quête:melo x

In a joyous reunion after a long, 7-year hiatus, the Neil Cowley Trio reconvene giving rise to a creatively inspired recording, 'Entity', their 7th studio album. In 2006 the Neil Cowley Trio burst onto the scene with an exciting sound that fizzed with energy; their muscular anthems, galloping grooves and tender moments placed them at the forefront of the new 'post jazz' movement, paving the way for 6 highly acclaimed albums over 10 years. Cowley then pressed 'pause' to pursue a solo career - no less successful - with a focus on electronica. Now, stirred by his extended time of solitary music making, he makes a firm statement about the joy, comfort and the rewards of human connection in the digital age. Joining Cowley are his close musical allies, bassist Rex Horan and drummer Evan Jenkins; three friends giving their all to each other. Cowley is a brilliant composer and dazzling pianist and the trio flame still burns bright. 'Entity' is a magnificent return to form cementing the 'Neil Cowley Trio sound' - head-nodding wonky grooves, killer melodies, emotionally charged pieces with a glass like fragility laced throughout. It is a mature, sophisticated album of deeply impassioned music, delicate beauty, hooks aplenty and an ode to friendship.

Ronnie McNeir's self-titled debut album, released in 1972, showcases his soulful voice and songwriting talent, blending R&B, soul, and funk. The album, characterized by lush arrangements and a warm, analog sound, captures the essence of early '70s music. Rich brass sections, smooth strings, and intricate rhythms complement McNeir's expressive vocals. The album's themes of love, loss, family, and gratitude are reflected in heartfelt lyrics and smooth melodies, establishing McNeir as a significant figure in the soul music scene. In 1999, McNeir joined The Four Tops as their musical director and keyboardist, marking a new chapter for both him and the group. His talents as a keyboardist, vocalist, and arranger blended his soulful style with The Four Tops' established sound. ""Ronnie McNeir"" is a soulful debut that captures the essence of early '70s R&B, partly due to the production by acclaimed Motown producer William ""Mickey"" Stevenson. It is a testament to Ronnie McNeir's talent as both a vocalist and a songwriter, with ""Extra, Extra"" and ""In Summertime"" as stand-out tracks. This album is a must-listen for fans of classic soul and R&B music.

Scottish newcomers, The Owls, break cover with this double sided slice of irresistible 21st Century Ska Pop. "Two Tone Summer" is an unforgettable love letter to the iconic 2-Tone movement of the late 70's and 80's, with an underlying lament at the parallels of racism, inequality, misery and social isolation which are as prevalent today as they were during the birth of the original 2-Tone movement. The flip side, "Skandal", is an acerbic Pop gem with timeless melodies and a lyric poking fun at the transparent strategy of misinformation and half truth disseminated by TV and Media to promote division and protect the establishment status quo, no matter how corrupt, and no matter how many scandals are eventually uncovered. Surely any song that has the line "whatever happened to the sweaty Prince?" has earned its place in your record collection!

Mit Seeing schlägt Tord Gustavsen ein neues, komplexes Kapitel in seiner Reihe gefeierter Trioaufnahmen
auf, die er 2003 mit dem heute als Klassiker geltenden Album Changing Places begonnen hat. Die neue
Aufnahme mit ihren kompakten, konzentrierten Liedformen „spiegelt meine persönliche Entwicklung wider,
ich werde älter und konzentriere mich mehr und mehr auf das Wesentliche im Leben und in der Musik“,
sagt der norwegische Pianist. Mit fünf Eigenkompositionen, zwei Choräle von Johann Sebastian Bach,
einem traditionellen norwegischen Hymnus sowie dem englischen Kirchenlied „Nearer My God, to Thee“
aus dem 19. Jahrhundert taucht Tord zusammen mit seinem langjährigen Wegbegleiter Jarle Vespestad
am Schlagzeug und Steinar Raknes am Kontrabass tief in seine unverwechselbare Mischung aus Jazz,
Blues, Gospel, skandinavischer Volks- und Kirchenmusik ein. „Die Melodien wertschätzend“, wie Tord
es ausdrückt, schöpft das Zusammenspiel der Gruppe Kraft aus der Zurückhaltung und baut die Musik
geduldig auf ihre Höhepunkte hin auf, während Gustavsen, ein wahrer Meister des Trio-Formats, das Ganze
mit seinem feinen Anschlag und seiner ganz speziellen subtilen Gospel-Glut prägt.

German Powerhouse Labels Public Possession and Running Back Team up to bring you a nostalgic tribute to 80s Disco-Synth-Pop and Balkan Self-Pity. In a blend of cultural nostalgia and contemporary resonance, be-friended artists Krystal Klear and La Raf are set to release their first collaborative record titled "Boli Boli" (It hurts, it hurts) this autumn. The record is a steamy homage to the 80s disco-synth-pop. La Raf’s vocals equipped with Krystal Klear’s sound remind us of the bittersweet memories of the bygone yet still beloved music-era from former Yugoslavia.
The song came to life during a spontaneous creative outburst when Krystal and Raf reunited in a studio in London last year. Singer La Raf, a Croatian native based in Berlin, channeled the raw emotions of a not so recent break-up regret into the lyrics of "Boli Boli."
Infused with Balkan self-pity, the song delivers a very personal experience of pain and regret, not as mere sorrow but as a confident, joyful indulgence in one's own grief. This emotional depth finds a perfect counterpart in Krystal Klear’s talent for crafting melodies
that evoke both happiness and melancholia. Together, they have created a track that is as introspective as it is danceable, offering its listeners a glimpse into a world where sadness is embraced with a sense of pride and joy, capturing the cultural tapestry of the Balkan region.

Combining the signature soundscapes of Scorn with tartareous textures, the current album "The Only Place" reaches a psychedelic groove, based on what Harris calls "Pushing an original idea further" with his own shades of light and dark and celestial electricity of what SCORN is. These 10 tracks add elements unheard in Scorn since Evanescense and Gyral - ethereal ambiences and floating, near-melodic-but-not-quite moments, a signature of Harris' abilities to generate feelings in a lost world of his own creation. Mick Harris is one of the world's greatest compositional treasures. Starting his career as the energy dynamo behind the drum kit of the UK's Napalm Death, he made the term Blastbeat a household reference, wrote the band's music on his mother's one string guitar, and joined the Guinness Book of World Records for composing the world's shortest song. In the decades succeeding, he has re-inventedmusic several more times, from the wild abstract jazz of Painkiller with John Zorn and Bill Laswell, to the drowning ambience of his Lull project, all while continuing to build a world that he can truly call his own - the dark post-dub of SCORN. "Reaching 54 this year - this won't stop the challenge, driving me more so now than ever" - says Mick Harris, commenting on the recent phase in his creativity. The pandemic isolation and lockdown pushed the work of the maestro more than anything else could have. In 2021, his output is ever-increasing, releasing the newest collabs with Justin K. Broadrick and the single "Distortion", featuring one of the most outstanding voices of hip-hop - Kool Keith - his closest collaborator, Ohm Resistance founder - Submerged. Commenting on the release of "Distortion", Mick Harris said to mxdwn: "I enjoy collabs - they bring something different to the swim." Working on his own and collaborating with everyone from Sleaford Mods' James Williamson, on the previous SCORN release or with Kool Keith and Submerged on "Distortion", Mick Harris never had problems with putting energy into beats and sound landscapes, combining various surreal elements with three basic elements that always push Harris further, that are extremely crucial for both Mick Harris and SCORN as a project - frustration, anger and anxiety. 2024 vinyl version on orange coloured vinyl!

After their internationally successful releases 'Mosaic' and 'Babel', Dutch band Lesoir launches their new full-length album 'Push Back the Horizon'. With this album, the band shows its most melodic side. 'Push Back The Horizon' is characterised by traditional song structures, catchy hooks and a groovy rhythm section, with the pinch of prog this five-piece is known for. The 10 songs are inspired by the collective challenges humanity faces and the glimmers of hope from which we draw positive energy to push boundaries. 'Push Back The Horizon' was produced by John Cornfield, known for his work with Muse, Kashmir, Razorlight, Supergrass, New Model Army and Ben Howard.

Cheersquad Records and Tapes are exhilarated to announce the forthcoming new album by Oz-punk tearaways the Hard-Ons, “I Like You A Lot Getting Older” I Like You A Lot Getting Older will be the third album by the band's current line-up of Blackie, Murray, Ray and Tim, and follows 2021's Australian top 5 debuting I'm Sorry Sir, That Riff's Been Taken and last year's the Australian Top 30 debuting Ripper '23. An exclusive limited edition green vinyl pressing (250 only, with different colour on the cover) will be available via the album's UK distributor Forte. The new album's release will precede the band's recently announced 40th Anniversary Australian tour (and coincide with their 40th Anniversary European tour), and the premiere of the feature length documentary on the band, The Most Australia Band Ever. Today's announcement follows the release of the new single and video "Buzz Buzz Buzz". It's the first single from the Punchbowl band's forthcoming long-player, their third album since co-opting You Am I's Tim Rogers in 2021. Guitarist Peter 'Blackie' Black describes the song as "Our best collaboration so far. When Tim said 'I wanna get a little left of centre with the melody on this,' I was BLOWN away (but not surprised :-))" The video was shot live last month as Hard-Ons opened for Radio Birdman by Jonathan J Sequeira, director of the Birdman documentary Descent Into The Maelstrom.

Blue Foundation's album "Sweep Of Days" is celebrated at its 20th year anniversary with this special limited re-master vinyl print. The album remains a timeless classic, a testament to artistic innovation and creativity's enduring power. Blue Foundation, the groundbreaking Danish electronic duo, has etched its name in the annals of music history seamlessly blending elements of electronic, trip-hop, ambient, and dream pop. Their music is characterised by ethereal melodies, haunting vocals, and intricately crafted soundscapes. The fusion of electronic beats and organic instrumentation creates a captivating juxtaposition that has spellbound their audiences since 2000. Their seminal album, "Sweep Of Days" from 2004 solidified their status as pioneers in electronic music, a timeless classic that united electronic music with dream pop and trip-hop. The album swiftly earned critical acclaim for its evocative soundscapes and emotionally charged compositions, going gold in Denmark and achieving international recognition when the single “Sweep” featured in the hit movie "Miami Vice".

'Good Time' is the debut album from Austin, TX noise-pop band DAIISTAR, due out September 8th via Fuzz Club. Creating a narcotic blend of noise and melody, the band takes their inspiration from the neo-psychedelic era of the 80s and 90s and pull it into the future with modulating synthesisers, heavy guitars, bouncing bass lines, and spiralling hooks. 'Good Time' was produced by The Black Angels' Alex Maas and engineered by James Petralli of White Denim. Made up of Alex Capistran (guitar/vocals), Nick Cornetti (drums), Misti Hamrick (bass) and Derek Strahan (keys), DAIISTAR formed in the spring of 2020, just weeks before the pandemic started. "To us, these songs were a glimmer of light", Capistran says: "Starting a band at the peak of the pandemic to some might seem ill-timed, but to us it was a way to escape for a moment. There was something to look forward to and we kept our heads in the future. These songs guided us through some dark times and hopefully they can do the same for you. GOOD TIME is here." Pressing info for LP: 180g neon orange vinyl, printed inner-sleeve, download card included

Vegyn veröffentlicht auf seinem zweiten Album 'The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions' erhaben gestaltete Songs, die menschliche Unvollkommenheit zulassen, während sie auf einem Grat zwischen Hochgefühl und Melancholie schwanken - mit Gastbeiträgen von John Glacier, Léa Sen, Matt Maltese, Lauren Auder und Ethan P. Flynn. Das formverändernde Schaffen des britischen Produzenten tendiert gerne zum Exzess, wie bei der Zusammenarbeit mit Rap- und R&B-Topstars (Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Kali Uchis) oder seinen 70-Track-Mixtapes. Im Gegensatz dazu entstand das neue Werk aus einem Raum frei fließender Experimente mit einer leichten Note. Bisher charakteristische Schnörkel und BPM-Änderungen treten gegenüber Melodie und Struktur in den Hintergrund. Oder wie Vegyn es selbst ausdrückt: 'Ich versuche einfach, interessante Songs zu machen – und das Gefühl stand im Mittelpunkt.'

The Dolly TS series welcomes another Italian super act, Dynamic Forces! This duo from Rome is known for their characteristically uncompromising music. Their EP called ''Virus'', is an absolute no brainer for all Detroit techno lovers. The perfect blend between straight forward, hard driving dance floor slammers and touch of soulful melodic euphoria!

Merkwürdig is thrilled to present you our second VA EP, featuring a lineup of talented artists who are pushing the boundaries of electronic music. Nate.SU, Bodj, OBG Felix Bergleiter & Thomas Grün and Fabiano José come together to deliver a diverse and captivating collection of tracks.

First up, Nate.SU takes us on a cosmic adventure with „Neutrino". This mesmerizing track combines atmospheric textures with pulsating beats, creating a sense of weightlessness and exploration.

Next, Bodj invites us to explore „Inside Reflux" with his intricate production. The track blends deep grooves with obscure melodies, creating a hypnotic and immersive experience.

OBG takes us on an travel „with the wave" with their atmospheric composition. Ethereal pads and mesmerizing rhythms.

Closing the EP, Fabiano Jose brings the vibes with "Discotale". This infectious track is filled with funky basslines, and catchy vocal samples, guaranteed to get the dancefloor moving.

Merkwürdig MW 002 is a testament to the label's commitment to showcasing innovative and forward-thinking music. Stay tuned for this Vinyl-only release, as it promises to be a journey through diverse sonic landscapes.

DJ Support: Liquid earth, Aladdin, Julian Anthony, Will & Batty, Ray Mono, Venard

Lungo makes his return to Groove Arcade this time with a 4 track solo EP. He’s created a beautiful all rounder with something for everyone but every track is still oozing with GA flair.

The A side brings us ‘La Gente’ and ‘Romantic’. The former being the party starter with a vocal that’s guaranteed to get the crowd excited, while the latter brings the tempo down with lush synths and a driving bassline.

The B side starts off with ‘I Understand Perfectly’, a silky smooth groove with an electro inspired bass line and a killer piano hook. The EP is then complete with ‘I Forgot The Password’, full of nostalgic melodies, computerised sounds and 8 bit vocal samples perfect for winding down at the end of the night.

Jomni and Jori is an electronic music duo that has been deeply involved in the Japanese club scene, consistently producing sounds with an emotional and spacey vibe while bringing out the gem in electronic music to create unique club experiences. The record lovers who met in Kyoto have now dispersed to Cologne, Kyoto, and Tokyo, and have started a new label influenced by old records yet dedicated to exploring fresh sounds together with Miki.


"Slips" is a captivating blend of swinging beats and retro sound, featuring lush pads, melancholic chords and the randomly pitched synths. "Naizo" includes the catchy lead synth that serves as a guiding light, encouraging acceptance and self-discovery with its unforgettable melody and infectious mid-tempo groove. "Neuk" transports listeners to a world of liberation, where shimmering pads evoke the luminous breeze beyond deep-sea caverns. Underpinned by an expansive sub-bass that conjures visions of vast landscapes, it embodies an unwavering devotion to the art of dance. "Hitoshio" unveils the pulsating stab synths project the afterimage of the body onto the dancefloor with accelerating drums and anchored by classic house vocal samples.

It’s 2024 and Egyptian-born artist of South Sudanese origin Sam Alfred has had a monstrous 12 months. A new year means stepping in a new zone with new tunes. This is Forward Step.

First is the title track “Forward Step (Journey Mix)”, an epic cow-bell-laden house hammer that blooms into a euphoric flower. Running with a 90’s club flavour, Sam lays airy synths over punchy piano and rave stabs while an all-powerful speech plays out, celebrating the idea that we’re all in control of writing our futures. There’s a bubbling over of excitement on this one as it builds and builds and builds!

Up next is “Care 4 U” – a crunchy drum club roller paired with fuzzy bass tones and a super hooky vocal loop. A section that’s been lodged in our brains from the moment we heard it. Toss in airy pads and a key melody that’s also impossible to forget and this track’s got you hook, line and sinker. In true Sam Alfred style, “Care 4 U” is yet more proof that this lad is a wizard at writing jacked-up club cuts, each full of fizz.

Third in line comes “Keep It” a relentless hypnotic piece of techno. Outer space synths drone while shuddering percussion rumbles beneath. It’s here where the EP takes a darker turn. The curtain closer and focus track for the EP drop is “Distance” – an acidic house track to seriously lock and load to. Characterised by sharp hi-hats and lively keys, as its name suggests this one goes and goes and goes.

Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called 'Grush' and it's full of weird bangers that reclaim the 'dance' part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didn't come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance. The tracks on 'Grush' are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mike's touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). It's a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, 'Imperial Crescent' is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is 'Belvedere' in Prague, while some tracks such as 'Hyper Daddy' were created specifically to play live. Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mike's musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take 'Hyper Daddy's' spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere there's territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of 'Windsor Safari Park,' which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway. The album is interspersed with Reticulum A, B and C at the start middle and end of the album which suggest a theme which carries across the music in an effortless and joyful way. 'Grush' is a strong album that works both for listening and DJing and a great snapshot of where Mike Paradinas musical head is at in 2024.Tracklist Vinyl A: 1/Reticulum A 2/Hyper Daddy 3/Fogou B: 1/Magic Pony Ride (Pt.4) 2/Imperial Crescent 3/Reticulum B 4/Grush C: 1/Belvedere 2/Raver 3/Windsor Safari Park 4/Hastings D: 1/Manscape 2/Metaphonk 3/Reticulum C

Mexican supergroup Secret Echoes releases debut single ‘Bring My Beat Back’ on Crosstown Rebels. The project combining a trio of revered talents from the Mexican electronic landscape sees Estefani Brolo, Diego Cevallos, and Marco Anaya unite to reveal a first glimpse into their forthcoming debut album, with the single remixed by Zombies In Miami focus on the song's hypnotic vocals and raw emotive energy.

Secret Echoes is a dynamic collaboration of three acclaimed artists from Mexico’s electronic music scene: Estefani Brolo (of BROLORZIO & I.M YONI), Diego Cevallos (AKA Métrika), and Marco Balcazar (AKA Balcazar of Balcazar & Sordo). With each member bringing a distinct musical background to the group, creating a unique fusion of sound set to resonate with electronic music enthusiasts worldwide, Secret Echoes creates music that blends house foundations with melodic innovation.

The origins of the project trace back to the height of the pandemic, when Cevallos and Balcazar began collaborating on an album they had always envisioned. Renting a unique studio in Jiutepec, Mexico, equipped with analogue tape machines and high-end studio gear, and inviting their talented friends to contribute, Brolo soon joined the project - adding her melodic and lyrical expertise. The result was the recording of 11 tracks that were put on hold until the time was right. After revisiting the tracks and performing them live, ‘Bring My Beat Back’ caught the attention of Crosstown Rebels founder Damian Lazarus during 2024’s Day Zero performance. Inspired by its energy and potential, Lazarus signed the entire album, and this first single provides a first glimpse of what is to come from the enigmatic trio on an imprint known for continually pushing boundaries within house music.

‘Bring My Beat Back’ showcases the group’s distinctive blend of house music foundations, guided by Brolo’s captivating vocals above shimmering synths and refined percussion grooves to deliver a silky-smooth production balancing classic nuances with contemporary touches for the dance floor. Creatures Of The Night founders and Permanent Vacation regulars Zombies In Miami provide an extra layer to the package, with the renowned duo’s remix drawing for neon-lit synths and hazy tones for a deep dive into the late-night hours.

They say you should never meet your heroes, but for Mike, meeting the legendary Adrian Sherwood has been a transformative experience, leading to creative collaborations that have benefited both of them.

Nearly 30 years after first being mesmerized by OnU Sound’s releases, a cheeky bit of radio ripping serendipitously led to Mike helping Pats Dokter, the label’s official archivist, with his work restoring master tapes, and eventually to him creating visual content for Adrian’s live shows.

A while after this collaboration began, Adrian offered to remix some of Mike’s music, either by his solo project @misledconvoy or our tunes, and it’s four cuts by us that grace this heavyweight platter.

From the dreamy dub of Transient Transmission to the rolling rhythms of A Doubtful Sound, our originals have been re-arranged and dubbed to $%># in Adrian’s signature style, with fluid melodies, pounding basslines and vocal samples awash in a wall of effects.

Trumpets by David “Ital Horns” Fullwood bookend the release, haunting in the first track and celebratory in the last, while Doug Wimbish (Tackhead) added an extra bassline to the heaving version of 1000 Mile Drift, which also features the voice of the iconic Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Mike says, “the whole experience has been slightly unreal, from working on Adrian’s videos to being in the OnU studio and watching him dub-mixing the tracks I’ve made, something I could never have imagined happening!”

Mike isn’t the only OnU fan, as a pivotal moment for Paddy was “watching Adrian mixing Tack>head at the Powerstation in 1995 and seeing the cause-and-effect of what he was doing and hearing the unbelievable sounds coming out of the speakers. It was the first time I’d ever seen somebody dub mix like that.”

The cover of Echoes of the Night is based upon an original artwork by Hamish Macaulay, while the vinyl has been pressed using a 100% recycled compound known as eco-mix, making each record totally unique as the colours subtly change across the pressing run.

A highly talented artist who has grown to make a notable impression amongst the scene’s most revered tastemakers, DJ/producer and label owner Jhobei is an individual who continues to blossom. His deep, expansive sound has already welcomed material on Up The Stuss, Limousine Dream, Mindhelmet and Picnic Records, amongst others, while featuring as a co-founder of London-based collective and label Bizarre Trax. In addition, his work as one-third of dynamic trio Felon5, coupled with his unique sound, has taken him from Albania’s ION Festival to Los Angeles, alongside making a handful of appearances for FUSE and its sister brands on home turf at fabric, The Cause and Village Underground - plus 2024’s Open Air event at Barking Park earlier this year. Building on that relationship, late September brings fresh music as Enzo Siragusa invites the exciting selector to make his label debut with an array of impressive productions across his ‘Age Of Virality’ EP. A-side opener ‘Swarming’ is all action and kicks things off with authority as a snaking bassline guides a garage-influenced trip through bumping low-ends and hooky vocal samples, while ‘Machine Language’ delivers a mix of playful tones amongst sweeping melodies while delivering a heavy dose of robot funk. On the flip, ‘Defusion Solution’ is a heady late-night excursion through skippy percussion and cosmic tones, with ‘Rising Sun’ stripping things back to deliver a classy, hazy journey as organic percussion grooves unravel effortlessly. Digital buyers are treated to a bonus cut in the form of ‘Kontrol Urload’, a sci-fi leaning cut merging glistening neon synth motifs with punchy kicks and zipping effects for maximum impact.