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Green coloured vinyl edition of William The Conqueror’s
‘Maverick Thinker’ album from last year, released to
coincide with the band’s upcoming tour and book
publication.
 William The Conqueror have paid their damn dues. Like
the sportsman cutting chipped teeth in the lower leagues
before shooting to the very top, this band have lugged all
the amps, placated the in-house sound guy for an easier
life, their nails dirty, their hair unkempt. Enough.
 Except it’s never enough, because despite their slinky,
swampy, razor-sharp, blues-drenched, guitar thrashed
alt. rock songs that form new album ‘Maverick Thinker’
and suggest that the door is opening for bigger rooms
and broader audiences, it’s those sticky basement bar
stages where the songs have always shed a skin and
come alive. The record put the three piece behind the
glass at Sound City Studios in LA, treading the same
carpet as the likes of Nirvana, Johnny Cash, Neil Young,
and Fleetwood Mac and they might well have inhaled
the spirit of them all.
 William The Conqueror’s protagonist is Ruarri Joseph,
who knows his way around a melody and a verse.
Joseph’s wryness suggests life just ain’t plain sailin’ and
he fizzes that sigh and lament into something that
breathes heavy with heart and with soul.
 LP in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeve and
digital download card.

"Two Duos" is pressed from cellist Okkyung Lee's most recent OTO Residency; the first side a duo with Jérôme Noetinger on Revox B77 and the second with Nadia Ratsimandresy on Ondes Martenot. Cut together, the two meetings seem to raise three cellos in the search for expressive voice: the cello, its magnetic reproduction, and the dual controls of the machine invented to expand on its musical qualities. On the A side Noetinger's opening tape hiss establishes a current; an electrical partner who gives Lee room to slide across and stretch out. Progressively the cello is returned, duplicated and manipulated with increased velocity and distortion. Noetinger draws out the full extent of Lee's extended technique; rewinding strands of Lee's horse hair and transmuting her percussive attacks into shuddering echos, before letting his own concrete interjections spin the duo's sonic tussle into an almost romantic daydream. On side B the ondes (invented by French cellist and wartime radio operator Maurice Eugene Louis Martenot and so loved by Bernard Parmegiani, Varese and Messiaen) seems shaken from classical tradition and those long, drawn out horrorscapes it has come to be associated with. In a duel with Lee, Ratsimandresy grasps the ondes' extraordinary capacity for dexterity, nuance and speed, hounding Lee's cello in a bid to drive her instrument out of the past and into the future. Two fantastic pairings and a testament to the freshness with which Lee and her collaborators continue to work with their instruments. Okkyung Lee / cello. Jérôme Noetinger / Revox B77. Nadia Ratsimandresy / ondes Martenot. Recorded live at Cafe OTO on. Mixed and mastered by Lasse Marhaug. Design by Maja Larrson.

In the late ‘70s Greg Sage formed his punk rock band Wipers. Even though most of his devoted fans consider it a trajesty that his name isn’t as known as the bands that were inspired by him (Nirvana a.o), the misunderstood and underrated musician was happy to remain in the underground. Throughout his lengthy and prolific career with a cult following, he has always been known to downplay any attention or recognition given to him, preferring to let the music speak for itself. His original idea of the band was to never go on tour or do interviews, to be mysterious and let listeners have their own ideas. However, he found out early that being involved in the music industry demanded many compromises.

In 1987 their fifth studio album came out, Follow Blind. It was released on Restless Records and went on to become a cult classic. The album is available on black vinyl.

Inner Vision also features four cuts, these courtesy of DJ Compufunk, aka Nao from Osaka. He's the founder of Compufunk Records (the longest-running record shop for House and Techno in Japan) and, as the four solidly crafted tracks show, an experienced producer in his own right. The vertigo-inducing title track struts aggressively with a high-velocity swing peppered by tinkling synth accents and acidy squelches, after which “Abyss” cools the pace for a sexier House style (a swishing drum machine detail even gives the cut a rather Kraftwerk-like tinge). On the flip, “Midnight Sky” grooves as boldly, this time with a smattering of Garage worked into its swing and chiming synths brightening the mix, while “Mind Power” changes things up with a swirling bottom end that's so dizzying it's positively gyroscopic. Dj Compufunk sn't averse to packing his productions with layers of dizzying detail, and as a result the stimulation level remains high throughout. Strictly limited 250 copies.

Wir erbauen unser neues Imperium aus der Asche eines alten“ – mit diesen Worten kündigt die GRAMMYprämierte, schwedische Instanz der theatralischen Rockmusik, GHOST, die bevorstehende Veröffentlichung ihres fünften Studioalbums, IMPERA, an, das am 11. März über Loma Vista Recordings erscheint. Nachdem der Vorgänger, das 2018 für das beste Rock-Album mit einem Grammy nominierte PREQUELLE, im 14. Jahrhundert und zur Zeit der europäischen Pest-Pandemie angesiedelt war, sehen sich Ghost mit IMPERA wortwörtlich hunderte von Jahren in der Zeit nach vorn katapultiert. Das Ergebnis ist das ambitionierteste und textlich prägnanteste Werk in Ghosts Album-Kanon: Im Verlauf des 12-Song-Zyklus‘ von IMPERA, entstehen und vergehen Imperien, betreiben Möchtegern-Messiasse ihre (gleichermaßen monetär wie spirituell motivierten) Hype-Marktschreiereien und werden Prophezeiungen gemacht, während das Firmament mit Himmelskörpern von göttlicher und menschgemachter Natur erfüllt wird. Das thematisch aktuellste Ghost-Album bislang spielt sich vor einem hypnotischen, düster-bunten melodischem Hintergrund ab, was IMPERA zu einem unvergleichlichen Hörerlebnis macht.

Franz Ferdinand announce ‘Hits To The Head’, a 20-track greatest
hits collection showcasing the world-conquering success of the
band’s career to date.
 Released on Domino, ‘Hits To The Head’ also features two brandnew tracks - ‘Billy Goodbye’ and ‘Curious’, produced by Alex
Kapranos, Julian Corrie and Stuart Price (Dua Lipa, Madonna, Pet
Shop Boys).
 Armed with an astute sense of what constitutes the ‘classic pop song’
(famously proclaiming that they write music “to make girls dance to”),
the music of Franz Ferdinand continues to resonate globally and over
the course of nearly two decades they’ve become, commercially and
critically, one of the biggest UK bands in the world, selling over 10
million albums, 1.2 billion streams to date, 14 Platinum albums,
winning Brit, Ivor Novello and Mercury Prize awards, Grammy
nominations and selling six million tickets for their incendiary live
show worldwide.
 Deluxe CD in hardback book-style sleeve with 48-page case-bound
booklet with liner notes by JD Beauvallet plus lyrics.
 CD in standard jewel case with clear tray and 24-page booklet with
liners by JD Beauvallet.
 2LP into black poly-lined inner sleeves plus 16-page booklet with
liners by JD Beauvallet and digital download card.

If this word "music" is sacred and reserved for eighteenth and nineteenth century instruments, we can substitute a more meaningful term: organization of sound.
- John Cage

Kista returns from a long hiatus with his first ever all instrumental LP.

Songs From The Seas Edge takes us on a journey into the mind of producer and Graffiti Writer Kista.

It's an album where all his early influences or things that intrigued him, all come together, his love for Sc-Fi Movies, Hip Hop, 80's Arcade Games, John Carpenter Soundtracks and Films (you will notice a few vocal samples from his films nestled away among the songs) and many other things that influenced him growing up as a kid.

In a world now dominated by Playlists and the digital age, Kista took a step back to try and make an album that all fitted together, a concept album based around living on the coast as a kid in the 80's.
“ I started going through samples i put aside years ago and started to go back to them, to try and make them all fit and blend together to form an instrumental album”.

“It's kind of hard to explain where Songs From The Sea's Edge fits to my previous work” explains Kista
“ I wanted to make something for myself that I could then share, a journey, something to listen to from start to finish,with certain samples making an apperance in more than just one track.

Songs From The Sea's Edge has an hypnotic and haunting synergy to it, it's atmospheric, melodic but is still firmly rooted in Kista's love for Hip Hop.

Press play and enjoy.

The long awaited third volume of our "Algo salvaje" series, featuring untamed 1960s beat and garage nuggets from Spain. "Algo salvaje" is an anthology devoted to a rich period when hundreds of bands appeared all over Spain and, after paying attention to what their US and British contemporaries were doing, found their own way to vent their teenage rebellion through loud guitars. With amazing results! Many of the 28 tracks are reissued for the first time, including very hard-to-find records. This double LP gatefold package includes extensive notes by Vicente Fabuel featuring all the original record sleeves and artist photos. "Algo salvaje" ("Something Wild"), now reaching its third volume, celebrates the darkest, neglected and rebellious side of Spanish beat. Internationally labelled as nuggets (after the original compilation of the same name concocted by Jac Holzman and Lenny Kaye in 1972 for the Elektra label), the more common garage rock label has been used to place and describe one of the most fertile chapters of rock & roll history during its most creative years. An underground story which has luckily become known, with participants from all around the globe which included anonymous musicians, independent record labels with impossible names and ridiculously limited pressings, often not more than a few hundred copies. The tracks chosen for the occasion, a selection filtered strictly by their musical value, adhere to the rules of the classic nugget genre while demonstrating the permeability of garage sound and its inevitable evolution at the turn of the decade (1967-1974) through mixes that embraced psychedelia, soul and even prog rock. Epic and pretty wild. Just the kind of material that this record label usually handles. Many of the 28 tracks are reissued for the first time, including extremely hard-to-find records. This double-LP package includes extensive notes by genre-expert Vicente Fabuel featuring all the original record sleeves and artist photos. So let the band play...

In the small inland town of São Domingos on Cape Verde's Santiago Island, The Ano Nobo Quartet delivers a fresh take on Koladera, a guitar-driven, subtly rhythmic sound of a lighter spirit. Their sound tells a global story with Cape Verde at its center, a creole melting pot in the middle of the Atlantic attracting the best from four continents: hypnotic, haunting Koladera guitars inflected with twangs of Salsa Cubano, Spanish Flamenco, Brazilian Samba Canção, Jamaican Reggae, Argentine Tango, Mozambican Marrabenta, and finished with a dash of Black American Blues. It's all here. Absent percussion, the quartet's sound still drips with rhythm. Rich, raw acoustic music you can dance to.

This album was recorded in three locations on Santiago Island: at homes, by the sea, and on the volcanic hills of Cape Verde. Each location used a mobile recording studio equipped with different mics placed near and far to capture both the Spanish and Chinese-made guitars and the natural environment that shapes the saudade, a melancholic longing, of Koladera. Each space has its own atmosphere heard in the interludes.

A double LP pressed at 45 RPM for an even silkier listening experience and packaged in a luxurious matte-laminated gatefold with a high quality 12-page booklet along with a hardcover bookcase CD with a 24-page booklet.

Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal is a 5LP vinyl boxset
celebrating the prolific body of work Casal left behind over the course of
14 studio albums
Recording sessions for the project began in February 2020 led by co-producers
Dave Schools of Widespread Panic and seven time Grammy- Award winning
recording engineer/ producer Jim Scott at PLYRZ Studios in Valencia, CA.Over
forty artists appear on the tribute including Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks,
Jonathan Wilson, Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band, Steve Earle, Warren
Haynes, Jaime Wyatt, and Shooter Jennings among numerous others. The first
single and video from the recording was captured during the initial sessions in
February 2020. It features Billy Strings with Circles Around the Sun performing
"All The Luck In The World.

Following his debut on the label in 2019 - ‘Mind Dweller’ (COUNTER013) - Frankfurt’s Stefan Alexis is back with his next chapter of four atypical, undulating club tracks.

The EP features ‘Eratosthene’, a shimmering up-tempo weapon in collaboration with label founder Inland, alongside three other diverse cuts highlighting some of the Macedonian psychotherapist’s favourite modes of play: filter-funk, acid, broken-beats, sampling.

This release comes on 180g 12’’ vinyl and digital, featuring artwork by Berlin-based Norweigan painter Tyra Tingleff.

Da die Scheibe mit 20 Songs mehr cooles Material enthält, als auf eine einzelne CD passen würde, erscheint „Life Below Zero“ als Doppelalbum.
Zudem wird es eine streng limitierte Fanbox geben, die u.a. eine Bonus-CD mit 6 bisher unveröffentlichten Tracks enthält.
Allein in der Dunkelheit, 24/7 nicht das kleinste Licht, ein wenig Nähe oder den Hauch von Wärme. Nur erdrückende Stille, beklemmende Einsamkeit und klirrende Kälte. In „7even Days of Darkness“ bauen sich nach und nach treibende Beats auf und peitschen Dir eiskalt ins Gesicht. Doch Du
trotzt dem scheinbar aussichtslosen Schicksal und entgegnest: „Now I will gather power and bring it to an end.“ Du kämpfst, aber die Kälte und
das Eis scheinen Dich zu überwältigen und in die Knie zu zwingen...Doch dann tauchen plötzlich Dr. Schnee, Der Frost, °Celsius und von Fahrenheit
vor Dir auf und halten Dir den „Mirror“ vor Dein nahezu erstarrtes Gesicht. Mit melodiösen Synthie-Sounds, eindringlichem Gesang und Beats,
zu denen Du einfach tanzen MUSST, tauen sie Deine eingefrorenen Glieder auf und schenken Dir neue Hoffnung. Du erkennst, dass Musik, Liebe
und Freude stärker sind als Dunkelheit und Kälte.
20 Songs. 14 auf Englisch. 6 auf Deutsch. Auf „Life Below Zero“ finden sich so viele deutsche Tracks, wie auf keinem anderen Eisfabrik-Album
zuvor. Die Meister des Future-Pop zeigen mal wieder, wie man innerhalb von Sekunden das Eis bricht und ein wahres Feuerwerk an heißen Beats,
mitreißenden Synthie-Sounds und großartigen Texten auf die Tanzfläche und die Gehörgänge abfeuert.
Gänsehaut und Muskelkater vom Tanzen sind hier gleichermaßen vorprogrammiert und eins ist sicher: bei den ganzen fetten Dance-Tracks wird
so schnell niemandem kalt.

Stopped in the middle of a French and English tour by the Covid epidemic,
THE CELTIC SOCIAL CLUB immediately threw itself into the writing and
recording of what will become its fourth album - Combining absence and
distance, the seven Franco-Irish have patiently built, through the Channel
and from their respective home studios, these twelve titles which are
certainly, to this day, the most free, elegant and successful in their
discography
With great bursts of rock energy, pop melody and folk magic, DANCING OR
DYING? is simply a great record made by a band imposing a sound, a style and a
name.
The Times running a full page feature, mid February - (band are flying out
journalist to a big show they have in France). UK Full band show at Nell's, London
on 24th Feb. Festival confirmed Wickham, Beautiful Days, Glastonbury, Tolpuddle
Martyrs, Little Orchard. Julian Spear PR Andy Prevezer Plugging Mdnight Mango
Agent

First Word Records is very proud to present you with 'Peace + Harmony'. The first EP from our most recent signing, K S R .

Hailing from Moss Side, Manchester, this young talent has been steadily building a rep for himself over the past few years as one of the UK's most exciting soul vocalists, with his releases encompassing an eclectic assortment of alternative R&B, future soul, hip hop and D&B. Influenced by an array of neo-soul artists, such as D'Angelo and Anderson .Paak, his own soulful style has already seen him tour and collaborate with a number of UK peers; working on projects with label-mates Children of Zeus & Australia's REMi, and supporting the likes of Etta Bond & The Mouse Outfit, as well as performing sell-out headline solo shows in Manchester and London, and playing various festivals across Europe, including the We Out Here festival very recently.

Since he began developing his music in 2017, K S R has had support from the likes of 1Xtra, BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Mixmag, NTS, Reprezent, Unity & Soho Radio, in addition to featuring on a slew of D&B tracks with artists like Lenzman, BCee, Emba & Redeyes. The collab with Emba was recently named a 'Kiss FM Future Selection' courtesy of Hybrid Minds and features have been supported on Spotify's 'New Music Friday' and 'Mandem - Kings' amongst others. His debut release 'Unfiltered' appeared on Polarface Records in 2019, which was followed by single 'Flex With Me' (also produced by Tyler Daley from Children of Zeus) then an independent second EP, 'Take Control', followed in late 2020 (during the pandemic) which amassed over 500k streams. Additionally to the releases, he was recently recruited by Manchester United as part of their 21/22 season kit announcements, as well as working with Nike and Size? on a special MCR-themed Air Force 1 release.

It's now time for a new extended project from Roosevelt Kazaula Sigsbert - better known as K S R . 'Peace + Harmony' is a solid set of alternative R&B, produced by Dom Porter and mixed by Eric Lau. Six tracks in all, including the single, 'Harmless' (which received support from the likes of Mr. Scruff (Worldwide FM), BBC Manchester and Victoria Jane (BBC Radio 1), was 'Track Of The Week' on 1Xtra/BBC Introducing, and saw the video racking up several thousand plays in its first weekend) and follow-up 'CGWY' featuring Children of Zeus on a brand new interpretation of their classic track 'Get What's Yours'. From the intro track 'I Wonder', to the downlow future soul of 'Lily Apart', to the autobiographical vibes of 'Born In '98', to the closing track 'Given Summer', also featuring the vocals of Ayeisha Raquel, each track on the EP is of course laced with Roosevelt's unmistakable silky smooth vocals, and is set to join his already impressive catalogue of underground soul classics such as 'Alien Boo', 'Stylin' and 'New Love'.

K S R says "my third EP, P E A C E + H A R M O N Y is a collection of my thoughts and experiences from my journey throughout the last two years of my life. Lots of aspects of my life changed over 24 months, along with everyone around the globe. When we were thrown into the unknown at the start of 2020, I stepped away from music for a while as I couldn't find any peace in my creativity and needed to evolve. I finally started to feel cohesive with my songwriting and music, and I could feel harmony between myself and my art once again."

'Peace + Harmony' by K S R is released on vinyl & digital on First Word Records, late 2021.

Das Warten hat ein Ende! 30 Jahre nach Bandgründung melden sich die Diamond Dogs, Schwedens Boogie-Rock-Legende, mit einem neuen Studioalbum zurück. 'Slap Bang Blue Rendezvous' ist eine Doppel-Album mit insgesamt 24 Songs, das von Tomas Skogsberg produziert und gemischt wurde. Skogsberg beschreibt es wie folgt: 'This is my masterpiece, my White Album'! Musikalisch bieten die schwedischen Rock 'n' Roller ihre spezielle Mischung aus UK-Glam und Blue-Eyed-Soul der frühen 70er Jahre. Klingt wie The Faces, Slade, Mott The Hoople, Kinks oder Rolling Stones!

Das Warten hat ein Ende! 30 Jahre nach Bandgründung melden sich die Diamond Dogs, Schwedens Boogie-Rock-Legende, mit einem neuen Studioalbum zurück. 'Slap Bang Blue Rendezvous' ist eine Doppel-Album mit insgesamt 24 Songs, das von Tomas Skogsberg produziert und gemischt wurde. Skogsberg beschreibt es wie folgt: 'This is my masterpiece, my White Album'! Musikalisch bieten die schwedischen Rock 'n' Roller ihre spezielle Mischung aus UK-Glam und Blue-Eyed-Soul der frühen 70er Jahre. Klingt wie The Faces, Slade, Mott The Hoople, Kinks oder Rolling Stones!

C-L-A-S-S-I-C library breaks and beats set of heavy drums and louche funk.

One of two Be With forays into the archives of revered British library institution Conroy, we present one of our favourites on the label - the super in-demand Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms, originally released in 1975. Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that rarely turns up on even the deepest dig.

As a single LP, Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms is two distinctly different collections of music. The first side, Dramatic Tempi, is made up of four tracks each from Sammy Burdson and Klaus Weiss.

Sammy Burdson was one of the many, many aliases of the mighty Austrian composer, arranger and conductor, Gerhard Narholz. Founder of adored library label Sonoton in 1965, and a classically trained composer, his work runs from easy listening through pop, jazz and electronic, to avant-garde.

About as cult as it gets when it comes to library music legends (German or otherwise) Klaus Weiss produced essential records on German library labels Coloursound, Selected Sound and Sonoton, as well as making two essential entries in the Conroy catalogue. Having started his career at the age of 16 as a jazz drummer, the Klaus Weiss trademark electronic sound is unsurprisingly built on top of sometimes funky, sometimes frenetic, but always hard-hitting drums.

The second side is both titled and also credited to Larry Robbins Background Rhythms. We have to admit to being stumped as to who Larry was, but we don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to assume it might well be yet another incarnation of Gerhard Narholz’s.

First up from Dramatic Tempi are the phased, gargantuan hip-hop beats of Sammy Burdson’s impeccable “Pop Waves”. This is otherworldly funk on a whole new level. Hearing is believing. The magnificently titled “Cyclodrom” is up next, a beast of booming bass and wah wah guitars over frenetic funk drums. “Devils Drive” is dramatic, blaxploitation street funk with rolling, pounding drums. “Crime Ways” is an acid-squelch, slow-pace neck-snapper.

Klaus Weiss starts by askings us “Is It Hip” and we can only answer “yes it is!” to the clean, skipping drums, booming bass and proto-hip-hop bells, layered beneath laconic and melodic guitar shredding. This is just horizontal soul perfection. “The Camp”, propelled by jazzy guitar à la Joe Pass over fast drum and conga breaks, gives way to the dark guitars and cymbal crashes of “Tomorrow”. It sounds like an early New Order jam session. Closing out a pretty startling side of library greatness, “Rhythm Trip” presents early stuttering funk before easin' on in to a jazzy, soulful groove; all breezy guitar and warm keys. Lush.

Larry Robbins Background Rhythms is a lighter, poppier affair, but it’s not without its drum-heavy bangers. “Vox Pop” and “Pop Phase” each have clean, open-ish drum breaks, ripe for sampling or more daring DJ sets. “Pop Twang” is a short and sweet beat-heavy number that gives way to the fantastically out-there “Canned Pop”. We‘d love to know if this was ever actually licensed for something! The final seven tracks are a set of 1-to-2 minute “Percussion Takes”. All compelling, and all equally useful for any number of production needs. Get sampling.

The British library label with those instantly recognisable “orangey-red” sleeves, Conroy began releasing production music in 1965. A sub-label of Berry Music Co, its catalogue typified the library industry’s strange mixture of tradition and experimentation from the start. Conroy’s early releases included work by big band stalwarts like Eddie Warner as well as early electronic recordings by the likes of Belgian experimental pioneer Arséne Souffriau. With Berry Music Co working as a distribution partner to the German library label Sonoton, it was through the Conroy that a great deal of German library music found its way into the UK market.

Conroy stopped putting out new music in the 1980s, but its history and its catalogue offer an excellent window into the trends and eccentricities of a highly unique industry at the height of its international appeal.

This re-issue of Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms has been mastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis from audio from the original tapes. Richard Robinson has handled reproducing the iconic, hypnotic original Conroy sleeve. Essential.

The second Be With foray into the archives of revered German library institution Selected Sound is one of our favourites, Sound Inventions from Klaus Weiss Rhythm And Sounds, originally released in 1979.

From the notoriously strong mind of Niagara drummer / library-funk overlord Klaus Weiss, Sound Inventions is loaded with tripped out studio funk-freakery, mad samples and swaggering abstract funk grooves. From dramatic deep disco with dark Italo/Moroder leanings to heavy German funk breaks, this is absolutely sensational. Absolute synth-and-string-drenched magic.

Born in 1942 in Gevelsberg, Germany, Klaus Weiss began his career as a jazz drummer at sixteen (with a group called the Jazzopators) before working with the internationally successful 60s groups the Klaus Doldinger Quartet and the Erwin Lehn Big Band. In 1965 he formed his own trio, the first of many groups to bear his name, and as his renown as a bandleader grew over the next decade it naturally lead to working in production music.

About as cult as it gets when it comes to library music legends (German or otherwise), he produced essential records on German library labels Coloursound, Selected Sound and Sonoton, as well as making two essential entries in the Conroy catalogue. Collections of music in the trademark Klaus Weiss sound of electronics unsurprisingly built on top of sometimes funky, sometimes frenetic, but always hard-hitting drums.

Sound Inventions is one of those library records with a hefty track list, 22 in total, but they’re all pretty stunning. That’s not something you can often say and picking out the highlights is almost impossible. If pushed, we’d steer you towards the tough teutonic funk of “Drumcrazy”, the by turns juddering and sweeping majesty of the title track “Sound Inventions”, the aquatic serenity of “Glide”, the elegant strut of “Greenwich Street”, the muted, eerie cosmic-funk of “Air Space”, the squelchy acid-clavs of “Rhythm Function”, the calming, melodic “Waves”, the stuttering proto-Timbaland sensation that is “Rainbows” and the percussive funk-fuelled workout of “A Few Cuts”. Phew. Heavy indeed!

Founded in the late 60s by German composer and musician Klaus Netzle, Selected Sound began as a production music company specialising in jazz, orchestral and electronic recordings. You can’t miss those early LPs in their iconic glossy metallic copper sleeves with minimal German typography. Serious, classy stuff.

This re-issue of Sound Inventions has been mastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis from audio from the original tapes. Richard Robinson has handled reproducing the glossy metallic (iconic) original Selected Sound sleeve. Essential.

Tape

Foam and Sand is the ambient soundscape and visual project of award-winning composer and conceptual artist, Robot Koch. Inspired by the composer’s daily habit of meditation, ideas for the project started to take shape during the lockdown of 2020. Using tape recordings of slowed-down pianos, modular synths, and other sonic sources, »Full Circle« is a collection of 16 warm and organic ambient tracks.

»Full Circle Reworks« comes with an international selection of some of the most interesting and upcoming names in the ambient/electronic/modern classical community: Midori Hirano, Hainbach, Slow Meadow, Alaskan Tapes, Tom Ashbrook, Arms and Sleepers, Birds Of The West, Julien Marchal and Six Missing.

Since their debut in 2017 and the highly acclaimed
latest album ‘No God? No Problem’ (released in
2019,’ Detroit freak rockers The Lucid Furs have
performed over 100 out of state shows, invading
music venues to wash minds with their heavy
blues rock concoctions.
 The band‘s live performances build up with a big,
head bang energy, winding down to sultry blues,
then blasting back into hard rock with a dash of
funk you can’t help but dance to.
 Their new album won’t make any exception. The
band’s heavily grooving talent and soul of the
blues is immediately evident, driven by a vibrant
70’s vintage vibe.
 Their songs embody a culmination of each
member’s early influences, ranging from rock
classics like Alice Cooper and Heart, to Chicago
blues like Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy, to the era
of alternative rock groups like Soundgarden and
Queens Of The Stone Age.
 For fans of All Them Witches, Janis Joplin, Led
Zeppelin, Rival Sons, Cream, Queens Of The
Stone Age, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Pills.
 Red coloured vinyl LP.

Re-mastering by: Cicely Baston at Alchemy/Air Mastering

Recorded in 1986 in Paris and originally released only in France, Great Friends mines the John Coltrane spiritual legacy with fervent incantatory playing and an ecstatic charge. Not that alto saxophonist Fortune and tenor man Harper necessarily speak with Trane’s voice, but the intensity of their playing and their use of certain scales and modes produce a Tranelike atmosphere. Drummer Hart (who organized this band at the request of a Japanese promoter), bassist Workman and pianist Cowell form a hard-hitting team alongside the horns.

Things begin with “Cal Massey,” a tribute penned by Cowell. Harper sets the spiritual vibe in motion with a big-toned, take-no-prisoners solo. The Texas tenor man has the heaviest low-register sound in the business. On Workman’s “East Harlem Nostalgia,” he chomps into the low notes as a prelude to wailing runs into the upper register. Harper’s up tempo “Insight” is the album’s tour de force, with rippling solos and torrid exchanges between the saxophonists. Fortune’s searing tone is well suited to the exuberant joyride of this performance.

The rhythm section can be compared to the McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones triumvirate that backed Trane. Equally heavyweight and agile, it is relentless in its conviction and spiritual attitude.

Tape

Foam and Sand is the ambient soundscape and visual project of award-winning composer and conceptual artist, Robot Koch. Inspired by the composer’s daily habit of meditation, ideas for the project started to take shape during the lockdown of 2020, growing organically under the radar until Foam and Sand was officially announced in 2021. Using tape recordings of slowed-down pianos, modular synths, and other sonic sources, »Full Circle« is a collection of 16 warm and organic ambient tracks. The signature sound is created with loops that magnify the irregularities and imperfections of cassette recordings and that are then shaped by the artist into hazy meditative journeys. Through the process, the grainy subtleties of sound give way to vast and lush atmospheric soundscapes, making audible the complex interplay of micro and macro and highlighting the interconnectedness of these two spheres in life.

“I started meditating 7 years ago. It’s interesting that meditation and medicine have the same root syllable. Meditating before working on my music resets my brain and helps me access ideas that are layers deeper than my conscious mind. Foam and Sand started as a self-soothing project which I now share with the intention of providing healing and inspiration to others.” - Robot Koch

24K Magic, the critically acclaimed, RIAA certified platinum album from multiple GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter/producer/director/musician Bruno Mars, featuring the hit records, “24K Magic”, “That’s What I Like” and “Versace on the Floor”, is out on a Limited-Edition Gold Vinyl on February 11th, 2022.

Bruno Mars is a 21-time GRAMMY Award nominee and multi-GRAMMY winner. The celebrated singer, songwriter, producer, musician has sold over 171 million singles worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. His most recent critically acclaimed and RIAA certified platinum album, “24K Magic,” made an impressive debut atop the Top Digital Albums and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Additionally, the album and its lead single, “24K Magic,” simultaneously hit No. 1 on the iTunes Overall Albums and Overall Songs charts week of release. The single has since climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has also officially been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Mars latest single, "That's What I Like," recently climbed to #4 on the Hot 100, marking his 14th top-10 hit and his first #1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart.

Wes Andersons neuester Film ”The French Dispatch” erweckt eine Sammlung von Geschichten aus der
letzten Ausgabe einer amerikanischen Zeitschrift zum Leben, die in einer fiktiven französischen Stadt des
20. Jahrhunderts erschien.
In den Hauptrollen spielen Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray
und Owen Wilson. Der Film feierte im Juli bei den Filmfestspielen von Cannes 2021 in Frankreich Premiere
und wird am 21./22. Oktober weltweit in die Kinos kommen.
Der ”The French Dispatch” OST wird zeitgleich mit dem Kinostart des Films veröffentlicht. Auf dem
eklektischen Soundtrack sind Jarvis Cocker, Grace Jones, Ennio Morricone, Charles Aznavour und viele
andere zu hören.
ab 11.02.2022 auch als 2LP erhältlich

6 Minimal Wave smasher to let your robot dance for 24 hours.

 ‘Charmed Life - The Best Of The Divine Comedy’ is a career-spanning
24 track collection of hit singles and fan favourites, including ‘National
Express’, ‘Something For The Weekend’, ‘Songs Of Love’, ‘Our Mutual
Friend’, ‘A Lady Of A Certain Age’, ‘To The Rescue’ and ‘Norman And
Norma’. It also includes a brand-new track, ‘The Best Mistakes’.
 Remastered at Abbey Road, the new ‘Best Of’ offers a comprehensive
guide to The Divine Comedy as curated by Neil Hannon himself and is
released on his own Divine Comedy Records.
 ‘Charmed Life’ follows 2019’s Top Five album ‘Office Politics’ and 2020’s
extensive ‘Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time’ reissues project.
 The album is released as a 24-track standard 2CD, coloured
heavyweight double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, black heavyweight double
vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, and as a deluxe 3CD edition containing the 24-
track ‘Best Of’ plus ‘Super Extra Bonus Album’, a bonus disc of new and
unreleased recordings.
 The album cover is taken from a new shoot by acclaimed music
photographer Kevin Westenberg.
 The Divine Comedy will play a 19 date UK and Ireland tour in April and
May 2022, including a show at the London Palladium.
 The release will be supported by an extensive promo campaign,
including play and appearances on radio and TV plus interviews and
features in music magazines, broadsheet titles and online.
 Marketing to support the album will encompass a full cross section of
digital advertising, a substantial outdoor campaign and press advertising
in key titles, plus a fan-driven social media and email database
campaign.

 ‘Charmed Life - The Best Of The Divine Comedy’ is a career-spanning
24 track collection of hit singles and fan favourites, including ‘National
Express’, ‘Something For The Weekend’, ‘Songs Of Love’, ‘Our Mutual
Friend’, ‘A Lady Of A Certain Age’, ‘To The Rescue’ and ‘Norman And
Norma’. It also includes a brand-new track, ‘The Best Mistakes’.
 Remastered at Abbey Road, the new ‘Best Of’ offers a comprehensive
guide to The Divine Comedy as curated by Neil Hannon himself and is
released on his own Divine Comedy Records.
 ‘Charmed Life’ follows 2019’s Top Five album ‘Office Politics’ and 2020’s
extensive ‘Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time’ reissues project.
 The album is released as a 24-track standard 2CD, coloured
heavyweight double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, black heavyweight double
vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, and as a deluxe 3CD edition containing the 24-
track ‘Best Of’ plus ‘Super Extra Bonus Album’, a bonus disc of new and
unreleased recordings.
 The album cover is taken from a new shoot by acclaimed music
photographer Kevin Westenberg.
 The Divine Comedy will play a 19 date UK and Ireland tour in April and
May 2022, including a show at the London Palladium.
 The release will be supported by an extensive promo campaign,
including play and appearances on radio and TV plus interviews and
features in music magazines, broadsheet titles and online.
 Marketing to support the album will encompass a full cross section of
digital advertising, a substantial outdoor campaign and press advertising
in key titles, plus a fan-driven social media and email database
campaign.

Sony Classical release - Levit is one of the few pianists who have performed these works live in their entirety. Completed in 1951, Dmitri Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues – a summary of all the major and minor tonalities – lasts some two and a half hours in total, while Ronald Stevenson’s Passacaglia on DSCH, which he completed in 1963, is an unbroken set of variations lasting nearly an hour and a half. The album’s artwork is specially created by the internationally renowned graphic artist and book designer Christoph Niemann, who regularly illustrates for The New Yorker and The New York Times. His illustration for 'On DSCH' offers a playfully abstract counterpart to this musical experience. Formats are: 3 disc set presented in deluxe paper packaging and includes a limited edition printed insert of the cryptogram that Shostakovich used as his musical signature. Also a a limited Collector’s Edition of 'On DSCH' Vinyl Part One: Shostakovich 24 Prelude And Fugues Op. 87' presented on 3LP 180g vinyl set in gatefold sleeve including a download code. This is part one of the full 'On DSCH' album - vinyl 'Part Two: Stevenson Passacaglia on DSCH' follows in February 2022.

Originally released in 2010, Mirage is the fourth studio album by renowned Dutch trance DJ and producer Armin van Buuren. The album was preceded by the single “Full Focus”, which peaked at #24 on the Dutch Single Charts. Mirage features many great collaborations with furthermore Sophie Ellis-Bextor on “Not Giving Up On Love”, Christian Burns on “This Light Between Us”, Nadia Ali on “Feels So Good”, BT on “These Silent Hearts”, Adam Young (Owl City) on “Youtopia”, and Ferry Corsten on “Minack”.

The album Mirage debuted at #3 on the Dutch Album Top 100, as well as reaching the top 5 of the US Top Dance/Electronic Albums and debuting at #148 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified gold in several countries.

Hollis Brown's latest album, 'In The Aftermath' (Mascot Label Group/Cool
Green Recordings), is the deliciously depraved outcome of an all-night
rock n' roll riot
The Queens, New York- based quintet escaped to the Poconos to record with a
few handles of whiskey, and, in one 24- hour session, ran down the Stone's
seminal first album of all originals, 1966's Aftermath. Tracked live in the studio
with minimal overdubs, 'In The Aftermath' is potent proof the five-piece group is
one of the last great American rock n' roll bands.'In The Aftermath' is the second
in a casual homage series. Previously, Hollis Brown issued 'Gets Loaded', saluting
Velvet Underground's 'Loaded'. This new album directly follows the band's most
successful release yet, 2019's 'Ozone Park', which earned rave reviews from
Rolling Stone, Billboard, Paste Magazine, Pop Matters, Relix, and Goldmine.

(Deluxe Gatefold Vinyl 2LP, 12-page booklet with liner notes, lyrics in Spanish / English, rare photographs from that era + DL code). This compilation brings together 24 iconic songs from that era, with a focus on the theme of love songs (A + B side) as well as social political songs (C + D side), highlighting the emotions that this music brought to the popular working classes of Lima, nationwide and the diaspora.

Electronic artist Kristian Shelley - AKA Inwards - announces new EP ‘Feeling So Fun Reality’ for October 8th via Brighton based tastemaker label Small Pond. ‘Raindrops’ is the first single taken from it, and is out on July 29th.

The EP is a sister release to 2019’s ‘Feelings of Unreality’ EP - merely shifting where the spaces between the letters land to flip the meaning entirely on its head. Whereas the 2019 effort was laced with anxiety and cyclical internal conflict at the perspective destroying, fathomless possibilities of ideas and scenarios built in the mind, ‘Feeling So Fun Reality’ reflects an optimism grounded in the real world. In this, it takes on a similar human warmth to the best work of Aphex Twin, Clark or Boards of Canada.

‘Raindrops’ is an apt opening gambit in this sense, combining technology and the earthy tangibility of the natural world. Precise modular synths, inspired by the rain, are twisted into wordless conversations conveying a million and one different meanings to a
million and one different ears. This points to the reason Inwards favours instrumental music over lyrical - the capacity to run off emotion without fully understanding what it is you’re channeling per se, and the multitude of interpretations on the receivers end.

Brooklyn-based musician and producer Varsity Star makes his Small Pond Records debut with ‘More Than Anything’, a mini-album of deeply moving and emotive electronic music.

Varsity Star is an electronic musician and upright bassist who grew up in Boston and spent time playing with various bands as a multi-genre sideman. After deciding to go it alone and produce music on a synth and Ableton, he had a spell living in Berlin. Now back in Brooklyn, he has become a prolific artist who, in just a couple of years, has put out various singles, remixes and LPs. As a programmer by day, he has put together high spec live shows involving 3D printers, soldering together LEDs and writing his own programs that read Ableton and output light patterns, he is a truly creative mind.

There is a soft and warm late-night melodic glow to the beautiful opening ambiance of 'Christmas Lights' which then makes way for the prickly live drums of 'Mixtape.' Littered with off-grid hits and detuned synth sounds, it's a modern and electronic take on jazz that is deeply absorbing. 'Bedroom' is a gorgeous affair that floats on airy pads and scuffed up, organic drum sounds while the most innocent of melodies play out.

Sixteen musical vignettes of electrifying emotion at the crossroads of ambient, modern synthesizer productions and organic orchestral music experimentation, which tint French director Jacques Audiard's new feature film with the illuminated glow of a whole new generation.

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When Jacques Audiard contacted him, Rone was just a few weeks away from receiving the Cesar award for best film score for his very first soundtrack "Night Ride", the highest honor in French film for a composer.

Throughout his career, the French director has been able to surprise his audience by playing on the codes of "genre films", while remaining faithful to the aesthetics of "art film". His cinema is both profound and entertaining, sophisticated and accessible, dark and dreamlike.

"Jacques' cinema is physical, sensual, modern", Rone says about the director, "when he asked me to do the music for Paris, 13th District , I immediately accepted, without seeing any images or reading the script. He is simply one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers."

His new feature film deals with youth in general and their sexuality in particular in a way no one may have done before. The story is based on four young characters and their existential questionings, whose destinies intertwined against the backdrop of the Parisian "Olympiades" high rises in the 13th arrondissement.

But time was already running out, as the film was set to be nominated for *Cannes' Palm D'or* at the rescheduled edition of the festival in July 2021. Between the releases of "Rone & Friends" and his remixes for Agnes Obel, Go Go Penguin and Jehnny Beth (who also plays a role in the film), the producer decided to lock himself away in in his brand-new Isola Studio in Cancale, French Brittany. He also invested in a large screen on which he projected loops of the film and started manipulating his gear. "I had Miles Davis in mind and the way he composed "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud" by improvising with his band while watching excerpts from the film."

After a first conclusive test on three scenes of the film which allowed Rone to showcase the skills he had developed in composition in various musical fields, a relationship of trust developed between the musician and the director, which resulted in over 45 minutes of Rone's music used for the final cut.

"There was a lot of music to be made in a short time, but the talks with Jacques were very stimulating. He had a fairly precise idea of what he wanted, while at the same time, I think, having the desire to be surprised, or even a little shaken up."

If the black and white aesthetic recalls the great hours of the "Nouvelle Vague", Rone´s music gives a new layer to the film which fits resolutely with 2020's zeitgeist.

This second soundtrack by Rone is a sonic urban adventure in itself. As it is used in the film, colouring in the lives of Audiard's protagonists, it will have the same impact on us, the listeners, in our own everyday lives.

24 Songs. A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The first release includes a gorgeous duet featuring David and Louise Wener also from Sleeper on ‘We Should Be Together’, and it’s coupled with a rousing new track called ‘Don’t Give Up Without A Fight’ which combines classic Wedding Present feistiness with a Krautrock finale. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings.‘We Should Be Together’ will be available to listen to at The Wedding Present’s official YouTube channel from Tuesday 19 October at 12 noon. Subscription details with an early bird incentive can be found at 24songs.scopitones Individual singles and a collector’s box can be ordered from the same site or via all participating record shops. Explaining 24 Songs, David Gedge said: “In 1991, The Wedding Present were rehearsing in a studio in Yorkshire when we hit upon an idea that immediately thrilled us all. Our bass player Keith Gregory had been a member of the ‘Sub Pop Singles Club’ - a service that allowed subscribers to receive 7”s released by that Seattle label on a monthly basis. Keith wondered if we, as a band, could attempt a similar thing. In that instant, The Wedding Present’s Hit Parade series was born and, during 1992, we managed to release a brand new 7” single each and every month. “The Hit Parade went on to become something of a significant milestone in the history of the band and it’s a project about which I’m often asked. As its thirtieth anniversary approached, I began to wonder if we should celebrate it in some way. A ‘Hit Parade Part 2’ didn’t feel quite right, though. Then, someone said to me: “Other bands have released music in similar ways but there has been nothing like the Hit Parade.” And they were right! A 7” single a month seems, somehow, very ‘Wedding Present’. So, inspired by that little idea from three decades ago, we’ve embarked on this new project, 24 Songs. “Even though The Wedding Present have never been known for taking the easy route, the idea of recording 24 tracks and releasing them in this way could seem daunting to any band. However, I’ve been inspired by the music that has been written since Jon and Melanie joined the group. The thought of celebrating this exciting new line-up with an exciting new series has motivated us all… and I suppose we also didn’t want any of these songs to be hidden away in the middle of an album!”

For the past 20 years, Jason Boland & the Stragglers have dazzled audiences all over as one of the leading ambassadors of the Oklahoma and Texas music movement. Millions of fans cheering him on, over 500,000 records sold independently and 10 albums later, Boland is a career musician whose legacy continues to grow. From his early days touring in cramped vans and playing in front of tiny bar crowds to the packed venues he performs in today, Boland’s uncompromising approach has grown his profile dramatically, especially in the past handful of years. Add to that the legions of musicians who are influenced by Boland, and his impact on the scene is undeniable.

One concerned with illness (no, not that one) and recovery. Inside to outside. Darkness into light. A way through the woods. The Doozer aka Simon Loynes is now seven LPs into a subterranean solo voyage begun in 2007, and to those of us who have followed it, the songs that make up Convalescence could be seen to embody a kind of late style - ultra-lucid, pared-down, precise; seemingly simple in form, richly complex in effect. Where The Doozer’s last outing, 2018’s Figurines (FTR360), showcased his songs at their most propulsive and and electrified, Convalescence is a more hushed, hermitic, even claustrophobic affair - dispensing with percussion almost entirely, the focus is tight on Loynes’ voice and plangent acoustic guitar, with occasional daubings and interludes of wheezing keyboard, all recorded to Tascam 246 4-track cassette in Edinburgh, Summer 2019. For a considerable chunk of time, health issues had left Loynes unable to sing. On this record you can hear him rediscovering his voice: its unique grain, its responsiveness, its capacity for creating and sustaining emotional ambiguity, for oscillating elegantly between whimsy and woundedness. As with previous Doozer albums, there’s an arcadian impulse at the heart of Convalescence: a sense of exile, or withdrawal, from ‘The Garden’ - and the need to return. The idea that, in your lowest ebb, you might recover your sense of self somewhere in the pastoral landscape of your memories. We're told the shadow of Malcolm Lowry looms large over the record – Lowry the void-chaser, the great misadventurer. Does Convalescence report from the abyss? If so then it's with a coolness and control, a lightness of touch, that conceals as much as it reveals. But beyond the neurosis, the ironic deflections, the flashes of matter-of-fact bleakness (“there isn’t time / there isn’t love”), there lies a deep, Lowry-ish romanticism, and a rejection of pessimism: even at its lowest ebb, Convalescence gestures towards an immense and loving truth – and knows that the possibility of that truth is far more interesting than the numerous ways in which it might be denied. A co-release with Feeding Tube Records USA.

Malta-based stoner and grunge rock act A Broken
Design gear up for the vinyl-release of their latest
album, ‘Another Day In Hell’, via Argonauta
Records.
 The band’s much acclaimed debut album was
originally self-released in the middle of the
pandemic in October 2020, but will be now
reissued, for the first time ever, on vinyl.
 A Broken Design were formed in 2014 and feature
former band members of sludge metal
heavyweights Slit, doomsters Nomad Son and
electro rockers Kill The Action.
 With a mix of various alternative and heavy rock
influences, their 2017 debut EP ‘Halo Of Flies’
already showcased A Broken Design’s passion,
drive and skills to write catchy songs that deliver a
heavy dose of flat out grooves with a nostalgic oldschool grungy touch in a raw and rough sound.
 Their album ‘Another Day In Hell’ marks the band‘s
most mature and emotional record to date, delving
deep into a personal catharsis while the four-piece
broadens its sound to further sonic templates.
 For fans of Soundgarden, Los Natas, Life Of
Agony, Stone Temple Pilots, Queens Of The Stone
Age, Alice In Chains, I Mother Earth, Pist.On,
Mother Love Bone, Kyuss, Gruntruck.

Tara Nome Doyle is a 24-year old singer-songwriter with Norwegian-Irish roots. In April 2018 her first release, the song Down with You came out. Since then it has been streamed more than four million times. More singles and an EP called Dandelion followed. In January 2020 her debut album Alchemy was celebrated by the German press (“… like Kate Bush singing songs by Nick Cave at Berghain”, SPIEGEL). TND’s second album, Værmin, will be released in January 2022 on Modern Recordings. The album was produced by Simon Goff, a Grammy-award winning producer (for his work for Hildur Guðnadóttir’s Chernobyl score), violinist and engineer.

TND likes to collaborate: In spring 2021 she co-wrote an original song with Isobel Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) for the upcoming Netflix feature film Munich - The Edge Of War. In July 2021 the EP The Moments We Keep, which she co-wrote and co-produced with the Italian pianist Federico Albanese, came out on Mercury KX. In late 2020 TND released recordings with Malakoff Kowalski (Bad Dreams) and 1k Flowers (Clemency). TND has also collaborated twice with Max Rieger (Die Nerven; producer of e.g. Caspar and Drangsal).

On Væermin TND tells a tragic love story, rich in symbolism and nuances, orchestrated with piano, violin and synthesizer and sometimes pulsating beats – and with singing that is both intense and varied, sometimes angelic, sometimes rough and threatening. Væermin is touchingly beautiful – and yet it also celebrates the supposed ugliness that lives in all of us and that we like to suppress and ignore. All songs are named after animals that are considered undesirable pests: leeches, caterpillars, snails and worms. Væermin celebrates their beauty and thus also asks a political question: What would happen if we welcomed these vermin instead of rejecting them? Wouldn't we then arrive at a much richer, balanced relationship with ourselves, to a more differentiated relationship to the world around us and to other people?

Værmin is a grand, wise, deeply moving album. And the songs get stuck in your head immediately, pulling you into their depths: existential music by an extraordinary artist.

The latest addition to Chick Corea's remarkable discography is Chick
Corea Akoustic Band 'LIVE', the long-anticipated reunion of his beloved
Akoustic Band with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl,
together as a trio for the frst time in more than two decades
Under any circumstances, these thrilling live recordings would be a welcome
addition to Corea's prodigious discography. With the news of his passing still so
fresh in listeners' minds, its release comes as an opportunity for fans to bid
farewell while cherishing the communal energy and playful vigor that made the
pianist a favourite of jazz lovers around the world for nearly 60 years. 'LIVE', the 2-
CD/3-LP set was recorded January 13, 2018 at SPC Music Hall in St. Petersburg,
Florida. The trio's intricate interplay and highwire jousting refects more than 30
years of collaboration between Corea's Akoustic and Elektric Bands and serves as
a celebratory reminder of Corea's singular genius, with more than two hours of
inspired playing and spirited camaraderie.
Chick Corea attained iconic status in music. The late keyboardist, composer and
bandleader was a DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, as well as one
of the most nominated artists in GRAMMY Awards history with 68 nods - and 24
wins, in addition to 4 Latin GRAMMYS. From straight-ahead to avant-garde, bebop
to jazz- rock fusion, children's songs to chamber and symphonic works, Chick
touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his career after playing with
the genre-shattering bands of Miles Davis in the late '60s and early '70s