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There is no in-between, neither is it only black or white - it is always, also, a question about contrast.

This is the third edit release on the newly reborn Tech-nology label.

The first was played by Luca Bacchetti at Burning Man 2023 and by Michael Meyer in his Soundcloud, radioshow - a big thanks.

The second is yet to be discovered, but mostly jazz and afro with a Minimal and Chicago touch.

The edit series is a mix between techno, which was initially the start of the label, so!

The edit series is not disco in the sense that is most popular or most accepted, this is a new way!

Making a techno approach to attack the original disco track.

Tech-nology!

This output is the third and not a secret track.

Here it is black, like the techno sound behind.

There is the basic well-known one-to-one production with extra techno breaks for your dancing
pleasure.

But the flipside, with 2 versions, is the big room killer.

There is always white noice

FUJI||||||||||TA returns to Hallow Ground with his second full-length for the label after we had released his international breakthrough album »iki« in early 2020. Active since 2006, the Japanese composer and sound artist has become prolific since the release of »iki,« releasing a slew of records while also touring the world. His new album »MMM« is Yosuke Fujita’s most complex so far. Changing the set-up of his pipe organ by switching to an electric air pump allowed him to activate new sonic and compositional potentials of the instrument, while he also expanded upon his experiments with his own voice. »MMM« is a masterpiece of conceptual and formal rigour—a testament to how multi-layered and versatile the music of FUJI||||||||||TA can be.

Previous releases had already showcased Fujita's interest in working with the rhythmic potentials of the organ he built himself in 2009. Replacing its hand-operated air pump with an electric one allowed him to work with it more freely and simultaneously record its sounds. This marked the starting point for the opener »M-1,« for which he recorded the pipes by waving a gun microphone close to it, thus creating shifting rhythmic patterns. The piece engages in a perpetual play of repetition and difference, balancing sonic intensity with compositional dramaturgy. For »M-2,« the artist uses his voice and works with a singing technique he has developed over more than a decade: constantly exhaling and inhaling, he puts a strain on his internal organs in order to create what he calls a »third voice.« The resulting piece is built on a throbbing rhythmic foundation topped by wordless melodies.

»M-3« closes the album as a synthesis of these two pieces, but is far more than the mere sum of its parts. The subtle tonal shifts of the organ take on a more subdued role this time, and Fujita’s scat growling and singing reappears in processed form. »M-3« combines the rhythms and melodies of the previous pieces to let something entirely new emerge out of them, much like the album is based on perpetual changes and recombinatory strategies. In fact, Fujita explains, the acronymic title can be read in many ways: this album is minimalistic, but freely mixes and mingles different materials in magical and even metaphorical ways while also paying its dues to his wife and daughter—M. and M. Just like its title can mean a lot of different things, »MMM« itself is ever-evolving, traversing different moods and opening itself up to a plethora of interpretations at each of its many turns.

Did you know that for decades, record collectors across the Dutch-speaking region have overlooked a significant portion of their own musical heritage while avidly searching for rare grooves and breaks in bins filled with more exotic music? It's a fact! And that's where Harde Smart comes in. After delving deep into dusty crates of Belgian and Dutch music, Harde Smart's inaugural compilation in 2019, dedicated to music from the 1970s, brought to light a selection of smooth, jazzy, funky, and soulful gems from Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) and Holland. In addition to exquisite grooves and hard-pounding drums, these songs shared Dutch lyrics, offering a unique compilation of lyric-driven Flemish and Dutch music from back in the days.

Yet, nothing is as certain as the unexpected. This compilation marked the first time a Dutch album uncovered the authentic Afro-American funk and soul vibe, which, albeit sporadically, influenced the work of both popular and lesser-known singers and musicians in this corner of the world during the 1970s. Undoubtedly, influences also stemmed from French chanson and rock music of the era. This 21-trackalbum shattered all musical predictability, taking listeners on a strange and nostalgic journey, offering a revised collection of "essential homegrown classics" for local listeners while also captivating non-Dutch-speaking audiences.

With the second compilation, Harde Smart shifts its focus from the 1970s sound to explore the next decade, the 1980s. Vinyl aficionados No Sleep Richy and Micha Marva joined forces with Sjefke De Kok, one of Holland's premier crate diggers, to continue their musical odyssey. Digging even deeper into dusty bins filled with Dutch and Flemish records once again unearthed an exquisite selection of tracks-too weird to play, too rare to ignore. From butt-shaking boogie to weird disco adventures on wax, this album encapsulates all the good stuff of the 1980s: smooth and seductive alongside dark and wavy. Get ready for an atypical introduction into the Dutch lyric-driven music from the 1980's.

Als Fan von People Under The Stairs und Damu The Fudgemunk schließt sich für Soul Supreme ein Kreis. Der superbe Remix von "Taking The Stand" aus seinem Instrumentalalbum "Poetic Justice" (2023) markiert das erste Zusammentreffen von Thes One und Damu auf einer Platte. In typischer Cratedigger-Manier verwandelt Thes One Schlüsselelemente des Tracks in einen halsbrecherischen Beat, während Damu The Fudgemunk seinem Unmut über zwielichtige Plattenfirmen am Mic Ausdruck verleiht. Mit dem Original, einem wunderschön melodischen Jazz-Funk-Kopfnicker, auf der Flip.

Die Musik von Quadro Nuevo strahlt die Lust am abenteuerreichen Leben aus. Jede Melodie erzählt davon, jede Reise prägt die extravagante Musizierkunst des Ensembles. Die 16 Tracks des neuen Albums sind gefärbt von der Fröhlichkeit und Freundlichkeit ihrer Begegnungen in Brasilien. Da ist der Titel des Albums Programm!

NOTURNALL. This is the name of this young group that, in less than 10 years on the road, is considered one of the biggest and most important bands in Brazilian Heavy Metal history. Starting in 2014, its brief, but intense history brings some legends of the so-called “Brazilian metal scene” that left their marks on worldwide renowned bands: Shaman, Angra and Project46. They also have in their line-up legendary North American guitarist Mike Orlando, who sold hundreds of thousands of album copies with ADRENALINE MOB and was listed a top 100 guitar player of all time and also a top 10 superstar of the year 2008 by Guitar Player Magazine.Iconic concerts, bold tours, thrilling music videos and guest appearances by Heavy Metal legends from all over the world, such as Michael Kiske (Helloween, Unisonic), Mike Portnoy, James Labrie (Dream Theater), Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob), Michael Romeo (Symphony X), Edu Falaschi, among others, consolidate the band as a true jewel of Brazilian Heavy Metal. In 2022, after almost 2 years away from stage, Noturnall started the year with a nostalgic concert in SESC 24 de Maio, presenting classic songs. Noturnall released their fourth studio album, entitled Cosmic Redemption, showcasing the band’s best shape and also featuring as special guests: guitarist MARTY FRIEDMAN and bassist DAVID ELLEFSON (both former MEGADETH), founding SYMPHONY X guitarist, MICHAEL ROMEO, the internationally renowned prog metal drummer, MIKE PORTNOY (ex-DREAM THEATER, THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO), who previously toured with the band and appeared in the video for the single “SCREAM! FOR!! ME!!!”, and lastly Brazilian MPB legend, NE Brazilian MPB legend, NEY MATOGROSSO.

Cosmic Redemption by Noturnall, released 12 April 2024, includes the following tracks: "Shallow Grave", "Shadows (Walking Through) (Feat. Michael Romeo)", "Tempo Não Para (Feat. Matogrosso)" and more.

This version of Cosmic Redemption comes as a 1xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a opaque disc.

Although it felt like the world had stopped spinning, at times, it was during these days, months, and years of uncertainty that many of Venice’s “Stained Glass” songs were conceived. Each member of Venice was quietly and privately cataloguing their artistic interpretation of this new reality and uncertainty by recording or writing down little snippets of ideas, like guitar riffs, melodies, or lyrics…all of these came about while looking at life through a new lens.

They set up the writing circle using an electronic drum kit, small tube amps, direct acoustic guitars and bass and the sm58 stage microphones for vocals. This small and simple setup allowed the band to work on ideas at low-volume levels by using headphones or low-level playback through studio monitors without bothering the neighbors with live drums. “Lunches made by Michael’s wife, Danielle, and visits from their dog Sachi, kept us grounded and let us stay in the creative bubble without leaving that space”, says bassist, Mark Harris. Michael and drummer, Andre Kemp, who co-produced Stained Glass, would later re-record the drum tracks with real drums in a friend’s studio.

“The beauty of this approach on Stained Glass was that one person’s idea would be presented to the other 5 musicians and each guy added a different color to that idea”, says Michael. “Whether it was an unexpected drum beat, or a moving guitar line, those simple ideas turned into pieces of art, colored by the different musical and lyrical contributions. That only happens when you are working that idea out, together, and playing as one unit”.

That was the main inspiration for the album title; like a kaleidoscope, each guy's experience and taste in music was bringing a different color to the songs, but together their contributions made one piece of art, one song. Michael concludes, “if you zoom out, each song becomes its own color and all those songs or colors come together to form one big piece of art, one big piece of ‘Stained Glass’”.

After the release of the first volume of music selected by Klinkhamer Record shop owner Michel Veenstra in 2022, the anticipation and expectation amongst the heads for a follow up compilation has been building. Now BBE Music can announce that Klinkhamer Volume 2's
collection of music from the 70's and 80's is ready to add to the series.

An eclectic selection of tracks which crosses genres and styles, Michel has once again curated a compilation album of music that will appeal to the heads, the collectors and the lovers of the groove. A melange of folk, Jazz and funk for the headphones and the dancefloor, Klinkhamer juxtaposes instrumentals with vocal tracks in English, Swedish and French over a double vinyl release and a track order that creates as much a journey as a flow.

Michel, alongside his brother Stephen, is the owner of the Klinkhamer Record shop in Groningen and a regular trader at the globally known Utrecht Record Fair since the 1990s. It is this wealth of experience, a nose for a gem and an ear for a tune that that has fed into a compilation that has music lover stamped throughout its eight tracks, all remastered from original vinyl.

Coming as a double vinyl and digital release, Klinkhamer Volume 2 is a Godfather II level of follow-up to the previous compilation in the series and really is a must for all true music collectors, vinyl junkies and lovers of tunes curated for the mind, the heart and the feet.

Produced by El Michels Affair & Tommy Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band). Taken from forthcoming debut album due out in Summer 2024. Thee Heart Tones treat us to another must have 7" while the finishing touches are being put on their debut album. A bunch of talented kids from Hawthorne, California that came right out of high school and wound up in the studio with two legendary producers (El Michels Affair & Tommy Brenneck) cutting their first album in 5 days. Here on this 45 are two more of songs drenched in the magic that was captured. Side A "No Longer Mine" is gritty and driving mid tempo banger that lead singer Jazmine Alvarado's honeyed voice smooths out. A declaration of young love gone wrong, Jazmine states the facts and lays down the law like a boss with a chorus that will live in your head rent free. Side B "Cry My Tears Away" is a heavy duty B Side Ballad that can hold court with the best of them. This is sure to find a place in the hearts of all the slowie enthusiasts and soundtrack many a slow dance, joy ride, and late night.

“Great Doubt” is the third full length LP by Danish composer Astrid Sonne. Throughout her acclaimed discography, Astrid Sonne has been carefully crafting different moods through electronic and acoustic instrumental endeavours. On “Great Doubt” this skill is refined, now with the distinct addition of the composer's own vocal in front. The tone of each track is unmistakably Sonne’s, structured around contrasts through an impeccable sense of timing. Lyrics on the album are sparse, merely highlighting different scenes or emotional states of being, leaving the music to fill in the blanks. Yet they also form a pattern of ambiguity, consolidated through the album title, searching for answers through looking at how and what you are asking, questions for the world, questions of love. The viola, a trusted companion since Astrid Sonne’s youth, appears effortlessly throughout the album, fully integrated into the sonic universe; through a pizzicato driven arrangement in the poignant track “Almost” or along with booms and claps in mutated cinematic stabs during “Give my all”, paraphrasing Mariah Carey's 1997 ballad. Yet the string section also gives way to explorations of woodwinds, counterbalancing the bowed movements with digital brass and airy flutes. Finally, beats and detuned piano are fresh additions to the soundscape, cementing how Sonne’s practice is always evolving into new territories. In fall 2022, Astrid Sonne relocated from Copenhagen with its peers of artists such as ML Buch, Erika de Casier and Smerz, to live in London, where musicians of the South-East London scene like Coby Sey, Lolina, Still House Plants and Mica Levi provide a new inspirational framework. “Great Doubt” bears witness to both of those geographical locations, yet finds itself in its own unique space, in many ways due to the presence of Sonne's voice throughout. A voice that has always been present in her work, but never fully explored as a solo instrument before now. Astrid Sonne elaborates on the wish to work more in depth with the voice: “I come from a tradition of choir singing where I’ve used my voice as a way of creating unity with other voices. I’ve disciplined my voice in a certain way and this album is an exploration of me trying to find my own voice as an instrument, as a communicator, as a new way of being honest.” Questions take up a central role throughout the album. The doubt is both a blessing and a curse, always lying in-between, acting as both what holds back and drives forward. A metamorphosis not going anywhere. The great doubt takes place in a space of courage, chances, love, loss, gifts and surprises. Genre: Electronic / Experimental

Blue Bendy are kicking off 2024 with news of their highly anticipated debut album ‘So Medieval’ which is being released via state51 on 12 April. Alongside this big announcement the band are sharing the latest new track from the record, ‘Come On Baby, Dig!’, and dates for their UK tour including their largest headline show to date at The Garage in London on 9 May and a special Album Launch Show in the band’s hometown of Scunthorpe to celebrate the release.

‘So Medieval’ captures all the musical foibles, idiosyncrasies and departures from the norm which Blue Bendy have displayed across their previous releases. Expressing their sound over the course of a full record for the first time, ‘So Medieval’ is an explosive mix of genre, atmosphere and emotions. The end result is something rare for a new band: a debut album which is as experimental as it is confident and assured, as tender as it is visceral, as quiet as it is loud, as bloody as it is teary.

Released 25th January, new single ‘Come On Baby, Dig!’ follows on from previously released album tracks ‘Cloudy’ and ‘Mr. Bubblegum’. Simmering down the tempo and darkening the mood, the track stacks forlorn lyrics against an assortment of riffs, tones and textures. The music video, directed by Michael Julings, depicts an unnamed character locked in an existential battle with an immovable black fridge. Starring Laura Schuller, a performance artist recently cast in the Marina Abramović retrospective at the RA, the video also features the band coming together to conjure supernatural powers at the video's climax.

Singer and lyricist Arthur Nolan explains that “Dig is dedicated to an old flame and a city break. I was eat pray loving, digging around for some culture in the wake of breaking up. The wheels came off the trip quickly, and now I won’t go back to Bologna, I’m banned.”

Building on the momentum of their 2022 EP ‘Motorbike’ Blue Bendy are stretching out into vast new sonic terrain. Their following two singles ‘Mr Bubblegum’ - a joyously intricate piece of experimental guitar pop - and the frenetic, propulsive yet incredibly deft sprawl of ‘Cloudy’, saw the band reach new heights creatively. Of the former, The Guardian enthused: “indie is riddled with addled, verbose frontmen right now, but none so rapturous as Blue Bendy’s Arthur Nolan: here he dances all over splayed post-rock and micro-cataclysms.”

Having toured as main support for Squid and Cola as well as playing packed out tents at festivals like End Of The Road and Green Man, Blue Bendy have struck a balance between being obviously skilled musicians, writing complex, layered, overlapping and ambitious compositions, while also utilising space, breadth, and restraint. Their music is bursting with dynamism, exploring push-pull dynamics that results in something ceaselessly unpredictable.

Der OST zu Paul Kings Film 'Wonka' (2023), einem Prequel zu dem bereits mehrfach verfilmten Kinderbuch 'Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik' von Roald Dahl. Die Partitur enthält sowohl köstliche Originalmusik, vorgetragen von Protagonist Timothée Chalamet und der phänomenalen Ensemblebesetzung mit Hugh Grant, Calah Lane und Keegan-Michael Key, sowie neue Musik des gefeierten Komponisten Joby Talbot und des Songwriters Neil Hannon. Braunes und cremefarbenes Doppelvinyl in Nagaoka-Stil-Innenhüllen samt Einleger im Hochglanz-Gatefold mit Obi-Strip.

Necrot continue their ascent to the forefront of American aural extremity, pushing the boundaries of style and continuing to recast metal in their image. Founded by bassist, vocalist and principal songwriter Luca Indrio and drummer Chad Gailey in 2011 – guitarist Sonny Reinhardt joined the next year – the Oakland, California, trio offer Lifeless Birth (in continued collaboration with Tankcrimes) as a culmination of their to-date efforts to encapsulate and push forward the deathly stylings of 2020’s Mortal and their 2017 debut, Blood Offerings. It’s not about giving up a ferocity that’s helped make them a household name among the converted. Instead, Necrot use that same, by-now-characteristic intensity as the backdrop for an expanded songwriting palette. They’ve always been a band who stood out. The maturity they show on Lifeless Birth confirms that’s been the plan all along. It is a vision of what metal can be and do in 2024, tearing down old barriers and keeping those traditional elements that make it stronger. Recorded with Grammy-winning producer Greg Wilkinson (who has helmed all three Necrot albums) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, Lifeless Birth pivots fluidly between technical intricacy, progressive poise and all-out brutality. Scouring lead work will have thrash heads nodding knowingly, and an overarching groove reaches out across the metal microgenres with a righteous call to worship. Its songs are memorable and varied, unpretentious but able to rear up with statelier violence. At the same time, “Drill the Skull,” “Cut the Cord,” “The Curse” and others prove that just because a song is beating you into the ground doesn’t mean it can’t also be forward-thinking. Or catchy. After having their Mortal tour plans scuttled owing to the covid pandemic, family health issues that led Luca, who became a US citizen in 2016 and currently lives in Mexico, to return to Italy for a time canceled what would have been their first tour post-plague. Still, despite this and Chad suffering a broken back, requiring multiple surgeries and intense physical therapy to be able to drum again, period, Luca being struck with Bell’s Palsy the night before he was originally due to fly to the studio to record, and Sonny requiring multiple surgeries on his hands in the months since they finished, Necrot charge forward with material distinguished in its real-world point of view and willingness to look beyond extreme metal tropes in lyrics, the melodies of its guitar solos, and unbridled audience engagement. For a collection of songs that feel so much written for the stage, it should be no surprise tours early in 2024 and summer festivals are to be announced. Mortal (2020, Tankcrimes) was #2 on Billboard's Top New Artist chart, #30 on the Top Current Albums chart, #4 on the Current Hard Music, and #10 on the Heatseeker Albums chart for week of release. Necrot have toured in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, and shared the stage with Cannibal Corpse, Immolation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation, Morbid Angel, and hundreds of others. Expect no letup as Lifeless Birth brings Necrot all the more to their own place among metal’s superlatively aggressive proliferators. – JJ Koczan

Following their critically acclaimed 2019 debut album Unfurl, Hidden Notes Records are happy to announce the release of the multi-award-nominated experimental/contemporary folk string duo Fran & Flora’s sophomore full-length album, Precious Collection. Released on Friday 12th April 2024, this album, produced by the duo themselves, explodes in myriad directions expressing the richness of the long-standing collaboration between Francesca Ter-Berg (cello/vocals/electronics) and Flora Curzon (violin/vocals/electronics). With Klezmer and Yiddish song as the predominant inspiration for the record, Precious Collection defies convention, featuring self-penned tunes and unique arrangements pushing their ground-breaking project beyond their virtuosic string playing. Drummers Ursula Russell (Snapped Ankles, Alabaster DePlume) and Simon Roth (Chris Potter, Alice Zawadzki, Adrian Dunbar) feature on the record on full kit and Ukrainian Poik (marching drum) respectively, and Francesca and Flora experiment with bowed cymbals, extended piano techniques, and samples of found sounds.The album was recorded in three different locations - Total Refreshment Centre (London), Big Jelly Studios (Ramsgate) and Great North Sound Society (Maine, USA). The music of Fran & Flora sits in two camps, both steeped in tradition, with material drawn directly from archival recordings, recovered manuscripts and years of study with traditional music masters, whilst simultaneously garnering a contemporary and avant-garde aesthetic, speaking to the more classical and experimental listener. Fran & Flora inject their source material with drones, loops, free improvisation and electronics to create a ‘border-defying’ (Mojo) sound. Their influences range across a wide spectrum of artists and composers from Silver Mt.Zion to Rhiannon Giddens, Lankum, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Colin Stetson, Adrienne Lenker, Shabaka Hutchings and Mica Levi. As string players Fran & Flora’s collaborations together and separately includes performing with the likes of Tom Skinner, Portico Quartet, Imogen Heap, Riz Ahmed, Sam Lee, Talvin Singh, Jocelyn Pook, Hannah Peel and The Vernon Spring. Within the global Klezmer community they have worked with Zoe Aqua, London Klezmer Quartet, Sashe Lurje, Craig Judelman, Merlin & Polina Shepherd and Frank London, and have taught at Klezmer music camps including at Klezfest London, contributing to ongoing research and revival work.

Following their critically acclaimed 2019 debut album Unfurl, Hidden Notes Records are happy to announce the release of the multi-award-nominated experimental/contemporary folk string duo Fran & Flora’s sophomore full-length album, Precious Collection. Released on Friday 12th April 2024, this album, produced by the duo themselves, explodes in myriad directions expressing the richness of the long-standing collaboration between Francesca Ter-Berg (cello/vocals/electronics) and Flora Curzon (violin/vocals/electronics). With Klezmer and Yiddish song as the predominant inspiration for the record, Precious Collection defies convention, featuring self-penned tunes and unique arrangements pushing their ground-breaking project beyond their virtuosic string playing. Drummers Ursula Russell (Snapped Ankles, Alabaster DePlume) and Simon Roth (Chris Potter, Alice Zawadzki, Adrian Dunbar) feature on the record on full kit and Ukrainian Poik (marching drum) respectively, and Francesca and Flora experiment with bowed cymbals, extended piano techniques, and samples of found sounds.The album was recorded in three different locations - Total Refreshment Centre (London), Big Jelly Studios (Ramsgate) and Great North Sound Society (Maine, USA). The music of Fran & Flora sits in two camps, both steeped in tradition, with material drawn directly from archival recordings, recovered manuscripts and years of study with traditional music masters, whilst simultaneously garnering a contemporary and avant-garde aesthetic, speaking to the more classical and experimental listener. Fran & Flora inject their source material with drones, loops, free improvisation and electronics to create a ‘border-defying’ (Mojo) sound. Their influences range across a wide spectrum of artists and composers from Silver Mt.Zion to Rhiannon Giddens, Lankum, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Colin Stetson, Adrienne Lenker, Shabaka Hutchings and Mica Levi. As string players Fran & Flora’s collaborations together and separately includes performing with the likes of Tom Skinner, Portico Quartet, Imogen Heap, Riz Ahmed, Sam Lee, Talvin Singh, Jocelyn Pook, Hannah Peel and The Vernon Spring. Within the global Klezmer community they have worked with Zoe Aqua, London Klezmer Quartet, Sashe Lurje, Craig Judelman, Merlin & Polina Shepherd and Frank London, and have taught at Klezmer music camps including at Klezfest London, contributing to ongoing research and revival work.

Die Band The Reds, Pinks & Purples aus San Francisco bleibt auf ihrem einmal eingeschlagenem Pfad und kündigt ein neues Album an, das im April erscheinen wird. RPPs Gehirn Glenn Donaldson hält es düster - wie könnte es anders sein - mit Titeln wie "What's Going On With Ordinary People", "We Only Hear The Bad Things People Say" und "Dead Stars In Your Eyes". Die DIY-Pop-Titanen The Reds, Pinks & Purples kristallisieren auf "Unwishing Well" den tragischen, sich selbst feiernden Reichtum der glücklichen Versager, der falschen Helden und der Menschheit mit all ihren romantisierten Sich-Wundern - und nehmen die Fäden der Hoffnung mit ungebremster Hingabe ins Visier. Das Album, das sich über 10 wunderschöne Stücke erstreckt, ist ein weiterer Beweis für Glenn Donaldsons makellose Beherrschung des intimen, aber dennoch ausladenden, niedergeschlagenen Pops. In den letzten fünf Jahren haben The Reds, Pinks & Purples sechs Alben, mehrere EPs und zahllose Singles veröffentlicht, die sich alle dem Ziel verschrieben haben, dem Independent-Guitar Pop neues Leben einzuhauchen, der die düsteren Teenager, College-Radio-DJs und Plattenladenangestellten der 80er und 90er Jahre animierte. Vorbilder wie The Go-Betweens, The Smiths, Magnetic Fields, Felt und andere sind offensichtliche Inspirationen, aber Donaldsons unermüdliches Talent für Stimmung und Melodie hat praktisch ein eigenes Genre geschaffen, und "Unwishing Well" ist dessen bisher reinste Verkörperung. Die erste Single des Albums ist ein großartiges Beispiel für die Weltanschauung von RPP, ein Blick auf die Zugeständnisse des Popstars durch die Augen eines Ausgestoßenen mit dem Titel "Your Worst Song Is Your Greatest Hit". Über verträumten, grauen Gitarren- und Synthie-Waschungen beklagt Donaldson: "Deine erste Idee wurde verwässert" und fügt hinzu: "Nur die schlimmsten Teile konnten gefunden werden." Weißes Vinyl und/oder CD, für Freunde von The Field Mice, Blue Boy, The Clientele, Cindy...

15 Heavy Funk Rarities Presented As A Double LP Cold Heat is Eothen “Egon” Alapatt’s a follow-up to the famous Funky 16 Corners set he curated in the early 2000s. And like that one, Cold Heat is overflowing with great bits that had barely (or never) been heard by the rest of the world at large. Egon went through a range of rare singles, masters, and demos and came up with tunes that burn with a brightness that's undeniable. The grooves are all on the harder end of the James Brown Funky People side of the spectrum and some tracks are by names that finally got their due here, thanks to Egon, Now-Again, and some of the other funky forces doing the good work over the years.

J.J.Milteau gathers around him some talented accomplices, Michael Robinson, Mike Andersen, Harrison Kennedy, Carlton Moody, under the guidance of Johan Dalgaard... to surf on a soundtrack soaked with blues and all the music he has been programming for over twenty years in his show "Bon Temps Rouler". "My whole life has been determined by the purchase of my first harmonica when I was fifteen. For me, it really was The Key To The Highway ...

After a successful tour following the release of "Alors quoi!" on Bongo Joe records, accompanied by a drummer/percussionist change, the prospect of what comes next naturally arose. Elements surfaced, including a desire for more low frequencies, a fascination with the marimba/vibraphone, and a liberating indifference to the difference between recorded and live performances. To evolve, the team collaborated with outsider Kwake Bass, known for collaborations with Kae Tempest, Tirzah, Mica Levi, and others. Despite aesthetic differences from Meril Wubslin's previous albums, this divergence was seen as key—an enriching risk that resulted in a unique blend of influences. The acoustic core of Meril Wubslin now embraces electronic elements, revealing a more powerful and urban dimension. While maintaining a commitment to French lyrics, the themes explore the concrete yet remain grounded in the intimate and the sensitive, avoiding overly clear and univocal messages.

Das 25. Album von Giant Sand, das sie im 25.Jahr in ihrer Karriere aufgenommen haben, ist eine großartige und viel gefeierte Sammlung von perfekt ausgearbeiteten, persönlichen Songs von Howe Gelb. Mit Ausnahme von ein oder zwei wunderbar abrupten und perfekt platzierten Ausbrüchen ist es eine sanfte Achterbahnfahrt durch das innere Nachdenken über das Warum und Wozu von was auch immer, eine Meditation über Zeit und den Alterungsprozess.Howe Gelb erklärt zu dieser Platte: "Auf dieser LP zeige ich eine erworbene Wertschätzung für einfache Lyrik. Manchmal ist es eine Art Haiku, wie Flamenco-Verse oder der Blues. Ich kann mich mehr konzentrieren, da es offensichtlich ist, dass nur noch so viel Zeit übrig ist - das hat einen ganz eigenen Produktionswert."Diese Wiederveröffentlichung unterstreicht die eklektische und esoterische Karriere der Band und feiert ihre großartige, lange und kurvenreiche Laufbahn. Diese Deluxe-Wiederveröffentlichung enthält ein restauriertes Artwork und neu verfasste Liner Notes von Dave Henderson von MOJO.Giant Sand sind das wichtigste Ventil für die stilistischen Biegungen und die sonnengeschädigte Songkunst des Sängers und Songwriters Howe Gelb gewesen. In mehr als vier Jahrzehnten ist es ihm gelungen, Rock, Country, Blues, Punk, Garage, Lo-Fi, Jazz, Gospel, Avantgarde-Noise und Flamenco-Gypsy-Musik mit seinen impressionistischen Bildern und weitreichenden Beobachtungen der Welt neu zu erfinden. "An album full of heart, soul, and wit, this music confirms that no one does quite what Howe Gelb can do with such remarkably innate grace and feel" AllMusic Klassisch schwarzes Vinyl, original Coverart, Linernotes & DLC!

Thomas Walsh is the founder and frontperson in critically endorsed Irish cult-pop band Pugwash. His classic pop songwriting has garnered him an impressive collection of celebrity recognition from artists like Brian Wilson, Jeff Lynne and Joe Elliot. Guest contributions on the album comes from Dave Gregory (XTC, Dukes Of Stratosphere), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Michael Penn, Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy), Matt Berry (What We Do In The Shadows). ANDY PARTRIDGE - "Pugwash (Thomas Walsh), at their best, are almost Beatle-like in their greatness. They are THAT good”

Another EP from the vaults of West Coast rave scene specialists, Michael Kandel and Tom Chasteen. A side has two versions of a fast passed dancefloor oriented production tactfully presenting woven layers of rhythmic elements underneath dubbed out effects, “Crazy Jane” possibly channeling moments of Debbie Harris' “Heart of Glass” on LSD. B side gets more aggressive on many levels with a bit of a downtempo Gabber feel to it, raging synths and generous cymbal action all around, 3 versions, one of them featuring samples from Jimmy Stewart's 1946 monologue in “It's A Wonderful Life”, another one with very non-western elements mixed in, and finally Juan Ramos bringing a very dancefloor friendly version with a slight Euro-Dance late Hi-NRG edge to it.
"Recorded in Heaven".

"Gut Geklaut" ist das dritte Langeisen des Trios aus Mettmann, den Königen und Gründern des METTCORE. Dabei ist die neue Scheibe anders als der Titel es vermuten läßt KEIN Coveralbum, im Gegenteil! Fleischwolf haben einfach alles durch ebendiesen gedreht, was sie an Musikgenres und Bands über die Jahrzehnte an Vorlieben entwickelt haben und sie geprägt hat. Und das ist ne Menge, denn PUNK darf bei Fleischwolf immer noch ALLES und wird weder textlich noch musikalisch in ein Korsett gesteckt! Und deshalb gibt es auf "Gut Geklaut" mit 12 eigenen Songs einfach unglaublich Vieles zu entdecken (inkl zahlreicher Gastmusiker), was das Album für jeden Punk/Hardcore/Metaler zu einer spannenden "Zitatereise" macht: Von den glorreichen Punkrock-Tagen, ("Revolution, "Fuck the System", Hass ist Deine Währung") Hardcore ("Echter Scheisstag", "Sturmflut") , geil-üblen Schweinerock bis Thrash bis hin zur liebevollen NDW-Hommage an ein anderes TRIO aus Großenkneten. ("Ja, Paul") . Und wer einen Song wie "Mötörhead 4 Life" in Petto hat (Nein, Lemmy ist leider nicht auferstanden...hinterm Mirko ist tatsächlich Sänger Ollrich!), kann kein schlechtes Mett sein... "Gut geklaut" Oder auf den Punkt gebracht, wie die Band schon singt: "Wir spielen nicht nach Euren Regeln"!

Perhaps known as the frontman of Sunfruits and as the drummer for Jade Imagine, Winter McQuinn’s solo music explores psychedelic country and folk rippling with a free-ness similar to Nick Drake, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers and more modern 70s soft rock purveyors like Michael Rault and Drugdealer. His impressive 2021 debut album ‘A Rabble Of Bees’ marked the beginning of Winnie’s solo wanderings, showcasing his songwriting talents and DIY inventiveness. Winter McQuinn’s sophomore solo album 'Move To The Trees' is set for April 5th via Third Eye Stimuli Records and Echodelick Records (USA). McQuinn recorded the new album in April 2022 over one weekend in Anglesea, Victoria with Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Grace Cummings, Traffik Island) as engineer and producer. 'Move To The Trees' showcases a more refined and sonically sophisticated side to Winter McQuinn’s solo music. Featuring talented musicians Jack Kinder and Lewis Mosley from fellow Third Eye Stimuli family, Hot Apple Band, as well as Elena Jones from Sunfruits and Jaspar Robinson, McQuinn and co create a unique space through their artful intersections of hope and tragedy. A series of anthems for the future, settled in a post psych-folk and 70s soft rock energy, McQuinn takes influence from the new-wave of 70s folk and rock influenced artists from the USA's West Coast such as Sylvie, Cut Worms, John Andrews, Anna St Louis, The Lemon Twigs and more. This album showcases a step up in songwriting and production for Winter McQuinn who’s ever evolving style and commitment to creating is inspiring. The album cover design was hand painted by renowned folk / baroque pop artist Leah Senior and portrays McQuinn in different settings around Anglesea and the studio.

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme Desire, an everlasting grip of that youthful energy, that fire and fury you felt playing a style of music that gives you a lifelong addiction and appreciation. If you’ve once been part of that certain something, that became part of your identity, it never lets you go. Drummer Sascha, bassist Jan, guitarists Philipp and Tobias know how it is getting older but still feeling the fire. The four friends shook up the scenes out of Frankfurt in the 90s and 00s. They played in different bands, they toured Europe and the US of A, they were mods, punks, hardcore kids. And they never lost their connection and love for their music. That’s why they got together some years back, rehearsing and writing songs just for the heck of it. Out of pure desperation the four of them were thinking about staying a goddamn instrumental band, maybe working with projections and shit to fog the fact that there was something initial missing: a singer. The road was calling their names, and they wanted to play shows and let you and you and you know what they got... So, they gave it one last try to find somebody to fill the void behind the mic. What helped was a platform – basically Tinder for musicians – to find that certain somebody. They kept it simple and only dropped one thing: #blackflag. On the other side of the screen there is Sam, a mystical, ghostly punkrock fairy. Sam shares that same hashtag, and she wants to sing. So, why not give it a try? Sam takes the offer, shows up in the rehearsal space, and the rest is history. Sam owns it. Sam is prepared. Sam can sing, scream, kick ass and has the lyrics to back it all up! On different occasions they now set stages on fire. They played a sweaty show in a packed Molotow cellar at Reeperbahn Festival, they joined the “Female Fronted Is Not A Genre” festival at legendary SO36 in Berlin and took the place by storm. They are ready. They were born ready. And they have that record to prove it. As any classic hardcore/punk LP it’s almost over before it started. Ten songs in twenty minutes. That’s the way. I Am A God sets the tone: “You think that I’m a girl?”, Sam asks, “Let me tell you I am a god/ And you know that I’m heaven sent.” What else would Sam be? The legendary hashtagged Californian hardcore icons drip out of every note here. This is old-school knowledge, played today. Fast, furious, and packed with energy. But it’s way more than just a bland tribute. It’s a middle-finger that finds its own direction. Salary Man allows itself a certain amount of melody – also carried by Sam who obviously can do more than bellow. Or Somewhere that shows that The Pill is a more dimensional band that can even Hüsker Dü things up if they are willing to. The Bitter Pill presents itself surprisingly angular and kind of melancholic. And What’s New almost makes its way into post-hardcore territory. Inbetween Switch and Off give you all the Greg Ginn vs. Dez Cadena your damaged souls were desperately striving for. The debut album Hollywood Smile will be released on April 5th, 2024 by Hamburg’s Sounds Of Subterrania.

repressed !

Along the west coast of Co Kerry in Ireland you will find the amazing Valentia Island.

Attached by a bridge to the mainland, it is a place of beauty touched by years of history and the songs of the sea.

I managed to obtain a house there for a few weeks, I took my computer and mic with me not knowing what to expect when I got there. In one of the rooms sat a piano, and as my fingers touched the keys I knew there was a story there waiting to be told.

The sound of the piano in that place was something very magical as 100mph winds battered the house and interrupted my recordings.
Other material has since emerged from those days spent on the island, but the main body of work that I recorded there makes up this album that I now present to you.

Album support from: Gilles Peterson, Skream, Laurent Garnier, Patrick Forge, Jean-Claude (IF), Soulclap, Joszif, Makoto, Breach, Flight, dBridge, Doc Scott, Trevino, Craig Richards, John B, Klaus
Fiehe. Mr Scruff....

DJ Support: Danny Krivit, Craig Charles (BBC Radio 6 Music), Hallex M, Jazzanova, Delite Radio, Mi Soul, Pointblank, Totally Wired Radio, XFM, Radio Solar, Tony Minvielle, Simon Phillips, Chris Phillips (Jazz FM), KCRW DJs, Ian Friday, Aroop Roy, Samantha Badd (Café Del Mar), Mr. V, Simon Harrison (Basic Soul), Greame Park, Mike Fossati, Timo Mass, Deli G, Servino (Horse Meat Disco), Hyenah.

‘Badly Written Songs’ is, of course, a tongue-in-cheek title. It comprises a carefully structured and well-produced array of songwriting, topped and tailed with live instrumentation, commanding vocal performances and high-end production: the result of years of sound engineering and music production experience. Since the last album, Ross Hillard has continually honed his skills whilst earnestly crafting this sophomore long player. As well as developing a range of audio plugins, Ross also manages recording sessions at his own Paddocks Recording Studios: huge live spaces boast cutting-edge technology, integrated with distinguished analogue kit. The studio is complemented by a collection of prized microphones, together with a fully-restored vintage Raindirk mixing desk.

The opening track and first single from this album is the positively-anthemic gem entitled ‘Good Morning Sunshine’. It tells a forward-looking story promoting the merits of getting back into the driving seat of life. It’s propelled further by superb jazz-inspired drums and live horns that build up to an exhilarating crescendo. Featuring the vocal talents of Sophia Marshall, the story she paints is supported by a wonderful, darkly humorous cartoon video. An animated cadaver hilariously acts out her notions of positive living.
Other tracks also destined for a single release include: ‘Loving You’. It’s a song written around love lost. A bouncing house composition lays the foundations for Sophia Marshall's beautiful vocal that narrates the many facets to be found in loving another person. ‘Better’ again echoes jazz-inspired drums behind Sophia's vocals, drawing attention to how so many people are lost on their devices, missing out on the awesome world around them. A catchy chorus chants the notion behind this song, i.e., that you ‘could be better!’ This single is also supported by another fantastic video featuring the same comical, deceased character introduced through the ‘Good Morning Sunshine’ video.

First studio recording collaboration from Saba, Mick Jenkins, and Noname. The song has over 2M streams on Spotify. Saba, Mick Jenkins, and Noname counted among the top Hip Hop artists of their generation. This single is part of the Closed Sessions 45 series, which also features Westside Gunn, Currency, Open Mike Eagle, Raekwon, Blu, and more. Colour Sleeve 7". Limited to 500 copies WW. "Realer Than Most" is the 8th entry in the Closed Sessions 45 series, featuring rare recordings with some of the most exciting and respected Hip Hop emcees and producers. "Realer Than Most" was recorded in 2014 - during the peak of a nasty Polar Vortex. In the studio, with the heat on full blast - promising emcees Saba, Noname, and Mick Jenkins and producers OnGaud, linked with Closed Sessions for their first-ever collaborative track. "Realer Than Most" went on to be a fan favorite, and was a step for each artist on their path to breakout success. Saba, Mick, and Noname continue to be at the top of their game, and this song shows that promise in full display. The vinyl includes the original and instrumental, new front cover art by Spectacular Diagnostics, back design featuring original artwork from Niko Washington.

The third installment of the NETWORK 23 remastered repress series is a 3 tracker featuring a solo track by Crystal Distortion on the A-Side and 2 tracks by 69db on the B-side one of them is a collab with original Spiral Tribe Member Meltdown Mickey.

On the fourth remastered NETWORK 23 records re-release we have an original track by Crystal Distortion followed by a totally mental track by R-ZAC and a special version of 'Drivin' by 69db and Meltdown Mickey. Dont miss out on this one!

Second Compilation Of New Music By Ex-Sarah Records Bands! Under The Bridge 2 is the sequel to the celebrated 2022 compilation album that reunited groups and songwriters who had once recorded for cult label Sarah Records. The new album showcases the continuing creativity of a special group of musicians who have never rested on their laurels. Bigger and more expansive than the first album, Under the Bridge 2 is a double LP, containing twenty brand new tracks. There is a huge range of material here, from intense, dark chamber pop to dense shoegaze to out-and-out indiepop. Exciting new groups are unveiled: The Gentle Spring (a new project by Michael Hiscock of The Field Mice); Vetchinsky Settings (a collaboration between Mark Tranmer and James Hackett of The Orchids); and Mystic Village (which features new songs by Robert Cooksey of The Sea Urchins). You will also see familiar starry names like Even As We Speak, The Orchids and Secret Shine - bands whose line-ups have remained mostly unchanged since the 1990s. And there are established bands who didn't appear on the first album but are now represented - bands like Action Painting! and The Hit Parade. Most of the tracks are exclusive and unreleased: there's the first new song from The Catenary Wires since 2021, a brand new fizzbomb from Jetstream Pony, a haunting instrumental from GNAC. The emphasis of Under The Bridge is on the new. The bands' shared history means they have a shared aesthetic, even a shared ethos - they all believe that the future is more important than the past. They are as independent and as uncompromising as ever, but they are still uncynical - and still excited about what Pop Music can be. Under The Bridge 2 is available as ltd vinyl double LP, CD and digital download. It will not be on streaming sites. CDs and LPs include a 12 respectively 24-page illustrated colour booklet.

Sofia Portanet releases her highly anticipated 2nd album "Chasing Dreams" on 8th March 2024 via Duchess Box Records. The album features the top 100 Radio Charted singles Real Face and Unstoppable, as well as the hits Mi Amor, Ballon, and My Time as well as a piano version of Real Face featuring special guest Chilly Gonzales as a bonus track. In December 23, Sofia Portanet will be on tour in Germany as support to Betterov. Sofia has performed all over the world including showcase events such as SXSW, Eurosonic and Reeperbahn Festival. The new album Chasing Dreams features duets from the likes of Chilly Gonzales and Tobia Bamborschk, better known as lead singer from German indie rock group Isolation Berlin. Sofia Portanet who won Germany's prestigious VUT Award for Best Newcomer in 2021, following her critically acclaimed debut album Freier Geist, released in 2020 has gone on to be Spotify Equal Ambassador and make multiple national TV performances, duet with the likes of Chilly Gonzales and Kreator as well as making live sessions from NPR. Talking about her new album Sofia Portanet explains "Inhaltlich wollte ich ein poppigeres Album machen. Einfach, weil ich Pop Musik liebe und damit aufgewachsen bin. Ich möchte mich nicht auf ein Genre festnageln lassen. Ich werde immer die Musik machen, die ich für den gegebenen Moment fühle und gut finde. Es macht also auch wenig Sinn mich selbst mit meiner eigenen ersten Platte vergleichen zu wollen."

Chasing Dreams by Sofia Portanet, released 4 April 2024.

"The Piano Guys have become a YouTube sensation with their clever and inspiring takes on popular music and creative videos that accompany them. From Beethoven to Adele, their eclectic mix of classical, film score, rock and pop favorites resonate with audiences across generations and from all walks of life. The band consists of American musicians Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson, Paul Anderson, and Al van der Beek. Their 2012 debut album The Piano Guys reached #1 on the Billboard New Age Albums and Classical Albums charts. With over 7 million subscribers on their YouTube channel, at least 20 million views on each of their videos and even some surpassing the 100 million views, The Piano Guys are quite the hit. In June 2011, they won the Most Up-and-Coming Channel award in the YouTube on the Rise-contest with ""Michael Meets Mozart"", featuring Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson. The Piano Guys is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent blue coloured vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet. "

The Piano Guys by Piano Guys, released 4 April 2024, includes the following tracks: "Code Name Vivaldi", "Over the Rainbow / Simple Gifts", "Arwen's Vigil", "A Thousand Years" and more.

This version of The Piano Guys comes as a 1xLP. This release comes with (a) Booklet.

, Old fat furry cat-puss , Wake up and look at this thing that I bring, Wake up, be bright , Be golden and light , Bagpuss, Oh hear what I sing. 12th of February, 1974, and for an audience of small children at 1:45pm, a life irrevocably coloured by the wayward wonderings of one saggy cloth cat. Some 44 years later and Earth Recordings opens the door to Bagpuss & Co. once again, revealing for the first time the original music in all its newly-mastered splendour. The 32 tracks that make up the main body of the compositions are – like all good folk music – a patchwork of traditional pieces, half-remembered tunes and pure improvisation. It's testament to Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner's musicianship that the recordings work so well, not only within the context of the television episodes, but as an album in its own right. Of the recording, Oliver Postgate (in his exquisite autobiography 'Seeing Things') says: "Between them Sandra and John could play every sort of instrument from a mountain dulcimer to an Irish fiddle. They knew and could sing every tune in the world and didn't bother with written music, except as a last resort. They were exactly suited to Gabriel the Toad and Madeleine the Rag Doll and in those roles were happy to play whatever music and sing whatever songs would be needed." Those songs manifested themselves as reworkings of familiar tunes ('I Saw A Ship'; 'Row Your Boat'; 'Bucket's Burning'), takes on traditional ballads ('Brian O'Lynn'; 'The Frog Princess'; 'Weaving Song'; 'The Old Woman Tossed Up in a Basket') and delicious flights of fancy ('The Bony King of Nowhere'; 'Turtle Calypso'; 'Uncle Feedle'). The counterpart to Madeleine and Gabriel's more polished ditties are the interludes from the mice; a raggle-taggle chorus that accompanies the creatures' efforts of help (with the mice once famously going on strike when they were not permitted sang as they worked). Again, Postgate muses: "Once I had worked out a few episodes I would make a very rough list of the bits where I though music would be appropriate. I would send it to Sandra and John to think about. Then we would borrow a fairly silent room in a remote house and, taking the various articles that we intended to celebrate with us, would spend a happy day with a tape recorder, thinking up and recording whatever songs and tunes came to mind." The outtakes provide an intimate – and often very humourous – insight into the trio's work ethic, if it can be called such a thing. (By all accounts they sound as though they're having a very jolly time indeed.) Highlights include alternative opening words and end music, as well as Postgate sound-checking in character as Bagpuss. This never-before heard audio provides a real treat for fans (and indeed those new to the Smallfilms stable) – affirmation again to the enduring quality of these special recordings, and the beloved programme that inspired them. "An accidental classic of the folk-roots underground that we never dared hope we’d hear with such clarity."Stewart Lee

Just when you thought you had Kasper Bjørke figured out he comes back with another great musical surprise. His new album Puzzles, which will be released April 5th on hfn music, follows two recent collaborative EPs on Live at Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq as well as his second Kasper Bjørke Quartet neoclassical/ambient album Mother on Kompakt.
Puzzles is Kasper’s love letter to the sound of early 2000s New York - merged with his Scandinavian sense of producing songs that goes beyond conventional club music; combining disco tinged instrumentations mixed with elements of 80s funk, jazz and contemporary pop songwriting, creating something familiar yet, something very fresh and innovative at the same time.
The album includes collaborations with a wide range of musicians and vocalists. From California based indie-disco troubadour Woolfy (DFA, Rong, Permanent Vacation etc.) to the Icelandic dream-folk trio Systur aka Sísý Ey (who also featured on Kasper’s 2014 single Apart, where the Michael Mayer remix became a timeless club anthem), as well as other longtime collaborators and artist friends: Toby Ernest, Jacob Bellens, WhoMadeWho’s Tomas Høffding on bass, Posh Isolation affiliate Frederik Valentin on guitar and the young, rising jazz star Oilly Wallace on saxophone and flute. Essentially, the majority of Puzzles is played and recorded live, including the drums by Rasmus Littauer (School of X, MØ). Many of the songs emerged from chord progressions written during studio sessions between Kasper and Toby - which Kasper then produced into a colourful and effective album, rooted in an expressive live feeling far from programmed patterns.
Puzzles is a new step for Kasper as a producer and artist, showcasing his ability to move and flow freely between genres and expressions, however still deeply rooted in his love and affection for the classic disco groove - which is only natural after more than two decades as an active DJ.
Another piece has been added to the musical puzzle of Kasper Bjørke

Original soundtrack of the acclaimed anime, printed on red vinyl.

Thus begins the story of the man who would become the greatest thief of all time...While Tokyo is experiencing tremendous economic growth, a young schoolboy leads a boring life. One day, he catches a guy pointing a gun at a delinquent. When he meets up with this person again a little later, something happens that leads them to team up...

'Mei Semones' sweetly evocative blend of jazz, bossa nova and math-y indie rock is notonly a way for her to find solace in her favorite genres, but is an intuitive means ofcatharsis. "Blending everything that I like together and trying to make something new -that's what feels most natural to me," says the 23-year-old Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and guitarist. "It's what feels most true to who I am as an artist." Plinking guitar tones and asymmetrical time signatures exemplify her forays intoangular indie rock more now than ever before, especially on her debut Bayonet Recordssingle "Wakare no Kotoba"_its wide-interval arpeggios in odd meters being some ofthe most technically difficult guitar work Mei has ever implemented in her songwriting.Translated to "parting words'' in English, the self-described "anti-love song" serves as afarewell to a toxic friendship, complete with orchestral swells and crashing guitars. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Semones began playing music at a young age,starting out on piano at age four before moving to electric guitar at age eleven. Afterplaying jazz guitar in high school, she went on to study guitar performance with a jazzfocus at Berklee College of Music. College is where she met her current bandmates,including string players Noah Leong and Claudius Agrippa, whose respective viola andviolin add softness and multidimensionality to Mei's intricate guitar work. After releasinga slew of singles and an EP in 2022, coinciding with her move to New York City, Mei andher band have since gone on to collaborate with post-bossa balladeer John Roseboroand embark on their first-ever tour with the melodic rock outfit Raavi. Semones chronicles infatuation, devotion, and vulnerability in her songs, complete withsweeping strings, virtuosic guitar-playing and heartfelt lyrics sung in both English andJapanese, that have all become part of her sonic trademark: ornately catchy, genre-fusing compositions serving as the backdrop to tender lyrics touching on theuniversalities of human emotion.

A post-modern mixtape of 12 microgenres created by The Numero Group. Bending the rules of the compilation with a selection of songs bound by their soaring spirit and adventurous approach, REACH is inspirational living for algorithmic times. The only LP guaranteed to save your life during humanity's apocalyptic demise.