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2026 Repress

(remastered classic incl DL card) Environ is proud to present the Metro Area 15th Anniversary Edition, Metro Area's eponymous debut album, meticulously remastered using the original source tapes and generously spread across three slabs of vinyl. The12-track triple LP and digital package combines all the songs from both the original US and licensed European releases, and features new commemorative artwork unique to this edition. In the late nineties, the budding producers Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani bonded over their shared love of slower tempos and '70s and '80s NYC club culture. Obsessed with record digging and the sounds they heard on late-night "club classics" radio shows—and turned off by current releases they saw as artlessly "updating" sublime disco by sampling, filtering and subjugating them with huge kick drums —the duo set out to discover how their favorite old 12" records were made. They naturally gravitated towards extended dubs of songs—full of strange mistakes and echoing backing tracks—instead of the better-known vocal versions. Lacking the big budgets and gear that made so many of their favorite classic records come together, they were forced to take a guerrilla approach. They reprogrammed their techno-oriented arsenal of secondhand synths and samplers, using novel digital recording technology to capture live instrumentation and prioritizing mood over hooks, and the resulting music was just wrong enough to sound unlike anything else being released at the time.After just four underground 12" releases, the duo—now well-known as Metro Area—released their first and only album, Metro Area, in the fall of 2002. Fifteen years later, it's time to celebrate the culmination of their shared history and inspiration once again. Environ is proud to present the Metro Area 15th Anniversary Edition, Metro Area's eponymous debut album, meticulously remastered using the original source tapes and generously spread across three slabs of vinyl. The 12-track triple LP and digital package combines all the songs from both the original US and licensed European releases, and features new commemorative artwork unique to this edition.

Bloodhound Gang’s irreverent brand of comedy-rock and rap-rock is collected here on this essential 1LP hits package, pressed on exclusive Milky Clear vinyl and including a collectible poster. Featuring the band’s biggest and most enduring tracks, the set is led by the international smash “The Bad Touch”, a multi-million-selling single that reached No.1 in Germany, Sweden and several other European territories, while also hitting the UK Top 5. Also included are fan favourites “Fire Water Burn”, “The Ballad Of Chasey Lain”, “Along Comes Mary”, “Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo”, “Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss” and “I Hope You Die”, spanning the band’s most successful era from the platinum-selling Hooray For Boobies through to Hefty Fine. Bloodhound Gang have sold millions of albums worldwide, with Hooray For Boobies reaching No.1 in both Germany and Austria and achieving Platinum certification in the US. Combining the group’s biggest chart hits, cult classics and live favourites, this specially curated single-LP edition delivers the definitive Bloodhound Gang experience in a concise, collector-friendly format.

Kingo Hamada's iconic 4th album, and acclaimed 1982 masterpiece, is a timeless blend of sophisticated urban grooves, mellow soul and City Pop elegance originally released during his time with the label Alfa Moon. Featuring a lineup of skilled musicians, including his close friend and ace guitarist Makoto Matsushita, who has been enjoying a surge of international popularity in recent years. Includes the fan-favorite 'Midnight Cruisin'.' Essential for fans of Japanese City Pop & Yacht Rock.

To kick off our 5th year party celebrations the label begins its new set of releases starting with the joined forces of Regal86 and IMOGEN. The artists contribute two tracks each to the four track vinyl alongside remixes of each other's work, meeting at sonic crossroads.

The EP journeys through rave nostalgia filled with warmth and hope for the future, recollecting some favourite memories of the dance floor.

The A side is fast, driving with a sense of longing for the Halcyon Days and the offline times of partying when things felt easier. The release opens with ‘One Night In 1992’, IMOGEN’s nostalgic ode to an earlier rave era, built around a vocal recollection of her mother’s experiences on the dancefloor in the 90’s. Raw, hazy and deeply personal, it sets the tone for a record rooted in memory while remaining firmly in the present. Regal86 follows with ‘Rush’, bringing a different energy to the record. Driven by rolling rhythms, playful movement and a strong sense of groove.

The B side takes a more optimistic turn looking into the future with dubby aquatic pads and euphoric breakdowns, carrying a feeling of forward motion. There is a lightness to the tracks, a sense of joy running beneath NC Station and keeping the momentum locked whilst turning inwards on the final track, IMOGEN’s ‘Midnight At Bret’ rounds out a release that moves naturally between nostalgia, propulsion and the shared language of the dance floor.

As the next release launches, IMOGEN takes wigs on tour for a five year special run of shows starting on release at Tresor for a two club take over following with further cities: London, Milan, Dublin and more.

2026 Repress

Acid Pauli knows where the shoe pinches: We all need more soul. Soul heals! So here’s a limited edition two-tracker including his still in demand and sought after „Marvin“ on the flip while the fresh “Roger” is bringing the heat on the A-side. “Roger” is an ode to our favourite artist from Minneapolis, merged with a strong Echonomist groove. This one’s made to set your dancefloor on fire. Must Have - Limited vinyl only!

Born in São Paulo, Caetano Malta embodies the vibrant creative energy of one of Latin America's most dynamic cities. A singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, he has spent more than twenty years crafting a distinctive musical universe shaped by Brazil's rich and diverse traditions. Tropicalia, MPB, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, psychedelic folk, and contemporary pop blend seamlessly in his work with effortless elegance.

Over the years, he has become a highly sought-after collaborator. Since 2004, he has performed with numerous leading Brazilian artists, including Lucas Santtana, Bixiga 70, Karina Buhr, and many others. After two decades of international touring, he eventually settled in Paris, where he became the guitarist for Flavia Coelho, Luiza, Guts, among others. As a songwriter, he has also co-written with artists such as Lucas Santtana, Wado, MOMO, Rubinho Jacobina, and Arto Lindsay.

With Eterna Juventude, his long-awaited debut solo album, due for release in autumn 2026, Caetano Malta reaches a new artistic milestone. The record reveals a radiant songwriting style where harmonic sophistication, organic rhythms, and instantly memorable melodies come together naturally. Filled with joyful energy and deep tenderness, Eterna Juventude celebrates imagination, movement, and childhood's unique ability to reinvent the world. It is a remarkably accomplished debut, showcasing an artist whose singular voice and musical identity are already fully formed.

*COMES IN GATEFOLD 2LP WITH LINER NOTES*

The premise of this compilation is simple: music we’d like to hear at the airport.

The idea came after learning that Honolulu’s international airport has been playing AI-generated music over its speakers since November 2025. First reported by Civil Beat, the news has caused frustration and disappointment among residents and visitors, as well as within the local music community.

Everyone knows Hawaii is one of the most musically rich regions in the world — why then is the airport using AI music? 'Music For The Airport' is our response.

Located in the middle of the Pacific at the outskirts of one the most remote cities on the planet, Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is for most people the first place they encounter when they arrive in Hawaii. Warm sun, tropical tradewinds, playful palm trees and majestic mountains welcome every traveler, as do the sounds of birds, familiar music from Hawaiian artists like Aunty Genoa Keawe and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, and—at least for now—seventeen “island-themed” AI-generated songs.

In late 1977, while sitting in Germany’s Cologne Bonn Airport on a Sunday morning, Brian Eno noticed how terribly uncomfortable he felt hearing the airport’s “muzak” overhead. For a harried, hurried place like the airport where travelers scramble to their gates, stand in long border control lines, and wait impatiently for their luggage at the carousels, music can create more anxiety than calm. Asking himself, "What should we be hearing here?", Eno soon created ‘Ambient 1: Music For Airports’, a sonic remedy aimed at reducing nervousness in public spaces.

When we heard the news that HNL airport is playing AI-generated “muzak”, we were immediately reminded of Eno’s genre-defying 1978 album. And we were similarly inspired to react. But how? Recreating an ambient masterpiece wasn’t in our wheelhouse. We started digging through our catalog of licensed music which we haven’t yet re-released. We quickly realized this was our chance to highlight some of favorite songs from the so-called CD era: the 1990s and 2000s (with a few exceptions). In less than 20 minutes, we pulled 17 original songs recorded by local artists between 1984 and 2017.

The speed at which this project came together surprised us; reactionary gut instinct often produces swift and lasting results. Ironically, our new compilation likely took less time than it did for the state Department of Transportation to commission its AI songs in question. But even though ‘Music for the Airport’ came together in less than one week, the truth is that this collection of 17 songs is the result of years of hard work, trust, sacrifice, patience, and understanding. Building relationships with and licensing music from artists doesn’t happen overnight, but more importantly: these songs are the result of people pouring their hearts and souls into something they believe in. This music wouldn’t exist today without the artists and their loved ones who supported them along the way.

As of this writing, the DOT states its intention in creating AI-generated songs is to “highlight different aspects of the islands, aviation and the airport” and that “no state funds were used to produce them”. Okay, but at what cost? Technology disrupting the music industry isn’t news to anyone. AI music in public spaces are cost-saving measures, since its users (airports, for example) don’t have to pay the licensing fees typically required, which can be a worthwhile source of revenue for artists. But what happens when a place like HNL airport, which hosts more than 21 million passengers annually, uses music created by machines instead of people to represent Hawaii? The identity of a place beings to erode, diluted by a language learning model’s conceptual summary of what a people and its culture sounds like. To echo Brian Eno: what should we be hearing here? In other words: what should the music of Hawaii sound like?

We believe in the power of music, especially when it comes from the soul. We believe in supporting artists, especially as AI disrupts our lives. We believe that Hawaii must be represented authentically, especially when it comes to song. And of course we believe in vinyl, especially since it was a record from 1978 (Mackey Feary Band’s debut LP) that inspired Aloha Got Soul’s origins in 2010.

We hope you find as much joy in this compilation as we have. Perhaps it’ll soundtrack your next journey to Hawaii. At the very least, we hope some people take a moment to hear these sounds: in your headphones for now‚ maybe someday overhead at the airport in Honolulu.

2026 re-issue, 180g vinyl, remastered from the original tapes

Be With have raided the KPM archives to re-issue another of our favourites from the KPM 1000 series. They say: Hard Afro Pop featuring large percussive rhythm section and front line. We say: One of the best-loved of all the KPM LPs. Afro Rock was recorded at Morgan Studios by John Cameron and Alan Parker in London in 1973 as a collection of stripped-down African rhythms, virtuoso jazz instrumentation, fuzzed up wah wah guitars and spaced out library breaks. The percussion is effortlessly funky, and those flutes so melodic, it’s as if the LP was crafted with the beat lovers of the future firmly in mind. As Cameron himself described it in Unusual Sounds, this is “heavy duty drum-and-bass salsa music”. As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for The Road Forward comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon 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. And don’t worry! Those KPM stickers aren’t stuck directly on the sleeves!

Father John Mistys bahnbrechendes zweites Album aus dem Jahr 2015, ,I Love You, Honeybear", ist zurück auf Vinyl, remastered und neu verpackt als Einzel-LP. Ursprünglich wurde es als Doppel-LP veröffentlicht. Das Album wird mittlerweile als Klassiker angesehen und enthält die Fan-Favoriten ,Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)" und den Titelsong ,I Love You, Honeybear". Bei der Veröffentlichung erhielt ,I Love You, Honeybear" viel Kritikerlob, u.a. Pitchfork Best New Music, eine perfekte Bewertung von Exclaim! und begeisterte Kritiken von NME, Mojo, Q, Spin und anderen. Es wurde als eines der besten Alben des Jahres 2015 von Pitchfork, Billboard, The A.V. Club, NME und Stereogum gefeiert. ,I Love You, Honeybear" wurde von Josh Tillman und Jonathan Wilson produziert und von Phil Ek gemischt. Diese Ausgabe wurde 2024 von Adam Ayan bei Ayan Mastering neu gemastert. Diese zweite Ppressung kommt auf schwarzem Vinyl.

Father John Mistys bahnbrechendes zweites Album aus dem Jahr 2015, ,I Love You, Honeybear", ist zurück auf Vinyl, remastered und neu verpackt als Einzel-LP. Ursprünglich wurde es als Doppel-LP veröffentlicht. Das Album wird mittlerweile als Klassiker angesehen und enthält die Fan-Favoriten ,Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)" und den Titelsong ,I Love You, Honeybear". Bei der Veröffentlichung erhielt ,I Love You, Honeybear" viel Kritikerlob, u.a. Pitchfork Best New Music, eine perfekte Bewertung von Exclaim! und begeisterte Kritiken von NME, Mojo, Q, Spin und anderen. Es wurde als eines der besten Alben des Jahres 2015 von Pitchfork, Billboard, The A.V. Club, NME und Stereogum gefeiert. ,I Love You, Honeybear" wurde von Josh Tillman und Jonathan Wilson produziert und von Phil Ek gemischt. Diese Ausgabe wurde 2024 von Adam Ayan bei Ayan Mastering neu gemastert. Diese zweite Ppressung kommt auf schwarzem Vinyl.

In a blizzard of crushed breaks and dissonant tones, Shelley Parker lands on Sneaker Social Club with her third album, Screed. Taking a forensic approach to noise sculpture and harmonic interference, the UK-based artist maintains a fringe perspective on the legacy of hardcore-derived dance music, extrapolating the renegade spirit of the earliest innovators into unexplored zones where sound art and sound systems collide.

Parker's path through the underground has been informed by her art school background, equally at home in the parallel world of galleries, installations and institutions as she is in the club. This dualistic dimension to her practice charges her music with an outsider spirit that manifests across 10 striking new productions on Screed. Focusing on the sound over an umbrella concept, it's an album that rejects comfortable, functional formulae in favour of original expression.

There are plenty of forthright structures for DJs and dancers to lock onto, from the militaristic techno thrust and tightly clipped breakbeat loop of 'Relentless' to the splayed boom bap guiding the giddy string sequences of 'Stargazer Lily'. The insistent pulse of 'April' meanwhile offers only the faintest of paths to navigate dense thickets of jerky, swinging static and metallic clamour. 'Georgian Wire' closes the record out on dissembled drum licks with a brittle patina - a scooped out closer with the skeletal remains of a rave dialect that's second nature to someone with as much skin in the game as Parker.

In amongst those tracks lies a wide-ranging tapestry of rhythmic, textural and emotional approaches, from head-knocking beatdowns to billowing clouds of dub techno, angular stabs and industrial smudges. On Screed, Parker proves herself to be peerless and purposeful in her quest to find new forms within the well-worn canon of hardcore and rave.

Colorize presents Echoes, the highly anticipated debut album from Massachusetts songwriter, producer and musician Jack Willard, a richly melodic body of work.

Jack Willard blends organic songwriting with modern electronic production, cinematic storytelling and immersive sound design, an emotionally driven style that has earned support from Above & Beyond, Tritonal, Yotto, Nora En Pure and Bob Moses since debut single Celsius, alongside airplay on SiriusXM Chill and BBC Radio 1 and millions of streams worldwide. The Massachusetts native made his Colorize debut in 2023 with Big Sky, an instrumental favourite still in regular SiriusXM Chill rotation, before expanding his sound on the Patterns EP with his first larger scale vocal collaborations, including fan favourites Everything All At Once and Wanna Know. Following performances across both U.S. coasts, Echoes arrives as Willard’s most ambitious project to date.

The Lemonheads release a strictly limited edition 12” single on 21st September featuring three classic tracks on white vinyl. Lead cut is ‘Roky’, Evan Dando’s homage to the late, great outsider genius Roky Erickson (of garage psyche legends 13th Floor Elevator and much solo strangeness).


"If Roky Erickson had vanished from the face of the earth after The 13th Floor Elevators released their epochal debut single, ‘You're Gonna Miss Me’, in early 1966, in all likelihood he'd still be regarded as a legend among garage rock fanatics for his primal vocal wailing and feral harmonica work." AllMusic


‘Roky’ is Evan's incisive take on the songwriter’s struggles and features a searing guitar break from the song's co-writer Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond)


The Bevis Frond toured with The Lemonheads in support of the latter’s much-praised ‘Love Chant’ album of 2025 from where ‘Roky’ originally comes. And, to complete this unique package, the Frond cover two Lemonheads’ songs, ‘The Great Big No’ and ‘My Drug Buddy’; both sounding like the kind of UK-based left field power pop that inspired Kurt Cobain in the formative days of grunge – indeed, they could have snook out on the original Rough Trade or 53rd & 3rd labels at any time.


Fact fans looking for Roky-styled curveball ley line between events, might note that The Lemonheads covered The Bevis Frond’s ‘Old Man Blank’ on 2019’s ‘Varshons II’, the same year that Roky sadly passed.


Stars & Quotes:
“One of the most distinctive voices of the ‘90s” The New York Times
“The Lemonheads are one of my favorite bands” Jimmy Fallon
“Gloriously euphoric melancholy” MOJO (on Roky)

Auf den Alben der “Verve Remixed”-Reihe war Nina Simone stets die unbestrittene Favoritin. Jetzt wird
die “High Priestess of Soul” auf “Verve Remixed // Nina Simone” mit acht brandneuen Mixen gefeiert. Die
Gelegenheit zu dem Projekt ergab sich, als Verve Records Anfang 2026 die Feierlichkeiten zu seinem 70-
jährigen Jubiläum einläutete. Unter dem Titel “Year of Nina” begann man damit, jeden Monat einen brandneuen Remix eines Nina-Simone-Klassikers als digitale Single zu veröffentlichen. Das Echo der Musikfans
war überwältigend. Der universelle Appeal von Ninas Musik wird dadurch verdeutlicht, dass mit Solomun,
DESIREE, Supershy, Mochakk, HAAi, Austin Millz, Dublon und Antdot acht der derzeit angesagtesten
DJs, Remixer und Produzenten aus unter anderem den USA, Brasilien, Südafrika und Großbritannien für
das Projekt gewonnen werden konnten.
Purple color LP, 140g, Single Sleeve

Live Ones is an LP compilation of refixes and remixes of older material and brand new tracks that have all featured in New Jackson live sets in recent years available on vinyl for the first time.
It features contributions from Rory Sweeney and Rita Lynn and long-term collaborator Richie 'Jape' Egan. Cover photography shot by long time collaborator Rich Gilligan at a New Jackson show in Dublin.
According to New Jackson himself 'This started out as a way to put out new tracks and remixes of older stuff as quickfire digi releases without the pressure of making a cohesive body of work that normally comes with making an album yet ironically I feel this works better as a cohesive vinyl release then my last album proper and features some of my favourite music I've made.'

For Louis Johnstone, making music has never been about waiting for the right equipment, the right environment or the right moment. Across more than a decade of work as both Wanda Group and A Large Sheet Of Muscle, the Huddersfield-based musician has built one of British experimental music's most singular bodies of work by embracing whatever happens to be within reach, allowing instinct, improvisation and circumstance to shape the outcome as much as conscious composition.
"'Chinese Benefits' was made over a year ago on an iPhone that had a broken microphone and was on its way out," he explains. "I have made many records after this with clearer sounds. Sharper ideas. That is never the point, though. You work with what you hold in your hands."
Recorded entirely on a failing iPhone 6 that stopped working shortly afterwards, 'Chinese Benefits' isn't a record about damaged technology. It is a record shaped by it. Rather than resisting the limitations of the device, Johnstone allows them to become part of the music itself, where distortion, interference and deteriorating fidelity are inseparable from the recording process.
Across twenty brief but disquieting pieces, corroded spoken word, environmental recordings, abrasive noise and fractured electronics continually emerge and dissolve. Voices drift in and out of range, reverberation stretches everyday sounds beyond recognition, and bursts of white noise interrupt moments of uneasy calm. There are echoes of radio transmissions, field recordings and musique concrète throughout, yet 'Chinese Benefits' never settles comfortably into any one tradition. Instead, it inhabits a space where accident and intention become almost impossible to separate.

That philosophy has long defined Johnstone's work. Through a vast catalogue of self-released recordings on his Umbro G imprint, alongside releases for labels including The Trilogy Tapes, he has consistently favoured immediacy over refinement, embracing imperfection not as an aesthetic but as a practical reality. His recordings are less concerned with perfection than with capturing the conditions in which they were made.
Looking back on 'Chinese Benefits', however, Johnstone's own assessment is characteristically understated.
"Listening back fully, it's quite a nice record actually. Fair enough, I make them and never really listen again TBH. Even better, it was the last Large Sheet Of Muscle record made on that phone with grit and damaged guts."

Like much of his work, 'Chinese Benefits' offers few fixed meanings. Its titles remain cryptic, its voices partially obscured and its structures deliberately unstable. What emerges instead is a deeply personal document of process over perfection, where the limitations of the tools become inseparable from the music they produce, and where the act of making something matters far more than the conditions in which it was made.

Mit über 500 Mio. Katalog-Streams und einer kompromisslosen Mischung aus Punk, Rave, Metal und Breakcore haben Machine Girl eine internationale Kult-Fanbase aufgebaut. Das Fan-Favorite „The Ugly Art“ erscheint nun erstmals überhaupt auf CD und Vinyl – und damit erstmals regulär als physisches Album.

Mit über 500 Mio. Katalog-Streams und einer kompromisslosen Mischung aus Punk, Rave, Metal und Breakcore haben Machine Girl eine internationale Kult-Fanbase aufgebaut. Das Fan-Favorite „The Ugly Art“ erscheint nun erstmals überhaupt auf CD und Vinyl – und damit erstmals regulär als physisches Album.

Lick a toad and who knows what might happen. Well, now our favourite amphibian BufoBufo is back on Dream Ticket, and in his little sticky toes he bears four joyous offerings of acid, breakbeat and IDM, primed for ready for your favourite pond rave. Now just lay down here on this lily pad with me and let's take a trip.

Released in 1982, Upstairs at Eric's is the groundbreaking debut album by Yazoo. It features the international hits ‘Don’t Go’ and ‘Only You’, alongside fan favorites ‘Goodbye 70s’ and ‘Midnight’ plus the haunting ballad “Winter Kills.” Produced by Eric Radcliffe and Yazoo, the album is a masterclass in electronic pop, blending Vince Clarke’s innovative synth work with Alison Moyet’s idiosyncratic vocals. Pressed on limited edition Crystal Clear Vinyl.

Vinyl Packaging: Gatefold LP + download card. Indie Exclusive Transparent Orange vinyl in gatefold jacket Limited to 1000. CD 6 panel Digipak. Gnosis is the highly anticipated 8th full length from Russian Circles. Across the span of their previous seven studio albums, Chicago-based instrumental trio Russian Circles traversed a diverse topography of sounds, moods, and approaches with their limited armory of drums, bass, and guitar. It’s difficult to chart an evolution in their sound when their records have always felt like well-curated playlists. It wasn’t uncommon to hear drone-heavy meditations, dazzling prog exercises, knuckle-dragging riff-fests, haunting folk ballads, and tension-baiting noise rock all within the span of one album. Still, it’s difficult to ignore the progression from the pensive and intricate melodies of Enter (2006) to the layered distorted dirges of Blood Year (2019). It’s been a gradual sonic shift owing to the band’s rigorous tour schedule and a predilection towards playing their more authoritative material on stage. But with their latest album, Gnosis, Russian Circles eschew the varied terrain of their past work and bulldoze a path through the most tumultuous and harrowing territory of their sound. As was the case for so many artists in the age of COVID, the obstacles of geography and isolation forced Russian Circles to reevaluate their writing process. Rather than crafting songs out of fragmented ideas in the practice room, full songs were written and recorded independently before being shared with other members, so that their initial vision was retained. While these demos spanned the full breadth of the band’s varied styles, the more cinematic compositions were ultimately excised in favor of the physically cathartic pieces. Gnosis was engineered and mixed by Kurt Ballou. Drums and bass were tracked at Electrical Audio in Chicago to maximize the natural room sounds of the rhythm section. Guitar and synth overdubs were conducted at God City in Salem, MA to take advantage of Ballou’s vast inventory of amps and effects pedals. Despite the entirety of the album being written remotely, the songs were recorded with the full band playing together to retain the live feel of the material. Owing to the climate of the times and a new writing method, Russian Circles created their most fuming and focused work to date—an album that favors the exorcism of two years’ worth of tension over the melancholy and restraint that often colored their past endeavors. European Co-Headline tour with Cult of Luna slated for Marc 2023 (Dates TBA). Russian Circles have received coverage from most notable press including Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, FADER, AV Club, Consequence, Decibel, Revolver and much more.

Apex militant late '70s style here, if you think you are into steppers you should have this one firmly in your sights. One of Mr. Smart's hardest records, this originally appeared only as an album track, but also had some fame as a dubplate played at the time by Jah Shaka and others. We've long had that cut in our sights, and while some nice new re-mixes of this tune appeared in the last few years, here is the real thing from '79 steel. The A-side features the raw dubplate cut vocal, no horns or other adornment, HARD to the point stepping drum and bass style. The B-side features the original Gussie Clarke dub mix aptly titled "Hot Steppers", also previously released only on album. This cut as well was run on dubplate back at the time, a killer mix with full horns but no vocal. Leroy Smart is one of our all time favorite artists and we take pride in having re-released a handful of his all time best records, this one now added to that list.

YL Hooi returns with 'Running Around (83)', the project's first release since 2019's Untitled. Valya Ying-Li Hooi and Tarquin Manek finally commit a long road-tested live favourite to tape, welding together engine room doom, disembodied vocals, cryptic lyricism and a smouldering dub-techno bassline, recast and overdriven.

The hand-stamped white label 12" honours its roots with three heavyweight remixes. After corrupted audio files erased YL Hooi's recent live collaboration with Mad Professor, the Ariwa boss gives their encounter lasting form with a percussion-dripped halftime stepper featuring veteran Black Steel and new blood Karmelody.

The flipside immediately detours with Ulla's full-scale tear down and rebuild, layering woodwind, keys and subtle percussion into an improbably elegant convergence of ambient, minimal jazz and modern classical. John T. Gast's Midas touch then drags it into bardo dancehall territory, a rugged soundsystem destroyer that's scuzzy, screwed and wired with punk instinct.

Minimalista Records' first vinyl does not choose one face: it chooses four. Two MURI collaborations (with C.I.S.C.O and C4STRO), a track from Martim Tonic, and the production debut of Little Freak, the new alias of Alex Mendes, form an Assemblage that favours diversity over uniformity. A conscious decision: to show from the very beginning that the label's philosophy, minimal as a lens not a limit, holds more than one sound. Lisbon, 2026. The first pressing of a scene taking shape.

Australia's Dancing in Space crew have thus far kept their vinyl releases to a minimum, reappearing every so often with a fresh batch of their own excellent disco edits. Here they try something different, delivering a typically assured two tracker from one of the most talented and productive scalpel fiends in the business, Chicago scene stalwart Rahaan. A-side 'Allright' is a typical Rahaan rub, with the talented re-editor skilfully rearranging and lightly dubbing out what sounds like a turn-of-the-80s fusion of classic disco, synth-splattered boogie and soaring jazz-funk. On 'My Strategy', he successfully breathes new life into an old Philadelphia International favourite, opting for a largely instrumental extension that subtly pitches the track up, tempo wise, for greater dancefloor pleasure.

Anyone who has had the sheer pleasure of seeing and hearing Leroy Burgess perform in concert will know just how amazing the live renditions of his iconic compositions of Disco Boogie hits and classics sound with a full band and a fully fueled audience. Accompanied by the ten piece French band and long time Leroy Burgess collaborative outfit Saving Coco, BBE Music is releasing live versions of two of those classics Let’s Do It and Big Time. Recorded and released by Rick James in 1980 Big Time is an absolute killer of a track that sounds so fresh decades later in this crowd energising performance. Famously released by Convertion Let’s Do It was a huge club hit in the early 1980s and is the perfect track to accompany Big Time on this release. Leroy Burgess is a certifiably genuine legend of Black music; his compositions have moved dancefloors across the world since the early 1970s as a member of Black Ivory, then Convertion, Paradise Garage favourites LOGG, Kleer and electro outfit Aleem. His collaborations with Patrick Adams, Inner Life, Dazzle and solo artists such as Eddie Kendricks, Rick James and Fonda Rae have cemented Leroy Burgess’ place in the annals of Black Music History. As a founder-member of the Universal Robot Band he co-wrote the massive perennial favourite Barely Breaking Even. Leroy Burgess feat. Saving Coco-Big Time/Let’s Do It is released as a 12″ vinyl and digital download and definitely belongs in the ‘make sure you get this’ category. Mixed by Marc Mac and mastered at the Grammy-nominated Carvery Studio by Frank Merritt. Available as 12″ vinyl and digital download. Release date September 25th, 2026

Mit der „TECHNO CLUB CLASSIX VOL. 1 - VINYL EDITION“ erscheint erstmals eine Vinyl-Ausgabe der beliebten Technoclub Classix-Reihe. Welche Tracks auf die farbige Doppel-LP kommen, haben die Technoclub-Fans selbst
entschieden: In einer Umfrage konnten sie für ihre Favoriten abstimmen. Das Ergebnis sind 13 Trance-Klassiker aus einer Zeit, die den Sound des Technoclubs bis heute prägt.

Mit dabei sind Chicane mit „Saltwater“, Nikolai mit „Ready To Flow“, The Thrillseekers mit „Synaesthesia“ und Veracocha mit „Carte Blanche“. Dazu kommen weitere bekannte TranceTracks in ausgewählten Maxi-Versionen und Remixen, unter anderem von Talla 2XLC, DJ Quicksilver und Rank 1. „TECHNO CLUB CLASSIX VOL. 1 - VINYL EDITION“ bringt die von den Fans gewählten Technoclub-Favoriten gemeinsam auf Doppel-Vinyl - für alle, die diese Trance-Klassiker damals gefeiert haben und heute noch feiern

Following the success of the inaugural all-Jiri Jiri edition, Batov Records returns with the second instalment of its Give Me Disco series, once again curated by label co-founder and globe-trotting selector DJ Kobayashi. Rather than revisiting familiar disco classics, Give Me Disco Vol. 02 digs deeper, bringing together four dancefloor discoveries from across Europe and Asia, including two previously unreleased tracks available here for the first time.

Spanning Portuguese jazz-funk, Norwegian cosmic oddities, Japanese-inspired psychedelic disco and cinematic groove, the EP reflects the breadth of Kobayashi's record bag - a carefully assembled selection of tracks that have soundtracked his DJ sets for years alongside exclusive material rescued from the vaults.

Opening the record is The Bam Jam Band's brilliantly understated "Theme", a soaring slice of jazz-infused disco from Portuguese musicians Sérgio Alves and Pedro Tenreiro. Originally released only as a now long-sold-out 7 inch on Mad About Records, the track has become one of Kobayashi's trusted secret weapons, championed by discerning selectors including Darryn Jones and Red Greg. Built around Alves' dazzling synthesiser work, "Theme" finally gets the wider audience it deserves. The EP's first exclusive arrives courtesy of D. Apal, instrumentalist and member of Norway's Flammer Dance Band. His only solo release, issued on the band's Lysketrekk Records, has become a cult favourite among adventurous record collectors. Batov now unveils the previously unreleased "60 Meter'n (Rytme)", an extended instrumental dub that strips away the vocals to let the handclaps, cavernous bassline, dub effects and wonderfully eccentric synthesisers breathe, transforming an underground favourite into an irresistible dancefloor weapon.

Side B opens with YĪN YĪN's "Tokyo Disco", taken from the band's acclaimed third album Mount Matsu on Glitterbeat Records. Long-time admirers of the Dutch quartet, Kobayashi has championed them since first hearing the breakthrough pairing of "Dis ̄ kô Dis ̄ kô" and "Dion Ysiusk" on Bongo Joe. Since then, he has hosted the band twice on Soho Radio and supported them live in London. "Tokyo Disco" perfectly captures YĪN YĪN's distinctive blend of Japanese-inspired psychedelia, Southeast Asian influences, post-punk funk and shimmering disco grooves, making it a natural fit for the Give Me Disco series.

Closing the EP is another exclusive from Jiri Jiri, whose contribution helped launch the series on Vol. 01. Ahead of their forthcoming album later this year, the duo unveil the previously unreleased "Spaghetti Western", a wonderfully off-kilter fusion of Morricone-esque cinematic atmosphere, taut funk rhythms and the soulful modern groove of SAULT. Equal parts soundtrack and dancefloor curveball, it provides a fitting finale while offering another tantalising glimpse of what's still to come. With two exclusive cuts sitting alongside two carefully chosen modern classics, Give Me Disco Vol. 02 is another lovingly curated snapshot of DJ Kobayashi's musical universe: borderless, groove-driven and unapologetically built for adventurous DJs, discerning collectors and open minded dancefloors alike.

Zur Feier des 25-jährigen Jubiläums ihres siebten Albums aus dem Jahr 2001 (ihres letzten mit Brant Bjork) veröffentlichen Fu Manchu die California Crossing 25th Anniversary Edition. Das Album, das von der Band gemeinsam mit Matt Hyde (Deftones, Slayer, Monster Magnet) in den legendären Sound City Studios in Los Angeles aufgenommen wurde, ist die kommerziell erfolgreichste Veröffentlichung der Band. Die aus 11 Songs bestehende Sammlung enthält "Mongoose" (bekannt aus einem Toyota-Super-Bowl-Werbespot sowie aus Sons of Anarchy, The Hot Chick, Boondock Saints II u.a.), "Squash That Fly" (ihre erfolgreichste Radio-Single), "Bultaco" (mit Gesang von Keith Morris von den Circle Jerks) sowie die Fan-Favoriten "Separate Kingdom", "Hang On" und den Titelsong. Diese auf 1.000 Exemplare limitierte Ausgabe erscheint als El Camino Sand Splatter-farbiges Vinyl im Gatefold-Jacket. Für die optimalste Klangqualität wurde das Audiomaterial des Albums nun neu gemastert. "a strangely nihilistic celebration of all things Cali." - The Guardian "Fu Manchu are the stoned Ramones, a matey Motorhead: a band who can rewrite that album into the infinite future and rule perpetually." - NME

KKYV10 is a four-track EP by Bulgarian producer Loopdeville, currently based in Spain. The release explores a flexible space between minimal, breakbeat and house, shaped by groove-led structures, textured sampling and a slightly twisted, off-centre energy. Built to move through different moments — daytime light, peak pressure, late fade. The EP opens with "The Bizz", a track built around jazzy elements, vocal cuts and a jackin low-end. Its warm, rolling groove sets a natural tone for the record, balancing playfulness with reflections. "Shmuck Norris" follows with a heavier, more direct approach. Driven by raw drums and a rolling bassline, the track leans into a big-beat aesthetic while maintaining a stripped structure. On "Rashford", the EP shifts into a breakbeat framework. The track carries a deeper, more introspective mood, with subtle background movement adding acid tension beneath it’s surface. The closing track, "Septimo", draws from UK-influenced minimal with garage elements. Focused on sub frequencies it is designed for systems that favour depth and clarity in low parts. Together, the four tracks form a cohesive yet varied release, reflecting Loopdeville’s recognisable sense of tension and detail while staying totally aligned with Kooky’s sonic direction.

Pronounced Zero (ay ay) RIOT
Shit and Shine go fully CAN on their eleventh album release for Riot Season since their debut way back in 2004.
DEEP SOLID GROOVE REPETITION !!
Fully CAN in the sense that the rhythms are VERY CAN LIKE, but with a modern sharper edge and less flowery decoration. If CAN had a Roland TR-1000 drum machine it might sound a lot like this!
Basically all your favourite bits of krautrock, but sharpened up with modern tools, and it works perfectly! Say it again … DEEP SOLID GROOVE REPETITION !!
It’s definitely danceable, if that’s your thing, but also definitely deeply listenable. Something to put on and fill the space with infectious groove while you wash the dishes or drive your car, have your workout (I’ve heard from several sources $&$ makes excellent workout music) or whatever.
Two long songs on each side of the record. It’s an absolute beauty and actually sounds like shit and shine might be taking things a bit more seriously for a fuckin’ change! BRAVO !!!

The Disco Express presents Best of 2026 - a deluxe, special edition 12" pink vinyl celebrating six of our favourite records from another landmark year on the label.

Showcasing the breadth of The Disco Express sound, the compilation journeys through funk-fuelled disco, jackin’ house, soulful grooves and peak-time dancefloor energy, bringing together some of the standout moments from our 2026 catalogue.

Featuring music from Make It Disco, Bustin’ Loose, MGR Mike, Ayce & Spirit of House, LEFTI, La Felix and more, Best of 2026 captures a label continuing to push forward while staying firmly rooted in the spirit of disco.

From the feel-good vocal energy of “What You Gonna Say” and the funk-driven swagger of “Less Struggle, More Hustle”, through to the 70's inspired “The Movers”, the soulful lift of “Stronger” and the irresistible drum rhythms of “Muchacho” and “Run It Up”, this is music made first and foremost for the dancefloor.

The music featured on Best of 2026 has already picked up support from some of the world’s most respected selectors, including Roger Sanchez, Danny Rampling, Marco Carola, Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Paco Osuna, Claptone, Danny Krivit, Sam Divine and Arthur Baker, alongside many more.

Pressed on limited edition pink vinyl, Best of 2026 is a snapshot of The Disco Express in full motion.

Original disco for 21st century dance floors.

And this train ain't slowing down anytime soon…

IRST ALBUM IN 10 YEARS.
TOURING WITH TROPICAL FUCK STORM IN NOVEMBER (DATES BELOW).
PRODUCED BY DAN LUSCOMBE (THE DRONES) WHO IS ALSO PART OF THE LIVE BAND.
PREVIOUS ALBUMS ON HARDLY ART/SUB POP AND REMOTE CONTROL.
VERY LIMITED BLACK VINYL AND INDIES ONLY PINK VINYL . NON-RETURNABLE.

‘Jarrod Quarrell, creator of Lost Animal, is one of the most underrated songwriters in Australia and one of our all-time favourites. He creates poetic expressions. His work is very interesting in a highly original way and richly emotional. The songs reveal themselves more over many listens and always feel fresh. His powerful, beautiful, transformative, and unforgettable songs possess the vast depth of the human spirit.’ - GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE ZINE

‘Quarrell has developed a collaged techne​ that embodies a heart-on-sleeve attitude. Lush melodic delays wash with an influx of lyrics that pierce with uncanny imagery and diction.’ - VICE

It’s not every day you hear about a new Lost Animal album. In fact, it’s been ten years between drinks. The debut Ex Tropical (Hardly Art/Sub Pop) was released in 2011, and followed by You Yang (Remote Control) in 2016. So what happened, and where’s frontman/mastermind Jarrod Quarrell been for the last ten years?

From the horse's mouth, “I don't give a fuck about productivity”. A humbling reply. It confirms Quarrell's MO: here’s an artist as a non-conformist. And when he does see fit to bless us with his unique vision of what music can sound like, it has the ability to completely charm and disarm. Amongst a sea of rock bands, LA is essentially a solo act. Simply put; LA is JQ. But on the other hand, amongst an ocean of solo acts, LA possesses the grandiosity of a full band, punk in spirit, but without being fast, or heavy.

Armed with keys and synths, timbres align more with what a toucan might listen to, as opposed to what's heard commonly throughout Melbourne's gig economy. Strings are gently plucked and horns are tenderly blown. These are the colourful brush strokes that decorate the upper frequencies. They’re the ticket to a far away land;exotic, and potentially very dangerous. If the crew from Hear My Eyes are reading this, consider Lost Animal performing Give Some Get Some as the soundtrack to the next time you screen The Hangover Part 2. Yeah, the one where shit gets super fried in Thailand.

The album examines the underbelly of what a ten year journey might rub up against. As one may expect, a lot of that action is below the belt. Tracks like Do That Thing, and In
Rewinding, a few things have happened in the past ten years that are worth illuminating. Shags is no longer commandeering the bass full time. Though he does make an appearance on a couple tracks. The main difference from present day to yesteryear LA is Dan Luscombe (The Drones). Luscombe has jumped into the role of producer (and also part of the live band). One could say he’s a producer of the Spector-ilk: playing a hands-on approach and assisting Quarrell's song crafting. He may have suggested to add a chorus or two, but the chord progressions remain distinctly Lost Animal. You'll recognise them easily by their beauty, combined with either fragility or rigidity. Luscombe is arguably the defining force that made this album happen. Perhaps he had Quarrell at gunpoint. Yet to be confirmed. Regardless, thank fuck for Luscombe because it may have been another decade.

But the album's defining feature is arguably Quarrell's lyricism. He may not cross-examine where he's been, but his voice does unmask where he is: absolved and reincarnated. The decade-long journey has resulted in him looking inwards and unlocking himself. The album's many mantras suggest that he may be a bird (I'm a Bird Now), or that he is living on another planet (Never is Forever). Whatever and wherever he may be,
Give Some Get Some invites the listener to reflect on their own journey over the past decade. Because the game's got a price. So ask yourself what have you taken, and what have you given? Life ain't a box of chocolates. It's a bowl of berries. And when fruit symbolizes temptation, get some.

IRST ALBUM IN 10 YEARS.
TOURING WITH TROPICAL FUCK STORM IN NOVEMBER (DATES BELOW).
PRODUCED BY DAN LUSCOMBE (THE DRONES) WHO IS ALSO PART OF THE LIVE BAND.
PREVIOUS ALBUMS ON HARDLY ART/SUB POP AND REMOTE CONTROL.
VERY LIMITED BLACK VINYL AND INDIES ONLY PINK VINYL . NON-RETURNABLE.

‘Jarrod Quarrell, creator of Lost Animal, is one of the most underrated songwriters in Australia and one of our all-time favourites. He creates poetic expressions. His work is very interesting in a highly original way and richly emotional. The songs reveal themselves more over many listens and always feel fresh. His powerful, beautiful, transformative, and unforgettable songs possess the vast depth of the human spirit.’ - GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE ZINE

‘Quarrell has developed a collaged techne​ that embodies a heart-on-sleeve attitude. Lush melodic delays wash with an influx of lyrics that pierce with uncanny imagery and diction.’ - VICE

It’s not every day you hear about a new Lost Animal album. In fact, it’s been ten years between drinks. The debut Ex Tropical (Hardly Art/Sub Pop) was released in 2011, and followed by You Yang (Remote Control) in 2016. So what happened, and where’s frontman/mastermind Jarrod Quarrell been for the last ten years?

From the horse's mouth, “I don't give a fuck about productivity”. A humbling reply. It confirms Quarrell's MO: here’s an artist as a non-conformist. And when he does see fit to bless us with his unique vision of what music can sound like, it has the ability to completely charm and disarm. Amongst a sea of rock bands, LA is essentially a solo act. Simply put; LA is JQ. But on the other hand, amongst an ocean of solo acts, LA possesses the grandiosity of a full band, punk in spirit, but without being fast, or heavy.

Armed with keys and synths, timbres align more with what a toucan might listen to, as opposed to what's heard commonly throughout Melbourne's gig economy. Strings are gently plucked and horns are tenderly blown. These are the colourful brush strokes that decorate the upper frequencies. They’re the ticket to a far away land;exotic, and potentially very dangerous. If the crew from Hear My Eyes are reading this, consider Lost Animal performing Give Some Get Some as the soundtrack to the next time you screen The Hangover Part 2. Yeah, the one where shit gets super fried in Thailand.

The album examines the underbelly of what a ten year journey might rub up against. As one may expect, a lot of that action is below the belt. Tracks like Do That Thing, and In
Rewinding, a few things have happened in the past ten years that are worth illuminating. Shags is no longer commandeering the bass full time. Though he does make an appearance on a couple tracks. The main difference from present day to yesteryear LA is Dan Luscombe (The Drones). Luscombe has jumped into the role of producer (and also part of the live band). One could say he’s a producer of the Spector-ilk: playing a hands-on approach and assisting Quarrell's song crafting. He may have suggested to add a chorus or two, but the chord progressions remain distinctly Lost Animal. You'll recognise them easily by their beauty, combined with either fragility or rigidity. Luscombe is arguably the defining force that made this album happen. Perhaps he had Quarrell at gunpoint. Yet to be confirmed. Regardless, thank fuck for Luscombe because it may have been another decade.

But the album's defining feature is arguably Quarrell's lyricism. He may not cross-examine where he's been, but his voice does unmask where he is: absolved and reincarnated. The decade-long journey has resulted in him looking inwards and unlocking himself. The album's many mantras suggest that he may be a bird (I'm a Bird Now), or that he is living on another planet (Never is Forever). Whatever and wherever he may be,
Give Some Get Some invites the listener to reflect on their own journey over the past decade. Because the game's got a price. So ask yourself what have you taken, and what have you given? Life ain't a box of chocolates. It's a bowl of berries. And when fruit symbolizes temptation, get some.

2026 Repress

Snad is back on Smallville.

Shyam Anand is a long-term friend of Smallville and an MPC wizard with a wide-open heart. We are super happy to finally present a 12“ that is fully his own.

After an amazing contribution to Smallville 49 (check out Exerpts!), Snad aka Spandrel aka Shyam Anand presents a full 3-tracker on Smallville, packed with his irrisistible grooves, the usual unexpected twists and an overall magical atmosphere. Growing up near Philadelphia, then moving to Chicago and later exploring the global underground scenes of Berlin and Mexico City, among others, Snad is a busy man. He runs his own imprint Spandrel, co-runs We R The Aliens and has an impressive back-catalogue of contributions for several favourites like Running Back, Courtesy of Balance, Kimochi, Long Vehicle, 20:20 Vision, Phonica and many more.

On this 12" the A side belongs solely to Bubblescope - 14 and a half minutes of mesmerizing Ensoniq DP/4 Vocoder driven modular spheres, an endlessly deep bubbling piece of art that builds an intense feeling that could last for hours.
The B side sees Snad staying deep – Lukewarm Lava explores the broken beat world before taking you on a ride. The beloved B2-spot goes to Tanni - an integral part of Julius' warmup-sets since forever and thus a special one to finally put on wax.

Bubblescope comes with a Full Cover Artwork by Stefan Marx.

DJ Support: Harvey, Balearic Mike, K Andrews, Apiento, Joe Morris, Idjuts, Piers Harrision, Flo Dill, James Holroyd, Andy Wilson, Kenneth Bager, Phil Mison, Colleen Murphy.

Following the success of the Lovehandles ‘Reworks’ EP, Oswego Music returns with a second volume of reinterpretations via the mysterious ‘Love from the Archipelago’ the alter ego of a renowned European digger, dj and producer.

First up here ‘Endless Ocean’ sees our island hopping hero reimagining an underrated antipodean 80’s track. Its pulsing synths and wistful vocal working as equally on a dancefloor as at the after party, or indeed the morning after the night before.

Track Two on side A ‘Carica’ takes us to South America recalling to some extent the west coast fusion of mid eighties artists like Pat Metheny. Brilliant percussion, vocals and synths combining into a heady, hazy workout- permed hair and tiny shorts optional.

First on the flip ‘En Route’ continues our journey (via the local library) with a gritty, synth heavy piece of post disco experimentalism extended here for your listening pleasure

Lastly, ‘A Grain of Sand’ reinterprets a folky aor number- long overdue in making it to vinyl- remaining (until now) a favourite digital secret weapon for the more ‘horizontally inclined’ dj.

Rounding out the EP, 1900-Isla provides a brief meditation on what it is to be free. A beautiful island in the middle of nowhere, with friends, as the sun sets…

‘Unfindable Ring', out October 23 on Bayonet Records, is an adventurer’s epic. The arc of the journey, like any good Spirited Away or Neverending Story, lands its wide-traveled protagonist right back at home before bedtime. Grumpy, like many great hero tricksters before him, has always been a project of juxtaposition: upbeat radio-ready hits whose buoyant, goofy hooks belie the dark thoughts they describe. Much of this, Schmitt acknowledges, owes its due to the matter-of-fact morbidity of the trans experience in America. It’s from these experiences—personal, romantic, political, and existential—that the tale of ‘Unfindable Ring’ unfolds.
Ambition and play have always defined the Grumpy sound. Late last year, the Fader praised their “demented, hooky” EP, “Piebald,” whose innovative fuzz-pop confections earned them coverage in NPR and the New York Times. Stereogum heralded them as “wonderfully weird,” and Paste designated them “the best of what’s next.”” Through boisterous collaborations with the likes of Sidney Gish and Claire Rousay, they’ve effortlessly ingratiated themselves with the titans of DIY, and, more recently, Schmitt has become an unlikely favored collaborator of chart-topping country giant Zach Bryan, who named his new record––which prominently features Schmitt’s harmonies–– conspicuously, ‘With Heaven On Top.’
In Grumpy, Heaven Schmitt is joined by Anya Good, Ellie Long (Kid Lake), Austin Arnold, Diego Clare (D.A. Crimson), and Lane Rodgers, who each contribute to every step of the process—engineering and recording, mixing, drafting artwork, producing, and making music videos. A kind of interdisciplinary thieves’ guild, the project, while once Schmitt’s solo eponym, is a labor of communal love.
“We are living these happy lives, and there are people we come across who don’t know us at all who want us to die,” Schmitt, explains. Often the visibility of the joy itself is what prompts the vitriol––“I’m so happy I could die,” Schmitt belts over and over on the chorus (a familiar figure of speech, sure, but one which, upon any scrutiny, shows Schmitt’s hand in the macabre.) A middle finger to fate, Good started asking, “What are you going to do with your One Beautiful Life?” Grumpy is going to keep playing, touring, searching, finding.

Wraz. is a man on a mission.

Not only has the Montreal native cemented his place as one of the most talented producers in the dubstep scene, but his incredible work ethic, energy, and passion—matched by his undeniable talent—mean his ascension is quite simply inevitable.

DDD has been proud to play our part in his career journey, and things are taking another step forward with the phenomenal album Rites.

A tour de force of audio sorcery, savagery, and sacrilege, Rites subjects the listener to Wraz.’ trademark mix of filthy 140 dubstep, thumping trap flavours, and industrial grittiness.

This is expertly melded with stunning, captivating, suspense-filled interludes that provide counterpoints to the bass punishment in ways that are both tension-inducing, yet beautiful.

Featuring collaborations with label bossmen Truth and DDD favourite Hypho, Wraz.’ sonic understanding of his craft feels unparalleled throughout. Each track brings its own unique flavour, while sitting together as a body of work with remarkable cohesion.

Keep a lookout for this as the first DDD vinyl drop of 2026—alongside its full digital release—Rites marks a seismic moment for both Wraz. and the 140 scene.

Wraz. is putting the world to Rites, while we’re living in his universe.

Budapest based concept label Blue Sun arrives with the 3rd edition of their annual VA series, showcasing a colorful taste of the local underground music scene, with some international sidenotes.

Following up on the label’s customs, the 19-track selection is not only released digitally, but also on a limited 200-piece cassette series. Curated by the label heads, the tracks follow Blue Sun's listening-oriented concept without genre restrictions with downtempo, trip-hop, jazz, dub, balearic, ambient, experimental, and electronica as highlights, with pieces that are more difficult to classify.

As before, instead of the usual A-B markings, the two sides are divided by the label's colors: “ORANGE” contains more organic and high-energy music, while “BLUE” contains more pensive and experimental tracks. Moreover, the selection has been carefully curated so that it can be listened to as an endless loop: the end of a side always resonates with the beginning of the other, wherever the listener begins.

The list of contributing artists this year are truly various and just as impressive. From uniqe debuting local artists to internationally recognised performers, it gives a taste of how the Hungarian underground scene sounds like atm. Important to note, that the release marks another debut: the label’s new visual identity by Blue Sun’s new designer, Péter Tóth.

,Bands Like It When You Yell `YAR!' At Them" war ursprünglich eine Promo-EP von Minus the Bear, die 2002 als Vorgeschmack auf das Debütalbum ,Highly Refined Pirates" erschien. Was als einfache Werbe-CD begann, entwickelte sich schnell zu einem Fan-Favoriten und erscheint 2026 erstmals offiziell auf Vinyl. Die Veröffentlichung zeigt die Band in ihrer frühen Hochphase und vereint ihren charakteristischen Mix aus Indie-Rock, Math Rock, Funk, verspielten Gitarrenfiguren und elektronischen Elementen. Neben frühen Albumtiteln enthält die EP mit ,Drop It Like It's Hot" auch einen exklusiven Song, der die kreative Experimentierfreude der Band eindrucksvoll dokumentiert. Heute gilt ,YAR!" als wichtiges Zeitdokument der Anfangsjahre von Minus the Bear und als perfekte Ergänzung zu ,Highly Refined Pirates", einem der prägendsten Indie-Rock-Alben der frühen 2000er-Jahre. Von Bernie Grundman für Vinyl remastert und mit bei 45 U/min geschnittenen Lackplatten trägt diese limitierte Auflage von 1.000 Exemplaren auf "San Juan Sands" Vinyl dazu bei, die aufregenden Anfangsjahre einer der beliebtesten Bands des amerikanischen Indie-Rock zu dokumentieren und zu bewahren.

For over 25 years, David Madson (aka Odd Nosdam) has been stationed away from the light of the mainstream, diligently working the nightshift. Every so often, we awake to find another of his bleary and beautiful missives slung into the waking world – albums whose assemblages of sampled grooves, atmospheres and voices are unified by a hallucinatory sense of melody, like disparate visions strung together through ribbons of sleep-talk. From his earliest days as a member of the seminal group cLOUDDEAD, through his remixes for artists such as Boards of Canada and Black Moth Super Rainbow, Nosdam has been reporting back from his rounds upon the perimeters of culture and consciousness, forging a musical language all of his own.

On Patrol is the second Odd Nosdam LP to be released on The Notwist’s imprint Alien Transistor – following on from the 2019 album Mirrors – and continues a collaborative history that begun with a 2008 remix of The Notwist song, “Sleep”. It’s a love letter to the vinyl format, produced with the aim of optimizing for a single LP. This objective permeated every aspect of the album’s production, from the duration of each side through to the vinyl mastering (Jessica Thompson) and lacquer-cutting (Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin). As we've come to expect, the album is built almost entirely from found sounds, many of which were taken from obscure and second-hand vinyl gathered during Nosdam’s ceaseless crate-digging escapades. Other sources include field recordings made in 2022 at the Catalonia summer home of artist Salvador Dalí, which are baked into the swirling sci-fi glide of “Here to Know (Adéu Mix)”, and a sumptuous clunking bass line courtesy of Organi’s Mike Walti, which runs like an infinite highway through the fuzzy, sunbaked sprawl of “Deepsimple”.

Odd Nosdam’s work has always swept the entire atmospheric spectrum, from rhythmic vigour to levitational beauty. On Patrol is perhaps his finest assimilation of these extremes. “Sgt. Pepsi” is the perfect case in point: a formidable slow groove capsizes into vinyl crackle after a mere minute, before the song resurrects itself through sweeping strings and vocal harmonies, sliding against each other like the overlain romantic denouements to a dozen Hollywood films from the 1940s. Elsewhere, “Get You In (Belong Mix)” drapes shoegaze guitar over a trundling funk backbeat, straddling the physical world and the outer realms, while hushed voices point toward the song's implied themes of cultural cliques, critical consensus and the plight of the eternal outsider: “Sure, I can get you in... these people are my friends, I’m one of them - I belong.”

This is music that both endures and disappears. Odd Nosdam has always wielded a strange relationship with time, scrambling association with any specific era, weaving together numerous tempos simultaneously. There is no master clock. Each track could happily hold up as an infinite loop, yet Nosdam clearly favours the potency of the gone-too-soon, applying the fadeout just as hypnosis starts to crest. Indeed, the songs are both the product of meticulous long-term construction and spontaneity. While the foundations of On Patrol have come together over several years, the recording process involved channeling vibes through a vintage Roland Space Echo and bouncing song fragments back and forth from hard disk to cassette 8-track, gifting a phased permanence to creative decisions made on the fly – a hat-tip to the production processes of Nosdam's longtime hero, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. Like a recurring dream, On Patrol appeals to both the plains of momentary ephemera and the long-established backchannels of the unconscious, equal parts revelation and deja vu.

Text by Jack Chuter
Artwork by Ian Ferguson

Originally released in 2014, Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles is now being reissued on limited-edition gold vinyl.

The album tells a story of the intersection of the material world and the world of the spirit. Includes fan favorites "I Never Wear White" and "Crack in the Wall,” plus "Song of the Stoic" and “Don't Uncork What You Can’t Contain,” and "Horizon", written for Vaclav Havel.

Produced and arranged by Gerry Leonard, the album features an illustrious group of musicians including longtime Vega bass player Mike Visceglia and drummer Doug Yowell, bass player Gail Ann Dorsey and drummer Zachary Alford (David Bowie), bass player Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), drummer Jay Bellerose (T-Bone Burnett), and Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan) who plays banjo, mandolin, and cymbal throughout the album. Additional contributions feature drummer Sterling Campbell (David Bowie, B52s) and Alison Balsom, the virtuoso principal trumpet for the London Chamber Orchestra. Catherine Russell, known for her work with David Bowie and Paul Simon, adds background vocals.

The strings were recorded in the Czech Republic with the Smichov Chamber Orchestra. The album was mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Kevin Killen.

Despite the widespread popularity of reggae music in the UK, following its explosion onto the international music scene in the late 1960s, many of these in charge of Britain's mainstream media were reluctant to give the exciting new sound coverage, wither in print or over the airways.

In an attempt to counter this prejudice, Trojan Records took the bold step of embellishing recordings from Jamaica with sophisticated orchestration, with the resultant ‘commercial reggae’ sound immediately finding favour with the country’s reggae fans.

Consequently, the company not just maintained, but in fact extended the procedure, employing producers to record the country’s finest British-based reggae acts. The result was the release of an abundance of superbly crafted recordings, the production values of which rated with the best that British pop had to offer.

Underoath reinvents the balance between chaos and harmony with each successive release. Their compositions, conjured from creative tension, become iconoclastic anthems. Even when the band almost combusts, the crackling energy coalesces into something deeply resonant for millions.

Each time they have a chance to do something safe, Underoath challenges themselves instead, with integrity and attitude. Their pair of gold albums and three Grammy nominations stand in stark defiance of the idea of commercial compromise. The Underoath catalog weaponizes noise, aggression, and ambiance as skillfully as melody.

This year the band celebrates 20 years of their album Define The Great Line. Coming on the heels of 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety, Define The Great Line saw Underoath pivoting towards a more aggressive sound. The record’s unconventional – and, at times, jarring – intensity served as a stark contrast to the pop-leaning trends that were taking over heavy music at the time.

Featuring fan favorites like “Writing On The Walls”, “In Regards To Myself”, and “You’re Ever So Inviting”, Define The Great Line defied expectations when it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It is widely regarded as one of the definitive heavy records of the early 2000s, solidifying Underoath’s legacy as one most influential bands of the genre.

The heart of their sound, which delivers naked vulnerability with thrilling force and cinematic lushness, can be heard in generations of bands who’ve pursued their trailblazing spirit. But Underoath refuses to sit still. Walking an artistic tightrope between immersive access and isolationist otherness, Underoath owns the space between huge choruses and forward-thinking heaviness, both on record and onstage.

Longtime Do It Now favourites Club Squisito are back alongside vocalist Fre Monti for a warm, emotionally-charged deep house cut that will soon worm its way into your affections. The original is an unhurried blues ballad that builds into a thumping groove with Monti's haunting vocal work threading through with real feeling. Emiliano S. remixes it into something jazzier and hard-swinging, complete with a clever half-speed breakdown, while Nutty Nys opens the flip with a tasteful, vocal-led broken-piano hook. Pigsie closes things out with a four-on-the-floor banger that taps into early-2000s deep house energy.

Strut proudly presents an expansive deep dive into the world of Quatermass Sound Lab, the prolific under-the-radar East London studio founded and run by producer, engineer and The Heliocentrics co-founder Malcolm Catto. Over the last two decades, Catto has quietly established himself as a sought-after sonic architect in contemporary music. Revered for his analogue-first approach, he has built Quatermass Sound Lab around vintage recording equipment, valve preamps and live performance, creating recordings that feel warm and timeless. Equally inspired by punk, hip-hop, psychedelic rock, jazz, funk and electronic music, Catto has developed a production style that rejects genre boundaries in favour of instinct and atmosphere. Describing himself as "50% musician and 50% listener," Catto approaches each session as a collaborator rather than a conventional producer. That philosophy has made Quatermass Sound Lab a creative home for an extraordinary range of musicians, from established innovators to emerging voices. His remarkable discography spans collaborations with Yussef Dayes, DJ Shadow, Madlib, Quantic, Mulatu Astatke, Orlando Julius, Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids and countless others, each project using analogue wizardry to shape bold, contemporary recordings with a character all of their own.

Songs of Joy and Peace is a Christmas music album by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, originally released in 2008. The album features collaborations with many other artists, including vocalists Diana Krall & Alison Krauss, James Taylor, Dave Brubeck and Chris Botti.

This holiday disc doesn't exclusively stick to traditional Christmas songs, but covers a wide scope of material in a very ambitious manner. Ma opens with a lovely take of the traditional favorite “Dona Nobis Pacem (Give Us Peace)”, playing both the melody and counterpoint via overdubbing.

Jazz pianist/vocalist Diana Krall is superb in a swinging rendition of Jerome Kern's unjustly obscure "You Couldn't Be Cuter", adding bassist John Clayton. An arrangement of “Joy To The World” features pianist Dave Brubeck and cellist Matt Brubeck (his son). Chris Botti has never sounded better in the warm arrangement of “My Favorite Things”, playing both open and muted trumpet. James Taylor is featured on vocals on the Beatles cover “Here Comes The Sun”.

Celebrate the incredible music from the first half of the 70s with this brand-new 2LP collection packed with the era’s most iconic hits.

LP1 kicks off with Queen’s ‘Killer Queen’, followed by Elton John’s timeless ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and Mott The Hoople’s anthemic ‘All The Young Dudes’. Glam-rock favourites from Sweet, Mud and Wizzard sit alongside Pilot’s feel-good ‘Magic’ and David Essex’s distinctive ‘Rock On’. Side Two turns up the guitars with Rod Stewart’s ‘You Wear It Well’, Free’s legendary ‘All Right Now’ and Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet’. Alice Cooper’s rebellious ‘School’s Out’, Status Quo’s ‘Down Down’ and Thin Lizzy’s ‘Whisky In The Jar’ continue an incredible run of rock classics before Bob Dylan closes the LP with ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’.

LP2 opens with Paul McCartney & Wings’ epic ‘Band On The Run’, before Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ showcase some of the decade’s finest songwriting. Harry Nilsson’s unforgettable ‘Without You’ and Terry Jacks’ ‘Seasons In The Sun’ lead into soulful classics from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and The Stylistics. Side Two opens with Neil Diamond’s enduring ‘Sweet Caroline’ and Carly Simon’s ‘You’re So Vain’, before Diana Ross’ ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours’ launch an irresistible run of soul and dancefloor favourites. Barry White’s ‘You’re The First, The Last, My Everything’, George McCrae’s ‘Rock Your Baby’ and The Three Degrees’ ‘When Will I See You Again?’ lead into Michael Jackson’s beautiful ‘Ben’, bringing this celebration of 1970–1974 to a memorable close.

Turn back the clock to an unforgettable era, with 32 huge hits from 1980–1984 brought together across 2LPs.

LP1 launches with Wham!’s feel-good ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, before Duran Duran’s ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ and Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ capture the contemporary sound of the new decade. The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’, Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’ and Heaven 17’s ‘Temptation’ continue an outstanding run of synth-pop classics, with Blondie and Frankie Goes To Hollywood completing Side One. Culture Club open Side Two with ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’, followed by colourful 80s favourites from Adam & The Ants, Altered Images and Kajagoogoo. Haircut 100’s ‘Love Plus One’ and ABC’s ‘The Look Of Love’ lead into Dollar and Bucks Fizz, rounding out a side packed with pure pop nostalgia.

LP2 starts in suitably anthemic style with Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’, alongside Elton John’s uplifting ‘I’m Still Standing’ and Billy Joel’s ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’. The Cars’ ‘Drive’ and Bonnie Tyler’s epic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ bring some of the decade’s biggest power-pop moments, while Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’ and Matthew Wilder’s ‘Break My Stride’ pave the way for Dexys Midnight Runners’ ‘Come On Eileen’. Side Two brings another burst of ’80s energy with Ray Parker Jr.’s ‘Ghostbusters’, Chaka Khan’s ‘I Feel for You’ and Billy Ocean’s ‘Caribbean Queen’. Diana Ross’ ‘Upside Down’ is followed by favourites from The Police, Pretenders and The Jam, before Roxy Music’s ‘Jealous Guy’ provides an elegant finale to this celebration of 1980–1984.

Anna Almani might be your new favourite producer. IFYKYK.. If you don't, then let's get to know..

Anna Almani is a Berlin based “Drag-DJ & Fun-House-Queen”. She is “Big Sister” at ‘Love Letter’ an imprint “for flinta & queer sonic goodness” and she is the alter ego of deep house producer and Poker Flat & Watergate artist ‘Iorie’.

Anna says “This EP is part of my queer expression. It’s all about the attitude to resist, it’s about being yourself unapologetically. It’s a big hug to the queer community and a love letter to resistance on the dancefloor. Be radical, have an attitude and lose yourself.”

When we picked the tracks for this EP we were completely spoiled for choice. There’s so much personality in Anna’s music that every track list made sense. And that’s because there’s a common thread that runs through all of Anna’s music - Balance. Ying & Yang. Dark & Bright, Passive & Assertive, Masculine & Feminine, Fun & Depth all in kept in amazing dynamic balance.

This is Share Now & Save for Later… Gratification immediate and delayed. .. . four tracks to take you through from open to close. From Berlin to NYC and round again

‘See Me Walk’ is gonna be the track that grabs the attention and connects with dancers everywhere. Fast, fun and full of attitude it’s a 909 workout with the energy and syncopation of Ballroom Vogue aaaaand a fabulous diva vocal to match. ’Tender T’ counters the audaciousness with some tenderness. Energetic yet embracing, this introspective proggy, dubby afterhours roller is a proper trip! Full of colour but hazy af.

On the flip ‘Gimme Some’ ramps up the tempo. Fast, urgent and cyclic grooving techno - with a strut - that’s both dubbed out and in your face. ‘Anladın mı’ is a collaboration between Anna and German/Turkish producer Zettka. Low slung house that both jacks and grooves. Rolling basses balanced with playful chords. “Anladın mı” it translates as “Do you understand? or “Got it?”. By now I think we do understand.. That certain je ne sais quoi… Anna Almani has definitely got it.

Mutual Dreaming label head and New York favourite Aurora Halal is back on her own imprint for the first time in some seven years. This new EP finds her in a cosmic mood and exploring new frontiers, starting with the journeying 'Red Alert' which is encircled by clean sci-fi melodies as slinky drums power onwards and upwards. 'The Spell' is less mobile, instead hunkering down in a deeper, slower, more inert groove, but one no less detailed by intergalactic melody. 'Airtrain To Jamaica Station' takes flight on liquid and linear deep techno grooves with a psychedelic synth wash and 'Mist' and 'PF Tek' bring anxious moods to restless grooves.

Reissued on Pascal Pinkert's new label 'Phantom Sounds'. Originally release 2019, now remastered with bonus track included! TIP!

Excerpt from the original release text

"On the album, you’ll find a touch of the old and a great deal of new material. ‘Geen Genade’, ‘Wat Voel Je Nou’ and ‘Verloren’ still stand strong in pride of place, reminding us why we love De Ambassade so much in the first place. The opener and title track, ‘Duistre Kamers’ has a dark industrial vibe that is a perfect introduction of what is to come. Somehow ‘Zo Hoog Als De Bogen’ feels warm and cold simultaneously, it maintains an almost spooky tone; ‘Malefica’ in comparison sounds raw, uncut and almost upbeat. ‘Niet Van Mij’ is one of the reasons the album is so special. Its unexpected wavering synths create another contrast of the melancholic and the joyful in one, and the heavy percussion and echoing vocals tie it in with the rest. ‘Laatste Uur’ kicks you in the face, again with this industrial, moody feel and beautifully handled synths. The closing track ‘Wapengekletter’ is elegant, and a new favourite here. The dark vocals, haunting melody and cleverly tempoed percussion conclude the album wonderfully. Overall, De Ambassade has hit the nail on the head and produced this autumn’s must have Amsterdam album."

Larry Thompson and Rick Lenoir AKA LNR were early house pioneers who dropped seminal cuts from the late 80s onwards, but few had the impact of their debut, ‘Work It To The Bone’.

The darkly alluring anthem mixed tribal percussion with a minimal groove that went deep and soon became a dance floor classic, spawning a thousand copycats. It has remained an evergreen favourite across the years and now gets covered by New York’s long-time house heavyweight and Grammy-winning producer, remixer and Elements Of Life founder Louie Vega under his Funki Cadets alias. He hooks up with Chicago mainstay Mike Dunn and go-to contemporary house producer Wade Teo for a new version that beefs up the original for modern dance floors.

The opening Louie Vega Mix dials into the original’s tribal energy with a chunky, bouncing groove and hard-hitting percussion, then layers in more synths, effects, and drama to the full-fat sound. It’s a sweaty, steamy affair with a constant sense of momentum as the arrangement evolves, different hooks take the lead, and the pressure stays high. In addition to a DJ Tool Acapella and Louie Vega Beats mix, Wade Teo remixes the track with a deeper groove and dusty drums. It’s a more subtle, heads-down sound but packed with the same edge and rawness that made the original so standout.

With absolute joy we can announce that one of our favorite dubplates of the last years is finally going to be released. If you heard Lion’s Den play, you heard this one. This is Violinbwoy’s take on a Belarusian traditional song. A beautiful interpretation by Laboratorium Pieśni remixed for sound system play by Violinbwoy in his laboratory.

A tune gathering the ancient spirits - from that time to this time… play it loud and feel the vibrations!

Working with sister label OST Recordings, Acid Jazz has reissued 'Family Tree' by Family Tree twice in the last few years, each time with the record immediately selling out, and whilst it will return on the 7-inch format at sometime in the future, they’ve decided to go bigger this time and present the record in the 12-inch format.

‘Family Tree’ is an all-time club classic made by ‘I Specialize In Love’ hitmaker Sharon Brown and her group Family Tree. Original copies of this record regularly sell at over £300. A floor filler, it was Norman Cook’s favourite disco record.

Presented on a smart-looking label and in an even cooler sleeve, both of which are based on the original Ananda label single release, this single couples the original 12-inch disco mix on the A-side, with a B-side that has both the original 7-inch edit and the OST Bonus Beats edit, which makes its 12-inch debut.

Zum 100. Geburtstag von John Coltrane verneigt sich Miguel Atwood-Ferguson mit “ANANTA: Spirit
of Coltrane” vor einer seiner wichtigsten musikalischen und spirituellen Inspirationsquellen. Der in Los
Angeles beheimatete Komponist, Arrangeur und Multiinstrumentalist ist ein Grenzgänger zwischen Jazz,
Klassik, Hip-Hop und elektronischer Musik und arbeitete bereits mit Künstler wie Flying Lotus, Kamasi
Washington, Thundercat und Anderson .Paak.
Gemeinsam mit einem 21-köpfigen Ensemble und Gästen wie Brandee Younger, Shabaka, Immanuel Wilkins,
Jeff Parker, Flying Lotus und Aja Monet überführt er Coltranes Musik ins Hier und Jetzt. Klassiker wie
“Naima”, “My Favorite Things”, “A Love Supreme” und “Giant Steps” erscheinen in neuen Klangfarben.
Mehr als eine reine Hommage versteht Atwood-Ferguson “ANANTA” als spirituelle “Cosmic Music” – und
als zeitgenössische Weiterführung von Coltranes grenzenloser musikalischer Vision.

Andreas Tilliander returns to Kontra-Musik in a grand style with his second TM404 album. Titled 'Acidub', this highly anticipated release is much more of an evolution than a repetition of the first superbly self-restricted album, where Tilliander even decided to use only one of the two Roland TB-303 waveforms. Acidub is a more playful and open listening experience, no doubt inspired by his extensive live touring with the TM404 concept. In fact, you can almost hear Tilliander's flock of acid machines breaking free from the restrained modus operandi. Every sound is like a migratory bird with a heart yearning for high altitude and favourable winds. The opening track Alinge paints a lucid picture of these acid birds leaving a cold industrial landscape behind, the flickering black shadows from their wings against the white smoke rising from a forest of chimneys below. The very last seconds of Alinge even echo of the place the silver birds are longing for, but that will remain a secret between Kontra-Musik and the avid listener. Sufficient to say, we can follow these birds of passage as they're heading south towards a warmer climate, fleeing the cold discipline of the North. Mutron Mantra, for instance, brings us to a rainforest full of serpentine lianas, giant leaves dripping with moist and green pools of water bubbling with organic life. Don't Defend Mascot guides us through a steaming savannah at dusk with hundreds of yellow eyes following our every step while Pade vividly describes the perils of the flight and the pace and courage needed to press on. In all, Acidub is a surprisingly exuberant follow-up to the more introspective TM404 album. But while the musical journey of this second album is quite different, the experience of sheer aural eminence remains the same. Andreas Tilliander has done it again, and Kontra-Musik couldn't be prouder.

History has shown that the greatest bands–bands with that certain, ever elusive quality called lasting power–neither conform to nor buck the trends of their time, but rather force the times to catch up to them. Sheer Mag has such lasting power in droves. After almost a decade spent carving out a career that has already become the stuff of modern underground legend, the band’s new stand-alone single, “All Lined Up,” comes alongside the announcement of their signing to Third Man Records–their first partnership with a larger independent label–who will also be physically and digitally re-releasing the entirety of Sheer Mag’s back-catalogue, including their cult-beloved early EPs I (2014), II (2015), and III (2016), as well as their first two breakthrough LPs, Need To Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019). Sheer Mag’s sensibility, as fervently beloved by baseball-tee clad garage rockers and tattoo-less indie kids as it is by leather-and-stud-loyal punks, finds its strength in an unconventional mixture of refined complexity and straight-forward pop prowess. Seamlessly trading between head-turning guitar heroics and a charmingly timeless blend of disco, hard rock, and garage inflected hooks, Sheer Mag’s oft-referenced, never-replicated sound has played an undeniably large role in stoking the current resurgence of interest power-pop forward rock music. While quickly adopted as a fan-favorite amongst the sweat-caked crowds of the early 2010’s underground, time has attested to Sheer Mag’s singular cultural mutability: though never straying too far from their home-town Philadelphian origins

CPEN is the alias of Chris Penny and his 'Pirates Life' EP on Seasons Recordings back in the 2000s is one of our all-time favourites. It was used on Craig Richards's fabric mix and still sounds original more than a quarter of a century on as the man behind it has gone on to work with Luke Solomon and Honey Dijon on a Grammy-winning album. It's the title cut that does it for us with the way the groove is so languid and loose as it hangs just above the floor and deep space sounds colour the airwaves. 'Song Of The Muse' is a beautiful synth scape stripped of rhythm and 'Liquid Steps' has a little more bite but still roll on nice soft kicks with life-affirming keys up top. 'Third Quarter' is a majestic post-club comedown with all of CPEN's signature synth sounds and even some brassy smears, making it an utter downtempo delight.

Introducing Relik.

A new sub-division from Earth Dog Records, reissuing overlooked gems from the North American underground

The ‘90s to early 2000s saw US dance music experience a uniquely innovative gold rush. Records from that period narrate a burgeoning rave-obsessed sub culture, experimenting with the psychedelic sounds of tech house and progressive, with further flirtations with trance, breaks and beyond.

Many of those era’s artefacts have been increasingly difficult to find, and even rarer to hear out in the contexts they were constructed for. Relik exists as a means to preserve the legacy of this formative era, honouring the artists and labels that helped shape an ethos and sound unique to North America, and pivotal to the Earth Dog vision, while exposing this music to a new generation of listeners.

Each reissue will be released with permission and in collaboration with the original artists.

R001: The Vortex Archives

Volume one shines a light on Gainesville’s legendary Vortex Records.
Founded in 1996 by Boyd Westerman and Kyle Hogan, lifelong underground innovators (with Boyd remaining the undisputed king of the Discogs comment section). Vortex was home to a catalog of sounds that helped define a unique tech house and progressive flavoured corner of the North American underground.

Vortex Archives compiles four of our favourite cuts from the label’s discography, that for our money showcases their unmistakable sound best; a seamless fusion of progressive house, tech house, trance and breaks.

Nearly three decades on, these tracks (and the label from where they came) are as timeless and prescient than ever. We’re honored to certify their legacy by bringing them back into circulation.

A huge thank you to Boyd for trusting us with this release and helping to bring a sample of the Vortex catalog back into the world.

Endless respect to all the OGs who archived their catalogues, continued to make incredible music and subsequently paved the way for future generations. We wouldn’t be here without you.

The seminal psych-rock classic The Evil One by Roky Erickson And The Aliens is reissued by Fire Records in a deluxe 15-track edition, restoring the original front cover from San Francisco’s 415 Records release for the first time since 1981. Presented across two LPs cut at 45 rpm for maximum sonic depth and clarity, the release brings together the complete recordings from the legendary 1978 and 1979 sessions. The package includes a collector’s booklet with liner notes by acclaimed Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended a recording session for The Evil One in 1979. Alongside rare photographs and archival images from the collection of Roky’s then manager, Craig Luckin.

Following his release from Rusk State Hospital in 1974, Erickson formed The Aliens and channelled his experiences and fascination with horror and science fiction into a singular new sound. Moving beyond the psychedelic garage blues of the 13th Floor Elevators, the band created harder, more ferocious rock built around jagged guitars, strange melodies and a propulsive rhythm section.

Produced by Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook, The Evil One includes some of Erickson’s most celebrated recordings, including ‘Two Headed Dog’, ‘I Walked With A Zombie’ and ‘It’s A Cold Night For Alligators’. Erickson’s unmistakable voice and surreal lyrics, populated by zombies, demons, vampires and atomic monsters, gave the album a character unlike anything else in rock. Both the LP and CD editions feature rare photographs and images from the archive of Erickson’s then manager and the sessions’ executive producer, Craig Luckin.

The Evil One has since become a landmark of cult rock, with its songs covered by generations of artists and its influence extending across punk, alternative and psychedelic music. As Craig Luckin recalls, “Roky considers The Evil One to be his favourite album that he ever recorded. He really loves that album.”

Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended one of the album’s 1979 sessions, contributes a new essay to the LP and CD packaging, exploring Erickson’s extraordinary career, enduring influence and place in Texas rock history.

More than a standalone reissue, this deluxe edition of The Evil One opens an exciting new series honouring Roky Erickson’s extraordinary body of work, with Gremlins Have Pictures and Don’t Slander Me to follow in 2027.

The seminal psych-rock classic The Evil One by Roky Erickson And The Aliens is reissued by Fire Records in a deluxe 15-track edition, restoring the original front cover from San Francisco’s 415 Records release for the first time since 1981. Presented across two LPs cut at 45 rpm for maximum sonic depth and clarity, the release brings together the complete recordings from the legendary 1978 and 1979 sessions. The package includes a collector’s booklet with liner notes by acclaimed Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended a recording session for The Evil One in 1979. Alongside rare photographs and archival images from the collection of Roky’s then manager, Craig Luckin.

Following his release from Rusk State Hospital in 1974, Erickson formed The Aliens and channelled his experiences and fascination with horror and science fiction into a singular new sound. Moving beyond the psychedelic garage blues of the 13th Floor Elevators, the band created harder, more ferocious rock built around jagged guitars, strange melodies and a propulsive rhythm section.

Produced by Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook, The Evil One includes some of Erickson’s most celebrated recordings, including ‘Two Headed Dog’, ‘I Walked With A Zombie’ and ‘It’s A Cold Night For Alligators’. Erickson’s unmistakable voice and surreal lyrics, populated by zombies, demons, vampires and atomic monsters, gave the album a character unlike anything else in rock. Both the LP and CD editions feature rare photographs and images from the archive of Erickson’s then manager and the sessions’ executive producer, Craig Luckin.

The Evil One has since become a landmark of cult rock, with its songs covered by generations of artists and its influence extending across punk, alternative and psychedelic music. As Craig Luckin recalls, “Roky considers The Evil One to be his favourite album that he ever recorded. He really loves that album.”

Austin music journalist Joe Nick Patoski, who attended one of the album’s 1979 sessions, contributes a new essay to the LP and CD packaging, exploring Erickson’s extraordinary career, enduring influence and place in Texas rock history.

More than a standalone reissue, this deluxe edition of The Evil One opens an exciting new series honouring Roky Erickson’s extraordinary body of work, with Gremlins Have Pictures and Don’t Slander Me to follow in 2027.