Search:new

Before she's a singer, she's an activist. Elaine Brown was commissioned to sing the album Until We're Free by Black Panther Party founder and Minister of Defense, Huey P. Newton. While she only ever recorded two albums, their impacts were monumental and their soulful sounds reached many.

Back to Back captures the instrumental aspect of the ’67 Stax-Volt European tour (“Volt” is the name of Stax’s subsidiary label). Immediately apparent is that the live versions of these songs are played much faster than the recorded ones. Exuberant? Definitely! These folks were racing across unfamiliar cultures and landscapes, reimagining their place in this world, looking down at the clouds for the first time. The pace was faster because their lives were — quickly — getting so much larger. In these recordings, you can hear all of that emotional exhilaration, all of that savoring of personal respect, that thrill of the new. Many of these songs were several years old, but they shine on Back to Back like they’re being performed for the first time. Over and over, you hear the musicians throwing in something extra, curlicues and tangents that express their excitement.

Let’s start with the scream. We tend to define our singers by how “great” their voice is, how deftly they can ascend and descend major and minor scales, and how they can turn up and turn down the emotion inherent in their voices. But when considering Wilson Pickett, it begins and ends with his scream. He could take you on a journey, he could butter you up, he could make you feel things in your vital organs, but you don’t get a nickname like “Wicked Pickett” because you’re a crooner.

Pickett’s “Hey Jude” forms the spiritual centerpiece and title track of hisfinal trip up to the mountain-top, his last true masterpiece LP. He’d take forays to Philadelphia for the new sound of soul, and even go vaguely disco in the late ’70s. But for his final album of the ’60s, a decade where he dominated the soul charts, he’d unwittingly help start southern rock, and scream his way across one of the most recognizable tunes in the history of song. Not bad for 31 minutes and eight seconds worth of music.

In a simultaneous act of defiance and impishness, Sham Family are etching their name in the wet concrete out front of the establishment. Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Toronto, Canada, the dynamic quartet is emerging as a prominent voice in the contemporary post- punk landscape.

To know Sham Family is to witness them perform live in the flesh. From the very first note, the room teeters between collective catharsis and a sort of beautiful, focused chaos. Blisteringly loud and remarkably lush, their live show is not only a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship of their music, but a downright physical feat. Broken strings, sweat, and the occasional minor lesion are collateral damage that only serves to strengthen their ultimate goal: deliver the loudest, most captivating show utte rly possible. Catching the attention of the newly formed Wavy Haze Records, spearheaded by indie icons Born Ruffians, Sham Family were the first non-Ruffians to join the label’s esteemed roster.
In 2022, they released their debut self-titled EP: a strikingly raw introduction to their leave-it-all-on-the-floor brand of shoegazey punk. The release quickly gained traction, propelling Sham Family onto stages across the United States and Canada. Now, Sham Family are gearing up to release their highly-anticipated full-length album, A Deaf Portrait of Peace, in 2024. Produced by the renowned Graham Walsh (METZ, Debby Friday, Preoccupations, Alvvays), the record promises to embody the propulsive ener gy of their live performances while venturing into uncharted sonic territories.

Die Londoner Band Famous hat im Laufe von zwei sehr unterschiedlichen und hochgelobten EPs (2019 ,England" und 2021 ,The Valley") ihren eigenen, unnachahmlichen Sound geschmiedet. Himmlische Melodien, verzweifelte Elektronik, die auf wärmende Akustik trifft, und schillernde Songstrukturen - all das ist die einzigartige kreative Vision von Jack Merrett - Famous' Sänger, Texter, Haupt-Songwriter und einziges konstantes Mitglied -, die nun in ihrem bevorstehenden Debüt "Party Album" einen spektakulären Ausdruck findet. Als Teil der gefeierten South-Londoner Brixton Windmill-Szene neben Black Country, New Road und Black Midi wurde die Gruppe schnell für ihren grenzüberschreitenden Post-Punk-Sound bekannt. Jack Saunders von BBC Radio One bezeichnete Famous als ,die originellste Band im Vereinigten Königreich", Während Famous die Muster ihrer Musik herausarbeiteten, die mit jedem Song und jeder neuen Besetzung breiter und tiefer wurden, wuchs ihre Mystik - etwas, das Merrett mit den musikalischen Helden seiner Jugend identifiziert, wie er lachend, aber mit ungeheuchelter Aufrichtigkeit erklärt: ,Mein ganzes Leben lang hatte ich eine bestimmte Vorstellung von Rockmusik.". Mary-Anne Hobbs, BBC 6 Music: ,Wenn du auf Slint stehst, wenn du das magere Ende des Hardcore magst und vielleicht nur eine Prise Jim Morrison, dann wirst du das hier lieben. Recht alleinstehend, recht einzigartig.

Die Londoner Band Famous hat im Laufe von zwei sehr unterschiedlichen und hochgelobten EPs (2019 ,England" und 2021 ,The Valley") ihren eigenen, unnachahmlichen Sound geschmiedet. Himmlische Melodien, verzweifelte Elektronik, die auf wärmende Akustik trifft, und schillernde Songstrukturen - all das ist die einzigartige kreative Vision von Jack Merrett - Famous' Sänger, Texter, Haupt-Songwriter und einziges konstantes Mitglied -, die nun in ihrem bevorstehenden Debüt "Party Album" einen spektakulären Ausdruck findet. Als Teil der gefeierten South-Londoner Brixton Windmill-Szene neben Black Country, New Road und Black Midi wurde die Gruppe schnell für ihren grenzüberschreitenden Post-Punk-Sound bekannt. Jack Saunders von BBC Radio One bezeichnete Famous als ,die originellste Band im Vereinigten Königreich", Während Famous die Muster ihrer Musik herausarbeiteten, die mit jedem Song und jeder neuen Besetzung breiter und tiefer wurden, wuchs ihre Mystik - etwas, das Merrett mit den musikalischen Helden seiner Jugend identifiziert, wie er lachend, aber mit ungeheuchelter Aufrichtigkeit erklärt: ,Mein ganzes Leben lang hatte ich eine bestimmte Vorstellung von Rockmusik.". Mary-Anne Hobbs, BBC 6 Music: ,Wenn du auf Slint stehst, wenn du das magere Ende des Hardcore magst und vielleicht nur eine Prise Jim Morrison, dann wirst du das hier lieben. Recht alleinstehend, recht einzigartig.

The A side, Can't Call My Baby, showcases Adriana Flores' impressive lead vocals and comes straight off of Thee Sinseers debut LP that has already streamed almost 7 million times on Spotify alone in less than three months. The B side features a brand new, never before heard song from the band. Take A Chance emphasizes Joey Quinones' trademark crooning while the track urges you to take a chance on love before it's too late. The expressive notes of a harmonica shines throughout the song and blends classic Motown harmonics with Latin soul. Also Available From Thee Sinseers: For You / Si Llorarás 7”, Sinseerly Yours

Das Zusammentreffen eines uralten Instruments wie der Kora in den Händen eines Virtuosen wie Ballaké Sissoko mit Elektronik, die die Möglichkeiten des Instruments selbst erweitert, wie es Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch vorschlägt, ist das Herzstück von Radicants: eine Suche nach neuen Wegen, die mit Eintauchen, Verlassen und neuen Wurzeln zu tun haben. Wurzeln, die dynamisch sind, die sich weiterentwickeln und die in der Lage sind, den anderen zu unterstützen. Die Idee der Verwurzelung zu respektieren und sie in eine kaleidoskopische, vielfältige Welt zu projizieren. Es gibt also keinen Gegensatz zwischen zwei Welten - akustisch und elektronisch, traditionell und zeitgenössisch, afrikanisch und westlich -, sondern vielmehr Akzeptanz, Zusammenarbeit und Risikobereitschaft. Das Ziel ist es, einen echten Dialog zwischen den beiden Musikern zu schaffen, bei dem die Kora die Quelle von allem ist, die Elektronik aber die Entwicklung, die Resonanz und die Form darstellt. Ballaké Sissoko ist malischer Koraspieler, der sowohl in der Weltmusik als auch im Jazz hervorgetreten ist.Sissoko ist der Sohn von Jeli Madi Sissoko, der mit der LP Ancient Strings einen Welterfolg hatte. Das Album New Ancient Strings des Sohnes konnte diesen Erfolg wiederholen. Er gilt zusammen mit Toumani Diabaté als einer der derzeit herausragenden Koraspieler Afrikas. Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch ist ein Komponist und Klangkünstler. Seine Interessen reichen von reiner Elektronik bis zu Kompositionen für Theater und Tanz, von Soundtracks für Bilder bis zu interaktiven Installationen und drüber hinaus. LP und CD mit zwei Bonustracks

Spiral In A Straight Line ist das sechste Studioalbum der beliebten Post-Hardcore-Band Touché Amoré.
Produziert von Ross Robinson (Korn, Glassjaw, Slipknot) und mit Features von Lou Barlow und Julien
Baker.
Leadsänger Jeremy Bolm sagt, dies sei eine „Platte über Vorwärtsbewegung, während alles um einen herum
destabilisiert wird.“

Spiral In A Straight Line ist das sechste Studioalbum der beliebten Post-Hardcore-Band Touché Amoré.
Produziert von Ross Robinson (Korn, Glassjaw, Slipknot) und mit Features von Lou Barlow und Julien
Baker.
Leadsänger Jeremy Bolm sagt, dies sei eine „Platte über Vorwärtsbewegung, während alles um einen herum
destabilisiert wird.“

Metan Noise is a legendary Czech label. Toolbox gave a hand with the pressing of this release to Mechoz because it's a special one, featuring a fresh concept.

The music style is progressive, staying true to the classic CZ Tek tradition, but with a distinctively trance-like vibe. Ultimately, the record brings something new, blending classic with fresh sounds!

This is a 2LP Black version Without the booklet that came with the original version on the new album

Born from of a relentless global tour schedule, Samara Joy took her touring band, made up of other rising young jazz musicians, into the legendary Van Gelder Studios (the venerable studio from which A Love Supreme and so many of the great catalog records from Impulse and Blue Note were recorded) in February of 2024. Recorded across three days, Samara and her musicians were able to capture an incredible snapshot of who she is today and the promise of tomorrow. It’s a collection of standards, as well as one original and some of her first forays into lyric writing and features her singular voice, alongside arrangements and playing from this tight knit young group. The recording is this story of the community she’s created with a new generation of young players and serves as a studio rendering that delivers on the promise of the live show so many fans have seen them perform over the last year.

Paula counted down as time cracked open. Thoughts bled colors. Reality flickered, then vanished.

All female Punk/Grunge Band 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN. Played many tours, festivals,and have been invited to support Beatsteaks, Dream Wife and others. The Singer of BEATSTEAKS is also as a guest on the new
album. Gatefold cover, colored vinyl, printed inlay

Following a run of chamber recordings, Samuel Reinhard returns with a suite of electroacoustic collages.

"Movement", the New York–based composer’s latest offering, is built from notes softly held. In his ongoing investigation of musical duration, perception, and attention, Reinhard deemphasizes progress through an embrace of repetition and negative space, inviting listeners to linger in time. Instrumental recordings are arranged according to a predetermined system, iterating fragments of sound in overlapping intervals of various sizes. Delicately layered snippets of decaying piano are joined by cello (Leila Bordreuil), bass flute (John Also Bennett), double bass (Vincent Yuen Ruiz), baritone sax (Michael Biel), and harp (Shelley Burgon). This breadth of instrumentation, arriving as individual notes stretched and overlapped, is treated not as an opportunity for immersive coalescence, but rather a gentle augmentation of texture, free-floating counterpoint. Notes are accompanied by the traces of the bodies and actions that produce them: a hand pressing a key or an arm keeping a bow aloft; breath filling an instrument’s body or glancing off its surface; a string vibrating and then softening to stillness. In sum, we hear resonance in the process of being sustained, as well as in the release that follows.

2000 pressed. First time on vinyl for the gorgeous 'Late December', with a second LP featuring rare recordings from her Live Acoustic LA tour in 2006, the package includes new liner notes and a download of the studio album and live show. An album that's broader than Broadway, a panoramic view of life, love and loss filled with drama and theatricality. Plus a live set that's heart-on-sleeve time, bringing together songs from Lone Justice, plus covers of the traditional country anthem 'The World Is Not My Home', Richard Thompson's 'Has He Got A Friend For Me' and three songs that show the bittersweet beauty of her brother Bryan MacLean's song writing. In total, it's Kurt Weill, Springsteen, it's the million-selling global hit 'A Good Heart' delivered by the songwriter herself in all its Phil Spector-like baroque beauty.

"New album from Connecticut metal/hardcore outfit BOUNDARIES via 3DOT Recordings, the label owned and ran by iconic progressive metal band Periphery.

'Death Is Little More' is the band's fourth studio album - their most aggressive and complete body of work to date, including featured guest vocals by giants of the global contemporary heavy rock scene - Lochie Keogh from Alpha Wolf (AU), Marcus Vik from Aviana (SE) and Matt Honeycutt from Kublai Khan TX (US)."

“Deus É Mulher” was recorded between the Red Bull studios (São Paulo) and Tambor (Rio de Janeiro), produced by Guilherme Kastrup and co-produced by Romulo Fróes, Marcelo Cabral (bass and bass synth), Rodrigo Campos (cavaquinho and guitar), and Kiko Dinucci (guitar, synthesizer, and sampler). Reinforcing the album's feminine energy, the recordings featured Mariá Portugal (drums, percussion, and MPC) and Maria Beraldo (clarinet and clarone).

The album contains 11 new tracks, written by names such as Tulipa Ruiz, Pedro Luís, Alice Coutinho, and Rodrigo Campos, among others. Elza had a special appearance by the singer Edgar on “Exú nas Escolas” (Kiko Dinucci/Edgar), and the group Ilú Obá de Min contributed percussion and vocals on “Dentro de Cada Um” (Luciano Mello/Pedro Loureiro) and “Banho” (Tulipa Ruiz).

Rooted in the New Orleans tradition and the essence of hip hop, Hip Horns Brass Collective unleashes its powerful sound in KREWE, their debut album. KREWE takes the brass band genre beyond its boundaries, diving into the underground with danceable rhythms like boombap and bounce, full of influences such as afrobeat, gospel and funk. The lyrics, filled with references to hip hop culture, flow in an explosive mix of English, Spanish, and Catalan, sharing their love for the tradition of rap and African American music. KREWE is a manifesto of the positive side of hip hop, a tribute to the unstoppable strength of the collective that a brass band represents in contrast to the solitude of the individual, and a homage to the legacy of hip hop and the vibrant tradition of New Orleans

To celebrate 40 years as a solo artist, Alison Moyet releases Key, a collection of 16 reworked singles and deep cuts, alongside two brand new tracks. Key is a blazing showcase of the depth and breadth of Moyet"s song writing ability that unlocks who she is as a creative artist. With nine studio solo albums to choose from to celebrate her fortieth year as a solo artist, Moyet wanted "to look at the trajectory of those decades and explore songs that, in their original form, were never fully realised or have had their relevance to me altered by time." The album distils 40 years of music making, presenting a cohesive overview of a long and dazzling journey.

To celebrate 40 years as a solo artist, Alison Moyet releases Key, a collection of 16 reworked singles and deep cuts, alongside two brand new tracks. Key is a blazing showcase of the depth and breadth of Moyet"s song writing ability that unlocks who she is as a creative artist. With nine studio solo albums to choose from to celebrate her fortieth year as a solo artist, Moyet wanted "to look at the trajectory of those decades and explore songs that, in their original form, were never fully realised or have had their relevance to me altered by time." The album distils 40 years of music making, presenting a cohesive overview of a long and dazzling journey.

Vortex Traks welcomes Analogous Doom to the label with her diverse and captivating „Collapsar“ EP. The US electro artist, real name Vanna Carr, reemerges with new music that reflects a deep reverence for the natural phenomena that surround us. Known for her melancholic, cinematic, and romantic melodies, Carr’s latest tracks are sure to resonate with listeners who appreciate the emotive aspects of electro. „Collapsar“ is a limited run of 200 copies.

Next up on Funnuvojere Records is label boss Massimiliano Pagliara’s highly anticipated ‘Hooking Up’ EP. Featuring four distinct club belters, each one is crafted to suit different moments of the party. The new EP once again truly showcases Massi’s deep understanding of the dancefloor.

The title track, ‘Hooking Up’, is a cosmic pop song infused with Chicago house influences, embodying Pagliara’s signature style at its best. The track is a journey through lush melodies and infectious rhythms, capturing the essence of Pagliara’s sound and setting the tone for the rest of the EP.

‘Last Kiss (On Acid)’, is a pulsating acidic banger designed for late-night parties where the energy is high, and the walls are dripping with sweat. ‘Fave Rave’ is characterised by its dirty bass line that conjures the foggy, intimate atmosphere of a packed dance floor.

Closing the EP is ‘Poseidon’s Dream’, a cheeky Italo disco hit that brings a playful, nostalgic, but no less energetic finish to the release. With its catchy melodies and upbeat tempo, the track is the perfect way to end the night on a high.

Drawing inspiration from David Hockney (a favourite artist of Pagliara), French artist Grav Jonz crafted the beautiful artwork. Hockney’s influence permeates not only the artwork but also serves as the muse for the entire EP, weaving his unique artistic spirit throughout.

This is the very first reissue of the much in demand double sided killer single released in 1970 on the Upsetter label. Both tracks were produced by Lee Perry.

The A side is a beautiful yet wicked cover of LET IT BE by the Beatles, produced by Lee Perry and performed by the Soulettes.
The B side is BIG DOG BLOXIE, an even whackier version of the A side by Lee Perry.

ABOUT THE SOULETTES:
The Soulettes initially comprised Alpharita Anderson, born in Cuba, her male cousin Constantine Walker and her school friend Marlene Gifford and started recording as backing vocalists at Studio One from 1964 including the first Wailing Wailers’ hit “Simmer Down”. They also backed Lee Perry on a series of dirty songs such as ‘Rub & Squeeze’ and ‘Doctor Dick’. Under their own name The Soulettes were moderately successful have a string of minor hits such as ‘Opportunity Knocks’ and the lovely ‘Friends And Lovers’. Alpharita married Marley in in 1966 and the Soulettes disbanded. In 1969, Rita Marley re-formed the Soulettes with Nora Dean (later replaced by Hortense Lewis) and Cecile Campbell, Cornel’s sister.
The new line-up with Nora Dean and Cecile Cornell started working Lee Scratch Perry for a couple of songs including the outstanding cover of the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ which became their main hit in 1970. Following the group’s demise around 1973, Rita joined Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt to form the I-Threes whom became the de facto female backing trio for Bob Marley…

As we approach the threshold leading us back to the Black Lodge on our transformative 8th journey, we are escorted through and beyond the mystical portal by the vigorous and fierce forces of Sneaker. Portrait in House is a collection of 3 resonant works, which are unified into a singular vision within its uncanny language that is rooted deeply in the foundations of Jak, New Beat, EBM, and Wave. Existing inside the liminal spaces of where light meets dark, we are presented with a documentation of dissonance and harmony. We begin our voyage with Jihad, a sluggish and slogging piece that unforgivingly drags us through the grime and the dirt in a ritualistic fashion that would have the ghost of Georges Bataille dancing in circles. Voices call out and howl into the dark as the drum patterns of the 707 rhythmically grasps onto its anarchic components. In the dark, we can see the light beyond the known universe. In the words of Sneaker "The name is not our message, but a document of an evident, traditional concept in (y)our world." As we find ourselves sprawled out on the ground following the 1st sonic stanza, a menacing voice bellows and warns that this is a Sax Track. Referencing Chicago icon Lil Louis, this work juxtaposes classical elements of house music together with the bare knuckled spirit of Jak. A magical spell led by disharmonious Portasound FM keys in conversation with a teetering sub bass, where at its core, this plus this, equals something that is uniquely familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. A number fit for any uncanny ritual that will fall under the night sky. Bringing our cosmic procession to a close we pick up the pace with a commanding number titled, Dance On, a no holds barred work that will possess your soul in the name of Jak. Flangers wail unforgivingly alongside a pulsating 101, as samples of the human voice are chopped up and arranged into a conversation that hypnotically calls for our bodies to be transformed into soft machines, while powered by ceremonious motions that are generated from the liberating process of ritual movement. We command you to dance! Words by Justin Aulis Long

Big Crown Records is proud to present the reissue of one of Brooklyn’s most sought after “holy grail” soul records, YIA Talent Hunt Winners. Youth in Action, Inc. (YIA) was formed in 1963 when the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council received a grant to develop a youth services program in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. It was originally organized to identify and address the social problems that were leading to the high crime rate in Bed-Stuy. Recently the Smithsonian Museum of African American History released an archive of footage filmed by a community activist, which shows the real-world effects of the group’s efforts: young people engaged in sports, the arts, and other activities to better themselves and their world. The appearances by Jackie and Bobby Kennedy point to the group's relationship to the Great Society programs of President Lyndon B. Johnson. What there is no mention of in either the NMAAHC’s collection of YIA materials nor in the Brooklyn Public Library’s also extensive collection is this talent show and the record that came to be because of it.
Local vocal groups chose tunes to cover from the era (1964 - 1968) ranging from The Rascals to The Intruders, from The O’Jays to Billy Stewart. All of these groups were backed by a local act called The Thrillers Band. The winners of the talent contest were then invited into the studio to record their versions which would be pressed up on this record and given away to local radio and TV stations. The hope of the whole thing was that this would help the young groups get discovered by producers and record labels and start their professional music careers. The intro to the album is Reverend Horace Tyler congratulating the winners and asking them “to just remember, when you reach the top and become our big stars of tomorrow, don’t forget YIA”.
What this album may lack in fidelity and production it more than makes up for in charm. The engineers at the recording sessions pump in pre recorded applause and screaming to give the it the feel of the day of the contest while the young groups sing their hearts out, clearly giving their all. From today’s perspective, soul music fans will lose it over the choices of covers on this record and the killer, raw, innocent performances of them by these local Brooklyn groups. The Channels 4, Carla & The Carlettes, The United Souls, Sharon Seabrook & The Starlettes, and The Destinations all won that day and got to take place in this record. It makes you wonder, and even pine for the performances of the groups who didn’t make the cut, even if just to find out what tunes they covered, or better yet, were their original songs written by some of them for this contest?
It is with great pleasure that we make this available to the public again. This is a truly rare record, and an awesome piece of New York History.

Longtime enthusiasts of ambient music have much to celebrate as Rafael Anton Irisarri's cherished out-of-print cassette, "Midnight Colours," returns in a meticulously remastered edition and makes its inaugural debut on vinyl. The significance of this album's announcement is accentuated by its historical resonance, coinciding with the same day in 1952 when the world bore witness to the first-ever test of the hydrogen bomb.

"Midnight Colours" is far more than a mere album; it's an exploration of the enigmatic relationship between humanity and time. Conceived as a sonic interpretation of the Doomsday Clock, which symbolizes the world's existential vulnerabilities, Irisarri's work beckons listeners to contemplate the gravity of our existence and the delicate balance that envelops it.

"I wanted to capture the essence of humanity's relationship with time, both the anxiety and the serene beauty that coexists within the shadows of the night," explains Irisarri. "The vinyl format adds a tactile dimension to the experience, inviting listeners to physically engage with the music."

Known for his contributions to the ambient and electronic music genres, Irisarri often explores themes of introspection, nostalgia, and the interplay between sound and emotion.

Recorded in 2017, when the Clock was at 2½ minutes-to-midnight (and at the time, the second-closest to midnight since the Clock's inception in 1947), "Midnight Colours" permeates with the melancholy of memories resurfacing as one approaches the end of life: the regrets, the closure, the uncertainties, the anxieties.

Originally released as a limited tape on the beloved Atlanta-based label Geographic North, "Midnight Colours" swiftly garnered praise and acclaim within the ambient music sphere. Now, with this newly remastered edition on his own Black Knoll imprint, fans, both longstanding and newfound, can rediscover the album's captivating beauty in unprecedented clarity and depth.

"I've wanted to release 'Midnight Colours' on vinyl since it first came out, and I'm thrilled to finally be able to. The remastering process, brilliantly done by Stephan Mathieu, has breathed new life into the work, and I'm eager for listeners to experience it in this format."

The reissue of "Midnight Colours" features band-new artwork and design by the renowned Mexican visual artist Daniel Castrejón. A frequent collaborator and friend of Irisarri, Castrejón's imagery impeccably complements the album's mood and themes, extending a compelling invitation for listeners to explore its aural world visually.

This landmark release serves as a testament not only to Irisarri's enduring impact on the ambient music genre but also as a long-awaited gift to those who have patiently anticipated the album's vinyl debut.

Soul Jazz Records’ new collection, ‘Electro Throwdown - Sci-Fi Inter-Planetary Electro Attack on Planet Earth 1982-89’, is a journey into the outer reaches of electro, a galactic roller-coaster ride of turbo-charged sci-fi grooveology.
The album is comprised of mainly private-press and independent label electro jams of the highest calibre (with some as rare as space ships landing on Mars) all created in the 1980s, at a time when a vocoder, a Roland TR-808 drum machine and a groove was all that was needed to get the party started.
With a few notable exceptions (Michael Jonzun’s Jonzun Crew and The Packman) the album features mainly under-the-radar killer tracks from a host of one-off artists and back-room electronic pioneers – including Pretty Tony, Planet Detroit (James McCauley, aka Maggotron) and Rich Cason – who together helped shape the sound of electro across the USA from Miami to New York, Los Angeles and beyond during the 1980s.
This album is released on super-loud double vinyl, packaged in a gatefold sleeve complete with full sleeve notes (from Derek Walmsley of The Wire), plus download code and digital.

Readers of encyclopedic tomes are obviously familiar with exploding animals – there are numerous reports of torn-apart toads (even in Hamburg, Germany!), actual ants exploding altruistically – but humans that decide to jointly detonate, and with no harm done, that’s rare: Kobe’s own o'summer vacation are unique (and volatile) like that, and they’re back to light the fuse for the second time, presenting 13 more musical quarter sticks that have already blown up venues in Europe and Japan.

“Keep it lean, keep it mean,” they say, and that’s what this band loves to take to the extreme: breakneck concision and collective combustion meet freeform noise punk hazards on o'summer vacation's second (not quite) full-length – as the Kobe-based three-piece’s “Electronic Eye” is set to arrive on October 11, 2024. Following a bunch of trips to Berlin, Munich etc., the Japanese fire starters have found a new home with Alien Transistor, and it’s the perfect launch pad for their latest set of guitarless pyrotechnics. Going right for max q (maximum dynamic pressure), “Electronic Eye” is (unlike those Starships) actually supposed to explode right after lift-off ;)

Even though there have been some line-up changes since the group recorded its sophomore album, the energy caught by producer Shinji Masuko (DMBQ, Boredoms) is still unmatched: a very physical and hard-knocking barrage of mosh-inducing madness that leaves you speechless + inevitably twitching towards the pit. Mastering was done by Masaki Oshima aka Watchman (Melt-Banana).

Opening with sizzling hi-hats and heavy ripples of breathless bass, singer Ami presents a non-sequitur kind of lullaby over the math rock-style interlocutions of “宿痾 (Shuku - A)” – which at 6+ minutes makes up more than a quarter of the album. A shapeshifting frenzy of voice (Ami), unbridled, pedal-powered bassline insanity (Mikkki, formerly Mikiiiii), and hot-blooded drums (Manu, meanwhile replaced by Karry), the album features mosh-inducing blows (previously released “Luna,” “Anti Christ 大体 Super Star”), 30-sec mini noise punk anthems (“竦(shou)”, “Days Go By Fast”), and continues to surf at breakneck pace up and down scales (“@ The”), which often feels like catharsis served with a hammer (“Ultra”). Whereas some tracks are bigger more song-y than others (“Song#2,” that full-throttle “Poodle”), “Vs I” is on time like Tierra Whack (exactly 60 seconds of pick-grinding action), and “Rage” indeed feels like Zack is about to join the party – only to see Ami wipe the floor with pure onomatopoetic fire. Finally, “Aloooooone” and “Humming” (that opening lilt!) are sure going to be live favorites, shifting up and down via hardcore speeds and various break-downs.

Quite hotheaded and terminating things on a high note, o'summer vacation point out that the quick-fire lyrics of their “songs have no meaning. It’s called onomatopoeia in English. Ami, our vocalist, does not like to communicate her thoughts through her music.” Although she considers her contribution “a part of the instrumentation,” they still have strong messages and concerns (unrest, discontent, willingness to shake, wake up, enliven anyone near the audible bomb crater): “That doesn’t mean we don’t have a point of view, but we choose to express ourselves through sound rather than words. Generally, but not exclusively, we are anti-racism, anti-war, gender-free, angry at the companies we work for and their bosses, etc., which are very common sentiments held by so-called rock bands.”

It’s only three ingredients, just like sonic gunpowder: bass, drums, voice – but they tend to explode a few bars into each new track. In a perfect world, there’d be giant colorful clouds of dust gracing the sky over each venue they descend upon.

Pulsar-driven groovetronics, folky modalisms in waltz time; dreamvitations to the cine-lounge. Rhythm-n'-mood experimenters Les Hommes return with a plasma-rippling suite of jazzified cuts. The new album – Sì, così – takes us into their usual unusual orbits; with re-explored mid-century Lowrey organ, mellifluous bass clarinet, Arcadian flutes, groovified piano electrique and oscillators scorched on re-entry, it's out there.

With compositions aired on BBC 6 Music, Radio 3, Radio 4 and stations around the world, plus sold-out live shows, global cult combo Les Hommes combine mid-century-cool organ group tropes and heavy percussion with contemporary arrangements and sound-sources. Their new 2024 release, Sì, così, takes the line-up further out again to explore spacier themes, esoteric modes and filmic stratospheres, as well as continuing expeditions into 'live' small-group recordings.

Maya Blandy is a new and up and coming singer & writer. We are super excited to be able to release these two killer tracks "Lemon" is a mid-tempo fusion soul vibe love song. With it moden take and groove, Meanwhile BIB (Bitch in black) is a hard hitting groove, with a soulful swing.
Both tracks produced by Jake Wherry from the Herbailser collective

Hailing from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afropop, funk, rock and jazz outfit Jupiter & Okwess returns with the explosive ' Na Kozonga' album, a blast of energy that bewitches the body and feeds the spirit . Their latest invites guests from around the world

From the samba of carioca Rogê to the rap of Brasilian pioneer Marcelo D2 , via the horns of New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band or the voice of the militant Chilean singer Ana Tijoux , the guitar riffs of French guitarist Yarol Poupaud or soulful voice of American vocalist Maiya Sykes , Jupiter & Okwess have no fear of strange encounters, nor the craziest journeys.

Produced in Los Angeles at the studios of Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Seu Jorge, Beck, Bjork, Blur, John Lee Hooker, Manu Chao).

They have toured the US including Central Park Stage, NewOrleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Outside Lands. They performed on NPR's Tiny Desk and they were booked on Bonarroo 2020 before its cancellation.

Jupiter & Okwess previous album is also available on CD/LP. 'Kin Sonic" was voted Best Album by the NY Times in 2018 and a pick on Obama's playlist that year.












l 12: Bolingo (Ça Va Saravá) feat. Rogê

Die niederländische Gospel-Soul-Sensation Michelle David & The True-tones feiert eine triumphale Rückkehr nach ihrem 2022er Werk "Truth & Soul", das von BBC Radio 6 zu einem der Alben des Jahres gekürt wurde. Mittelpunkt der Combo ist die ehemalige New Yorker Kirchenchorsängerin Michelle David, bekannt durch erfolgreiche Musicals/Shows (Mama, The Sound Of Motown, Glory Of Gospel, Mahalia) und als Backgroundsängerin (Diana Ross, Michael Bolton). Auf dem live im Studio aufgenommenen Album "Brothers & Sisters" gelingt es der Band wieder meisterhaft, die rohe, dynamische Energie und die gefühlvolle Atmosphäre ihrer Live-Auftritte im Studio einzufangen, wo sie mit peppigen Grooves, kraftvollen Vocals und starken Melodien, inspiriert von altem Gospel über Curtis Mayfield und Bobby Womack bis zu Klassikern des renommierten Stax-Labels, das Publikum in den Bann ziehen.

Mayday is the third LP by Montreal-based artist, Myriam Gendron. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014) and Ma délire - Songs of love, lost & found (2021). Myriam began exploring the complex folk traditions of Quebec (and beyond), with Ma délire, which combines traditional and original songs with arrangements that make space for avant-garde musical interludes by such folks as guitarist Bill Nace (Body/Head) and renowned jazz percussionist Chris Corsano. Mayday presents an even more syncretic fusion of the elements Myriam uses to create her sound. Most of the songs are original, sung in both English and French, and they blend traditional and avant elements with abandon. She is often accompanied on this album by the guitarist Marisa Anderson and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Xylouris White), whose work provides a quietly aggressive sort of free-rock base. Additional players include Montreal bassist Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Bill Nace and saxophonist Zoh Amba. Mayday is a thoroughly thrilling effort that manages to create new vistas of sound while maintaining a feel that is both intimate and familiar. The music here certainly possesses a richly serious tone, but Myriam Gendron (like Leonard Cohen) is able to infuse her darkness with a subtle, powerful light that reminds us that even the most pitch-black night is but a transitional state. Beautiful work.

Joseph Omicil, Jr, a.k.a. Jowee Omicil, is a Haitian-Canadian jazz musician. He has worked in the past with artists such as Roy Hargrove, Pharoah Sanders, Tony Allen, Kenny Garrett, Jacob Desvarieux, Glen Ballard, Harold Faustin, Michel Martell, etc. He hosted Quincy Jones' 85th birthday celebration at Montreux Festival. He also starred in the Netflix series The Eddy, produced by Damien Chazelle, and Le temps d'aimer, directed by Katell Quillévéré (Cannes Festival 2023). The Bois- Caïman ceremony was Haiti's first major collective uprising against slavery. On his new album, SpiriTuaL HeaLinG: Bwa KaYimaN FreeDoM SuiTe, Jowee performs his ancestors' revolution in his own way. Joweebroughttogetherallhisinnertubes,soprano,alto,tenor,wood,clarinets, piccolo flute, cornet, that blows, that winds, that rumbles. Thisrecord is an incantation, a therapy, it cleanses the world by drawing onthe fantasized memory of the Haitian revolution. There are FreedomSuites by Sonny Rollins, Max Roach and others. Prayer music, music tobreak the chains in your head and on your wrists, music of black powerandwhitemagic.ForJowee,akidfromMontreal,sonofaHaitianpastor, who sang Jesus in all the tones, and then Michael Jackson, andthen2Pac,wholearnedjazzfromOrnetteColeman,theceremonynecessarilyhasthetasteoffree.Thisrecordisahealinghour-longimprovisation.

Timeless soul, 'Cool Cool' is the standout title track from James Alexander Bright's recent album. It's an immediately enchanting gem, with tendermusicianship and a stripped back production highlighting James' voice, pitchedsomewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald. Athens of theNorth's in-house band East Coast Love Affair add a delightfully psychedelic Balearicpiquancy with an beautiful dub version on the flip.

'Cool Cool' has been enjoying a plethora of worldwide support; seeing James insession for Gilles Peterson, suppling a Block Party mix for Huey Morgan, interviewedby Bandcamp Weekly, and played across tastemaker shows on stations includingBBC 6 Music, FIP, Jazz FM, KCRW, KEXP, Les Inrocks, NTS, Soho Radio, Triple R,WDET, WNXP.

The past six years has seen James release a veritable treasure trove of music:'Mallorca' and 'Strange Folk' EPs, debut album 'Headroom', joyous second 'Float', analbum of collaborations and reworks with cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duoFlying Mojito Bros, and a new project with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay as Bright &Findlay. 'Cool Cool', his third solo album since 2020, was released on 26th July 2024.

To mark the 10th anniversary of Gidge's landmark album Autumn Bells on Atomnation, the label has assembled a brand new box-
set reissue. This deluxe and expanded edition features a 58-page photo book, poster, the original double album plus a nine-track bonus vinyl with alternative edits and demo tracks from the time, all on transparent wax. The exclusive, limited edition boxset comes first on September 27, then all tracks come digitally in mid-November.

Gidge is the Swedish duo of Jonatan Nilsson and Ludvig Stolterman, who has also taken all of the photos in the booklet. As
friends since high school, they have a deep connection, a great understanding of one another and a shared love of Nordic
woodlands. The spirit of the northeastern forests they grew up around has always coloured their music and lent it an organic,
ethereally, otherworldly edge that conveys feelings of inner peace.

Their brilliant debut album Autumn Bells captured all that in nine accomplished tracks that picked up critical praise from the music
media and millions of online streams. More importantly, it also won them a dedicated fan base who appreciate the art of Gidge's
craft and the sensitivity of their sound. Despite the early success of the album and the three more that have followed since, this
humble pair have chosen to remain low-key. They play only a few shows a year and consciously haven't chased wider commercial
acclaim.

Danny Tenaglia’s new EP on Nervous Records features “Tonight” and “Out From Obscurity” and a remix of his prior Nervous Records release “Move That Body.”

With ”Tonight,” Danny kicks things off with the title track - treating us to both ‘No Beats Intro’ and ‘Beats Intro’ versions. And in doing so - manages to deliver, hands-down, one of the most tantalising and majestically rousing opening gambits we’ve heard in some time.

And when ‘Tonight’ finally bursts its aural banks, circa 1 minute 30 seconds - with the most seamless of transitions, we suddenly find ourselves surfing a decadent wave of hazy Rhodes, staccato bass and mesmeric vocal work - ebbing and flowing right up to it’s opulent and wonderfully soporific conclusion.

Next up we have DT’s re-rub of George Vidal’s ‘Out From Obscurity’; a veritable pressure-cooker of a track, that spins and weaves a sense of poise, tension and drama which escalates stealthily throughout. A stripped-back, rolling synth-driven’, made-to-measure for the 2024 club floor.

Finally - closing this souped-up invigorator of a release - we have ANTRANIG’s remix of Danny and Cevin Fisher’s ‘Move That Body’… a fully tribalized, menagerie-wrapped groove; which wears the sweat, the writhe and all that heat - very much on it’s visceral, live-and-direct sleeve.“

Xylitol is the alias of Catherine Backhouse, producer and DJ under the name DJ Bunnyhausen. She was a resident DJ at Kosmische, the now dormant Krautrock club and is a fan of jungle and hardcore. She currently co-hosts the radio show Slav To The Rhythm, which focuses on vintage central and eastern European pop and electronica and she's also co-writing a book on Yugoslavian pop culture. 'Anemones' is a total project from the cover to the music. Backhouse is fascinated by early botanical illustrations of anemones and other aquatic fauna, and how the act of taxonomy reveals as much about human psychology, desire and sublimation as it does about the organic specimen as a thing in itself. Each track is a microcosm of this 'other life', an allegory for the extraordinary potential latent within bodies that the dancefloor has the power to activate. Using early jungle and garage as starting points to connect dots and open up contrasts between dance music and vintage electronics, Backhouse finds a sweet spot which, in her words "feels like something that's simultaneously still and ancient yet propulsive and ecstatic." Not afraid of letting the the hiss and flutter of the music show, 'Anemones' holds attention with ancient bubbling synths and gracefully drifting arpeggiations, occasionally brought to heel by charming melodies, all accompanied by breakbeats that explode like fireworks. 'Anemones' has a lively and unpolished aesthetic that's a kindred spirit to Nondi_'s 2023 album of smeary, water-damaged footwork, 'Flood City Trax'. 'Moebius' pits the spaced out neon chords of the track's namesake against absolutely tearing breaks, allowing time for this almost overwhelming combination to become near enough transcendental, while the bleeping melody and sad slavic chorus motif in 'Okko' feels like an artifact from an alternative future. The Drexciya meets 2-step garage of 'Dobro Jutro' creates a welcome respite at the album's midpoint before the flow builds up again to 'Daša' with its glassy sounds from a lost radiophonic workshop miniature meeting bruising kicks and snares. Meanwhile 'Iskria' has purring synth chords and 8-bit melodies evoking the cosmonaut age. The subliminal influence of the Yugo era is felt in DIY synthesis and Mitteleuropean melody and seen in song titles such as 'Jelena', 'Miha', 'Daša' (named after novelist Daša Drndič) and 'Iskria' (taken from the fictitious Balkan region in Ottessa Moshfegh's bleak fable 'Lapvona'). 'Anemones' very effectively folds experimental genres from different times and places into a very enjoyable new sound.