover’s that we first heard the Pistols and Clash’s 45s, and after that, we decided to start writing our first songs. If they could do it, so could we!”
The sonic shocks that were “Anarchy in the UK”, “White Riot” or the Buzzcocks’s EP, “Spiral Scratch” – which Guilty Razors' sound is reminiscent of – were soon to be amplified by an unparalleled visual shock. In April 1977, right after the release of their first LP, The Clash performed at the Palais des Glaces in Paris, during a punk night organised by Marc Zermati. For many who were there, it was the gig of a lifetime…
Of course, Guilty Razors and Tristam were in the audience: “That concert was fabulous… We Parisian punks were almost all dressed in black and white, with white shirts, skinny leather ties, bikers jackets or light jackets, etc. The Clash, on the other hand, wore colourful clothes. Well, the next day, at the Gibus, you’d spot everyone who had been at this concert, but they weren’t wearing anything black, they were all wearing colours.”

It makes sense to mention the Gibus club, as Guilty Razors often played there (sometimes in front of a hostile audience). It was also the only place in Paris that regularly scheduled new Parisian or Anglo-Saxon acts, such as Generation X, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Slits, and Johnny Thunders who would become a kind of messed-up mascot for the venue. A little later, in 1978, the Rose Bonbon – formerly the Nashville – also attracted nightly owls in search of electric thrills… In 1977, the iconic but not necessarily excellent Asphalt Jungle often played at the Gibus, sometimes sharing the bill with Metal Urbain, the only band whose aura would later transcend the French borders (“I saw them as the French Sex Pistols,” said Geoff Travis, head of their British label Rough Trade). Already established in this small scene, Metal Urbain helped the young and restless Guilty Razors who had just arrived. Guitarist for Metal Urbain Hermann Schwartz remembers it: “They were younger than us, we were a bit like their mentors even if it’s too strong a word… At least they were credible. We thought they were good, and they had good songs which reminded of the Buzzcocks that I liked a lot. But at some point, they started hanging out with the Hells Angels. That’s when we stopped following them.”

The break-up was mutual, since, Guilty Razors, for their part, were shocked when they saw a fringe element of the audience at Metal Urbain concerts who repeatedly shouted “Sieg Heil” and gave Nazi salutes. These provocations, even still minor (the bulk of the skinhead crowd would later make their presence felt during concerts), weren’t really to the liking of the Perez brothers, whose anti-fascist convictions were firmly rooted. Some things are non-negotiable.
A few months earlier (in July 1978), Guilty Razors had nevertheless opened very successfully for Metal Urbain at the Bus Palladium, a more traditonally old-school rock night-club. But, as was sometimes the case back then, the night turned into a mass brawl when suburban rockers came to “beat up punks”.

Back then, Parisian nights weren’t always sweet and serene.

So, after opening as best as they could for The Jam (their sound having been ruined by the PA system), our local heroes were – once again – met outside by a horde of greasers out to get them. “Thankfully,” says Tristam, “we were with our roadies, motorless bikers who acted as a protective barrier. We were chased in the neighbouring streets and the whole thing ended in front of a bar, with the owner coming out with a rifle…”
Although Tristam and the Perez brothers narrowly escaped various, potentially bloody, incidents, they weren’t completely innocent of wrongdoing either. They still find amusing their mugging of two strangers in the street for example (“We were broke and we simply wanted to buy tickets for the Heartbreakers concert that night,” says Tristam). It so happened that their victims were two key figures in the rock business at the time: radio presenter Alain Manneval and music publisher Philippe Constantin. They filed a complaint and sought monetary compensation, but somehow the band’s manager, the skilful but very controversial Alexis, managed to get the complaint withdrawn and Guilty Razors ended up signing with Constantin with a substantial advance.

They also signed with Polydor and the label released in 1978 their only three-track 45, featuring “I Don't Wanna be A Rich”, “Hurts and Noises” and “Provocate” (songs that exuded perpetual rebellion and an unquenchable desire for “class” confrontation). It was a very good record, but due to a lack of promotion (radio stations didn’t play French artists singing in English), it didn’t sell very well. Only 800 copies were allegedly sold and the rest of the stock was pulped… Initially, the three tracks were to be included on a LP that never came to be, since they were dropped by Polydor (“Let’s say we sometimes caused a ruckus in their offices!” laughs Tristam.) In order to perfect the long-awaited LP, the band recorded demos of other tracks. There was a cover of Pink Floyd's “Lucifer Sam” from the Syd Barrett era – proof of an enduring love for the sixties’ greats –, “Wake Up” a hangover tale and “Bad Heart” about the Baader-Meinhof gang, whose actions had a profound impact on the era and on a generation seeking extreme dissent... On the album you’re now discovering, you can also hear five previously unreleased tracks recorded a bit later during an extended and freezing stay in Madrid, in a makeshift studio with the invaluable help of a drummer also acting as sound engineer. He was both an enthusiastic old hippie and a proper whizz at sound engineering. Here too, certain influences from the fifties and sixties (Link Wray, the Troggs) are more than obvious in the band’s music.

Shortly after a final stormy and rather barbaric (on the audience’s side) “Punk night” at the Olympia in June 1978, Tristam left the band ; his bandmates continued without him for a short while.

But like most pioneering punk bands of the era, Guilty Razors eventually split up for good after three years (besides once in Spain, they’d only played in Paris). The reason for ceasing business activities were more or less the same for everyone: there were no venues outside one’s small circuit to play this kind of rock music, which was still frightening, unknown, or of little interest to most people. The chances of recording an LP were virtually null, since major labels were only signing unoriginal but reassuring sub-Téléphone clones, and the smaller ones were only interested in progressive rock or French chanson for youth clubs. And what about self-production? No one in our small safety-pinned world had thought about it yet. There wasn’t enough money to embark on that sort of venture anyway.

So yes, the early days of punk in France were truly No Future!

The earliest foundations of the Detroit Harmony group ‘The Gaslight’ came when future lead singer Oliver “Butch” Cheatham via an introduction by his sister Jackie joined a group known as ‘The Young Sirs’ who recorded, “There’s Something The Matter (With Your Heart/African Love” for Magic City during 1969. The group included Oliver’s future brother -in-law Allen Cocker (Jackie’s future husband).

Oliver and Allen went on to form a new vocal quartet with Curtis “Kippy” Anderson and Michael Eatmon. Under the group name of ‘The Gaslight’ they signed to Uptight Productions Incorporated, a local production company founded by local businessmen Marvin Figgins and Arnold Wright. The Gaslight were the only vocal harmony group signed to Uptight Productions and as such, it was they who made the most recordings across two label imprints Grand Junction and Black Rock. The Gaslight’s first single “I Can’t Tell A Lie/Here’s Missing You” was released on Grand Junction (GJ1001) in 1970, For the groups second single Figgin’s placed them under the guidance of legendary producer/songwriter, the late George McGregor under whom they recording “Drifting Away/If You See Her” Grand Junction (GJ1002) released in 1971 For their next release Figgin’s switched the group to his Black Rock label to record “Out Of My Hand/I’m Only A Man” Black Rock (2002) under the pseudonym of Butch & The Newport’s With “Butch” being Oliver’s nickname. A later, second release of “I’m Only A Man” but with a different flip side “I’m Gonna Get You” came out on Grand Junction (GJ1100) in 1973 with the performing artist credits reverting back to ‘The Gaslight’.

Upon leaving Uptight Production’s the group found a new home when George McCregor took them to a new fledgling label T.E.A.I (an abbreviation for “Tellin’ Everybody About It”) owned by ‘The Dramatics’ Road Manager Charles Underwood. ‘The Gaslight’s’ first and only release for T.E.A.I, was the mellifluous 1975 double sider “Just Because Of You/It’s Just Like Magic”. Underwood had precured a working relationship with Polydor Records who picked the release up for national distribution three months later. As good as the record was due to poor promotion it failed to make any notable noise and eventually sank with the group soon after breaking up.

During Soul Junction’s later dealings with the late Oliver Cheatham, respected UK Collector Andy Rix mentioned he owned a three track acetate containing the two mentioned T.E.A.I/Polydor tracks plus a third unissued dance track “Hard Times” which through a licensing deal with Charles Underwood Soul Junction now present to you on a three track 45, released under its full title “Hard Times Are Coming, Hard Times Are Here” backed with a previously unissued mix of “Just Because Of You” alongside the issued 45 version of “It’s Just Like Magic”.

The 10,000 strong party drew together DJs, fans, listeners, singers, live acts and MCs together to showcase every shade and style encompassing a 174 heartbeat. As the Finsbury Park fun continues and round two promising even bigger stage takeovers and a myriad of artist weaponry, we present an equally bursting drum & bass double disc, the 'Hospitality In The Park 2017' LP. In the same vein as our all- day summer special, this huge 70 track mash- up spans across a full 360' perspective of the genre; representing the established, up and coming, soulful, obscure, liquid, innovative, dark, techy, neuro, jungle style and everything in between.

Included are over 25 brand new exclusives from reputable drum & bass titans Danny Byrd, S.P.Y, Makoto and Keeno, there are VIPs from Metrik and Nu:Logic, remixes from Hugh Hardie, Total science, Camo & Krooked and Calibre, and a 'Bullet Proof' banger from Krakota. Across two mixed CDs we've drawn for this year's surefire summer weapons with Fred V & Grafix, The Prototypes, 1991, High Contrast, The Upbeats, Breakage in the mix. With this year's Incubator stage pulling artists that are rising through the ranks, up and comers' Whiney, Unglued, GLXY and Kyrist bring exciting new offerings to the compilation.

Both fans and artists came together from all over the globe last year and we expect no less in 2017. Equally, this compilation gives an international perspective covering all corners of the globe from Japan's Mountain, the USA's Flite and Ownglow, the Netherlands Black Sun Empire and New Zealand's Shapeshifter. Drum & bass is stronger than ever and it's here to stay. See you at the park!

"The multiple award-winning action-adventure game God of War was first released in 2005, but became such an instant hit, that Santa Monica Studio created seven more versions of the game. The most recent one, released in 2018 for the PlayStation 4, focusses on main character Kratos' journey in the Greek world together with his son Atreus, following a path of vengeance as a result of being tricked into killing his family by Olympian gods. God of War received universal acclaim for its story, design, graphics, combat system, characters, and music. It was awarded 'Game of the Year' by numerous media outlets and award shows. God of War (2018) performed well commercially, selling over five million copies within a month of its release. It became one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 games. The official soundtrack won a BAFTA Award and is composed by Bear McCreary. It is set up around themes he created around primary characters in the game. Inspired by Viking folk music, McCreary used exotic instrumentation and languages from various Northern European folk traditions. It resulted in a score featuring deep choirs, pounding drums, shrieking brass and features Faroese singer-songwriter Eivør (Pálsdóttir). The American composer Bear McCreary is best known for his work on TV shows like Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, The Walking Dead and won an Emmy Award for the main title of Da Vinci's Demons. God of War is available on black vinyl. This package contains a 4-page booklet with liner notes by Bear McCreary."

God Of War by Bear Mccreary, released 15 March 2024, includes the following tracks: "Witch of The Woods", "Ashes", "A Giant's Prayer", "Mimir" and more.

This version of God Of War comes as a 2xLP in a(n) Gatefold Sleeve packaging. This release comes with (a) Booklet.

Das mehrfach preisgekrönte Action-Adventure »God of War« wurde erstmals 2005 veröffentlicht, entwickelte sich aber so schnell zu einem Hit, dass Santa Monica Studio sieben weitere Versionen des Spiels entwickelte. Die jüngste Version, die 2018 für die PlayStation 4 veröffentlicht wurde, konzentriert sich auf die Reise des Hauptcharakters Kratos in der griechischen Welt zusammen mit seinem Sohn Atreus, der sich auf einen Rachefeldzug begibt, weil er von den olympischen Göttern dazu verleitet wurde, seine Familie zu töten.

Der offizielle Soundtrack wurde mit einem BAFTA Award ausgezeichnet und wurde von Bear McCreary komponiert. Er basiert auf Themen, die er rund um die Hauptfiguren des Spiels geschaffen hat. Inspiriert von der Volksmusik der Wikinger, verwendete McCreary exotische Instrumente und Sprachen aus verschiedenen nordeuropäischen Volkstraditionen.

»God of War« ist in einer limitierten Auflage von 1500 einzeln nummerierten Exemplaren auf türkisem Vinyl erhältlich. Dieses Paket enthält eine Beilage mit Liner Notes von Bear McCreary.

Bob & Doug McKenzie’s comedic masterpieces are back and beautifully remastered with “The Great White North & Strange Brew 44 3/4 Anniversary,” loaded with features that any real hoser needs*. Including a karaoke version of “12 Days of Christmas” with a bonus lyric sheet, an “Are You A Hoser” poster, 12 page booklet of rare historical and archival photos and quotes from big names in music, film and sports and a blu-ray copy of the “Strange Brew” movie itself. The soundtrack won the duo their second Juno Award for Best Comedy Album. “The Great White North”, achieved multiplatinum status selling over ONE MILLION COPIES of the album! The song “Take Off” featuring Geddy Lee of RUSH and earned them the Juno Award for Comedy Album of the Year.

*baby mice, touques, and beers not included

At the turn of the millenium the original „Astral Disaster“ subcription-only vinyl release was somewhat of an Unholy Grail for Coil collectors!



Virtually unobtainable in its original fiercely limited format of only 99 copies, it is the only album apart from the original „Musick to play in the
Dark“ record to combine the genius of Balance and Sleazy with both Drew McDowall and Thighpaulsandra's talents.

Like „Musick“ it is an essentially tidal/lunar record with literal washes of sound enveloping the listener. Intensely engaging tracks like „The Avatars“ and the later concert tour-de-force „I don't want to be the one“ owe equal amounts to drone and kraut, but are quintessentially Coil.

The record was re-imagined and enhanced a short time later, but even this more widely available re-edition on Coil's own Thresholdhouse imprint has been unavailable for too long now.

At the turn of the millenium the original „Astral Disaster“ subcription-only vinyl release was somewhat of an Unholy Grail for Coil collectors!



Virtually unobtainable in its original fiercely limited format of only 99 copies, it is the only album apart from the original „Musick to play in the
Dark“ record to combine the genius of Balance and Sleazy with both Drew McDowall and Thighpaulsandra's talents.

Like „Musick“ it is an essentially tidal/lunar record with literal washes of sound enveloping the listener. Intensely engaging tracks like „The Avatars“ and the later concert tour-de-force „I don't want to be the one“ owe equal amounts to drone and kraut, but are quintessentially Coil.

The record was re-imagined and enhanced a short time later, but even this more widely available re-edition on Coil's own Thresholdhouse imprint has been unavailable for too long now.

Conceived in Paris and brought to life in Roma during a spring day flooded with good wine and even better food, CACIO & PEPE is the perfect melange between the NJ rapper of Colombian descent and the Parisian bon vivant, al-ways doing what they do best: enjoying the fine pleasures of life!

VOLUMES: ONE startet eine neue Archivreihe mit Live-Shows, Demos, unveröffentlichten Aufnahmen und anderem bisher unbekannten Material, das die vielen Epochen und Facetten von Bon Iver zeigt. VOLUMES: ONE "SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND" ist die erste Folge und vereint 10 Auftritte, die Bon Iver von ihrer wildesten, wärmsten und kraftvollsten Seite zeigen. "Diese 10 Songs sind so etwas wie ,Hier, wenn du Bon Iver noch nie gehört hast oder wenn du es gehört hast und es dir nicht gefallen hat, könnte das hier was für dich sein.' Das ist das, was wir geworden sind. Das ist wirklich unser Bestes. Das ist es", sagt Justin Vernon, der 2020 mit der Arbeit an VOLUMES: ONE begann und Dutzende von Stunden Live-Aufnahmen durchforstete, um die ultimative Trackliste zusammenzustellen. VOLUMES: ONE "SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND" ist das erste Nicht-Studioalbum von Bon Iver, aber es ist mehr als nur eine Compilation oder ein Live-Album. Die Bandmitglieder Andrew Fitzpatrick, Jenn Wasner, Justin Vernon, Matthew McCaughan, Michael Lewis und Sean Carey sind eine eigene Einheit. Gemeinsam liefern sie sowohl für Neulinge als auch für eingefleischte Fans die definitiven Versionen dieser Songs und lassen die Tracks durch die essentielle Live-Technik von Xandy Whitesel in ihrer reichhaltigsten Form explodieren. Aufgenommen zwischen 2019 und 2023, als Bon Iver ihr bisher letztes Live-Konzert gaben, hebt VOLUMES: ONE die Musik von "22, A Million" aus dem Jahr 2016 und "i,i" aus dem Jahr 2019 hervor, ergänzt durch drei wichtige Stücke. Der COVID-Hymnus "P.D.L.I.F." steht für eine neue Phase von Bon Iver; ein Cover von Mahalia Jacksons "A SATISFIED MIND" erinnert an die frühen Tage von DeYarmond Edison, als Vernon während privater Bandproben sein Falsett entdeckte; und nun endlich kehrt mit "HEAVENLY FATHER" ein beliebter Fan-Favorit zurück. Die berauschende, introvertierte und innovative Seite von Bon Iver, die die Studioalben ausmacht, kann ohne die Live-Band nicht existieren, und VOLUMES: ONE ist wie eine Zeitkapsel - ein prismatischer Blick auf einen alten Freund, der zeigt, wer sie waren und wer sie sind, all das Gute, zu dem sie fähig sind, aber manchmal vielleicht zu schüchtern sind, um es zu zeigen.

In the spring of 1971, somewhere between Brussels, Paris and a collective pop fever dream, Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki landed on vinyl. It sounded like nothing else then and it still does not today. More than half a century later, Sdban Records proudly presents a reissue of this singular cult album, available from April 3, 2026 on vinyl.

The album was produced by Jean Kluger and written both by Jean and Daniel Vangarde (aka Bangalter, later the father of Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk), who were alreadywell ahead of their time, long before electronic music rewrote the rules of pop culture.

Released under the name Yamasuki, also referred to as The Yamasuki Singers, or The Yamasuki's, the project was never intended as a conventional band. It was a studio-born fantasy, a concept album disguised as a pop record. What began as a standalone single quickly expanded into a full-blown pan-cultural pop opera that ignored genres and common sense with joyful abandon.

Musically, the album sits at a delirious crossroads. Psychedelic pop collides with funk rhythms, samba and bubblegum melodies, full of chants and choruses in a phonetic pseudo-Japanese, written with the help of a dictionary. Kluger and Vangarde famously recruited a children's choir to perform the vocals, and for added spectacle, they brought in a Japanese judo grandmaster, whose ritualistic shouts and battle cries erupt throughout the record.

Several singles were released. One of them, Yamasuki, with accompanying dance move, appeared in the United Kingdom and France on John Peel's Dandelion label, a fitting home for a record that thrived on the margins of pop culture. Its B-side, Aieaoa, proved even more potent. In 1975, the song was reborn as A.I.E. (A Mwana) by Black Blood, an African group recording in Belgium, this time sung in Swahili. That melody would travel even further. Aie a Mwana became the debut single of English pop group Bananarama, and in 2010 it resurfaced once more as Helele, an official song of the FIFA World Cup, recorded by South African singer Velile Mchunu with Danish percussion duo Safri Duo. That version became the most widely known incarnation of the song. With Jean Kluger directly involved, it was less a cover than a continuation of the original idea.

The album's afterlife did not stop there. Over the years, Yamasuki has been quietly sampled, covered, and featured across media far beyond the realm of novelty pop. Kono Samourai was sampled in The Healer by Erykah Badu (2007), produced by Madlib, while Yama Yama has found its way into recent pop culture as well: appearing in the television series Fargo, on Angus Stone's project Dope Lemon, and on the 2008 Late Night Tales compilation curated by Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders. Proof, if any were needed, that this strange little record carries a deeper musical DNA than its playful exterior might suggest.

This new reissue of Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki proves the renewed interest and respect for this cult album, faithful to the original spirit while finally giving it back the physical presence it deserves. In an era obsessed with genres and algorithmic neatness, Yamasuki still laughs, dances and karate-kicks its way past definitions. It reminds us that pop music can be playful without being disposable, strange without being cynical and joyfulwithout explanation. The world of Yamasuki was always fabulous, we are just lucky it found its way back to us!

One of the first punk bands to set up an "indie" label, they were also pioneers of "alternative" music, mixing punk with experimental sounds. Swell Maps released four singles and two albums in a brief but eventful career, in partnership with Rough Trade, topping UK indie charts and influencing acts including Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Stereolab, and Blur. The original line-up split in 1980, but still their studio albums, A Trip to Marineville and Jane From Occupied Europe, attract new generations of enthusiasts. In 2021, Jowe organised performances
with ten musicians to play a diverse selection of Maps material over two consecutive nights at London's Cafe Oto, and did it again at the Rough Trade launch for Jowe's book on Swell Maps in 2022. Concerts followed across the UK and Europe, with more planned. This ongoing project has resulted in a new studio album, C21, released through Tiny Global Productions. The material was composed at various times between 1979 and the present, including older songs never recorded professionally, a remake of Soundtracks' astonishing Jelly Babies and plenty of surprises. C21 offers memorable melodies, wild riffs with super hooks, yet never veers from their adventurous spirit, radical ideas and eccentric musical shapes. The current collective of musicians features: Jowe Head, David Callahan of Wolfhounds / Moonshake / solo fame, Jeff Bloom out from Television Personalities, Alternative TV's Lee McFadden, Lucie Rejchrtova (Crazy World Of Arthur Brown), Chloe Herington from chamber rock faves Chrome Hoof, and Luke Haines, who led Auteurs and Black Box Recorder and plays with REM's Peter Buck. SWELL MAPS will be performing throughout 2026 across the UK and Europe and are proud to present this stellar document, which maintains the group's devotion to D-I-Y ideals and impulses. The vinyl album covers were hand-screened and stamped by a feminist cooperative in Valencia, Spain and are offered in three randomly picked variants. The Guardian is going to run a 1400-word piece on the release.

From his roots in House, Alex Finkin is a renowned producer and creative director. Working in his Paris studio he has developed numerous projects, notably his own (Roseaux), as well as commissions for radio and television. Meanwhile, with 30 years of production and DJing under his belt, Rocco Rodamaal belongs to the elite circle of House innovators who continue to influence the scene. He's played alongside some of the best in the industry showcasing his versatility and deep understanding of the genre, and remixed artists including Marshall Jefferson, Kerri Chandler, Louie Vega & Moodymann, Todd Terry, Barbara Tucker and Robert Owens to name just a few. Alex Finkin befriended Rocco Rodamaal, who he met via the soulful Parisian club Djoon, where Alex was resident from 2006 to 2014. They have since collaborated on a number of projects together, including "In Da Hood" released on COD3 QR in 2023. Kenny Dope's "O'Gutta" remixes are a series of house and club-focused reworks characterized by raw, gritty and often stripped-back percussion, which he now brings to "In Da Hood".

Ross McMillan, known professionally as Carlos Nilmmns, is a Scottish electronic music producer, DJ and composer originally from Glasgow. Over the years he has collaborated with a range of notable artists, including Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning figures, including Kenny Dope, Carl Craig, Kevin Saunderson and Davina Bussey, plus respected artists like Niko Marks, Rolando, Laurent Garnier, Santiago Salazar, Hardrock Striker, Karl The Voice, Zadig, Ben Sims, Andrés (who worked with Jay Dilla and Moodymann), and YouANDme. His music has been released on Planet E, Trax, Cocoon, Ornaments, Circus, Virgin, Skylax/Universal Music France and more. His style draws from house, techno and jazz influences, often combining analogue and digital production methods. A returning regular and COD3 QR favourite, he's back with another stunner in "Latin Quarter".

K' Alexi Shelby is a prominent figure in electronic music and with a career spanning decades, he's established a significant influence on House and Techno. Throughout his career he's worked with many well-known artists and remixed tracks that are now key pieces. The cultivation of his massive musical catalogue has overflowed into albums and the three labels he heads. It's also led to legendary collaborations with artists such as The Pet Shop Boys, Robert Owens, Kenny Dixon, Roy Davis Jr., Maurice Joshua, Terry Hunter, Joe Smooth, Steve Silke Hurley, Tyree Cooper, Ron Trent, Glenn Underground, Larry Heard, DJ Pierre, Carl Craig, Felix da Housecat, Marshall Jefferson, Will Smith and countless others. Already respected around the world as a true underground House legend, he delivered "Flame" in 2025 for COD3 QR. Now he's back with "When I", another deep and sexy cut.

Benny Rodrigues a.k.a. ROD unveiled his new moniker, The Lost Souldancer when he dropped "No More Voices" for COD3 QR last year. In his own words, Benny says: "The Lost Souldancer is about coping with the loss of what once was. Finding comfort in the invisible rather than what can be seen. Disconnect to connect in order to be loved rather than liked." He continues this ethos with the delicate and melodic closing track "Life and Death".

long content, you may need to expand row to see all... • Warren Zevon’s final concert, recorded August 9, 2002 at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, available for the first time
• Features “Werewolves Of London,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Lawyers, Guns & Money,” “Play It All Night Long,” and more
• Double LP with etched 4th side and liner notes fromlongtime Zevon band member and friend Matt Cartsonis, who accompanied Warren during this performance
• Available for on opaque metallic silver vinyl

One of my favorite repeatable moments in our sets was looking over when he was singing that line from “Don’t Let Us Get Sick”: “I’m lucky to be here with someone I like . . .” to find him looking at me. That’s some pure and precious stuff, and I’m immensely grateful for the memory.
—Matt Cartsonis from his liner notes

Luckily, 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Warren Zevon left us with a treasure trove of nearly four decades of incredible songs and performances. Neither Warren, nor his long-time band member, accompanist, and friend Matt Cartsonis, nor the 14,000 people in attendance at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival knew this would be Warren’s final concert—it was just another great performance from an exceptional songwriter and artist. Epilogue: Live At The Edmonton Folk Music Festival offers you the chance to experience it for the first time, or relive it if you were there.

Featuring Warren on guitar, harmonica, and piano, with Cartsonis adding guitar, dulcimer, fiddle, harmonies and more, the pair run through classics like “Werewolves Of London,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” Lawyers, Guns And Money,” and “Play It All Night Long.” The set also features a performance of the song “Dirty Life And Times,” only ever played twice! The pair found room in the set to pay tribute to Canada with a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case Of You” and the traditional, “Canadee-i-o.”

Available on double metallic silver Vinyl (with etched fourth side), Epilogue: Live At The Edmonton Folk Music Festival has been mastered and restored by multiple Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves and Jordan McLeod of Osiris Studio with Matt Cartsonis. Cartsonis also adds poignant liner notes about the performance, and insight into his musical relationship and friendship with Zevon.
Epilogue: Live At The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is a gift from a truly legendary singer and songwriter. Play it all night long, indeed.

Campbell Owens, Douglas MacIntyre and Mick Slaven worked on the album alongside founding members Robert 'Bobby Bluebell' Hodgens, David McCluskey and Ken McCluskey to create the new collection of tracks. The result is a stunning body of work; rich, melodic, thoughtful and infectious. First single No Pasaran! premiered on BBC Radio Scotland and in The Herald in September 2025. The Bluebells rose to fame in the 1980s as jangle-pop pioneers of the Sound of Young Scotland era with their three hits Young at Heart, Cath and I'm Falling.

Despite only releasing one readily-available album during their initial run (Sisters, 1984) the band have remained as one of Scotland's most beloved bands, currently boasting over 144,000 monthly Spotify listeners. The band enjoyed a post-breakup revival in 1993 after a Volkswagen advert featured Young at Heart, pushing the single to No.1 for 4 weeks. They have since reunited over the years, to play various festival slots and develop new material. In 2023, the band released The Bluebells In The 21st Century, their first LP in decades. In 2025, The Bluebells played Glastonbury.

Campbell Owens, Douglas MacIntyre and Mick Slaven worked on the album alongside founding members Robert 'Bobby Bluebell' Hodgens, David McCluskey and Ken McCluskey to create the new collection of tracks. The result is a stunning body of work; rich, melodic, thoughtful and infectious. First single No Pasaran! premiered on BBC Radio Scotland and in The Herald in September 2025. The Bluebells rose to fame in the 1980s as jangle-pop pioneers of the Sound of Young Scotland era with their three hits Young at Heart, Cath and I'm Falling.

Despite only releasing one readily-available album during their initial run (Sisters, 1984) the band have remained as one of Scotland's most beloved bands, currently boasting over 144,000 monthly Spotify listeners. The band enjoyed a post-breakup revival in 1993 after a Volkswagen advert featured Young at Heart, pushing the single to No.1 for 4 weeks. They have since reunited over the years, to play various festival slots and develop new material. In 2023, the band released The Bluebells In The 21st Century, their first LP in decades. In 2025, The Bluebells played Glastonbury.

Warehouse Find!

Introducing Red D, the Belgian DJ and producer, one half of FCL (alongside San Soda), long standing club promoter (since 1992), owner of We Play House and general all round good guy. With releases on Ferrispark and Delusions Of Grandeur (with MCDE), remixes on Eskimo, regular sets at the likes of Panorama Bar and an RA Mix under his belt you could say things are falling into place nicely. On top of all this his FCL project continues to go from strength to strength with a new
EP dropping soon on Kai 'KZR' Alce's highly regarded NDATL label. When he sent over two originals for Freerange it was love at first listen as the simple, warm beats and emotive chord stabs of title track Chez oozed from the speakers. This sounded to me like house music in it's purest form, from the days when the focus was on a feeling rather than complex sounds or technological
trickery. And the proof is in the pudding with this one as you can feel the dance floor go into some kind of collective bubble of love whenever you play it. The second original follows drawing you into a false sense of security with familiar 707 beats and gentle pads before taking a left turn. Appropriately titled Into Darkness the blissful vibes of the intro begin to fall away as the
track reaches a breakdown and we're treated to the rudest of Chi-Town basslines taking us down a somewhat less wholesome path. Flipping over we're treated to two Jacob Korn remixes, one of each of the originals and if the A side is the good cop, we can trust the Uncanny Valley regular to deliver some pure badness on the flip. His Remix of Chez is clearly inspired by his studio hardware as you can hear the improvised and 'live'
sounding arrangement, the machines taking on a life of their own as things twist and turn in a spontaneous and unpredictable way. A rattling white noise pulse drives the rhythm whilst bubbling synths add some lightness to the pummeling
kick. Into Darkness gets the Korn treatment next and here he puts it right through the sonic mangler, tape saturation distorting the mix to within an inch of it's life. Jacob puts the focus on the bassline of the original, keeping things simple at
first before winding in layers of Juno chords and the bleepiest of synth lines resulting in the finest of raw, bassment house jams.

Die experimentellen Hip-Hop-Legenden dälek kehren mit ihrem neuesten Album ,Brilliance of a Falling Moon" zurück. Der Titel stammt aus einem Abschnitt von Erik Larsons Roman ,In The Garden of Beasts" aus dem Jahr 2011. Das Album zeichnet ein feuriges Porträt des Lebens und Widerstands im faschistischen Amerika. ,Brilliance of a Falling Moon" wurde von Will Brooks (alias MC dälek) und Mike Mare konzipiert, komponiert und produziert und ist ein weitläufiges, kompromissloses Album, das den politischen Ton der Gegenwart widerspiegelt. Aufgenommen in den Deadverse Studios der Gruppe im Laufe der Jahre 2024 und 2025 aufgenommen, werden die Beats von ,Brilliance of a Falling Moon" von brutalen, staubigen Drum Breaks angetrieben und sind in eine bedrohliche, jenseitige Atmosphäre gehüllt. Brooks' Reime zielen auf alles ab, von der Unterdrückung von Informationen durch den Staat über den Kolonialismus bis hin zu Trumps Dämonisierung von Einwanderern, und sie brennen geradezu vor Empörung über den aktuellen Zustand der Welt.

Dread Spectre Council is Kenneth Amundsen"s solo-moniker compiling years of archival demos reimagined and re-recorded. First presented through the debut EP "Dystopia/Eons" (2024) feat. Dale Crover (Melvins/Nirvana/Redd Kross) on drums. Connected to bands like Mindy Misty, Le Corbeau and Izakaya Heartbeat, - He has sneaked around the Norwegian indie scene for the past two decades. On Thetans Kenneth plays all instruments, records and mixes himself in a solitary catharsis. Bringing emotive confessionals, barn-burners and sect nodding psychedelics together in a melancholy-stroked indie rock epos, "unshakably human" as described by Last Day Deaf . A gang of co-conspirators is lurking to join for future releases and tours.

Last year Ace Records were delighted to reissue The Brides of Funkenstein’s debut LP from 1978, “Funk Or Walk”. Featuring their hit single ‘Disco To Go’, this album put the Brides on the map and sold strongly.

Before sessions commenced for a second album, Lynn Mabry left the group before sessions commenced for a second album, leaving Dawn Silva alone at the altar. George Clinton added P-Funk backing singers Jeanette McGruder and Sheila Horne to the mix, creating a three-pronged vocal attack.
Sessions featured the cream of the P-Funk players including keyboard wizard Bernie Worrell, bassist Bootsy Collins and guitarist Garry Shider. The resulting album, released in 1979, was even better that their debut.

The title track ran for over 15 minutes on side one, showcasing the vocal and musical prowess of all concerned. Other tracks included ’Party Up In Here’, ‘Smoke Signals’, ‘Mother May I?’ and the gorgeous ballad ‘Didn’t Mean To Fall In Love’.
Although it did not spawn a hit single, “Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy” sold as strongly as “Funk Or Walk” and over time has been hailed as a classic P-Funk album.
With liner notes from Ace’s Ian Shirley, we are delighted to release it on orange vinyl and CD. You don’t need your mother’s permission to buy it either.

“The spirit moves us to sing these fight songs”, schreiben die Irreversible Entanglements in einem Statement
zu ihrem von Fans heiß erwarteten zweiten Album auf Impulse! Records. Seit zehn Jahren mischt die Band
mit spektakulären Live-Auftritten und abenteuerlichen Alben nun schon die internationale Jazzszene auf.
Das Quintett um die Spoken-Word-Künstlerin Camae Ayewa (a.k.a. Moor Mother), die als “Internationale
Künstlerin des Jahres” mit dem Deutschen Jazzpreis 2023 ausgezeichnet wurde, ist in der Vergangenheit
schon mit John und Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, aber auch der Schroffheit des Punk und aktuellen
Zeitgenossen wie Shabaka Hutchings und Makaya McCraven verglichen worden.
Sein zweites Impulse!-Album ”Future Present Past“ hat das Quintett erneut im legendären Rudy Van
Gelder Studio aufgenommen, in dem auch der Coltrane-Klassiker ”A Love Supreme“ entstand. Mit dem
Album wollen die fünf Musiker einmal mehr dynamischen Jazz, globale Musiktraditionen, Spoken Word
und klare politische Standpunkte verbinden. Als Gäste sind erstmals die beiden Künstler MOTHERBOARD
und Helado Negro dabei.

c 3 I'm Lost (You're Dead) feat. Jamie Webster



[c] 3 I'm Lost (You're Dead) [feat. Jamie Webster]



[c] 3 I'm Lost (You're Dead) [feat. Jamie Webster]

Lush in strings and pedal steel, the nine-track 'How I Became A Wave' album features contributions from some of Ireland's most accomplished musicians, headed up by Pat Carey, and featuring string and piano arrangements by Cormac McCarthy (RT Concert Orchestra). 'How I Became A Wave' will be available as a limited edition 12" gatefold vinyl that brings together music and visual art, featuring cover artwork based on the original oil painting 'Towards Pabaigh' by Scottish artist Ellis O'Connor, design by West Cork creative Megan Clancy, insert image by Cork- based artist Leslie Allen Spillane, and handwritten liner notes and lyrics from Pat Carey, who steers How I Became A Wave as a collaborative, multidisciplinary project. Pat Carey says: "At the heart of How I Became A Wave is a sense of collaboration - of connection between artists. Inviting artists of different disciplines into the creative process has been key to the journey. Understanding how other people see, hear and feel my work has been enlightening, affirming and vital, making sure that what we have created is a living body of work that I hope will continue to be expressed in changing ways."

Formed in Galway City, Ireland James McGregor (vocals/ guitar), Sean Connelly (guitar) and Damian Greaney (drums) went to school together there and met Tom Freeman (bass) on the music scene. Relocating to London in 2019, the quartet signed to Alan McGee's new record label 'Creation23' almost overnight. They have since impressed audiences across Europe with live performances at festivals including Rock Werchter, Eurosonic and Electric Picnic, performing to a huge crowd at Sefton Park in Liverpool in support of Kings of Leon, as well as a head- turning televised appearance on Sky 1's Soccer AM. Media have been quick to show their support too plus previous singles, taken from their 2023 debut "Exit Strategy" received praise on BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac on her "New Names" showcase, BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq on his 'Recommends' show, received day-time radio play on RTE 2FM, and impressed the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer on Sirius XM.

The four-piece are drawn together by not only a mutual appreciation of music past and present but also a love of films and books, notably the ones on the more 'noir' side of the spectrum. You could say Arctic Monkeys got them into a band, The Strokes showed them how tightly you could distil it and Radiohead showed them how wide you could take it. But these days there not afraid to also put Billie Eilish and Charlie XCX into that mixture and films from director Fellini to "Drive". What matters is that from starting out playing acoustic folk, that turned into 3 minute (post-)punkish songs, they now have expanded a lot from there, taking in all the experience they have now recording and touring. Pushing the emotion by being authentic and creating what you really want despite the noise and haste around you.

TMAC returns with a raw Chicago house banger inspired by tape-deck tracks From the early days of house. One-sided cut with two mixes on colored wax, this joint delivers funky synths, hard-hitting drums, and peak dance floor pressure.

Razor, a thrash metal legend! The most valuable Canadian export since the Toronto Maple Leafs. When Dave Carlo and his band took to the stage at the legendary Headbangers Open Air Festival a few years ago, the crowds went completely wild. This enthusiastic reaction suggests that Razor may have more fans today than they did in their heyday in the mid-1980s. So the re-release of “Shotgun Justice” on vinyl comes just at the right time. The album comprises 14 tracks and features immortal classics such as “United by Hatred,” “Stabbed in the Back,” and “Brass Knuckles.” Shotgun Justice was originally released in 1990 on CD only on Dave Carlos' own label, Fist Fight Records (distributed in North America by Fringe Records). It was the first Razor album with Bob Reid on vocals (who had replaced Stace McLaren, aka Sheepdog).

ADULT. kooperiert nicht. Seit über 25 Jahren verkörpert die dystopische Detroit-Synth-Punk-Institution, gegründet von Nicola Kuperus und Adam Lee Miller, unbeirrbare Frustration, Misstrauen und Beklemmung. Man könnte erwarten, dass sich die Kanten mit der Zeit abschleifen, doch ADULT. hat kein Interesse am Komfort eines Vermächtnisses. Noch nie klang die Musik des Duos so unmittelbar, so dringlich und so unverhohlen wütend wie auf dem abschließenden, kompromisslosen Kissing Luck Goodbye.Mit aufgerüstetem Equipment und einer neuen Klangbibliothek gebaut, ist das Material erdrückend dynamisch, lauter - und zugleich klarer. Kuperus' dominante Darbietung rückt im Mix stärker in den Vordergrund und skizziert ein Arsenal aus lebhaften, ätzenden Rufen, Sprechchören und Gedankensplittern. Lachen - ob in den Texten oder als besessene Präsenz - fungiert als Leitmotiv und verweist auf die bedrohliche Absurdität der modernen Zeit.,THE CHAOS IS WHAT THEY WANT", singt sie in ,R U 4 $ALE" - zugleich eine Absichtserklärung: einer brennenden Welt aus Gier und Unordnung mit trotzigem, meisterhaft zusammengebautem Chaos zu begegnen. ,Du hast in dieser Höllenlandschaft, in der wir gerade leben, zwei Möglichkeiten: kämpfen oder depressiv sein", sagt Miller. ,Beides ist okay. Aber, na ja, die Entscheidung war einfach."ADULT. ist bekannt für hochriskante Katharsis auf der Bühne und griff kürzlich auf seinen Backkatalog an Bassgitarren-Songs aus den 2000ern zurück, wobei sie die vorausschauende Anxiety Always-Ära erneut nachzeichneten - teils aus Notwendigkeit angesichts der heutigen politischen und technologischen Angsttemperatur. Die Reaktion war sofort spürbar: ,Wir waren in Paris, und die Kids sind von der Bühne gesprungen. Und ich dachte nur: Das ist großartig. Das ist irgendwie die Energie, in die ich wieder zurückwill", sagt Kuperus.Diese Erkenntnis fiel mit einer Reihe von Rückschlägen zusammen - Kuperus' Anfällen von chronischem Schwindel, dem Verlust ihres engen Freundes und Kollaborateurs Douglas McCarthy von Nitzer Ebb, dem das Album gewidmet ist - alles unter dem drohenden Regime noch einmal erheblich verschärft. ,Wir dachten nur: Alles zerbricht. Wir zerbrechen. Wir sind kaputt." Dieses Gefühl hielt jedoch nicht an, denn letztlich waren sie viel zu sehr von Wut aufgeladen, um stillzuhalten. Die Stimmung vor Kissing Luck Goodbye waren vier Mittelfinger, die kerzengerade nach oben zeigten.Anstatt sich zurückzuziehen, konzentrierten sie sich auf den Prozess und überarbeiteten ihr Setup - inklusive der ersten neuen Mikrofone seit 20 Jahren. Hält man das Album an irgendeiner Stelle an, zählt man wahrscheinlich ein Dutzend Dinge, die gleichzeitig passieren, in seltsamer, schwindelerregender und dissonanter Harmonie. ,No One Is Coming" attackiert Untätigkeit angesichts des Faschismus - ,NO ONE IS COMING TO YOUR RESCUE". ,None of It's Fun" feuert mit atemloser Dringlichkeit, rasenden Glissandi und pointierten Zeilen wie: ,OH I AM TEARING MY GUTS OUT / LOOK AT ME_ DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS AMUSING?"Eine geradlinige Basslinie und Kickdrum prallen im Abschlusstrack ,Destroyers" auf pulsierende Mantras, werden dann vollständig gesättigt und kakophonisch. Ihre jüngeren Ichs hätten den Song vielleicht sich selbst zerstören lassen, doch hier gelang es ihnen, die Lautstärke durch alle Extreme hindurch zu stabilisieren und Raum für ein eindringliches, abschließendes A-cappella zu schaffen: WE PAY THE PRICE FOR THOSE IN POWER EXPLOITING YOU EXPLOITING ME CONSUMING YOU CONSUMING ME SICK SICK SICK SICKENING IT IS US THAT ARE DEVOURED BY EVERYTHING I WILL EAT YOUR HATE

The "Phunk Investigation vs. James Senese" collaboration, specifically the track "E'na Bella Jurnata,"

is seen as a high-quality fusion of Italian Disco and funky house, praised for its driving beats,

70s disco melodies, and signature saxiness from the legendary Senese,

making it an instant anthem for clubs and Ibiza.

Reviews highlight it as a grand cru of Italian dance music, blending classic vibes with modern house energy,

a must-have for disco and house lovers.

Dino Lenny and Marco Capelli are the two people collectively known as Andrea Doria, a name known by many as that of an oceanliner which sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. Originally released in 2003, the official reissue remastered by Gianni Bini at HOG Studio is now available

xm Black talk [Part 1]
[xn] Hörprobe Track 8: Black talk [Part 1]



[xr] Thank you [Part 1]
[xs] Hörprobe Track 9: Thank you [Part 1]




























[yv] Listen here [Part 1]
[yw] Hörprobe Track 15: Listen here [Part 1]








[h] B4 | Charles Earland - Black talk [Part 1]
[i] B5 | Melvin Sparks - (Jazz) Thank you [Part 1]





[o] D2 | Freddie McCoy - Listen here [Part 1]

The Activist returns to Sneaker Social Club with a fresh double-drop of mutant grime futurism featuring deadly flows from Tia Talks and Jammz.

Low End Activist first came through centred on link-ups with grime MCs before widening the scope of his sound with purely instrumental, conceptually-charged albums. This sure-shot double single reaffirms his affinity for outsider grime production as a vessel for deft bars from breakthrough talent and seasoned mic veterans alike.

On 'False Idols' and 'Atomic Clock' there's an emphasis on sharply angled, glitchy production that bends and warps well outside the established formula of MC-focused beats. Constantly shifting, hyper-detailed and front-loaded with walloping slabs of bass, both cuts are devastating in either vocal or instrumental form. Tia Talks pulls no punches stating her truth on the former, while Jammz muses on the endless battle against time on the latter, continuing the peerless run of avant-grime that courses through the Activist's back catalogue.

In 2016, Big Gigantic released their album Brighter Future, featuring tracks with hip hop artists such as Waka Flocka Flame and Logic, singers Jennifer Hartswick, Rozes, Angela McCluskey, and Natalie Cressman, as well as collaborations with GRiZ and Cherub. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Their fifth studio album, Brighter Future, reflects Big Gigantic's vision for uniting the world through music and community. Saxophonist/producer, Dominic Lalli wrote, "Now more than ever, we need to come together and work towards a brighter future for us, our children and for the human race as a whole." The album was released on August 26, 2016 and features special guests Waka Flocka Flame, Logic, Cherub, Griz, Pell, and many more. The singles "The Little Things" feat. Angela McCluskey and "All Of Me" feat. renowned rapper Logic have received national acclaim, with over 3 million downloads and 100 million streams.

London quartet The Leaf Library return with their bold new album After The Rain, Strange Seeds. A luminous collection of pastoral indiepop, drawing inspiration from suburban isolation, unreliable memories and the surreality of the weather. Their most immediate and melodic work to date, the richly evocative songs brim with chiming guitars, buzzing organs and warm, dulcet strings, evoking Yo La Tengo’s more contemplative moments, The Clientele’s autumnal jangle pop and early Stereolab’s motorik melodicism. The sound of the album is defined by mixer John McEntire, whose work with Stereolab and Yo La Tengo (as well as a member of Tortoise/The Sea And Cake) have been major inspirations to the band.
The album explores themes of memory and place, albeit through an abstract haze – returning again and again to specific moments frozen in time: midsummer bright hot days in the Chilterns (“Sun In My Room”), meteorology and the strange movement of the weather (“Colour Chant”), red kites circling over suburban motorways (“Some Circling”), and the uncanny feeling of dusk and nighttime creatures on “The Reader’s Lamp” (titled by celebrated film director Peter Strickland). The lyrics are vivid yet elliptical, strung with abstract ideas and imagery, conjuring a gently unsettling, though never unwelcoming atmosphere. Not quite trusting your own recollection of things, while marvelling at the oddness of the natural world, the album’s title a good summation of the mix of strangeness and hope contained within.

As on past albums the band - founded by singer Kate Gibson and ex-Saloon guitarist Matt Ashton in the mid 2000s, and now completed by drummer Lewis Young and bassist Gareth Jones - have involved their extended musical family, including guitarist Mike Cranny (of fellow drone pop travellers Firestations) and keyboardist Irina Shtreis, both members of the Leaf Library live band. The album also sees the return of James Underwood’s Iskra Strings, a quartet that features on 4 tracks, with sumptuous arrangements by Daniel Fordham, as well as regular contributor Melinda Bronstein on vocals and Will Twynham (Dimorphodons) on harpsichord. They also welcomed Paddy Milner (on Hammond organ) and Scott McKeon (guitar) – both current members of Tom Jones’ band – for a startlingly delicate rolling crescendo to closing track “There Was Always A Golden Age”.
After The Rain, Strange Seeds is their 4th studio album. The result is The Leaf Library’s most accomplished and affecting work, John McEntire’s mix bringing a bold clarity to the band’s meticulous arrangements – closer to how they sound live than anything they’ve done before.

"Love, Peace & Harmony - The Best of Bow Wow Wow is a compilation of the iconic new wave group Bow Wow Wow, released in 2008. The band was formed by Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the Sex Pistols. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band, featuring 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals. Over the next four years, the band dominated the British charts, with nine singles entering the UK Top 100. ""Go Wild in the Country"" and ""I Want Candy"" even made it into the top 10. Their success didn't stop in the UK; they also enjoyed success in Australia, the US and the rest of Europe. This version of the compilation includes the song “The Man Mountain”, which reached the top 10 in Belgium and the Netherlands. Love, Peace & Harmony - The Best of Bow Wow Wow is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on slightly gold coloured vinyl. "

Relive the hit soundtrack to Season 1 with the show that defined a generation, HANNAH MONTANA, and sing-along with The Best of Both Worlds, The Other Side of Me and more on this collectible green splatter LP!

Folk-Punkrock, Bier & Wahrheiten. Mit ihrem Album "This Ain't Quiet" legen die Schweizer Saint City Orchestra ein dreckiges neues Manifest vor - gegen die Stille, gegen das Schweigen, gegen das brave Mitlaufen. Was hier aus den Boxen knallt, ist ein rotzfrecher Mix aus Irish Punkrock und der ungeschönten Realität des Lebens - laut, wild, ehrlich und mit ordentlich Portion Ironie. Die Songs klingen wie durchzechte Nächte mit besten Freunden, wie Kneipentresen voller Geschichten, wie Stadionrufe aus rauen Kehlen und wie der letzte Schluck vor dem Zusammenbruch. Sie erzählen von verlorenen Träumen, gebrochenen Herzen, wütenden Mittelfingern und unbeugsamer Liebe - zur Familie, zur Crew, zum Verein und zum verdammten Leben selbst. This Ain't Quiet ist kein Album für die Playlist im Fahrstuhl - es ist der Soundtrack für Nächte, die man sich tätowieren lassen will. Für Menschen mit Ecken, Kanten und Haltung. Für alle, die lieber grölen als jammern. Das Saint City Orchestra ist zurück - und sie haben Durst. Das SCO ist im 12. Jahr unterwegs, hat bereits je ein Top 30 und ein Top 20-Album in der Schweiz im Gepäck, vielleicht geht's dieses Mal unter den ersten 10? Für Fans von Fiddler's Green, Flogging Molly, The Rumjacks, Dropkick Murphys und The Real McKenzies. Als CD oder farbige (Neon Orange w/ White & Black Splatter) LP erhältlich

Born in Douarnenez, at the far edge of Brittany (France), Komodor has quickly established itself as one of the most vibrant names in the French rock landscape. Their high-energy rock, fueled by fuzz, sweat, and vocal harmonies woven in the spirit of MC5 and T. Rex, immediately drew attention: Rolling Stone, Rock & Folk, Libération and Rock Hard Germany all praised the fiery impact of their debut album Nasty Habits (which sold over 2,000 vinyl copies). Since then, the quintet has mostly lived on the road: a long European tour, followed by the larger-than-life saga of Komodrag & The Mounodor, carrying them to stages such as Hellfest, Les Vieilles Charrues, and the Francofolies de La Rochelle, among many others.

Their second album, Time & Space, reveals a band in full metamorphosis. Without abandoning the explosive force that defines them, Komodor widens its scope: volcanic riffs, more sinuous grooves, mist-laden harmonies, psychedelic flashes… The energy is still wild, but more inhabited, more liberated, almost ceremonial at times. The record opens with two telling bursts: Bliss & Joy, a libertarian charge with the feel of a manifesto, and Soul Tricker, a rock incantation where trance overtakes sheer electric assault. Two sides of the same coin, pulled taut between urgency and enchantment.

On stage, Komodor remains a true shockwave, forged across European festivals (Freak Valley, Motocultor, Fête du Bruit, and more) and now awaited at the legendary Desertfest London. Their music feels made for such spaces: a visceral, flesh-and-amp kind of rock, drawing from the seventies’ heritage to speak even more vividly to the present. A band moving forward at full volume, without nostalgia or calculation, carried by a simple conviction: as long as the amps are hot, rock can still burn.

In short: Komodor is the band of friends from Douarnenez bringing pencil-and-paper rock into the streaming age while preserving its analog soul (with the album mastered at the legendary Miraval Studios), the smell of warm tubes, the grain of vinyl. With this second album, they hit harder, truer, and more vividly than ever.
Time & Space stands as a “must-have French rock record”, a tangible piece worth cherishing in any collection.

Born in Douarnenez, at the far edge of Brittany (France), Komodor has quickly established itself as one of the most vibrant names in the French rock landscape. Their high-energy rock, fueled by fuzz, sweat, and vocal harmonies woven in the spirit of MC5 and T. Rex, immediately drew attention: Rolling Stone, Rock & Folk, Libération and Rock Hard Germany all praised the fiery impact of their debut album Nasty Habits (which sold over 2,000 vinyl copies). Since then, the quintet has mostly lived on the road: a long European tour, followed by the larger-than-life saga of Komodrag & The Mounodor, carrying them to stages such as Hellfest, Les Vieilles Charrues, and the Francofolies de La Rochelle, among many others.

Their second album, Time & Space, reveals a band in full metamorphosis. Without abandoning the explosive force that defines them, Komodor widens its scope: volcanic riffs, more sinuous grooves, mist-laden harmonies, psychedelic flashes… The energy is still wild, but more inhabited, more liberated, almost ceremonial at times. The record opens with two telling bursts: Bliss & Joy, a libertarian charge with the feel of a manifesto, and Soul Tricker, a rock incantation where trance overtakes sheer electric assault. Two sides of the same coin, pulled taut between urgency and enchantment.

On stage, Komodor remains a true shockwave, forged across European festivals (Freak Valley, Motocultor, Fête du Bruit, and more) and now awaited at the legendary Desertfest London. Their music feels made for such spaces: a visceral, flesh-and-amp kind of rock, drawing from the seventies’ heritage to speak even more vividly to the present. A band moving forward at full volume, without nostalgia or calculation, carried by a simple conviction: as long as the amps are hot, rock can still burn.

In short: Komodor is the band of friends from Douarnenez bringing pencil-and-paper rock into the streaming age while preserving its analog soul (with the album mastered at the legendary Miraval Studios), the smell of warm tubes, the grain of vinyl. With this second album, they hit harder, truer, and more vividly than ever.
Time & Space stands as a “must-have French rock record”, a tangible piece worth cherishing in any collection.

Strut Records highlights a landmark in British jazz-rock with Second Wind, the 1972 album from keyboard visionary Brian Auger and his powerhouse group Oblivion Express. Capturing a fully matured lineup, the record finds Auger expanding his fusion language - bridging jazz sophistication, funk-driven rhythm, and soul-infused songwriting with the clarity and fire that defined his early ’70s work.

Though Auger’s roots lie in the lineage of hard-swinging jazz organ and the improvisational fire of the ’60s British scene, he has never been an artist content with tradition. With Second Wind, he moves further into a hybrid language that fuses rhythm with harmonic depth and groove, without sacrificing sophistication. His playing is expansive yet precise, translating the electricity of live performance into a studio work that breathes with immediacy.

At the heart of this era of Oblivion Express is the telepathic rapport among its members. Vocalist Alex Ligertwood (in one of his earliest major recordings before Santana fame) brings a soulful intensity that feels both grounded and forward- looking. Second Wind contains tracks that have become deeply significant in Auger’s discography - original compositions Second Wind, and Truth to name a few - but it was Auger's high octane revisioning of Eddie Harris' Freedom Jazz Dance, (adding new lyrics to the original instrumental) that genuinely broke barriers. The track became a DJ friendly classic and highlighted the groups deeply original approach.

The rhythm section of Barry Dean and Robbie McIntosh balances weight and fluidity, giving Auger the space to stretch across Hammond organ, Rhodes, and keys with characteristic boldness. Their collective sound is one of seamless motion: jazz-inflected lines swelling into rock-driven crescendos, funk-leaning grooves locking with vocal hooks, moments of quiet clarity emerging between bursts of improvisation.

Second Wind stands as a pivotal moment in Auger’s discography: a record that bridges the exploratory spirit of his earlier projects with the more groove-oriented approach that would soon bring international attention. More than five decades later, it remains a vivid document of a band carving out its own language. Music born of instinct, collaboration, and a restless desire to push beyond the expected.

Strut Records presents a fresh look at Oblivion Express, the 1971 album that marked Brian Auger’s shift into a new musical frontier. After years spent shaping the sound of British jazz-soul with the Trinity, Auger stepped into the new decade with a leaner, electrified ensemble and a renewed sense of purpose. This record captures the moment that transformation took shape.

Oblivion Express introduced a sound that was distinctly Auger’s own. Rather than echoing the fusion emerging in the United States, Auger developed a language rooted in the UK’s jazz underground, culminating in a spaced out jazz- rock / prog-fusion album awash with larger than life drum fills and Auger’s virtuosic organ playing. Between bassist Barry Dean and drummer Robbie McIntosh the album moves effortlessly between tight, articulated phrases and broader, improvisational passages. The trio’s interplay forms the backbone of the album and sets the tone for the sound that would define the early years of the Express.

Album opener “Dragon Song” launches with a restless drive that immediately signals Auger’s new direction. Auger chose to record this version of John McLaughlin’s piece (his friend and former bandmate in 'The Niddy Griddys') after hearing McLaughlin’s album Devotion during its mix at New York’s Record Plant Studios. Auger was blown away, recalling, “Oh my god, this is amazing. I wanted to record that myself - and I did!”. Pieces like “Total Eclipse” demonstrate the Oblivion Express’ command of dynamic contrast, and title track “Oblivion Express” explores the cinematic and compositional prowess of the group through stripped back, building moments vs. explosive melodic breakdowns. Riff-heavy “The Sword” later became known through Madlib’s usage in 2014 tracks “Yeti Movie” and “Parodies”.

In retrospect, Oblivion Express stands as a jazz leaning, prog-rock masterpiece and foundational moment in Auger’s catalogue. It captures the starting point of a new sound that is more focused, more urgent, and fully committed to the possibilities of jazz-rock at the dawn of the seventies. The album remains a vivid document of a band discovering its identity and setting the stage for the further array of influential releases that would follow.

In 1962, Black Music was making its transition from R&B to soul and the Chicago music industry was exploding, producing thousands of records and dozens of new labels. The two biggest black labels Vee-Jay and Chess led in the creation of the distinctive, smooth, Chicago soul brand with names familiar and not so familiar: the former with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler and the latter with Mitty Collier, Etta James and Billy Stewart. And yet it's the smaller labels that make up the bulk of the Chicago story: Hawk with Geraldine Taylor, Lu-Cee with Roberta, M-Pac with Dorothy Prince and it's here that we explore some of the finest sounds of the era in this collection. Extensive liner notes written by Robert Pruter, author of the acclaimed 'Chicago Soul'. Side One. 1. The Town I Live In - McKinley Mitchell 2. I'm The One Who Loves You - The Impressions 3. Shake A Tail Feather - The Five Du-Tones 4. Mama Didn't Lie - Jan Bradley 5. Make It Easy On Yourself - Jerry Butler 6. Seven Day Fool - Etta James 7. The Blues Don't Like Nobody - Tony Adams 8. I've Got To Get Away From It All - Mitty Collier 9. How Much Longer - Geraldine Taylor 10. I'm On The Prowl - Roberta. Side Two: 1. Fat Boy - Billy Stewart 2. Can't Take No More - Ted Taylor 3. I Don't Want To Suffer - Walter Jackson 4. Open Your Heart - Sugar Pie DeSanto 5. Shook Up Over You - Dee Clark 6. Something's Got A Hold On Me - Etta James 7. Why Not Tonight - Dorothy Prince 8. Delilah - Major Lance 9. Money In My Pocket - Moss Tolbert

Long Ryder guitarist/mandolinist Sid Griffin states 'High Noon Hymns' is “two thirds the distilled altcountry genre we helped found back in the 1980s, one third Paisley Underground adventurism yet with a dash of our own crazed soulfulness thrown in." Due to the unexpected passing of Long Ryders' bassist Tom Stevens, bass duties on the new album were shared by Murry Hammond of Americana stalwarts The Old 97s and The Long Ryders’ own Stephen McCarthy. McCarthy also performs live with The Jayhawks and occasionally records with the Dream Syndicate. Guests appearing in the album include DJ Bonebrake of X on vibes and young bluegrass wunderkind Wyatt Ellis on mandolin. The album was recorded at Kozy Tone Studios in sunny Poway, California.

Sweet Pill ist eine Emo-Band aus Philadelphia, deren Songs sich zwischen Pop und Hardcore bewegen. Sie veröffentlichten ihr Debütalbum Where The Heart Is (2022) im selben Jahr, in dem sie bei Topshelf Records unter Vertrag genommen wurden, und seitdem befinden sie sich auf Erfolgskurs. Unter anderem wurde sie von Hayley Williams von Paramore wärmstens empfohlen, der ihr Song "High Hopes" so gut gefiel, dass sie ihn in ihrem Podcast "Everything Is Emo" erwähnte. Das zweite starke Album von Sweet Pill, Still There's a Glow, ist eine widerstandsfähige Antwort auf den zunehmenden Druck nach ihrem erfolgreichen Debüt Where The Heart Is. Angesichts der Erschöpfung verwarf die Band frühe Demos, um ihrer psychischen Gesundheit Vorrang zu geben, und schuf schließlich ein rohes Dokument der Selbstreflexion, das Sängerin Zayna Youssef als "das Schwierigste, was ich je tun musste" bezeichnet. Das neue Album markiert eine bedeutende Entwicklung in ihrer kreativen Dynamik und ist das erste, das vollständig als Gemeinschaftswerk von Youssef, den Gitarristen Jayce Williams und Sean McCall, dem Bassisten Ryan Cullen und dem Schlagzeuger Chris Kearney geschrieben wurde. Aufgenommen im Gradwell House mit den langjährigen Produzenten Matt Weber und Dave Downham, zielt das Album darauf ab, die kinetische Energie ihrer Live-Shows einzufangen - Auftritte, die ihnen die Unterstützung von Stars wie Hayley Williams und Doja Cat eingebracht haben. Das Ergebnis ist eine gehobene Mischung aus komplexem Math-Rock, drängendem Punk und herzlichem Emo. Als woman of color in der Alternative-Szene hofft Youssef, dass das Album und die Tournee eine vorurteilsfreie Community für die Fans fördern werden. Still, There's a Glow ist ein Beweis für das Überleben und Wachstum der Band und lädt die Zuhörer dazu ein, ihr eigenes Licht am Ende des Tunnels zu finden. CD & farbige LP erhältlich

Over the decades, Numero has excavated a metric ton of recordings from the depths of Detroit. From all manner of mini Motowns we’ve uncovered soul, R&B, funk, disco, boogie, and by nature of proximity—gospel. Previous examinations of the Revival and Big Mack la- bels turned up more than a few new apocryphal hymns, and Great Lakes Gospel Vol. 2 compiles a dozen curious church groups devotionally reaching towards the genre’s frayed edge. Get lost in ecstatic choir funk, pulpit rappin’, direct-injection guitar solos, and the holy spirit, should it move you. Look around the room. You could start a church with this thing.

Das Hamburger Duo Das Pack veröffentlicht ihr nunmehr sechstes Studioalbum "Das Weise Album", ein wuchtiges Manifest musikalischer Reife, gepaart mit der unververwechselbaren Mischung aus Humor, Haltung und brachialem Rock. Gegründet wurde Das Pack 2006 von Sänger und Gitarrist Pensen Paletti (Monsters of Liedermaching). Schnell entwickelte sich das Duo, später Trio, zu einer festen Größe der deutschsprachigen Rockszene. Mit ihren schweißtreibenden Liveshows, ehrlicher Attitüde und einem Sound zwischen Punk, Metal und Alternative Rock hat sich die Band eine treue Fanbase erspielt.