Cerca:nat self

His jaw- dropping, natural sounding, and unschooled skill on acoustic guitar, matched with an authentic 'Belfast Blues' voice, drew comparisons to John Martyn and Rory Gallagher, with nods to Van Morrison and Foy Vance. In addition to being an acoustic guitar star, Dom is equally adept on electric guitar, showcasing his talents with his power trio.

Dom has won a handful of European and UK Blues Music Awards. His sophomore studio album, 'A Savage Life' received rave reviews with Rock and Blues Muse declaring, "Dom Martin is the next rising star in the global roots scene.

Jump aboard now before he passes you by." Blues in Britain declared that Dom was "A rare talent of such sheer genius," and Classic Rock effused, "The Belfast guitarist is a sprawling talent."

His latest effort,' Buried in the Hail 'was co- produced by Grammy nominated producers Chris O'Brien & Graham Murphy. The album takes the listener on a very personal journey. "Unhinged" is all anger and fury, sparks and smoke and flames, from screaming amps. Taking a positive turn is "Daylight I Will Find", a song about life's challenges and how through self- love, one can find the answers. The sole cover on the album is a broken down, heartbroken version of "Crazy".

Raz started working on the album Tyrants in 2017 and
mixed the finished version in 2021. The writing process
began with listening to sketches and sound-files he
had collected throughout the past years, which he had
not yet given up on. The album is thus a natural
continuation of his previous works and showcases
Raz’s unique sound design coherently. His increased
focus into composition and arrangement is highlighted
even further in this release.


In the oblivious environment surrounding his hideaway
lake cabin he produced an album that is rich and
diverse in its sonic palette, ranging from harshly
distorted synth-peaks, cinematic soundscapes, all the
way to avant-garde contemporary classical, and jazz
music. It is an album that invites the listener to explore
and discover not just the intimate self: it is also a very
personal, intuitive observation and reflection on the
world that we are living in today.


Certain instruments are very prominent. An old piano
that was left in Raz’ apartment by a friend that he
found joy in playing.

One can hear a certain curiosity in
the performance of this newly found, dust layered
treasure (Bardot). Sonically the album is an attempt to
blend acoustic sound recordings with synthesized
sounds, and to blend musical genres into one. It is an
acoustic expression of the transformative times we are
living in, a realm of mankind being mastered by
technology.

The gap of this transformational process is
a glitchy moment of time. It is portrayed on the front
cover image of the album, by glitch artist Azamat
Akhmadbaev.

Morning Glory

Every twenty four hours is a chance to begin again and it is a renewed commitment to be involved in the cycle of nature - to play by rules set forth by something greater than ourselves that constantly resonates in the ears of those who are at peace. At the edge of each one of these beginnings, there is a brief moment that belongs to only "it". A special portion of time that directly connects to the circular motion of Space and Time. It is truth before reality. Realness before rationality. Self before consciousness.

We can feel it when we first see light and the recognize an indication that the new day has begun. It is honoring what makes all this possible.


Axis Expressionist Series.

A collection of vinyl and limited digital releases, curated by Millsart, an alias of Jeff Mills, of his most eclectic and transcendent compositions that derive from his Every Dog Has Its Day project as well as new unreleased works.

Vernacular creations that fall off from the "other side" of the Electronic Music tree, this project is designed for the experienced Techno music listener, and its goal is to reflect upon the pure artistry of the craft of storytelling. A realization between music and life.

Whereas "dancing" is the goal of Dance Music, the goal of this music is about "reflecting on the complexity and simplification of life". Soundtracks for people in their evolutionary process.

Debut album by Sunbörn (formerly The KutiMangoes!)

On their first album as Sunbörn, the Danish 6-piece digs into what connects us as human beings: we are all born under the same sun and are connected by the same forces of nature. Meeting the world and connecting through music has been a vital mission for our band from day one, and again and again on our travels we have experienced how music can cross borders, build bridges and connect us with people from different backgrounds and cultures in shared experiences. In times when the world is tearing itself apart it is clear that music has the power to reach across divides and remind us of our common humanity. Sunbörn's self-titled ablum features collaborations with artists from all over the world: Caio Marcio (BR), Ida Nielsen/Bassida (DK), BIGYUKI (JP/US), DJ Opolopo (S), Clap! Clap! (I) & Moderator (G).

Quality Gatefold-LP pressed on yellow vinyl!

Tighter is the reissue of the out-of-print debut album Tight by American electronic rock band Mindless Self Indulgence. Originally released in 1999, the album was given an expanded edition in 2011 but has been out of print for over a decade.

This vinyl reissue includes the original 15 tracks, as well as the 11 B-sides, including the songs "Bring the Pain," "Tornado," "I Hate Everyone," and the standout track "Molly." Marked by an eclectic range of influences and showcasing the band's signature sound, Tighter is both chaotic, offensive, and danceable, perfectly capturing Mindless Self Indulgence's early musical efforts.

The album is unapologetic in nature, which solidified Mindless Self Indulgence's reputation as one of the most innovative and boundary-pushing bands. Tighter remains a cult classic and a testament to the band's enduring influence.

Tighter is available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on translucent magenta coloured vinyl and includes 2 printed innersleeves.

Now Available In A Limited Edition Red Vinyl Pressing. Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin’s music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin’s recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7” singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia’s 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums – the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin’s uber-rare 7” single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Mot Aykerim gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7” single releases. Contains an oversized 11” x 11” 16 page book that tells the story of modern Ethiopian music and Mesfin’s role within it.

Bobby Caldwell's second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is one of his greatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. Featuring the eternal "Open Your Eyes", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor, it's been out of print for far too long. To finally release the hugely-anticipated reissue is one of our sincerely proudest moments.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

Right from the off, it's easy to tell that Cat In The Hat is a deeply special record. It's fantastically produced and incredibly well-rounded, carving its own lane with deep soul, warm jazz and a stunning vocal delivery that really helped Bobby reach out to some big new audiences at the time. Goosebumps at the ready for the rolling power-piano funk of "Coming Down From Love", opening up the album with a track as good as anything Steely Dan or The Doobies ever crafted, with a vocal performance from the heavens. Pumping AOR wonder "Wrong Or Right" is up there with the slick, classy rhythms of prime Ned Doheny whilst the cool, skipping soul of guitar-drenched "To Know What You've Got" is a funky ballad par excellence, with elemental traces of "What A Fool Believes". No bad thing. Closing out Side A, the folk-funk of "You Promised Me" is a bright, soulful strut with a wonderful vocal coda that just builds. Sensational.

The delicate bounce and falsetto self-harmonising of "It's Over" offers a truly delightful introduction to Side B, and serves as a great precursor to what follows. Bobby's dynamite "Open Your Eyes" is likely the reason you're all here. As if he needed it, the eternal J Dilla further immortalised Caldwell in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he "got word Brother Bobby loved it". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes of Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and staccato piano created a modern-soul classic. You'd think that would be hard to follow, wouldn't you? Not so, when you're Bobby Caldwell. Indeed, the horn-drenched stepper "Mother Of Creation" is absolutely ace, and, whisper it, possibly the album's finest track, all funky piano and guitars with horn lines to die for. Exquisite ballad "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love" rounds out the album beautifully.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of Cat In The Hat will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland.

Blue Dolphin was a wild, iridescent punk band from Austin, Texas circa 2016. Over the course of a year, they created a buzzing, liberatory sound, a dark blood mix of melodic ease and existential gloom. This pairing suggests monuments like ’Peace?’ or ‘Is This Real?’ but Blue Dolphin found this path all on their own, through trust and reliance, that practice space unity that the best bands build simply through the joy of playing with each other.

Emboldened by this connection, the band birthed memorably fractured, brisk music full of daring and revelation.

At times, the songs barrel along as if the band is struggling to keep their instruments under control, an unrestrainable, breathless frenzy of notes. Other times, they take on a pensive ache, a weighted despair. Every time they form a perfect skeleton for Sarah Sissy’s vocal shove. The songs will squall and sway, reach overload, rattle half to death, and yet the moment Sissy begins singing they snap into a focused beam, a bulldozing, clear-eyed force.

‘Robert’s Lafitte’ is a rush of darkness, resilience, mystery and bliss, exactly what you’d want from a record named after Texas’s oldest running gay bar, and a band maybe named after the indescribable freedom of ocean life or maybe named after a type of ecstasy.

The LP contains the entire recorded output of Blue Dolphin, including all three self-released tapes and four previously unheard songs.

Members of Blue Dolphin have played in other bands like C.C.T.V., Chalk, Mystic Inane, Chronophage and NOSFERATU.

For fans of Silver Abuse, Chalk, Twelve Cubic Feet, Chronophage, C.C.T.V., Mystic Inane.

Includes poster / insert.

BOTANICA is the newly established Japanese label created by DJ/ Producer, Iori Wakasa. It was formed for him to utilize it as a foundation for the realization of his own unique, artistic expression.
And now, he has the pleasure to announce his label’s inaugural title with the release of his own BOTANICA EP.

Born in 1988 in a rural Japanese city surrounded by mountains and the sea with a mild climate, Iori grew up playing RPGs with a father who was a devoted game aficionado. And he was introduced to electronic music through game music from an early age and formed his musical sensibilities through playing the classical piano around the same time.

Influenced by the spirituality and idiosyncrasies of punk rock and ethnic and indigenous music in his youth, also gradually influenced by the Tokyo club scene and the music, it didn't take him long before
he made the choice to start DJing at the age of 17 and soon afterwards, started exploring the path of music production as a form of self-expression.

Iori set up Botanica to convey 2 main concepts of 'presenting music that provides each listener with their own viewpoint' and ‘to construct a fusion between 'nature' and 'man-made objects and human
activity’. Through the experience of traveling around Japan, Europe and Asia and connecting with people of different languages and cultures, he became to appreciate that music transcends all languages and grooves, and the framework in which he would like to shape his perspective and embody it as his way of life is what he envisions as the vital expression for BOTANICA, The two tracks and the artwork included in this first EP are the first steps towards hopefully chronicling the story of the vortex that he resides in now and the new forest that he plans to weave in the future with his label.

'The Pure Land' means in Japanese 'Gokuraku-Jodo (= a space where you can live in bliss)', but in English it is closer to 'utopia' or 'paradise'. However, 'The Pure Land' is a musical work that evokes a
hypnotic and pleasant euphoria through the gradual layering of multiple rhythms and soft particles of spatial sound design. It is also shaped with the aim of liberating the listener and guiding them towards their primal self.

In contrast, 'Lunar Down' expresses the changes that occur in the human state of mind during the extended period from moonrise to moonset especially when the moon sets from its zenith and is completed with a focus on maximum dance floor impact via an inner voice that resonates in the brain that echoes throughout a well-textured bass line and rhythm track.

The artwork for the front cover of this EP was created by SHINOZAKI HILOSHI, an illustrator who has been traveling and painting to express his true way of life that he learnt in the 10+ years of commuting between Tokyo (the end) and the Hawaii Islands (the beginning), and the graphic designer hiro, who stands by Iori`s side as his life partner and as the person who understands him the best. Iori`s first steps are complemented by the label design and art direction by graphic designer hiro, who stands by his side as his life partner and most understanding partner, and the proof is the physical cut, which is presented as the foundation for the future.

Fake Yourself is an act of revolt as much as it is a celebration of life and an expression of human alienation. As usual in most of his work, soFa here reflects contrasts and contradictions as our existence so often does. It’s about sadness and joy, ups and downs and the fine line which connects them to tell a story. Fake Yourself comes as a spontaneous output of an artist escaping a scene of which the constant superficiality is unavoidable. Mistakes and wrong production with a strong DIY flavor are a conscious choice to not lose the spontaneous feeling which defines these recordings. A pure and direct self, exploring a realm of sound with sharp curiosity, emotion and humour. Where simplicity and complexity marry. This album is a good example on how some of the most authentic musical explorations are the most personal ones. soFa leaves all boundaries behind and let many of his influences confluence. Unconsciously or not, traces of IDM, Disco, New Beat, Dub and mostly Krautrock cross heavenly paths, followed by ironic and confronted vocals and his hypnotic signature basslines. Everything seems to make sense, to fill the chapters of an adventurous short novel. What makes Fake Yourself remarkable is not the deep blend of genres, but the definition of one man shaping and finding his authentic sound. Killing boundaries to create this journey in his very own "style-no-style". All tunes were improvised, recorded and arranged within 10 days in a wooden cabin, isolated in the middle of the nature in Alentejo/Portugal in 2022. This album was not meant to happen and one can strongly feel its spontaneous soul. No overdubs.

Toronto-based producer and DJ Ciel is renowned for a style of dancefloor material that’s as heady as it is visceral. The Xi’an-born artist’s ascendant profile has seen her cutting- edge and club-ready EPs released on UK labels Peach Discs and Coastal Haze, as well as Stateside imprints Spectral Sound and Mister Saturday Night.

As a member of the renowned collective Discwoman and the creator of femme-forward party Work in Progress Ciel’s thoughtful narratives are clear, running in parallel to the perception-altering sounds that are consistently woven deeply into her wide-ranging sets, beloved mixes and inventive collaborations. Now the Parallel Minds label co- founder is crystallising her imaginative and omnivorous sound with her !K7 Records debut, ORLANDO.

Written during her emergence from an uncharacteristic bout of writers’ block, the three original tracks of Orlando chart a return to the musical self, spurred along by a cinephile’s embrace of film, a love of classic literature, and a curiosity for the oddest corners of popular culture. “SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE” might share a name with the episodic series, but is rather a nuanced critique of the modern rite of union, moving through structured chapters, and mirroring the un-static nature of longtime love.Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s radical novel, and its superphysical protagonist, “ORLANDO” considers the cult literary figure who lived from the renaissance to the modern age, and embodies both sides of the sex binary.

The thrown sounds and aural illusions of “EL CALIFA” create the effect of a beckoning, beguiling psychedelic experience. To complete the EP, Ali Berger, Ciel’s recent collaborator on the Jacktone Records’ release Damn Skippy! repurposes the mind-bending flourishes of “El Califa” into a noodly and spacious deep house production, replete with pillowy, gauzy pads.

Despite her pride in what she had created with The National's Aaron Desner, her faith in music in this new, unforgiving reality had started to falter. She realised in this moment that the one thing she could lean into was her own talent and workethic, after all her greatest ambition had always been to self-produce an album, and this was the moment.

Helped by her partner Sean Sroka (Ten Kills The Pack), who co- produced and together crafted the vision and balance between organic and synthetic production. The process of writing new album
'I'd Be Lying if I Said I Didn't Care' was a journey of catharsis and self-confrontation. Sometimes it gave her anxiety, sometimes it gave her a song. This is Hannah's first record on Lucy Rose's Real Kind Records (Bess Atwell, Samantha Crain, Memorial).

SKULL & CROSSBONES haben sich voll und ganz dem traditionellen Heavy Metal verschrieben.
Die 4 ehemaligen Stormwitch-Mitglieder Volker Schmietow, Tobi Kipp, Jürgen "Wanschi" Wannenwetsch und Marc Oppold werden durch ihren Sänger Tobi Hübner komplettiert und machen da weiter, wo sie aufgehört haben.
Mächtige Riffs und schöne Melodien treffen auf klare Vocals und mächtig eingängige Refrains.
Es werden Geschichten erzählt, die sowohl fiktional als auch nah am realen Leben sind.
So sollte moderner, aber dennoch bewährter Heavy Metal klingen - mit kraftvollem Sound, eingängig und mit hohem Wiedererkennungswert.

Despite the name, the band does not perform exclusively in trio formation, but expands the lineup with illustrious guests of the jazz genre. In the past AMC Trio has collaborated with Philip Catherine, Bill Evans, Ulf Wakenius, Mark Whitfield, Michael Patches Stewart and many others, including the guest on 'Following the Light' Randy Brecker.

The AMC Trio band has been around for about twenty years and consists of pianist Peter Adamkovic, bassist Martin Marincak and drummer Stanislav Cvanciger. It has its musical foundations in mainstream jazz but over the years has managed to develop its very own musical sound and style. The band incorporates many self-experienced stories and emotions in their compositions.

Although their music is influenced by Slovak music, it goes beyond the usual jazz progressions and touches on a number of diverse genres. For example, the wide range of melodies is inspired by popular and classical music, melodies from Eastern Slovak folk music, nature, literature and spirituality.

For BiD006 we're very pleased to announce that renowned Artist Matt Sewell has agreed to release his fledgling audio project, Sewell & The Gong on the label.

4 guitar led mystical meanderings and deep meditations of cosmic transcendental psychedelic folk.
Matt's acoustic guitar has been a fixture of his studio for many years, although nobody would ever of known as he kept it pretty much to himself.
Over the years he developed a self taught, repetitive, finger picked style in hushed tones to not bother anybody. Just a quiet little part of his studio practise, calming looping melodies.

Like his art, his music is very much inspired by nature, earth magic and cosmic wanderings. His 'A Crushing Glow' compilations are pretty much a defining list of inspirations.
Never heard by anybody outside of the family home that all changed after Matt started working with Newcastle based multi-instrumentalist, fellow pathfinder and astral traveler Chris Tate.
Combining forces Chris helped build a beautiful world for Matt's melodies to wander in, deep and lush and always, always positive.

In Rumi's poem A Great Wagon he writes of a place of total acceptance. "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there," It is a boundless, liminal space where we can release the judgments we make and carry of ourselves, and the comparisons to others. When we think of this field, there is a sense of tranquility that only comes when we are undisturbed by the shadow self and see existence as neither bright nor dim, white nor black. But as lead singer Greg Bertens explains, arriving there is a whole different story. "This is a poem I've returned to over the years, and I love the idea of this place, but getting there is life's journey." Bertens adds "I think the longing for and elusiveness of this field is a recurring theme in our music." Field is enveloped by themes of regret, disconnection and frustration but with the space to understand that these feelings are a natural part of the struggle between reconciling the inner and outer self. The Los Angeles/San Francisco-based group have been indie shoegaze stalwarts since their formation in 2001. After two decades and a handful of line-up changes, their extensive discography presents a dynamically textural, lush psychedelic rock that has featured guest appearances by members of Pavement, My Bloody Valentine, and Snow Patrol, among others. 2021's LP We Weren't Here was hailed for its dense instrumental blanket, where unrelenting hi-hats and heavy kicks exist alongside dreamy drone guitar. This propulsive nature permeates Field, as members Bertens, Noël Brydebell (vocals), Nyles Lannon (guitar), Jason Ruck (synths), Justin LaBo (bass), and Adam Wade (drums) produce a kaleidoscopic sonic landscape. Patient, sprawling instrumentation builds a foundation in which Bertens' themes of endurance, perseverance and clarity can bloom with a considered poise. As a lyricist who writes in response to the instrumental arrangements, rather than a focus on a specific theme or person, Field is a testament to Film School's ability to create in the moment, and to showcase the magic that stems from when we are truly present. Album opener "Tape Rewind" is a swirling rush of color, as sustained guitars, darkened bass lines and urgent, percussive swells dance alongside each other. "This is the newest of all the songs on the record and feels like a new level of heaviness for the band," Bertens explains, noting that its lyrical context of struggling to move past trauma adds to its cathartic essence. Field is bookended by heavier themes, with closer "All I'll Ever Be" taking on the perspective of those we hurt when we embrace our own toxic behaviors. Originally written to be a simple acoustic guitar and vocals song soon turned into an ethereal, effects-laden composition, with Noël's hazy lead vocals ushering in a new-found acceptance. "It's all I want / To be released / And all I can be," she laments, cementing Field's message of accepting ourselves in whatever form we find ourselves in. "Defending Ruins" is a murky relentless underworld, inspired by the freewheeling tones of Texas-based band Holy Wave. "Defending the ruins, defending remains," Bertens spits, among a richly-layered outro. "Don't You Ever" confirms Film School's ability to merge both delicate and growling instrumentation throughout the album, with the song's softly spoken section hovering above sparkling guitar. "Is This A Hotel" bends towards the electronic aspects of the band, with wailing synths accompanying a story of bitter desire. With over two decades in the industry, Field cements Film School as a distinct, dominant force in the shoegaze scene. Soaked in an emotionally open, imaginative atmosphere, the album is both singular and expansive, and leaves the door open for a constantly evolving interpretation. Film School have never confined themselves to the rigidity of specifics, and it's on Field that they urge us to look beyond the binary of certainty, and to take a second look

Re-mastered by Kramer in 2022. Recommend If You Like: Raymond Scott, Mort Garson, Joe Meek, Robert Moog, Perrey and Kingsley, John Cage, Brian Eno, Sun Ra, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Hawkwind, Pete Seeger, William Shanter, Fred Rogers. An electro-surrealist musical journey from the mind of Bruce Haack "The Captain" - capturing his inventive genius musically in tandem with tapping into the voice of his inner child, innovative story songs inspired by Bruce Haack's diverse musical interests and a love of Science and explorations of the Natural World, songs to excite the imaginations of listeners, both young and old. Ahead of his time and beyond categorization- Haack continued to create trying to find new platforms in order to promote his electronic music. He scored many commercials during the 1960s and promoted electronic music on TV, even demonstrating his inventions on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in 1968. He self-released his first children's music album later that year. Haack constantly added new genres and inspirations to his compositions and was greatly influenced by the psychedelic rock of the era. He constantly created new work that reflected not only his varied interests, but his shifting musical horizons. He created multiple youth oriented albums, dipping into science fiction, psychedelia and electronica, using traditional song structures in order to capture children's attention to educate them, while wrapped in one of his many personas. Bruce Haack wanted people to know him through his medium: music. He dedicated his life to exploring, inventing and sharing his eclectic brand of humor and many musical points of view. In failing health, he never stopped pursuing his distinctive musical dreams.

2023 Repress Blue Vinyl

- Eagerly anticipated follow up to 2014 debut - number 7 in Mojo's best albums of the year.
- LP jacket is gloss laminate with front & back folds on the outside.The back panel is uncoated/matt varnish - 300 gsm card and 180g vinyl. Digital Download included.
- EU tour coming in April with Summer festivals later in 2017.

Sometimes it can take years to find your calling. Not so, for wanderer Julie Byrne, whose power of lyrical expression and melodic nous seems inborn. But often, what comes naturally demonstrates against speed. Julie's second album Not Even Happiness has taken time to evolve, but as it spans recollections of bustling roadside diners, the stars over the high desert, the aching weariness of change, the wildflowers on the coast of California and the irresolvable mysteries of love. Her new album archives a vivid world that would've otherwise been lost to the road and in doing so, Byrne exhibits her extraordinarily innate musicality.

In fact, some of the album's songs took two years of fine tuning to get where they needed to be. And if you were to ask her why the follow up to 2014's Rooms With Walls And Windows has taken so long, you'd only be greeted with a bemused smile as though it's the strangest question she's ever been asked, Writing comes from a natural process of change and growth. It took me up to this point to have the capacity to express my experience of the time in my life that these songs came from.'

Having counted Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Northampton, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Seattle, New Orleans as her home in recent years. For now, Julie has settled in New York City where she moonlights as a seasonal urban park ranger in Manhattan. Whether witnessing the Pacific Northwest for the first time ('Melting Grid'), the morning sky in Colorado after staying up through the night at a house party in the mountains of Boulder ('Natural Blue'), recording the passage of freight trains on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York ('Interlude'), or a journey fragrant with rose water, reading Frank O'Hara aloud from the passengers seat during a drive through the desert of Utah into the rainforest of Washington State ('All The Land Glimmered Beneath'), Not Even Happiness is Julie's beguilingly ode to the fringes of life.

Self-taught on the guitar after picking it up when her father became ill and could no longer play the instrument himself, Julie readily admits she can't read music and doesn't even listen to it all that much - the first vinyl she owned was indeed, her own. Recorded with producer Eric Littmann (Phantom Posse), Julie laid down the new album in her childhood home in western New York state and offers an altogether bigger picture to its predecessor through a wider, yet subtle, exploration of instruments and atmospherics, Not Even Happiness reveals an artist who has grown in confidence over time.

Byrne's debut album was released back in January 2014 on Chicago based DIY label Orindal after initially being as two separate cassettes releases. Rooms With Walls and Windows went onto become a true modern-day word of mouth success story (it would have to be for an artist who shuns all forms of social media) and ended the year being voted number 7 in Mojo magazine's best albums of the year, with the Huffington Post calling it "2014's Great American Album". A collection of hushed intimate front porch psych-folk songs, that unknowingly recalled the greats, but felt very much for our time. It saw her travel to Europe over two summers playing the Green Man festival and End Of The Road, as well as lesser trodden tour paths around Europe.

Julie Byrne will take the songs from Not Even Happiness (the first release on a new record label Basin Rock, based in the Lancashire / Yorkshire border town of Todmorden) on the road throughout 2017.

Matching expansive ambience with environmental sound, Chihei Hatakeyama’s new album continues Field Records’ exploration of Japan and the Netherland’s shared approach to water management. As with Sugai Ken’s 2020 album Tone River, a specific project becomes Hatakeyama’s area of focus - in this case the Hachirōgata Lake in Akita Prefecture.

Previously the second largest body of water in Japan, the government ordered extensive drainage work of Hachirōgata Lake after the second world war with the help of Dutch engineers Pieter Jansen and Adriaan Volker. After the project was completed in 1977, reclaimed land took up eighty percent of Hachirōgata Lake’s total size. As a result, a new ecosystem was established as plants spread from surrounding areas, bringing with them a wider variety of birds and other wildlife.

Hatakeyama’s approach to this unique subject matter took in field recordings from particular locations around the lake - the drainage channels, the Ogata bridge, grassland conservation reserves and other key areas. The aquatic subject matter and sonic material is a natural fit for Hatakeyama’s accomplished sound, which has featured on numerous solo works for labels including Kranky, Room40 and his self-run White Paddy Mountain.

From the intimate intricacies of the sampled material to the glacial expanses of droning synthesis and languid guitar, Hatakeyama creates a tangible environment which at once reflects the settings around Hachirōgata Lake, while offering the listener any number of imagined scenes to observe in their mind’s eye.

The story of Existence dates back to 2016 when a group of young Stockholm hardcore heads wanted to get into some good old Cro-Mags worship. After some changes in personnel, the current line-up of deranged idiots has been paving the way for a violent future since early 2017. They currently share members with several other bands, including Blood Sermon and Speedway and are all active in the local DIY community in different ways, for example running Alive and Well Fest. With an EP under their belt in 2018, several tours across Europe and beyond, as well as appearances on such stages as Outbreak, the sound began to evolve leading up to the masterpiece that is the debut LP, ‘Go to Heaven’. Clocking in at nearly 40 minutes we don't think anyone can truly be prepared for this insanely epic body of work. From Slayer, to Merauder, to H8000, to Arkangel to Integrity, this is a masterclass in metallic hardcore songwriting by the strong beating heart of Stockholm HC. Songs that take you on a journey from a classic metallic breakdown riff to acoustic guitar sections to sword samples needed a hand that was not afraid of the complexity, leading to Jonah Falco of Fucked Up on mixing duties giving this the depth that it deserved. At times introspective, and at other times classic brute force, the themes of the lyrics are well summed up with the painted artwork by Nora Löwenberg of a face behind shattered glass, exploring the multifaceted nature of humanity and the ever changing place of the self in today’s global world. So if this all sounds like your kind of hardcore, then listening to this LP will truly be… heaven.