Weight meets wriggle on DJ Life's five-tracker for Haŵs, and oh boy is it hefty. Gritty basslines get right under the skin, swinging drums sit deep in the pocket, and skippy FX keep things light on their feet. A murky, moody streak runs through the record, with an electric tension giving even the loosest grooves a touch of menace. Fat low end and a restless edge, with enough bite to leave a mark. Serious tackle with a wicked sense of swing, primed for the dancefloor. Use at your own peril, you’ve been warned!
'Nicolò's Static forays deep into liminal space, where signal decays, rhythm stutters and sub-pressure thrums.
'The four-track EP is the inaugural transmission from Nicolò’s own Exploring Records. Melancholy bleeds through the frequencies, yet the pulse remains restless, insectoid, off- kilter.
'Here we pace darkened corridors of flickering projections and half-remembered futures, setting the direction for what’s next...'
Interweaved yields the first volume of a new series curated by Brawther and one that underlines its credentials as an outlet for fresh new underground talent. Three producers here - Frederik Anthony, Mahar, and ICTV - were finalists in the 2023 "Minimal" Producer Challenge judged by Cassy, Losoul and Daniel Paul. Anthony opens with 'Interiddim', a lithe broken beat here through with warm chords. Mahar's 'Relaxed' is a silky and minimal dub tech cut and Omar Fayyad's 'A Mutual Thing' offers trippy late-night charm. Finally, ICTV's 'Oracle Night' is also deep and dubby but a little more menacing.
Not long after the well-received 'Bottlemess Brunch' and 'Billa' dropped, the FLDIN2 label is back with another killer drop. This one, we're told, draws on Fold producer Rob's early immersion in pirate radio and record-collecting years in suburban London during the early 2000s. Lovers of Ben UFO, Joy Orbison and Floating Points will all be into the lo-fi designs, not to mention the irresistible garage, tech and dub swagger he packs into these jams. 'Lotion' is a crispy, tightly coiled and skeletal UKG sound underpinned with wobbly low ends and sprinkled with chopped vocal fragments that make for a ghostly groove. 'Soft Launch' is fuller, with a more boring emotional impact from the yearning vocal stabs that are teased and buried throughout the mix.
One of our most anticipated releases to date comes from electro titan X-Truder with an in your face, pull no punches 5-tracker that leaves no survivors. Industrial and mechanical in nature, this release doesn’t let up and will be a dance floor weapon for years to come.
MARK DE CLIVE-LOWE, acclaimed jazz visionary, and AMMA WHATT unite for a soulful, jazz-infused house journey of lush musicianship and timeless vocals. With stunning remixes from OSUNLADE and CARLOS MENA. Crafted for both the dancefloor & deep listening. With gorgeous full pic jacket!
Sublunar, the label founded by Sciahri, is proud to present the debut EP of Australian artist Connor Wall with Equals. Known for his releases on Phorum and Moving Pressure, Connor Wall is one of those artists capable of crafting a deeply personal and hypnotic sound, where each track unfolds as a journey of its own.
The EP opens with Oak, a minimal yet driving and atmospheric piece, before moving into Invert, a powerful track built around a unique and relentless escalation of tension. On the B-side, Equals sets the tone with growing intensity and hypnotic vocals that carry a story meant to be experienced until the very end. Construct follows with darker, more obscure vibes, delivering a deeply hypnotic and mental atmosphere, before the EP concludes with The End, a truly mystical journey that captures the essence of an artist able to transform sound into narrative.
Phosphor returns with its fifth release and a new chapter for the label’s founders, Blue Vision. As their second EP on the imprint, Machines Will Transform Us (PHP005) confirms the project’s direction: a precise balance between club-driven tech house and more immersive, hypnotic electro textures.
Across the EP, Blue Vision asks a simple question: after spending our days connected to algorithms and modern machines, can repetitive rhythms and mechanical grooves on the dancefloor turn us into machines once again, or instead help us reconnect with ourselves?
Machines Will Transform Us (A1) opens the EP with a driving Italo bassline and tight, tech-driven drums. Melodic 80s synths contrast with sharper electro elements, gradually building tension before a final drop designed for peak-time impact. The track sets the tone for the release: machines transform us as much as we transform them.
Then comes Just a Game (A2), blending spacious 90s progressive and synthwave influences over a rock-solid club bassline and crisp drums. Playing with atmosphere and emotion, the track explores the feeling that we are never too far from a simulation, that maybe everything is just a game. Perfectly suited for introspective yet intense moments, it acts as an ideal bridge between harder tracks in a set.
On the flip side, I Love Acid (B1) is direct, hypnotic, and designed to lock the dancefloor into a steady flow. Stripped back to punchy drums and a raw acid line, it takes a minimal approach that works equally well in early hours or late-night sets. Behind the title lies the idea of acid as both machine energy and mental escape, where repetitive sequences blur the boundary between human emotion and mechanical movement.
As a final touch, Scan Your Brain (B2) shifts into deeper, more immersive territory. Analog pad textures create a drifting atmosphere over a hypnotic bassline and electro drums. With this closing track, Blue Vision answers their initial question by imagining the dancefloor as a space to disconnect from rigid thinking. The vocal serves as a reminder that the brain is constantly overloaded, and that dancing becomes a way to let go, reset, and reconnect.
‘An Undying Love For A Burning World follows Converge’s Love Is Not Enough this year as a pivotal metal album about acknowledging the darkness for what it is and trying to accept it.’ - the QUIETUS
‘Neurosis Know You’re Hurting. Their Stunning New Album Is a Life Preserver.
An Undying Love for a Burning World, the band’s first album with new member Aaron Turner, is a reminder of how even the darkest music can be a guiding light’ - 9/10 ROLLING STONE
Evolution can be ugly and beautiful, painful and euphoric. An Undying Love For A Burning World is the first new release from Neurosis in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth - one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.
An Undying Love For A Burning World is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only Neurosis can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit.
“From the moment I first heard Neurosis over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years travelling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music - but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.” - AARON TURNER
Neurosis have never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, Neurosis’cacophony of noise, rhythm and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.
On every song in the band’s history, Neurosis shifts restlessly between tension and relief, invoking a feeling both feral and transcendent in listeners. The band describe their songwriting process as an inescapable impulse to create with each other - a need rather than a choice. Indeed, the band insist that their return is “not a reunion - we never broke up.”
The album was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, and Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle during three weekends this winter, and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.
Neurosis will play their first show in seven years on the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as part of Fire in the Mountains festival by special invitation of Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing youth suicide in Indian Country.
FITM, is a unique festival known for bringing epic music to epic landscapes with the intent of reconnecting and immersing oneself with the natural world, and strengthening our ancestral roots as human beings - an aim which aligns directly with Neurosis’ deep-rooted power.
Stay tuned for further news over the coming months.
PREVIOUS PRESS:
‘In less skilful hands, this relentless sonic oppression would be gruelling, but by expressing human frailty with such visceral abandon, Neurosis have once again turned darkness into euphoria.’ - 4/5 THE GUARDIAN
‘The Oakland band has evolved from gritty metallic punk to harrowing post-hardcore prog to the majestic doom of their current phase’ - 7.9 PITCHFORK
‘It’s not often an album of such stature exceeds one’s anticipations, but Honor is too astounding to not be revered.’ - The QUIETUS
“Fires Within Fires is the summation of thirty years of experimentation in tonality and texture. Yes, NEUROSIS are firmly positioned within the extreme metal underground yet their music, with its ability to generate images of beauty akin to those many of us have experienced in our own lives – not to mention the loss that accompanies them – challenges this categorization. ‘’ - WIRE MAGAZINE - FULL PAGE REVIEW.
"Their intensity remains undimmed on Fires Within Fires...The already converted will take heart from the evidence that age is unable to wither the fury of this heaviest of bands." - KERRANG! 4K REVIEW
"Every monstrous sludge riff gnashes menacingly for the right amount of time and every delicate moment of folk-inspired drift is emotionally exacting. Neurosis continue to create art without equal, and Fires Within Fires is another worthy addition to an awe-inspiring canon containing a number of truly pioneering and timeless albums." - METAL HAMMER - 8/10 LEAD REVIEW
Curió Curió came to flight by chance. Two artists, Rio-born, Austria-based singer and actress Luiza Monteiro and German producer Dustin Braun, had separately reached a fork in their journeys. An opportune encounter soon blossomed into an uplifting, heartfelt Brazilian MPB-groove project shaped by psychedelic disco and studio experimentation. In their own words Curió Curió’s sonic vision “is not straight disco, not straight samba, not strictly old-school but inspired by all of them, creating something contemporary but still nostalgic”.
A modern fusion influenced as much by Gal Costa and Jorge Ben Jor as Say She She and Bala Desejo, their sound deftly plots a course all of its own. A celebration of freedom, movement, love and life, intertwined with introspective moments of reflection. Treating tradition as something alive, migratory and unresolved, the album is not simply bound by a shared love of Brazilian music, but by a deeper question that runs through every track; where does one belong when home becomes plural? As a Brazilian living in Europe, Luiza's lyrics explore themes of identity, culture, and existence. The tracks move between cities and emotional registers without settling, tracing a sense of identity that shifts rather than resolves. Songs like ‘Amor Doente’ and ‘Mar sem Dar Pé’ circle around relationships that resist clarity, while ‘Menina Passarinho’ captures the fear and necessity of committing to music as a path. For Luiza, deepening her commitment to music alongside years in theatre was both inevitable and difficult. Braun’s production follows a similar logic. Initial ideas were often built without obvious reference points, only later incorporating rhythmic and vocal elements that hint at Brazil without reproducing it. Analogue techniques, tape, ribbon microphones and live ensemble recording bring a tactile quality that reflects the duo’s interest in process as much as outcome. Highlights include ‘Bem Querer’, built on an authentic samba street vibe with a super-catchy sing-along chorus, and ‘Vem pra Casa’ with its cosmic-tinged Brazilian boogie flavour. The album closes with ‘A Cor do Meu Sonho’, a quiet act of insistence. A refusal to shrink in unfamiliar environments, and a belief in the strength of difference. It is less a conclusion than a continuation, leaving the central question open. “I started to understand that I can belong to many places at once”, Luiza reflects. “And that can be something to embrace”. Lyrics from the song ‘Raiz’ translate in English to “I value a burning sun and the cold in the air. Constant change is my companion”. With Curió Curió, that idea is lived through sound, story and collaboration. A debut that feels both searching and assured, grounded in heritage yet shaped by distance.
After a year in the making, Laolu completes his Mascara EP with the release of its final single, ‘Mental'. A beautifully instinctive collaboration with Benni Ola that captures the magic of spontaneity and creative connection.
The foundations of the track were first laid in Bali, where Laolu began experimenting with a guitar recording from another project. Drawn to Benni Ola’s unmistakable vocal energy after repeatedly playing his music, the producer immediately felt a connection between the unfinished instrumental and Benni’s voice. Months later, the pair met during a writing camp in Portugal, instantly establishing a creative chemistry that would eventually lead them to Los Angeles, where Mental was recorded in a single, fluid session.
Built around intuition and emotion rather than overthinking, the collaboration unfolded almost effortlessly. What began as a loose idea quickly transformed into a record overflowing with memorable hooks, as both artists leaned fully into the moment and trusted the energy in the room. Benni Ola described the experience as feeling “electrified” from the instant the track played, recalling the session as something almost channelled rather than consciously written. One of those rare creative moments where everything simply falls into place.
That sense of immediacy and freedom runs throughout Mental. Warm, soulful, and emotionally charged, the track balances hypnotic grooves with expressive vocal delivery, creating a record that feels both intimate and euphoric.
Together with previous singles Mascara and Velvet Blooms featuring Paul Brenning, Mental completes the ‘Mascara' EP. A rich and deeply expressive body of work that highlights Laolu’s ability to fuse emotion, groove, and collaboration into something truly timeless.
As with all releases on Siembra, the single is tied to artwork inspired by Magic Carpet - a painting by Laolu’s late father, created in Nigeria in the early 1980s. It’s a personal and cultural thread running through each release, defining the visual identity of Siembra as the label evolves.
Polygonia & MTRL - Division / Taris EP incl. Remixes by Claudio PRC and Mary Yuzovskaya
A1. Polygonia - Division
Right from the start the listener is cast into orbit with driving percussion and abstract sound effects. Soon they are followed with a morphing bass sound and cymbals which lock the groove into place, cranking the drive to the max. As the track progresses the landscape of sound reveals its nature with metallic quality, like schrapnel from a barren city. Truly a Deep Techno banger which will without a doubt fill a dance floor.
A2. MTRL - Taris
The listener is slowly submerged into the waves of percussive bass sounds and menacing sweeps of noise which remind of a storm in a desert, the horizon only slightly glimmering behind the veil of sand. Soon the listener is introduced with a pounding kick drum, almost making the landscape seem even more ruthless as the track progresses.
Quality, heady Deep Techno.
B1. Polygonia - Division Claudio PRC Remix
The hypnotic Techno maestro Claudio PRC twists the idea of the original track into a mind explorative voyage with a triplet feel. The remix is shrouded in melancholy with distant pad sounds, which add a nice tension to the track. As usual, a brilliant remix from Claudio PRC.
B2. MTRL - Taris Mary Yuzovskaya Remix
On the remix the Berlin based producer is molding the source material into a driving and psychedelic track, functional yet synapse tingling. Now the bass has a bit more liquid-like quality and the overall soundscape is more abstract. Hallucinatory effects of noise are filling the spaces between the sounds, almost like being surrounded with faint whispers. Driving and psychedelic Deep Techno done with finesse.
TALCO melden sich mit ihrem bisher wohl ambitioniertesten Werk zurück. "Freek" erscheint am zweiten Freitag des Jahres 2027! Eine kühne und unverblümte Reise durch mentale Käfige, ruhelose Gedanken und schwebende Träume. Das Album präsentiert TALCOs unverkennbare Punk-Ska-Energie mit einer schärferen, introspektiveren Note. Geschrieben von Tomaso De Mattia (Dema), Sänger und Frontmann von TALCO, setzt sich das Album mit den unsichtbaren Strukturen auseinander, die uns in einer von Image und Performance besessenen Welt prägen. Im Zentrum steht die Frage: "Lohnt es sich, den Traum vom offenen Meer aufzugeben, nur um ein von anderen entworfenes Rennen zu gewinnen?" Es ist ein Konzeptalbum, das mit surrealem Storytelling eine statische, dekadente Gesellschaft reflektiert, die unfähig scheint, kulturelle oder politische Risiken einzugehen. Die italienischen Alternative-Ska-Punk-Rocker aus Marghera/Venedig haben sich mit ihrer Kombination aus schnellem Punkrock, Ska-Einflüssen, Blasinstrumenten und italienischer Volksmusik sowie ihren sozialkritischen, oft politischen Texten in ganz Europa einen Namen gemacht. Freek markiert eine Rückkehr zu den Wurzeln des Albums "Gran Galà", angetrieben von der kalifornischen Punk-Energie von "Videogame". Und dies ist erst der Anfang einer Reise, die weit über die Musik hinausgeht. Viele Überraschungen erwarten uns. Ein volles Dutzend Tracks im beliebten Punkchanka-Stil zum Genießen (plus vier weitere (die B-Seiten)), darunter das bereits digital veröffentlichte "Dalla Mia Parte Ella Strada" und die kommende Single "Disco Inferno". Das "Freek"-Konzept wird von einer Geschichte begleitet, die in den offiziellen Videos, den zusätzlich digital veröffentlichten B-Seiten (auch als Bonustracks auf CD erhältlich) und einem Graphic Novel/Comic aufgegriffen und erweitert wird. Das Comicbook ist Bestandteil der limitierten Freek Deluxe Pizzaboxen der beiden Formate. Als LP schwarz, LP farbig, CD mit Bonustracks und limitierte Deluxe Pizzaboxen mit Extras erhältlich.
TALCO melden sich mit ihrem bisher wohl ambitioniertesten Werk zurück. "Freek" erscheint am zweiten Freitag des Jahres 2027! Eine kühne und unverblümte Reise durch mentale Käfige, ruhelose Gedanken und schwebende Träume. Das Album präsentiert TALCOs unverkennbare Punk-Ska-Energie mit einer schärferen, introspektiveren Note. Geschrieben von Tomaso De Mattia (Dema), Sänger und Frontmann von TALCO, setzt sich das Album mit den unsichtbaren Strukturen auseinander, die uns in einer von Image und Performance besessenen Welt prägen. Im Zentrum steht die Frage: "Lohnt es sich, den Traum vom offenen Meer aufzugeben, nur um ein von anderen entworfenes Rennen zu gewinnen?" Es ist ein Konzeptalbum, das mit surrealem Storytelling eine statische, dekadente Gesellschaft reflektiert, die unfähig scheint, kulturelle oder politische Risiken einzugehen. Die italienischen Alternative-Ska-Punk-Rocker aus Marghera/Venedig haben sich mit ihrer Kombination aus schnellem Punkrock, Ska-Einflüssen, Blasinstrumenten und italienischer Volksmusik sowie ihren sozialkritischen, oft politischen Texten in ganz Europa einen Namen gemacht. Freek markiert eine Rückkehr zu den Wurzeln des Albums "Gran Galà", angetrieben von der kalifornischen Punk-Energie von "Videogame". Und dies ist erst der Anfang einer Reise, die weit über die Musik hinausgeht. Viele Überraschungen erwarten uns. Ein volles Dutzend Tracks im beliebten Punkchanka-Stil zum Genießen (plus vier weitere (die B-Seiten)), darunter das bereits digital veröffentlichte "Dalla Mia Parte Ella Strada" und die kommende Single "Disco Inferno". Das "Freek"-Konzept wird von einer Geschichte begleitet, die in den offiziellen Videos, den zusätzlich digital veröffentlichten B-Seiten (auch als Bonustracks auf CD erhältlich) und einem Graphic Novel/Comic aufgegriffen und erweitert wird. Das Comicbook ist Bestandteil der limitierten Freek Deluxe Pizzaboxen der beiden Formate. Als LP schwarz, LP farbig, CD mit Bonustracks und limitierte Deluxe Pizzaboxen mit Extras erhältlich.
TALCO melden sich mit ihrem bisher wohl ambitioniertesten Werk zurück. "Freek" erscheint am zweiten Freitag des Jahres 2027! Eine kühne und unverblümte Reise durch mentale Käfige, ruhelose Gedanken und schwebende Träume. Das Album präsentiert TALCOs unverkennbare Punk-Ska-Energie mit einer schärferen, introspektiveren Note. Geschrieben von Tomaso De Mattia (Dema), Sänger und Frontmann von TALCO, setzt sich das Album mit den unsichtbaren Strukturen auseinander, die uns in einer von Image und Performance besessenen Welt prägen. Im Zentrum steht die Frage: "Lohnt es sich, den Traum vom offenen Meer aufzugeben, nur um ein von anderen entworfenes Rennen zu gewinnen?" Es ist ein Konzeptalbum, das mit surrealem Storytelling eine statische, dekadente Gesellschaft reflektiert, die unfähig scheint, kulturelle oder politische Risiken einzugehen. Die italienischen Alternative-Ska-Punk-Rocker aus Marghera/Venedig haben sich mit ihrer Kombination aus schnellem Punkrock, Ska-Einflüssen, Blasinstrumenten und italienischer Volksmusik sowie ihren sozialkritischen, oft politischen Texten in ganz Europa einen Namen gemacht. Freek markiert eine Rückkehr zu den Wurzeln des Albums "Gran Galà", angetrieben von der kalifornischen Punk-Energie von "Videogame". Und dies ist erst der Anfang einer Reise, die weit über die Musik hinausgeht. Viele Überraschungen erwarten uns. Ein volles Dutzend Tracks im beliebten Punkchanka-Stil zum Genießen (plus vier weitere (die B-Seiten)), darunter das bereits digital veröffentlichte "Dalla Mia Parte Ella Strada" und die kommende Single "Disco Inferno". Das "Freek"-Konzept wird von einer Geschichte begleitet, die in den offiziellen Videos, den zusätzlich digital veröffentlichten B-Seiten (auch als Bonustracks auf CD erhältlich) und einem Graphic Novel/Comic aufgegriffen und erweitert wird. Das Comicbook ist Bestandteil der limitierten Freek Deluxe Pizzaboxen der beiden Formate. Als LP schwarz, LP farbig, CD mit Bonustracks und limitierte Deluxe Pizzaboxen mit Extras erhältlich.
Damage Code is the result of the convergence of two long-standing figures from the underground industrial and EBM scene: Carlos Grabstein (89s✝) and Ben Bunzen (Hammershøi). Released in partnership with Miseria records, their first collaboration unfolds through proto-industrial sequences, oppressive atmospheres, repetitive structures, and distorted transmissions, all wrapped in body-driven percussion that pulls the listener into a controlled state of sensory overload. Harsh yet precise, ritualistic yet futuristic, the record advances with relentless intensity while maintaining a raw, physical energy throughout. Somewhere between the diseased electronics of Front Line Assembly and the primitive industrial tension of Esplendor Geométrico, Digital Slave channels a sound that is both confrontational and hypnotic. With “Digital Slave”, Damage Code opens a new portal into industrial body music: dense, punishing, and engineered to trap the mind inside its circuitry. Presented in ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially remastered and mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).
Sindh presents the Vagali EP, a striking continuation of his tunnelling, futuristic take on techno. Growling synths, driving basslines, alien atmospherics and finely tuned percussion define a sound that feels unmistakably his own.
Following his Komudo series — which has built a devoted following since its debut in 2024 — this latest release leans further into his signature sound design, pairing hypnotic sequences and menacing synth lines which feel right
As Selofan's fifth studio album, Vitrioli, from 2018, is a testament to the tragedy of life. The Greek duo, Joanna Pavlidou and Dimitris Pavlidis, who recorded the album in the Fabrika Records home studio, continue on in their poetic, but heartbreaking, music set to a dance beat. Between languages (Greek, English, German, and Spanish), Selofan feels on the brink of mania with Vitroli. However, the madness is controlled, the songs are restrained hysterics that culminate into the alchemic perfection of the band's specific moody sound.
From synthpop to synthpunk elements, the twelve-track LP leads listeners through dark corridors and into haunted, empty beds. There is a resignation to a doomed destiny with Vitroli—a trait that connects all Selofan releases—as a bitter pain and loneliness that cannot, or will not, subside.
The album begins with "Give Me a Reason" whose lyrics feel universal in this day and age: Give me a reason, to get out of bed / I could just watch the ceiling instead. Its heartbreak is profound as bells and voice pads echo under Joanna's voice. The adjacent music video for the song was directed by Dimitris Chaz Lee, and the band describes the video as "depicting the fragile nature, conflicts, emotional demands, and vulnerability of each person in a relationship."
"Billie Was a Vampire" is a story about an undead creature who works at a nightclub followed by the urgency of "Black Box." Brass sounds moan against the fast beat and suggest a frenzied need to escape.
"I'm Addicted" became the second single for the LP. I am addicted, you are mine, Joanna demands of the lover. The music video, also directed by Dimitris Chaz Lee, depicts a clean, white photoshoot primed for the most beautiful creatures of the Athenian wave scene. Alex Macharias, from the legendary Greek band In Trance 95, acts as the photographer for the session, as the models pose and flail under the bright bulbs. The director states: "Addiction is a mental state, something inside all of us. It altered our perception and created a parallel world of avant-garde beings and flashy lights making us part of this everlasting bond."
With Moving Pressure 02, Rene Wise allows us to dip into a psychedelic undercurrent, yet maintaining a very grounded mentality. Its an effortlessly rolling type of minimalism, but lets be clear; its a type of minimalistic spirit backed up by a rich, kaleidoscopic sound design. MP02 is an immersive batch of mystical dance floor journeys which, in four steps, navigates the realms of gaseous sound design to more subaquatic dynamics, working with a palette of serpentine rhythms that pull us into his distinctive, subtly hypnotic world.
A1 Silo Cybin opens the release with the artists unmistakable kick drum pattern, the heartbeat of his sound. Theres a trippy, swampy energy here, enhanced by robotic vocals and broken claps that weave polyrhythms into the track. The minimalist core pulses with playful energy, while detailed textural elements softly emerge like a waves bubbling foam. Up next we have Complicated, which offers a more minimalist composition, yet injected with rich rhythmic structures. Small circular modulations swirl in the background, filling the air with a delicate yet persistent energy, while his signature vocal snippets further enhance the groove. On the B side, Rough Escorts taps into a brighter psychedelic dimension, conjuring the ethos and trademark of Moving Pressure as a whole. Listen closely a fine connection to Wises previous work on MP01 shines through, maintaining the sonic coherence of the project while pushing further into a lush space. B2 Bleep Police, dives into dystopian bleep territory. Here, the artist strips techno down to its essence, intertwining bleeps with percussion into a hyper rhythmic whole.
A living organism composed of intricately layered sonic structures. A variegated interplay of texture and rhythm. Multi dimensional sound. Welcome to Moving Pressure 02.
TRON: Divergence (Companion-Album zum Soundtrack)
Mit „Tron: Divergence“ veröffentlichte Nine Inch Nails das Companion-Album zum Soundtrack des aktuellen TRON-Films Tron: Ares, dem neuesten Kapitel des legendären Sci-Fi-Franchise, das 1982 mit Tron
begann und 2010 mit Tron: Legacy fortgesetzt wurde. „Tron ARES: Divergence“ vereint neue Songs und
Remixes. Darunter Tracks, die im Film selbst zu hören sind und zusätzlich neue Interpretationen von einer
stilistisch vielfältigen Riege an Kollaborateur:innen. Mit dabei sind u.a. Boys Noize, The Dare, Pixel Grip
und Chilly Gonzales, die dem digitalen TRON-Universum ihre ganz eigene klangliche Handschrift verleihen.
Das physische Album wird am 5. Juni erscheinen.
Obscura Pulse I marks the start of a new label series delving into contemporary pulsating sounds of underground wave-infused music. Selected tracks of previously unreleased material or available on vinyl for the first time.
The first edition moves through the realms of European wave music, with support from German EBM act XTR Human, Dutch/Romanian synthpunk act Badtime, Italian darkwave/post-punk duo Schonwald, German Age O.P.F., Dutch darkwave queen Camy Huot, Austrian minimal synth duo Mitra Mitra, Dutch minimal wave act Raderkraft, Belarusian goth/coldwave act Tout Debord, Dutch synthwave wizard Adam Tristar and Croatian minimal synth maestro Neon Lies.
Explore the shadow frequencies of the underground pulse: from the hard hitting warehouse EBM energy in opener “Sledgehammer” by XTR Human (remixed by Dancing Plague). The analog machinery mastered by Raderkraft in future minimal wave classic “Virtual Reality Check” or Adam Tristar exploring cinematic synth landscapes balancing between retro futurism and dark club momentum in “Goosebumps”. On the flipside, Schonwald’s “Starless” bolts menacingly on gritty drones, metallic drum programming and rumbling bass lines. Mitra Mitra crafts suspense in the elegantly synth-driven soundscape “The Lure of the Naïve” and Neon Lies closes the circle with moody synthwave melancholy in “Heavens”
IT Recordings presents ITR005 — a debut solo EP from Corium.
First spotted on the label’s V/A release and having played in some of the most iconic clubs such as Berghain or RSO, Corium steps up with a solo 4-track EP that perfectly mirrors his universe as a DJ — a complete vision, with a steady precision of groove and depth.
The opener, Liberation, catches immediately the attention with its infectious rhythmic drive and soaring vocal. An uplifting energy perfect for peak time.
Event Horizon follows as a playful and hypnotic building tool, woven with a deep drone atmosphere.
Tabula Rasa is an absolute beauty — Soft as silk, yet underpinned by a rolling, relentless bassline. A breathtaking moment of contrast and grace with emotional depth.
Total Eclipse closes the EP: atmospheric, playful and mental all at once. Equally effective as a peak-time weapon or a tension-building tool.
Taken together, ITR005 is a remarkably complete EP showing the artist’s ability to hold a floor from every angle. A perfect introduction to Corium’s world.
The Nighttripper is back with two new cuts alongside two remixes of his classic track Tone Exploitation. From peak-time techno pressure to raw uptempo Detroit-inspired energy, this release delivers on all fronts with special mention for the title track Sinister World.
This auditory universe, conceived from Adel Force's 2025 'Human LP', pushes into its' outer reaches across Sacred Amulet EP. These four offerings are filtered through a more percussive and ritualistic lens, with an emphasis on physicality. Sacred Amulet marches forward across Adel Force's unmistakable landscape of symbols, emotional archetypes & sonic storytelling. It uncovers elevated harmonic motifs, unrelenting sections of percussion and esoteric influences - drawn from infinite timelines, free of borders.
Where 'Human' explored inner worlds and emotional constellations, these expressions journey outward - travelling through ancient villages, deserts & fragments of lost history. From the incantatory energy of Courage, to the triumphant victory lap of Closer, the EP carries the same narrative DNA as previous offerings - honed into its' most raw & energetic form thus far. Heavily textural and evocative to the point of transporting the listener entirely elsewhere, Sacred Amulet EP conjures up a menagerie of esoteric imagery throughout its' pages. It stands as a companion artifact to Human, two chapters of an ever-expanding story.
Curió Curió came to flight by chance. Two artists, Rio-born, Austria-based singer and actress Luiza Monteiro and German producer Dustin Braun, had separately reached a fork in their journeys. An opportune encounter soon blossomed into an uplifting, heartfelt Brazilian MPB-groove project shaped by psychedelic disco and studio experimentation. In their own words Curió Curió’s sonic vision “is not straight disco, not straight samba, not strictly old-school but inspired by all of them, creating something contemporary but still nostalgic”.
A modern fusion influenced as much by Gal Costa and Jorge Ben Jor as Say She She and Bala Desejo, their sound deftly plots a course all of its own. A celebration of freedom, movement, love and life, intertwined with introspective moments of reflection. Treating tradition as something alive, migratory and unresolved, the album is not simply bound by a shared love of Brazilian music, but by a deeper question that runs through every track; where does one belong when home becomes plural? As a Brazilian living in Europe, Luiza's lyrics explore themes of identity, culture, and existence. The tracks move between cities and emotional registers without settling, tracing a sense of identity that shifts rather than resolves. Songs like ‘Amor Doente’ and ‘Mar sem Dar Pé’ circle around relationships that resist clarity, while ‘Menina Passarinho’ captures the fear and necessity of committing to music as a path. For Luiza, deepening her commitment to music alongside years in theatre was both inevitable and difficult. Braun’s production follows a similar logic. Initial ideas were often built without obvious reference points, only later incorporating rhythmic and vocal elements that hint at Brazil without reproducing it. Analogue techniques, tape, ribbon microphones and live ensemble recording bring a tactile quality that reflects the duo’s interest in process as much as outcome. Highlights include ‘Bem Querer’, built on an authentic samba street vibe with a super-catchy sing-along chorus, and ‘Vem pra Casa’ with its cosmic-tinged Brazilian boogie flavour. The album closes with ‘A Cor do Meu Sonho’, a quiet act of insistence. A refusal to shrink in unfamiliar environments, and a belief in the strength of difference. It is less a conclusion than a continuation, leaving the central question open. “I started to understand that I can belong to many places at once”, Luiza reflects. “And that can be something to embrace”. Lyrics from the song ‘Raiz’ translate in English to “I value a burning sun and the cold in the air. Constant change is my companion”. With Curió Curió, that idea is lived through sound, story and collaboration. A debut that feels both searching and assured, grounded in heritage yet shaped by distance.
Marking the second 12” on new Bristol label Northfield is the enigmatic Dalibor Cruz of Chicago. Pathos Peristaltica is a carefully calculated collection of 7 twisted & scuzzed out beats & interludes, expertly mastered by Beau Thomas @ Ten Eight Seven Mastering.
Echoes of Muslimgauze, Beau Wanzer, Laszlo Hortobagyi, 5 Gate Temple & Pablo’s Eye run throughout Dalibor Cruz’s work. However it seriously sounds unlike anything else out there, a true original in electronic music.
Previous releases of Dalibor Cruz have been on Natural Sciences & Chicago Research.
The Komudo series is about "exploring the past and future of trance-infused techno" and this second volume looks to the origins of those styles with French producer and live performer Sindh at the helm. He kicks off with a lithe blend of kick and bass infused with wiry electronics and spoken words that bring a psychedelic edge. 'Kulkan' is bolder and more textured, with well-swung kicks and darker bass, while 'Atm Venom' has a mix of deft clicks and subliminal bass and more prominent synths blowing in the wind. It's a pared-back but impactful style that is endlessly lively. '2058' closes with deep space ambient pads, glassy daubs and distant details that make it brilliantly mentally nourishing.
Bruno Berle is a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and figurehead of a contemporary Brazilian music movement. With a quiet mastery of songwriting and an astonishing voice, his music has won hearts around the world. Since the release of his debut album No Reino Dos Afetos (2022), Berle has performed across the UK, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and China, only leaving his home country for the first time in 2023. Shaped by these journeys, Berle’s third studio album, Sem Fronteiras (Without Borders), reflects a utopian vision of a unified world.
Recorded across London, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Germany, and Maceió, the album–co-produced alongside his longstanding musical partner Batata Boy–is the most expansive canvas Berle has worked on to date. Shot through with the imagery that has always animated his songwriting: open skies, morning light, vivid colours and the magic of human connection, Berle’s carefully crafted poetics and warm, delicate instrumentation drive this vivid body of work.
“I came from nothing”–Berle doesn’t take his rise to global prominence for granted.
Born to a working class family from Brazil’s northeastern Alagoas state, one of Brazil’s most economically deprived, Bruno moved frequently in his youth to follow any job opportunities his parents could find, before eventually settling in the coastal capital of Maceió. “I used to travel to Caruaru, Santa Cruz, Recife, Garanhuns, Arapiraca, which I loved and feel it made me ready to be in this rhythm i’, but at the same time I think not having friends from childhood and being in constant change made me a little numb to the constant upheaval”. On Sem Fronteiras, there is a similar duality at play. The album celebrates the collective joy and human connection that live touring brings, but it also sits with the darker realities of crossing borders. While music moves more freely around the world than ever before, our bodies are not granted the same privilege.
Though he’s never lacked self-belief, Berle recognises that talent alone doesn’t guarantee opportunity. “Before my second album No Reino Dos Afetos 2 everything I had ever recorded was made with the help and kindness of people who believed in my ability”. Determined to pay that kindness forward and help others from the sharp end of Brazil’s desperately unequal society, Berle produced and featured on the recent self-titled albums by his northeast Brazilian compatriots, Nyron Higor and Phylipe Nunes Araújo (both 2025), helping propel both onto the international stage. In turn, following the successes of Nyron & Phylipe’s albums alongside his own, Bruno finds himself at the forefront of a thriving community of artists now based in São Paulo, but primarily originating from northeastern states like Alagoas and Pernambuco.
Much like the famed Clube Da Esquina movement that spawned in 1970’s Minas Gerais, they operate with a free-exchange of ideas, writing songs with and for each other, performing on each other’s albums and on the live circuit together. Lead single ‘Manha’ flows from this ethos. It was written by Berle’s friend and fellow Alagoan João Menezes (writer of ‘Ate Meu Violao’ and ‘Te Amar Eterno’ from Bruno’s previous albums) and Marvin Viera, and originally recorded on their 2018 album Areia e Mar.
Sem Fronteiras opens with ‘Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo’, just six beats of one nylon guitar chord ring out before changing key, paving the way for the gentle strike of fender rhodes and the arresting call & response duet between Berle and Higor. On ‘Amor Inteiro’, the album reaches a celebratory burst of catharsis, with the punch-packing drums of Pedro Lacerda and Nina Maia’s joyous backing vocals encapsulating the live energy that Berle and his band bring to the stage.
With the abundant talents of this musical community at its heart, Sem Fronteiras releases 10th July 2026 via Far Out Recordings, supported by a summer tour across Europe. Bruno Berle will perform in a four-piece band alongside Nyron Higor, Phylipe Nunes, and Batata Boy, culminating in an appearance at Roskilde festival, Berle’s biggest live show to date. He’ll continue to carry a hopeful vision of a world where artists and musicians can move as freely as their music flows.
Tracklist:
A1 “Você Já Sabe Que Eu Te Amo”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric piano, synthesizers, vocals
Bruno Berle – piano, vocals
Batata Boy – piano
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello
A2 “Não Posso Viver Sem Você”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Bruno Berle – drums, bass, synthesizer, vocals
Jorik Bergman – score preparation and conducting
Klara Gronet – violin
Ségolène de Beaufond – violin
Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – viola
Ilektra Stevi – cello
A3 “A Noite de Estrelas”
(Nyron Higor / Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – synthesizers
Bruno Berle – bass, drums, vocals
A4 “Outra Noite”
(Bruno Berle)
Nyron Higor – drums
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass
Felipe Berle – congas
Lucca Francisco – guitar, vocals
B1 “Amor Inteiro”
(Bruno Berle)
Pedro Lacerda – drums, choir
Nyron Higor – bass, choir
Batata Boy – guitars, organ, electric piano, choir
Nina Maia – choir
Bruno Berle – guitars, acoustic guitar, congas, vocals
B2 “Ideias Mágicas”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Heloisa Alvino – trombone
Batata Boy – synthesizers, beats, electric piano, organ, bass
Bruno Berle – synthesizer, vocals
B3 “Vim Dizer”
(Batata Boy / Bruno Berle)
Batata Boy – electric piano, organ, synthesizer
Thomas Stankiewicz – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – synthesizer
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, bass, vocals
B4 “Tô Assim”
(Bruno Berle)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitars
Batata Boy – synthesizer
Nyron Higor – bass, synthesizer
B5 “Manhã”
(João Menezes / Marvin Silva)
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, congas, shaker
Batata Boy – piano, shaker, electric piano, vibraphone, synthesizers
Nyron Higor – drums, bass
B6 “Sem Fronteiras”
(Bruno Berle)
Filipe Mariz – guitar
Bruno Berle – acoustic guitar, vocals, bass
Jennifer Souza – vocals, acoustic guitar
Rudson França – drums
Credits:
Produced by Bruno Berle and Batata Boy
Mixed and mastered by Bruno Berle, Batata Boy and Felipe Berle
Audio engineering:
Nyron Higor (track 1 – production; track 4 with Felipe Berle)
Joe Osborne (tracks 7 and 9)
Victor Gelling (strings on tracks 1 and 2)
Filipe Mariz (track 10)
Photography: Claudio Virgínio
Design: Minchai
Recorded in:
Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Tamandaré, Pernambuco, Brazil
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
London, England
Cologne, Germany
LP,180, 2018 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART
The two sides of 1973's Big Business / Wind of Change are mainly the work of thegreat Keith Mansfeld but there's a killer cameo each from Alan Hawkshaw and David Snell to help deliver a thematic suite, diverse in mood, applicable to dramatic and environmental situations'. A Be With favourite and truly one for the heads.
The Big Business of side A is all the work of Keith Mansfeld. It's heavy on the suspense and features the vital Hot Property', an insistent groove so good that Madlib sampled it to lace the ace Long Awaited' by Lootpack with Dilated Peoples.
Sleeping Giant 1' is a more feshed out version of the equally-dazzling Fatal Error', evoking the orchestral magic of David Axelrod. Indeed, it conjures images of Diamond D falling over himself in the early-to-mid 90s to loop its intoxicatingly
eerie soundscape. Complete with guitar flls that recall Paris, Texas-era Ry Cooder, you need this record for this piece alone.
The horn-and-fute-led "Tycoon" is a head-nodder and "Power Complex" has some fantastic percussion. Other highlights include the breezy glide of Whistle Stop Tour' and its sister groove Clean Air.'
Over on Side B is the more expansive Wind Of Change, which includes the David Snell and the Alan Hawkshaw contributions. But these ain't no fller. Snell's shufing International Flight' sounds like a smooth Dorothy Ashby track tossed from the heavens. Hawkshaw's Road And Rail' is about as luxurious and strung-
out as the great man gets and it might just be the highlight of this whole set.
Not to be outdone, if Mansfeld's Balance Of Power' doesn't make you feel like king of the world then you must be playing it wrong. Oh, and did we mention World In Action'!
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for Big Business / Wind of Change comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regularSimon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's
brand identity.
Mermaids is many things at once: The debut single by Fila Brazillia (named after the mishearing of a Brazilian mastiff breed mentioned on the radio), the second release on Pork Recordings, a deep house master piece, the brainchild of the summer of love, a pen friend to A Man Called Adam’s Barefoot in the Head and most of all pure balearic bliss. Originally released in 1991 and subsequently featured on Old Codes, New Chaos, which according to Frank Tope at Mixmag, is "the Best Dance LP ever made”, it marked the beginning of a long and illustrious partnership for Hull natives Steve Cobby and David (Man) McSherry.
Mermaids still sounds as good and as addictive on any kind of beach or natural environment as it supposedly did on Boris Dlugosch’s Front dance floor or any other basement suffused with strobe lights at the time (or any hedonistic place for that matter). Having been already part of the latter’s and Klaus Stockhausen’s Mastermix Front Compilation, it has now been dusted off and remastered for an individual performance. Added for the first first time though is the original demo version that makes use of a different yet not less enchanting bass line.
Also included is Fila’s 1994 trippy, dare we say progressive, UK house blueprint Slacker. A seismic shift from the traditional tropes of house, it set an example for what should rock the dance music boat just a few years later. Delivered in a previously unreleased extended version for your utmost enjoyment.
Artwork note: The sleeve photograph is a proto-selfie taken by Steve in 1983 (the year the two first met). Man still has those braces.
Sonderedition auf ,Baby Pink"-Vinyl zur Sky-Original-Serie ,The Death of Bunny Munro", mit Originalmusik von Nick Cave und Warren Ellis. ,The Death of Bunny Munro" ist sowohl eine wilde Mahnung als auch ein zärtliches Porträt der Beziehung zwischen Vater und Sohn. Der Original-Soundtrack greift die rohe, unbändige Energie der Serie und des Romanvorlagens auf - ganz im Stil der für Cave und Ellis typischen emotionalen Intensität. Aufgenommen wurde bei Soundtree Music in Shoreditch, East London; Toningenieur und Co-Produzent war Luis Almau, der bereits bei zahlreichen Film- und Dokumentarfilmprojekten von Cave und Ellis mitgewirkt hat. ,The Death of Bunny Munro" ist ihr neuestes Soundtrack-Projekt; zu ihren weiteren gemeinsamen Arbeiten zählen ,The Proposition" (2005), ,The Road" (2009), ,Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" (2022) und zuletzt die Amy-Winehouse-Biografie ,Back To Black" (2024). Die Serie basiert auf dem Buch von Cave selbst und hat Matt Smith in der Hauptrolle. ,Wenn ich Bunny anschaue, sehe ich keine Abweichung - er ist ein Mensch mit Fehlern, der mit Trauer, seinem eigenen Vermächtnis und all den Dingen kämpft, die uns zu Menschen machen." - Nick Cave
Brutkho strikes back on Goldmin Music with his very first vinyl release. A first physical release is always something special and exciting, So of course, it had to be a very personal and deeply touching package of music. Horvath Tamas alias Brutkho is actually one of the artists we feel since the first listen of his music. This hungarian producer has the power to play with the unexpected, to build captivating structures without losing sight of the essential simplicity this music needs."Now & then", his first ep on Goldmin Music and "Magic 32" on the compilation were already authentic demonstrations of this guy's assertive personality and aspirations but he definitely pushed the process further on this record.
Gabriella and Coleman are two massive deep-techno stompers focused on the atmosphere, the texture, the immersion which will play with your senses from the beginning to the end and fool your previous certainties without any doubt.Tel-Aviv based producers Deep'a & Biri who recently joined Derrick May's Transmat agency and who deliver some of the finest dub techno cuts of today catched the original track delicious pianos and dropped them into their sumptuous cinetic industrial groove.French producer Jan Hendez drives it into a pure rhythmic and organic piece of music unbound by usual genre limits. Menacing, very cold yet still deep and sexy remix that reminds both his first releases and his newer strictly atmospheric and mental approach.That's exactly the point with this record. It's a meeting of spontaneous artists who never stop their musical research, who don't mind about fleeting trends and who push boundaries further on every single track they do.
Defected’s annual Ibiza ‘In The House’ mix series returns for 2026 celebrating the label’s new summer residency at Chinois Ibiza. This 3LP vinyl format collects 12 full-length standout tracks from mix compilation that perfectly capture the soundtrack of what a night at Defected in Ibiza sounds like.
Featuring the global hit ‘Edge of Desire’ from Jonas Blue, underground club tracks from Nick Curly, Dam Swindle and Groove Armada plus productions from some of the biggest DJs in Ibiza right now; ANOTR, Rampa, Honey Dijon and more.
Haas Hunt Hauff is the coming together of dark technoist Helena Hauff, her band Children Of Leir (which also features Gregg Hunt and Stuart Gray) and LFT aka Johannes Haas. The sounds are ragged, angular and rigid grooves drawn from EBM, post-punk, dub sleaze and acid-tinged electro. It's stark body music with a dehumanised core that is hella alluring: 'Transmission' has an off-kilter wobble and echo-drenched vocals, 'Tod Der Symmetrie' is in such a crush it falls over itself and 'Nein!' has shimmering synths and menacing bass that somehow brings to mind The Fall as well as Drexcyia. Brilliantly unhinged.
UK electro producer Emile Facey aka Plant43 doesn't leave it long between releases and so it is that he's back with a new EP on his own label, which once again heads to the outer edges of our galaxy. This latest electro cruise gets underway in smooth fashion with 'Glide Ratio' that rides on frictionless breaks with bleeping synths passing by as your eyes glaze over. 'Perfect Mask' has a more defined kick to it and plenty more sugary pads and pixelated arps, then 'Glowing Undertow' rides on rubbery drum patterns with nice brushed metal snares and glassy chords that reflect the light of the distant sun. 'Octagon Path' offers contrast with a darker sound and more menacing low end. Pure class as ever.
Nach der Veröffentlichung von „idea 1“, kündigt Kelela ihr neues, drittes Album an, das am 10. Juli bei Warp Records erscheint – und veröffentlicht die zweite Single „linknb“, produziert von Oscar Scheller.
Der Track entstand in einer Phase der Schreibblockade und begann als Mantra, das Kelela schrieb, um sich wieder an die Arbeit zu bringen. Angeführt von einem labyrinthischen Gitarrenriff über treibenden Metal-Drums ist „linknb“ ein Song über Selbstvertrauen, das man sich durch Schwierigkeiten erarbeitet hat, darüber, sich nicht klein machen zu lassen. „Es ist nicht schwer, mutig zu sein / Es ist leichter, zu viel preiszugeben / Ich weiß nur, dass ich den Weg geebnet habe, unterbezahlt.“
Das von Mischa Notcutt inszenierte Video versetzt Kelela in die Mitte einer urbanen Traumlandschaft. Als enger Freund und Kelelas ehemaliger Kreativdirektor war Notcutt die naheliegende Wahl. Das Video lässt Realismus und Abstraktion ineinanderfließen und verwandelt eine einsame Reise in eine Meditation über Selbstfindung und Erneuerung.
Mit „new avatar“ rückt alles, worauf Kelela hingearbeitet hat, in den Fokus. Sie begann ihre ersten Songs in der Indie-Szene von Washington, D.C. zu schreiben, bevor die Clubmusik und die elektronische Produktion, die ihre frühe Karriere prägten, die Oberhand gewannen. Mit „new avatar“ schließt sie den Kreis: R&B, unterlegt mit verzerrten Gitarrenklängen, trifft auf neue Schnittstellen in der Tanzmusik und gipfelt in einem Sound, der aus all den musikalischen Einflüssen schöpft, die sie je geprägt haben. Das Album enthält zudem Kollaborationen mit PinkPantheress, A. K. Paul und Fousheé.
„Dieses Album findet Trost in der Konfrontation“, sagt Kelela. „Ich möchte nicht, dass die Musik von dem ablenkt, was wirklich in der Welt vor sich geht; ich möchte, dass sie in dieser verrückten Zeit Sinn ergibt und den Menschen gleichzeitig hilft, mit der Schönheit und Freude in Kontakt zu kommen, die sie ebenfalls erleben.“
Das Album setzt sich mit einer Welt auseinander, die aus allen Nähten auseinanderfällt, und mit der Klarheit, die das Überleben erfordert.
„Die Leute sollten auch wissen, dass meine Freunde und ich ständig lachen und dass Humor kein Abwehrmechanismus ist; er ist Ausdruck dafür, wie scharfsinnig wir die Dinge einschätzen und wie klar wir die Welt sehen.“
Im Kern schildert „new avatar“ eine vielschichtige Erfahrung, und obwohl die Außenwelt präsent ist, schwächt sie Kelelas Entschlossenheit zu keinem Zeitpunkt.
About Kelela: Throughout her globally revered, boundary-pushing career, Kelela has established a lane of her own in R&B and electronic music. On her long-awaited third album, new avatar, the singer/songwriter (through the versatility of the guitar) challenges perceptions of these genres, while weaving together fragments of lived experiences to shape a world of connection and resilience during times of unrest.
The songs journey through Black femme rage, joy as resistance, Gotham City-esque dystopia, misogynoir, romantic tension, and more. It’s anchored by production that demands a broader rethink about alternative, rock and indie music.
Kelela’s defiant nature has propelled her so far already — from her hometown of Washington, D.C to world stages. In 2013, she released her debut mixtape, Cut 4 Me. She continued solidifying her revolutionary R&B sound with 2015’s Hallucinogen EP, with The New York Times naming its single, “Rewind,” one of the “25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going”. By 2017, she released her electric debut album Take Me Apart (which was followed by 2018’s TAKE ME A_PART, THE REMIXES), building upon her intimate storytelling.
After a nearly five-year hiatus, she returned in 2023 with her groundbreaking second album, Raven, and its critically-acclaimed counterpart, RAVE:N, The Remixes in 2024. Raven has been hailed as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2023’ by Pitchfork, Billboard, Vulture, Variety, and more, while the remixes solidified her as a leader in the dance music space.
In 2025, Kelela showcased yet another innovative side of her artistry with her live album In The Blue Light, which hit #5 on the Contemporary Jazz chart and #20 on the Jazz Albums chart. Now, with new avatar, Kelela displays the masterful intention she puts into forming new sonic cityscapes. But don’t confuse it with escapism: “I don't want the music to be a distraction from what's really going on in the world; I want it to help you get into it.”
Jungle by Night Speaks Out on their latest full length album, Bar Dancing: An Ode to Friendship, the Dance Floor, and the Voice
Since their teenage years, the Amsterdam-based groove collective Jungle by Night has been conquering music venues and festivals with their ever-expanding mix of styles—krautrock, nu-disco, electro-pop. After six largely instrumental studio albums, the group—now consisting of six musicians—changes course on their seventh long-player. On Bar Dancing, set for release in early 2027 via the Amsterdam-based Rush Hour label, the band does something they have never done before: they sing.
Where brass, percussion, and synths previously told the stories, lyrics and vocals now demand their space as well. It gives the band room to put words to the topics that occupy their minds: the pitfalls of digital addiction, the dark sides of fake news, toxic masculinity, and the connection they experience while touring together.
The title Bar Dancing captures the essence of the album. It is an ode to friendship, connection, and the night. The record radiates the atmosphere of a pub where you sit at the bar discussing life, only to find yourself dancing in that very same bar moments later. Analog and warmly produced, the album builds on influences from '80s pop, krautrock, and Neue Deutsche Welle. Think of the playfulness of Talking Heads, the dub influences of UB40, the electronic layers of Air, and the tight "computer love" of Kraftwerk.
Band member Hy Tienson explains: "For the first time, we are literally giving a voice to our thoughts. It makes the music more personal, more direct, and more layered, without losing that signature, uplifting Jungle groove."
With Bar Dancing, Jungle by Night delivers an album that invites both listening and dancing. It marks a new phase for the band, taking another step forward with a renewed sound and their own lyrics.
The 2nd 3AM Eternal EP brings 2 tracks from Huddersfield based artist Duburban, who has been releasing an impressive amount of quality EP's on a variety of labels the last couple of years. Both tunes expertly blend the ruff with the smooth. Rare groove infused jungle with soundclash mentality at its finest! FFF returns to the label with 2 tracks on the B-side. Both are a bit more subtle than his usual output but still plenty of choppage, vibes moving between dark and light, euphoric and energetic.
After the success of the first two chapters, label owner Sciahri returns with the third installment of Pareidolia, further expanding the series' distinct sonic narrative.
The EP opens with No More Time, a perfect balance of power and finesse, where hypnotic vocal loops elevate the tension. It then transitions into Near the Bar, a groove-driven gem with refined textures that make it simply irresistible.
On the flip side, Two Letters follows up on the iconic One Letter, bringing back its unmistakable, heavy-hitting bassline and perfectly placed vocals that make it truly unique.
Closing the EP is Hit and Run, a deeply hypnotic yet driving cut, blending mental intensity and epic energy into a captivating sonic experience.
Forbidden Teachings is honoured to welcome back Italian artist Nigh/T\mare for the release of his first full-length album on the label. Across ten carefully crafted pieces, “Through” channels the artist’s singular sound, one that resonates through the bones and awakens what lies dormant within. Through pain and despair, through love and hope, the album becomes a passage through impermanence itself, revealing the fragile veil that both binds and defines us. Can the soul ever truly break free, or are we destined to remain shaped by these shifting forces? “Through”offers no answers, only a mirror for those willing to look.