Search:michael session

1976 hatte Michael Hoenig eine kurze Zusammenarbeit mit Manuel Göttsching von Ash Ra Tempel in Berlin; eine 48-minütige Aufnahme einer der Sessions, die 1995 unter dem Titel "Early Water" auf Bernd Kistenmachers Label Musique Intemporelle veröffentlicht wurde. Das Album wurde gestrichen und war lange Zeit nicht erhältlich. Nun wird es endlich eine Wiederveröffentlichung von "Early Water" geben. Michael Hoenig erinnert sich noch: "Während ich an dem Album "Departure From The Northern Wasteland" arbeitete, hatte mich Manuel Göttsching gefragt, ob ich mit ihm für einige Konzerte in Frankreich zusammenarbeiten würde, da seine Gruppe gerade eine Winterpause eingelegt hatte. Wir probten drei oder vier Wochen bei mir zu Hause. Eines Abends bekamen wir einen Anruf wegen einer fehlenden Garantie, woraufhin wir beschlossen, die Tournee abzusagen. Nur zum Spaß spielten wir ein letztes Mal eines der geplanten Sets. Obwohl ich mich nicht daran erinnern kann, eine Aufnahmetaste gedrückt zu haben, hat jemand kürzlich ein Revox-Band mit eben diesem Set ausgegraben. Nach einer digitalen Klangarchäologie wurde es soeben unter dem sehr passenden Titel "Early Water" veröffentlicht." Und Manuel Göttsching fügt hinzu: "Leider wurden einige Konzerttermine nicht rechtzeitig bestätigt und wir mussten die komplette Tournee erst am Tag vor der Abreise nach Frankreich absagen. Dennoch haben wir an diesem Abend unsere letzte Probe "für alle Fälle" aufgenommen. Es ist ein fließendes, harmonisches Stück geworden, das viel von der optimistischen Stimmung des Jahres 1976 widerspiegelt. In den frühen 1980er Jahren zog Michael nach Los Angeles. Als wir uns im November 1994 wiedertrafen, schlug ich vor, dieses alte Stück von uns zu veröffentlichen. Michael nahm das Originalband mit nach Los Angeles, restaurierte es liebevoll und nun, hier ist es wieder!"

FOLLOWING THEIR RECENT REUNION, THE DELGADOS REISSUE THEIR FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM HATE ON COLOURED VINYL AND CD TO MARK ITS 21st ANNIVERSARY

Ushering in a new era of emotionally vulnerable and cinematic songwriting for celebrated Glasgow group The Delgados, 2002’s Hate is the group’s most ambitious recorded statement to date. Recorded amidst a backdrop of personal change and international crisis, Hate’s internal alchemy transmogrifies darkness into light. It’s an enclosed universe full of tragedy and magic, a swirling galaxy of lush orchestration, misanthropy dealt with kindness and black humour. Above all it showed a band coming to terms with their fragility with a new power and grace.

In Hate, the band’s ambition saw them striving to reflect the breadth of human experience, both the joy and tragedy of living in tumultuous times. Initially commissioned by The Barbican in London to compose music for a film about artist Joe Coleman, the instrumental music that instigated Hate was laden with darkness from the outset. The Delgados’ worldview has always been informed by nuance, an oblique but incisive lyrical perspective but on Hate a new rawness is woven throughout the songs. Coleman’s original subject matter - portraits of troubled historical figures like Ed Gein, Mary Bell and Jayne Mansfield - influenced the tonality of the music but the songs were written against a backdrop of international tumult and personal life changes for the band members. Beginning writing sessions following a family bereavement in drummer Paul Savage’s family, Hate was then recorded while both Alun Woodward and co-singer/guitarist Emma Pollock were expecting new additions to their young families, the latter with drummer Paul Savage. In the background to the recording process were the attacks on the World Trade Center of September 2001 and their aftermath. In this context, it’s remarkable that an album was made at all, let alone one so grand and compassionate. It’s a masterclass in restraint and imagination.

Hate sounds like the world in all its ugly glory. Recorded in Glasgow and New York with Tony Doogan, Dave Fridmann and the band as producers and using over 20 additional musicians, Hate grabs the baton from the group’s breakthrough critical and commercial success The Great Eastern. Bolder, broader and more all-encompassing than anything the band had previously attempted, the album’s palette is furnished by a string section, brass and reed instrumentation, a choir and electronic elements augmenting the core group of Emma Pollock, Alun Woodward, Paul Savage and Stewart Henderson. Far from being over the top, the group’s skill is in attention to detail, in honing and refining each arrangement, allowing each element its space.

It’s a fine balancing act that pays massive dividends. Woodward’s new lyrical vulnerability is spotlighted on tracks like The Drowning Years, which throws elegiac string arrangements against the narrative of characters living in darkness, punctuated by couplets that bring a real-life documentary feel to the narrative. All Rise brings a black comedy to the idea of a confessional before a transcendent, choir-led refrain brings ecstatic resolution to Woodward’s vocal in its highest register. On the single All You Need Is Hate, Woodward’s trick of subverting the Beatles standard showcases the dark humour at the centre of Hate. Here The Delgados’ perversity is in full flow, nurturing a glowing light from darkness, the resolving melody and Fridmann production recalling contemporaries The Flaming Lips (whose Michael Ivins assisted in mixing) or Mercury Rev. The perversity is the surging serotonin induced by the group while singing the lines “Hate is everywhere, inside your mother’s heart and you will find it there. You ask me what you need? Hate is all you need.”

It’s a dark magic that pervades Hate, indeed it’s almost the driving force throughout the album. Flipping minor to major and back again, Favours is fuelled by fear and violence before blasting into the heavens with the gauche line “and you’re feeling fine,” operating in stark contrast to the verses’ tone. Album opener The Light Before We Land finds Emma Pollock in the aftermath of recent family trauma. Her vocal is effortless; a study in steady restraint against the massive, Fridmann-patented drum sound powering Savage’s playing and Henderson’s instantly recognisable melodic basslines. Coming In from the Cold is Pollock in full flight, lifted to the heavens by wide-screen, instrumental texture. Her presence on Hate highlights her knack for lyrical impressionism, the timbre of her voice lending itself to drama while always retaining a mystique. Never Look At The Sun, inspired by the Coleman painting The Big Bang Theory (itself an explosives-themed study), revels in paranoia, her performance ringing out in the eye of the storm conjured by the swirling arrangements. It reaches the peak of a redemptive arc while seemingly parodying the very idea of redemption.

Hate was the sound of The Delgados completely fulfilling their potential, a fully realised vision buoyed by the weight of coming through a darkness into light. For its 21st anniversary, the album is being reissued on the band’s own Chemikal Underground on coloured vinyl and CD. Hate is all you need

Seven suites of deep and sprawling sonic meditations built around ‘call and response’ improv sessions between Randy Raine-Reusch and Michael Red.

Slow and tempered recordings of Asian flutes, African harps, temple gongs and a myriad of obscure instruments from Randy Raine-Reusch's deep collection mutate and ebb into swirling gossamers of tone. Sonic incantations stretched and magnified further by Red's Sends. An otherworldly play between light and shadow worlds; at times idyllic and light-filled, at times dark and eerie– all engrossing. Dream-reality reconciliations weave between the spectral world of Michael Red's sound processes and the direct physicality of Raine-Reusch's playing. The tension across the pieces builds between the live playing and processing techniques, dutifully revealing a growing familiarity with collective transcendence through sound (bigger than the sum of its parts). Real-time interactive dream music.

Initially realized over the course of a few days in Randy’s instrument museum in Vancouver BC December, 2014 'ERAS' is made up of processed, and sometimes multi tracked, improvisations between Randy and Michael. Through these sessions Randy would choose instruments he sensed possibilities within, and Michael then revealed and sculpted these possibilities. Both resonating, sensing sonic structures, environmental nuances, and further worlds in each other’s art, all within the moment. Being present for each other, they acted on instinct, trusting a first thought, trusting each other; committing, responding to that commitment, then mutating and letting go. Always moving forward, synthesizing and letting the living moment lead the way.

The recordings were left to distill and mature for many years before the composers felt it was ready. With minimal judicious edits and a very light dusting of FXs, both careful to preserve the direct and intuitive process that permeates the recording, ERAS now emerges.

Featuring a fabulous mix of R&B classics such as "That's the Way of the World" (Earth Wind & Fire), "Lovely Day" (Bill Withers), "You're the One I Love" (Barry White), "Kiss" (Prince) with more contemporary pop material like "I Belong to You" (Lenny Kravitz), "It Runs Through Me" (Tom Misch), "Roads" (Portishead) and others, Vanessa and Tim Pierce (arranger) have delivered a supremely satisfying and ultra-rewarding album, one that is also beautifully recorded (tracked and mixed by maestro Michael C. Ross).

Many plaudits must also be directed at the magnificent group of creme de la creme LA-based session musicians who are backing Vanessa's latest effort. This is basically the same outstanding group that played on her previous album (GRV1200 I Want You): Tim Pierce (guitars), Alex Al (bass), Victor Indrizzo (drums), Jeff Babko (keyboards), Felipe Menolio (acoustic guitars), and Luis Conte (percussion). Felipe, a brilliant young guitarist from Brazil, is the one new addition and delivers some truly incredible playing - wait till you hear his solo on the samba-driven version of "It Runs Through Me"!

Van Halen did more than announce to the world the earthshaking arrival of a revolutionary guitarist. Performed by an enterprising California quartet that took its name from two of its principal members, the 1978 debut ripped headlines away from punk, injected fresh energy into a then-moribund rock 'n' roll scene, reimagined how heavy music and throwback pop could coexist, and invited everyone to experience the top-down pleasures of a beach-front Saturday night every day of the week no matter where they lived. Painstakingly restored by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, and the first of a multi-album series in an exciting partnership between the famous reissue label and Van Halen, Van Halen delivers feel-good thrills and hormonally charged desires like never before.

Limited to 12,000 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original analogue master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the record's merit and allows fans to experience Van Halen's original blend of raw power, Hollywood flair, and vaudeville fun for generations to come. Playing with reference-setting sonics that elevate a 10-times-platinum landmark whose importance cannot be quantitatively measured, this definitive version provides a clear, clean, transparent, balanced, and turn-the-volume-up-to-11 view of an album that birthed entirely new styles. Since MoFi's unique SuperVinyl compound allows you to crank the decibels to your wildest desires without risking noise-floor interference, prepare to not only hear but feel Van Halen in your chest, no fifth-row concert seat necessary.

The premium packaging and gorgeous presentation of the UD1S Van Halen pressing befit its extremely select status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. No expense has been spared. Aurally and visually, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the iconic cover art to the meticulous finishes and, yes, of course, Eddie Van Halen's pioneering fretwork and his brother Alex's double-bass percussion.

Indeed, could a piece of music that transformed how countless guitarists approached their instrument be more fittingly named than "Eruption"? Likely not, and in just 102 seconds, Eddie Van Halen rewrote, reimagined, and reconfigured a vocabulary last significantly updated a decade earlier by fellow six-string wizard Jimi Hendrix. Akin to the Washington State legend, Eddie Van Halen developed his own techniques and tones all the while making his seismic accomplishments seem effortless. Devoid of the pretence, ego, and showiness that infected many of his imitators, the Dutch native sticks to a straightforward approach that underlines the authority, prowess, and visionary scope of his playing and then-unheard-of finger-tapping skills. Throughout Van Halen, he establishes himself as an instant idol – a savant whose otherworldly combination of breadth, poise, feel, speed, force, and melody seems beamed in from another galaxy.

As does nearly every song on the record, whose cohesiveness and dynamic put into perspective the advanced chemistry and one-for-all spirit the youthful band had out of the gates. Having paid its dues for years in bars and clubs – going as far as recording a 24-track demo for Kiss bassist Gene Simmons at Village Recorders only to be spurned by management companies that felt its music wouldn't go anywhere – Van Halen finally got a deserved break when Warner Bros. executives signed the group in 1977. The subsequent recording sessions further testify on behalf of the band's synergy and alignment. Completed in just a few weeks with producer Ted Templeman, Van Halen was primarily cut live in the studio with minimal overdubs and edits. The explosiveness, energy, and electricity remain definitive, and as heard on this UD1S set, put the group on a private stage – humming amplifiers, Frankenstrat guitar, bright spotlights, sweaty headbands, and then some.

Van Halen yielded just one hit in the form of a Top 40 single (a breathless cover of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me") but practically every song on the revered LP has become a staple. Named the 202nd Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone and considered by countless experts as one of the best debuts in history, the record displays what can happen with four distinct talents gel and strive for the same purposes. In Van Halen's case, the latter almost always involved partying, freedom, sex, and, in the immortal words of singer David Lee Roth, living "life like there's no tomorrow." The celebration manifests from the opening notes of the strutting "Runnin' with the Devil" – announced with the blare of droning car horns, Michael Anthony's robust bass line, and Alex Van Halen's thumping drumming – and continues through the conclusion of the white-hot "On Fire," goosed by Eddie Van Halen's race-track-ready lines, Roth's flamboyant deliveries, and the rhythm section's cat-like pounce.

Picking out individual highlights on Van Halen is akin to trying to count all the stars in a clear nighttime desert sky: There are far too many to identify, once you see one you notice another dozen you didn't spot before, and the cluster is best enjoyed as a whole. What's evident over repeat listens is the sheer diversity, a fact that's often overlooked: The high harmonies and background funk of "Jamie's Cryin'"; the insistent cane-and-a-tophat shuffle and doo-wop shoo-bop vocal break on "I'm the One"; the throwback acoustic blues that spreads into fast-paced, single-entendre wildfire on the Roth-led standout interpretation of John Brim's "Ice Cream Man." Like the man says, on Van Halen, all the flavours are guaranteed to satisfy.

More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior


Instead of utilizing the industry-standard three-step lacquer process, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's new UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) uses only one step, bypassing two processes of generational loss. While three-step processing is designed for optimum yield and efficiency, UD1S is created for the ultimate in sound quality. Just as Mobile Fidelity pioneered the UHQR (Ultra High-Quality Record) with JVC in the 1980s, UD1S again represents another state-of-the-art advance in the record-manufacturing process. MFSL engineers begin with the original master recordings, painstakingly transfer them to DSD 256, and meticulously cut a set of lacquers. These lacquers are used to create a very fragile, pristine UD1S stamper called a "convert." Delicate "converts" are then formed into the actual record stampers, producing a final product that literally and figuratively brings you closer to the music. By skipping the additional steps of pulling another positive and an additional negative, as done in the three-step process used in standard pressings, UD1S produces a final LP with the lowest noise floor possible today. The removal of the additional two steps of generational loss in the plating process reveals tremendous amounts of extra musical detail and dynamics, which are otherwise lost due to the standard copying process. Every conceivable aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the most perfect record album available today.

MoFi SuperVinyl


Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analogue lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.

Großartige Songs aus dem reichen Fundus der Popularmusik von Scott Walker über Robert Wyatt bis St. Vincent. Auf ihren Wesenskern reduziert, in ein neues Licht getaucht und niemals übermotiviert vorgetragen. Lyrischer Jazz, Kontemplation. Pianist, Arrangeur und Produzent Uwe Schenk hatte mit Jochen Feucht (reeds), Florian Dohrmann (b) und Michael Kersting (dr) bei den Aufnahmen zu dieser LP drei äußerst routinierte Musiker an seiner Seite. Musiker, die die Schönheit der Reduktion schätzen. Die Auswahl der Songs übernahm Co-Produzent Andreas Vogel. Der DJ und Musikconnaisseur wusste dabei genau, welche Stücke bei Uwe Schenk auf fruchtbaren Boden fallen würden. Schenk schrieb daraufhin sieben Arrangements, die die Grundlage von Since You've Asked bilden. Im Jazzidiom verankert, mit einem Fokus auf Holzbläserklängen, sorgt vor allem das warme Timbre der Klarinette für den unverbrauchten und frischen Sound der Songs. Beste Voraussetzungen für eine entspannte Recording-Session und im Ergebnis eine LP, die dazu einlädt, sich ganz dem Klang hinzugeben, um tief in die Musik einzutauchen.

The American singer-songwriter tradition has always been tethered to a rustic austerity, the sort of front-porch authenticity that suggests an age where home electronics are still considered luxury items. But there's also the ongoing influence of Bob Dylan and The Band's Basement Tapes-that strange and beloved document of the magic that happens when private experiments with the folk template flourish into layered and lush songs-and its genesis through informal recording sessions. In our modern age, these kinds of casual DIY constructions are perhaps the more honest contribution to the Americana lineage-the true homespun artform. When Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw struck out on their own in the wake of the dissolution of their beloved indie-folk outfit Page France, they continued their songwriting practice with a new project called Cotton Jones Basket Ride. As legend has it, Nau and McGraw were working on the material for their debut full-length Paranoid Cocoon (2009) when they realized they had an entire album's worth of odds-and-ends from various recording sessions. The resultant album - The River Strumming - was released in 2008 on St. Ives in a batch of 300 unique hand-packaged LPs. As the label advertised it back in the day, the band "initially set out to make a cohesive record, and made just the opposite." Like The Basement Tapes, The River Strumming is a document of a band exploring possibilities without the weight of expectation. The band would eventually condense their name to Cotton Jones and make a name for themselves in the indie world for their fusion of dreamy folk and psychedelic baroque pop. But in the beginning, there was this weird and wonderful collection of songs made by musicians who were enjoying the private process of finding their path. Suicide Squeeze is proud to present a 15th-anniversary vinyl reissue of this long out-of-print classic with updated artwork by Kayleigh Montgomery-Morris.

Limited Edition of 3,000 on Opaque Blue vinyl. - Includes 4 Bonus Tracks from the "Commitment" sessions. - Includes 12 Page Booklet with Liner Notes by Critically Acclaimed Writer, Michael Krugman. // Bobby Darin was, by any definition, a superstar - a chart-topping, multimillion-selling, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, a Golden Globe-winning actor, visionary entrepreneur, and committed political activist. Restless and daring, his refusal to be constrained by genre, resulting in an endless string of top 10 hits, including "Splish Splash," "Queen of the Hop," "Dream Lover," "Beyond the Sea," and "If I Were a Carpenter." While his public persona was all bright lights and glamour, Darin was driven and inspired by the generational shifts and social upheaval of the 1960s. Despite his weakened health, Darin devoted nearly all of his free time towards multiple causes, tirelessly campaigning for his friend Robert F. Kennedy until his assassination in June 1968, after which Darin withdrew from the spotlight and embarked on an unlikely personal journey. He swapped his crooner's tuxedo for folk singer denim, his toupee for an outlaw mustache, a Beverly Hills mansion for a secluded trailer at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur. Commitment is grittier and more audacious than Darin's previous work. From the counterculture anthem "Me and My Hohner" (with its ironic reference to "The Star-Spangled Banner") and the soul-searching "Sausalito" to the wryly autobiographical "Distractions (Part 1)" and the tense funk of "Light Blue," the album's experimentation and free-wheeling songcraft affirm Darin as a generational talent uniquely capable of crossing the borders of age and politics.

The studio at 122 West Loveland Avenue was not an unfamiliar space for Steve Okonski, the leader of his eponymous trio Okonski. Ever since the Colemine label set up shop in Loveland, Ohio it has been a host to a number of groups passing through town, including Durand Jones and the Indications who all of this trio's members have connections to. After setting aside some time in winter of 2020, Okonski, trained initially as a classical pianist, invited Michael Isvara "Ish" Montgomery and Aaron Frazer to work on an album that was initially planned to be beat driven and fully composed trio instrumentals. After finishing this first session with some improvisations, a second week was booked in the summer of 2021 to try and capture some more of that spontaneous energy. During this session, the tracks were all improvised and recorded live to a Tascam 388 during several late nights at the Colemine HQ. They were structured to allow the group's collective intuition to fully shape the melodies and arcs of the music. The album opens with Runner Up, where a triumphant yet melancholic melody in the piano leads to a more reserved B-section driven by the drums and bass of Frazer and Montgomery. As you journey through the remainder of the album you are met with a plethora of evoked and explored emotions. The calmness one has walking down a moonlit street after midnight, the connection one has for a person who comes into their world for just a moment or a lifetime, and the nerves and catharsis one feels when starting upon a new, unknown journey. Magnolia closes with Sunday, a track that was recorded late into the night at the close of their first recording session. Without the spontaneity of Sunday, the remainder of Magnolia would likely have never come to fruition. Magnolia was composed from the heart and from the spirit of those in the studio those late nights in Loveland. It is the culmination of an emotional and artistic release that was not afforded or recognized before the band sat at their instruments, and because of that it is introspective, meditative, spiritual, and new.

As the title suggests, the recording Tenorlee finds Lee Konitz, the great American saxophonist,
playing exclusively on tenor. It was a spontaneous decision, and a tribute to his dear friend,
Lighthouse All-Star saxophonist Richie Kamuca, who had passed away just days before Konitz
entered the studio for these sessions. Konitz classically trained on the clarinet, but switched to jazz
saxophone after being enamored by Lester Young. By 1945 the 18 year old Konitz was performing
professionally. He made a staggering 150 albums as a band leader over the course of his long and
storied career. He played and recorded with everyone from Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, Ornette
Colman, Elvin Jones, and Gerry Mulligan, to Elvis Costello, Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden.
Between 1948 and 1950, he was a member of Miles Davis’ group, and participated in the recordings
that would eventually be collected and released as Birth of The Cool. With a trio featuring Lighthouse
All-Star alum Jimmy Rowles on piano and Michael Moore on bass, Kontiz called out old and familiar
songs. The intention was to “let the tunes happen” as only finely tuned jazz musicians of certain
experience can. Of note is “Lady Be Good” which finds Konitz and Rowles quoting Lester Young’s
solo from the 1936 recording with Count Basie. From 1978, originally on the Choice label, this album
has been remastered and is presented here as the artist intended, with its original title, track order and
album artwork, for the first time since its original release. Remastered by Alex McCollough at True
East Mastering. Vinyl cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl.

A national musical treasure" The Guardian // Steven Adams, formerly of The Broken Family Band releases new album DROPS on Fika Recordings in November 2023. Since calling time on TBFB at the height of their success, Adams has released half a dozen albums under various names (Singing Adams, Steven James Adams, Steven Adams & The French Drops), his witty, incisive lyrics and melodic sensibilities taking in DIY indie rock, folky introspection, and off-kilter pop hooks. Originally from South Wales, Adams now lives in East London. “Every record I’ve made has been in a hurry of some sort” says Adams of his new album, “and with this one I took my time”. DROPS is the first album to be credited to him as a solo artist since 2016’s Old Magick, his first new music since 2020, and his noisiest record to date. Armed with a new batch of material, he began by upping sticks to the Welsh countryside to experiment with drummer Daniel Fordham and bassist David Stewart - both formerly of psych oddballs The Drink. The trio then took the songs to Big Jelly, a converted chapel on the south coast, with co-producer Simon Trought (Comet Gain, Johnny Flynn, The Wave Pictures) to lay down the basic tracks for DROPS. Eschewing a full band set up (“I wanted to concentrate on one thing at a time”), recording sessions in East London followed with Laurie Earle (Absentee) on guitar and Michael Wood (Hayman Kupa Band, Michaelmas) on keyboards. Adams then took the recordings home and to the French countryside, to work alone. “I finally got my head around home recording in 2020, while things were a bit quiet. Once I worked out how to record things I realised I didn’t have to think about time. I could let the songs evolve and change once we had the basic tracks down. After a while I started to think of them as paintings; trying something one morning, painting over it in the afternoon and attempting something completely different… it was about enjoying the process, making some bangers, playing around... and giving Simon the producer a mess to sort out when it came to mixing the record". Whenever Tom from Fika Recordings checked in to see how the album was progressing Adams would reply, “it’s taking ages but it’ll sound like it was recorded in an afternoon”. The result is a dynamic and spirited collection of songs, with Adams's love of 90/00s US underground rock (Pavement's Bob Nastanovich is a fan) to the fore. DROPS is a sonically compelling piece of work: from bleak/exultant opener Out to Sea and the motorik Living in the Local Void to the weirdly funereal Fascists (where Adams imagines the “little skip in our steps” that we’ll have upon outliving some baddies), and Day Trip's psychedelia in miniature. There are also moments of tenderness: the avalanche of empathy on closing track Cheap Wine Sad Face, and I Tried to Keep it Light’s “worse things could happen… I don’t know how, but give me time”. Adams says: “I'm preoccupied by the passing of time and the way it affects how we feel. This record is about time and bewilderment and trying to make sense of things". “…astonishing tenderness in its simplicity … brilliant lyrics.” Q Magazine //“…the tunes are instant and uplifting, but the real wallop comes from the lyrical imagery.” The Guardian // “…barbed modern life chronicles.”

After glowing reviews of Dreaming Forever 001 and club plays from Ben UFO, Skatebard, Michael Mayer and many more, we are very proud to announce 002.
 
 Berlin based DJ Marie Lung is a regular performer at some of the best venues in the house and techno capital. After discovering Marie Lung’s set on HÖR and being blown away by her performances on the channel consistently, we contacted the artist to see if she had any demo tracks for us.
 
 The resulting tracks were two timeless and evocative house records that we play constantly in the Dreaming Forever offices. A spaced out remix from the inimitable Vril and a super classy rework from Matthias Reiling, one half of Session Victim, makes up the release.
 
 We are proud to release Marie’s inaugural record.

Recorded between 2010-2012, Closed Sessions Vol. 2 is a snapshot of a begotten time in Hip-Hop music and blog culture. The album features an eclectic class of artists such as Action Bronson, DJ Babu, Vic Mensa, The Cool Kids, Rockie Fresh, Freddie Gibbs, and others coming to the legendary SoundScape Studios and participating in the Closed Sessions program. Every song was followed by a documentary on MTV2 Sucker Free.

CS Vol. 2 was originally released August 23, 2012 and has been offline since 2015, the album has been re-mastered and is being released on vinyl for the 1st time ever. Limited to 500 copies.

2023 Repress!

A stunning follow-up to his late 2018 release. Mostly recorded live at the Apollo Hotel Amsterdam in 1991. This is a compilation of the ''Apollo Hotel CD box'', that Ronald made himself, for family and friends.. BIG tip!

Some words from the label:

From 1986 until 1992, Ronald had a residency in the lounge of Amsterdam’s Apollo Hotel. He would play there 5 days a week, for 5 hours a day. In 1991, throughout several sessions, he recorded himself on a cassette recorder. The recordings were ranging from re-interpreted cover versions to multiple own compositions.

The Apollo was particularly known for its sophisticated and elegant crowd. Guests would come to meet in the lounge to talk business, or end the day with a drink at the bar - dancing was never an option.

Listening to the album, one must wonder how some of this music would go hand in hand with a place like that. It seems Ronald gets lost in music and returns in unequally balanced patterns. Lounge sounds meet drum computer rhythms, punchy baselines, distorted space noises, reoccurring clarinet interludes and improvised piano solos.

Back then, just as now, Ronald never liked to be the center of attention. He simply tried to interact with the surrounding as a provider of the mood - as he explains himself.

Instruments
Live: Grand Piano, Yamaha QX1 Sequencer, 2x Yamaha TX7 Tone Generator, Drumtraks Sequential Circuits, Clarinet, Voice
Added at home: Yamaha DX7 Sounds, Roland R-8
Space Train: Kurzweil Piano, Yamaha DX7, Roland R-8, Soprano Sax, Voice

Recorded live at the Apollo Hotel Amsterdam in 1991, except 'Space train', which was recorded in Ronald’s living room.

All instruments played and arranged by Ronald Langestraat.
All tracks written an composed by Ronald Langestraat, except 'Lowdown' which was written by David Paich & Boz Scaggs, 'Give and take' which was written by Michael Shrieve, Tom Coster & Carlos Santana and 'Orpheus' which was written by David Sylvian.

The dual forces of shadow and light, despair and hope, frustration and catharsis are at play in the music of Cupid & Psyche, the Los Angeles-based indie rock duo of Michael Vidal and Juan Velasquez. First gaining recognition in the late aughts as members of the punk band Abe Vigoda, whose 2010 album Crush was named one of the "Best 50 Albums of the 2010s" by Pitchfork, the two have reunited as collaborators for the first time in a decade. Cathartic jam sessions would birth the emotionally resonant songs that appear on their debut album, Romantic Music. Though they pull from a wide array of `80s and `90s influences, Cupid & Psyche bring together these disparate moods and genres through their own esoteric lens on Romantic Music_making for a singular sound that at once feels familiar and alluringly hypnotic. Listeners will detect the gloom of post-punk and goth, the haziness of dream-pop and shoegaze, the bittersweet guitar melodies of second-wave emo, and the manic electronic rhythms of trip-hop and big beat. The immersive soundscapes on Romantic Music are sometimes agitated and driving, while other times ethereal and transcendent. This duality matches the album's lyrics of looking for a divine escape from the grim realities of existence, as well as the darkest parts of one's psyche. "The thesis of the album is trying to transcend the limits of life and the struggle therein," Vidal says. "There's a lot of lyrics about feeling trapped or frustrated, and then trying to find a way out. There's a lot of times I sing of hope and grasping towards love. But maybe in trying to escape, you take the wrong door, be it substance abuse or other vices." Now as Cupid & Psyche, Vidal and Velasquez return to a friendship that creatively feels like home_except this time, with more experience, self-knowledge, and less pressure to make anything other than the music that emerges naturally. The LP's title Romantic Music is tongue-in-cheek, since there are no love songs proper on the project, and the phrase itself can imply a kind of light listening. But it befits that deep bond that the members have, as friends who understand and empathize with each other's worst, so they're capable of bringing out each other's best.

Nicky Prince has never been bound by musical genre. The Milton Keyes born and raised. Vocalist has the versatility to fit any vibe while not compromising her signature sound. Although best known for her Garage hits with Zed Bias in the early 2000s, Nicky was performing and recording with various acts well before the height of Garage’s popularity. She started her career singing in Soul and Funk bands, and over the last two decades has lent her voice to Electro, Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, House, and Ska tracks.
In 2009 Nicky graced listeners with her debut solo EP “See What You Mean.” Within only five tracks the singer-songwriter displays impressive range, from the up-tempo, energetic funk of “I’m Hearing You” to a bluesy rendition of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” to the hushed tones of the EP’s sole acoustic number, “Balancing Scales.” She is backed on this effort by her band Soul Selecta, which includes renowned UK session players Dave Baldwin on Hammond organ and Robert ‘Skins’ Anderson on drums/percussion. Sadly, the release was criminally slept-on.

While “See What You Mean” was available on streaming services and CD, the EP
never received the vinyl treatment. So, rather than simply reissuing the project, Nicky has teamed with KU to offer what she calls a “reincarnation” of her debut on wax.

Now retitled “Listen Up,” this underrated affair has had new life breathed into it. To bring out the best in the original recordings, each song has been meticulously remastered by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio. Then to fill out the 12”, Nicky has added a handful of unreleased songs, including a heavy groove cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It,” which sees her reconnect with Zed Bias; a punchy, funked up tune titled “Listen Up;” and the original version of “Balancing Scales” that reveals what the track sounded like before it was stripped down to just guitar and vocals. This offering perfectly captures Nicky’s distinct tastes and inspirations. Further, it fills a hole in your record collection that you didn’t know was there until now.

Machine's self-titled album is shrouded in mystery. Supposedly released in 1972 on All Platinum Records, it completely disappeared without a trace and only a few copies seem to have survived, making it one of the rarest Funk albums on the planet. The album, only known to a handful of hardcore collectors, fetches prices in excess of $5000 whenever one turns up on the auction market, which happened four times in the last twenty years. Consisting of three young session musicians backing their label mates The Whatnauts, the group display a superb mix of socially-conscious hard-hitting funk and earthy soul, the album is reissued here in its original artwork and remastered by Colorsound Studio in Paris. It includes a 2-page insert with new liner notes by Charles Waring. Masterminded by singer and guitarist Michael Watson accompanied by bass player Curtis McTeer and drummer Donald McCoy, the album Machine came straight out of the New Jersey-based All Platinum studios where the label was based. The musicians had been active as session musicians for the label since the late 60s, mainly backing such label acts as The Whatnauts. As a matter of fact, the Whatnauts' manager, Bunch Herndon, makes guest appearance on the album as percussionist. Beside the core group of Watson, McTeer and McCoy, the album's line-up features several other cult musicians and also the orchestrator Sammy Lowe, a seasoned professional who had been arranging for Sam Cooke, James Brown and Nina Simone to name just a few. âÇ

Internationally renowned singer/songwriter and folk-rock high priestess Alanis Morissette released her greatest hits album The Collection nearly twenty years ago. Now, for the first time ever on vinyl, this collection of hit records is being reissued as account exclusive double LPs in varying shades of violet, alongside a standard black version for the general market. Beautifully assembled and repackaged for vinyl, this collection spans the decade between 1995 and 2005 when the Canadian popstar first broke out in the States. It includes a number of Morissette’s well-known singles, plus a few interesting soundtrack selections, and a cover of Seal's smash single "Crazy".

Internationally renowned singer/songwriter and folk-rock high priestess Alanis Morissette released her greatest hits album The Collection nearly twenty years ago. Now, for the first time ever on vinyl, this collection of hit records is being reissued as account exclusive double LPs in varying shades of violet, alongside a standard black version for the general market. Beautifully assembled and repackaged for vinyl, this collection spans the decade between 1995 and 2005 when the Canadian popstar first broke out in the States. It includes a number of Morissette’s well-known singles, plus a few interesting soundtrack selections, and a cover of Seal's smash single "Crazy".

Tullio De Piscopo is an Italian drummer, percussionist and singer- songwriter born in Naples, Italy. During his musical career he began working as a session drummer, playing with international artists, including Chet Baker, Gil Evans, Gato Barbieri, Eumir Deodato and many others.

His 6th solo album Acqua E Viento, released in 1983, includes the Italian #1 single “Stop Bajon (Primavera)” which also ranked to #58 in the UK Singles Chart of that same year. “Stop Bajon (Primavera)” was a favourite in Rimini (Italy) Discotheques, a Balearic Islands classic, a Chicago favourite during the early house days, and became an anthem of the Italo Disco movement. The album includes guest musicians Don Cherry on trumpet, percussionst Famoudou Don Moye and composer and songwriter Pino Daniele.

Third Man Records is delighted to present Michael Kiwanuka's contribution to the TMR Blue Series of releases. Kiwanuka, a 25 year-old UK native of Ugandan heritage, was raised in north London where he split his time between session work and local gigs. Along the way, having found footing as a solo artist, he was signed to Communion Records, then Polydor, and has since performed throughout Europe and North America too—touring in direct support of Adele. He made his way through Nashville this past summer with just enough pause and aplomb to commit these morsels to tape. The A-side "You've Got Nothing to Lose" is an original composition, featuring The Buzzards' Dominic Davis on upright bass and Cory Younts on piano, joined also by fellow balladeer Lillie Mae Rische on fiddle. Their contributions transform his work into a stone-cold groove with almost orchestral underpinnings, making it a fitting extension of their previous Blue Series. PRODUCED by Jack White (not collaborated with, so please fight your every urge to put "collaborator" in your headline!), the single also features a chilling rendition of Townes Van Zandt's infamous "Waitin' 'Round to Die" on the B-side, the perfect compliment to the timbre and mood of the A-side.

-15 year anniversary and first time on vinyl with brand new artwork, including previously unseen pieces from the Tame One archive.

-Remixed and remastered audio for a fresh listening experience. -Featuring guest appearances from Sean Price and Del Tha Funky Homosapien - One half of legendary graffiti rap group The Artifacts. -140 gram black vinyl, matte flood jacket with spot uv, 12x12 double sided insert with black poly lined inner sleeves. Rough, rugged and raw. Nothing better describes one's listening experience when they first heard Tame One & Parallel Thoughts, “Ol Jersey Bastard”. It was 15 years ago when Tame One came to "The Paradigm", the recording studio of Freehold's own Parallel Thought. One session turned into two, then quickly turned into three, resulting in a twice-weekly recording ritual that spanned three years. This ritual would give birth not only to this album, but three (Acid Tab Vocab & Parallel Uni-Verses w/ Del Tha Funky Homosapien) instilling a lifelong creative partnership. But let's focus on "Ol Jersey Bastard," Tame One's homage to the almighty and original OL Dirty Bastard. It was not the cleanest record to listen to, but it was true to Tame One's style and vision. He was not constrained by working with a group or having to answer to a label. As a side note, Amalgam Digital, the joke of a label who originally released this album wouldn't let us follow through with our original artwork concept. So the new cover and layout created by close friend Michael Interrante is Tame’s original concept. We also were able to include original scans of unseen artwork, tags & lyrics from Tames archive. This was unfiltered raw hip-hop, showcasing Tame One's unparalleled ability on the mic. Sometimes that called for no hook or maybe a 54 bar verse, traditional song structures were out the window. That being said, coming back to this album all these years later as producers, we wanted to elevate the album's listening experience. We cleaned up the mixes, so you might notice Tame sounds a little clearer, or those beats might knock a bit louder. It was what was needed to further elevate the music while not compromising our and Tame’s vision. Further demonstrating that music is a living, breathing piece of art. Always able to evolve. We hope you enjoy it!

Die Autofenster sind heruntergelassen, die Luft ist warm, und die Möglichkeiten sind grenzenlos. Auf Cut Worms, dem neuen, selbstbetitelten Album des aus Brooklyn stammenden Max Clarke, setzt der Singer-Songwriter und Musiker seine Erkundung dessen fort, was er "Pop-Essentialismus" nennt. Indem er die goldenen Hits vergangener Tage für einen zeitlosen Doppel-A-Seiten-Sound ausgräbt, betrachtet er uralte Fragen durch eine moderne Linse. Hier lässt er das legendäre Studio und die gefragten Produzenten hinter sich und arbeitet mit einer Reihe von begabten Freunden und Kollaborateuren zusammen, um seinen eigenen Ansatz zu finden. Das Ergebnis ist eine kompakte Sammlung von Tagtraum-Hymnen, die zwischen den hoffnungsvollen Anfängen des Sommers und dem flüchtigen Ende der Saison angesiedelt sind. Anstatt das gesamte Album in einem Stück in einem Studio aufzunehmen, variierte Clarke seine Methoden. Drei der Songs wurden von Anfang bis Ende in seinem gemeinsamen Proberaum aufgenommen. "Don't Fade Out" und Living Inside" wurden in Brooklyn von Brian und Michael D'Addario von den Lemon Twigs aufgenommen, die bei diesen beiden Stücken auch Klavier bzw. Bass spielten. Weitere grundlegende Aufnahmen wurden von Rick Spataro (von der Indie-Folk-Band Florist) in seinem Studio Onlyness Analog im Hudson Valley gemacht, mit Beiträgen der langjährigen Live-Band Cut Worms - Keyboarder John Andrews, Bassist Keven Louis Lareau und Schlagzeuger Noah Bond (der bei allen drei Sessions mitwirkte). Die neun Songs sind von einem jugendlichen Geist durchdrungen. Die mit Nelken geschmückte Schulball-Serenade "I'll Never Make It", die sternenklare Verliebtheit von "Is it Magic?", das erste Herbstlaub auf der Busfahrt zur Schule in "Living Inside" - sie alle beschwören einen Ort der Wärme und Sicherheit. Erklärungen wie "Don't Fade Out", "Let's Go Out On The Town" und "Use Your Love" stellen hohe Anforderungen an das Leben, um es zu verändern, bitten aber gleichzeitig darum, das zu bewahren, was uns als Menschen ausmacht. Clarke ringt mit einem Paradoxon: Die Freuden der Erfahrung können nicht ohne den Verlust der Unschuld gewonnen werden.

Die Autofenster sind heruntergelassen, die Luft ist warm, und die Möglichkeiten sind grenzenlos. Auf Cut Worms, dem neuen, selbstbetitelten Album des aus Brooklyn stammenden Max Clarke, setzt der Singer-Songwriter und Musiker seine Erkundung dessen fort, was er "Pop-Essentialismus" nennt. Indem er die goldenen Hits vergangener Tage für einen zeitlosen Doppel-A-Seiten-Sound ausgräbt, betrachtet er uralte Fragen durch eine moderne Linse. Hier lässt er das legendäre Studio und die gefragten Produzenten hinter sich und arbeitet mit einer Reihe von begabten Freunden und Kollaborateuren zusammen, um seinen eigenen Ansatz zu finden. Das Ergebnis ist eine kompakte Sammlung von Tagtraum-Hymnen, die zwischen den hoffnungsvollen Anfängen des Sommers und dem flüchtigen Ende der Saison angesiedelt sind. Anstatt das gesamte Album in einem Stück in einem Studio aufzunehmen, variierte Clarke seine Methoden. Drei der Songs wurden von Anfang bis Ende in seinem gemeinsamen Proberaum aufgenommen. "Don't Fade Out" und Living Inside" wurden in Brooklyn von Brian und Michael D'Addario von den Lemon Twigs aufgenommen, die bei diesen beiden Stücken auch Klavier bzw. Bass spielten. Weitere grundlegende Aufnahmen wurden von Rick Spataro (von der Indie-Folk-Band Florist) in seinem Studio Onlyness Analog im Hudson Valley gemacht, mit Beiträgen der langjährigen Live-Band Cut Worms - Keyboarder John Andrews, Bassist Keven Louis Lareau und Schlagzeuger Noah Bond (der bei allen drei Sessions mitwirkte). Die neun Songs sind von einem jugendlichen Geist durchdrungen. Die mit Nelken geschmückte Schulball-Serenade "I'll Never Make It", die sternenklare Verliebtheit von "Is it Magic?", das erste Herbstlaub auf der Busfahrt zur Schule in "Living Inside" - sie alle beschwören einen Ort der Wärme und Sicherheit. Erklärungen wie "Don't Fade Out", "Let's Go Out On The Town" und "Use Your Love" stellen hohe Anforderungen an das Leben, um es zu verändern, bitten aber gleichzeitig darum, das zu bewahren, was uns als Menschen ausmacht. Clarke ringt mit einem Paradoxon: Die Freuden der Erfahrung können nicht ohne den Verlust der Unschuld gewonnen werden.

Die Autofenster sind heruntergelassen, die Luft ist warm, und die Möglichkeiten sind grenzenlos. Auf Cut Worms, dem neuen, selbstbetitelten Album des aus Brooklyn stammenden Max Clarke, setzt der Singer-Songwriter und Musiker seine Erkundung dessen fort, was er "Pop-Essentialismus" nennt. Indem er die goldenen Hits vergangener Tage für einen zeitlosen Doppel-A-Seiten-Sound ausgräbt, betrachtet er uralte Fragen durch eine moderne Linse. Hier lässt er das legendäre Studio und die gefragten Produzenten hinter sich und arbeitet mit einer Reihe von begabten Freunden und Kollaborateuren zusammen, um seinen eigenen Ansatz zu finden. Das Ergebnis ist eine kompakte Sammlung von Tagtraum-Hymnen, die zwischen den hoffnungsvollen Anfängen des Sommers und dem flüchtigen Ende der Saison angesiedelt sind. Anstatt das gesamte Album in einem Stück in einem Studio aufzunehmen, variierte Clarke seine Methoden. Drei der Songs wurden von Anfang bis Ende in seinem gemeinsamen Proberaum aufgenommen. "Don't Fade Out" und Living Inside" wurden in Brooklyn von Brian und Michael D'Addario von den Lemon Twigs aufgenommen, die bei diesen beiden Stücken auch Klavier bzw. Bass spielten. Weitere grundlegende Aufnahmen wurden von Rick Spataro (von der Indie-Folk-Band Florist) in seinem Studio Onlyness Analog im Hudson Valley gemacht, mit Beiträgen der langjährigen Live-Band Cut Worms - Keyboarder John Andrews, Bassist Keven Louis Lareau und Schlagzeuger Noah Bond (der bei allen drei Sessions mitwirkte). Die neun Songs sind von einem jugendlichen Geist durchdrungen. Die mit Nelken geschmückte Schulball-Serenade "I'll Never Make It", die sternenklare Verliebtheit von "Is it Magic?", das erste Herbstlaub auf der Busfahrt zur Schule in "Living Inside" - sie alle beschwören einen Ort der Wärme und Sicherheit. Erklärungen wie "Don't Fade Out", "Let's Go Out On The Town" und "Use Your Love" stellen hohe Anforderungen an das Leben, um es zu verändern, bitten aber gleichzeitig darum, das zu bewahren, was uns als Menschen ausmacht. Clarke ringt mit einem Paradoxon: Die Freuden der Erfahrung können nicht ohne den Verlust der Unschuld gewonnen werden.

Originally reissued as part of the Promise Kept: The Complete Artist House Recordings boxed set, now available separately LP contains the original 5 tracks – CD/Digital include an additional 3 bonus tracks Remastered by Grammy® winner Michael Graves, with vinyl cut by Jeff Powell Producer John Snyder had always wanted to record Pepper and booked him into a week at the Village Vanguard in New York. At the time, Pepper was under contract to Contemporary Records and label head, Les Koenig, decided he would record the gigs, quashing any notion Snyder had of doing the same. However, Art promised Snyder that he’d record an album for Snyder’s label, Artists House, at some point down the road. Together they wound up making four. Here again on vinyl, CD & Digital are the original albums drawn from these sessions, lovingly recreated in their original form, remastered by Grammy® winner Michael Graves and recut by Jeff Powell. So In Love (originally issued in 1980) features Pepper’s takes on classics from Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter, and Hoagy Carmichael, plus a pair of originals including “Blues For Blanche.” The CD and Digital add three bonus performances from the sessions. The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow noted: "Pepper is in excellent form throughout the album, giving these songs heart-wrenching interpretations". “John and Art both kept their promises. John brought Art into the wider world; he put him on the road. Just as he said he would, he brought him to New York and to the Village Vanguard, got his picture in the papers, got him on the radio. From Art, John got his dearest wish. He made these recordings.” —Laurie Pepper






[f] 6. Yesterdays (Take 2) [Bonus Track]
[g] 7. Landscape [Bonus Track]
[h] 8. Straight, No Chaser (Take 4) [Bonus Track]

Die Apart Demos wurden zwischen 1980 und 1984 in verschiedenen Kellern und professionellen Studios in Chicago aufgenommen und dokumentieren 12 intime und reduzierte Skizzen, Demos und unveröffentlichte Tracks von Andre Gibson und der Universal Togetherness Band, als sie sich auf ihre Solokarrieren zubewegten. Von tief empfundenen Huldigungen an die Liebenden, die von einem seidigen Fender Rhodes verziert werden, bis hin zu Disco-Party-Startern über spirituelle Dankbarkeit - Andre Gibson lässt uns in sein Herz blicken und bringt am Ende alles zusammen. Die Universal Togetherness Band aus Chicago, verband in ihrem eklektischen Sound Funk-, Soul-, Disco-, Jazz-, Rock- und New-Wave-Einflüsse mit intelligenten und fantasievollen Texten. 1978 gegründet und geleitet von Andre Gibson, mit seinem Bruder Arnold Gibson (Schlagzeug, Bass), dem ehemaligen Colorvision-Mitglied Fred Misher (Bass, Hintergrundgesang) und Freds Bruder Leslie Misher (Leadgitarre), während Andre die Keyboards, das Vibraphon und den Leadgesang übernahm. Obwohl die Gruppe mehrere Jahre lang in den Clubs von Chicago auftrat und gelegentlich größere Auftritte absolvierte (vor allem als Vorgruppe von Peter Gabriel), hatte sie Mühe, ein größeres Publikum für ihre anspruchsvolle R&B-Melange zu finden. Zwischen 1979 und 1982 nahm die Band Dutzende von Sessions auf, die Gibsons weitreichende Vision als Komponist und Bandleader dokumentierten. Während Gibsons Zeit am Columbia College kamen Paul Hanover (Mundharmonika und Klavier) und Louis Sanford (Schlagzeug) zu den ursprünglichen vier Multiinstrumentalisten hinzu. Nachdem sich die ursprüngliche Besetzung der Universal Togetherness Band schließlich Mitte der 1980er auflöste, nahm Andre Gibson weiterhin mit einer Besetzung mit Frank Alexander (Schlagzeug), Allen Burroughs (Gitarre), Art Love (Bass) und Michael Young (Saxophon) auf. 2015 veröffentlichte Numero Group eine erste Zusammenstellung mit unveröffentlichten Aufnahmen mit dem schlichten Titel Universal Togetherness Band.

Die Apart Demos wurden zwischen 1980 und 1984 in verschiedenen Kellern und professionellen Studios in Chicago aufgenommen und dokumentieren 12 intime und reduzierte Skizzen, Demos und unveröffentlichte Tracks von Andre Gibson und der Universal Togetherness Band, als sie sich auf ihre Solokarrieren zubewegten. Von tief empfundenen Huldigungen an die Liebenden, die von einem seidigen Fender Rhodes verziert werden, bis hin zu Disco-Party-Startern über spirituelle Dankbarkeit - Andre Gibson lässt uns in sein Herz blicken und bringt am Ende alles zusammen. Die Universal Togetherness Band aus Chicago, verband in ihrem eklektischen Sound Funk-, Soul-, Disco-, Jazz-, Rock- und New-Wave-Einflüsse mit intelligenten und fantasievollen Texten. 1978 gegründet und geleitet von Andre Gibson, mit seinem Bruder Arnold Gibson (Schlagzeug, Bass), dem ehemaligen Colorvision-Mitglied Fred Misher (Bass, Hintergrundgesang) und Freds Bruder Leslie Misher (Leadgitarre), während Andre die Keyboards, das Vibraphon und den Leadgesang übernahm. Obwohl die Gruppe mehrere Jahre lang in den Clubs von Chicago auftrat und gelegentlich größere Auftritte absolvierte (vor allem als Vorgruppe von Peter Gabriel), hatte sie Mühe, ein größeres Publikum für ihre anspruchsvolle R&B-Melange zu finden. Zwischen 1979 und 1982 nahm die Band Dutzende von Sessions auf, die Gibsons weitreichende Vision als Komponist und Bandleader dokumentierten. Während Gibsons Zeit am Columbia College kamen Paul Hanover (Mundharmonika und Klavier) und Louis Sanford (Schlagzeug) zu den ursprünglichen vier Multiinstrumentalisten hinzu. Nachdem sich die ursprüngliche Besetzung der Universal Togetherness Band schließlich Mitte der 1980er auflöste, nahm Andre Gibson weiterhin mit einer Besetzung mit Frank Alexander (Schlagzeug), Allen Burroughs (Gitarre), Art Love (Bass) und Michael Young (Saxophon) auf. 2015 veröffentlichte Numero Group eine erste Zusammenstellung mit unveröffentlichten Aufnahmen mit dem schlichten Titel Universal Togetherness Band.

Valentine Lover Red Vinyl. Die Apart Demos wurden zwischen 1980 und 1984 in verschiedenen Kellern und professionellen Studios in Chicago aufgenommen und dokumentieren 12 intime und reduzierte Skizzen, Demos und unveröffentlichte Tracks von Andre Gibson und der Universal Togetherness Band, als sie sich auf ihre Solokarrieren zubewegten. Von tief empfundenen Huldigungen an die Liebenden, die von einem seidigen Fender Rhodes verziert werden, bis hin zu Disco-Party-Startern über spirituelle Dankbarkeit - Andre Gibson lässt uns in sein Herz blicken und bringt am Ende alles zusammen. Die Universal Togetherness Band aus Chicago, verband in ihrem eklektischen Sound Funk-, Soul-, Disco-, Jazz-, Rock- und New-Wave-Einflüsse mit intelligenten und fantasievollen Texten. 1978 gegründet und geleitet von Andre Gibson, mit seinem Bruder Arnold Gibson (Schlagzeug, Bass), dem ehemaligen Colorvision-Mitglied Fred Misher (Bass, Hintergrundgesang) und Freds Bruder Leslie Misher (Leadgitarre), während Andre die Keyboards, das Vibraphon und den Leadgesang übernahm. Obwohl die Gruppe mehrere Jahre lang in den Clubs von Chicago auftrat und gelegentlich größere Auftritte absolvierte (vor allem als Vorgruppe von Peter Gabriel), hatte sie Mühe, ein größeres Publikum für ihre anspruchsvolle R&B-Melange zu finden. Zwischen 1979 und 1982 nahm die Band Dutzende von Sessions auf, die Gibsons weitreichende Vision als Komponist und Bandleader dokumentierten. Während Gibsons Zeit am Columbia College kamen Paul Hanover (Mundharmonika und Klavier) und Louis Sanford (Schlagzeug) zu den ursprünglichen vier Multiinstrumentalisten hinzu. Nachdem sich die ursprüngliche Besetzung der Universal Togetherness Band schließlich Mitte der 1980er auflöste, nahm Andre Gibson weiterhin mit einer Besetzung mit Frank Alexander (Schlagzeug), Allen Burroughs (Gitarre), Art Love (Bass) und Michael Young (Saxophon) auf. 2015 veröffentlichte Numero Group eine erste Zusammenstellung mit unveröffentlichten Aufnahmen mit dem schlichten Titel Universal Togetherness Band.

Who did Aretha Franklin not want to miss out on when she recorded
her most inspiring albums in the early Seventies? Who gave Steely
Dan the beat? Who did Isaac Hayes, Donny Hathaway, BB King,
‘Sweet’ Lou Donaldson and Joe Cocker give the chair behind the
drums? No drummer has seen the inside of a studio as often as
Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie.
 Not for nothing do colleagues attribute the ‘funkiest soul beat on the
scene’ to the drummer, and consequently, Purdie has never relied on
the genre of jazz alone, but rather curiously looked beyond the
borders. Sessions with The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Jimi
Hendrix or Tom Jones are no problem for him, whose precise and
sensitive playing is synonymous with drive and groove. This is
probably one of the reasons why his rhythms are still sampled by
many DJs today.
 Released on CD back in 1996 and 1997 (and now out of print), the
two ‘Soul to Jazz’ recordings have a cult factor today and sound as
fresh as they did back then. Now both albums are released together
for the first time as a 3LP set.
 These recordings are peppered with lots of prominent star guests
from jazz and soul, from Eddie Harris, Michael Brecker and Nils
Landgren to Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine and Cornell Dupree.
 Purdie’s ‘Soul to Jazz’ project takes two different approaches: The
first part focuses on the renowned WDR Big Band led by Gil
Goldstein. Soul classics such as Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’,
‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, Eddie Harris’s ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’
and Lee Morgan’s famous groove tune, ‘Sidewinder’, are interpreted
in large scale sound. One discovery of these recordings amidst all the
renowned guest soloists is the New York-born singer, Martin Moss.
 The great success of this first album, released under ‘Soul to Jazz’,
led to ‘Soul to Jazz II’, a more intimate record, but one that picks up
where the first recording left off, by exploring similar themes. Again,
Purdie has called together a notable band of kindred spirits, including
saxophonists Hank Crawford (BB King, Ike and Tina Turner, Ray
Charles), Stanley Turrentine (Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott) and Vincent
Herring, as well as guitarist Cornell Dupree (King Curtis) to pianists
Benny Green and Junior Mance.
 Bernard Purdie’s ‘Soul to Jazz’ is a timeless classic and a blueprint of
the soul jazz genre in all its facets. Above all, it is a portrait of one of
the most influential and best drummers in the world, who made jazz
groove with his inimitable funky soul beat

Since we've known him, Robert Lloyd has made quite clear his enormous affection for the songs and sounds of Freakwater, the duo of Janet Beveridge-Bean and Catherine Irwin who've been wrongly denied their place as rightful and willful progenitors of alt-country's 'movement', which (frankly) is to their credit. Their genius in offering absolute authentic to the sound old-time Appalachian folk music with a modern façade that in no way negates tradition (one of their albums is titled Feels Like The Third Time) is unparalleled within the genre, and Freakwater remain under-appreciated. After the start of Covid, Robert dared approach Janet with the idea of recording together. Over the course of the long pandemic, songs were bandied about for months, and when recording was finally practical, a band was assembled with dates set up for a recording session in Valencia, Spain. Robert and Janet were joined by Robert's long-time ally, Pete Byrchmore, the musical foil for Robert's solo album on Virgin and a former Nightingale, Mark Bedford, the bassist for Madness and Terry Edwards' Near Jazz Experience, and Pablo Roda, Spanish mystery drummer, couldn't have worked out more perfectly. Tracks were selected without regard for collective presentation, just the goal of walking out of the studio with an album of perfect gems. Forget Lee & Nancy or George & Tammy, Rob and Janet have an immediate chemistry that only sounds long-lived - and too uniquely them to merit any comparison. The title track, Black Cat, Dark Horse is the sole Lloyd / Bean / Byrchmore composition and one of the record 's highlights. Jim Elkington, collaborator with Jeff Tweedy and Richard Thompson, contributes Heavy Reckonings and a song written with Janet, The True Lovers' Knot And The Lie, while Robert adds reworkings from past releases - Sweet Georgia Black and Black Country (with Pete) - not to mention the unreleased Eggs And Bacon. Janet brought One Shot and the unheard Freakwater song Arc Of A Smile. Covers of tunes from Dion and The Monkees and a magnificent Jon Langford song, "Tears Like Stars" round out the album. We daresay the album is among the finest you'll hear in 2023. That it doesn't fit perfectly into any preconceived genre is a testament to its quality. "Songcraft" is a word used infrequently today, yet Black Cat, Dark Horse will show that good songs endure. We're proud that Robert and Janet will find some new admirers through this album's release. The Michael Cumming / Stewart Lee film King Rocker made a case for Robert Lloyd-as-losthero; this album furthers that idea and shows a compelling side of Janet's talent and abilities which will be a surprise to her fans and serve as an entry point to exploring her many other compelling projects.

Such Ferocious Beauty is vintage Cowboy Junkies and another dimension from the lo-fi Canadian band comprised of, well, family. A tangle of sonic textures, Beauty is a rumination on aging, losing parents, facing mortality and creating space for one"s life in the midst of the ruin that comes from merely living. "Mike has never shied away from the darker, harder and sometimes uglier realities of our human condition," Margo Timmins explains of the band"s singular focus, "nor has he shied from its beauty. Thankfully, with one comes the other." Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1985 by Alan Anton (bassist), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins (vocalist). The band gained wide recognition with their second studio album, The Trinity Session (1988), recorded in 1987 at Toronto"s Church of the Holy Trinity. Their sound, again using the ambisonic microphone, and their mix of blues, country, folk, rock and jazz earned them both critical attention and a strong fan base. Cowboy Junkies have gone on to record 16 studio albums and five live albums.

Sky Blue Coloured LP Vinyl. 'Warchild' charity release - Miles Davis’ On The Corner recently turned 50 and with each decade, its space age funk has only become more influential to generations of jazz, electronic, post-punk and especially hip hop fans and artists. The new vinyl release Turnaround cherry picks four stellar cuts from the celebrated expanded project The Complete On The Corner Sessions released in 2007 that collected key recordings captured before and after that release. The tracks featured his new band including Michael Henderson on bass, Al Foster on drums and Mtume on percussion plus rotating appearances by the likes of Herbie Hancock, Dave Liebman and Bennie Maupin. Featuring an adaptation of the celebrated Corky McCoy cover of cartoon characters in pink, complemented by the limited edition sky blue vinyl, this marks the first time this material will be widely available on vinyl.

In the words of Bill Brewster - DJ History

‘At the turn of the 1990s, there were few more successful New York house producers than Victor Simonelli. Under a dizzying array of aliases – Solution, NY’s Finest, Groove Committee, Critical Rhythm and Cloud 9 being amongst the better-known – the Brooklyn-born DJ/producer delivered a string of underground club hits during the city’s early ’90s house boom.’

BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release - 2 X 12’s in each Vol

Launching the first Behind The Groove collectors edition vinyl series is New York’s finest Victor Simonelli with ‘The Early Years Vol 1 & 2’ double Vinyl releases. Featuring seminal house tracks such as Cloud 9’s ‘Do You Want Me’, Solution’s ‘Feel So Right’, Instant Exposure’s ‘Wanna Be With You’ and rare mixes of Raiana Page and EZ-AL, this collection brings together classic and rare Victor Simonelli cuts that reflect the early raw energy and buzz of the New York House scene. With ‘Vol 2” scheduled to follow shortly after, this is the most comprehensive collection of rare Simonelli cuts that firmly establishes his esteemed role in 90s House Music as well as introducing new fans to his inimitable sound.

Victor Simonelli is one of the early kings of NYC sampling In house music. The real deal - Victor danced at the legendary David Mancuso’s Loft sessions and developed a serious appreciation for good music. He interned for Arthur Baker at his renown Shakedown Studios (where Arthur worked with the iconic Afrika Bambatta on the seminal dance floor ’Planet Rock’ track) and went on to release hugely influential releases on seminal NYC labels 4th Floor and Nu Groove. Victor’s music was championed by the hugely celebrated iconic House Music DJ pioneers, Larry Levan and Tony Humphries at Paradise Garage & Zanzibar/WBLS/Kiss FM respectively.

Revered as a New York house heavyweight and prolific producer since the turn of the 1990s, Victor Simonelli grew up in Brooklyn, NYC, nurtured by a music loving family, with an avid record collecting father who also worked as a local party DJ. He took music lessons in piano, drums, guitar and bass, before discovering his first love, tuning into NY’s Radio Mix Shows on WBLS, WKTU and WRKS,98.7 Kiss FM) where he discovered the art of mixing and in his own words, ’I just simply got lost in the music’.

Graduating from NYC’s Centre For Media Arts, Victor got an internship in the legendary producer, Arthur Baker’s Shakedown Studios. Soon graduating to editing, mixing and then producing he worked for artists David Bowie, Quincy Jones, Debbie Harry, Sinead O’Connor and Talking Heads. Teaming up with fellow NYC producer Lenny Dee to become the Brooklyn Funk Essentials, they released records ‘Critical Rhythm’ and ‘Subliminal Aurra’ on 4th Floor before Victor went solo as Groove Committee releasing the classic ‘I Want You To Know’ on the legendary Nu Groove Records. Paradise Garage legend, Larry Levan broke ‘I Want You To Know’ rocking 2 copies on his last tour of Japan whilst King of NY House Music,Tony Humphries broke Victor’s new ‘Feels So Right’ across New York on his WBLS/Kiss FM Mastermix show and at his legendary Zanzibar club sessions. It was only a matter of time before Victor’s name became synonymous with quality House music ensuring a worldwide platform for his productions.

In the early 90s alongside his own productions, Victor Simonelli worked on high profile projects, including James Brown’s album, “Love Overdue” BeBe and CeCe Winans single featuring Mavis Staples “I’ll Take You There” and Quincy Jones’ “I’ll Be Good To You” featuring Chaka Khan and the legendary Ray Charles. Never straying too far from his clubland roots, Victor worked with Danny Tenaglia on his classic “The Harmonica Track”.

DJ gigs across the world started flooding in and Victor found himself recording for a dizzying array of labels including Tribal America, Sub-Urban, Bassline, King Street Sounds and Vibe, under a wide range of aliases. He also produced, wrote and remixed for artists such Nile Rodgers (Chic), Afrika Baambata, Hall & Oates, Frankie Knuckles, Kerri Chandler, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Famed for his own productions “It’s So Good” by Creative Force, “I Know A Place” as Sound Of One - the first release on Roger Sanchez One Records -, “Dirty Games” as well as the “Street Players Vol 1 EP”, Victor went on to set up Suburban Records with Tommy Musto and Bassline Records with two other partners. Notable releases on this label include “Do You Feel Me”, Connie Harvey’s gospel inspired, “Thank You Lord”, Urban Blues Project’s “Deliver Me”, Colonel Abrams “Not Gonna Let”, and Mone’s “Better Way”. Never ceasing to produce, DJ, run his own label and host radio shows like Groove Lift, Victor has worked with virtually every NYC producer and has nurtured a next generation talents including Angel Moraes, Jazz ‘N’ Groove, Urban Blues Project, Harlem Hustlers, Jay Jay and Julius Papp. Victor’s releases have also been used on M&S’s “Salsoul Nuggett” hit and Eddie Amador’s underground smash ‘House Music’.

In the late 90’s Victor launched his new Westside Productions, notable for the “Latin Impressions 1 & 2” releases, opened up a studio in Italy as he found himself increasingly working in Europe and now divides his time between New York and Italy. Suffice to say his unique sound of uplifting and spiritual music has kept him at the forefront of House Music and he is credited as one of its leading exponents with his string of classic releases and remixes.

Behind the Groove, branches out from its digital platform to embark on a programme of releases from the iconic pioneer producers of House Music. Esteemed for their high quality features and mixes that continue to explore, celebrate and venerate the contributions of highly respected, scene-shaping Labels, Artists, DJs and Special Events, BTG seeks to bring these talents and tales to the attention of the wider community. Unlocking the stories surrounding the pivotal roles they played and continue to play today in shaping the underground music scene we have come to know and love.

BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release, released on May 12th 2023. ‘Vol 2” follows on May 26th 2023 . These releases are the most comprehensive collection of rare Victor Simonelli cuts that firmly establish his esteemed role in 90s House Music and introduces new fans to his carefree sound.

180 Gram Vinyl Following the success of the 2021 reissue of Ambient Warrior’s cult classic Dub Journey's (1995), Isle of Jura is pleased to present their unreleased second album, II. Born from the same oceanside fusion of instrumental dub, reggae, bossa nova and tango music that made Dub Journey's so distinctive and memorable, II is an equally sublime collection of eleven unheard tracks from the brilliant minds of Ronnie Lion and Andrea Terrano.

Evoking the delights of white sands, palm trees and sunsets, all set against clear waters and endless blue skies, Dub Journey’s and II document the golden moment when Ambient Warrior came together during the mid-90s to create some of the most Balearic Dub ever made. “Music is the greatest traveler, isn’t it?” says Ronnie. “It gets to places the actual artists can’t even get to really.”

The son of an orphaned Jamaican jazz trumpet player and professional boxer who enlisted in the military after stowing away on a boat to London, Ronnie grew up between Germany, Singapore and the UK before becoming a working musician in his mid-teens. A bass player by trade, he honed his skills playing in a series of soul, jazz-funk, blues, rock and reggae bands that performed throughout the UK.

By the time Ambient Warrior released Dub Journey’s, Ronnie and his business partner Ras Joseph were running the Lion Inc. recording studio and record label in Brixton, London. Having set up distribution arrangements with Roots Records (UK) and Semaphore (DEU/NL), they recorded and released a series of singles, compilations and solo albums from a who’s who of roots reggae artists, including Twinkle Brothers, Delroy Washington, Michael Prophet, Alton Ellis, Little Roy, and Ronnie’s own band The Amharic. “Lion was a regular port of call for visiting Jamaican artists,” reflects Ronnie. “When you were in London, it was on the route.”

An accomplished guitarist, producer and recording engineer from Trieste, Italy, Andrea grew up listening to Russian folk, Klezmer and the Italian harmony tradition in a Sicilian-Ukrainian family. After completing compulsory Italian military service, he moved to London to continue studying music. One night, he turned up at Lion Inc. and approached them about running audio engineering classes from the studio.

In Andrea, Ronnie found a collaborator who shared his desire to create borderless music that reflected the diversity of their backgrounds. “I wanted to do something that had no boundaries,” Ronnie explains. “If you’re working on a roots album, it has to sound a certain way, but with Ambient, especially in the nineties, it was just a license to let off. You could do whatever you wanted to do.” “It was a melting pot of influences like London itself,” adds Andrea.

Although they wrote most of II at the same time as they were recording Dub Journey’s, it took them several years to finish off the album. “Things never got done quickly,” Ronnie remembers. By the time it was complete, Roots Records had gone out of business, leaving Lion Inc. without UK distribution. Not long after, their Brixton studio flooded, bringing the label to a close.

These days, Andrea continues to work as a session guitarist, recording engineer and producer in London. Over the last two decades, he has collaborated regularly with Basement Jaxx and released several solo albums. Ronnie, on the other hand, lives on a boat equipped with an onboard studio, where he has recorded a series of oceanic dub albums off the British coast. Twenty-eight years after the release of Dub Journey’s, he recently started working on demos for a third Ambient Warrior album he hopes to record with Andrea in the not-so-distant future.

Artwork By Bradley Pinkerton.

First ofcial release of previously-unissued Eric Dolphy studio recordings
in over 30 years, including 85-minutes never before released. The
goundbreaking alto saxophonist, bass clarinetst and autst brought us
iconic LPs such as 'Out to Lunch!' and 'Outward Bound'.
The LP package is beautfully designed and includes an exhaustve 96-page
booklet replete with rare and never-before-published photos by Chuck
Stewart, Jean-Pierre Leloir, Val Wilmer, Hans Harzheim, Lennart Steen, Roger
Marshutz and many others, plus reproductons of the original album covers for
Conversatons and Iron Man.
Includes fve essays that cover dierent aspects of Eric Dolphy and this music
by jazz author/scholar Robin D.G. Kelley, Douglas label manager Michael
Lemesre, Japanese Dolphy scholar Masakazu Sato, and co-producers Zev
Feldman and James Newton, plus words by John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner,
Ornete Coleman and Charles Mingus.
Captured afer leaving Prestge/New Jazz Records, and just before recording
the tmeless classic 'Out to Lunch!' album, 'Musical Prophet' is a 3LP set that
contains the under-appreciated masterpieces 'Conversatons' and 'Iron Man'
recorded in New York City on July 1 and 3, 1963. Originally produced by Alan
Douglas- most well-known for his associaton with Jimi Hendrix, but who also
produced classic jazz albums such as 'Money Jungle' with Duke Ellington,
Charles Mingus and Max Roach- the tapes had been stored in a suitcase with
Dolphy's personal belongings and given to Dolphy's close friends Hale and
Juanita Smith just before he embarked on his fateful European trip in 1964.
Deluxe Limited-Editon, 180-gram 3LP gatefold set released exclusively for
Record Store Day's Black Friday Event on November 23, 2018

7A Records are proud to announce the 50th Anniversary
Edition of Michael Nesmith’s “Pretty Much Your Standard
Ranch Stash” album. The LP version is pressed on 180g
opaque grey vinyl and comes in a gatefold sleeve, includes
extensive liner notes and session details by Andrew
Sandoval and lyrics to all of the songs. Also included is a
bonus track, the 1973 alternate version of “Marie’s Theme”.

The Album:
Nesmith’s time with the Monkees was well and truly in the
rear-view mirror and he needed a new place to live and
work. He caught the ear of Jac Holzman, head of Elektra
Records, and a path forward miraculously appeared.
Realising that most of the record companies at the time
didn’t understand Country Rock, Nesmith convinced
Holzman to start a new label, Countryside. Nesmith would
run the label, put together a ‘house band’ and produce
albums by various up and coming country artists.
Unfortunately, most of the new label’s releases didn’t make much of an impression and Nesmith soon started to
contemplate his own music again. Aided by the power of his Countryside house band, he quickly crafted Pretty Much
Your Standard Ranch Stash, a full and final RCA album. Despite its commercial sheen, Ranch Stash wasn’t a success saleswise and it became the closing remark to a heavy chapter in Nesmith’s life, a final “adios” to Monkee Mike, to the cosmic
cowboy, and to his family, as he moved further on up the trail.

7A Records are proud to announce the 50th Anniversary
Edition of Michael Nesmith’s “Pretty Much Your Standard
Ranch Stash” album. The LP version is pressed on 180g
opaque grey vinyl and comes in a gatefold sleeve, includes
extensive liner notes and session details by Andrew
Sandoval and lyrics to all of the songs. Also included is a
bonus track, the 1973 alternate version of “Marie’s Theme”.

The Album:
Nesmith’s time with the Monkees was well and truly in the
rear-view mirror and he needed a new place to live and
work. He caught the ear of Jac Holzman, head of Elektra
Records, and a path forward miraculously appeared.
Realising that most of the record companies at the time
didn’t understand Country Rock, Nesmith convinced
Holzman to start a new label, Countryside. Nesmith would
run the label, put together a ‘house band’ and produce
albums by various up and coming country artists.
Unfortunately, most of the new label’s releases didn’t make much of an impression and Nesmith soon started to
contemplate his own music again. Aided by the power of his Countryside house band, he quickly crafted Pretty Much
Your Standard Ranch Stash, a full and final RCA album. Despite its commercial sheen, Ranch Stash wasn’t a success saleswise and it became the closing remark to a heavy chapter in Nesmith’s life, a final “adios” to Monkee Mike, to the cosmic
cowboy, and to his family, as he moved further on up the trail.

Death Is Not The End's 333 sub-label follows the reissue of Devon Russell's Darker Than Blue LP late last year with a first-time reissue of a veritable reggae-dancehall holy grail - Robert Ffrench's 1985 LP 'Wondering'.

Pioneering artist and producer (and cousin of the late, great Pat Kelly) Robert Ffrench was born in central Kingston in 1962, recording his first records in 1979 at the age of 17. Coming out off the back of a slew of roots & early dancehall-style 45s cut with a wide range of producers thoughout the early '80s, the Wondering LP followed closely after two acclaimed LP sets ('Showcase' produced with Lord Koos & 'The Favourite' for Ossie Thomas' Black Solidarity label - plus a split showcase LP with Anthony "Gunshot" Johnson for Jah Thomas' Midnight Rock label).

Ffrench would write and produce the Wondering LP himself in it's entirity, laying down the tracks at Herman Chin-Loy's Aquarius & Michael Carroll's Creative Sounds studios with the help of engineer Christopher Daley. Representing the sound of an artist first confidently sriking out on his own, the album elegantly mixes a classic rub-a-dub & lovers rock-inspired sound with nascent digi-esque flourishes. It boasts an enviable list of contributors too, incl. Sly & Robbie, Dwight Pinkney, Robbie Lyn, Nelson Miller (Burning Spear) and Ronald "Nambo" Robinson among others, with Beres Hammond also providing backing vocals in places.

Following the release of Wondering, Ffrench would continue to write and produce, soon after releasing two further self-produced LPs for Edgar White's Parish label - and founded his own 'France' label in the late 80s, through which his productions would start to hit big, most notably alongside Courtney Melody on 'Modern Girl', and with US rapper Heavy D on the track 'More Love'. Robert's productions released through later label 'Ffrench' would go on to boast the cream of the crop of dancehall artists throughout the 90s and early 2000s, and he is often credited with discovering Buju Banton (producing his first single "Ruler" on the Stamina riddim). Ffrench is still actively producing music of his own to this day, having released singles 'Everyday of My Life' and 'Black Is a Colour' in late 2022 and Feb 2023 respectively, available through all digital platforms now.

333, under exclusive license from Robert Ffrench.

Oriental Beat by Hanoi Rocks gets the redux treatment, officially mixed and revived from the original sessions, and released on March 17th on deluxe vinyl, CD and digital formats. The CD and vinyl come with the song lyrics, checked and approved by Michael Monroe. Dubbed the “re(al) mix”, this 40th anniversary edition was mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studios in Finland in collaboration with the band. Vocalist Michael Monroe calls this release “the longest and slowest album project ever,” stating that “40 years in the making, it's not just a remix, but the REAL MIX supervised and approved by Hanoi Rocks”. Recorded in London, UK in 1981, for 200 pounds a day, Oriental Beat was made during the height of the British punk + New Wave movement, when the band was hanging out with everyone from Phil Lynott to the Damned. Hanoi Rocks’ original drummer Gyp Casino says of Oriental Beat that: “Back in the days we gave heart, soul and a bit of pain to make this record something else” but the sound of the album, originally released in 1982, did not match their efforts at the time. Bassist Sami Yaffa called it “the worst sounding album of our career” and Michael Monroe said that “the producer of the album didn’t have a clue what the band was about and his mix of the album was horribly wrong”. Oriental Beat’s original engineer Peter Wooliscroft, was not a rock producer, and according to Hanoi Rocks’ manager Richard Bishop he “tried to mix the album to sound like Spandau Ballet”. Released before the band could remix or rerecord it, as the label had run out of money, and the master tapes had gone missing, the band has always considered the original mix of Oriental Beat to be a “disaster”. With the tapes mysteriously showing up in the Universal vault recently, the band was finally able to mix and resequence the album the way they wanted it to sound. Oriental Beat is a defining masterpiece made when Hanoi Rocks was about to explode onto the world scene and written at the absolute peak of lead guitarist Andy McCoy’s creativity as a songwriter. Rhythm guitarist Nasty Suicide says “only now, with stripping it down to the bare essentials and tweaking it to bring out what was really laid down it became our dream come true! THIS is what it's all about” as this definitive edition of Oriental Beat now fully displays the ultimate arrogance and attitude which defined the band.