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A continuation of a sound and sentiment from the mind of Pete Woosh (DiY Soundystem)

Love is the Most Important thing captures a unique moment in time with a meeting of spiritual, uplifting and healing sounds that ring true to Pete’s spirit. This first EP sees the debut of several lesser-known artists from Nottingham. Allow yourself to drift through a varied soundscape; from cosmic loops and gentle pads to uplifting mantras and rolling breakbeats.

RIP Pete Woosh aka The Peaceful Ones – 1965 - 2020

Sonic Behavior by Driftmachine & Ammer is an album exploring the origins of sound, noise, and various music genres. Alongside lyrical declarations of love for noise ("Song To Noise"), the album delves into sonic reflections on how beauty and emotion emerge from mundane vibrations in the air ("The Siren Is A Simple Device"). For the first time, the analog sound researchers of Driftmachine (Andreas Gerth, Florian Zimmer) incorporate spoken language and noise into their sound research. They have collaborated with word and sound artist Andreas Ammer, renowned for his radio plays with Acid Pauli, aka Console ("Spaceman 85"), or FM Einheit ("Radio Inferno," "Symphony of Sirens").

In "The Siren Is A Simple Device," the words are spoken by 81-year-old musician and poet legend Ted Milton (Blurt, Loopspool). Despite its simplicity and obvious ability to produce high volumes, the siren has led a marginal existence as a musical instrument. Yet, it is capable of evoking the most intense emotional states in the listener in the shortest possible time, like almost no other sound-producing mechanism. "Sonic Behavior" capitalizes on this fact. The familiar hypnotic sounds of Driftmachine are accompanied by a siren organ inspired by the revolutionary Russian futurist Arsenij Avranov and built by Andreas Ammer, while the lyrics talk about the simple physical reasons behind the sound chaos that has just been unleashed: A siren ... chops the air into sound.

The core of the album is "Song To Noise," an electro-acoustic mini-symphony about the beauties of noise and all its producers, which is based on a poem by the British poet Deryn Rees-Jones and spoken by the poet herself and Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten, Hackedepicciotto). Driftmachine & Ammer develop a soundtrack that is as powerful as it is loud and danceable (which is why the LP also includes a textless version of the composition).

"Sonic Sculpture" is the zenith of the work: a text/music track spoken by Ted Milton, which creates the possibility of a sound sculpture that encompasses the universe: What if one could imagine the infernal sound that encompasses all conceivable harmonies at the same time? A piano does when you throw it down an earthly staircase (the epitome of music is a piano falling down the stairs) through silent space to the next theoretically life-filled, Earth-like planet, Proxima Centauri B. The radio makes it possible. Driftmachine & Ammer tried it. The result will be heard there in 4.24 light-years. On planet Earth, the time has come on May 2, 2024. On this day, Sonic Behavior will be released, a conceptual album by Driftmachine & Ammer exploring sound, its creation, and its power.

"Carlos Santana’s nineteenth studio album Shaman was released in 2002 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. Just like its predecessor Supernatural, Santana invited contemporary artists to collaborate with him across genres including neo-soul, pop, rock, metal, and opera. Artists such as Seal, P.O.D., Chad Kroeger, Dido, Michelle Branch, Macy Gray, Music, Citizen Cope, Alejandro Lerner, Plácido Domingos, and Ozomatli can be heard on the album. Four tracks were released as singles: “The Game Of Love”, “Nothing At All”, “Why Don’t You & I”, and “Feels Like Fire”. Shaman is being reissued for the first time since its original release. A limited edition is available of 2000 individually numbered copies on translucent purple coloured vinyl and includes an insert."

Shaman by Santana, released 3 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "The Game Of Love (ft. Michelle Branch)", "Amoré (Sexo) (ft. Macy Gray)", "Victory Is Won" and more.
This version of Shaman comes as a 2xLP. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

The vinyl is pressed as a translucent, purple disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a translucent, purple disc.

"Beethoven On Speed is the second studio album by heavy metal guitarist and violinist The Great Kat. As a Juilliard School alumnus, it’s no surprise that she’s best known for her thrash metal interpretations of well-known pieces of classical music. Her classical background, technical skills and self-promotion are sometimes compared to Yngwie Malmsteen. The 1990 album Beethoven on Speed includes the track “Beethoven Mosh (5th symphony)”, which remains one of her most popular tracks to date. For the first time since its original release, Beethoven on Speed is being reissued. A limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent red coloured vinyl is available, which includes an insert.

Bringing together over 50 of Jamaica's greatest session musicians, whose work spans from the birth of reggae in the late 1960s until today, Roots Architects is the largest gathering of Jamaican musical talent on one all-instrumental album. Never before have so many veterans, who helped create the immortal rhythms that made reggae internationally successful, been assembled to play on new material without vocals. This album aims to celebrate and pay tribute to the unsung heroes of reggae music: the rhythm builders or Roots Architects.

The project is the brainchild of Swiss keyboardist and producer Mathias Liengme. In 2013, he travelled to Kingston, Jamaica, to produce The Inspirators project, an all-star album gathering Leroy ”Horse-mouth” Wallace, Lloyd Parks, Earl ”Chinna” Smith and Sangie Davis, the four of them acting both as musicians and vocalists. This first experience in Kingston studio life paved the way to what would become the Roots Architects project. In February and March 2017 Mathias Liengme travelled for the fifth time to Kingston to record as many of reggae’s greatest living veteran musicians as he could. With the help of a few of these Architects like Robbie Lyn, Fil Callender or Dalton Browne, he managed to gather over 50 session musicians aged 60 to 85 on nine instrumental songs.

Roots Architects are legends back together in Kingston studios doing what they do best: creating in-strumental music all together!

Firnis DC lands on Perko’s FELT imprint with Firnis der Civilisation, an eponymous collection of 9 tracks that transmit the enigmatic meditations of its author; discordant trudges of twilight romanticism from pastures far beyond.

The uncommon threads that bind FELT intersect neatly at Firnis DC. Their previous outings as тпсб, for Blackest Ever Black, Climate of Fear and AD93, and a pair of The News Cycle releases, were cult hits of uncanny ambient techno and jungle volleys interpreted through lenses of outsider electronics. A snug fit, in other words, for Perko’s unpredictable stable.

On Firnis der Civilisation, we find things paired back further than before. Its 9 tracks play out like beatless symphonies of wayward folk music who’s basement transmissions have been intercepted from the ether; a stirring limbo of grotty emotions that inspire and conflict in equal measure. Tracks offer brief portals into zones of sampladelic oddities, haunted vocals and scatty euphoria that is collectively driven by an (un)willingness to straddle familiar pastures. By the time you reach its finale gut-punch of Dreifach Fiktierung’s twitching breakcore and Innozenz Jahr funk rollage, you are offered a light at the end of a rather odd tunnel that you never quite understood how you got there in the first place.

Beach Goth duo Kino Motel created their 10-track debut album Visions between the band's 2 homes: Melbourne and Berlin. Ed Fraser (Heads. / Cash Savage & The Last Drinks) and Rosa Mercedes (Josephine Foster Band) have created a unique and visionary album filled with space, mood, feeling and complexity. Heavily inspired by the spaces in which they travel, with Visions we see music videos shot by the band in Albania, Northern Ireland, and Australia. Ed and Rosa convey feelings and ideas of shifting landscapes and open-ended roads - "like a movie in your head" as described by Radioeins Berlin's Marion Brasch.

Based near Nantes & just 30 years old, Dj King Flow has almost 20 years of beatmaking under his belt, with numerous trips back and forth between France and the USA. His many travels have enabled him to network with a large number of independent MCs.
Today he presents Halftime, his first project on vinyl, which speaks volumes when you see the many names of hip-hop legends such as Rase Kass, O.C., Tragedy Khadafi, Goodie Mob, Shabaam Sahdeeq and other lesser-known but equally talented names!
The osmosis operates on King Flow's beatmaking style, with a mix of 90s, Sudist and boombap influences!

A new vinyl bomb for all lovers of good hip-hop music !!!!

EN

DJ HS is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic figures on the nightlife scene in Belgium and Northern France. With a career spanning over 35 years, he made his mark as Lagoa's legendary resident for 8 years (1994 to 2002). His unique musical style, a skilful blend of Tek, Hardtek, Electro, Tekclub and Jumpstyle, has made him an essential reference. Always passionate about his work, he sets the dancefloors of the biggest clubs and festivals alight every weekend.

We're delighted to present the very first Best Of from DJ HS (The Anthems) on Serious Beats Classics, featuring no less than four of his best tracks on a single vinyl! These are no less than must-have classics in their respective genres. A must-have for all DJ HS fans. All tracks were composed and produced in collaboration with Frédéric de Backer (Ba-Back / Fred Baker), one of the most prolific producers of the last 30 years.

This previously unreleased Best Of is available as a limited edition. We strongly recommend that you order it as soon as possible, before it's too late...


FR

DJ HS est incontestablement l'une des figures les plus emblématiques de la scène nocturne en Belgique et dans le nord de la France. Fort de plus de 35 ans de carrière, il a marqué les esprits en tant que résident légendaire de Lagoa pendant 8 ans (1994 à 2002). Son style musical unique, un savant mélange de Tek, Hardtek, Electro, Tekclub et Jumpstyle, a fait de lui une référence incontournable. Toujours passionné par son métier, il enflamme chaque week-end les pistes de danse des plus grands clubs et festivals.



Nous sommes ravisde vous présenter le tout premier Best Of de DJ HS (The Anthems) sur Serious Beats Classics, comprenant pas moins de quatre de ses meilleurs morceaux sur un seul et même vinyle ! Il s'agit là non moins que de classiques incontournables dans leurs genres respectifs. Un "must have" pour tous les fans de DJ HS. Il est à noter que l'ensemble des morceaux ont été composés et produits en collaboration avec Frédéric de Backer (Ba-Back / Fred Baker), l'un des producteurs les plus prolifiques des 30 dernières années.



Ce Best Of inédit est disponible en édition limitée. Il vous est donc fortement recommandé de le commander dès que possible avant qu'il ne soit trop tard...

Turning his attention to dance for his latest album, Fearless Movement out this May on Young, Kamasi Washington resumes his ongoing study of music as a means of connection. His 2015 album The Epic, as well as 2018’s Heaven and Earth were received by critics and audiences as a reimagination of modern jazz showcasing Washington’s larger-than-lift compositions full of celestial grandeur and his distinct blend of jazz, Latin, funk, classical, hip-hop and soul. Fearless Movement, however, offers something different: terrestrial rhythms and collaborations from rappers, musical icons and even Washington’s own daughter. Features include: Thundercat, Taj Austin, Ras Austin, Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman, D-Smoke, George Clinton, Bj the Chicago Kid, and Andre 3000.

Read any article or comment thread about the Seattle noise-rock outfit GREAT FALLS and you're likely to see descriptors like cathartic, heavy, crushing, and unhinged. Maybe even psychotic. And sure, those are all apt: For over a decade, vocalist/guitarist Demian Johnston and bassist Shane Mehling (who also played together in the early-2000s noisecore band PLAYING ENEMY and the experimental duo HEMINGWAY) have honed their sludgy, overwhelmingly intense brand of heaviness, punctuated by delectably discordant riffs, terrifyingly low, thwacking bass lines, and mesmerizingly tight percussion. In the live setting, too, they’re notorious for a stage presence that is so aggressively confrontational and menacing that Mehling once broke his own arm mid-set.

But the most striking aspect of GREAT FALLS, setting them apart from the murky sea of sludge metal and AmRep-inspired noise-rock bands, is their ability to paint a deeply, utterly human story through an all-out assault on the senses: an art the band has perfected on their fourth full-length album OBJECTS WITHOUT PAIN, out September 15 via NEUROT RECORDINGS.

The album is not only their NEUROT debut, but also the first LP featuring drummer Nickolis Parks (GAYTHEIST, BASTARD FEAST), who joined the band prior to the release of their exhilarating, cacophonous 2023 EP,FUNNY WHAT SURVIVES.

OBJECTS WITHOUT PAIN takes us on a bleak, purgative journey through a separation–a snapshot of the turmoil and indecision that occurs after the initial realization of someone's misery, and before the ultimate decision to end a decades-long partnership. From the foreboding intro riffs of “DRAGGED HOME ALIVE” to the end of the 13-minute closer “THROWN AGAINST THE WAVES,” its eight tracks explore the thoughts that come up when a person is staring down the barrel of blowing up their life: How did this happen? Is it too late for a new life? Will the kid be OK? What will make me happier: familiar torment or unknown freedom?

Pieces of debris washed up on a coastline shrouded in mist. Gratification comes from an eternal search for solace. Locked away at the top of a lighthouse somewhere on an unnamed isle, Grady Steele broadcasts to those within the beacon’s reach. A soundsystem built of driftwood and salvaged car stereos is pieced together with precision and laboriously dragged to the top of the obelisk. A timeless fugue state spent playing arpeggios on a Spanish guitar, the PA system ebbing out phasing loops across benevolent waters. Layering, occasionally faulting, stopping, recording, starting again. The phosphorescent glow atop the obelisk is ever-present.

Perhaps the first release on Archaic Vaults to feature (at least prominent) use of the guitar, these six compositions feel sketch-like and yet burned into the retina, like that of a passing car’s headlights leaving an impressionistic imprint of the source material. To mention this is Grady Steele’s debut release is not to imply he is new to working with sound, having been the proprietor of one of London’s most important soundsystems for the last decade. An obsession with fidelity can be heard and and at times deliberately perverted amongst the body of work. The warm and melancholic tones of the Spanish guitar evident in almost all songs are juxtaposed with various collaged material, including what sounds like hastily captured iPhone recordings and drum machines neglected at the back of the studio, dragged out for one or two stubborn, lurching takes and then once more committed to storage. The 90s voice-imitator pads glowing with undulance are reminiscent of John T. Gast’s early studio takes, and the synergy and precision in guitar layering could lend a clue as to what Fuck Buttons would have sounded like had they sold off their studio equipment for a couple of wooden 12-stringers. Stare long enough at those Windows 95 screensaver-esque rolling hills, and one might witness some miniscule movement in the growth.

Music composed and arranged by Grady Steele Painting by Antoine Larrera Mastered by Owen Pratt Design by Severin Black

1000 LPs pressed for RSD. 20th Anniversary Release, and first time ever on vinyl LP, of Hayseed Dixie's "Let There Be Rockgrass" album. This is the original manifesto that started the entire Rockgrass genre. Containing many of the band's best know songs, "Let There Be Rockgrass" sold more than 100,000 CD copies in Europe alone in its year of original release. Never previously available in the USA. This vinyl LP edition is cut at 45rpm and spread across 2 12" LPs for the highest possible sound quality.

Cate Brooks is back with her seventh release for Clay Pipe Music. Never one to stand still, ‘Easel Studies’ finds her pushing the boundaries of sound synthesis and experimentation on the Buchla Music Easel while still sounding beautifully beguiling and hypnotically melodic.

"On this day in 2015, at exactly Midday, I took delivery of a wildly exotic musical instrument. To call it a synthesizer would be a misrepresentation; it’s really more of a tactile, living, breathing entity than anything else. It had originally supposed to have been delivered on the day before, but had somehow been mislaid in the labyrinths of the Royal Mail sorting office at Elephant and Castle.

I sat patiently and quietly all morning, waiting for its imminent arrival. I had already read through the ‘manual’, which is more of a concept / design for living, written by synthesis legend Allen Strange.

With Noon approaching, I became a little anxious- my local postie, Barrie, was usually here by about 10:30am and there was no sign of him.

At 11:58, Barrie walked past, completely ignoring my house. Obviously concerned, I stood at the door and waited for him to walk back toward his van. As he came back, he smiled and I called out, quizzically “Barrie?”. His reply was “Yes I have!” and walked back to his van, collecting a large box and bringing it to my door. I remember the weather was muggy and my neighbour was attending to her rose bushes, as the cheery and helpful postie deftly navigated around her busy secateurs.

I took the box inside, opened the top and just looked at the inner box for a while. I took a photo of it, which I still have. It felt like quite a momentous occasion, because I felt that this instrument would take me to different sonic spaces than I was used to. It wasn’t my first experience with Don Buchla’s instruments by any means, as I’d learned to use his 200e system. But this was quite a different beast.

My cat Brillo came to inspect the box and I set the Music Easel up on the floor and plugged it in. The result of that very first experiment became “Pendula”.

In the following days and weeks of that summer, I created many more experiments on the Easel, quite often with Brillo either sat on me as I played, or trying to climb up on the instrument itself, attempting to move the faders and switches himself.

By the end of August, I had amassed some thirty-something pieces, which I put aside for future reference. I had learned a lot about this instrument, its idiosyncrasies, subtleties and ways of working.

Sadly, Brillo died in September of 2015. I like to think that his last summer with me was a comforting experience, curling up and listening to the sonic experiments taking place, as he regularly did for the sixteen years he was with me. The first track on the album, “Con Brillo” is my little tribute to him.

Fast forward to 2021 and I rediscovered all of these experiments. Some were almost unlistenable, but some had a beguiling charm about them- perhaps the sound of someone not really knowing what they’re getting into. They needed mixing and balancing, so I set to work. I also wrote a new piece, with exactly the same recording chain, in the same way, in the same room. This became the suitably titled final track “Hindsight”.

The Music Easel has remained a constant source of sonic worlds for me to explore. It because the main instrument on the album Agri Montana, for example and has cropped up on many other records I’ve made since.

I would especially like to thank David at Postmodular for selling the Music Easel to me, after phoning him and disturbing his Sunday afternoon outing to Hyde Park (sorry about that David). I always promised I would send him a copy of something I had produced on it, so hopefully he will enjoy Easel Studies."

As I finish writing this, I notice that it is, once more, exactly Midday.

I hope you enjoy Easel Studies too.

Cate Brooks (21st of May, 2023).

Tanz ist das zentrale Thema des fünften Studioalbums "Fearless Movement" von Kamasi Washington. Dass er sich dem Tanz zuwendet und das Publikum mitnimmt, ist eine natürliche Weiterentwicklung von Washingtons fortwährender Beschäftigung mit Musik als Mittel der zwischenmenschlichen Verbindung. "The Epic" von 2015 und "Heaven and Earth" von 2018 waren Alben, die Genregrenzen überwunden haben und eine neue Generation in die Jazz Musik einführte. Beide Platten waren musikalischen Epen mit viel Chor und Streichern, "Fearless Movement" hingegen bietet etwas anderes. Es klingt immer noch gewaltig, aber rhythmischer - denn dieses Mal hat er den Rap in seinen musikalischen Kosmos geholt. "Die Welt ist stehen geblieben, aber ich habe definitiv nicht aufgehört", sagt Washington. "Fearless Movement" begann in den Tagen der globalen Pandemie. "Meine Tochter wurde genau in der Mitte davon geboren. Das sind zwei ziemlich große und monumentale Dinge, die gleichzeitig passieren". Das Elternsein hat Washington ein neues Gefühl der Dankbarkeit gegeben. Während die Tourneen pausierten, verbrachten sie die ersten Jahre damit, gemeinsam Washingtons Lieblingsplatten von John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman und Eric Dolphy zu hören. "Ich wollte ihr all die beste Musik zeigen", sagt er. Und eines Tages, als sie knapp zwei Jahre alt war, fiel ihr eine Melodie ein. "Wir spielten auf dem Klavier, und sie spielte sie einfach immer wieder", sagt er. Aus dieser Melodie wurde der Song "Asha The First". Washington und seine langjährigen Bandmitglieder nahmen die Melodie auf und ließen einige Lücken offen, die ein potenzieller Gast füllen sollte. " In Leimert Park, wo ich aufgewachsen bin, ist die Schnittmenge zwischen Jazz und Hip-Hop sehr groß". Also zog er Taj und Ras Austin hinzu, das Rap-Duo Coast Contra und Söhne des L.A.-Rappers Ras Kass, die er beim Herumstöbern auf YouTube entdeckt hatte. Washingtons langjähriger Freund und Kollaborateur Thundercat ist ebenfalls auf "Asha The First" zu hören. Washington ist nicht der Einzige, der auf "Fearless Movement" mit den Konventionen bricht. Andre 3000, der vielleicht beste Stilist des Rap, spielt sein allererstes Flötenfeature auf "Dream State". "Fearless Movement" vermittelt ein Gefühl der Verbundenheit, das Washingtons Arbeit über die Zeit hinweg mit der Black Music in L.A. verbindet - von der Vergangenheit über die Gegenwart bis zur Zukunft. Auf dem entspannten und funkigen "Get Lit", bei dem es darum geht, das Licht in jedem von uns zu nutzen, um unsere Gemeinschaften aufzubauen, bringt Washington den legendären Bandleader George Clinton und den Rapper D Smoke für einen der coolsten Tracks des Albums zusammen. Dieses Ethos der Elastizität und der Möglichkeiten erstreckt sich auch auf die Mitglieder von Washingtons Band, von denen einige auf dem Album zu hören sind. Unter ihnen auch Sängerin Patrice Quinn, Saxophonist Terrace Martin, Bassist Thundercat und Schlagzeuger Ronald Bruner Jr., DJ Battlecat und BJ The Chicago Kid. Die stetige Bewegung und Flexibiltät verleiht den neuen Songs eine gewisse Geschmeidigkeit, sowohl thematisch als auch musikalisch.

Tanz ist das zentrale Thema des fünften Studioalbums "Fearless Movement" von Kamasi Washington. Dass er sich dem Tanz zuwendet und das Publikum mitnimmt, ist eine natürliche Weiterentwicklung von Washingtons fortwährender Beschäftigung mit Musik als Mittel der zwischenmenschlichen Verbindung. "The Epic" von 2015 und "Heaven and Earth" von 2018 waren Alben, die Genregrenzen überwunden haben und eine neue Generation in die Jazz Musik einführte. Beide Platten waren musikalischen Epen mit viel Chor und Streichern, "Fearless Movement" hingegen bietet etwas anderes. Es klingt immer noch gewaltig, aber rhythmischer - denn dieses Mal hat er den Rap in seinen musikalischen Kosmos geholt. "Die Welt ist stehen geblieben, aber ich habe definitiv nicht aufgehört", sagt Washington. "Fearless Movement" begann in den Tagen der globalen Pandemie. "Meine Tochter wurde genau in der Mitte davon geboren. Das sind zwei ziemlich große und monumentale Dinge, die gleichzeitig passieren". Das Elternsein hat Washington ein neues Gefühl der Dankbarkeit gegeben. Während die Tourneen pausierten, verbrachten sie die ersten Jahre damit, gemeinsam Washingtons Lieblingsplatten von John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman und Eric Dolphy zu hören. "Ich wollte ihr all die beste Musik zeigen", sagt er. Und eines Tages, als sie knapp zwei Jahre alt war, fiel ihr eine Melodie ein. "Wir spielten auf dem Klavier, und sie spielte sie einfach immer wieder", sagt er. Aus dieser Melodie wurde der Song "Asha The First". Washington und seine langjährigen Bandmitglieder nahmen die Melodie auf und ließen einige Lücken offen, die ein potenzieller Gast füllen sollte. " In Leimert Park, wo ich aufgewachsen bin, ist die Schnittmenge zwischen Jazz und Hip-Hop sehr groß". Also zog er Taj und Ras Austin hinzu, das Rap-Duo Coast Contra und Söhne des L.A.-Rappers Ras Kass, die er beim Herumstöbern auf YouTube entdeckt hatte. Washingtons langjähriger Freund und Kollaborateur Thundercat ist ebenfalls auf "Asha The First" zu hören. Washington ist nicht der Einzige, der auf "Fearless Movement" mit den Konventionen bricht. Andre 3000, der vielleicht beste Stilist des Rap, spielt sein allererstes Flötenfeature auf "Dream State". "Fearless Movement" vermittelt ein Gefühl der Verbundenheit, das Washingtons Arbeit über die Zeit hinweg mit der Black Music in L.A. verbindet - von der Vergangenheit über die Gegenwart bis zur Zukunft. Auf dem entspannten und funkigen "Get Lit", bei dem es darum geht, das Licht in jedem von uns zu nutzen, um unsere Gemeinschaften aufzubauen, bringt Washington den legendären Bandleader George Clinton und den Rapper D Smoke für einen der coolsten Tracks des Albums zusammen. Dieses Ethos der Elastizität und der Möglichkeiten erstreckt sich auch auf die Mitglieder von Washingtons Band, von denen einige auf dem Album zu hören sind. Unter ihnen auch Sängerin Patrice Quinn, Saxophonist Terrace Martin, Bassist Thundercat und Schlagzeuger Ronald Bruner Jr., DJ Battlecat und BJ The Chicago Kid. Die stetige Bewegung und Flexibiltät verleiht den neuen Songs eine gewisse Geschmeidigkeit, sowohl thematisch als auch musikalisch.

Pull the Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard-led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording Pull the Rope with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly_rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company's jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about Pull the Rope's sound quicker and more instinctual than before. "Ross is from Sheffield, which has an edgier, more industrial vibe than London," Grunhard explains. "He hears things differently than us, is more grounded in rave and grungier sounds, and knew when to add drums or push the instrumentation more. It was very different for us, but it lends itself to where Ibibio Sound Machine is going." In melding their songwriting process, Grunhard and Williams have, impossibly, pulled the trick of making Ibibio Sound Machine a tighter band than ever before, building out from their core in a way that highlights the electrifying group of musicians they play with. Rather than recording with the full band in the room, Pull the Rope was sculpted, elements added and shaped by Grunhard, Williams, and Orton along the way. As a result, Pull the Rope is a nimble, sleek machine that's thrilling from the first note of the opening title track, Eno's otherworldly voice and PK Ambrose's throbbing bass driving through a kaleidoscopic array of house, post-punk, funk, Afrobeat and disco, bangers and ballads, making an argument for unity that begins on the dancefloor. "We are the places we grew up, the places we've been, and the people we've met along the way," Williams says. "Hopping around the globe, we've found that people are fundamentally the same_they're people. Opposing sides push and pull, but there is an alternative to war, violence, and suffering." Lead single "Got to Be Who U Are" literally globetrots, name checking locales across the world that would feel disparate were it not for how well-traveled they are. Eno growing up in the musical melting pot of the Ibibio region of Nigeria and Max being a conservatory-trained musician from Australia, one could call their meeting in London and formation of Ibibio Sound Machine predestined. "Mama Say" and "Let My Yes Be Yes" touch themes of female empowerment. They're indicative of the band's depth as they push further into the electronic; "Mama Say" hits notes of electropop while "Let My Yes Be Yes" fuses electro to Afrobeat. Ibibio Sound Machine have always imbued their music with political consciousness, and the light that shines through in Williams' vocals and voice has never felt more necessary. The sound of Pull the Rope, then, is hope in darkness, bliss in spite of bleakness. Once again, Ibibio Sound Machine are here to provide the soundtrack to the best night of your life, and the better world to come.

In the dimly lit corners of a nondescript basement party, amidst the cacophony of laughter and clinking glasses, a pulsating beat cuts through the haze of alcohol-induced euphoria. It's a track that none have heard before, yet it feels instantly familiar, echoing the electrifying energy of Underworld's iconic 'Born Slippy'. The song, discovered by accident during a drunken deep-dive into the depths of an online music platform, becomes the unexpected anthem of the night. Titled "Macht over het Stuur", this track is an odyssey of sound, blending relentless techno rhythms with haunting, ethereal vocals that seem to drift in from another world. The opening notes are a siren call, drawing listeners into a whirlpool of synths and beats that mimic the heartbeat of the city at night. It's music that doesn't just want to be heard; it demands to be felt, pulsating through the veins and igniting a fire in the soul. As "Macht over het Stuur" unfolds, it weaves a narrative without words, telling tales of fleeting connections, electric glances, and the raw, unfiltered essence of human emotion. It captures the spirit of those who chase the dawn, those who find beauty in the blur of lights as they speed past on their way to nowhere. The track is a paradox, both a celebration of the present moment and a longing for something just out of reach, a sound that encapsulates the feeling of being utterly lost yet exactly where you're supposed to be. The discovery of "Macht over het Stuur" on that drunken night feels like unearthing a treasure, a secret shared among friends that would soon ripple out to captivate a wider audience. As word of the track spreads, it becomes more than just a song; it's a movement, a collective memory etched into the minds of those who experienced it firsthand. It stands as a testament to the power of music to unite, to transform an ordinary night into something magical, a reminder that sometimes, the most unforgettable moments are those we never see coming.

'One Deep River' is Mark's sixth consecutive studio album to be recorded at his British Grove Studios and his first since 2018's 'Down The Road Wherever.' When Covid restrictions eased, Mark reconvened at BG with longtime band members and collaborators such as Guy Fletcher, Danny Cummings, Richard Bennett, Glenn Worf, Jim Cox and others, with the addition of first-time contributor Greg Leisz on pedal and lap steel and acoustic guitar.

Says Mark of the new album, which he co-produced with longtime confidant Fletcher: "It was back to the old-fashioned idea of a band making a record together in the room, which maybe in the more youth-oriented side of the industry has become quite rare, because everyone uses loads of technology. We do too, but what we do is we combine the old and the new. If it works, I use it.

"With these songs, you can see them coming together very quickly, with a band like this. You're in a game where you're making the thing and it's happening whether you like it or not. You could push the pace, but I try and give myself a little bit more breathing room. The fatal thing a lot of the time would be to want to rush everything. Something creative always happens by not panicking."

Of the track 'Ahead Of The Game,' Mark adds: "That all goes back to bands playing live. In some way, I was thinking about Nashville, because when I first went out there, it must have been in the early '80s and all the bands in the bars downtown were playing the hits. And that's fine. What I was trying to say is that's an achievement to actually get to a place where you've got employment, and you've got yourself a gig. I mean, statistically, what are the odds of making it? If you stopped to think about that, you'd hardly take a step further, would you?"

Available for the first time from Cargo. This album, Ward’s eighth solo affair, finds the artist picking up the tempo and volume a bit from his previous release, 2012’s A Wasteland Companion. Where that record introspectively looked in from the outside, More Rain finds Ward on the inside, gazing out. Imagined initially as a DIY doo-wop album that would feature Ward experimenting with layering his own voice, it soon branched out in different directions, a move that he credits largely to his collaborators here who include R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Neko Case, k.d. lang, The Secret Sisters, and Joey Spampinato of NRBQ. The result is a collection of upbeat, sonically ambitious yet canonically familiar songs that both propel Ward’s reach and satisfy longtime fans.

American rock band Vixen was formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1980. During its most commercially successful period from 1987 to 1992, the band consisted of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar), Janet Gardner (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Share Ross (bass guitar), and Roxy Petrucci (drums). The band‘s eponymous first album was released in 1988, and reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200. As part of the Los Angeles glam metal scene, the band has been described as „the female Bon Jovi.“ Several singles reached theBillboard Hot 100, including the Top 40 singles „Edge of a Broken Heart“ and „Cryin“. While the band originally disbanded in 1992, it reformed several times and in 2018 ’Rare Vintage‘ was released. As of 2022 the band currently consists of Roxy Petrucci, Britt Lightning, Lorraine Lewis, and Julia Lage.

Four years and one pandemic after his latest Dreams Of A Dark Building EP, the herald of dungeon synth pop is finally back from his shallow grave.

Life has not been gentle with Seattle-based solo producer Parker Lautenschlager over the past few years, imposing its unpredictability and forcing him to channel all the feelings that come with it into Profit Prison’s music.

It’s no surprise that his first full-length album Gilt marks one futher step towards the dark corners of italo / hi-nrg body music. Typical Profit Prison’s vocals and melodies, reminiscent of OG synth masters Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, are still here, buried in the mix and waiting to haunt the listeners and drag them down in one sulfurous dancing spiral.

Lead single Sophia juxtaposes some weirdly camouflaged vocals with one heavenly chorus that seems willing to revive your fortunes while instead it literally sings “But I lost it all”. A Matter Of Tact displays pop escapism over some throbbing minimal synth tension, Seven Words sounds like a throwback to 70’s italo filtered through the eyes of a 21st century punk rocker. Katalina has a rampant synth à la Carpenter climbing over a story of loss and Katalina, An Ascetic is a solo ramble reaching for the inner light on a carpet of cold keys.

What’s more, tracks got longer in Parker’s recent songwriting, with most of the songs being now five minute long and reaching peaks of seven minutes with the closing, almost progressive disco jam of A.R.P. (Amphetamine Research Project), nothing short of a lucid dream on the floor of Studio 54.

Last but not least, the artwork by French artist Robin Roche delivers medieval-yet-punk graphic vibes to match just perfectly the sounds on this record.

American rock band Vixen was formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1980. During its most commercially successful period from 1987 to 1992, the band consisted of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar), Janet Gardner (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Share Ross (bass guitar), and Roxy Petrucci (drums). The band‘s eponymous first album was released in 1988, and reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200. As part of the Los Angeles glam metal scene, the band has been described as „the female Bon Jovi.“ Several singles reached theBillboard Hot 100, including the Top 40 singles „Edge of a Broken Heart“ and „Cryin“. While the band originally disbanded in 1992, it reformed several times and in 2018 ’Rare Vintage‘ was released. As of 2022 the band currently consists of Roxy Petrucci, Britt Lightning, Lorraine Lewis, and Julia Lage.

Repress.

La Rama is back with a repress of the incredible Bunzinelli release! After only receiving half of our pressing the first time around, we finally tracked down our master plates and pressed up another batch.

Slightly flipped artwork and a full label sleeve for the occasion :-)


La Rama Records is proud to present four fresh feelers from our friend Bunzinelli. These tracks have weathered the storm of no-fun to provide joy and elation for the living to come... psychedelic feelings to help it all fall back in to place.

Bunzinelli has been personally involved in serving sonic treats to the world via his label and mix series Chambre Noire. He was also part of the team behind Cosmic Tones which in 2019 released 'Montreal Pleiades' featuring his first musical outing alongside local major players Priori, Dust-e-1, URA, Temple's M. Salaciak & R. Weng (the wizard behind our first release as Dj Medallion).

Based in Paris, exciting producer and live act Vitess is part of the new generation of house talent emerging from France, gaining support from global heavyweights while establishing and shaping his take on the genre. Having released his breakthrough ‘Red World’ EP via Chris Stussy’s Up The Stuss imprint in 2022 alongside further material via the likes of LOCUS, Shall Not Fade, and Phonogramme, to name just a few, plus his own Retro Futura imprint, he now becomes the second guest invited to Rossi.’surgeoning HOMEGROWN. imprint as he unveils his five-track ‘Visions’ EP.

A staple of label boss Rossi.’s sets, with additional heavy support from Enzo Siragusa and Chris Stussy, A1 ‘Blue Vision’ has quickly become one of the scene’s most-requested track IDs of late, bringing a slice of synth-fuelled house music to kick off proceedings.

Fusing resonant leads and skippy percussion with the track’s warped vocals, it’s a perfect peak-time anthem set for big moments in the months ahead. Next, ‘Drive Me Crazy’ ups the tempo and launches into playful, driving realms, while B1 ‘First Night’ opens the flip of the record with a sun-soaked slice of electronic funk.

Vinyl exclusive ‘Jammi Rocaille’ strips things back and tumbles into a classy, jazz and disco-tinged journey, before the all-action and zipping ‘Big Sound’ ups the energy levels as the Frenchman launches back into the peak time and beyond to close the show with authority.

Four years and one pandemic after his latest Dreams Of A Dark Building EP, the herald of dungeon synth pop is finally back from his shallow grave.

Life has not been gentle with Seattle-based solo producer Parker Lautenschlager over the past few years, imposing its unpredictability and forcing him to channel all the feelings that come with it into Profit Prison’s music.

It’s no surprise that his first full-length album Gilt marks one futher step towards the dark corners of italo / hi-nrg body music. Typical Profit Prison’s vocals and melodies, reminiscent of OG synth masters Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, are still here, buried in the mix and waiting to haunt the listeners and drag them down in one sulfurous dancing spiral.

Lead single Sophia juxtaposes some weirdly camouflaged vocals with one heavenly chorus that seems willing to revive your fortunes while instead it literally sings “But I lost it all”. A Matter Of Tact displays pop escapism over some throbbing minimal synth tension, Seven Words sounds like a throwback to 70’s italo filtered through the eyes of a 21st century punk rocker. Katalina has a rampant synth à la Carpenter climbing over a story of loss and Katalina, An Ascetic is a solo ramble reaching for the inner light on a carpet of cold keys.

What’s more, tracks got longer in Parker’s recent songwriting, with most of the songs being now five minute long and reaching peaks of seven minutes with the closing, almost progressive disco jam of A.R.P. (Amphetamine Research Project), nothing short of a lucid dream on the floor of Studio 54.

Last but not least, the artwork by French artist Robin Roche delivers medieval-yet-punk graphic vibes to match just perfectly the sounds on this record.

Recorded across three sessions over the last three years, ‘Behold’ is a testament to Parsnip at their most creative, catchy and collaborative. This album showcases the multi-talents of all four members, with spirited performances adding dazzle to the thirteen tracks.
Paris Richens lets the bass playfully roam. Carolyn Hawkins tumbles feeling into the drum rumble. Stella Rennex’s guitar soars alongside her saxophone work, whilst a sprightly keyboard is tenderly attended by Rebecca Liston. Everyone sings amidst this lush canopy.
Patience, environmental cues and internal signals are integral for a garden to flourish. The same can be said of the conditions necessary for ‘Behold’ to emerge. It is an album gleeful in reassessment, changed priorities and anticipation. The roots are deeply anchored to mystery, drinking up a hidden wonderment that lies within. ‘Monument’ is a twist of melody and mania, “For what am I? But a channel of light” they attest amongst the whoops and hollers. ‘The Babble’ sounds like Ray Davies playing Wordle for enlightenment. In fact most of these songs are pointing the way towards growth and understanding. ‘Turn to Love’ is mesmeric and timeless, thoroughly serene and perfectly judged. Parsnip write songs as a form of communion with the intangible in our increasingly delusory world, but there is always a gentle reminder; don’t take anything too seriously! “My head is gonna split in two, fix it with flour and glue” they demand on ultimate bop ‘Papier-Mâché’, this juxtaposition of mature resolve with childlike astonishment packs a more powerful punch.
On ‘Behold’, Parsnip explore both the inner and outer realms of consciousness with quick wits and some seriously quality jangle and jolt. ‘The Light’ is a whip smart workout, sprouting naturally from the propulsive nature of their debut album ‘When the Tree Bears Fruit’ (2019). ‘Placeholder’ is also devastatingly honest and channels The Field Mice as it buries itself like an arrow into your heart.
Anti Fade Records and Upset The Rhythm proudly present Parsnip’s first album in five years, ‘Behold’. Available in all good record stores April 26th.

John Cassavetes’ directorial debut Shadows was a largely improvised film set in the bohemian jazz scene of 1950s New York; often referred to as the first truly independent film of American cinema, it featured a brief disjointed soundtrack improvised by Charles Mingus and his saxophonist Shafi Hadi, with various percussionists slotting in, including Phineas Newborn Jr. Gloriously messy, reportedly unfinished and referred to with scorn by Mingus, the Shadows soundtrack sketches ultimately yielded the great ‘Nostalgia In Times Square’ ‘Alice’s Wonderland’ and ‘Self-Portrait In Three Colours,’ all included here – astounding!

First issued in 1961 on Columbia’s early music venture Colpix, Forbidden Fruit is widely acknowledged as the best of Nina Simone’s early releases. Producer Cal Lampley choose to cast her in varied settings, blending a rendition of Oscar Brown’s ‘Rags And Old Iron’ with a unique take of Bessie Smith’s ‘Gin House Blues,’ contrasting with Billie Holiday’s ‘No Good Man’ and ‘I’ll Look Around,’ which Simone shifts to her own image. Her backing trio aim for the understated, the rhythm section leaving ample room for Simone’s appealing piano lines, nicely complimented by Al Shackman’s guitar. An excellent set from Miss Simone – grab it!

Before Circus Lupus landed on DC’s venerable Dischord Records, the group’s original Midwest lineup recorded a full album’s worth of songs less than a year after forming. With the demise of DC’s Ignition in the late ’80s, bass player Chris Thomson headed to Madison, WI for college. Before leaving DC, he dove headfirst into being a vocalist fronting the short-lived throwback punk / hardcore project Fury. Thomson served up pointed and profound Tony Cadena-inspired screeds about betrayal, disappointment and poseurs all set to a soundtrack of furiously primitive and chaotic music supplied by members of the DC punk band Swiz. Brief yet influential, this band marked Thomson’s switch to vocals, putting him on course to front Circus Lupus and claim a notable spot in the DC punk timeline of the late 20th century. Soon after arriving in Madison, Thomson was invited to join a new project started by friends Chris Hamley, Arika Casebolt, and Reg Shrader. Circus Lupus marked a change in direction from the familiar sounds of DC punk that Thomson had been associated with for years. The newly formed group looked to noisier Touch & Go and Homestead bands for inspiration, aligning themselves with bands from Chicago, Louisville and Milwaukee. One early supporter of the band described the new group as “profoundly familiar yet uncategorizable. Like if the Germs had gone to college and never got pulled into hard drugs and suicidal behaviors.” The original Circus Lupus lineup played a dozen shows and recorded these songs with Eli Janney at Inner Ear studios in August of 1990 while on a brief tour. Within a year, the band would decide to permanently relocate to Washington DC, where they felt they had more opportunities. Shrader opted to move to Chicago and would ultimately join the Touch and Go band Seam. Old friend Seth Lorinczi (Vile Cherubs) would become their new bass player, forming the version of the band that most listeners are familiar with. While a few of these ended up on their first single, the rest were shelved, some later to be rerecorded with Lorinczi and released on Dischord. L.G. Records is proud to have helped this notable recording see the light of day. The original tapes were recovered by Ian MacKaye and transferred by Darren Edwards. Tim Green remixed and remastered the original recordings at Louder Studios in California.

2023 sees the return of multi-talented Norwegian producer Espen Horne to Wah Wah 45s, after a 24 year hiatus. The man behind the label's very first release, the now seminal Magnetica, never lost his connection with the imprint and has remained very much part of the Wah Wah family, making a comeback this year with his first solo material under his own name since that club classic from 1999.

Back in the spring, the first single from the project, the gorgeous soul-jazz beauty Bakeren, featuring the stunning vocals of Resonators' Faye Houston, quickly found a home on Gilles Peterson's internationally renowned BBC Radio 6 show as well as that of Jazz FM legend Robbie Vincent, Bandcamp Weekly and the Fresh Finds Jazz Spotify playlist.

Following that, Bergen Sunrays, became a weekly fixture on the Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show on BBC 6 Music, with the limited 7-inch of both singles selling out within hours of release.

Next up was the wistful Den Franske Gitaren, a lugubrious soul-jazz piece with drum & bass leanings featuring Bergen based MC and vocalist Aich, which found favour with legends Laurent Garnier and Jazzanova as well as hot Japanese production outfit Dazzle Drums.

This was closely followed by the final single to be taken from the album, the stunning and outspoken vocal jazz waltzer Nada Pode Me Calar (which roughly translates to Nothing Can Shut Me Up!) featuring the sublime talent of Olav Wöllo on vocals and Juno - anotherr big one with Gilles Peterson on Worldwide FM and Deb Grant on BBC 6 Music.

And now the full album, entitled The Anatomy Of Serene Eloquence is available for your aural delectation. Recorded largely during lockdown, the LP is a sophisticated and composed piece of work that sees the Norwegian producer make connections with musicians from across Europe, and some closer to home, to collaborate on this sedate and peaceful collection of songs.

The aforementioned Faye Houston also appears on the soulful, dub flavoured Don't Fall Asleep, a piece of music that explores the feeling of being isolated whilst sharing a mutual love and drive to explore new sonic possibilities.

Elsewhere, Olav Wöllo pops up again too, this time on O Mar E A Lua and once again singing in Portuguese to give this track a certain Tropicalia feel, as Espen explains:

"Olav Wöllo is a close friend, an excellent musician and vocalist, and a capoeira professor here in Bergen. He has spent much of his life living in Brazil and speaks Portuguese fluently. He wrote the lyrics for this tune years ago and had just been waiting for the right collaboration to come along.

We went to his lovely studio out on this remote island, made a massive gyoza meal, had some serious good wine and stayed the whole night to record his vocal harmonies and outspoken lyrics."

The single Bergen Sunrays also appears on the album in instrumental form with featured keys courtesy of London based player Rory More - here entitled Rory's Sunrays. His Lowrey organ adds a more melancholic feel to the track, as it does on the stunning Belle Époque, alongside the ivory work of Eirik Blåsternes - an emotional, contemplative and atmospheric track that was tested and shaped in the eclipse of Covid.

As with Belle Époque, La Psychosomnie is a playful yet explorative cut that examines insomnia, paralysis and hypnosis courtesy of some enigmatic French spoken word spinning around a framework of drums, bass and swirling keys.

And finally, the album offers up an alternative version of the single Den Franske Gitaren, this time featuring Martin Halla, a vocalist out of the Bergen Grieg Jazz Academy and winner of the Norwegian version of The Voice back in 2012! The perfect flip to Aich's more mournful interpretation of this bass and drum future classic.

At the occasion of the Monsters of Mashup 2017 tour, and after a looong silence, Kriss records takes it over and comes back louder and CORE than ever... First tune from Bong-Ra goes straight Ragga breakcore... While Shiptmat develop his Hardcore skillz and EndUser join back his first loves on Sonic Terror ! And Skull Vomit ? ah..bah Euhhhhhrghhhhh !!!! Yeah !!

First EP from the RODF Sound System, based in center Japan.

A side brings a superb live : full of ideas and good surprises, kick changes, hypnotic sparks and breakbeats supports. Fresh and absolutly not dark ! Wicked !!

The flip opens with a deep mental Yogi bassline and a sweet Tribe pumpin kick...
The second tune is an experimental Tribe track, melting the SPAZ californian's oldschool ambiances to the KGB01 69DB Hit Hat... Xp oldschool i'd say ??

A japaneese production for the newskool underground never die fever !

Enjoy !

New Year, same old Omar S - turning out the top quality tunes on a regular basis, all with his own unique sonic imprint but always with a fresh twist each time. This first outing of 2024 on his own FXHE opens up with 'Life Force' which pairs Smith's unique drum sounds - brushed metal, scruffy, raw - with his super sweet synths that always bring the warmth and soul. 'All The Little Hand's Around' is another metallic sound tech house cut with celebratory chord loops up top and well-treated samples, then 'Evil J' shuts down with rasping basslines and glistening 80s keys. Another fine 12" from the Detroit don.

Ladi6 is a singer with soul. A singer with a hip-hop background and masses of pop-appeal. A singer who first gained attention through her features with the legendary New Zealand export-band Fat Freddy's Drop, but who has also performed alongside such diverse artists as Gil Scott-Heron, Mayer Hawthorne and Mos Def. In short: A singer whose eyes have seen much and whose style is not governed by rules. As if that wasn't enough, her enormous charisma enables her to win her audience over within minutes with full support of her band of Parks and Julien Dyne (BBE).
The 30-year old has always endeavored to use music to tear down barriers and dissolve purported genre-boundaries. With her previous album, "Time Is Not Much" (BBE) which was produced by Parks and Mu (Fat Freddy's Drop), Ladi6 has already taken a perfect shot at her goal, which, combined with the interplay between the many diverse elements of the music, has a highly impressive effect. "The Liberation Of…" has already top the New Zealand independent charts for consecutive weeks and her single "Like Water" is the #1 independent New Zealand song on radio.

In 2012 we at Soul Junction were able to release two previously unissued songs on the Internationally renowned recording artist, Oliver Cheatham. The songs recorded in Detroit circa 1974/75 were cut under the supervision of Olivers cousin William R. Miller. “Don’t Pop The Question (If You Can’t Take The Answer)” went on to become Soul Junction’s biggest seller, selling in excess of over a thousand copies, but such is the enduring quality of the song that there hasn’t been a week gone by where we haven’t received a sales enquiry for a copy. So, after much deliberation we have decide to re-release the 45 again with a nifty 300 limited press run to hopefully satisfy this continuing demand. During the ensuing years the soulful sweet soul ballad b-side “Good Guys Don’t Make Good Lovers” has also grown in stature with collectors of this genre with many of the sales enquiries received coming from the direction of the West Coast’s lowrider scene.



Oliver Cheatham will forever be remembered for his timeless 1983 R & B hit “Get Down Saturday Night” on MCA records, which he co-wrote with fellow Detroit musician and ‘One Way’ group member Kevin McCord. Oliver’s own career began way back in the mid 1960’s when his future brother-in- law Allen Cocker invited Oliver to join his group the ‘Young Sirs’ to recorded the mellifluous “There’s Something The Matter (With Your Heart)” for Ernest and Barbara Burt’s Magic City label with Oliver now being the groups lead singer.

Into the 70’s the Young Sirs, briefly became ‘Butch & The Newports’ who under the auspices of George McGregor recorded “I’m Only A Man/Out Of My Mind” on the Black Rock label, with Butch being Oliver’s nickname. “I’m Only A man” was released for a second time on Marvin Higgin’s Grand Junction label, this time credited to ‘The Gaslight’ along with a further two releases. A subsequent Gaslight release “Just Because Of You/It’s Just Like Magic” reputedly came out on the local T.E.A.I label before being picked up for national distribution by Polydor Records. Under the guidance of influential Detroit radio DJ and record producer Al Perkins, Oliver firstly became the lead singer of the group Sins Of Satin later re-named Roundtrip and then following a further re-naming just becoming known as Oliver.



Following on from “Get Down Saturday Night” Oliver continued to score chart success with “SOS”, “Celebrate Our Love” followed by two duets with Jocelyn Brown “Turn Out The Lights” and “Mind Buster”. Further chart success came in 2003 when Oliver featured as a guest vocalist on Room 5’s UK No1 hit “Make Luv” which incidentally sampled Oliver’s “Get Down Saturday Night”. Oliver at this juncture was residing in England and had previously recorded a garage version of the old standard “Our Day Will Come” with the London based band, Native Soul. Sadly, Oliver passed away in November 2013.

Brainwave Research Center returns with their 3rd Electronic music LP. Their DIY approach to creating music has forged a unique sound that is not experimental music, but music born out of experimentations with analog synthesizers. Feel Free is the third installment of their first four part series and captures the feelings and emotions of a summer season.

The A-side begins with a soundtrack to a daydream; imagining the life of a earthworm. Followed by a teeth-grinding drive through the grime of Brooklyn streets in Interceptor iii. Side A finishes out with that summer euphoria that comes from laying in the grass under the sun through dusk and watching the moon rise.

The B-side begins in a startling manner; an attempt to capture the feeling of falling in your dreams. The music continues down a darker path that reminds us of their second LP, Mosaic, with electronic experiments mixed with acoustic elements. The side concludes with two songs that capture the nostalgic feelings of summer.

Feel Free offers you a glimpse into the musings of everyday life for brainwave research center. Recommended if you like analog / digital synthesizers, sequencers, hand-played melodies, simplistic clock-like rhythms

Long Gone (Are The Old Traditions) is a label out of London.

A label focused on DIY electronics, post punk, dub and techno from now and before.

The first release is from West London artist, singer and songwriter Tutu Ta. A mini LP of out there, dubbed up, post punk mutations meeting old sounding industrial electronics following from his highly acclaimed debut album last year.

Its already seen the light of day on soundsystems across the city and further afield as well as stations like NTS, Rinse & Tom Ravenscroft's BBC 6 New Music Fix.

In 1993 American guitarist / producer Charles Normal was traveling in Europe with Guns n' Roses. When they arrived in Norway, Charles arranged a meeting with the Oslo based underground band Sister Rain. There was an immediate kinship between the two bands, and the next day members of both bands went into a recording studio and wrote a song together. The result was the genesis of The Merchants of Venus, a band formed by Normal, Guns' keyboardist Dizzy Reed, and Sister Rain members Aslak Nygren and Rune Annaniassen. Normal stayed in Oslo while Guns n' Roses continued on their tour, and eventually negotiated a contract with Warner Music for a full album release. Recording commenced in Hollywood, California in late '93, but was brought to a sudden halt when the Northridge Earthquake destroyed their studio and master tapes on January 17, 1994. Warner flew the band back to the safer environs of Oslo where the entire album was rebuilt from the ground up. The result became Wish Across the Land. Now 30 years later, the album is remastered and released on vinyl for the first time, and features unreleased bonus material.

If blue is the color of sadness, or the best color to reach authenticity, R.Y.F. – the project of the Italian singer-songwriter and musician Francesca Morello, based in Ravenna – goes even further with the new album Deep Dark Blue. Deep Dark Blue is an underwater album, maybe it is even a deep-sea album. The sound is dark and muffled, as if we were in a sort of cradle, a blue bubble, a sea cocoon in which to wrap ourself ves to regenerate and achieve peace, but whose casing also conveys energy. Born following a dazzling baptism in the mesmerizing sea of Stromboli, in Sicily, Deep Dark Blue is an album of suffering and healing which confirms R.Y.F.‘s destabilizing power. According to her: ”Sometimes I experience moments of great suffering, in the last two years caused by my wife’s health problems. I was “broken inside” and I didn’t know if I would be able to go back to the way I was before. Deep Dark Blue tells how I felt and how I would like to rebuild myself. I still talk about the freedom to love, but I also felt the need to talk about suffering, and I tried to do all this with irony, in the most joyful way possible. And it worked. That’s why this is also a healing album”. In Deep Dark Blue there are also some important guests, underlining R.Y.F.’s rise in her international career. They are Moor Mother, Skin (Skunk Anansie) and Alos (aka Stefania Pedretti, formerly OvO and Allun), united by feminism, queerness and political activism, to get precious artistic affinities stronger in these hard times of new repression that we are experiencing. Deep Dark Blue arose from software and analog instruments and was then developed with Maurizio “Icio” Baggio (The Soft Moon, Boy Harsher), who also took care of recording, production, mixing and mastering at the music studio La Distilleria in Bassano del Grappa. Matteo Vallicelli (The Soft Moon, Death Index) participated in the production of some tracks. Although it flows with compact fluidity, the album highlights R.Y.F.‘s mastery in expressing herself through different stylistic genres. There is a dark electro-punk common thread, but there are also blackness (Run Run Run), alt-metal guitars on dance house structures (Can I Can U feat. Skin), industrial doom (Deep Dark feat. Alos) and other experiments (the instrumental interludes Droplets and Sirene). The variety of sounds corresponds to a spontaneous variety of topics. The theme of suffering opens and closes the tracklist with Blue and Deep Dark feat. Alos, almost as if to represent a first contact with the water and the culmination reaching the bottom of the abyss, and is approached both with a smile on the lips in the sexy Lies and from a more authorial perspective in the heartfelt Violent Hopes and December 25th, the first songs on the album to have been written. Deep Dark Blue by R.Y.F. is an immersion from which you emerge different from your old self, some kind of magical creature in a new form, but it is first of all an electric shock from which one is violently happy to be struck.