Buscar:mo better

Long before Lordi and Nightwish put Finnish metal on the map globally, Waltari were there churning out a curiously engaging concoction of various genres molten into metal. Waltari signed with Roadrunner Records in the early nineties and released Torcha, the first fruit of the co-operation in 1992. Torcha was very well received by the international music press, even though Waltari's iconoclastic habit of breaking all boundaries also annoyed people. Besides heavy metal, speed and thrash, Torcha has acid house, funk and punk, often all in the same song. Previously Torcha has not been widely available on vinyl. There was a very limited poor quality Korean edition in the early nineties, which stuffed the hour-long album on a single LP. The Svart edition has been prepared together with Kärtsy Hatakka, and it spreads the original album on three LP sides and has two bonus tracks on side D.

Traversing the everyday in 2023, the need for ritual catharsis only grows stronger. The need to lose oneself in a force bigger than ourselves, and to venture into inner space the better to sculpt armour for the battles outside. Luckily this is the job of Bonnacons of Doom, aural soothsayers and progenitors of Trans Pennine hypnotic music. ‘Signs’ - their second album for Rocket Recordings - marks both a portent of things to come, and a roadmap of the psychic pathways to survival. This masked troupe, subsumed to mystery and amassed from across the North of England, have stepped up their mission accordingly. Building on the intimidating intensity of their self-titled 2018 debut, this series of fiercely charged mantras and premonitory transmissions is possessed of a new level of communal intensity. The band’s choice of weapons- the monomaniacal intensity of the riff, the liberating binary spirit of electronics and the incantatory vocals of ceremonial leader Kate Smith - here coalesce into a metaphysical force which stands defiant of easy categorisation. Within these otherworldly manifestations lurks solace in a place where the transcendent power of heavy amplification, cosmically aligned sonic explorations and strange forces darker and more unknowable can coalesce to cathartic and redeeming effect. ‘Signs’ marks out a supernatural landscape where ancient and modern, earthly and alien congregate in the eternal now, whilst Bonnacons Of Doom transcend era to light a path for the future

Sven Torstenson's notorious Drugs is a loopdigga's fever dream, bursting with breaks for days and featuring possibly the most iconic cover of all library music's cult classics. First released in 1980, it's now a hyper-rare and seriously sought-after electronic album full of experimental soundscapes and samples just waiting to be flipped. It's both terrifying and terrifyingly good. So much so, it's been brilliantly sampled by Kendrick Lamar and Chance The Rapper.

The sleeve describes Drugs as containing "the newest dimensions of electronic sounds. Dramatic underscores for all problems of today's life and society, at the border between reality and delusion." That's pretty spot-on. The fast moving "Euphoria" is an incredible, unignorable opener. It's loaded with disorientating effects and really needs to be heard to be believed. It's followed by the gorgeous "Soft Hallucinations", containing quiet, meditative and beautiful sounds - as the title suggests. One listen and you'll want to live in the warm embrace of this beatless, harmonic gem. Sinister squelchy synth stabs don't distract from the sheer beauty of the track's main (gentle) thrust. They only serve to elevate its trippy magic.

Next up, "Sky Move"'s agitated and repetitive rhythm makes it an intense listen but with a broad melody that will appeal to many. "Destroyed Dreams" utilises a muffled church organ and it sounds heavenly to begin with but it gradually invites increasingly distorted elements. Yes, you've had trips like this, we're pretty certain. Mental! Talking of bad trips, never have they sounded so good as "Horror Trip"; this fractured drama-synth just needs some some dusty beats to hold it up - get involved.

"Floating Illusions" almost sounds like a beatless Spiritualized bomb from the early-mid 90s; melodic, synthy, church organ-drenched. The mournful, dramatic "Lost Chance" pulses along on a bed of acidy synths whilst "The Morning After" is the sonic equivalent of the extreme fear and doom experienced in the aftermath of the previous night's carnage. Whilst somewhat uncomfortable listening, again, it's pretty compelling thanks to the myriad effects being expertly utilised. Fascinating. The sprawling, fragmented "Random Thoughts" is described as containing "confused melody phrases" - yeah, pretty much sums this one up.

The B-Side is ushered in by "Heroin" and it's as sketchy as you might think, all mysterious minor chords with a dominating - but not overbearing - bass refrain. Next up, the dream-like synthy fanfare of "Night Trip" climaxes after a few minutes of dramatic, ecclesiastical sounds whilst "Day Trip" layers its melody over a repetitive rhythmic base.

Next up, one of the *REAL* highlights makes itself known. Absolutely not to be missed, "Dealer's Corner" is all shifting tenors from quiet to hectic and back around again. The hectic parts are like a totally synthed-out-the-eyeballs jazz-funk collective wigging out with the latest electronic toys from 1980. This one totally SMOKES.

The dramatic "Sad And Hopeless" is appositely replete with dissonant, minor church-organ chords whilst "Riding Pegasus" uses a creepy ostinato bass melody to create irrational bleepy menace that's ripe for sampling. The penultimate track, "Hopeless Chaos" is another disorientating trip, a bleepy confection of sounds and phrases whilst closer "Goin' Mad" is all electronic percussion with an unpleasant rhthymic feel and irritating melody. Music to annoy your partner with!

Established in Munich in 1965 by Gerard and Rotheide Narholz, Sonoton introduced library music to Germany. Initially intended to cater to the country's new TV market, the library also provided an avenue for Gerhard Narholz's astonishing musical prolificacy, and soon became a haven for a wide range of European composers and musicians. In 1969, Sonoton struck a deal with the British label Berry Music for international publishing rights, exposing its catalog to a worldwide audience; when Berry was bought out by EMI in 1973, Sonoton transitioned into a full-fledged international label, with successes in the library and commercial fields and many innovations to its credit. Now a worldwide operation with hundreds of producers and composers under its employ, Sonoton nonetheless remains an independently run business still helmed by its founders - a remarkable achievement in an era when nearly every other major library has been absorbed by a multinational conglomerate.

The audio for Drugs has been remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

"Another Perfect Day" celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2023 and is the sixth studio album by British rock band Motörhead. It was originally released on June 4, 1983 via Bronze Records and was the band's last full-length album on the label. It is the band's only studio album featuring lead guitarist Brian "Robbo" Robertson, who is best known for his work with Thin Lizzy. The album is now reissued as a luxurious deluxe edition on 2CD, 1LP (colored) as well as 3LP bookpack.

Roe Kapara"s debut vinyl release on Epitaph Record brings the songs from his wildly successful 2023 digital release, i hope hell isn"t real ep, together with his catalog of singles from 2021- 2022. "Nobody was born cool" proclaims . "Where"s the fun in that?" After relocating from Nashville to Los Angeles just before the pandemic, the St. Louis-born singer/songwriter did what any reasonable 20-something would: find solace online and build a community. Soon, his burgeoning digital fanbase hit six digits, enthralled by his endearingly unpretentious personality but also by his irresistible music, a modern swirl of indie, psych, dream pop, and alternative. Dwelling on the death of his own past is a common theme through "s music, throughout a catalog of DIY singles like "Everyone"s Dying" and "Past Grow" that helped boost his streaming listeners into the 2 Millions and TikTok audience over 350,000 (with 5.8 Million likes.) But just as he"s willing to expose vulnerable parts of himself in his songs, he"s quick to shine the mirror outward to address the creeping dread of modern life: consumerism, corporate greed, climate change, the general feelings of the younger generation in 21st-century America. Combining these two sides of his musical personality - deeply relatable yet unafraid to stand up and ask life"s big questions - into pop songs makes for a musical journey that"s a little off-kilter, sure, but all the better and more interesting in the end.

Anlässlich seines 40-jährigen Künstlerjubiläums wollte Howard eine wirklich einzigartige Werkschau zusammenstellen. "Celebrate It Together" ist die erste Anthologie, die sich mit seinem gesamten Katalog auseinandersetzt, von der Originalversion von "New Song" bis hin zu einem 2023-er Elephant Talk-Remix, der den Song in einen modernen Electronica-Kontext stellt.

Diese "Very Best Of 1983- 2023 - Celebrate It Together" enthält Songs aus seinem klassischen Katalog der Warner Music-Ära, sowie von seinem unabhängigen Dtox-Label.

The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series . Entry #5: Dan Hastie and Terin Ector (Orgone) pick up where Piero Umiliani left off with Exotic Grooves and Lush Funk. This is the next up in a series of music library releases, with future volumes produced by DJ Muggs, Karriem Riggins and more. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs – listen, ponder, repeat.

Citing sources from early Dub influenced Clash, Blitz and The Modern Lovers - Spiritual Cramp exist in a strange vacuum somewhere between David Byrne's oversized suit and a bar fight between a bunch of drunk goons on Polk Street in SF. Hate for the police, the government and the status quo are reoccurring themes in Bingham's lyrics. The sounds borrow from the past, echoes of late 70's / early 80's working class rock and punk, which function on the upbeat, showcasing very bright guitars yet generating darker vocal rhythms and darker patterning.

With a familiar 1, 2, 3…Elliott BROOD count in a new album cycle, Town & Country, that explores the people and places that shape our lives, wherever we call home. On part one, Town, Elliott BROOD rumble and rock over a map of the towns and cities that populate their experiences and imaginations. With their brand of nitty gritty city folk mixed with retro nods, be it classic country or 60s surf, Elliott BROOD take us on a highly entertaining trip. Who better to write an ode to Windsor, ON (“Rose City”) than the band that has become the city’s unofficial ambassadors. Over bridges and into barrooms, lose your way to find yourself in Elliott BROOD’s "Town".

There’s a connection between the musical history of the Mediterranean that can’t be explained through academia alone. It’s an expression of simultaneous grief and celebration that trespasses cultures and generations; and demands to be felt, or even better, danced, to be understood. The same spirit weaves Rebetiko from the ashes of the Ottoman empire to the heavy Hafla soundtracks on the Koliphone label in ‘70s Jaffa, or rebellious Turkish psychedelic music to the first generation of surf guitarist migrants in America. It's an infectious feeling that travelled and evolved wherever it was called, and that passion is embodied in “Back to the Taverna”, the new album by Berlin based bouzouki quintet, Cherry Bandora.

On the milestone of their third release, original members Liad Vanounou (Bouzouki) and Lorena Atrakci (Vocals) have bolstered their sound with longtime friends and collaborators Moshe ‘Moosh’ Lahav on Keyboards and flute, Tamir ‘Hassan’ Chen on Bass and Nimrod Lieberman on Drums to create an album celebrating the ecstasy of being able to drink and perform together again, freed from the anathema of the last years. The band has evolved considerably since their beginnings ten years ago as an Agean-influenced part of the local Balkan Swing scene; the most significant addition being the deployment of “The Hardest Working Man in Tropical Music” Alex Figueira as musical director for this album. His scorched fingerprints are unmissable throughout the extended psychedelic breakdowns and percussive overdubs that make “Back to the Taverna” such a dynamic offering.

Cherry Bandora have always been a very personal band; collecting songs from nearby cultures and history and blending them into their own experience by developing new arrangements or lyrics, just as musicians from those times would have. Lorena delights in expressing herself away from her mother tongue or providing modern lyrics for an updated feeling, as she does to the beloved Turkish standard, “Rampi Rampi”. In this interpretation she uses her native Hebrew in a saucy lockdown-delivery-guy romance... This track also features Baris Öner from local Turkish rock band Kara Delik on his signature flanging Saz.

Singing in Greek, English, Turkish and Hebrew was also a natural choice on the album, representing the “multikulti” area of Berlin that the band lives and records in. These languages would all be heard on the street as they walked to record in the analog Studio Wong in Kreuzberg.

“As descendants of Mizrahi Jews (Jewish migrants from non-European countries), growing up listening both to Beatles and Umm Kulthum, playing in jazz music departments in high school, and now living in Kruezkölln, we basically pay tribute and revive this shared heritage in the context of the global music scene of today” says Lorena.

The opening track, The Sound Of Baglama, is an interpretation of the anthemic Tsitsanis homage to the tavernas and sweethearts of Thessaloniki. It lays the ground for what to expect from Cherry Bandora’s exceptional live performances, featuring effortless switch-ups between surf rock choruses and laid-back verses dipping into Persian disco funk. This song will be accompanied by a tour-collage “found footage” style film clip in production at this
time.

Cherry Bandoras show their dedication to the bit with a rousing English version of the canonical rembetiko tune Dimitroula Mou. This amour song, popular with generations of female singers, is accompanied by real studio plate smashing, a ritual which sealed their final session for the album. 2 bonus tracks are included on the digital release, both a little more raw from the band’s home studio: the reeling dervish Rubi Rubi (which will be released as a second single with a video clip) and the emotionally dense and hypnotic slow burner Esý.

The album will be released digitally and on vinyl as a collaboration between Rebel Up Records (Belgium) and Rumi Sounds (Berlin) on Friday 3 november 2023 and is a prime example of what a raunchy, open minded and tireless bouzouki band can do as they hit their prime.

An extensive highlighted review will appear in Songlines magazine #135 December issue and the track ‘Benimde Canim Var’ will be featured on their free compilation. Also radioplay on Radio Campus France playlist (allover) during November and December.

Bad Wolves refuse to follow. Instead, the platinum-certified Los Angeles band — John Boecklin drums, Daniel 'DL' Laskiewicz lead vocals, Doc Coyle [lead guitar, backing vocals] and Kyle Konkiel [bass, backing vocals] — circumvent convention by stretching the boundaries of hard rock with earthquaking heaviness, enigmatic experimentation and enthralling melodies. Bulldozing boundaries is nothing new for the boys and their upcoming album, 'Die About It, maintains that narrative. With a story that emphasises the sarcastic statement pointed towards those defending their own beliefs into absurdity, wrong or right, Bad Wolves believe that if you're gonna cry about it then you might as well Die About It,

Das Quartett aus Iowa bringt das Publikum mit einem Doppelschlag aus treibenden Metal-Grooves und beeindruckenden Melodien zusammen. Mit mehreren Millionen Streams und positiver Resonanz von Revolver, Guitar World, Loudwire und vielen anderen, festigt die Gruppe auf ihrem zweiten Album "This Is It… The End Of Everything" via Spinefarm eine unzerbrechliche Bindung zu ihren Hörern. Für dieses Album arbeitete die Band mit dem Produzenten Kile Odell (Motionless In White, Nita Strauss) zusammen.

Saul kamen 2017 aus dem Mittleren Westen und bahnten sich unermüdlich einen Weg an die Spitze des modernen Rock. Sie traten an der Seite von Motionless In White, Atreyu, August Burns Red, Crown The Empire, Bush, 10 Years, HELLYEAH und Nonpoint auf und zierten die Bühnen von Festivals wie Rebel Rock, Rock Fest, Rock USA, Inkcarceration und Blue Ridge Rock Fest mit Rob Zombie, Mudvayne und Slipknot. Mit Brother", einer Hommage an den verstorbenen Bruder Caleb der Mitbegründer, landete die Gruppe einen echten Hit. Es war ihr erster Nummer-1-Hit auf Sirius/XM Octane und erreichte über 9 Millionen Spotify-Streams und ebnete den Weg für ihr Debütalbum Rise As Equals, das 2020 erscheint.

File Under Balearic Gabba EP is the first in a new series of serious DJ tools that will encompass remixes, edits, originals and licenses, all with artwork that is a twist on the original Balearic Gabba logo by PlanetLuke. Up first is a new selection of music from core Hell Yeah artists that is unruly, impossible to define, and sure to twist dance floors inside out.

First up is Daniel Klein better known as SIRS, a Berlin-based mainstay with releases on the likes of Live At Robert Johnson. His cut of 'Super Rapido' is a dubbed-out blend of kosmiche chug and tropical percussion. Tumbling synth sequences bring extra colour as the groove builds over nine irresistible minutes.

Then comes Japanese downtempo master Calm with his Mellow Mellow Acid Dub of Sergio Messina & The Four Twenties's 'Sometimes' which is a nostalgic acid daydream and the perfect sunset soundtrack. Melancholic moods and lazy drums sink you in deep as the gentle acoustic guitars keep you afloat.

Label regular and Internasjonal and International Feel associate Feel Fly then comes through with an Estatico Danzante Remix of Pedro Bertho's 'Tornei' feat Mariana Gehring and takes us to the stars on twinkling keys, dusty breakbeats and steamy, worldly vocals that glow as warm as a setting sun.

Last of all is New York maestro and Loose Control Band member DJ Spun with his It's Rong Remix of My Friend Dario's 'Acid Mosquito in a Summer Night'. It finds him serving up a nine-minute excursion into jungle humidity with tribal percussion and jumbled bongos all run through with a spooky and primeval lead synth over lurching drum breaks.

The File Under Balearic Gabba EP brings a whole new dimension to wonky dance floor workouts.

The 45rpm double disc Audiophile Analog Collection features a variety of recordings from the world of movies, blues, percussion ensembles, world music and jazz. This is part of a special series of compilations of analog audiophile recordings at their best, with emphasis on execution and great sound.

The 2xHD Fusion Mastering System is an innovation in audio restoration for a virtual audio reality. In the constant evolution of its proprietary mastering process, 2xHD has progressed to a new phase called 2xHD Fusion, integrating the finest state-of-the-art analogue Nagra-T tape recorder modified with high-end tube playback technology, wired with OCC silver cable for better transparency and 3D imaging. 2xHD Vinyl are sourced from first generation analogue recordings without any digital corruption. The cutting is done at Bernie Grundman Mastering Lab on tube cutting equipment.

- Rare and Unreleased New Orleans Funk 1968
Tuff City’s Funky Delicacies imprint has issued the 7th volume in its New Orleans Funk series. This edition has a side of vocal tracks and a side of instrumental ones. These tracks have been hard to find and many were CD only bonus tracks on earlier editions of the series now out of print.
Noted guitarist Little Buck Sinegal opens the record with “Little Boy Blue.” This was first issued in 1969 on the Seven B label. Little Buck (as he was credited on the original record) passed in 2019 after a lengthy career dating back to the late 50’s as a session man for Slim Harpo & Lazy Lester. He also was a touring member of various Zydeco legends like Clifton Chenier, Rockin’ Dopsie and Buckwheat Zydeco. Drummer Chuck Conway leads the next track with the Amars, “Get On Up.” Cover feature Deacon John Moore still lives today. “You Don’t Know (How To Turn Me On)” was a 1970 B-side on the Bell label. Brotherhood issued “Suckey Suckey Feeling” as a 2-sided single in 1974. At some point the track was renamed “Sooky Feeling” and we have Part 2 here. Singer and Pianist Tommy Ridgley’s track “Fly In My Pie” was originally issued on our sister imprint Soul-Tay-Shus on The Best of International City compilation as well as a 7” on that imprint in 1968. Lonnie Jones recorded several singles for Jenmark in the early ‘70’s including the B-side “You Got To Do Better” originally released in 1972. Sam Henry of Sam and the Soul Machine closes out the side with “Loving You.” This track was originally a CD-only bonus track on our Po’k Bones and Rice compilation of that group we issued on Funky Delicacies in 2002.
Kicking off the instrumental second side is a recently located master by Anthony Butler and the Invaders covering the Otis Redding classic “Hard To Handle.” A bit of organ Funk here. Larry Jones jams out the “Funky Jaws.” The exact year is unknown, but the J.B.’s label that issued the original record put their releases out primarily from 1974-1976. Tyrone Chestnut’s B-side of 1969’s “The Bump” is called “Bumping.” Hook and Sling piano legend Eddie Bo has two appearances. The first is the second part of the “Getting To The Middle” single that came out on Bo-Sound in 1970. Louisiana Purchase have “Accept What You Expect” before they moved from New Orleans to Detroit. The Scram Band that backed vocalist Mary Jane Hooper on her “Don’t Change Nothin’” single are here in an instrumental version of that song. The album closes with a 5-minute combined version of Eddie Bo’s “If It’s Good To You (It’s Good For You)” single, issued in 1969 on Scram.
Overall, this album contains 14 previously hard-to-find tracks that would take hundreds if not thousands of dollars to track down the original singles on the used market. These tracks have been recently remastered, including tracks that were issued as CD bonus tracks on earlier volumes.

What we love about this compilation is that it’s not one of these boring best off type of stuff, but a gathering of all songs that were published on rare vinyl releases that Hooded Menace put out during the last 15 years. So, in case you had no chance to buy any or all of these 7”s or splits (that go for high prices these days) this compilation is a chance for you to hear some more splendid stuff from these masters of horror. All songs are presented in chronological order, so... The feast begins with two songs which also ended up on the debut album of Hooded Menace “Fulfill the Curse”, but recorded in different versions the year before the album was recorded. We all love how Hooded Menace combines heavy, Doomy riffage with that gloomy, horror atmosphere and some melody. And of course their Doom is strongly infected with old school Death Metal, so this is also why the music of Hooded Menace speaks to many of you so well. Later there’s some stuff from the split with Anima Morte, splits with Coffins, Asphyx and Ilsa. All in all, we have to say that “Gloom Immemorial” is a fantastic compilation of rare stuff from one of the best Doom/Death Metal bands ever. We would love to have them all as originals, as playing such music in vinyl format is simply pure magic and it always give you a special feeling, but if you cannot have what you want, you will be very happy with this substitute. The band and the label took it all seriously and came up with a fantastic booklet, which shows you each original release in details - with lyrics, original artwork and band photographs from that era. It cannot be done better, so this is just a near-perfection type of release with 75 minutes of horror soundtrack on a killer 2-LP.