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Red Laser gets on a kinky tip, where poppers are currency and salacious activities mandatory as label chief Il Bosco grabs us by the nethers and heads for 'The Darkroom EP'.

Inspired by amyl-soaked tales of Euro basement sex club debauchery, and steadily edging its way to a never-ending climax, the EP is a highly charged exercise in x-rated synth-jizz and erotic Manctalo that'll have you quickly believing you're surrounded by massive pulsating dicks on a cocktail of GHB and Mkat.
Maintaining a persistent throb throughout, the EP has us reaching blindly through clouds of pink saturated club smoke, unsure of what our sweat-soaked hands will grasp on to.

Two remixes alongside three originals. Fabrizio Mammarella has the blood rushing to our head quicker than a whiff of Rush Black Label* on his mix of 'Notio Botherdini'. Adding extra acid for a trippier sexperience and urging willing participants to "close your eyes" as he achieves maximum thrust.

Meanwhile local Stretford poppers enthusiast** Bob Swans also has a fumble in the shadows, remixing 'Dark Room' with late late late on in the session in mind - a time of carnal lucidity and primal urges that'd make even Michael Barrymore's peculiar desires look vanilla. It's a sparse and special redux, fluffing us with that latexy bassline and never-ended sfx trails until we're quite literally cumming in your ears.
Apologies, that probably was a bit graphic.

*Poppers brand highly endorsed by Red Laser contributor Count Van Delicious

**Red Laser only hypothesizes to said producer’s poppers usage.

Grover Washington Jr, Hydra. This jazz classic finds its first time on 45. Released in 1975 with arrangement and keys by Bob James it’s no surprise to hear an infectious head nod groove under
GWJ’s sublime sax licks. The drums have been sampled over 100 times from ATCQ to Biggie, but
most will recognise the bass hook obviously sampled by Black Moon
for their underground hip hop classic “How Many MC’s”.
Seals & Crofts, Sweet Green Fields. Never before on 45, the Californian soft rock duos’
album cut can easily slip by most diggers. The familiar staccato bassline will have your neck snapping, while a proggy folky riff floats over head. A slightly extended DJ friendly intro showcases the
bass and drum hook sampled for Busta Rhymes’ 1997 hit “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could
See”.

Next up on Feral Child, sees not only a second ever release from New Zealand based VOR-STELLEN but a teaming up with one of label head dom’s favourite ever labels, the mighty Flying Nun. Despite some patchy European distribution the first VS release “Parallelograms”, was a constant player at FC HQ; 4 superb tracks of super laid back, kraut flavoured slow burners, (lead track “Voyager” especially, comes hugely recommended with its accompanying film clip), so when the band OK’d a second release for Feral Child, we were stoked. Vor-stellen is the experimental project of Brendan Moran, which blends fixated guitars and drums with ad-hoc electronic layers producing perforated waves of sustain which echoes off the fourth wall. Brendan has released work previously as part of avoid!avoid (their album “Particle and Wave” was released by Flying Nun in 2016) and The Subliminals, of which Flying Nun re-released -in 2021- a vinyl edition of their highly acclaimed album “United State”. With Vor-stellen he picks up where those other projects have left off as a foray into 'kraut' inspired compositions “which seek to transform pre-determined ideas of music into open-ended sound objects, untethered from any sense of conventional outcomes”. On this, second VS record, he teams up with his Subliminal buddies once again to continue on an exploration, “folding the weird and the eerie into a dark ecology of long-sound via indefatigable environments of modulation and improvisation, creating sonic counterpoints that hinge on a reanimation of musical gestures”. The record features two side long slow builders and are released in a beautiful Brendan Moran designed sleeve.

** 2LP BLACK VINYL / 2LP COLOUR IN COLOUR MAILORDER EDITION** In collaboration with composer Amos Roddy and developer Gareth Damian Martin (Jump Over The Age), Stumpy Frog Records has pressed the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed and BAFTA-nominated Citizen Sleeper to 2LP vinyl. Wake up, Sleeper. Studio Jump Over The Age invites you into a world unlike anything you’ve experienced. In Citizen Sleeper, you inhabit a digitized human consciousness in an artificial body, owned by a corporation that wants you back. Inspired by the vast options of tabletop role playing games, developer Gareth Damian Martin set out to create an entirely new world for you to inhabit. Live a life through a game of chance and strategy. Build friendships and discover the stories of spacestation Erlin’s Eye. Gareth Damian Martin’s world isn’t just created through visuals and dialogue. Composer Amos Roddy (In Other Waters, Cloud Gardens, The Wild At Heart) imbues the world of Citizen Sleeper, and its inhabitants, with the sounds of mystery and melancholy, darkness and glimmers of light in the frontiers of the future.

** 2LP BLACK VINYL / 2LP COLOUR IN COLOUR MAILORDER EDITION** In collaboration with composer Amos Roddy and developer Gareth Damian Martin (Jump Over The Age), Stumpy Frog Records has pressed the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed and BAFTA-nominated Citizen Sleeper to 2LP vinyl. Wake up, Sleeper. Studio Jump Over The Age invites you into a world unlike anything you’ve experienced. In Citizen Sleeper, you inhabit a digitized human consciousness in an artificial body, owned by a corporation that wants you back. Inspired by the vast options of tabletop role playing games, developer Gareth Damian Martin set out to create an entirely new world for you to inhabit. Live a life through a game of chance and strategy. Build friendships and discover the stories of spacestation Erlin’s Eye. Gareth Damian Martin’s world isn’t just created through visuals and dialogue. Composer Amos Roddy (In Other Waters, Cloud Gardens, The Wild At Heart) imbues the world of Citizen Sleeper, and its inhabitants, with the sounds of mystery and melancholy, darkness and glimmers of light in the frontiers of the future.

Diving deeper into the story of Japanese reggae pop, Tokyo Riddim Vol. 2 explores an electronic, new wave and often experimental sound unlike anything Japan or Jamaica had ever heard before.

The first time Ryuichi Sakamoto left Japan, he did not go to the United States or Europe - he went to Jamaica. It was 1978, YMO were about to release their debut album, but Sakamoto was in Kingston, invited to play synths for Japanese idol singer Teresa Noda at Dynamic Sound Studios in a band alongside Neville Hinds and none other than Rita Marley. It’s not a story many know, but one which would spark Sakamoto’s fascination with dub and mark a new chapter in the ongoing Japanese love affair with reggae.

The Teresa Noda tracks they cut - ‘Tropical Love’ and ‘Yellow Moon’ - bookend this second volume of Time Capsule’s Tokyo Riddim compilation, which tells the wider story of how a fascination with Jamrock swept Japan, adding a dash of lime to that sweet city pop sound, embracing a globalised musical palette and creating a whole new genre in the process.

For some, like Sakamoto, a diversion into reggae was part of broader fascination with new sounds and styles, tipped into the global disco of homage and appropriation that made Japanese music of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s some of the most creative and undefinable in the world.

You had iconic shape-shifter Yosui Inoue, who toyed with reggae, afro-beat and electro-Balearic, (and whose For Life Records released several tracks on this comp), and Kay Ishiguro, who enlisted J-reggae originator Pecker on the ambitious Stevie Wonder-esque ‘Red Drip’.

Then there were the Compass Point devotees - producers and musicians alike who were enthralled by the sound of the Bahamas studio and drew on the detached cool of Grace Jones - as heard in the music of Juicy Fruits, and the disco noir of Casablanca-signed femme fatale Yuki Nakayamate. Sometimes, as was the case with Risa Minami, the J-reggae influence said more about Japan than it did about Jamaica.

But where Tokyo Riddim Vol. 1 focused on the city pop sound, this compilation goes further, digging out the more experimental collaborations and hybrids exemplified by Tomoko Aran, who in working with Yusuaki Shimizu and Mariah emphasised just how far reggae had travelled to be recast into something entirely new on the other side of the world.

Perhaps more than anything, in connecting the dots between Tokyo and Kingston, between Jamaica and Japan, the Japanese reggae was building a musical language that existed outside of the paradigms of US and European cultural hegemony - an encounter shaped by commerce, capital and creativity that is now being recognised more broadly for the first time.

15 stunning group soul tracks (including 3 previously unreleased tracks never before issued in any format.

Sussex recordings licensed courtesy of 43 North Broadway LLC
York & Unreleased recordings licensed courtesy of Fred White and The Decisions
Sleeve Notes edited by Alan Kitchener (Soul Direction)
Sleeve & Label design by Jordan Wilson
Inner sleeve notes by Brian Poust
Mastering by Swift Mastering Ltd

REMASTERED AND REISSUED!!! GIRL TALK’s (aka GREGG GILLIS) third album on Illegal Art! Night Ripper is focused less on beat-fuckery and more on bringing heat to the party than previous outings. Hip hop hits, soft rock radio standards, party classics, grunge masterpieces, R&B singles, glossy club-shakers and rock anthems are all layered and placed together into one nonstop celebration of pop and excess. Night Ripper was awarded “Best New Music” by Pitchfork, and has made many proclaim Girl Talk the next Danger Mouse. “One endlessly entertaining mega mash-up”—Rolling Stone.

She's In Parties ist ein englisches Quartett aus Colchester (benannt nach dem kultigen Bauhaus-Track), dessen eigenwillige Mischung aus Shoegaze und Dream-Pop ihr relativ junges Alter verrät. Die neue EP "Puppet Show" ist ihr bisher politischstes und lyrisch reifstes Statement. Es behandelt die Sorgen nach dem Erwachsenwerden und die existentielle Erkenntnis über die Probleme dieser Welt, von den sozialen Medien bis zu Kriegen und der persönlichen Angst, all dem hilflos ausgeliefert zu sein.

- "Colchester’s new answer to hazy shoegaze heroes Cocteau Twins." – NME

- "Melding shoegaze-y pop and dazzling indie licks, their wall of sound is simply irresistible." - DORK

- "All dreamy, reverbed atmospherics and interlocking textures... A real find." - Sunday Times Culture

Apricotfarbenes Vinyl. Manchmal kommen sie zurück, wenn man es am wenigsten erwartet. Jeder, der sich in den letzten zehn Jahren für Rockmusik interessiert hat, wird mit David Jakes und Jack Wrench vertraut sein. Jakes war der grüblerische, intensive Sänger von Lonely The Brave, ein vielschichtiger Charakter, der mit einer einmaligen Stimme gesegnet ist. Und Wrench war der explosive Schlagzeuger bei Arcane Roots, ein Mann, der gleichermaßen in der Komplexität des Math-Rocks und der schieren Rock-Power zu Hause ist. Als Jakes Lonely The Brave 2018 aus psychischen Gründen verließ und Arcane Roots sich später im selben Jahr trennten, sah ihre musikalische Zukunft, gelinde gesagt, ungewiss aus. Sicherlich hätten nur wenige erwartet, Jakes, einen Mann, der sich im Rampenlicht nicht wohlfühlt und immer nach Frontmännern Ausschau hält, wieder auf der Bühne zu sehen. Aber hier und jetzt, im Jahr 2024, haben sich diese beiden Ausnahmetalente zu Interlaker zusammengeschlossen, die vielleicht die sensationelle Rockband sind, auf die man gewartet hat, seit sie sich von ihren früheren Projekten getrennt haben. Jakes und Wrench - die sich nur vage aus ihren früheren Bands kannten - haben ihre neue Partnerschaft über Instagram angebahnt; sie tauschten beiläufige Nachrichten aus, entdeckten ihre gemeinsame Liebe zu REM und Pearl Jam, bevor sie dazu übergingen, Demos und Songideen auszutauschen und schließlich ihr brillantes Debütalbum komplett online zu schreiben und aufzunehmen. Gegen Ende des Prozesses trafen sie sich einmal persönlich, sagt Jakes, nur um "sicherzugehen, dass wir gut miteinander auskamen und alles gut war - sonst wäre es peinlich geworden!"

Step right up, ⁢dear music aficionados! Welcome to the melodic adventure of Penny’s Big Breakaway, the long-awaited kinetic 3D-platformer developed by Evening Star and published by Private Division (Take-Two Interactive).

The composer team behind‌ Sonic Mania, led by Tee Lopes, present a new masterpiece, crafted ‌with love and finesse. This colorful soundtrack features various vibes, from funk to rock with even house and EDM accents. So sit ⁣back, and let the‍ groovy waves wash over you.

Seit der Veröffentlichung ihres Debütalbums St. Jude im Jahr 2008 haben sich Courteeners zu einer der beliebtesten Bands Großbritanniens
entwickelt und eine riesige Community um ihre ausverkauften Shows aufgebaut, die sie landesweit immer wieder vor ausverkauften Häusern und
Plätzen spielen lässt.
Pink Cactus Café ist Courteeners' 7. Studioalbum und ihre erste neue Musik seit More. Again. Forever. im Jahr 2020, das von den Kritikern begeistert
aufgenommen wurde.
In ihrer 16-jährigen Karriere hatte die Band beständigen kommerziellen Erfolg und erhielt in UK Auszeichnungen in Platin (x1), Gold (x3) und Silber
(x2) für ihre Alben. Zuletzt erreichte eine Neuauflage des Debütalbums St. Jude im Jahr 2023, fünfzehn Jahre nach der ursprünglichen
Veröffentlichung, Platz 1 der britischen Albumcharts, und Anfang dieses Jahres gewannen Courteeners bei den Nordoff Robins Northern Music
Awards die Auszeichnung Band des Jahres.

Als Gaerea aus dem pandemischen Limbo auftauchten, brachte die maskierte Band eine Vision von Black Metal auf die Bühne, die sich nicht von Mythen oder heidnischem Glauben leiten ließ - sondern von einer Läuterung der Gefühle. Die Welt nahm diese Vision schnell an und folgte ihnen auf Festivals, u.a. Hellfest, bis hin zu gut besuchten Touren durch China und die USA.

Mit "Coma" sind Gaerea nicht mehr nur Black Metal. Obwohl ihr viertes Album wieder von ihrem Vertrauten Miguel Tereso produziert wurde, erweitert es ihren charakteristischen Sound, indem es ihn in zwei scheinbar entgegengesetzte Richtungen führt. Es gibt mehr Momente von intensiver Schönheit, aber sie verstärken nur die darauf folgende Brutalität.
"World Ablaze" läutet diese neue Ära von Gearea ein, indem es eine konventionellere Songstruktur über feurigem Tremolo-Picking aufbaut. "Hope Shatters" stellt selbst die höchsten Fan-Erwartungen auf den Kopf: nachdem der Song unter seiner rasenden Schwere zusammenbricht, hängt die Melodie gefährlich in der Luft, wie ein schwankender Kronleuchter, bevor sie von hämmernden Bässen und erschütternden Blastbeats zertrümmert wird.

"I've known faces within me", schreit der Sänger nach einem langsamen und düsteren Gitarrensolo, bevor "Unknown" in eine messerscharfe Hook einrastet. “I transform with every passing moment”.

Mit "Coma" setzen sich Gaerea endgültig an die Spitze des extremen Metal!

FFO: Orbit Culture, Zeal & Ardor, Bad Omens

Als Gaerea aus dem pandemischen Limbo auftauchten, brachte die maskierte Band eine Vision von Black Metal auf die Bühne, die sich nicht von Mythen oder heidnischem Glauben leiten ließ - sondern von einer Läuterung der Gefühle. Die Welt nahm diese Vision schnell an und folgte ihnen auf Festivals, u.a. Hellfest, bis hin zu gut besuchten Touren durch China und die USA.

Mit "Coma" sind Gaerea nicht mehr nur Black Metal. Obwohl ihr viertes Album wieder von ihrem Vertrauten Miguel Tereso produziert wurde, erweitert es ihren charakteristischen Sound, indem es ihn in zwei scheinbar entgegengesetzte Richtungen führt. Es gibt mehr Momente von intensiver Schönheit, aber sie verstärken nur die darauf folgende Brutalität.
"World Ablaze" läutet diese neue Ära von Gearea ein, indem es eine konventionellere Songstruktur über feurigem Tremolo-Picking aufbaut. "Hope Shatters" stellt selbst die höchsten Fan-Erwartungen auf den Kopf: nachdem der Song unter seiner rasenden Schwere zusammenbricht, hängt die Melodie gefährlich in der Luft, wie ein schwankender Kronleuchter, bevor sie von hämmernden Bässen und erschütternden Blastbeats zertrümmert wird.

"I've known faces within me", schreit der Sänger nach einem langsamen und düsteren Gitarrensolo, bevor "Unknown" in eine messerscharfe Hook einrastet. “I transform with every passing moment”.

Mit "Coma" setzen sich Gaerea endgültig an die Spitze des extremen Metal!

FFO: Orbit Culture, Zeal & Ardor, Bad Omens

Als Gaerea aus dem pandemischen Limbo auftauchten, brachte die maskierte Band eine Vision von Black Metal auf die Bühne, die sich nicht von Mythen oder heidnischem Glauben leiten ließ - sondern von einer Läuterung der Gefühle. Die Welt nahm diese Vision schnell an und folgte ihnen auf Festivals, u.a. Hellfest, bis hin zu gut besuchten Touren durch China und die USA.

Mit "Coma" sind Gaerea nicht mehr nur Black Metal. Obwohl ihr viertes Album wieder von ihrem Vertrauten Miguel Tereso produziert wurde, erweitert es ihren charakteristischen Sound, indem es ihn in zwei scheinbar entgegengesetzte Richtungen führt. Es gibt mehr Momente von intensiver Schönheit, aber sie verstärken nur die darauf folgende Brutalität.
"World Ablaze" läutet diese neue Ära von Gearea ein, indem es eine konventionellere Songstruktur über feurigem Tremolo-Picking aufbaut. "Hope Shatters" stellt selbst die höchsten Fan-Erwartungen auf den Kopf: nachdem der Song unter seiner rasenden Schwere zusammenbricht, hängt die Melodie gefährlich in der Luft, wie ein schwankender Kronleuchter, bevor sie von hämmernden Bässen und erschütternden Blastbeats zertrümmert wird.

"I've known faces within me", schreit der Sänger nach einem langsamen und düsteren Gitarrensolo, bevor "Unknown" in eine messerscharfe Hook einrastet. “I transform with every passing moment”.

Mit "Coma" setzen sich Gaerea endgültig an die Spitze des extremen Metal!

FFO: Orbit Culture, Zeal & Ardor, Bad Omens

„Cherry Blossom Baby“, Shigetos erstes Album seit 2017, entspringt einem kollektiven Tauwetter, ist ehrgeizig, kollaborativ und vollendet. Der in Detroit lebende, japanisch-amerikanische Musiker, DJ, Mitbegründer des Portage Garage Sounds-Labels und langjährige Ghostly International-Künstler übernimmt die Rolle des Produzenten und Komponisten. Der kühne und absichtsvoll kultivierte Sound ist eine Hommage an die Traditionen von Electronic Music, Jazz, R&B und Hip-Hop - eine Fusion, die zu seinem Markenzeichen geworden ist und heute lebendiger denn je. Zach Saginaw und eine Gruppe von Gästen und Musikern präsentieren eine Momentaufnahme, eine Feier der Selbstliebe und einen Ausdruck von Vitalität, der eindeutig in Detroit verwurzelt und von der kulturellen Geschichte seiner Familie geprägt ist. Für „Cherry Blossom Baby“ ließ sich Saginaw von den Kirschbäumen inspirieren lässt, die jeden Frühling in Hiroshima blühen - ein bleibendes Bild für Hoffnung, Widerstandsfähigkeit und Erneuerung. „Ich bin ein Kirschblütenbaby“, sagt er. „Wir alle sind Kirschblütenbabys, wir alle sind unverwüstlich, wir alle wachsen, und wir alle werden es auch weiterhin tun.“ Saginaw war auf der Suche, eine schwelende Selbstbeobachtung, die in den letzten Jahren zum Vorschein kam, als das Nachtleben pausierte und er begann, die Idee von Shigeto, dem Performer und der festen Größe in Michigan, zu hinterfragen. „Meine Identität ist etwas, mit dem ich schon immer zu kämpfen hatte: Ich werde weder als Japaner noch als Weißer angesehen. Ich glaube, Shigeto war für mich eine Möglichkeit, diese Identität zu haben, mir eine zu schaffen, an der ich mich festhalten konnte, und plötzlich gab es sie nicht mehr.“ Diese Erkenntnis veranlasste ihn, an sich selbst zu arbeiten, zu seinem Handwerk und seiner Gemeinschaft zurückzukehren, und legte damit den Grundstein für ein Album, das sich aus der Asche im übertragenen Sinne neu erhebt. Das bekräftigte Selbstbewusstsein, der Schwung und die Reifung zeigen sich darin, dass Saginaw sich hier als Songwriter und Produzent positioniert, der Ideen mit den besten Musikern Detroits arrangiert, eine physische Manifestation seiner WDET 101.9FM Radio-Show, die „zukunftsweisende Musik aus der Detroiter Diaspora“ hervorhebt. Jeder Track ist eine Kollaboration, sei es mit einem Sänger oder mehreren Instrumentalisten, die in seinen Portage Garage Studio Sessions geschmiedet wurde. Die Produktion und der Mix sind voll und zurückhaltend und verzichten auf moderne Kompression zugunsten einer geräumigeren Dynamik - eine Anspielung auf Psych- und Jazz-Platten aus den 70er und 80er Jahren.

„Cherry Blossom Baby“, Shigetos erstes Album seit 2017, entspringt einem kollektiven Tauwetter, ist ehrgeizig, kollaborativ und vollendet. Der in Detroit lebende, japanisch-amerikanische Musiker, DJ, Mitbegründer des Portage Garage Sounds-Labels und langjährige Ghostly International-Künstler übernimmt die Rolle des Produzenten und Komponisten. Der kühne und absichtsvoll kultivierte Sound ist eine Hommage an die Traditionen von Electronic Music, Jazz, R&B und Hip-Hop - eine Fusion, die zu seinem Markenzeichen geworden ist und heute lebendiger denn je. Zach Saginaw und eine Gruppe von Gästen und Musikern präsentieren eine Momentaufnahme, eine Feier der Selbstliebe und einen Ausdruck von Vitalität, der eindeutig in Detroit verwurzelt und von der kulturellen Geschichte seiner Familie geprägt ist. Für „Cherry Blossom Baby“ ließ sich Saginaw von den Kirschbäumen inspirieren lässt, die jeden Frühling in Hiroshima blühen - ein bleibendes Bild für Hoffnung, Widerstandsfähigkeit und Erneuerung. „Ich bin ein Kirschblütenbaby“, sagt er. „Wir alle sind Kirschblütenbabys, wir alle sind unverwüstlich, wir alle wachsen, und wir alle werden es auch weiterhin tun.“ Saginaw war auf der Suche, eine schwelende Selbstbeobachtung, die in den letzten Jahren zum Vorschein kam, als das Nachtleben pausierte und er begann, die Idee von Shigeto, dem Performer und der festen Größe in Michigan, zu hinterfragen. „Meine Identität ist etwas, mit dem ich schon immer zu kämpfen hatte: Ich werde weder als Japaner noch als Weißer angesehen. Ich glaube, Shigeto war für mich eine Möglichkeit, diese Identität zu haben, mir eine zu schaffen, an der ich mich festhalten konnte, und plötzlich gab es sie nicht mehr.“ Diese Erkenntnis veranlasste ihn, an sich selbst zu arbeiten, zu seinem Handwerk und seiner Gemeinschaft zurückzukehren, und legte damit den Grundstein für ein Album, das sich aus der Asche im übertragenen Sinne neu erhebt. Das bekräftigte Selbstbewusstsein, der Schwung und die Reifung zeigen sich darin, dass Saginaw sich hier als Songwriter und Produzent positioniert, der Ideen mit den besten Musikern Detroits arrangiert, eine physische Manifestation seiner WDET 101.9FM Radio-Show, die „zukunftsweisende Musik aus der Detroiter Diaspora“ hervorhebt. Jeder Track ist eine Kollaboration, sei es mit einem Sänger oder mehreren Instrumentalisten, die in seinen Portage Garage Studio Sessions geschmiedet wurde. Die Produktion und der Mix sind voll und zurückhaltend und verzichten auf moderne Kompression zugunsten einer geräumigeren Dynamik - eine Anspielung auf Psych- und Jazz-Platten aus den 70er und 80er Jahren.

Big Dada verkündigt mit Stolz eine Vinyl-Neupressung des legendären Album Klassikers ‘Brand New Second Hand’ von Rodney Hilton Smith aka Roots Manuva zu seinem 25. Jubiläum auf halbdurchsichtigem Doppelvinyl inklusive Roots Manuva Photo-Druck und Downloadcode welcher neben dem Album auch die beiden Bonus Track “Skiver's Guide”(1999) & “Feel Da Panic” (1998) beinhaltet.

Katie Gavin's debut What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a north star for Gavin's own trek towards self-discovery. "This record spans a lot of my life - it's about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love" they say. Written over the course of seven years, What A Relief comprises a set of songs that Gavin always loved but which "had something in them" that she and her bandmates felt didn't quite fit within the universe they were trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them were written on acoustic guitar, and are rooted in "a style of music that's very much in my blood, and natural for me," as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves, which compiled music by artists like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character of What A Relief, an album that's refreshing in its willingness to accept people as they come, even as it remains in dogged pursuit of a life that's kinder, wiser and more loving. Gavin's explorations of desire and intimacy feel time-worn and necessary - songs that might teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, then at least how to look within oneself for guidance about how to move forward.

Katie Gavin's debut What A Relief taps into the unguarded self-possession and homespun pop sensibility of singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco, and uses their tenacity as a north star for Gavin's own trek towards self-discovery. "This record spans a lot of my life - it's about having a really deep desire for connection, but also encountering all the obstacles that stood in my way to be able to achieve that, patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love" they say. Written over the course of seven years, What A Relief comprises a set of songs that Gavin always loved but which "had something in them" that she and her bandmates felt didn't quite fit within the universe they were trying to cultivate with MUNA. Many of them were written on acoustic guitar, and are rooted in "a style of music that's very much in my blood, and natural for me," as typified by the Women & Songs CDs that Gavin loves, which compiled music by artists like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. That openness of spirit is the overwhelming character of What A Relief, an album that's refreshing in its willingness to accept people as they come, even as it remains in dogged pursuit of a life that's kinder, wiser and more loving. Gavin's explorations of desire and intimacy feel time-worn and necessary - songs that might teach a generation if not how to live, exactly, then at least how to look within oneself for guidance about how to move forward.

Bonus 7”
A. Rincón de Luna (2.55)*
B. Voices (2.34)*

Singer/Songwriter Juliet Lawson’s album, ‘Boo’, was released on the Sovereign label in the UK in 1972. The album was the confident debut of a young British artist and featured twelve of Lawson’s own compositions.

In the same wave of early 1970s English singer-songwriters such as Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Christine McVie and despite being described at the time as ‘Britain’s answer to Joni Mitchell’ ‘Boo’ was to prove her only major label release with limited commercial success.
Over the next 50 years the album’s reputation has slowly grown and is today an expensive and collectible item. ‘Boo’ is presented here in its entirety.

The first pressing of the vinyl edition of the album also come with a bonus 7-inch single featuring two early demo tracks produced by ex-Yardbirds founder Paul Samwell-Smith, who also produced Carly Simon and Cat Stevens. Special Limited-Edition Album with bonus 7” Single + Download Code.

Includes interview with Juliet Lawson and exclusive photography.

The LP was released during a fertile period in her early career, when she was also playing with the group The Marine Girls and just about to embark on a life-long musical and personal partnership with Ben Watt in Everything But The Girl.

Its stark minimalism made it stand out from the crowd, and the album remained on the Independent chart for many months. To this day, ‘A Distant Shore’ remains one of our proudest achievements here at Cherry Red Records. Fully supported by the artist, 'A Distant Shore' is now being represented with the addition of five hitherto unheard demo recordings, hand-picked by Tracey from her archive of cassettes. ‘Lucky Day’ was recorded during the same session as the album but somehow never made the grade; the other four tracks here were recorded during a later session but then set aside, to be re-recorded a while later with EBTG for their first album, Eden.

Freshly mastered at Abbey Road Studios with new sleeve-notes written by Tracey, this 2024 edition is available on both vinyl and CD, a beautifully presented reminder of the album’s elemental beauty.

Oakland's Naked Roommate have been slinking around the Bay Area lighting up stages, shaking asses & confounding listeners since 2018, when the group - originally just the duo of real-life partners Andy Jordan & Amber Sermeno (both formerly of The World) - self-released a cassette of demos (2018's "Naked Roommate"). Members Michael "Mig" Zamora & Alejandra Alcala (Blues Lawyer) joined soon after to augment the sound & live band with their proper full-length album "Do The Duvet", co-released in September of 2020 via UK label Upset! The Rhythm & Trouble In Mind. 2024 finds the lineup expanded even further to incorporate the horn section of Geoff Saba & Jeanne Oss on tenor & alto saxophones as well as percussion & marimba as the band readies their sophomore effort, the dizzyingly ecstatic "Pass The Loofah" Recorded by members Andy Jordan & Mig Zamora from 2021-2023 as time & restrictions allowed, "Pass The Loofah" retains the wild energy of their debut, but leans into the rhythmic throbs perpetuated by forbears like Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Lizzy Mercier Descloux & ESG; the signature sound of UK's On-U Sound & NYC's 99 Records, but with a decidedly West Coast irreverence & a knack for absurdist exposition. Make no mistake, this is music designed to make your body MOVE & Naked Roommate won't stop until they 've made sure every ass is shook. The band freely incorporates elements of the dancier side of post-punk (think A Certain Ratio or Liquid Liquid) as well as disco, funk, & house music. However, the group's uplifting melodicism belies a deeper subtext, understanding the importance of the sense of community of dance music & the culture surrounding it and leaning into a Neo-socialist lyrical context. Shit is fucked, & we get thru it by helping one another & acknowledging & addressing the failures of disaster Capitalism & tech-bro hegemony (a state the band is all-too familiar with, living in The Bay Area) Take the first single "Bus"; a four-on-the-floor banger & salutary paeon to the ups & downs of the people's transport that throbs & pulses with a late-night sashay (and a bridge that launches the tune into the stratosphere). Elsewhere, "Fight Flight "s funky horn stabs and Sermeno's slinky vocals swoon over Numan-esque synth squiggles that are fortified & funkified toward the dance floor. "Broken Whisper " edges into new territor y for the group, adding a Caribbean flavor a'la Kid Creole or The Specials that punctuates the persistent & synthetic beats underneath. Meanwhile instrumental interludes like "Ducky & Viv", "G-Y pt. 1" & "G-Y pt. 2" oscillate into zones of sci-fi meets soap opera soundtracks, sounding not unlike the electronic experiments of UK industrial pioneers Chris & Cosey. Album closer "I Can't Be Found" might be the album's secret weapon; It 's swooning synth melody & processed vocals recall early Daft Punk or MGMT by way of Derrick Carter & The Au Pairs. It 's a beautiful song; perfect for the late night (or early morning) car ride home from the club. "Pass The Loofah" is released worldwide on October 25th, 2024 via Trouble In Mind Records digitally via most DSPs & on black vinyl & limited "disco ball " silver vinyl.

Limited metallic silver/white "disco ball" splatter vinyl available while supplies last.

Oakland's Naked Roommate have been slinking around the Bay Area lighting up stages, shaking asses & confounding listeners since 2018, when the group - originally just the duo of real-life partners Andy Jordan & Amber Sermeno (both formerly of The World) - self-released a cassette of demos (2018's "Naked Roommate"). Members Michael "Mig" Zamora & Alejandra Alcala (Blues Lawyer) joined soon after to augment the sound & live band with their proper full-length album "Do The Duvet", co-released in September of 2020 via UK label Upset! The Rhythm & Trouble In Mind. 2024 finds the lineup expanded even further to incorporate the horn section of Geoff Saba & Jeanne Oss on tenor & alto saxophones as well as percussion & marimba as the band readies their sophomore effort, the dizzyingly ecstatic "Pass The Loofah" Recorded by members Andy Jordan & Mig Zamora from 2021-2023 as time & restrictions allowed, "Pass The Loofah" retains the wild energy of their debut, but leans into the rhythmic throbs perpetuated by forbears like Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Lizzy Mercier Descloux & ESG; the signature sound of UK's On-U Sound & NYC's 99 Records, but with a decidedly West Coast irreverence & a knack for absurdist exposition. Make no mistake, this is music designed to make your body MOVE & Naked Roommate won't stop until they 've made sure every ass is shook. The band freely incorporates elements of the dancier side of post-punk (think A Certain Ratio or Liquid Liquid) as well as disco, funk, & house music. However, the group's uplifting melodicism belies a deeper subtext, understanding the importance of the sense of community of dance music & the culture surrounding it and leaning into a Neo-socialist lyrical context. Shit is fucked, & we get thru it by helping one another & acknowledging & addressing the failures of disaster Capitalism & tech-bro hegemony (a state the band is all-too familiar with, living in The Bay Area) Take the first single "Bus"; a four-on-the-floor banger & salutary paeon to the ups & downs of the people's transport that throbs & pulses with a late-night sashay (and a bridge that launches the tune into the stratosphere). Elsewhere, "Fight Flight "s funky horn stabs and Sermeno's slinky vocals swoon over Numan-esque synth squiggles that are fortified & funkified toward the dance floor. "Broken Whisper " edges into new territor y for the group, adding a Caribbean flavor a'la Kid Creole or The Specials that punctuates the persistent & synthetic beats underneath. Meanwhile instrumental interludes like "Ducky & Viv", "G-Y pt. 1" & "G-Y pt. 2" oscillate into zones of sci-fi meets soap opera soundtracks, sounding not unlike the electronic experiments of UK industrial pioneers Chris & Cosey. Album closer "I Can't Be Found" might be the album's secret weapon; It 's swooning synth melody & processed vocals recall early Daft Punk or MGMT by way of Derrick Carter & The Au Pairs. It 's a beautiful song; perfect for the late night (or early morning) car ride home from the club. "Pass The Loofah" is released worldwide on October 25th, 2024 via Trouble In Mind Records digitally via most DSPs & on black vinyl & limited "disco ball " silver vinyl.

Nach drei Alben auf Fearless Records erscheint das neue Werk der US-Emo-Rocker Real Friends via Many Hats. Bekannt für ihre aufrichtigen, ehrlichen und emotionalen Texte sowie treibende Pop-Punk-Riffs und mosh-fördernde Übergänge, stellt "Blue Hour" den Beginn eines neuen Kapitels der Band dar, in dem sie ihren Sound und ihr Image auf den neuesten Stand bringt. "Blue Hour" enthält die persönlichsten, intensivsten, eingängigsten und wichtigsten Songs, die Real Friends bisher gemacht haben. Canary Yellow Vinyl.

Green Day’s seventh studio album American Idiot was released in September 2004 and has since sold over 23 million copies worldwide. The album is a punk rock opera masterpiece that won the Best Rock Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards©. Five hit singles were released from the album: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “Holiday”, “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, “Jesus of Suburbia”, and the title track, “American Idiot”.

Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Sets (vinyl and CD) will be released on October 25th, 2024, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this legendary album.

The CD Super Deluxe contains 4 CDs which feature the original album and also includes 15 unreleased demos, a 15-song 2004 concert from Irving Plaza, NYC (9 songs previously unreleased), and 14 tracks that were released as B-Sides and bonus tracks. The box set is completed with two Blu-rays that feature the film “Heart Like A Hand Grenade”, 35 minutes of Green Day live at the BBC, and a new, unreleased documentary: “20 Years of American Idiot” plus a 48-page book, an enamel pin set, sticker sheet, and cloth patch.

Green Day’s seventh studio album American Idiot was released in September 2004 and has since sold over 23 million copies worldwide. The album is a punk rock opera masterpiece that won the Best Rock Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards©. Five hit singles were released from the album: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “Holiday”, “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, “Jesus of Suburbia”, and the title track, “American Idiot”.

Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Sets (vinyl and CD) will be released on October 25th, 2024, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this legendary album.

The CD Super Deluxe contains 4 CDs which feature the original album and also includes 15 unreleased demos, a 15-song 2004 concert from Irving Plaza, NYC (9 songs previously unreleased), and 14 tracks that were released as B-Sides and bonus tracks. The box set is completed with two Blu-rays that feature the film “Heart Like A Hand Grenade”, 35 minutes of Green Day live at the BBC, and a new, unreleased documentary: “20 Years of American Idiot” plus a 48-page book, an enamel pin set, sticker sheet, and cloth patch.

Since first bonding over Slowdive at a Texas karaoke bar six years ago, musicians Uriel Avila and Jonathan Perez have grown trauma ray into Fort Worth's foremost flag bearer of crushing shoegaze. A five-piece rounded out by bassist Darren Baun, drummer Nicholas Bobotas, and guitarist Coleman Pruitt, the band's debut album, Chameleon, captures their evolving sound at an apex of majestic devastation. A fusion of downer hooks, gauzy melancholia, and bulldozer riffs, the album heaves and crashes across 50 minutes of stacked amplifier alchemy. Lyrically the songs trace similarly lofty and brooding terrain; Avila says "The theme is death. And a chameleon, like death, can shape-shift in and out our lives in different forms." Chameleon opens with "Ember," dreamy and distant, alternately anthemic and apocalyptic, defeated and deafening. Lead single "Bishop" perfectly encapsulates trauma ray's depth and dimension, ripping out of the gate with "the biggest, baddest, saddest wall of sound." Lyrics about being burnt at the stake and "tossed in the flame" float above a stop-start assault of precision distortion, eventually expanding into a lush, heavy, sorrowful end coda. "Spectre" is a mysterious, introspective dirge, envisioned as a "mellow, slowcore, Duster-thing," all feeling and heavy fuzz chords (with no lead guitar). Avila wrote it, "to be a hymnal" from the perspective of someone who won't let go - a ghost, an ex, a shadow self. Although the album is rich with subtleties, graceful lulls, and "breaths of air," the band's three guitar attack is its defining force, a power flexed to its peak on "Bardo." Perez's intentions were blunt: "I wanted to write a riff that was hard as fuck." The result is alternately mean and eerie, veering between noisy one string bends and surging headbang, mapping a middle ground between Unwound and early-Deftones. One of trauma ray's greatest gifts is their ability to make doomy, sledgehammer heaviness sound like an earworm, without production tricks or gimmicks: "Riff, verse, chorus, three guitar parts - that's all you need." This quality is particularly apparent on the title track, a churning slab of amplifier worship, swirling chords, and heavenly, defeated vocals about not belonging, shape-shifting, and death ("A twisted face / Void of attention / An empty space / In your reflection"). "U.S.D.D.O.S" closes the album, swaying across seven minutes of grey skied guitar and haunted voice, subtly thickening as it deepens. Feedback and shrapnel gradually begin raining down, like a satellite disintegrating in the atmosphere. Titled as an acronym after a poem by Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño that loosely translates to "a dream within a dream," the melody softens, smears, and then disappears, slowly swallowed by the gravity of eternal descent. Chameleon is a masterpiece of craft, balance, melody, lyricism, and gravity, flexing a fresh vision of loud-quiet-loud architectures and the vertigo depths of blasted harmonics. From Slowdive to Nothing, to Hum and beyond, the band absorb and expand on their influences into a rare and dedicated alchemy. trauma ray's cinematic tempest is a gathering storm only just taking flight.

Since first bonding over Slowdive at a Texas karaoke bar six years ago, musicians Uriel Avila and Jonathan Perez have grown trauma ray into Fort Worth's foremost flag bearer of crushing shoegaze. A five-piece rounded out by bassist Darren Baun, drummer Nicholas Bobotas, and guitarist Coleman Pruitt, the band's debut album, Chameleon, captures their evolving sound at an apex of majestic devastation. A fusion of downer hooks, gauzy melancholia, and bulldozer riffs, the album heaves and crashes across 50 minutes of stacked amplifier alchemy. Lyrically the songs trace similarly lofty and brooding terrain; Avila says "The theme is death. And a chameleon, like death, can shape-shift in and out our lives in different forms." Chameleon opens with "Ember," dreamy and distant, alternately anthemic and apocalyptic, defeated and deafening. Lead single "Bishop" perfectly encapsulates trauma ray's depth and dimension, ripping out of the gate with "the biggest, baddest, saddest wall of sound." Lyrics about being burnt at the stake and "tossed in the flame" float above a stop-start assault of precision distortion, eventually expanding into a lush, heavy, sorrowful end coda. "Spectre" is a mysterious, introspective dirge, envisioned as a "mellow, slowcore, Duster-thing," all feeling and heavy fuzz chords (with no lead guitar). Avila wrote it, "to be a hymnal" from the perspective of someone who won't let go - a ghost, an ex, a shadow self. Although the album is rich with subtleties, graceful lulls, and "breaths of air," the band's three guitar attack is its defining force, a power flexed to its peak on "Bardo." Perez's intentions were blunt: "I wanted to write a riff that was hard as fuck." The result is alternately mean and eerie, veering between noisy one string bends and surging headbang, mapping a middle ground between Unwound and early-Deftones. One of trauma ray's greatest gifts is their ability to make doomy, sledgehammer heaviness sound like an earworm, without production tricks or gimmicks: "Riff, verse, chorus, three guitar parts - that's all you need." This quality is particularly apparent on the title track, a churning slab of amplifier worship, swirling chords, and heavenly, defeated vocals about not belonging, shape-shifting, and death ("A twisted face / Void of attention / An empty space / In your reflection"). "U.S.D.D.O.S" closes the album, swaying across seven minutes of grey skied guitar and haunted voice, subtly thickening as it deepens. Feedback and shrapnel gradually begin raining down, like a satellite disintegrating in the atmosphere. Titled as an acronym after a poem by Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño that loosely translates to "a dream within a dream," the melody softens, smears, and then disappears, slowly swallowed by the gravity of eternal descent. Chameleon is a masterpiece of craft, balance, melody, lyricism, and gravity, flexing a fresh vision of loud-quiet-loud architectures and the vertigo depths of blasted harmonics. From Slowdive to Nothing, to Hum and beyond, the band absorb and expand on their influences into a rare and dedicated alchemy. trauma ray's cinematic tempest is a gathering storm only just taking flight.

024 jährt sich Harmonias legendäres Debütalbum "Musik von Harmonia" zum 50. Mal. Aus diesem Anlass erscheint eine limitierte Jubiläumsausgabe mit dem Originalalbum sowie einer zweiten Vinyl mit bisher unveröffentlichten Überarbeitungen von Matthew Herbert, James Holden, David Pajo, Kaleema, Vittoria Maccabruni, Dextro, Marta Salogni, u.a. Schwarzes 180g Doppelvinyl im Gatefold.

Das 1973 von Neu!- und Cluster-Mitgliedern gegründete Trio markierte eine Wende im Krautrock: Weg von der Fusionitis, weg vom überambitionierten Gegniedel, weg von der Ironie, die allzu oft nur lausige Fähigkeiten kaschierte. Harmonia spielte seine impressionistischen Skizzen mit minimalistischem Gestus. Kein Text trübte den Sound, alles war repetitiv, friedlich atmosphärisch und irgendwie LoFi. Brian Eno hörte sich so tief rein in diese kitschlosen Versponnenheiten, dass er den Ambient erfinden konnte. Heute, nach 31 Jahren, klingt das etwas unfertig, vor allem die Ein- und Ausstiege, doch der naive Charme der Musik blieb erhalten. Das Album bildet den Auftakt einer Reihe von remasterten Neuauflagen legendärer Brain-Platten. Darunter auch "II" von Cluster. Hat Eno natürlich auch intensiv gehört.

Wick Records is proud to present the debut single from SoCal's newest hit-makers, The Emkays. Comprised of songwriter/ producer/ multi-instrumentalist extraordinaires Alec Kersenboom and Anthony Masino (Lee Fields, Thee Sacred Souls, Jensine Benitez, Junior Scaife et al), the group delivers a pair of pop nuggets that draw from the deeper end of the British Invasion spectrum. Similar to some the American teen combos that were blaring out of suburban garages throughout the mid-sixties, The Emkays deliver their brand of anglophilic rock with a soulful earnestness that was absent from many of their British counterparts. The irony of which notwithstanding, The Emkays shine like the North Star, ready to guide a whole new generation of kids to their side of the pond.

Ruthven - alias Sean Nelson - hatte schon immer einen gewissen Eifer und einen inneren Antrieb in sich. Der Musiker aus dem Süden Londons tauchte 2017 zum ersten Mal auf der Bildfläche auf, als er bei Paul Institute, dem von A.K und Jai Paul gegründeten Label, unter Vertrag genommen wurde. Zu dieser Zeit war er Mitglied der Londoner Feuerwehr und nahm seine Songs in der Feuerwache zwischen den Einsätzen auf. Nachdem er seine einzigartige Mischung aus R&B-beeinflusstem Future-Funk behutsam und mit Bedacht entwickelt hatte, erregte Ruthven die Aufmerksamkeit der Kritiker ("kreiert Prince-ähnliche Jams mit den Konturen und der Geschmeidigkeit von Sportwagen" - The FADER) und ging erst kürzlich mit Sampha auf Tour. Dieses Jahr wartete Ruthvan schon mit Koops mit Sampha und Little Simz auf "Satellite Business 2.0" sowie der Zusammenarbeit mit Overmono auf ihrem Club-Banger "Gem Lingo (ovr now)" auf. Auf seinem am 25. Oktober erscheinendem Debütalbum "Rough & Ready" führt Ruthven die Hörer*innen in seine intime Welt ein. In den 12 Tracks lehnt er sich an klassisches Songwriting an, während er die üppige Instrumentierung beibehält, um ein Portal zu schaffen, das Jahrzehnte überspannt. "Es ist vom Jazz beeinflusst, aber auch von so vielen anderen Genres", sagt er, "sogar Yacht-Rock-Künstler wie Michael McDonald und Steely Dan haben mich tief beeinflusst." Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, das all die scharfen Kanten der frühen Prince-B-Seiten wie "17 Days" mit der Rauchigkeit von D"Angelos "Africa" aus der Voodoo-Ära verbindet. Die Entstehung von "Rough & Ready" brachte einige Herausforderungen mit sich, darunter auch technische Pannen - aber Ruthven blieb dem Ziel treu, sehr persönliche und nachvollziehbare Musik zu machen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, das man gehört haben muss.

Ltd Edition!

12inch ausgewählter Remixe von Joe Goddards brillantem Album, 'Harmonics' mit Cosmodelica, East Coast Love Affair und Black Science Orchestra!

Seit der Veröffentlichung ihres Debütalbums St. Jude im Jahr 2008 haben sich Courteeners zu einer der beliebtesten Bands Großbritanniens
entwickelt und eine riesige Community um ihre ausverkauften Shows aufgebaut, die sie landesweit immer wieder vor ausverkauften Häusern und
Plätzen spielen lässt.
Pink Cactus Café ist Courteeners' 7. Studioalbum und ihre erste neue Musik seit More. Again. Forever. im Jahr 2020, das von den Kritikern begeistert
aufgenommen wurde.
In ihrer 16-jährigen Karriere hatte die Band beständigen kommerziellen Erfolg und erhielt in UK Auszeichnungen in Platin (x1), Gold (x3) und Silber
(x2) für ihre Alben. Zuletzt erreichte eine Neuauflage des Debütalbums St. Jude im Jahr 2023, fünfzehn Jahre nach der ursprünglichen
Veröffentlichung, Platz 1 der britischen Albumcharts, und Anfang dieses Jahres gewannen Courteeners bei den Nordoff Robins Northern Music
Awards die Auszeichnung Band des Jahres.

Steve Leach's Balearic beach-funk beast Ocean Potion, recorded with the Crystal Grass Orchestra is an absolutely ace, Ned Doheny-adjacent funky AOR / blue-eyed soul BBQ classic from 1976.

Who is Steve Leach, you ask? None other than Seasick Steve in a previous life! A French-only release on Philips, it's a hugely immediate, pop-funk firecracker. It features a wonderfully lush, full orchestral sound throughout, underpinning Steve's gorgeous voice and an army of brilliant backing vocalists.

The supporting cast is phenomenal and is arguably the salient reason this is such a fantastic record. We're talking legendary players from the French scene (think Arpadys, Voyage, Kongas, CCPP, Giant, Swing Family) such as Don Ray with his arranger-conductor hat on as well as synths, Marc Chantereau on percussion, Slim Pezin on guitar, André Ceccarelli on drums, Christian Padovan on bass and Pierre Halation on flute.

With these snakes behind the scenes, it remains a mystery how Ocean Potion is so relatively unknown. Hopefully, this long overdue reissue rectifies this and puts a stop to people dropping $200 on it.

Triumphant, horn-forward opener "The Light Of The Mind" has that uniquely Ned Doheny fidgety funk feel with a fantastically irresistible chorus and great harmonies. Just magic. The insouciant, swaggering "Hey! Hey! What You Doin To Me" is straight up white-hot feel-good funk with by turns sweeping and stabbing strings and a neck-snapping break. Crucial. Coming off like something off The Beach Boy's Surf's Up or Holland (including a sneaky "reason to live" reference that surely nods to "The Trader") is the brilliantly ominous, driving wall of sound of "Take Strength". Cavernous drums, urgent strings and a staggeringly good vocal performance make this a real highlight amongst an album of highlights. The blissful folk-funk of "The Lady Of The Sea" is a real naked heartbreaker, melancholic vibes and a beautiful flute line complementing each other perfectly. Side A closes out with "All My Life", a groovy island-funk white-reggae-tinged lilter which just about lands the right side of acceptable.

Side B opens with the gorgeous "You're The Only One Girl" before the propulsive Philly soul of "At Least We Got Love" elegantly glides into focus. Pulsing beats and piano working with that irresistible orchestra of grass. Glacial ballad "All Love's Children" has a deep New Orleans soul feel that truly soars whilst the breezy "Get Out In The Sun" owes a debt to "Crocodile Rock". It's pure pop for now people and wouldn't have been out of place on a late 70s Nick Lowe effort. Deep late-period Beach Boys gem "Golden Hues" is another heavy melancholic down lifter that really beguiles before the real reason you're all here. Pastoral closer "I Meditate Each Day" is just beautiful, and likely the reason this reissue is giving you that special feeling. Another gorgeous flute-led, folk-funk groover, it featured in a memorable mix from the Creme2laCreme crew (Raphael Top-Secret, Jerome Qpchan and Antoine Kogut) live on Red Light Radio over a decade ago and has been top of many heads' wants list never since. Just mellow out.

As ever, the audio for Ocean Potion has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve featuring a topless Steve reclining next to his piano on a flatbed truck on the beach (of course?!) has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Red Vinyl. Listening to Fashion Club's self-produced second album A Love You Cannot Shake feels like being caught in the crossfire of a profound beam of light. You can't help but feel both enlivened and exposed as its aberrant synth lines, artful strings and disfigured guitars swell into larger-than-life crescendos, which evoke a divine yet probing spotlight. Pascal Stevenson, the Los Angeles-based musician behind Fashion Club, likens the experience of hearing A Love You Cannot Shake to staring into the sun, and though the record wasn't written with religion in mind, its heavenly sonics and emotional sagacity also make it feel like a prophetic encounter. The album was shaped by Stevenson's gender transition and sobriety journey and parses her fluid emotions surrounding these events and other personal trials and tribulations. But as much as it's a dialogue between Stevenson's current and former selves, it's also an invitation for listeners to join her in the work of discarding bitterness and re-centering hope, especially when such efforts feel futile. Musically, A Love You Cannot Shake is an unshackling of expectations, as Stevenson's previous stint as bassist in the L.A. post-punk outfit Moaning and her first record as Fashion Club, 2022's Scrutiny, didn't necessarily reflect the full range of her taste, which includes ambient, pop, classical and dance music, or embody her sensitive tenderness and femininity. A Love You Cannot Shake also thrives on a fluid sonic palette. The album's magnetic immersiveness hinges on its strange dynamic shifts, jagged production and ambitious song structures with parts that don't repeat_choices influenced by her love of left-field electro-pop and her classical music background. While Stevenson handled most of the instrumentals on Scrutiny, this LP is much more collaborative, featuring an array of contributors who lent strings, piano, pedal steel and more. Plus, this album boasts country harmonies from Perfume Genius ("Forget"), high-pitched coos from Jay Som ("Ghost") and gauzy whispers from Julie Byrne ("Rotten Mind"). Stevenson's vocal evolution is also on display with this record, embracing a softer delivery that's more reflective of her personality and identity.

Moon White Vinyl. All her life, Emma Hardyman has wrestled with contradictions. After all, she was practically rendered a living, breathing contradiction the moment she was born into her half-Peruvian, half-white working-class Mormon family. In young adulthood, Hardyman became increasingly disillusioned with Mormonism's righteous black-and-white thinking, as well as its exclusionary elitism, and decided to leave the church. But she also acknowledged that the institution's all-or-nothing philosophy had become a part of her, resulting in a considerable test of grace and unlearning. As the singer-songwriter behind Little Moon, the Tiny Desk Contest-winning, Utah-based avant-folk project, Hardyman uses music as an outlet to illuminate contradictions of all kinds. Following the release of her 2020 debut LP Unphased, Hardyman set out to write a romantic album about her newlywed husband Nathan (who also sings and plays guitar in Little Moon), but the universe had other plans. After Nathan's mother tragically passed away, Hardyman recalibrated her vision and started work on a love-as-grief, grief-as-love album titled Dear Divine. The record serves as a mirror for the darkest parts of ourselves, allowing us to examine our ego_not to dismantle it, but to better understand how we love, process adversity and move through the world. Centering the classical music, folk, video game soundtracks and Tabernacle Choir hymns she grew up with, as well as ephemeral snapshots of personal significance, Dear Divine is an abundant tapestry of Hardyman's life. As enlivening melodies radiate from a string trio, you can envision the classical music that thrums from her parents' radio 24/7, as Hardyman sings in an otherworldly coo, you can imagine her younger self swooning over the tranquil records of Vashti Bunyan and Joan Baez, and as arpeggiated synths twinkle, you can visualize the enchanting kingdom of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that she still adores. Songs like "now" and "messy love" embrace the gloriously jumbled stew of life, with the former chronicling Hardyman's arduous quest for love and trust and the latter patiently navigating the ways romantic partners can mirror each other's shortcomings. As Dear Divine attests, Emma Hardyman may not have it all figured out, but that's kind of the point. Through grief, faith crises and all-encompassing love, she's found the most wisdom in life's maddeningly consistent inconsistencies, as well as the subtle ways one can cultivate a feeling of home. Dear Divine doesn't take a red pen to life, it brings an open heart, an open mind and achingly beautiful, opulently weird folk songs.

Atlas plays out like a half-remembered Greek epic of avant-pop proportions, piecing together earthy woodwinds, old-school synths, and shifting rhythmic patterns that enhance Jacob"s myth-inspired spoken word and bilingual vocals, delivered in Dutch and English.

Tensal is the name of Hector Sandoval's solo project (also in Exium, Komatssu, Seleccion Natural...) He started this solo project almost 10 years ago out of a need to express a more cyclical sound based on repetition and hypnosis. His DJ sets explore all facets of techno by alternating different textures and intensities that draw mainly from his own materials, this project has led him to perform in more than 50 countries around the world.
Tempio Omega 01 is a 4-track EP exploring this unique deep and hypnotizing travel in the style of Tensal, built through different sound textures on a 100% techno attitude.

Spotlight Records is proud to announce the release of the original soundtrack for Bruce LaBruce’s new film, The Visitor. Composed by the acclaimed UK-based DJ and producer Hannah Holland, the soundtrack presents an eclectic mix of cerebral soundscapes and pulsating dance floor anthems, a defiantly bold score for a truly provocative narrative. The deluxe limited edition double vinyl package comes with a guerilla sticker sheet.

The Visitor sees the legendary filmmaker and photographer continue his decades-long creative journey with a transgressive reimagining of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1968 classic Teorema, set against the dystopian backdrop of a paranoid, xenophobic post-Brexit London. Washed ashore from the sea in a suitcase, a mysterious refugee disrupts the lives of a privileged white family, leading them through a series of explicit and transformative encounters. The film, which features performance artist Bishop Black amid a series of explicit, hardcore sex scenes, premiered at the 2024 Berlinale Film Festival.

With reverence and reference to Ennio Morricone’s iconic score for Teorema, Hannah Holland has crafted a soundtrack that both honors the original and brings a contemporary twist. The album features collaborations with a stellar lineup of artists from both the queer and electronic music underground, including Ghost Culture, Jonjo Jury, Josh Caffé, Joy Joseph, ROY INC, and Ziah Ziah.