quête:mel brooks

Exclusive Fronk-en-steen Green Vinyl! Original London Cast Recording - Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein Presenting the original London cast recording of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein on Vinyl LP! Legendary filmmaker and comedian Mel Brooks brings his classic monster musical comedy Young Frankenstein to life on stage in a musical collaboration with Tony-award winning Broadway director and choreographer Susan Stroman. Recorded live in London's West End. Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced 'Fronk-en-steen') (Hadley Fraser) inherits a castle in Transylvania leading him to fulfill his grandfather's legacy by bringing a corpse (Nic Greenshields) back to life. With help and hindrance from hunchback henchman Igor (Ross Noble), buxom assistant Inga (Summer Strallen) and needy fiance Elizabeth (Dianne Pilkington), his experiment yields madcap success and monstrous consequences. After opening on Broadway in November of 2007 the show ran until 2009. A revised version of the show opened in London's West End in October of 2017 to mostly positive reviews. ABC was set to air Young Frankenstein Live last October and delayed it due to COVID-19 restrictions. The show has been rescheduled to air October 2021 on ABC. Mastered and mixed at Abbey Road Studios. This is the first LP release of music from either of the Young Frankenstein live shows.

“The group has no niche, it doesn’t fit in anywhere,” explains Necessaries drummer Jesse Chamberlain in a 1980 Melody Maker interview. “We just state the facts about life in America, like The Clash did about England, but we’re not so heavy about it.” The Necessaries rose from the ashes of Harry Toledo & The Rockets, a little-known New York art-rock band playing gigs at Max’s Kansas City during glam’s metamorphosis into punk. —From the liner notes by Michael IQ Jones The Necessaries came together in 1978 and in the too-brief lifespan of the band counted among their members, Ed Tomney (Rage To Live, Luka Bloom), Jesse Chamberlain (Red Crayola), Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers), Arthur Russell (The Flying Hearts), Randy Gun (Love Of Life Orchestra). First championed by John Cale on the strength of Tomney’s songs, Cale produced their first single for Spy Records (under the I.R.S. umbrella) which was released in 1979. With the forward momentum brought about by the single, the band set about tracking demos intended for Warner Bros., but The Necessaries ultimately would sign to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records. These rough demo basic tracks lacked overdubs, mixes and any finishing touches that would have made them viable for commercial release, but due to tour commitments, the band had to put the sessions on hold to hit the road. While on tour, the band was shocked to discover that Sire had issued the unfinished tracks as their debut album Big Sky (issued in 1981). The band had Big Sky withdrawn and replaced with Event Horizon (issued in 1982) which included half the original tracks from Big Sky and continued to record throughout 1982 aiming for a follow-up. It was not to be and their final studio sessions remained unissued until now. Completely Necessary (Anthology 1978–1982) is the first authorized collection of recordings by The Necessaries and includes 37 tracks, 28 of which are previously unissued. Completely Necessary represents the most accurate musical history of the band laid out across three albums. Disc one is the band-approved first album Event Horizon, followed by Pilots Facing North, a disc collecting studio recordings spanning 1978–1981 and disc three finally sees the release of their final sessions, Songs From The Blue Colony. Album notes by Michael IQ Jones trace the history of the band for this compilation produced by The Necessaries’ Ed Tomney and Cheryl Pawelski (Omnivore Recordings). The audio has been restored and mastered by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, and both the 3-LP and 2-CD sets feature previously unseen photos across the package. Finally, an essential missing piece of the late ’70s/early ’80s New York scene that was just slightly ahead of the college alt-rock soon to come, is finally available to rediscover—this time it’s authorized and absolutely necessary. BUY! HERE’S WHY! • The first authorized and comprehensive anthology by The Necessaries. • Mid-’70s/early ’80s New York rock/punk/art scene band included members: Ed Tomney, Ernier Brooks, Arthur Russell, Jesse Chamberlain, and Randy Gun. • 37 tracks, 28 previously unissued. • Liner notes by Michael IQ Jones, plus unseen photos.

2025 Repress

Running Back’s Double Copy subsidiary for house music history returns with four musical masterpieces from Chicago, London and an international cast from Italy on its first various artist sampler.
Originally released on Roy Davis Jr.’s Undaground Therapy outlet, Destination Heaven by the enigmatic Earth Boys project delivers a piece of cloud-nine-deep-house that was a staple at Frankfurt’s Wild Pitch Club and during the early days of its successor Robert Johnson. Produced by Cloudy Eyes and Cole Brooks, we unfortunately have never heard from the duo again. Luckily, Family of Few have been a little bit more productive. Also known as Mind Readers, Kevin Elliot and Billy ‚Jack“ Williams produced some of the more tender moments on Detroits 430 West label. Intervoles is amongst the most peculiar and catchy tracks that slow-burning dance floors can hope for.
The flip side turns the attention to the conclusions that Europe drew from its US-role-models. Released in 1992 on Rena Records with the involvement of New York’s JoVonn (a distinct genius of deep grooves himself), the keyboard skills of Pierre Audetat and the production work of I. Betti, M. Clemente and W. Brown, Dummy Head is one of a kind. Swirly echoes, dubby textures and a heavy bass line mate on the Edit Mix of I Have Been Wanting You to create one of the very first examples of fully formed dub-house.
Similar pioneering properties can be ascribed to the work of Rob Mello. We don’t have enough room here to list all his merits, but rest assured that the UK’s house scene wouldn’t be the same without him (Luxury Service Records, Classic et al). Under the Karim guise, Mello delivered a unique stroke of genius. Distilling the essence of deep house, while looking far into the future, In My Mind is many things at once: broken beat, electro, house with embracing chords, and – if you will – a warm-up banger. and does, what all the tracks in here do: turning heads then, turning heads now. Hardcore Deep House!

GU presents Unique #2, we have chosen twelve of the most exciting producers in electronic music to create exclusive tracks for this release. With music from Pig&Dan, Solee, Victor Ruiz, Hannes Bieger & Tara Brooks, Spencer Brown, Johannes Brecht, Musumeci, Helsloot & Rose Ringed, Brian Cid, Biesmans, Mariano Mellino and Gorgin. Available as a limited edition double, heavyweight, coloured vinyl format and a special digital album edition.

Toronto-based musician and producer David Psutka’s long dormant Egyptrixx alias returns, with How Tidal. A compendium of sorts, which retells the story so far, reworks of highlights from his catalogue sit alongside brand new tracks, serving as a bridge between the past and the future, preceding more fresh music in 2026.
With the originals still sounding remarkably current, a straight best-of wouldn’t have been out of question, but ever the tinkering student of sound, Psutka thought he’d break them apart, just to see how he could put them back together again.

The music on is How Tidal is cutting-edge and futuristic, but never difficult, instead offering accessible gems where multiple strains of bass music are infused with a zingy, techno-pop bounce, whilst ambient moments gift sonic lozenges for maximum contentment. Psutka creates optimistically welcoming environments, where synthetic birds chirrup in cyan skies over babbling rainbow brooks, as 15 inch subwoofers boom by.

Egyptrixx gained renown across the 2010s with his hard hitting yet tranquil experimental dance music dubbed ‘celestial jeep music for a Saturn moon’. Colourful sound design was braided with dancefloor structures, creating an exhilarating tension between melodic and dissonant, euphoric and inward. The debut album Bible Eyes was released in March of 2011 to critical acclaim.

As Egyptrixx, Psutka has released four studio albums, collaborated, remixed, and toured with some of the biggest names in electronic music.
The widely acclaimed moniker is foundational to Psutka’s complex body of work that encompasses multiple solo projects, plus a diverse range of collaborative work. He has performed live at Sonar Festival, Roskilde, Mutek, MOMA PS1 Warm-UP and CTM Festival, and presented sound installations at Galeria Civica Commune di Modena and Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

In 2015, Psutka launched Halocline Trance as a home for his various sound projects, events and collaborations. In recent years, the label has quietly established itself as a platform that facilitates many of Canada’s most exciting creative music projects.

Originally released as a digital double a side both lead tracks were chosen by the remixers and the results are like an electrical storm.

Newark, NJ’s Dälek (Will Brooks) drags T. Relly’s growl through the quicksand, a cacophony of whiplashed beats and visceral loops spurring our protagonist on. It’s a gaggle of Ghostface Killas trapped in a hall of mirrors; it’s next door’s MBV heard through the walls whilst submerged in a low-lit bathtub. And Wu Tang are pulling the plug out.

Kevin Martin aka The Bug continues to release teeth rattling sonic masterpieces, his most recent being November’s ‘Implosion’ on his own Pressure label. In his hands ‘Protein’ becomes a submarine bass, head n’ rig wrecker opting here for more of his hooky ‘In Blue’ style Bug mix. As Kevin said – “to my fantastical mind it sounds like Bug dirt ‘n’grind Vs Yin Yang Twins’ louche swagger and Neptunes funk”.

“In Bristol, it was hip-hop and reggae renegades meeting up with white ex-punk guitarists, alternative pop pioneers hanging out with underground roots music makers, and sound system sonic stalwarts grooving out with rave’s space cadets that laid the bedrock for such an explosion. And if you think that such an eclectic melting pot ever went away, you would be wrong. Ree-Vo is all the proof that you need” – The Big Takeover

Nach einem Album, das weithin als eine der besten Veröffentlichungen von 2024 gilt, präsentieren CRYPT SERMON aus Philadelphia Saturnian Appendices. Die EP ist eine Sammlung von B-Seiten aus den The Stygian Rose-Album-Sessions und bietet einen tieferen Einblick in die Psyche hinter der Geschichte und erweitert den Bogen des Vorgängers um eine dunklere, introspektivere Linse.

"Vom Konzept her beleuchten die neuen Tracks "Only Ash and Dust" und "A Fool to a Believe" die verschatteten Gedanken des Erzählers aus "The Stygian Rose" und erweitern die Spannungen, die entstehen, wenn man sich mit den Konflikten zwischen Orthodoxie und Okkultismus auseinandersetzt", erklärt Sänger Brooks Wilson.

Klanglich ist "Saturnian Appendices" fest in dem für die Band typischen doomigen, dunklen Heavy Metal-Sound verwurzelt. Grandiose Melodien umhüllen eine zermalmende Salve monolithischer Riffs und sorgen für eine beeindruckende und epische Performance. Mit drei brandneuen Original-Tracks und einer transzendentalen Überarbeitung von Mayhems "De Mysteriis Doom Sathanas" (erstmals als Teil der Flexi-Disc-Reihe des Decibel Magazine zu hören) bietet Saturnian Appendices den Fans ein fesselndes Erlebnis voller Erhabenheit und philosophischer Unruhe.

There are imagined landscapes we all carry within us—dreamed,
half-remembered, or just beyond reach. Lofoten, the new album by
Cate Francesca Brooks on Clay Pipe Music, is a musical reflection on one such place.
Located above the Arctic Circle, Norway's Lofoten Islands are known for their dramatic peaks, open seascapes, and distinctive red fishing cabins dotting the shoreline. Though Brooks has never visited this remote northern region, it became an unexpected source of inspiration.
The project began when Cate listened to a narrated "sleep story" set in the islands. Intrigued, she researched the region and found herself drawn to its stark beauty."I fell in love with creating an impression of somewhere I would probably never visit, but felt a real affinity with," she explains.
This ambitious album translates that connection into sound. Through carefully crafted electronics, melodic themes, richly layered textures and big production, Brooks captures the essence of Lofoten—its icy light, vast horizons, and profound quiet."The other thing that happened around the same time was the first lockdown here in the UK. I had taken the opportunity of having some extra time to learn a new (to me) method of synthesis; that of the Synclavier, which uses one aluminium wheel and an array of buttons to control every parameter of the sound.
"I took to it with intrigue and before I knew it, I had built up hundreds of original sounds, many of which were perfect for the textures I could hear in my head for Lofoten. So that (along with a Prophet synth and a TR-808) became the sound world." Lofoten stands as an evocative testament to how music can transport us to distant places, transforming geographical limitations into imagined creative possibilities.

Recorded live in 1961, this album by the Horace Silver Quintet captures all the energy and groove of hard bop. Driven by Silver’s percussive and melodic piano, the quintet—featuring Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Junior Cook on tenor saxophone—delivers intense and spirited performances. Tracks like Filthy McNasty and Doin’ the Thing showcase remarkable musical chemistry, supported by a solid rhythm section provided by Gene Taylor and Roy Brooks.

Hubbard was only 22 years old when he recorded the album, yet it showcases his prodigious talent and hints at the remarkable career he would go on to have

The album has become a classic in the hard bop genre, combining elements of bebop and blues with advanced harmonies and improvisational flair and features a stellar lineup of musicians, many of whom were already influential figures in the jazz world or would go on to become so Freddie Hubbard, Tina Brooks, McCoy Tyner, Sam Jones, Clifford Jarvis. "Open Sesame" is rooted in hard bop, a jazz style characterized by a mix of bebop's fast tempo and complex improvisations with blues, gospel, and R&B influences. Hubbard's trumpet playing is both aggressive and lyrical, marked by his technical precision and emotive phrasing. His performance is complemented by Tina Brooks' soulful tenor saxophone and McCoy Tyner's distinctive piano comping, which adds a rich harmonic layer. The album's compositions range from the upbeat and fiery title track "Open Sesame", to the lush ballad "But Beautiful", and the bluesy groove of "One Mint Julep". The track "Gypsy Blue", written by Tina Brooks, is a highlight with its sophisticated chord changes and melodic inventiveness. Open Sesame received critical acclaim upon release and established Hubbard as one of the premier trumpet players of his generation. It's considered a cornerstone of Hubbard's career and a significant recording helped launch Hubbard into a long and successful career where he would collaborate with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter and remains an essential listen for anyone exploring Freddie Hubbard's discography.

Lonnie Smith (1942 – 2021), was an American jazz organist. He was part of several vocal ensembles in the 1950s, includ- ing the Teen Kings which included Grover Washington Jr. Art Kubera, the owner of a local music store, gave Smith his first organ, a Hammond B3. Smith’s affinity for R&B mixed with his own personal style as he became active in the local music scene. In 1965 he met guitarist George Benson. The two con- nected on a personal level and formed the George Benson Quartet, featuring Lonnie Smith, in 1966. After two albums under Benson’s leadership, Smith recorded his first solo al- bum ‘Finger Lickin’ Good (Soul Organ)’ with George Benson and Melvin Sparks on guitar, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Marion Booker on drums. This combination remained stable for the next five years. After recording several albums with Benson, Smith became a solo recording artist and sub- sequently recorded over 30 albums under his own name.
Numerous prominent jazz artists joined Smith on his albums
and in his live performances, including Lee Morgan, David “Fathead” Newman, King Curtis, Blue Mitchell, and Joe Lova- no. The album ‘Finger Lickin’ Good (Soul Organ)’ showcases Lonnie Smith’s virtuosity and his innovative approach on the organ, with tracks that feature intricate solos and groovy rhythms so typical of the soul jazz and jazz funk genres. Lon- nie Smith was named 9 times “the best organist of the year” by the Jazz Journalists Association.

This release comes as a limited edition of 750 copies on smoke coloured vinyl.

Having become one of the most instantly recognisable voices in UK Hip-Hop over the past few years, with a slew of heralded releases on Blah Records, London-based rapper CLBRKS (AKA Conrad Brooks) prepares to release his new LP "CLBELLIC" via Bradley Zero"s heralded imprint Rhythm Section.

Die dänisch-brasilianische Band The Courettes war von Anfang an eine Rock'n'Roll-Sensation und ist mit ihrem vierten und bisher besten Album zurück: "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes". Und dieses Mal sind sie größer, breiter und tiefer als je zuvor, denn sie haben ihrem fulminanten Ramalama, mit dem sie in Großbritannien, Europa, den USA und Japan für Furore sorgen, noch mehr hinzugefügt. The Courettes treffen genau den richtigen Punkt zwischen Garage-Rock, Girlgroup-Pop, Doo-Wop-Harmonien, Herzschmerz und allem, was dazwischen liegt, und bauen auf dem Schwung des Vorgängers "Back In Mono" mit einer Sammlung von Songs auf, die ihren klanglichen Spielraum erweitern, während sie sich mit dunklen, emotionalen Themen auseinandersetzen, um "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes'" zu enthüllen. "Wir wollten kein "Back In Mono 2" machen", betont Schlagzeuger Martin Couri. "Wir versuchen immer, uns in eine Zone des Unbehagens zu begeben, in der meiner Meinung nach aufregende Dinge passieren, anstatt immer wieder das Gleiche zu tun", stimmt Sängerin, Gitarristin und Multiinstrumentalistin Flavia Couri zu. Mit jeder Albumveröffentlichung hat sich das Duo weiterentwickelt und "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" lässt sich von den zahlreichen Vorbildern des Duos inspirieren, die zuvor nur angedeutet wurden. "Wir wollten unsere Liebe zur Spector Wall Of Sound und Motown zeigen", verrät Flavia. "Es war eine klare Mission und wir haben sie absolut erfüllt." Von den glorreichen Eröffnungsbeats und den stechenden Fuzz-Hupen von "You Woo Me" bis hin zu der abschließenden emotionalen Rührung von "For Your Love" über die fuzzige Dringlichkeit von "SHAKE!" und die feierliche Wärme von "California" haben The Courettes ihren Sound mit einer Instrumentierung und einer allgemeinen Raffinesse erweitert, die sowohl in ihrer Produktion als auch in ihrem Songwriting deutlich wird. Und vor allem haben sie dies erreicht, ohne etwas von dem Rock'n'Roll-Kern zu opfern, der von Flavias Gitarrensaiten und Martins ramponiertem Schlagzeug abgekratzt wurde. Bei ihrem Streben nach klanglicher Perfektion haben sie einige Gastmusikern und Klang-Zauberer im Hintergrund unterstützt, z.B. La La Brooks (The Crystals) mit Backing Vocals bei "California" und "Run Run Runaway" (bei denen auch noch Brian Wilson-Kollaborateur Darian Sahanaja den Gesang gemischt und mit einem Beach Boys-Vibe versehen hat). Produzenten-Legende Richard Gottehrer hat "Keep Dancing" und "Boom Boom Boom" abgemischt, Peter Kehl und Kasper Wagner (beide Black Tornado) geben sich mit diversen Blasinstrumenten bei "Shake!", "Better Without You" und "Stop! Doing That" die Ehre. Zu den Courettes gesellt sich in ihren eigenen StarrSound Studios in Dänemark erneut der Multi-Instrumentalist Soren Christensen, der Mellotron, Orgel, Klavier und Backing Vocals beisteuert und das Album gemeinsam mit C.T. Levine produziert hat. Während sich die Musik akustische und 12-saitige Gitarren, Bass, E-Bögen, Kastagnetten und Pauken einbezieht, haben sich auch die Emotionen entwickelt, die man zuvor nicht mit The Courettes in Verbindung gebracht hat. "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" richtet sich an Herz und Kopf, es tanzt durch die Dunkelheit und feiert die Freude am Leben.

Weißes Vinyl im Klappcover! Die dänisch-brasilianische Band The Courettes war von Anfang an eine Rock'n'Roll-Sensation und ist mit ihrem vierten und bisher besten Album zurück: "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes". Und dieses Mal sind sie größer, breiter und tiefer als je zuvor, denn sie haben ihrem fulminanten Ramalama, mit dem sie in Großbritannien, Europa, den USA und Japan für Furore sorgen, noch mehr hinzugefügt. The Courettes treffen genau den richtigen Punkt zwischen Garage-Rock, Girlgroup-Pop, Doo-Wop-Harmonien, Herzschmerz und allem, was dazwischen liegt, und bauen auf dem Schwung des Vorgängers "Back In Mono" mit einer Sammlung von Songs auf, die ihren klanglichen Spielraum erweitern, während sie sich mit dunklen, emotionalen Themen auseinandersetzen, um "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes'" zu enthüllen. "Wir wollten kein "Back In Mono 2" machen", betont Schlagzeuger Martin Couri. "Wir versuchen immer, uns in eine Zone des Unbehagens zu begeben, in der meiner Meinung nach aufregende Dinge passieren, anstatt immer wieder das Gleiche zu tun", stimmt Sängerin, Gitarristin und Multiinstrumentalistin Flavia Couri zu. Mit jeder Albumveröffentlichung hat sich das Duo weiterentwickelt und "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" lässt sich von den zahlreichen Vorbildern des Duos inspirieren, die zuvor nur angedeutet wurden. "Wir wollten unsere Liebe zur Spector Wall Of Sound und Motown zeigen", verrät Flavia. "Es war eine klare Mission und wir haben sie absolut erfüllt." Von den glorreichen Eröffnungsbeats und den stechenden Fuzz-Hupen von "You Woo Me" bis hin zu der abschließenden emotionalen Rührung von "For Your Love" über die fuzzige Dringlichkeit von "SHAKE!" und die feierliche Wärme von "California" haben The Courettes ihren Sound mit einer Instrumentierung und einer allgemeinen Raffinesse erweitert, die sowohl in ihrer Produktion als auch in ihrem Songwriting deutlich wird. Und vor allem haben sie dies erreicht, ohne etwas von dem Rock'n'Roll-Kern zu opfern, der von Flavias Gitarrensaiten und Martins ramponiertem Schlagzeug abgekratzt wurde. Bei ihrem Streben nach klanglicher Perfektion haben sie einige Gastmusikern und Klang-Zauberer im Hintergrund unterstützt, z.B. La La Brooks (The Crystals) mit Backing Vocals bei "California" und "Run Run Runaway" (bei denen auch noch Brian Wilson-Kollaborateur Darian Sahanaja den Gesang gemischt und mit einem Beach Boys-Vibe versehen hat). Produzenten-Legende Richard Gottehrer hat "Keep Dancing" und "Boom Boom Boom" abgemischt, Peter Kehl und Kasper Wagner (beide Black Tornado) geben sich mit diversen Blasinstrumenten bei "Shake!", "Better Without You" und "Stop! Doing That" die Ehre. Zu den Courettes gesellt sich in ihren eigenen StarrSound Studios in Dänemark erneut der Multi-Instrumentalist Soren Christensen, der Mellotron, Orgel, Klavier und Backing Vocals beisteuert und das Album gemeinsam mit C.T. Levine produziert hat. Während sich die Musik akustische und 12-saitige Gitarren, Bass, E-Bögen, Kastagnetten und Pauken einbezieht, haben sich auch die Emotionen entwickelt, die man zuvor nicht mit The Courettes in Verbindung gebracht hat. "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" richtet sich an Herz und Kopf, es tanzt durch die Dunkelheit und feiert die Freude am Leben.

Paul Weller – der „Godfather of Brit-Pop“ ist zurück!
„66“ heißt sein neues und mittlerweile 17. Studioalbum, welches zu seinem 66. Geburtstag erscheint. Das
Cover wurde von Sir Peter Blake gestaltet. Der ehemalige Sänger und Gitarrist von „The Jam“ zeigt auf
dem Album seine reflektierte Seite, mit viel Melancholie und dennoch auch einem positiven Kern. Die
12 Songs auf ”66” wurden im Laufe von drei Jahren in Wellers Black Barn Studio mit einer Reihe von
Gastmusikern (Suggs, Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie, Erland Cooper, Duo White Label, Hannah Peel,
Christophe Vaillant, Say She She, Dr Robert, Richard Hawley, Steve Brooks, Max Beesley) aufgenommen.
Paul Weller wurde bisher mit 4 BRIT – Awards ausgezeichnet, einen für „Outstanding Contribution to
British Music“

The multifaceted Perth-based record label 823, founded by Australian producer and creative powerhouse Ta-ku, is gearing up for "All Things Considered Vol. 3." Committed to detail and a celebration of life's simple pleasures, this LP refuses to be confined to any single genre. Noteworthy releases from 823 include Cabu's "So Far To Go" EP, Ta-ku and Matt McWaters's collaboration "Black and White," featuring the Masego collaboration "Flight 99," and their debut project with Australian producer and instrumentalist Kuzich.

This time, The guest list includes Jakarta Records beat-veterans Alexander Flood, Lucid Green, and Cabu, bringing RnB with a soulful twist that's sure to warm the heart. Playfully melodic artists Makzo, falcxne & Seb Zellner blend jazz, soul, and sweetness creating a natural and playful sound for the LP. Den Brooks, Lovesome, and Tambala all contribute to the rhythmic neo-soul zest on the iconic 808 beat.

On the whole, "All Things Considered Vol. 3" embarks on a forward-thinking rhythmic journey into the creative minds behind the LP. It's as diverse and eclectic as those minds themselves and proudly follows up on its first and second volumes. Natural sounds blend seamlessly with electronic elements, from lush melodies to wintery vibes. Playful vocals adorn this 12-track gem, from Lucid Green's ethereal journey "Splash" twisted in UK garage vibes to the jazz-pop infused "Lost & Found" by Makzo & friends, echoing Jamiroquai-esque beats. The first single, "Babyslowdown" by MXXWLL, takes center stage with its strings, while Alexander Flood's James Bond-inspired melody receives a funky update.

2024 sees the release of Georgia’s fourth studio album - Cool Head. Written in the year after her husband and collaborator was taken seriously ill, Georgia describes the album as a long drive through night into morning. "Cool head," a phrase her dad would always use to urge calm thinking, presents a candid and affecting collection of songs, spanning wide-open Americana to 60s- influenced folk ballads. Recorded in Sain studios, near Caernarfon, the album features contributions by Iwan Huws (Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog), Stephen Black (Sweet Baboo), Gwion Llewelyn (Aldous Harding) and Rhodri Brooks (Melin Melyn). With Gorky's Zygotic Mynci stalwart Euros Childs adding his unmistakable vocals to a couple of songs, this is a truly Welsh affair. It also features string arrangements by Gruff Ab Arwel, whose ear for melody brings a new dimension to the songs. These are performed by Angharad Davies, Angharad Jenkins and Patrick Rimes. The album is co-produced with long-time collaborator Iwan Morgan

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).