Since its inception, Isness has developed its own identity alongside Analogical Force, focusing on atmospheric and introspective electronics. For its third release, the label welcomes Kid Bucle, the new alias of Ibrah PM, formerly known as Malsum within the d&b scene. Memorabilia marks both his debut on the label and the beginning of a new creative chapter. Across six interconnected tracks, the Memorabilia EP explores memory, landscape and emotion through fluid compositions and richly detailed sound design. Echoes of labels such as Merck or Chocolate Industries can be felt throughout, alongside traces of classic IDM, yet the result remains fresh and distinctly contemporary. Rather than seeking immediate impact, the EP rewards attentive listening, gradually revealing new layers with every return. Deeply immersive and emotionally resonant, Memorabilia further reinforces Isness as a platform where atmosphere, narrative and emotional depth take center stage.
Following 2024’s Echoes of the Night EP, Michael Hodgson returns with Apply the Dub: four stunning new Adrian Sherwood remixes, this time of his long-running solo project, Misled Convoy.
The EP’s title is a nod to Sherwood’s renowned process in which tracks are not simply remixed, but dismantled, fed into his dub machinery and reimagined. The results are spacious and compelling, epic in scope, rich in detail and loaded with bass.
The prophetic voice of Kat Five (Feral Five) looms large on the opening track, as does Miho Wada’s flute on the last. David “Ital Horns” Fullwood returns to the project, providing trumpet to two of the tunes, while Doug Wimbish (Tack>>Head / Living Colour) adds bass, and Mark Bandola (The Lucy Show) guitar and keys, to a different pair of remixes.
The sessions began in 2025, with the original tracks drawn from the more experimental and industrial side of Misled Convoy, giving Sherwood plenty of room to work with sonically. In his Ramsgate studio, frequencies were pulled apart, bass lines elevated and melodies stretched while sounds disappeared into layers of delay, echo and dub processing before emerging dazed & confused and somewhere else entirely.
Since dub is the compositional glue that fuels Hodgson’s creative dynamic, this collaboration meant reverse engineering his process and stripping his compositions back to the bare bones: “Before we hit the studio, I had to remove a whole lot of my effects to make space for Adrian, which made the track sound empty and super weird, but this is how the magic happens. When you do a remix, you are inviting an artist you respect into your creative process and watch it get reimagined. This is a big part of dub and remix culture.”
Very much a meeting of two complementary approaches to sound, Apply the Dub has Hodgson’s dark and atmospheric electronica enhanced and deeply embellished by Sherwood’s long-established sonic manipulation and dub-mixing.
For Hodgson, the connection with Sherwood and On-U Sound has been life-long, from being a fan in his youth in Aotearoa New Zealand to supporting Patrick Docktor’s archiving of the label’s video and audio collection in London. In 2019 Sherwood invited Hodgson to collaborate with artist Peter Harris to create a visual backdrop to accompany his Time Boom X The Upsetter Dub Sessions tour. Hodgson went on to create videos for On-U’s 40th anniversary celebration at The Forum in London, helped with the immersive 3D Live Dub Experience at Earth Theatre and travelled to Japan for the Collapse of Everything tour where he worked on live video triggering for Sherwood’s shows.
Star Moles ist das Projekt von Emily Moales, einer Auswanderin aus New Hampshire, die in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania zu neuem Leben erwacht ist und sich dort weiterentwickelt hat. Seit sie 2017 zum ersten Mal Musik auf digitales Band aufgenommen hat, tut sie das, was jeder großartige Künstler tun sollte: Kunst schaffen, ihr Handwerk verfeinern und ihre eigene Stimme finden - in ihrem eigenen Tempo und in relativer Anonymität. In diesen Jahren hat sie viele Facetten ihrer selbst erkundet. Ihre bisherigen Veröffentlichungen (sieben Alben in voller Länge, mehrere EPs und unzählige Singles) waren oft fantastisch und konzeptionell geprägt und ließen sich von Literatur und Mythologie inspirieren. Das war für sie als Teenagerin im verschlafenen New England und als junge Erwachsene inmitten der bedrückenden Angst vor einer globalen Pandemie eine notwendige Flucht aus dem Alltag. Jetzt ist sie 27 und geht immer noch nicht besonders oft aus, und hat hochkonzeptionelle Kunst gegen große Wirkung eingetauscht. Sie fühlt sich dazu hingezogen, Musik zu machen, die so klingt wie die Musik, die sie liebt, und über ihr Leben im wunderschönen Philadelphia zu singen. Zudem bleibt sie fest im aktuellen weltgeschichtlichen Moment verwurzelt und spricht Themen wie religiösen Fanatismus, den ökologischen Kollaps und den unverhohlenen Aufstieg des Faschismus in Amerika an. Ihr überragendes fünftes Studioalbum heißt "Highway to Hell". AC/DC, da könnt ihr euch verdammt noch mal ein Beispiel daran nehmen. Einfach gesagt: Dieses Album ist ein bedeutendes Statement, das die Ankunft eines einzigartigen Talents signalisiert, das reif für den Durchbruch ist. Moales ist eine der Hauptakteurinnen in einem jungen, hungrigen Team unglaublich produktiver Künstler, die in der stets pulsierenden Musikszene in Philadelphia noch unter dem Radar fliegen, aber dabei sind aufzusteigen. ,Highway to Hell" wurde von Kevin Basko (Rubber Band Gun) produziert und enthält wichtige Beiträge von Mitgliedern des Kreativkollektivs ,Emily and Kevin's Historic NJ Recordings", darunter Sam Sullivan (Gitarre) und Jem Seidel (Schlagzeug).
I SPLIT MY ORGAN IN TWOS - a sonic world where animals could speak and parents would never grow old. Music is playing beneath the trees. Creeks are flowing towards the treehouse. Bears are singing and Owls are sailing through the wind like miniature spaceships. Solitude is a chosen path of clarity. And when this world collapses, all memories will vanish. Left behind is the Sting that keeps us separated from the insane.
The debut album I SPLIT MY ORGAN IN TWOS by Munich indie project plainhead is a freak folk inspired rockrecord fusing key aspects of 00s experimental indie with 90s indie rock.
The organic soundscapes remind of yetto-be-refined the Microphones from the album It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water (2000). Acoustic Guitars fuse with the sound of fuzz and distortion. Clarinets and pianos can be found somewhere buried beneath the noise,
while the vocals remain dry and tired in the front. The 18-track double LP features easy-listenable songs such as the single Ghost / Smoke, short playful instrumentals named after animals and long ever-evolving operas such as River and Sunsick. The album was released on Munich local DIY recording label new basement.
Martini Shot is the new album from Danny Scott Lane-a catchy, nostalgic and slightly manic collection that feels a little like one drink too many. Moving between lounge, soul, indie pop and exotica, the record plays more like a mixtape than a single idea, with a distinctly '90s streak running through it.
Lane sings on seven of the album's ten songs, a departure from his largely instrumental past work, and plays drums and percussion for the first time alongside his usual synths, keyboards, guitar and bass. Longtime collaborator David Lackner contributes flute, joined by new collaborators Logan Hone on flute and Katie Jacoby on violin.
Martini Shot marks Lane's second release with Records We Release, following the well-received House of Alice. The result is loose, romantic, restless and a little unpredictable.
Martini Shot is the new album from Danny Scott Lane-a catchy, nostalgic and slightly manic collection that feels a little like one drink too many. Moving between lounge, soul, indie pop and exotica, the record plays more like a mixtape than a single idea, with a distinctly '90s streak running through it.
Lane sings on seven of the album's ten songs, a departure from his largely instrumental past work, and plays drums and percussion for the first time alongside his usual synths, keyboards, guitar and bass. Longtime collaborator David Lackner contributes flute, joined by new collaborators Logan Hone on flute and Katie Jacoby on violin.
Martini Shot marks Lane's second release with Records We Release, following the well-received House of Alice. The result is loose, romantic, restless and a little unpredictable.
NOVA BOSSA: aquele abraço aos ratos vivos stands as a musical capsule centered around the life of a young adult. Moving between MPB, indie pop and alternative rock, its eclecticism perfectly reflects a thirst for discovery and new experiences, while highlighting a sincere search for identity.
NOVA BOSSA acts as a mirror to the contradictions of contemporary youth
between the desire for independence and the fear of abandonment
between rejecting norms and searching for meaning
between solitude and a deep craving for connection
between social disillusionment and creative resilience
The lyrics blend urban poetry, raw introspection and social critique, all carried by a musicality that oscillates between melancholy and energy. Pedro embodies a generation torn between the urge to burn through life and the fear of burning out, desperately trying to find his place in a world he often sees as absurd.
crédits
GERDie Chopi Timbila zählt zu den großen Orchestertraditionen Afrikas und ist tief in der Kultur der Chopi im mosambikanischen Distrikt Zavala verwurzelt. Ihre charakteristischen Mwenje-Holzxylophone sind in sieben gleichmäßigen Tonabständen gestimmt und erzeugen eine mikrotonale Klangwelt, die sich deutlich von westlichen Tonsystemen unterscheidet. Die Ensembles vereinen Musiker verschiedener Generationen und Erfahrungsstufen, während jährlich neue Kompositionen entstehen, die Gemeinschaft, Geschichte und das Leben der Vatxopi widerspiegeln. 2008 wurde die Tradition von der UNESCO als Immaterielles Kulturerbe anerkannt und gilt bis heute als eine der komplexesten und schönsten musikalischen Ausdrucksformen Mosambiks. Mit Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy) ehren die Brüder von Timbila Ta Venancio, allesamt Söhne des legendären Timbila-Meisters Venancio Mbande, das Lebenswerk ihres Vaters und die kulturelle Bedeutung der Chopi-Musik. Die 2026 im Studio Bom Dia in der Provinz Inhambane entstandene Aufnahme interpretiert Mbandes Erbe neu und bewahrt zugleich dessen Geist und Tradition. Die zehn Stücke folgen der überlieferten Reihenfolge einer klassischen Timbila-Aufführung und entfalten eine zusammenhängende musikalische Erzählung. Ecos Do Legado ist damit zugleich Hommage, kulturelles Dokument und eindrucksvoller Beweis für die lebendige Zukunft dieser einzigartigen Tradition.[ENG]The Chopi Timbila is one of Africa's great orchestral traditions, deeply rooted in the culture of the Chopi people of Zavala, Mozambique. Its distinctive mwenje wood xylophones are tuned in seven equidistant pitches, creating a microtonal sound world markedly different from Western musical systems. Timbila ensembles bring together performers of different ages and skill levels, with new compositions created each year to reflect community life, history, and tradition. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, the tradition remains one of Mozambique's most celebrated and sophisticated musical forms. On Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy), Timbila Ta Venancio honors the legacy of revered timbila master Venancio Mbande through the work of his sons, who perform and reinterpret his enduring musical vision. Recorded in 2026 at Studio Bom Dia in Inhambane Province, the album serves as both a tribute to Mbande and a celebration of Chopi cultural heritage. The ten pieces follow the traditional sequence of a timbila performance, unfolding as an interconnected musical narrative. Ecos Do Legado stands as a powerful testament to a living tradition whose cultural significance continues to resonate across generations.
Die Chopi Timbila zählt zu den großen Orchestertraditionen Afrikas und ist tief in der Kultur der Chopi im mosambikanischen Distrikt Zavala verwurzelt. Ihre charakteristischen Mwenje-Holzxylophone sind in sieben gleichmäßigen Tonabständen gestimmt und erzeugen eine mikrotonale Klangwelt, die sich deutlich von westlichen Tonsystemen unterscheidet. Die Ensembles vereinen Musiker verschiedener Generationen und Erfahrungsstufen, während jährlich neue Kompositionen entstehen, die Gemeinschaft, Geschichte und das Leben der Vatxopi widerspiegeln. 2008 wurde die Tradition von der UNESCO als Immaterielles Kulturerbe anerkannt und gilt bis heute als eine der komplexesten und schönsten musikalischen Ausdrucksformen Mosambiks. Mit Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy) ehren die Brüder von Timbila Ta Venancio, allesamt Söhne des legendären Timbila-Meisters Venancio Mbande, das Lebenswerk ihres Vaters und die kulturelle Bedeutung der Chopi-Musik. Die 2026 im Studio Bom Dia in der Provinz Inhambane entstandene Aufnahme interpretiert Mbandes Erbe neu und bewahrt zugleich dessen Geist und Tradition. Die zehn Stücke folgen der überlieferten Reihenfolge einer klassischen Timbila-Aufführung und entfalten eine zusammenhängende musikalische Erzählung. Ecos Do Legado ist damit zugleich Hommage, kulturelles Dokument und eindrucksvoller Beweis für die lebendige Zukunft dieser einzigartigen Tradition. ENGThe Chopi Timbila is one of Africa's great orchestral traditions, deeply rooted in the culture of the Chopi people of Zavala, Mozambique. Its distinctive mwenje wood xylophones are tuned in seven equidistant pitches, creating a microtonal sound world markedly different from Western musical systems. Timbila ensembles bring together performers of different ages and skill levels, with new compositions created each year to reflect community life, history, and tradition. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, the tradition remains one of Mozambique's most celebrated and sophisticated musical forms. On Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy), Timbila Ta Venancio honors the legacy of revered timbila master Venancio Mbande through the work of his sons, who perform and reinterpret his enduring musical vision. Recorded in 2026 at Studio Bom Dia in Inhambane Province, the album serves as both a tribute to Mbande and a celebration of Chopi cultural heritage. The ten pieces follow the traditional sequence of a timbila performance, unfolding as an interconnected musical narrative. Ecos Do Legado stands as a powerful testament to a living tradition whose cultural significance continues to resonate across generations.
Transcendental dreamstates and techno synthscapes projecting from 1992 into the future.
Written and recorded shortly before his departure from Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Dream Night Dance Music is the visionary first album from Robbert Heijnen under his celebrated alias, Exquisite Corpse. Exploring ritualistic rhythms and organic synth sculpting with a delicacy far beyond most techno released in 1992, the seductive atmospheres and rolling sequences of Dream Night Dance Music reach well beyond pure dancefloor functionality to become an immersive experience for introspection and extroversion alike.
Belgian label KK Records originally released Dream Night Dance Music as a single LP and CD, long-since out of print and highly sought after by the notoriously enthusiastic PWOG / Heijnen fanbase. This expanded reissue on Forever Records spreads the release across two 12"s, adding the track 'What A Life' originally released on the Reassembling Reality single, recorded during the same sessions as Dream Night Dance Music. In addition, the limited vinyl edition comes with a bonus 10" featuring previously unreleased tracks 'Calling' and 'Sure'.
Praise for Dream Night Dance Music:
"The Dream Night Dance Music CD is… electronic opium… The soft, analogue synth sounds and arrangements strongly recall minimal music (Glass/Reich). Music that never ends, constantly winding new loops and coils around the listener's vulnerable inner self." Fritz, Trust Zine, 1992.
"The sound is very trance-like and hypnotic, yet remains highly danceable and never gets boring… It is sure to appeal to night owls, cyberpunx, and neon-light junkies alike." Spex, 1992.
"Heynen strikes a compelling balance between a multitude of rhythms, melodies, and timbres. Permeated by an almost swaying groove, the music reflects influences ranging from the early "minimal music" of composer Steve Reich and the electronic architecture of pioneers Kraftwerk to various non-Western, mystical traditions without ever resorting to mere imitation." Corné Evers, Oor, 1992.
Transcendental dreamstates and techno synthscapes projecting from 1992 into the future.
Written and recorded shortly before his departure from Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Dream Night Dance Music is the visionary first album from Robbert Heijnen under his celebrated alias, Exquisite Corpse. Exploring ritualistic rhythms and organic synth sculpting with a delicacy far beyond most techno released in 1992, the seductive atmospheres and rolling sequences of Dream Night Dance Music reach well beyond pure dancefloor functionality to become an immersive experience for introspection and extroversion alike.
Belgian label KK Records originally released Dream Night Dance Music as a single LP and CD, long-since out of print and highly sought after by the notoriously enthusiastic PWOG / Heijnen fanbase. This expanded reissue on Forever Records spreads the release across two 12"s, adding the track 'What A Life' originally released on the Reassembling Reality single, recorded during the same sessions as Dream Night Dance Music. In addition, the limited vinyl edition comes with a bonus 10" featuring previously unreleased tracks 'Calling' and 'Sure'.
Praise for Dream Night Dance Music:
"The Dream Night Dance Music CD is… electronic opium… The soft, analogue synth sounds and arrangements strongly recall minimal music (Glass/Reich). Music that never ends, constantly winding new loops and coils around the listener's vulnerable inner self." Fritz, Trust Zine, 1992.
"The sound is very trance-like and hypnotic, yet remains highly danceable and never gets boring… It is sure to appeal to night owls, cyberpunx, and neon-light junkies alike." Spex, 1992.
"Heynen strikes a compelling balance between a multitude of rhythms, melodies, and timbres. Permeated by an almost swaying groove, the music reflects influences ranging from the early "minimal music" of composer Steve Reich and the electronic architecture of pioneers Kraftwerk to various non-Western, mystical traditions without ever resorting to mere imitation." Corné Evers, Oor, 1992.
UK-based reggae veteran Macka B takes listeners on a journey back to the roots of Jamaican music with the release of his new single, “Memories.”
Recorded over the powerful Diverse Doctrine Riddim, “Memories” is a tribute to the golden era of reggae, celebrating a time when Roots Reggae dominated the dance halls and the term “dancehall” referred to the sound system sessions rather than the genre it would later become.
With enthralling lyrics and authentic reggae instrumentation, Macka B reflects on the lively dancehall culture of the 1970s—a period when conscious roots music, militant messages, heavyweight sound systems, and spirited community gatherings defined Jamaica’s musical landscape.
Known for his commitment to positive reggae music and socially conscious storytelling, Macka B once again delivers a recording that honors the genre’s legacy while resonating with longtime reggae enthusiasts and new listeners alike.
Highscore is one of the newest-and quite sensational-discoveries in funk of the 1980s out of Germany. Two tracks Breakin' Out and Girls So Fine, both recorded about 40 years ago and shelved ever since, are finally receiving a long-overdue 12" release.
Label founder DJ Scientist tells the story of how the tracks were uncovered:
"Several years ago, while researching the Crea label-after we had already licensed 'You're Not The One For Me' by Peter Patzer-I also wanted to find out more about another band on the label: Nuages, who had released the stunning jazz-funk/fusion album Cumulus.
Interestingly, a Discogs user had uploaded a hand written promo letter from one of the band members along with the LP. In it, drummer Mike Bach mentioned plans for a second album, as well as a single featuring a 'coloured singer'-which caught my attention. (A note on language: the original letter from 1985 uses the term 'coloured.' We've chosen to quote it directly as a historical document, but want to be clear that this reflects the terminology of the era and not language we would use today.)
Digging deeper, more information was found on Bach's own website, where a project called 'High Score' was mentioned. I immediately got in touch and asked if the recordings from that project still existed. Unfortunately, Bach couldn't locate any of the material at the time.
Years passed before we reconnected, when we featured 'Strange Weekend' by Nuages on our recent yacht rock compilation. I still had the Highscore project in mind and asked again. Once more, Mike had to deny-but he made another effort and reached out to former collaborators. A few weeks later, guitarist and composer Hermann Behrens discovered cassette tapes containing tracks from the Highscore project. I couldn't wait to hear them…"
To go back a bit: Nuages were a jazz-rock band from Bremerhaven, originally formed by guitarist Joachim "Fussy" Fuß in 1982. The lineup included Mike Bach (drums and percussion), Klaus Hinners (bass), and Frank Fischer (keyboards). In 1984, John Dillard, a U.S. GI stationed in Germany, joined Nuages for several live performances as a soul singer.
Around 1985/1986, Dillard and Bach then teamed up with Hermann Behrens with a new focus on electro funk and disco: Highscore was born.
When the three demo recordings were finally sent to us, they immediately blew us away. Breakin' Out stood out as an incredible electro-funk boogie gem-exactly what we had been looking for. What's more, it didn't sound like a rough demo at all, Breakin Out was a well-arranged and almost perfectly recorded track, driven by fresh, vibrant synths, drum machines and guitar. The cassette mix wasn't entirely final, but the remaining details could be refined during mastering.
The B-side, Girl So Fine, impressed just as much-equally strong and just as captivating as the A-side. Our reaction was immediate: this had to be released without delay!
Most importantly, there are a few more recordings from Highscore. However, these only exist as multi-track studio reels, which currently cannot be transferred. In the best case, more material from the band may surface soon-hopefully without another long wait.
The 12" release Breakin' Out / Girl So Fine" comes with a newly designed picture sleeve, featuring an original photo of the band members, including background singer Ruben Hopkins who does not appear on these two recordings.
Mount Kimbie’s forthcoming contribution to the acclaimed fabric presents series marks one of the duo’s most dancefloor-focused bodies of work in years. More than simply a release on fabric Records, the project sits within the revered fabric presents mix series, placing Mount Kimbie alongside artists such as Daniel Avery, Midland, Helena Hauff and Overmono, artists who have each delivered defining entries for the series.
Leading the project is first single “Monroe”, a warm yet uplifting club track that unfolds gradually through loose percussion, driving synth work and subtle vocal fragments drifting in and out of the mix, adding flashes of emotion without interrupting the track’s momentum. An ode to their 2017 hit ‘Marilyn’ featuring Micachu, the track carries elements of the original throughout, with flourishes over reverb washed vocals that float around you amongst driving drums and bass. There’s a summery energy running throughout the track, making it equally suited to late-night club systems and open-air festival stages.
Long celebrated as pioneers of the post-dubstep and future garage movements, Mount Kimbie continue to evolve beyond genre boundaries while maintaining the unmistakable sonic identity that has made them one of the defining acts in UK electronic music. Their contribution to the fabric presents series captures the duo at their most refined and exploratory, without losing the emotional atmosphere and understated intensity that has always defined their work.
Released as part of the prestigious fabric presents series via fabric Records, the project signals a bold new chapter for Mount Kimbie.
More than two decades after its original release, "Just the Way You Are" is experiencing a remarkable global resurgence. With over 13 million monthly Spotify listeners for the original recording alone, becoming a radio and stadium anthem in new heights! To celebrate its enduring popularity, the track is returning to vinyl with an exclusive limited-edition tricolour pressing, with the added bonus of 2026 remixes.
Originally released in August 2002. While the track did not chart in the band's native Italy, it became an international hit, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart and securing Top 30 positions in Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Romania. In the United States, the song made history as the first official No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Radio Airplay chart, having already topped the chart during its unpublished testing phase.
The song's revival gained significant momentum in 2026 following a viral remix by Australian DJ Mall Grab, which introduced the track to a new generation of listeners and sparked widespread streaming growth and social media engagement. The renewed interest was further amplified by a series of high-profile remixes from Australian electronic duo Pnau, Austrian producer Ely Oaks, and French superstar DJ David Guetta. Together, these releases have cemented "Just the Way You Are" as a cross-generational dance anthem, reaffirming its lasting influence and global appeal more than 20 years after its debut.
Cacciamali is an exploration of diegetic sound, folk chants and traditional rhythms and instrumentation building upon Milan based Rosso Polare’s last outing Campo Amaro and the subsequent departure of co-founder Anna Vezzosi from the group. Where the 2024 album incorporated a heavy use of folklore as a new tool, Cacciamali explores the influence further by bringing in a host of collaborative players including Italian avant-garde veteran Riccardo Sinigaglia, sound artist and researcher HMOT (Stas Shärifulla) and Persian/Parisian electro-acoustic musician Cinna Peyghamy.
‘Scoff Back Sickness’, as the title loosely translates, utilises the same approach, one based on non-hierarchical authorship and leaning heavily on field recordings that both contrast and blend with the tonal material, focusing on biophony, landscape and environmental audio as compositional material.
a A1. xiv - pavo (ft. Cinna Peyghamy) [09:36]
[b] A2. falò [04:02]
[c] A3. monte (ft. Riccardo Sinigaglia) [05:46]
[d] B1. hastilude (ft. Riccardo Sinigaglia) [07:51]
[e] B2. 1744 (ft. HMOT) [06:06]
[f] B3. la cruma [07:29]
Victoryland is the Brooklyn-based project of musician Julian McCamman and Dan Howard.. Their 2026 album, My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It, is a triumphant, despondent, and ultimately fun experimental pop-rock album. A year on, the record receives the deluxe treatment from new label home Dead Oceans. My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It (Deluxe) arrives December
11th 2026, on exclusive crystal clear vinyl, complete with new song “The Ugliest Girl On The Beach” and a new music video for album standout “I got god.” The sound of the album, recorded between Julian’s Bed-Stuy basement and Dan’s Williamsburg studio, is that of a bright and beaming collaboration. Blending lo-fi and hi-fi production, the songs have the glossiness of a radio-friendly hit mixed with the distortion and rough edges of a home demo. Every song keeps at least one element of the initial recording, while building around the loops and half-songs Julian scraped together. The lyrics on the record span from humorous self-aware popisms (“‘you and I’ will soon be, used to be ‘us’”) to crushing realities of bitterness (“i’ll never forgive you, that’s how I keep you close”) and abstract imagery (“mothers wave from doorways, in ostinato”), all delivered with such an immediacy and fervor that in the middle of singing along, you wonder if this guy slept much last night. Much to their surprise, My Heart’s release ushered Victoryland into a whirlwind of a year. Pitchfork praised the album’s “bright, madcap approach reminiscent of the New Pornographers’ Twin Cinema or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s Some Loud Thunder.” Stereogum named it their Album of the Week and proclaimed it “a surprisingly cohesive scrapbook of sounds from seemingly every corner of the indie pop umbrella.” The album also received support from Steve Lamacq at BBC 6 Music and Sian Eleri at Radio 1. After a string of sold-out shows in NYC, Victoryland later joined LCD Soundsystem on their North American tour and performed at Pitchfork London, Pitchfork Paris, among other festivals across Europe
Take That, eine der erfolgreichsten Bands Großbritanniens, veröffentlicht ihr neuntes Studioalbum „This Life“. Nach 45 Millionen verkauften Alben, 12 UK #1 Singles und insgesamt 2,5 Milliarden Streams über alle Streaming Dienste kehren die britischen Pop-Royals mit diesem Album zurück. „Windows“, die brandneue Single von Take That, kennzeichnet die erste Eigenkomposition der Band seit über fünf Jahren.
Take That sind bekannt für ihre großen Produktionen und unglaublichen Liveshows. Im Jahr 2019 feierte die Band ihr 30-jähriges Bestehen mit der ausverkauften Odyssey-Tour. Die musikalische Ausgestaltung des Albums ”This Life” ist geprägt von wunderschönen Melodien, eingängigen Refrains und eleganten Harmonien, die die Stimmen des Trios wunderbar miteinander verbinden. „Windows“ und das kommende Album „This Life“ setzen somit das Erbe einer der talentiertesten Bands der britischen Chartgeschichte fort
2x12" 180g black vinyl
Gatefold
2x printed Innersleeves
Dl-Card
D1 "Running" exclusive track - only available via album vinyl
Monolink's second full-length musical opus, which follows on from the critically lauded release of his debut LP Amniotic back in April 2018, Under Darkening Skies features twelve exquisite new vocal-led compositions, including his internationally celebrated hit singles, Otherside and The Prey.
Speaking about the album: "Under Darkening Skies is an album that's connecting different dots in my life, representing phases or moments I went through. I wanted to go back to writing actual songs again instead of adding vocals to a beat, which gave me the freedom to express more musical facets of myself. Eventually it became the most diverse record I have made so far, influenced by a time of global social and economic uncertainty at an ever-increasing tempo of change, like a dark cloud approaching. "
MTMS2 - Mystica Tribe Meets Scopeotaku 2 Following the duos first release - Mystica Tribe Meets Scopeotaku on 13/Silentes. Mystica Tribe and Scopeotaku push their collaborative adventures further with MTMS2. Creating psychedelic dubs with rich textures, tape saturation and echo chambers. Utilising acid synths combined with deep dub rhythms and melodic electronics evolving into a new dimension of dub. Deep psychedelic electronic steppers blend with bass pressure and heavyweight rhythms drifting into techno, ambient and mutant dub. Creating a sonic adventure where tradition is often pushed into unfamiliar territory. Two distant worlds, one frequency. Nine tracks for the mind and body. Deep dub frequencies. Psychedelic textures. Heavyweight rhythms. —————————
Mystica Tribe is the musical alias of Tokyo, Japan based producer Taka Noda. Drawing on a wide range of influences from dub, soul, bass and rhythm & blues. Mystica Tribe has been developing a very distinctive sound that exists in a weird freaked out zone, between dub and techno. Noda is especially interested in deep psychedelic music and this is reflected in his productions. Which are equally suited for late night listening sessions or on bent broken dancefloors.
Scopeotaku is the alter ego of Scott Prentice, a Glasgow, Scotland based artist. Scopeotaku has experimented with audio since purchasing a sampler and a four track cassette deck many many moons ago. His love for left-field dub and eccentric sounds have led him to create a variety of output, from industrial ambient, illbent electronics to mutant dub.
The songs of I Love You Dude have millions of streams over the different platforms and never lost their appeal. Songs like Miami Showdown, Circles or 2 Hearts still belong to the most streamed tracks of Digitalism's catalogue. To date the album tracks have been used in numerous games and commercials. The band just released their highly acclaimed new album Optimism alongside a European tour in November. This 2026 re-issue is the first edition since the album release in 2011. The LP was sold out for years and now it's back limited to 300 copies on sky blue vinyl.
2026 Repress
Hypnoxock, aka Victor Solsona from Barcelona, has been releasing all kinds of psychedelic music for over 15 years now! Since focusing on Goa-trance over the last decade, he has gained significant attention and released a full album on Suntripin 2020. His major breakthrough came with the track "Magma", featured on theAcid/303 compilation Acidum Influxum by Suntrip. For many, this was the track of the year - and we wholeheartedly agree.
On this 12" EP, you'll find that standout track, accompanied by three brand-newones: the full acid stomper "The Fabric of Reality", the uplifting morning anthem "Cascade", and a remix of a classic Underhead track. A 12" on wax featuring different styles from one artist? This feels like the '90s! :) Not many copies available- extra distribution thru the well known Flatlife Records Labelgroup.
Enjoy!
Hot on the heels of the massive Grant Dell release, GEMS Delivers another slice of underground house excellence, continuing its relentless journey of showcasing both timeless and forward-thinking underground house music with a powerful new release from Gideon Jackson.
A 3 track EP featuring Helpless (Original Mix) — The standout cut from Gideon’s Outa The Blue EP (1996), capturing the raw, hypnotic energy of the era. Helpless (Freeform Mix) — A previously unreleased 1996 remix, unearthed from the vaults yet sounding as fresh and relevant as ever. Sales In the Wind — A brand new production (2025), proving Gideon remains at the top of his game with a refined yet unmistakable sound.
true underground figure, Gideon Jackson has been deeply embedded in the scene since the formative days of tech house. Renowned for his vinyl-driven approach to house and techno, Gideon blends styles seamlessly, creating a distinctive and instantly recognisable sound.
Widely regarded as one of the key pioneers of the London tech house movement, his productions helped define the genre’s early blueprint — fusing bass-heavy rhythms with hypnotic grooves. His work has appeared on respected labels including Loaded, Pagan, and his own imprint Outa The Blue.
After stepping away from the spotlight, Gideon resurfaced in 2017 with a standout podcast for Strange, reaffirming his influence and deep-rooted musical identity.
His long-awaited return to the decks came in October 2025 at Archivio presents Wiggle in New York, followed by a November appearance at Wiggle at Gaffe — marking a powerful resurgence for one of the scene’s original innovators.
Roland Leesker Remixes Inner City Classic ‘Pennies From Heaven’
Definitive Recordings presents a powerful new remix by Roland Leesker of ‘Pennies From Heaven’, the timeless house classic by Inner City, originally released in 1992.
Founded by Kevin Saunderson, one of the legendary Belleville Three and a key architect of Detroit techno, Inner City shaped the sound of electronic music with global hits like ‘Big Fun’ and ‘Good Life’. With over six million records sold and decades of influence, their catalogue remains a cornerstone of dance music culture.
On his remix, Roland Leesker transforms ‘Pennies From Heaven’ into a driving, floor-focused house weapon. Built around a heavy, straight TR-909 groove, the track gradually introduces elements from the original in a layered, loop-based arrangement.
The remix reaches its peak in a powerful breakdown, where the full main theme and vocals unfold, creating a classic hands-inthe-air moment before dropping back into the stomping groove. The result is a modern interpretation that stays true to the spirit of the original while delivering maximum impact on today’s dancefloors.
Roland Leesker, a long-standing figure in house music, has been active since the late 80s, with roots in Frankfurt’s club scene and later key roles in New York, Berlin, and the global music industry. From his early days at Delirium Records to his work with Get Physical Music and beyond, Leesker has consistently contributed to shaping electronic music culture.
This remix brings past and present together, offering a respectful reimagining of a classic for today’s house music dancefloors. The vinyl release is completed by an additional Acapella Tool on the B-side, offering DJs a stripped-back version focused on the iconic vocal elements of the track — perfect for creative mixing and extended club moments.
Some records never really disappear. They wait for the right moment to be rediscovered.
Originally created in 1981 by legendary Italian composer and keyboardist Claudio Simonetti alongside producer Giancarlo Meo, Kasso emerged at a pivotal moment when disco, jazz-funk and electronic music were beginning to collide, and a distinctly Italian dance sound was taking shape.
Built around Simonetti’s unmistakable piano and keyboard work, Kasso developed a significant following across Europe, particularly in France and Italy. The project would produce cult favourites including “Kasso”, “Key West”, “One More Round” and “Walkman”, the latter becoming a major French success, reportedly selling around 500,000 copies.
Kasso’s influence travelled considerably further. Finding its way into the underground clubs of New York and Chicago, with original material receiving the remix and edit treatment from John “Jellybean” Benitez and, later, house music pioneer Frankie Knuckles.
Behind it all is Claudio Simonetti, a musician whose extraordinary career stretches from European disco to some of cinema’s most iconic soundtracks as keyboardist and composer with Goblin, including Deep Red, Suspiria and Dawn of the Dead. Now, more than four decades later, Claudio Simonetti’s Kasso returns.
Unlocking key elements from the original production, including Simonetti’s distinctive piano, the music has been placed in the hands of another European dance music pioneer: Ben Liebrand.
A hugely influential DJ, producer and remixer, Liebrand’s groundbreaking In The Mix radio shows and legendary Grandmix series have helped shape European DJ culture, while his extensive remix catalogue stretches across artists including Bill Withers, Phil Collins, Sting, Salt-N-Pepa and countless others.
His new interpretations of Kasso respect the musicianship and unmistakable character of Simonetti’s original while giving it a fresh, contemporary dancefloor life.
And this is only the beginning.
Kasso launches a series of four new singles, culminating in Kassologie, a definitive collection bringing together the essential Claudio Simonetti recordings alongside new remixes and updates. And all vinyl will be released in a colored-vinyl edition also!
Over forty years after it first emerged from Italy’s extraordinary early-’80s dance scene, Kasso is ready for another round.
Seeking to build with the remnants of forgotten sounds, Mystery Friend is a channel through which all these elements flow and take on meaning, generating a new timeless concept where past and future coexist in harmony. With a deep fidelity and commitment to rhythm, dance, analog machines and samples, this EP is charged with mysticism, darkness and a physical energy designed for trance on the dancefloor.
Acid Tracks EP is the debut release from Sebucan Records (SEBR001), a record store based in Montevideo, Uruguay, founded and led by Louis Merlán, a DJ and selector with over 20 years of experience in the electronic music scene. Produced by Argentine artist Mystery Friend, the EP comes wrapped in a visual identity by Uruguayan designer Diego Prado, translating the sonic concept into imagery of analog machinery and vintage mechanisms, weaving a dialogue between the industrial and the mystical that echoes the music from start to finish. Bordello A Parigi Distribution carries this release beyond Uruguay’s borders and into record shops and collectors’ hands around the world. Acid Tracks EP is an invitation to lose yourself in the groove, to let the ancestral and the futuristic merge into a single pulse. Pressed on vinyl, made to sound loud, to dance to in the dark, and to stay with you.
New Darius album, featuring Wayne Snow, Kadhja Bonet, Benny Sings...
After the release of his last EP "OASIS (Prelude) on Roche Musique, Parisian producer Darius reveals his second album "OASIS" with the powerful track "EASE YOUR MIND". A groovy dancing track reminiscing of his early trademark electro dance sounds with catchy R&B lead from Devin Tracy. The acclaimed and certified artist is now ready to unveil his new project, teased since the release of the +10 Million streams "EQUILIBRIUM" in 2020.
Adam Freeland relaunches Marine Parade with the ‘Transhuman’ EP, a collaboration with Spooky’s Duncan Forbes and the first of three releases set to arrive throughout the year. Available to stream now, the title track previews a deeper, more atmospheric direction ahead of Freeland's first solo material in sixteen years and the first new music on Marine Parade since 2009.
Across Adam Freeland and Duncan Forbes’ ‘Transhuman’ EP, broken rhythms sit subtly beneath spacious arrangements, while flickering synths, sci-fi -infused vocals and static-charged textures create an immersive, cinematic feel. It's a sound that reflects both Freeland's longstanding love of dub and Techno and the distance gained from stepping away from the dance music landscape in the 2010s.
Best known for his seminal ‘Coastal Breaks’ mix album and a run of acclaimed releases, remixes, and mix compilations spanning Fabric Live, Global Underground and Back To Mine, Adam Freeland spent a decade living off -grid in California’s Mojave Desert, while also working with Ry X to form The Acid, a band that has since released the ‘Liminal’ LP on Mute/Infectious, penned a film score and toured to great acclaim from well outside the electronic world.
Joining Adam Freeland is Duncan Forbes, one half of pioneering UK duo Spooky, whose landmark releases on Guerilla Records and influential debut album ‘Gargantuan’ helped define the early ambient Techno and progressive House movements. In the decades since, Forbes has continued to evolve through projects including collaborations with Mr. G and Sasha, as well as recent solo releases via Enzo Siragusa’s Fuse London and his own 49North imprint.
The ‘Transhuman’ EP marks the beginning of a new chapter for Marine Parade, with two further EPs from Freeland scheduled throughout 2026. The label will also expand with forthcoming material from longtime friends and previous label artists Evil Nine, alongside a new generation of talent joining the roster.
Nippon Psychedelic Soul 1970-1979 is Time Capsule’s continuation of the deep dive into Japan’s rich history of folk and psychedelic soul music.
Vinyl LP with 4 page insert, original artwork and photos
The kaleidoscopic psychedelia of 1970s Japan captured a fragile and fertile moment as the country sought its future in funk grooves, heavy reverb and lyrical hallucinations.
The follow-up compilation to Time Capsule’s Nippon Acid Folk, Nippon Psychedelic Soul takes myriad pathways into the tripped-out undergrowth of 1970s Japan. Finding their feet at home and looking for inspiration abroad, the musicians featured here were engaged in the communal soul-searching that followed the breakdown of the 1960s protest movements. Some made it big, others drifted into oblivion. The music they left behind shimmers with intensity.
At the core was Happy End, the first project of YMO’s Haroumi Hosono, whose distortion-heavy guitar and crisp back-beat laid the foundations for Japanese lyrics that flipped the paradigm of Japanese rock music on its head. With it came a new found sonic ambition, such as in the bold Philly-soul style arrangements of producer Yuji Ohno, whose work with occult wandered Yoshiko Sai shares some of the bittersweet grandeur of Rotary Connection or David Axelrod.
Then there was Jun Fukamachi, a pioneer of Japanese synthesis, whose debut album was a carnival of orchestral funk, euphoric horn lines and rich production, complete with soaring guitar solos, psychedelic organ and a truly cinematic finale. The first and only time Fukamachi would sing on record, ‘Omae’ rips like the ultimate end-of-nighter.
Influenced by giants of the US soul scene, maverick composer Hiroshi “Monsieur” Kamayatsu (otherwise known as ‘the Brian Wilson of Japan’) went one step further, enlisting Tower of Power to play on ‘Have You Smoked Gauloises?’ The B-side to Monsieur’s biggest-selling single, it coasts with sophisticated cool - a liquid bassline and suave keys comping under a roaring trademark ToP sax solo. No surprise it found favour once more on the Acid Jazz dance floors of ‘90s London.
Such was the spirit of experimentation that big studio productions and private press releases sat side-by-side, with the likes of Momotaro Pink and Kazushi Inamura, taking their hopes of success into their own hands with the resources available to them. More reflective but no less robust, theirs was a heavy, fat-backed drum sound, soaked in dramatic, soulful psychedelia.
If some were dreamers and others space cadets, none were further out than sci-fi writer, musician, activist and self-made scientist Tadashi Goino, who transformed his own fantasy novel Messenger from the Seventh Dimension into an operatic prog odyssey with few discernible musical reference points – a majestic and completely bonkers outlier even among company as strange and brilliant as that which is collected here.
Less a compilation of a scene, as a compilation of a sentiment, Nippon Psychedelic Soul is a wild ride from start to finish, shattering the narratives of the Japanese folk and rock tradition into a million tiny pieces.
“Wavebreaker” is a magnificent post-punk and minimal wave album originally self-released in 2024 by Orus Boris — a brilliant work that unquestionably deserved a proper vinyl edition for both its musical depth and outstanding technical quality. Built around a truly exceptional production, “Wavebreaker” moves in line with the finest contemporary wave sounds while constantly expanding its own universe. The album never feels nostalgic or predictable. Instead, it reshapes its influences into something fluid, sharp, and deeply personal, refusing to remain confined to a single language. Alongside its minimal wave foundations, the record introduces subtle incursions into darker electronic territories such as dark electro aesthetics, making each track feel unexpected and constantly evolving. Melancholy collides with tension, elegance with aggression, precision with emotional weight. The result is an immersive and surprising listening experience from beginning to end—a remarkable work that confirms Orus Boris as one of the most exciting and essential voices to follow within the new wave underground. Presented in ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially remastered and mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).
A long-time figure at the heart of Samurai Music, Last Life makes his first appearance on SAIBAI trading his signature snarl for shadowy psychedelia and snaking beatdowns. Since 2015 Mauro Picciau has been cultivating a sound that maximises on the space that opens up around half-time 170, finding plenty of power while stretching out his rhythms. On this new release he pivots towards subtler tones and textures, and plugs directly into the wave of innovative artistry occurring at the intersection of D&B and deep techno. Writhing, taut sound design spells out the mood on opening track 'Gear Cutter', as Picciau gets expressive with metallic feedback tones that elegantly contort across the front of the mix. There's a strong sense of narrative that brings the track's dynamic movement to the fore, holding back energetic shifts with a measured intent to ramp up the tension. 'Norma' has a more ceremonial feel, locking into a steady pulse and letting distant clouds of melodic ambience create a bewitching atmosphere around the percussive mantras. 'Radian' speaks its own minimalist, techno-spirited language, drawing on alien murmurs and steely drones to strike a lighter note without breaking the mysterious fog that hovers over the EP. 'The Moat' leads on a heavier set of drums to close the record out, shaping space with skilful reverb and a tightly controlled synth pulse. Within this echo chamber, and across the whole release, Picciau has capitalised on this patient approach to bed infinitesimal ripples into the mix, rewarding the active listener and instilling his creations with a kinetic vitality that can always be felt, no matter how slight the sound is.
Devianza, leading artist and owner of the label, returns to production by launching a new series of single-sided vinyl releases, each featuring only two tracks. The first instalment is a sonic catharsis rising from the very depths of a generous land, abundant with new seeds ready to sprout.
‘Le Piante di Elena’ is a dreamlike homage to a primordial world — untouched, pure, and still fertile. A tribute to a newborn bearer of the most radical values of a necessary humanism: a call to return to nature in its most spiritual and purest form. Devianza appears to be evolving into a higher, more spiritual dimension, where spirituality itself becomes the guiding force behind his musical production.
The single side opens with ‘Betullae’, a hypnotic ride between deep and leftfield, characteristic of Devianza’s sound, but this time enriched with an Indian tonal and modal flavour. Forest landscapes are traced by piano motifs that evoke interstellar journeys among endless birch trees.
‘Sunflower Sunset’ continues the hypnotic drift with a melodic crescendo that conjures the image of a sunflower field bathed in the warm glow of a summer sunset without wind. Here, where everything stands still yet everything is, this eight-minute piece becomes proof of the rarefaction of time — an instant that, though fleeting, feels infinite.
For fans of: Donato Dozzy, Voices From The Lake, Luigi Tozzi, Claudio PRC.
Related labels: Spazio Disponibile, Hypnus, Semantica, Silent Season.
‘An Undying Love For A Burning World follows Converge’s Love Is Not Enough this year as a pivotal metal album about acknowledging the darkness for what it is and trying to accept it.’ - the QUIETUS
‘Neurosis Know You’re Hurting. Their Stunning New Album Is a Life Preserver.
An Undying Love for a Burning World, the band’s first album with new member Aaron Turner, is a reminder of how even the darkest music can be a guiding light’ - 9/10 ROLLING STONE
Evolution can be ugly and beautiful, painful and euphoric. An Undying Love For A Burning World is the first new release from Neurosis in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth - one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.
An Undying Love For A Burning World is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only Neurosis can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit.
“From the moment I first heard Neurosis over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years travelling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music - but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.” - AARON TURNER
Neurosis have never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, Neurosis’cacophony of noise, rhythm and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.
On every song in the band’s history, Neurosis shifts restlessly between tension and relief, invoking a feeling both feral and transcendent in listeners. The band describe their songwriting process as an inescapable impulse to create with each other - a need rather than a choice. Indeed, the band insist that their return is “not a reunion - we never broke up.”
The album was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, and Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle during three weekends this winter, and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.
Neurosis will play their first show in seven years on the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as part of Fire in the Mountains festival by special invitation of Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing youth suicide in Indian Country.
FITM, is a unique festival known for bringing epic music to epic landscapes with the intent of reconnecting and immersing oneself with the natural world, and strengthening our ancestral roots as human beings - an aim which aligns directly with Neurosis’ deep-rooted power.
Stay tuned for further news over the coming months.
PREVIOUS PRESS:
‘In less skilful hands, this relentless sonic oppression would be gruelling, but by expressing human frailty with such visceral abandon, Neurosis have once again turned darkness into euphoria.’ - 4/5 THE GUARDIAN
‘The Oakland band has evolved from gritty metallic punk to harrowing post-hardcore prog to the majestic doom of their current phase’ - 7.9 PITCHFORK
‘It’s not often an album of such stature exceeds one’s anticipations, but Honor is too astounding to not be revered.’ - The QUIETUS
“Fires Within Fires is the summation of thirty years of experimentation in tonality and texture. Yes, NEUROSIS are firmly positioned within the extreme metal underground yet their music, with its ability to generate images of beauty akin to those many of us have experienced in our own lives – not to mention the loss that accompanies them – challenges this categorization. ‘’ - WIRE MAGAZINE - FULL PAGE REVIEW.
"Their intensity remains undimmed on Fires Within Fires...The already converted will take heart from the evidence that age is unable to wither the fury of this heaviest of bands." - KERRANG! 4K REVIEW
"Every monstrous sludge riff gnashes menacingly for the right amount of time and every delicate moment of folk-inspired drift is emotionally exacting. Neurosis continue to create art without equal, and Fires Within Fires is another worthy addition to an awe-inspiring canon containing a number of truly pioneering and timeless albums." - METAL HAMMER - 8/10 LEAD REVIEW
In the rapidly shifting tectonic plates of the global Afrobeats scene, few arrivals have been as seismic as that of Ahmed Ololade—better known to the world as Asake. With his breakout project Mr. Money With The Vibe, the artist didn’t merely debut; he effectively recalibrated the tempo of the Nigerian pop soundscape. The EP functions as a masterclass in synthesis, pulling from the ornate, percussive history of Fuji music and grafting it onto the driving, bass-heavy architectures of contemporary Amapiano. It is a calculated, deeply rhythmic hybridization that manages to feel both nostalgic and jarringly modern.
From a critical vantage point, Mr. Money With The Vibe is defined by its brevity and density. Asake treats each track as a focused vignette, utilizing a vocal delivery that oscillates between a melodic, almost liturgical chant and the staccato urgency of a Lagos street orator. The production—characterized by sharp, frenetic percussion and deceptively simple melodic loops—creates a high-intensity atmosphere that mirrors the relentless pace of urban life. He avoids the pitfall of bloated experimentation; instead, he doubles down on a "street-pop" ethos, prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing the complex rhythmic interplay that gives the genre its distinctive texture.
Ultimately, Mr. Money With The Vibe stands as a pivotal document of the current era, capturing the transition of Afrobeats from a regional powerhouse to a dominant global force. By blending the aspirational "hustle culture" narrative with an increasingly sophisticated sonic palette, Asake established a blueprint that has since influenced a new wave of artists. The project is a testament to the idea that authenticity, when paired with relentless precision, remains the most effective currency in contemporary music.
No, we’re not yelling at you. That’s the answer. WHO ASKED? is the long-awaited sophomore album from the French-born Domi Louna and Texas native JD Beck. Following two GRAMMY nominations, including Best New Artist for a debut album (2022’s NOT TiGHT), WHO ASKED? is unlike anything they’ve done before. Bringing together a small sinfonietta of seasoned classical players, WHO ASKED? showcases the duo’s incredibly singular, super maximalist, and strikingly beautiful orchestral vision.
There is a kinetic energy that binds drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Liv.e, the spark that happens when instinct meets flow and spirit finds rhythm.
Their collaborative debut as GENA (short for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by Gina from Martin), The Pleasure Is Yours feels like a playful, soulful conversation between two kindred improvisers: Liv.e’s smoky, unpolished vocals glide through Riggins’ warm, percussive universe. Rooted in jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Liv.e brings a raw, experimental approach to R&B, while Riggins known for his work with Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Madlib, and his close kinship with J Dilla, extends his lifelong dialogue between jazz improvisation and beat science.
Together they create a world that’s analog and ethereal, percussive and poetic, bridging eras without settling in one, the sound of two artists finding a new shared language rooted in rhythm, vulnerability, and exuberance.
Pressed on 180g vinyl, the album comes in an embossed sleeve and is avaible in red and black splatter.
Brighter Discs opens with its first release from label founders Kamma & Masalo. Born out of Brighter Days, the duo’s long running party series since 2014. A colourful get together where generations mix freely, DJ legends share space with new voices, and the dancefloor is treated as common ground. Brighter Discs carries this same spirit into recorded form, a natural continuation following the Brighter Days compilation previously released on Rush Hour.
Brighter Discs starts things off with ‘Can’t Fake The Feeling’, built around the original vocal by Renee Mohannon, taken from the 1989 release produced by house music pioneer Joe Smooth. The vocal is fully cleared and officially licensed, with everything surrounding it newly written and produced, resulting in a club track that honours the emotional core of the original vocal while giving it new space to shine.
The ‘Club Mix’ unfolds with immediate lift, a classic yet upfront house energy carried by Kamma & Masalo’s elevating instrumentation moving in lockstep with Renee Mohannon’s vocal. A pure club track celebrating dance music to the fullest.
On the flip you will find K&M’s ‘Unity Dub’, a darker, percussion driven workout that strips things back and presents the track in a different light. A twilight version that highlights the duo’s versatility and deep dancefloor understanding.
Kamma & Masalo have tested both cuts extensively while touring, from sun soaked festival stages to esoteric club spaces. Each version has been shaped in real rooms and refined on the road, ensuring the tracks are heard in their best possible form.
All produced with care and free-spirited party energy, Brighter Discs 001 marks the beginning!
Key To World Peace is the third release by Prophetic Justice Ministry - aka Australian musician Sam Perry. An atmospheric, cinematic album that belies a striking pop songwriting nous at its core, its conductor Prophetic Justice Ministry is at the centre of a new wave of creative, rule-bending Melbourne artists. Romantic, smudged and hazy, Perry emerges from behind a wall of
half-light with a clutch of earworms and affecting emotions.
Recorded in home studios in Belgrade (Serbia), Christchurch (New Zealand) and Melbourne (Australia) over the course of three years, Key To World Peace offers a dichotomy in approach. Shifting on a dime between ambient, filmic washes of sound and more traditional song structures, the approach feels natural, casually acid-tipped and emotionally revealing. While Perry’s
distinctive keys and production melding with melody is evidenced in Melbourne group Who Cares?, as Prophetic Justice Ministry there’s a heightened sense of mystery and space being used.
Swirling in a psychedelic fog with dry iced chords falling down like melting stars, the album pulses with an ominous, distorted intro that sculpts air into blocks of sound before Psyop offers a glimpse through the gloom at the artist navigating through crushed, shoe-gazing chords, singing a consolation into an abandoned building. Side A’s more abstract tone veers from industrial tracks (T-A) to pastoral, impressionistic pieces (Trance) before album highlight Life’s A Party showcases the effortless, classic songwriting lurking in Prophetic Justice Ministry. Built on the tension between the upbeat lyrics and suppressed, rich delivery, the song lopes on an alluring loop with acoustic guitars and Perry’s voice walking a tightrope between irony and sincerity. The song blooms into a bright burst of light, almost inducing synesthesia in the listener and reminding a little of The Beta Band’s most outre and catchy moments.
Opening Side B, Naked Shine’s scintillating guitar is punctuated by a sub bass swell that offsets the yearning vocal performance. With palpable sensitivity the song is shepherded into short, atmospheric passages before Love Drum’s direct delivery: Perry’s vocal and guitar, dancing over a hint of distortion feels like Syd Barrett at his most casually brilliant. Carrying on the tradition of a single cover on every Prophetic Justice Ministry release, here Lana Del Rey’s Mariner’s Apartment Complex is given a stripped back but faithful treatment. With a sound that feels like a hushed, Chris Isaak classic it’s testament to Perry’s own compositions that the cover doesn’t outshine the rest of the album. Album closer and single Spirit House Party combines a classic chord progression with Perry’s double-tracked vocal into a murky but brilliantly catchy chorus. While nowhere near as lush in its production, there’s something in the atmosphere of Prophetic Justice Ministry’s vocal sitting in the mix just so that reminds us of The Electric Prunes’ Holy Are You-era work with David Axelrod.
Key To World Peace flits between displaying a spectrum of blurred emotional resonance in its instrumental passages and vulnerability in the shape of raw, melodic songwriting. With his first release outside of Australia and vinyl debut, Sam Perry’s Prophetic Justice Ministry is a beguiling dance in and out shadows.
Memento Records proudly presents a new single by MAP, a.k.a. Massimino Lippoli, Angelino Albanese and Peonia. We’re talking history of Italo House here: Lippoli and Albanese are part of the Sueño Latino collective that released the eponymous track in 1989 to worldwide acclaim. The track, which samples sounds from Manuel Göttsching’s E2-E4 record, went on to become one of Ibiza’s balearic anthems, thanks to the support of legendary DJ Alfredo Fiorito, and a classic staple on the House circuit in clubs all over the planet, with epic remixes by Derrick May, Carl Craig and Bushwacka cementing its legacy as one of the genre- defining pieces. 2026 sees the duo joined by Peonia do what they do best: melodic ambient House Music infused with catchy grooves and beautiful melodies. Opening with a sexy rhythm and dreamy pads, the crescendo leads the way to voluptuous vocals and a swinging arpeggio, making this a total dancefloor darling, perfect to be enjoyed at sunset, on the beach, at your favourite stylish disco, or at that private villa party where everyone is having their best time. B-side rounds off the EP with a stripped down Dub rendition that again is proof of the immense talent of these artists.
The NE21 stands as one of the most mysterious and elusive projects within the contemporary post-punk and minimal wave landscape. With only two previous releases—through Domestica and She Lost Kontrol—the project has already secured an unquestionable place among the essential names of the genre. After five years of complete silence on the release front, “No Zone” marks their long- awaited return. The record expands the project’s unmistakable universe: cold synth lines, suspended atmospheres, hypnotic rhythms, and a haunting sense of isolation that moves between Trisomie 21 minimal wave austerity and Neon’s emotionally charged post-punk tension, aligned with other Italian wave visionaries such as DsorDNE while connecting with newer tendencies in electronic krautrock and proto-experimental music. Everything in “No Zone” feels deliberate and restrained, unfolding a ghostly elegance, balancing shadowy electronics with sharp melodic instinct. With “No Zone”, The NE21 not only return—they reaffirm their singular position as one of the most distinctive and enigmatic voices operating in the darker edges of underground electronic music. Presented in ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially remastered and mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).
Our previous remix-EP of Ness' classic album "Flesh Of The Gods" was, for various reasons, a long and slow process. When Ness himself suggested us to ask Vladw for a contribution we finally had a good reason to reach out to a long time favorite @ the Navigare HQ. Although located, literally, on the other side of the planet, his deep, driving and breezy productions ring true to our, slightly northern, musical vision. So we are not surprised that his excellent remix of "Transilient" is, already, one of the most celebrated tracks in our half decade long history. We asked for more, and finally we are able to present three brand new originals, seeded, watered and harvested with a Navigarean intent. Three highly functional pieces, aimed at focused dancefloors underneath open skies, balancing the beautiful and lush with the edgy and slightly twisted. Although being our first ever collaboration, any Navigare listener would understand that Luigi Tozzi has played a huge role for us on our path. Since his first releases with Hypnus we've listened carefully, on repeat, for a dozen years by now. A guiding light for our scene, always curious, always pioneering, yet always on point. His remix of "Drya" takes the harmonix of the original, adds a monstrous bassline and - trust us on this one - that massive clap will cause a mass frisson on the dancefloor. Trust Navigare Audio...
A mix of post-Tropicalia Brazilian rock and some of the more soulful elements filtering through the country's music in the early 70s and one of the most enigmatic albums by this unique singer! Sergio's got a sound that's incredibly hard to describe at once sweet and melodic, but also kind of twisted, in an intimate singer/songwriter mode. The production of the album is compressed with a number of post-Beatles touches that make it sparkle like work by Caetano Veloso in the mid 70s, or some of the Peruvian rock by groups like We All Together and hearing the record gives us the same sort of excitement of new discovery as when we heard their best work. Titles include "Rulzito Seixas", Viajei De Trem, "Pobre Meu Pai", "Labirintos Negros", "Filme De Terror", and Lero E Leros E Boleros
There’s no direct English translation for the word “hiraeth”. In the Welsh language, it describes a form of longing for an intangible something, somewhere or someone that no longer exists. Sofie Birch and Antonina Nowacka draw on the concept to guide their second collaborative album, a suite of vulnerable, open-hearted improvisations and reflections that attempt to grasp an image of the past that’s chimeric, dissolving almost as soon as it materializes. The duo’s process follows the same distant beacon; unlike Languoria, their critically acclaimed debut, Hiraeth is, at heart, an acoustic record, informed by in-person improvisations with voices and string instruments that gesture to an era before computers, AI and DAWs. It’s just as lush, but Hiraeth is warmer and more muted than its predecessor.
Nowacka and Birch conceived the album in the wake of a slew of collaborative live concerts, spurred on by serendipitous improvisations and an interest in paring down their setup. Unsound arranged a retreat in Sokołowsko, an idyllic village nestled in the verdant hills of Southern Poland, close to the Czech border. Sokołowsko surrounds a large ruined sanatorium that’s rumored to have inspired Thomas Mann’s 1924 novel The Magic Mountain, and has long been a magnet for artists. The two took the opportunity to rethink their approach completely, arriving with just a guitar, a zither and a portable Nagra reel-to-reel machine. Recording directly to tape, they sketched out ideas with just their voices and instruments, reflecting their surroundings without being distracted or mediated by modern technology.
“We wanted to get away from screens as much as possible,” says Birch, “to bring to the world something vulnerable and honest. Without advance preparation, every day we went out into the open air, finding places to sit, during sunset or the midday sun. We discovered new tunings on our instruments, picked up a melody, and started the machine, playing over
and over till we got a take.” In the autumn, they met again in a Copenhagen studio, sparingly and carefully layering old synths and organs to add more depth without muddying the mix.
Both Nowacka and Birch sing throughout, their voices threading the acoustic instruments and tangling with each other, almost becoming one. But it’s the environment of Sokołowsko, “the birds and the light, even the wind playing against the harps,” that’s woven into the music’s lining. Affected by time spent meditating and in nature, as well as the fact that Birch was pregnant whilst recording, the album feels alive and remarkably present. Even the sound quality of the tape machine gives Hiraeth a tactile, organic quality, as Nowacka puts it, “like being in a warm bath.”
They still have the raw recordings from Sokołowsko on old reels, physical souvenirs of their time spent making music in a “habitat for intuitive songs, a little ecosystem, alive and spirited.” The outmoded gear and remote setting helped the duo disengage from the modern world for a few moments and imagine an existence that’s been lost to time and nominal progress. With digital technology receding into the background, Nowacka and Birch had space to make “intuitive connections with frequencies and people,” as Birch explains. Hiraeth is a testament not to nostalgia, but to the power of kinship.
Whether via Yung Lean, JonatanLeandoer96, Död Mark, or through visual art and acting, Jonatan Leandoer Håstad has consistently reinvented himself and pushed the boundaries of self-expression throughout his decade-plus career. With Jonatan, he makes his most direct artistic statement yet, one that synthesizes his career to date into a singular and powerful statement of intent. “Take off your mask” he sings on lead single “Forever Yung,” a fitting metaphor for this new, more direct, and earnest approach.
Mit „Golden Chart Hits Of The 80s & 90s Vol. 6“ erscheint die nächste Ausgabe der beliebten Vinyl-Serie und bringt erneut die größten Pop- und Dance-Hits zweier legendärer Jahrzehnte auf den Plattenteller. Die neue Compilation vereint internationale Chart-Klassiker und echte Kultsongs der 80er und 90er Jahre in einer hochwertigen Vinyl-Edition.
Mit dabei sind unter anderem Hits von Ace Of Base, Soft Cell, The Rainbirds, Corey Hart und Kim Wilde. Die Zusammenstellung bietet eine perfekte Mischung aus New Wave, Synth-Pop, Dance und Pop-Rock – ideal für Sammler, Vinyl-Liebhaber und Fans unvergesslicher Radiohits.
Die „Golden Chart Hits“-Reihe von ZYX Music steht seit Jahren für nostalgische Musikmomente und sorgfältig kuratierte Hit-Compilations auf Vinyl. Vol. 6 setzt diese Erfolgsgeschichte konsequent fort und liefert den perfekten Soundtrack für jede 80s- & 90s-Party.
The latest edition of 'Downtownsounds Classics' arrives from Dublin disco messers Fatty Fatty, just in time for the summer sunshine !
Fully licensed and cut loud on 12 inch vinyl the way God (aka Walter Gibbons) intended, it sees in-house producers Pablo and Shoey take on two choice cuts from the legendary Salsoul label.
Salsoul was the very first label to release a commercially available 12 inch remix - the aforementioned Gibbons and his 9 minute extension of Double Exposure's '10 Per Cent'. They would go on to issue a raft of underground disco classics with mixes by the legendary likes of Larry Levan, Tom Moulton and Shep Pettibone. Having robbed the famous 'Baker-Harris-Young' rhythm section from Philadelphia Records, they defined the disco sound in the second half of the 1970's and kept roaring well into the next decade.
The new mixes pay explicit tribute to two hugely formative influences on the Fatty fellas - The A extends the mysterious and wondrously wonky Big Bear edit of Bunny Sigler's 'By The Way You Dance'. Back in the day, these cosmic under-the-counter 12s helped show the Fatties how to disco real right, and they've stood the test of time wonderfully. This one has been at the front of Pablo's bag for longer than he cares to remember, and now the rest of the world can enjoy it, with some extra Pablo and Shoey disco magic thrown in for good measure...
Speaking of cosmic, the flip sees the lads turn in a stripped-back, ever-building mix of First Choice 'Hold Your Horses'. Having first heard this played by the Cosmic King himself, Danielle Baldelli, they found themselves let down by the commercially available mix. Through the disco haze, and with some subtle stemming, several outer-space whooshes and a string/vocal climax to die for, they've tried to recreate the way they heard Baldelli play it...
With the classic Salsoul artwork also present and correct, this is a love letter to perhaps the most important label in dance music history, with music that still sounds amazing five decades on... Don't sleep!
BOY Records was founded by Michael Zosel back in 1987 but it was after a few releases that he started to work with producer Arno Müller. “Brian” by Absurd was the first techno release on the label and a great success in the German techno scene. The cooperation continued with singles by Hypnopedia and New Scene that worked very well and put the name of BOY Records in the charts and clubs all around Germany and abroad. In 1990 another massive success came with the single “Kennedy” by Deep Thought and since there the label did not stop to release hit after hit by lot of names like Time Modem, “O”, Cybex Factor, Sonic System, Moskwa TV, MCL and lot more.
“Timeless Technology 1988-1991” compiles some of the best singles released on label’s most fruitful years. A selection of 24 classic tekkno traxx. Four records with printed inner sleeves packed on a silk-screened transparent Pet-Gag box. Limited edition of 500 copies.
The Nighttripper is back with two new cuts alongside two remixes of his classic track Tone Exploitation. From peak-time techno pressure to raw uptempo Detroit-inspired energy, this release delivers on all fronts with special mention for the title track Sinister World.
Mike Gordon's debut album as Mk.gee, "Two Star & the Dream Police," is a groundbreaking fusion of pop, rock, and soul. Hailing from New Jersey, the 26-year-old musician redefines familiar genres with his unique approach to sound, incorporating unconventional tones, tempos, and textures. His distorted guitar riffs and soulful vocals, reminiscent of Prince, cut through murky, experimental mixes, creating a captivating sonic landscape that refuses to conform to traditional boundaries.
Despite his experimental tendencies, Gordon demonstrates a mastery of melody, crafting intricate and engaging pop songs from seemingly chaotic compositions. "Two Star" is both innovative and accessible, offering a fresh take on contemporary music while retaining a timeless quality.
While Gordon has been releasing EPs and mixtapes since 2017, it was his collaboration with Dijon on the latter's debut album, "Absolutely," that introduced him to a wider audience in 2021. Their dynamic live performances, characterized by Gordon's frenetic guitar playing and Dijon's charismatic stage presence, exemplify the creative synergy between the two artists. Dijon credits Gordon with pushing him to new creative heights, infusing his music with a newfound rhythm and freedom. "Absolutely" marked a significant evolution for Dijon's sound, with Gordon's influence recognized as invaluable to the project's success.
After a very long silence, Wasser Bassin proudly presents Christine Fowler‘s third album, Anthology Of Oddities!
Almost ten years after her last effort, Christine returns with a handful of diverse and unique tracks. On the A-side, the skillfully crafted field recording, ‘Arctic Exortation”, which, literally, breaks the listener’s ice, is followed by the morse encoded distress of “Sinking Vessel Mayday. “Now There Has Been A Delay” and “Elegy For Dead Guitars” both work as somewhat melodic, somewhat tense acoustic guitar innuendos.
The B-side starts off with the long and epic ‘An Unfinished Portrait For Peter And Jean-Luc’, an actual soundtrack for things that never came to life; whilst, the brief and minimal, “Crevasse” ends the album in a sort of synth-like meditation.
So, there you go. It is all brand new and limited to 100 copies!
SCHWARM (Martinou Remix)
Martinou reshapes SCHWARM into fluid sound currents and a glowing, hypnotic arpeggio. Intimate yet euphoric, it's a slow-burning dream. He and Harald Björk first connected through Myspace in 2008. Martinou has since released on Nous'klaer and Mule Musiq, among others.
SCHWARM (Sniper Mode Remix)
Gregor Tresher revives Sniper Mode with sharp 808 electro - minimal, deep, precise. After meeting Björk via Cocoon, the link continued through Break New Soil.
ALUCO (Revisited)
Björk reworks his Cocoon Recordings release into a deeper, more spacious trance journey. A staple in his live sets and championed by Ida Engberg and John Digweed, it returns stripped, atmospheric and hypnotic.
ALUCO (AD Remix)
AD is the deeper alias of Alexi Delano, a key figure since the SVEK era. His version drifts through nocturnal Stockholm - dubby, cold, immersive.
“Passion” is back! The new track from producer/DJ Beltran and The Flirts (including some “Native Love” by Divine) has quickly become a fan favorite in his sets and online, with 500k+ views already. Now available as a special 12″ vinyl release, featuring an exclusive Ben Liebrand 12″ vinyl version made especially for this edition and only available on the 12″.
The release is shaping up to be Beltran’s biggest since his breakout club hit “Smack Yo’”, supported by Michael Bibi, Mochakk, John Summit, Pete Tong, Dom Dolla and more, and now boasting 100M+ streams. It follows a huge year for Beltran, including tours across the US, UK, Europe, Australia and South America, with standout appearances at Coachella, CircoLoco Ibiza and KOKO London. Expected shipping: 2nd week July.
Obscura Pulse I marks the start of a new label series delving into contemporary pulsating sounds of underground wave-infused music. Selected tracks of previously unreleased material or available on vinyl for the first time.
The first edition moves through the realms of European wave music, with support from German EBM act XTR Human, Dutch/Romanian synthpunk act Badtime, Italian darkwave/post-punk duo Schonwald, German Age O.P.F., Dutch darkwave queen Camy Huot, Austrian minimal synth duo Mitra Mitra, Dutch minimal wave act Raderkraft, Belarusian goth/coldwave act Tout Debord, Dutch synthwave wizard Adam Tristar and Croatian minimal synth maestro Neon Lies.
Explore the shadow frequencies of the underground pulse: from the hard hitting warehouse EBM energy in opener “Sledgehammer” by XTR Human (remixed by Dancing Plague). The analog machinery mastered by Raderkraft in future minimal wave classic “Virtual Reality Check” or Adam Tristar exploring cinematic synth landscapes balancing between retro futurism and dark club momentum in “Goosebumps”. On the flipside, Schonwald’s “Starless” bolts menacingly on gritty drones, metallic drum programming and rumbling bass lines. Mitra Mitra crafts suspense in the elegantly synth-driven soundscape “The Lure of the Naïve” and Neon Lies closes the circle with moody synthwave melancholy in “Heavens”
‘Perfect We Are Not’ the latest track from Soulwax, emerges directly from the band’s recent Abbey Road After Hours project - a unique collaboration with the iconic London studio that saw Soulwax take over the building for a series of recording sessions and a landmark live event.
Working across Abbey Road’s historic spaces - from Studio Three, to Studio Two, to Studio One - the band used all three rooms as a continuous creative environment, moving fluidly between them in pursuit of new material. It was within these sessions that ‘Perfect We Are Not’ was written and recorded with their full live band (including three drummers).
The track was cut using the studio’s vast array of analogue equipment before being pressed direct to vinyl and played as the opening moment of their 2manydjs set inside Studio One
Now released as a standalone single, ‘Perfect We Are Not’ carries that immediacy forward — a driving, full-bodied track that reflects the band’s instinctive, performance-led approach in the studio, and will also be released as a limited edition 12” via DEEWEE.
Fantastic Planet marks its 10th release with Singularity, a solo transmission from Bassiani resident Newa. Built on firm, rolling techno frameworks, the record layers restrained vocal fragments that gesture toward broader philosophical themes. Rather than chasing immediacy, Singularity unfolds patiently, shifting perception from the present tense toward something more suspended and timeless.
How enduring is the signature song from Harry Chapin’s Verities & Balderdash? So timeless that it became the subject of a 2025 documentary in which artists from multiple generations weigh in on its impact on their lives and craft. “Cat’s in the Cradle” doubtlessly remains the main event on the singer-songwriter’s 1974 album. The legendary opening track also serves as a guidepost for the bold personal and social material that follows — as well as the gorgeous folk-rock arrangements that underpin the New York native’s most commercially successful work.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, housed in a Stoughton jacket complete with a four-page insert, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM LP of Verities & Balderdash presents Chapin’s fourth full-length in audiophile quality for the first time on vinyl. Captured during a golden era for sonics and production, the Top 5 effort features remarkable tonal balance, instrumental separation, and organic naturalism. Those valued aspects come into supreme focus on this reissue, which plays with dead-quiet surfaces and a low noise floor.
The newfound clarity, openness, and imaging underscore the lasting appeal of Chapin’s tender deliveries, soulful timbre, and careful phrasing. Every word comes across with incredible realism, while his underrated guitar playing occupies its own distinctive space. Also notable: The extension of the tasteful string accents; airiness of the backing vocals; depth and shape of the spare bass lines; and width and depth of the soundstaging. When on “Six String Orchestra” Chapin calls out names of instruments, they appear like magic, the band performing feet from you. Chapin has never sounded so lifelike on record.
Certified double platinum, Verities & Balderdash resonated with the times and public. “Cat’s in the Cradle” reached No. 1 on the chart on its way to being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The romantic ballad “I Wanna Learn a Love Song” flirted with the Top 40 and wrapped listeners in the equivalent of a cozy blanket. The record’s other single, the mini-epic “What Made America Famous?,” helped establish Chapin as one of the country’s most incisive and insightful commentators.
Verities & Balderdash teems with situational devices and topical matters. Chapin observes everything from the polarization of the nation to changes in moral standards and cultural priorities. He investigates pressing themes without ever turning preachy or elevating himself above the matters at hand. On “Halfway to Heaven,” whose coda races to the finish and ranks as the most urgent moment on the record, Chapin inhabits the mind of his frustrated protagonist akin to an eagle-eyed novelist.
Conveying emotions that range from melancholic to carefree, Chapin is as much of a singer as a storyteller. He assumes the voice of multiple characters within a single narrative. During the quirky “30,000 Pounds of Bananas,” a tale based on a delivery-truck accident in 1965, Chapin alters his delivery, pronunciation, and diction to become an old man reflecting on the mishap and mess. The tempo, too, adjusts to match the speed of the vehicle Chapin describes.
Adorned with timely laugh tracks to reinforce the bittersweet humor, the stripped-down “Six String Orchestra” takes everything up another notch, with Chapin intentionally missing guitar notes or playing a broken passage to illustrate the failures of the hopeful protagonist who doesn’t have what’s required to make it as an artist.
Chapin, of course, did not have any such problem. The lynchpin of a career cut short by a tragic traffic incident, Verities & Balderdash is Exhibit A of the savvy craft, feeling, and perspective he lent to American music.
Looking back on her career in the early 90s, Stevie Nicks described the first track of Rock a Little as “the most exciting song that I had ever heard.” This coming from a superstar who was already closely affiliated with several bajillion-selling Fleetwood Mac albums — to say nothing of her own benchmark solo debut. Her remarks attest to the enthusiasm and effort she invested in her third record, a 1985 work that quickly furthered Nicks’ profile and cemented itself as a piece of 80s pop lore.
Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Rock a Little in audiophile sound for its 40th anniversary. Helmed by a cadre of producers and engineers, and recorded for a reported one million dollars, the platinum-certified album teems with a head-spinning array of colors, tones, dreamscapes, and accents. This reference-grade reissue marks the first time they are all brought to light and conveyed with proper balance, dimensionality, and positioning.
Though Rock a Little doubtlessly has period characteristics of a mid-80s LP, Nicks and company spare no expense when it comes to distinguishing the music with expansive sonics distinguished with lush melodies, high-tech percussion, echoing vocals, sampled keyboards, and layers of sophisticated accents. The degrees of spaciousness, headroom, and dynamics are nothing less than inspiring, while the newly enhanced detail, texture, and clarity make the songs sing like never before. As for Nicks’ voice? Wait ’til you experience the transparency and depth.
Those advantages extend, of course, to the aforementioned “I Can’t Wait,” a statement-making opener shot through with modulating synthesizers, splashy drums, metallic guitars, and serious drama. Holed up in a massive studio, Nicks required just one take to nail her part, which she called “magic and simply not able to beat.” The singer-songwriter also distilled the reverberating emotional essence of the Top 20 tune, stating “when I hear it on the radio, this incredible feeling comes over me, like something really incredible is about to happen.”
The same can be said for nearly all of Rock a Little. Crafted by the likes of Songwriters Hall of Fame multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Nowels, Heartbreakers organist Benmont Tench, bassist Bob Glaub, jack-of-all-trades Greg Phillinganes, and session-pro guitarists Waddy Watchel, Les Dudek, and Danny Kortchmar — along with another two dozen or so participants — the record spills with diverse ideas, shapes, and moods. Everything is in the right place, as evidenced by the swirling glide and sensual undertow of the slightly funky title track to the snapping rhythmic pace and big hooks of “Imperial Hotel,” one of Nicks’ standout moments.
“What was it she wanted?” Nicks queries on “No Spoken Word,” continuing a theme of contemplation that runs through the narratives. Nicks never lands on a definite answer, but hearing her explore loneliness, love, and the secrets we keep to ourselves proves continuously rewarding. Take her passionate performance on a cover of Chas Sanford’s “Talk to Me,” a Top 5 smash furthered by tasteful saxophone lines and understated folk elements. Immersive yourself in the grand sonic corridors of “If I Were You,” laden with Nicks’ signature mysticism.
Moreover, surrender to the gravitas of the closing “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You,” a piano ballad composed about the death of Joe Walsh’s three-year-old daughter. As Nicks asserts earlier on the album, she sings for things money can’t buy.
So, rock a little, yes, but dare to feel even more.
Dope Purple's new album 'Children In The Darkness’ was recorded when the band hosted a live midnight recording session at Revolver, Taipei City, Taiwan on Friday 3rd March 2023.
Amidst the tense silence of the middle of the night, the five members of Dope Purple, two guest musicians: saxophonist Yong Yandsen from Malaysia, British drummer Darren Moore from Singapore, and a familiar audience, came together to produce the album 'Children In The Darkness’.
The album is a ferocious space psychedelic rock, no starlight, no glamourous psychedelic paradise, just a meditative journey of infinite darkness and ear-splitting tinnitus. Unlike our last album, I didn't have a specific theme or idea for this album, however I named it 'Children In The Darkness’ because all the songs on this album share the same lonely, disorientating chaos that reminds me of children forgotten in the darkness, and Dope Purple has always been a messenger for those children, playing sedative music for their ghosts.
At the end of each performance, I can clearly feel my furious brain melting away and only the calming spirit remains in my body.
The moment the instantly recognizable intertwined guitar passage on the title track to the Eagles' Hotel California begins, the record's genius becomes obvious all over again. Ranked the 118th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, certified by RIAA as the third best-selling LP in history, and considered the foundation on which the Golden State's mid-‘70s music scene was built, the 1976 landmark is a music staple immune to shifts in trends, eras, and styles. Fearlessly addressing the chaos and consequences of American life, its songs remain strikingly prescient and gain creedence with each passing day.
Mastered from the original analogue master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, and limited to 17,500 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP vinyl box set ensures you will want to permanently check into and never leave this particular Hotel California. Up to the herculean task of standing head and shoulders above all prior reissues, this collectible edition plays with extreme clarity, organic richness, tube-like warmth, massive dynamics, and microscopic levels of detail. You'll be able to practically smell the colitas and feel the breeze in your hair. Songs come across with an epic sweep and feature immersive, front-to-back soundstages that allow the music unprecedented air, roominess, and separation. As for the noise floor? It's basically as invisible as the spirits that waft in the corridors of the unforgettable title song.
Aesthetically, the premium packaging and presentation of the UD1S Hotel California pressing befit its esteemed status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features gorgeous foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the renowned cover art to the meticulous finishes.
Indeed, the opportunity to zero in on all the particulars of the 26-million-selling Eagles record dubbed "a legitimate rock masterpiece" by vaunted Los Angeles Times scribe Robert Hilburn has never been better. A global phenomenon that marked the band debut of guitarist-singer Joe Walsh, Hotel California continues to resonate and connect with listeners of all generations taken by its narrative depth, stark directness, picturesque melodies, daring majesty, and ardent emotionalism. Adorned with a breathtaking exterior photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel that serves as the simultaneously haunting and alluring cover art, and rounded out by a rear-cover shot of the Lido Hotel lobby that reinforces a notion that teeters between permanence and transience, Hotel California is brilliantly tied to a specific place that functions as a universally understood metaphor for the American Dream.
Confronting the darker undercurrents and oft-ignored constructs attached to that romantic notion, the record's songs revolve around a host of shared themes: excess, mobility, stability, illusion, fame, destruction, and idealism included. Notably, Hotel California appeared at a crucial junction in American history: During the country's bicentennial and amid escalating controversies related to the Vietnam War, energy crisis, and governmental corruption. That the Eagles manage to channel such cultural, social, and economical matters into a cohesive, stately, big-picture statement is alone a stupendous feat. That the album's reach, boldness, vitality, accessibility, and understated intensity have never waned make it a marvel.
Reflecting on Hotel California 40 years after its original release, and indirectly explaining its enduring appeal and increasing relevance, singer-songwriter Don Henley confirmed the record pertains to the "loss of innocence, the cost of naiveté...the difficulties of balancing loving relationships and work, trying to square the conflicting relationship between business and art; the corruption in politics, the fading away of the Sixties dream of ‘peace, love and understanding.'"
It can be argued that Henley and company squarely hit on and drove home those ideas in the surreal title track, chart-topping "Life in the Fast Lane," and grand "The Last Resort" alone. But that would miss the forest for the trees. Experienced as an unbroken whole, complete with the pristinely shot imagery and physical grooves, Hotel California unfolds like a geography-conscious saga by James Michener and plays like colour-saturated movie shot on 70mm film by Martin Scorsese. It's about our collective and individual decisions – and the shape of our past, present, and future. And, just like that conjured by our imaginations, Hotel California continues to take on a life of its own.
More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) technique bypasses generational losses inherent to the traditional three-step plating process by removing two steps: the production of father and mother plates, which are created to yield numerous stampers from each lacquer that is cut. For UD1S plating, stampers (also called "converts") are made directly from the lacquers. Since each lacquer yields only one stamper, multiple lacquers need to be cut. Mobile Fidelity's UD1S process produces a final LP with the lowest-possible noise floor. The removal of two steps of the plating process also reveals musical details and dynamics that would otherwise be lost due to the standard multi-step process. With UD1S, every aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the best-sounding vinyl album available today.
MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analogue lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.
Ricardo Villalobos runs wild on Mohammad Reza Mortazavi’s Persian tombak hand drum actions, expanding a 4 min kernel of inspiration into 24 minutes of mesmerising polyrhythmic traction. From an original ‘Swamp’’ piece that practically recalls Ricardo’s style of slinky minimal techno sorcery to begin with, the Chilean-German maverick derives a more driving tract of rough hewn rhythmic grit bound to hypnotise ‘floors for the duration. Accentuating the undulating bass and dialling up the volume whilst retaining the frictional grind of the original, Villalobos gets right inside the groove with typically obsessive tekkerz, plucking out additional string
motifs and tempering the flow with signature, taut but sinuous, loosey goosey flex that cross-pollinates cultures and gets right under the skin of the thing.
Ricardo Villalobos (b. 1970, Chile) is a pioneering figure in minimal techno, celebrated for his hypnotic and groovy approach to rhythm. Raised in Germany after his family fled Pinochet’s regime, Villalobos was drawn early to percussion - he began playing congas and bongos at eleven, developing a tactile relationship to rhythm that would later inform his distinctive production style. Immersed in both Latin American folk traditions and the emerging house and techno scenes of late-80s Europe, he began DJing and producing in the early 1990s, quickly achieving cult status within global club culture. Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (b. 1979, Iran) is a virtuoso percussionist known for his groundbreaking work with the tombak and daf, traditional Persian drums that he has radically redefined through new playing techniques. Mortazavi began playing the tombak at the age of six. By nine, he had already outpaced his teacher and won Iran’s national tombak competition - a distinction he would earn six more times. By his early twenties, he was widely regarded as one of the foremost players of the instruments. Since then, his music has continued to evolve, embracing new forms beyond tradition.
Dub techno runs on ghosts and twins. The ghost is the echo that outlives the hit – the reverb tail, the delay feeding back into empty space. The twin is the dub itself: every sound shadowed by its own double, the original and its darker reflection locked into the same groove. Ghosts & Twins gathers four cuts that work that space.
This is BLACKINSTOCK's Black Gold Dub Techno with both feet on the floor – measured but muscular, weighted, no filler and no drift. The groove stays locked, the low end does the talking, and every echo earns its keep. Music for a dark room and a loud system, not a candle and a beanbag.
Curated by Kirill Matveev, who called in friends and long-time collaborators from across the MixCult circle, the record plays as four takes on one idea. Spectral Model opens with "Distancial" – a new name here, making a first outing on the MixCult family, and a fitting one to raise the ghosts. Djalo follows with "Model Dub," dubbing minimal and techno the way he has across MixCult, Souplex and Apnea: economical, hypnotic, built for the low end. On the flip, Schime – Hungarian producer Sanyi Egyed, working dub techno, deep and minimal since 2013 across Phonoda, Welter and the MixCult ranks – turns in "Phased." Closing the record, The Don Of Dubhouse is the new alias of TM Shuffle, Finnish producer and head of Vuo Records, no stranger to MixCult.
"Potency rolls into double figures with a new release from Malik Kassim, aka Retromigration. Following albums and singles on labels including Love On The Rocks, Rhythm Section and Wolf Music, the tenth release on Cromby's rapidly-evolving, floor-focused imprint locks into the sound of one of house music's most consistent and consistently exciting producers, seamlessly bridging the established Potency energy with a luxurious vision of the genre. 'Love Rock' summons an instant block party energy, showcasing the expert weight of Kassim's basslines, as well as hinting at the fusion of hip-hop and jazz that bubbles through the textures of the German-Nigerian producer's studio work. Meanwhile, 'I Do Dance' stays true to the promise of its title, delivering blissful sun showers of synths amid emotional pads and hints of the classic Korg M1 organ sound, a universal signal to party. Ushering in the flip, the more tightly-wound percussion of 'Neighbourhood' maintains Kassim's driving groove, while dancehall samples and dub influences expand the established Retromigration sound into new spaces. Finally, 'Go 2 Nowhere' completes the dance, masterfully blending pillowy breakdowns and wistful keys with the EP's most urgent groove. Rich in detail while keeping the floor in constant motion, 'I Do Dance' reinforces Malik Kassim's timeless touch for unmistakably modern house music."
Afterlife family member Kevin de Vries invites us to Dance With Me as he returns to the label with his spellbinding new single.
Comprised undulating synth waves, punchy beats and a monotone female vocal, ‘Dance With Me’ is a compelling invitation into the enchanting realm of the dance floor. Alluring, progressive and hypnotic, its power lies in its simplicity. Kölsch handles remix duties, adding layers of funky analogue synth and ramping up the tempo for a more energised dance.
Blending British techno and hyperpop with the Baile Funk and samba of singer Paula's native Brazil, PPJ are considered by British magazine NME to be one of the most innovative bands of the moment.
The double EP "Bloco Vol.1 & Vol.2" tells the story of the band's journey to Rio de Janeiro, far from the postcards we know of Brazil.
"One of the most innovative new names around" NME
"A fascinating and exhilarating blend of neoperreo, techno and electroclash from a group to watch" RESIDENT ADVISOR
"Kaleidoscopic techno-pop" DJ MAG
"A real anti-depression remedy"LINE OF BEST FIT
"Their main goal? To make everybody dance" METAL MAGAZINE
‘It’s hard to find an act as distinctive as PPJ » MIXMAG
Molecular Recordings Presents "Structure Series 2" — Continuing a Legacy of Techno Innovation
Following the success of the first volume, Molecular Recordings returns with Structure Series 2, the next chapter in its celebrated vinyl series that honors the label’s enduring influence on underground techno.
This 12" release deepens the label’s exploration of forward-thinking sound, pairing iconic names from the Molecular archive with groundbreaking contributions from the new vanguard of producers. Each track reflects the uncompromising spirit and sonic evolution that have defined the label for over three decades.
Structure Series 2 is both a continuation and a progression — a curated fusion of past and future that underscores Molecular’s role as a pioneer and incubator of techno culture. It stands not only as a collector’s item but as a bold artistic statement.
With Structure Series 2, Molecular Recordings reaffirms its commitment to pushing boundaries while remaining rooted in the authenticity that has shaped its legacy since day one.
This is the gloriously remastered version of an all time classic: Dj Excel's "Just When You Thought It Was Safe".
This EP featured brand new remixesfrom the likes of The Criminal Minds, Abyss, and Dj Stephano!
This is the single, and it comes with the old skool style artwork and plain black sleeve!
Embark on a one-of-a-kind sonic journey through four electronic worlds.
Each side of the vinyl delivers its own distinctive vibe—hypnotic beats, immersive textures, soaring soundscapes, and driving percussive energy. every track transports you to a new dimension, all tied together by one unmistakable sonic identity.
Kora Koumakan, or Word of the Kora, is a boundary-pushing Afro-Manding group from Conakry, Guinea. Led by master kora player and composer Sekouna Conte, Kora Koumakan channels Guinea's rich musical heritage into modern compositions, creating a sound that is both deeply rooted and forward-looking. Inspired by Guinea's iconic Ballets Africains and legendary artists like Bembeya Jazz National and Mory Kante, the band masterfully blends contemporary instrumentation with traditional West African instruments - handmade by the band themselves - including the kora, djembe, and balafon. Since 2018, they have been touring extensively across West Africa, honing their sound and earning a nomination for Best Band at the 2025 Guinea Music Awards.
This inaugural limited edition vinyl release on Jambulance Movement Records features two standout remixes by London's Tigerbalm and Ben Gomori, which transform the band's original Afro grooves into hypnotic house tracks already making waves on dancefloors worldwide. Tigerbalm's remix expertly layers the original percussion around a driving 4/4 beat, with the ethereal kora and powerful vocals weaving through the rhythm to create compelling dancefloor energy. Ben Gomori's remix takes a more atmospheric route, anchored by a groovy bassline loop with layered guitar and keyboard melodies that add depth and movement, gradually building into immersive moments of tension and release. The record also includes instrumental versions of these remixes, with the band's EP of original tracks set to drop in early 2026.
Jambulance Movement Records is a social enterprise record label and recording studio based in Guinea. Their mission is to empower the next generation of emerging African artists by providing free professional recording services. Operating a solar-powered mobile studio and a static studio in Conakry, the label discovers new talent through casting events across the country. Selected artists receive comprehensive training and mentorship, with the overall aim to foster sustainable careers for young African artists.
Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe is a powerful and often ignored 1970 recording from the American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer Albert Ayler. Apart from the posthumous album The Last Album, this was to be Ayler's last studio album, recorded and released before his death in November 1970. The album was initially judged as too difficult by Down Beat, then recognized by the most as “an important portrait of a man facing a life and death inner struggle beyond the boundaries of jazz, which takes jazz itself into a new dimension”. It also includes some of the most innovative use of sound by the free-jazz icon Albert Ayler.
The Temptations Get High on Psychedelic Soul: Cloud Nine Soars with Ambitious Arrangements and Production, Features Standout Vocal Performances and Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers
The Temptations’ Cloud Nine announced that Motown — and “The Sound of Young America” — would never be the same. Influenced by the emergence of cutting-edge rock and pop currents, as well as increasing sociopolitical turmoil, the album broke down barriers between rock, psychedelia, and soul while heralding the arrival of visionary arrangements and production techniques. Bookended by traditional R&B numbers, the 1969 record sent the Temptations in bold new directions and signaled the advent of psychedelic soul.
Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45PM 2LP set presents Cloud Nine in audiophile sound for the first time on a domestic pressing. This collectible reissue bestows Norman Whitfield’s extraordinary production with the grand-scale dynamics, natural tonality, expansive openness, and low-end weight it deserves. The timbre of each of the five members’ voices is readily identifiable — even within the group harmonies — bestowing a realism never experienced outside the recording studio.
Making its debut on 45RPM, the album further benefits from the wide groove space by playing with greater separation and more realistic presence than prior editions. Everything from the brassiness of the horns to the dry snap of the snare comes across with reference-grade clarity and positioning. And since Motown’s renowned Funk Brothers backing band plays on many of the cuts, you’ll want to savor every note. The imaging, soundstaging, and organic bloom-and-decay of the notes make that possible.
Amid Cloud Nine, the instrumentation and architecture stand out as much as any element. Never before had a Motown album contained such ambitious patterns and complex passages. Seemingly conscientious of the departure from their past methods, the Temptations and Whitfield bunched together the tracks that mark a deep dive into psychedelic territory and counterbalance them with seven sterling soul cuts that dovetail with Motown tradition drenched with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats.
On the original 33RPM release, traditional Motown soul — laden with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats — occupies Side Two. These songs reveal an ensemble still very much on top of delivering pristine pop-soul material graced with romantic sweetness, persuasive insistent, and soaring highs. Re-energized after the departure of lead singer David Ruffin, who was fired for a variety of reasons in June 1968, the Temptations seamlessly meld with his replacement, Dennis Edwards, on one melodic gem after another.
The collective tackles five songs co-written by the legendary Motown team of Barrett Strong and Whitfield. Not the least of which are the smooth, shuffling “Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)” and deceptively simple, horn-spiked “Gonna Keep on Tryin’ till I Win Your Love.” On these tracks, as well as on a lush rendition of the ballad “Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing” and pleading, tender send-up of the Gerry Goffin-Carole King classic “Hey Girl,” Edwards and Paul Williams take turns on the lead with the estimable Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams providing backing support.
All five vocalists trade-off leads on the simmering title track, a groundbreaking composition shot through with wah-wah-pedal effects, liquid funk, deep bass lines, Cuban percussion, saturated reverb, and gang choruses. Whitfield mines each member’s natural vocal range with spectacular results, keeps time with cymbals, and channels both the heated temperatures and escapist desires of a society embroiled in war, conflict, and experimental drugs.
Amazingly, the Temptations top themselves on the similarly revealing “Run Away Child, Running Wild.” Nearly 10 minutes in length, the song explodes R&B parameters and harbors a cinematic scope. Urgent pianos, distorted guitars, stripped-down percussion, steamy Hammond organs, minimal bass motifs, five distinct voices narrating the tale of a boy who fled home and now finds himself amid the scary, unforgiving external world: They combine to give the urgent tune a walls-closing-in atmosphere where fear and desperation reign. Bolstered by an extended instrumental section that precedes a climactic return of the singers’ voices, “Run Away Child, Running Wild” equaled the success of the record’s title track, with both reaching No. 6 on the pop charts.
Carly Simon’s No. 1 smash “You’re So Vain” lingers as one of the most clever and famous songs ever recorded. The subject of mass speculation ever since its release, soon after which it occupied the top spot on multiple Billboard charts for weeks, the anthem kept a captive public guessing at the identity of its smug subject for decades. The question surrounding the protagonist’s identity remained perhaps the only mystery on the otherwise sexually open and autobiographically daring No Secrets, Simon’s commercial breakthrough and ‘70s singer-songwriter staple.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set affords the platinum-certified 1972 effort the finest sonic treatment it’s received on vinyl. Helmed by Richard Perry and recorded at London’s Trident Studios — where Beatles, David Bowie, and Elton John captured landmark LPs — No Secrets touts exceptional production qualities highlighted by this restorative reissue.
Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time No Secrets has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces pay instant dividends. Simple, elegant, and disarming, songs seemingly float amid wide, deep soundstages. Simon’s voice takes on a confident, assertive tenor that emerges with accurate imaging, balanced tonality, and palpable presence. String arrangements and backing vocals come through with similar realism.
Enhanced by an all-star cast — Simon’s then-husband James Taylor, Paul and Linda McCartney, Mick Jagger, Lowell George, Klaus Voorman, Bobby Keys, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, and Bonnie Bramlett are among the renowned musicians who lend a hand — No Secrets advances Simon’s themes of personal introspectiveness, no-holds-barred reflectiveness, and feminist-inspired boldness. She makes every moment of No Secrets worth savoring. Simon invests her all in the songs, handling beautiful ballads, sassy folk-rock numbers, and bluesy fare with calm, composure, and candor.
While acknowledging her own regrets (“You’re So Vain”) and loss (“The Carter Family”), Simon champions the highs (“The Right Thing to Do”) and pains (“His Friends Are More Than Fond of Robin”) of love in a sincere manner indicative of her maturity as both an artist and singer. The New York native distinguishes “When You Close Your Eyes” with deep-rooted spirituality, recalls childhood joys via charming sentimentality on “It Was So Easy,” and and takes ownership of her persona on a cover of Taylor’s “Night Owl.”
“We have no secrets
/We tell each other everything,” Simon sings at the record’s midpoint, encapsulating both the themes and bravura of an effort that was nominated for four Grammy Awards and saw her write or co-write every song but one. Combined with Perry’s savvy instrumental arrangements, her self-assured performances and forthright lyrics grant No Secrets an edginess and relevance immune to the ravages of time.
Carly Simon’s quietly intense sophomore album comes across like an assertive notice nailed to a telephone pole for all to see. Bold, personal, and autobiographical, Anticipation announces the arrival of an artist who won’t back down. While Simon stands her ground on her eponymous debut, she elevates her passion and persona to heightened levels throughout this gold-certified record, dealing in private matters related to love, relationships, and desire. At times, Simon is nothing short of primal. She reflects on the difficulties of retaining your own identity while also giving yourself to a partner. Simon’s connection to her folk roots would never be stronger.
Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set of Anticipation lays bare the rich tapestries afforded by the spare blend of soft guitars, mellow orchestration, and dreamy melodies. Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time Anticipation has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces prove extremely rewarding.
The rhythmic framework anchored by session pro Andy Newmark’s drumming sounds dynamic and balanced, with songs benefiting from a focused midrange and taut low-end. Simon’s attachment to and investment in each lyric is made evident by way of the intimate, hushed atmospherics and expansive responsiveness. And just as Simon’s vocals feel more transparent and direct, so, too, do the supporting choral arrangements.
Released before the singer-songwriter movement reached full bloom, Anticipation remains remarkable for the high-quality songwriting and Simon’s gutsy stance. The album cover — depicting the vocalist holding the gates at Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park and seemingly defying anyone to take her on — serves as a metaphor for the content within.
Known for having relationships with high-profile partners, Simon was heavily involved with Cat Stevens leading up to the recording of Anticipation. She draws from her experiences to craft tunes that resonate because of their honesty, realism, and strength. Few of those moments are better known than the Top 20 title track, which Simon composed in just 15 minutes as she waited for Stevens to pick her up for a date. Imbued with the nervousness, tension, and excitement that accompany the moments when a romance could go either way, the Grammy-nominated song presages the feminist-minded vulnerability and burning longing that informs a majority of the record.
On the soulful “Legend in Your Own Time,” also inspired by Stevens, Simon harnesses yearning as a conduit to feel-good paradise. Deemed by Rolling Stone an “absolute clincher, an awesome description of the psychic ravages of gone-nuts, know-nothing love,” her cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “I’ve Got to Have You” moans with no-holds-barred desire and breathtaking sensuality.
For all the wanting Simon pursues on Anticipation, her way of staying in control — vocally and personally — make the record a courageous statement of contemporary femininity. For further evidence, look to the bossa nova of “Summer’s Coming Around Again,” somber “Share the End,” soothing “Three Days,” and sincere “Julie Through the Glass,” a tribute to her young niece.
Simon would achieve international fame with her next album, No Secrets. Yet as this definitive reissue shows, Anticipation suggests the rest of the world was just a little late catching up to her.
If one thing is for sure, you can always count on FXHE to serve up the jams and surprise you in the process. Enter this new 12" from Bill Beaver aka William Beaver who has been serving up house jams under various guises since the late 80s. This one, 'Crusin Outer Drive', is, in the words of the label, "a back yard Boogie slash Hustle Summer Jam for those who live in the inner city and Beyond" and it comes with a 70s-style keyboard solo from Javonntte Garrett as well as signature off-grid drums, lo-fi charm and a raw analogue aesthetic. Vocals add the charm as the synths get passed through various filters, decay and change shape with a mind of their own and the chords never quit. Elsewhere, we get an instrumental version of the A-side and two takes on 'Down To The Sac', one a sultry, looped up affair from Jefferson, the other from Brett Fullerton, stripping it down to tribal drums and then building it right back up again via some super pimped synths. It's pure Detroit heat.
Plastik People deals in house & garage done right. This latest drop is a split EP between Marc Cotterell and Dominic Balchin and opens with 'The Trumpet Track', which is exactly that. 'Baby Do You Feel Me' is unabashed vocal joy, while 'Oh Lord' sinks into deeper house with shapeshifting chords that keep you moving. 'Rhythm Of The Vibe' is a New York homage with shades of Kerri Chandler and we can't get enough of it.
Cold and sinister combat electro by Russian newbies Larionov & St Theodore. Infectious analogue rhythms emerged deep down the hearts of these young souls. Bleak Warfare presents five cuts with each their own desire for the dancefloors.
DJ support: Pete Tong, Roger Sanchez, Eran Hersh, Francis Mercier, KSHMR, Korolova, ReMan, Faul & Wad, HUGEL, Felix Jaehn, Dan Tanev, and more.
MESTIZA return with their highly-anticipated second studio album Spanish Chica. Following the release of singles, ‘Enamorá’, ‘Báilame’, ‘Qué Calor qué Calor’, and their latest, ‘Salam’, the electronic duo finally unveiled their new album. With this record, they aim to showcase and celebrate the empowered Spanish woman to audiences all around the world.
Building on the momentum of their breakout success, the project further defines the duo’s unmistakable sonic identity. Across the fifteen tracks, a myriad of influences blend together from melodic techno, Latin house grooves intertwining with Spanish percussion, Afro House influences and sweeping Arabic-inspired melodic lines - creating a rich and immersive cultural fusion.
Phonica unveil the first in a series of three 12" samplers featuring a selection of tracks from their new compilation 'Ten Years Of Phonica'.
Tigersushi and Crowdspacer boss Joakim kicks off the first 12" with melancholic masterpiece 'EAHR'. A prolific and sonically diverse producer, his balearic-flavoured remixes over the years for the likes of Antena and Max Berlin shines through on this one. Up next is the enigmatic Panoram, a shop favourite since his brilliant 'Accents' 12" arrived back in 2012. The lysergic 'Alpha Marmara' hits all the right spots once again.
On the b-side edit-masters and rare record connaisseurs Psychemagik contribute the string-laden 'Triumph Of The Gods', an ambitious Axelrod-esque modern funk gem. Finally, Alex Egan resurrects his work as The Draughtsman one last time with the previously unreleased track 'Fade To Green' - a deep, atmospheric house/techno cut recorded during the same 2010/11 sessions as his '1694 EP'.
Phonica Records was established in September 2003 and set up shop in Soho, London, adding to the high concentration of independent records stores that inhabited the area. Founders; Simon Rigg, Heidi Vanden Amstel and Tom Relleen joined The Vinyl Factory with the aim of creating an exciting outlet for innovative dance music, traversing all sub-genres and cultures. Over the past decade the emporium has developed into a well-respected destination for DJs and enthusiasts, and has subsequently become a bustling hive of conversation and inspiration as part of a wider community of music lovers.
While trends and movements in music have grown and faded over these years, Phonica has always remained in a state of evolution. It is this openness to change alongside a commitment to it's original ethos and an enduring ardour for quality, cutting-edge sounds that has fuelled the shop's staying power.
To celebrate reaching this milestone, Phonica Records have invited some of their favourite artists to produce a track for an eclectic yet cohesive compilation, which will hopefully go some way towards sonically unfolding the 'Ten Years of Phonica.'
Due to high demand, MEU has revisited two of Mr. K’s classics, previously only available as 12-inch extended mixes, and asked the master editor to pare them down to 7-inch size.
A true top-five peak record at the Garage, Thelma Houston’s “I’m Here Again” was “a highlight whenever Larry played it,” Danny Krivit recalls, “and he played it a lot!” Danny’s edit is a homage to Larry and Frankie Knuckles – in particular a similar private edit that Frankie did back in the day and shared with Krivit. “It was on reel to reel and I didn’t copy it correctly and lost it,” Danny remembers. “Reels were problematic! When I tried to get it again from him, unfortunately he had lost it too.” The song (likely an attempt by Motown to capitalize on the previous year’s monster hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way”) is, in its original form, a virtual retake of Thelma Houston’s breakout single, from the subdued, schmaltzy intro to the “oooh BABY!” leading to the chorus. What sets “I’m Here Again” apart though, is the incredible second half of the song. Naturally, it is here that Mr. K’s edit focuses. Over a vicious groove reminiscent of the Originals’ “Down To Love Town” breakdown (Michael Sutton wrote and produced both “Love Town” and “I’m Here Again”) Houston delivers soul-stirring ad libs as the band crackles with electricity behind her, the piano chasing a descending string riff so eagerly. Pure dancefloor peak energy! And the very first time having all these parts on a 7"!
For our flip, Danny has reached deep into the earliest foundations of his voluminous collection, and come out with a psychedelic pop classic rearranged for today’s sound systems and setlists. Recorded in the Beatles’ Abbey Road studio at the height of the Summer Of Love, the Zombies’ “Time Of The Season” is firmly linked in pop culture to the late ‘60s and the Vietnam era, breaking big in the summer of 1969. Krivit’s edit highlights the parade of lush sonic textures that ornament the hip composition, from the iconic, exquisitely echoed bass-clap-exhale riff that opens the song to the cascading Hammond organ solos of Rod Argent. “It’s a song from my childhood that really struck a chord,” Danny says. “Over the years I often played a rough edit which always seemed to go over great. The song seemed to get better and better, and age like fine wine.” We agree!
These two songs have both appeared on previous (separate) MEU 12-inches, but are presented here in custom new edits for the 7-inch format.
