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Cultured Dutch producer Milio returns to his home label to retool his last album Invisible Lands with the dance floor in mind. This new and club-ready 12" arrives via Atomnation on March 14th 2025 and shows a superb new side to the artist.

Invisible Lands was another marked artistic evolution for VIAVIA label head Millio who employed all new skills to translate the fantasies of his childhood into an immersive long player. As ever it was coloured by his love of hardware and brimmed with life because of his on-the-fly approach to production. Now, four of those lush originals get reimagined for different moments in the club.

These are four deep, stylish club cuts full of the sort of warm emotions that make a lasting impression.

My Boy, the third solo record from New Zealand singer/ songwriter Marlon Williams, announces an artist emerging anew. Gone is the solemn, country-indebted crooner with the velvet voice - in his place comes a playful, shapeshifting creature. Following the release of his second album, 2018's Make Way For Love, Williams' toured the world, playing major festivals and collaborating with Lorde, Yo-Yo Ma and Florence Welch. He also forged a fledgling acting career with roles in films The True History of the Kelly Gang and Netflix series Sweet Tooth, as well as a cameo in Oscar winning film A Star Is Born. My Boy parlays this flush of worldly experience into a vivid record as spirited and kinetic as the unfolding life of its performer. "I've always explored different character elements in my music," says Williams. "And the more I get into acting, the more tricks I'm learning about representation and presentation. To get braver and bolder with exploring shifting contexts and new ways of doing things." As the pandemic paused global travel, Williams found himself at home in New Zealand, reconnecting with family and friends. Soon new demos and lyrical themes emerged: of self-identity and escapism; tribalism and a gnarled family tree; and ruminations on the role of masculinity and mateship. Co-produced with Tom Healy and recorded at Roundhead Studios in New Zealand, My Boy finds Williams' leading a new band through a set of genre-hopping tunes: from the cheery sway of `My Boy' and chugging `80s noir sheen of `Thinking Of Nina', to the charging synth of `River Rival', and the sultry pop jam `Don't Go Back.' All this sonic and emotional whiplash is intentional, and ultimately My Boy sees Williams having fun, even while interrogating the behaviors of himself and those around him.

My Boy, the third solo record from New Zealand singer/ songwriter Marlon Williams, announces an artist emerging anew. Gone is the solemn, country-indebted crooner with the velvet voice - in his place comes a playful, shapeshifting creature. Following the release of his second album, 2018's Make Way For Love, Williams' toured the world, playing major festivals and collaborating with Lorde, Yo-Yo Ma and Florence Welch. He also forged a fledgling acting career with roles in films The True History of the Kelly Gang and Netflix series Sweet Tooth, as well as a cameo in Oscar winning film A Star Is Born. My Boy parlays this flush of worldly experience into a vivid record as spirited and kinetic as the unfolding life of its performer. "I've always explored different character elements in my music," says Williams. "And the more I get into acting, the more tricks I'm learning about representation and presentation. To get braver and bolder with exploring shifting contexts and new ways of doing things." As the pandemic paused global travel, Williams found himself at home in New Zealand, reconnecting with family and friends. Soon new demos and lyrical themes emerged: of self-identity and escapism; tribalism and a gnarled family tree; and ruminations on the role of masculinity and mateship. Co-produced with Tom Healy and recorded at Roundhead Studios in New Zealand, My Boy finds Williams' leading a new band through a set of genre-hopping tunes: from the cheery sway of `My Boy' and chugging `80s noir sheen of `Thinking Of Nina', to the charging synth of `River Rival', and the sultry pop jam `Don't Go Back.' All this sonic and emotional whiplash is intentional, and ultimately My Boy sees Williams having fun, even while interrogating the behaviors of himself and those around him.

The complete LP + 2 bonus tracks - limited edition pressing on 180g vinyl

Although Chet Baker and Bill Evans were both highly lyrical and introspective players who could have made a fabulous partnership, they only ever recorded together on a couple or so occasions. By the time the recordings here were made, Chet Baker had been a star for less than a decade and this wholly instrumental album presents him accompanied by other great jazz stars with whom he would also rarely play and record with again.

"Chet Baker's penultimate session for Riverside produced an all-star lineup to support him, including jazz heavyweights Pepper Adams, Bill Evans, and Kenny Burrell. Each of them makes important contributions to the session. A good place to hear Baker's special way with the horn is made even more attractive with the presence and contributions of top jazz artists." - ***** Dave Nathan, AllMusic

Limited white vinyl ! RIYL: Guided by Voices, Pavement, Terry, The Chills, The Clean, The Verlaines. Whoosh is The Stroppies first proper debut album and breezes along with boundless energy, a refrained pop strut, infectious grooves and the sort of jangling guitar melodies that sound like a prime-era Flying Nun band. The Melbourne-based band formed together around a kitchen table in 2016 with a heavy focus around the essence of collaboration and a DIY ethos. After a home recorded cassette release "Whoosh" is their proper studio debut. It's a record that possesses all the spunk and gusto of a young band hurtling forward yet also knowing when to take their foot off the accelerator. It's an album that simultaneously feels young and fresh but wise beyond its years by combining taut post-punk rhythms, indie jangle, seamless melody and sugary pop.

The Haunting ist ein übernatürlicher Horrorfilm aus dem Jahr 1999 mit Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones,
Owen Wilson und Lili Taylor in den Hauptrollen. Der Film folgt einer Gruppe von Menschen, die sich auf
einem weitläufigen Anwesen zu einer scheinbar freiwilligen Studie über Schlaflosigkeit versammeln, nur um
festzustellen, dass sie von paranormalen Ereignissen geplagt werden, die mit der düsteren Geschichte des
Hauses zusammenhängen. Diese Deluxe Edition des 2-LP-Sets ist die allererste Vinyl-Pressung von Jerry
Goldsmiths gruseliger Filmmusik und enthält brandneue Artworks.

She’s out of this world…

Maltese musician & producer Joon’s galactic debut arrives on our shores fully formed a decade after she first set sail. 12 cuts of uniquely addictive Synthesized Pop twist & turn on the rocky waters of life.

Her story begins after a life-changing car crash on the streets of Malta many moons ago. She was lucky to walk away in one piece. “That car crash was a wake-up call,” she says. “It made me realize how precious life is & I started living the life I felt was worth living.” Inspired to finally pursue her love of music full time, she began collecting instruments. Starting with a Stylophone& a vintage rhythm box, she started documenting ideas. Returning home to Malta after a few years in London, she only met one other woman making electronic music on the island. Driven by the desire to make music possible & accessible for the next generation, Joon co-founded the Malta Sound Women’s Network.

Ten years later, she sends us messages in a bottle from across the Mediterranean Sea. Armed with a Moog & her ethereal voice, she transmits hope & joy from a bedroom somewhere between Sicily & North Africa. Her music is right at home alongside outsider pioneers like Fever Ray, Grimes, Laurie Anderson & Molly Nilsson. Dream Again glides across heavy rhythms & eclectic electro. Telling stories of alienation with a throbbing heartbeat & space-age melodies, she lets us into her ultra-vivid world where anything is possible. Produced by Johnny Jewel, the album shines bright like comet orbiting the label’s dark sky, a much-needed vision of light on the horizon.

“Even if I’m sad or heartbroken, I remain optimistic. I want to grow old with no regrets.”

It’s time to Dream Again…

SPACE ECHO RETURNS WITH A DOUBLE FUNK-FUELED MESSAGE: ‘WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR MIND’ & AGOSTA’S REMIX OF ‘ECHOES OF AFRICA’

While awaiting the production of their new album The Invisible Session, Space Echo makes a bold return with the release of their new single ‘What’s Wrong With Your Mind’—a supercharged funk statement aimed at the war-driven forces that destabilize lives and communities.

Blending irresistible funk rhythms with downtempo grooves, ‘What’s Wrong with Your Mind’ is an invitation to reflect and introspect. The track’s infectious groove is elevated by the masterful trombone work of Gianluca Petrella, channeling a pure Fred Wesley-esque funk energy. Meanwhile, commanding choral arrangements in the spirit of 1970s funk bands drive the song’s message home, creating an immersive experience that stimulates both mind and body. This is more than just a song—it’s a call to shift perspectives and challenge the forces that divide us.

Alongside the single, Agosta presents a powerful remix of 'Mother Forgive Us' from The Invisible Session's previous album 'Echoes Of Africa', transforming the track into a futuristic electronic afro-funk odyssey. Infused with tribal percussion, pulsating electronic textures, and deep-rooted African musical influences, the remix is a high-energy fusion of past and future. Its hypnotic rhythm captivates the body and soul, while soaring synths and driving basslines create a dynamic interplay of tradition and innovation.

Lyrically, the remix carries a poignant message: ‘Mother Earth, forgive us for what we have not done and are not doing’. This plea underscores the urgency of climate action and the disconnection from nature that defines modern life. It’s both a lament and a rallying cry—an appeal for awareness and transformation.

Boy Harsher's entire catalogue as strictly limited indie editions on colored vinyl. Augustus Muller and Jae Matthews’ fifth release entitled ‘The Runner (Original Soundtrack)’ is not a traditional album. Rather, it is the soundtrack to a short film, also entitled ‘The Runner’. The film, written, produced, and directed by the duo, is a searching horror film, attached to a meta-style “documentary” about Boy Harsher’s recording process. The album includes several distinct components: cinematic arrangements, vocal features, and of course classic Boy Harsher dark pop.

All The Hits is the speedy follow up to Myriad Myriads’ debut album, Shardcore (released on Trilogy Tapes in September 2024). 200 vinyl pressed. Myriad Myriads was FKA Bass Clef. Wrong Speed Records have released two albums by Bass Clef (the 2020 limited vinyl reissue of 2011 cassette Inner Space Break Free and 2021 album Magnetic Chapters). Both organic and beautiful, both differing takes on electronic dancefloor - from 70's Germany, late 80's UK, and 90's Detroit. Myriad Myriads closed out the 2024 Wrong Speed Fest Weekender in the back room of a rowdy pub in Glastonbury (real Glastonbury, not Pilton). To watch up close and see the physicality was rapturous, to hear this music at volume positively transformative. All The Hits, recorded in Myriad Myriad's hometown of The Hague, Netherlands, is Carl Stone meets Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era. Carl Cox meets Harmonia. It's a headphone monster. Through a PA it will destroy. At home it's a living room shuffle, a synapse burster. It's a privilege for us to somehow be in the position to release records by Myriad Myriads / Bass Clef. We've known him for a long time. He's remixed a couple of Hey Colossus tunes. Check out the recent Patrick Cowley/Jorge Socarras covers 12" You Laugh At My Face on State 51 Conspiracy. His 22-minute-long reworking is a masterpiece. We love to be connected. We love Wrong Speed Records switching from Part Chimp to Myriad Myriads and on to Deep Cabaret via Jacken Elswyth. All come from the same place, if you feel it you know. This is our record collection

Modern Obscure Music is proud to present Pierre Bastien & DJ Low's "Swing Low", a work that fuses the poetic inventiveness of Pierre Bastien with the visionary legacy of the late DJ Low (Tom Deweerdt), a central figure in Belgian independent music and founder of the influential Lowlands label. This album, which interweaves memory and experimentation, represents Bastien's debut on the Barcelona label's catalog and a testament to the creative bond between the two artists.
The album, composed of seven pieces, stands out for its hybrid nature: five reinterpretations of Bastien's previous works, some of them coming from his influential Mecanoid (originally released by Rephlex), and two unreleased improvisations, A Pupa and Reviver, which seal the unique character of the project.
Pierre Bastien, recognized as a composer, inventor and builder of sound machines, has been a tireless explorer of the frontiers between the mechanical and the musical. From his contribution to the Belcanto Orchestra, his collaboration with the PRSNT project to his participation in Pedro Vian's Earth, Our Planet or his collaboration with Tomaga for the Other People label, his career illustrates a constant commitment to experimentation and the intersection of disciplines. Among the artists he has worked with are names such as Robert Wyatt, Jac Berrocal, Jaki Liebezeit and designer Issey Miyake. His works have found homes on iconic labels such as Marionette, Morphine and Discrepant to name a few.

The album is presented with a visual design by Koen Bruyneel, reinterpreted as a tribute to Tom Deweerdt, a decade after his departure.

2025 marks the return of Cologne-based electronic outfit Urban Homes with their first new music in over eight years, following an unintentional hiatus driven by side projects, relocations, the pandemic, and the unpredictability of »life.« After over eight years, the duo is back with their first new material: a fresh batch of purely instrumental downtempo and dub-influenced tracks, marked by a somber and atmospheric vibe that distinctly separates this new material from their previous work. Inspired by themes of extraterrestrial life and the paranormal, the four new tracks compiled on the »U.F.O.« EP release were crafted during recording sessions split between Cologne and Berlin before languishing for years on neglected hard drives, finally »ripening« into their current form.

Formed in 2008, Urban Homes initially emerged as a post-punk group, debuting live in 2009. Their first release—a four-track demo tape recorded in late 2010—already hinted at an evolving sound that would soon embrace a more experimental and electronic direction. By 2011, the band swapped their live drums for a drum machine, a shift that would profoundly shape their sound in the years to follow. Over the years, Urban Homes has explored a broad sonic landscape, merging electronic production, rhythm-driven compositions, and experimental song structures. Drawing influences from early house, balearic, disco, dub, avant-garde electronica, and pop, their music continues to defy easy categorization.

In March 2013, the duo released their debut album »Centres«, earning the Pop NRW Prize for Best Newcomers that same year. Their 2016 follow-up, »Jams«, was met with critical acclaim. A love letter to dance music's roots, Jams fused pop sensibilities with open-ended experimentation, built from years of MIDI-driven jam sessions that were painstakingly edited and reconstructed. Both released by Altin Village & Mine, »Jams« was also licensed by the Japanese label Fennely / Moorworks for an exclusive CD edition in 2017. Over the years, Urban Homes supported their releases with numerous tours and festival appearances across Germany and a memorable tour of Japan in 2017.

Punk Slime Recordings are proud to present the new full-length album from Birmingham, UK's Swampmeat Family Band. Their new album Muck! is a massive step forward both songwriting and production-wise, offering up a blend of uptempo garage rock and gentle americana. Featuring members of PNKSLM's own The Castillians and Terror Watts as well as Low Cut Connie, PWEI and Bentley Rhythm Ace.

Preparing your debut full length record is no small undertaking for any artist. The format itself deserves a certain frame of mind and approach – it’s different, and with Sarah Wild’s debut LP she embraces the idea. Expanding her artistic vision to offer something different, making use of the format and bringing new ideas and musical pathways to her established sound. Releasing on her imprint Midnight Operators in early 2025 – My Body Flows In Gravity constitutes a sophisticated homage to the early 2000s trance movement, integrating nostalgic motifs with her ultra-on point production that sits perfect in todays scene.

From the dreamy proto-house vibes of the opener, establishing a foundation with its understated beats, to the Orbital-esk serenity of the title track My Body Flows In Gravity the album works at evoking the emotive resonance of a golden era of music reborn. This trip is backed up by the Early-Balearic styled tracks such as “Fly With Me To The Moon” and “Visit To Mars” which pull you into hazy smoked filled dancefloor territory, hypnotic melodic progressions effectively capture the essence of Trance’s peak cultural moment.

At the mid point “I Don’t Wanna Go” introduces a different dimension, exploring a more Euro sound that is at the peak of the contemporary scene, but infused with Sarah’s unique edge, hyper pumping beats work alongside spoken word to really up the tempo. Following this the journey returns to a more progressive feel, “Floating Around” and ” On My Way Home” take things into deeper territory, bringing the focus’s of the record back the groove after the blurry eyed highs. Bringing the record in for a perfect landing. There is an emotional duality to this record, a movement through a juxtaposition of yearning and almost frantic emotions alongside more uplifting harmonics through to more introspective moments. The final track “Landing” gracefully closes this arc.

Sarah Wild delivers a sonic journey as much concerned with the process as with the destination itself. My Body Flows In Gravity shows Wild’s capacity to synthesize the deeply personal with the universally resonant, a set of tracks that equally speak to the introspective solitude as they do to the collective euphoria of the dancefloor.

For Nottingham quartet Divorce, home is a feeling. Initially meeting as teenagers through the city’s close-knit DIY scene, the band – completed by members Tiger Cohen-Towell (vocals / bass), Felix Mackenzie-Barrow (vocals / guitar), Adam Peter Smith (guitar / synth) and Kasper Sandstrøm (drums) - came together as Divorce in mid-2021, releasing a slew of genre-defiant singles that quickly caught the attention of tastemakers the world over. Sonically rich and lyrically open-hearted, 'Drive to Goldenhammer' sees Divorce assemble a shelter for themselves amid the chaos and leave the front door open to everyone. This album pays homage to seeking place and home; one of the great human levellers. Much of life feels at odds with this particular need. And to Goldenhammer; you are a reason to keep driving. We will find you again and again! Gatefold vinyl includes 12” lyric booklet including photos, thank yous and lyrics

Cindy Lee, Arthur Russell, Viagra Boys, On-U Sound. In the discourse around new albums from singular, world-building artists, the phrase “a big step forward” can often be a blinking red warning sign. You know you’re about to be pulled somewhere new against your will. Inertia is a hell of a thing. It’s nice here. Surely, the party’s not over yet? JJULIUS’ Vol. 3 album is a big step forward, or a step up, out of the murky basement of the preceding two volumes. There’s no time to acclimate. A spindly violin grabs you by the hand and pulls you into the pastoral bounce of “Brinna ut,” which, in spite of its meaning (“Burn out”), creates the kind of blind positivity and warm stomach feeling less cynical people might find in self-help seminars. For us, we have records like this. And, inertia be damned, Vol. 3 has charm like a balm. JJULIUS records have always arrived like meteors from another planet, an impression hammered home by the fact that they’re titled like compendiums of artifacts. And while Vols. 1 and 2 carried that notable tinge of darkness, Vol. 3 has (almost!) cast that shadow, adding elements of disco (“Dödsdisco”) and dream-pop (“Etopisk hallucination”) to his forever favorites Arthur Russell, African Head Charge, and The Fall. Some of that new car smell could be attributed to a change in process. Each song was written over beats played by Tor Sjödén of the wild-eyed Stockholm group Viagra Boys, beats that were themselves inspired by tracks from the likes of Patrick Cowley, CAN, Count Ossie, Black Devil Disco Club and others that Julius would send to him as inspiration. Unless you’re Mark E. Smith, fervor fades. Eventually we all crave a lie down in some nice grass, a few minutes to gaze at the sky and wonder if everything is actually all that bad. Vol. 3 gives you 35 of those respiting minutes. “No looking back, no misery, no talking trash, no enemies.”

No matter how much of their filthy riches Munich’s oh-so shiny and smart glitterati are going to spend on generic pest control, they’ll never manage to exterminate SPINNEN (n.b. German for “spiders” – and also for “being bonkers” ;) Instead, SPINNEN will spread even further, they’ll form new networks, take over new corners, new spots, connect more musical dots with invisible, incendiary cobwebs.

Whereas these two SPINNEN – Sophie Neudecker (drums) and Veronica “Katta” Burnuthian (bass) – have been doing their spidery thing(s) in countless muggy, experimental corners of Munich for years (think bands such as Bombo, Uschi, Apian, The Living Object, Friends of Gas + other art ventures, tats, Schaufel & Besen Records…), the duo’s first full-length offering for Weilheim-based Alien Transistor sees them move on towards a warm kind of light – “Warmes Licht”. Inspired by Lambrini Girls, Peaches, McLusky, Amyl And The Sniffers, and all things loud and gain-heavy around their hometown, the album – obviously two body parts (A + B side), 8 legs (tracks) – is set to arrive in March 2025.

“Zusammen wachsen/Zusammen fallen,” meaning grow together/fall together feels like a fitting motto on opening track “Träume,” an initial onslaught of shouts, spiky basslines, crunchy chords, a whole lot of awesome friction in that lovely lower end. “Visionen folgen/Kämpfen und Erschaffen,” is another apt line while doing just that, fighting, creating, turning visions into soundscapes, into pure sonic fun & resistance. Putting even more pressure on the mosh pit with wordless “Wirken,” that titular warm light eventually breaks through towards the end of hypnotic “Moment”: The lyrics might talk about a calm state of mind – but these two are certainly not slowing down, not aiming for consistency, or for “making it”…

“Warm” has no drums, no message, it’s pure light, all playful organ hypnosis, paving the way for the b-side that opens with first single “Geister” (spirits/ghosts/genies): Arriving with a rough wind that immediately turns things upside down, it’s all screams and riffs, turbines and propellers – one of many moments that make you realize how bad you want to see this hi-octane duo live, how good it must feel to have them scare the shit out of your body (“Verscheuche mich aus meinem Körper”). They’re like two genies coming from the same smashed bottle, offering three wishes to those who’re lucky enough to listen (Fuzzy Noise Pop? Punk Catharsis? Rrriot Krautsound?).

Following a quick melancholy breather (“Lichter”), things once again get restless as they rush towards the punk finale via slow-burning demolisher anthem “Ermüdend”/“Immer wieder,” only to unleash one last battle cry, one last middle finger made of light and noise to the heated room (“Mäuse”) they’ve long taken over.

It’s certainly no coincidence that a certain square/fine/upstanding citizen named Margit O. gave Munich’s Bürgerpark Oberföhring a scathing 1-star review on Google Maps exactly four years ago – at the very moment that Sophie and Katta first met just there, which eventually lead to the formation of SPINNEN. The reason for O.’s negative rating: “Too loud”.

The follow-up to their eponymous 2022 debut album, ‘What Is Your Definition Of Happiness?’ finds Dubinski broadening their sonic palette with the help of Grammy award winning producers Mike Horner (Franz Ferdinand, Placebo, Hot Chip) and Robbie Nelson (Beck, Royal Blood, The Kooks). Across an album themed around the concept of happiness you’ll find tales of crushed dreams, doomed romance and the perils of trying to survive as a DIY live band, all set to a compelling suite of bulletproof melodies which fuse elements of Franz Ferdinand, Parquet Courts, The Clash, Maximo Park, and even Paul Simon.

“A lot of these songs have something bittersweet to them,” says vocalist Eugene. “It’s a record of love, happiness, pain, sorrow, grief, healing, growth and acceptance. We wanted to tell a story with this album, and it flows similar to the way the seasons change.”

After a five-year absence following 2020’s creative elevator-punk explosion Roundelay, Ashley Eriksson, Eli Moore, and Andrew Dorsett of LAKE return with Bucolic Gone, a mature and polished album that is at once groovy, upbeat, meditative, and slow-rolled. As LAKE’s 10th official full-length release, Bucolic Gone is a cohesive work of sophisti-pop that embodies an adult, contemporary sound—intimate, serene, mournful, and hopeful in equal measure.

The multi-instrumental trio is joined by an impressive lineup of collaborators, including guest vocalists Nicholas Krgovich on “Glad Rags” and Daisy Jaberi of Suver with original lyrics on “Love Is Deeper.” Frequent contributors also make appearances: Karl Blau delivers standout shredding on “Ferrari,” Mark Buzard of The Format provides guitar textures across multiple tracks, and New York jazz musician Eric Vanderbuilt-Matthews contributes intricate woodwind arrangements. Steve Moore (Earth, Sunn O))),

First Aid Kit, Sufjan Stevens) adds trombone to “Love Is Deeper,” while legendary Canadian singer Jenn Grant lends her unique vocals to the outro of “Ferrari.” Recorded at The Anacortes Unknown Recording Studio by longtime collaborator Nicholas Wilbur and in the band’s own home studios, Bucolic Gone marks another step forward for Eli Moore in production and mixing. His meticulous attention to arrangement and balance—alongside an arsenal of distorted “whatchamacallits”—creates a rich, layered sound. Celebrating 20 years of ethereal, yearning pop songs, LAKE’s latest effort is their most produced but also most intimate album. Now signed to Don Giovanni Records, the band is ready to continue delivering jams. While the world has changed since LAKE’s last official release, Bucolic Gone shows that time has been on their side.

Emanuela Hutter and Oliver Baroni front this Anglo-Italian masterly, modern rockabilly band, making worldwide waves from their home base of Zurich. Highlights of this 2011 relaunch album Buy Beg or Steal include a rockabilly cover of Enola Gay and their classic hit duet between Demented Are Go"s Sparky and Emanuela: My Love For Evermore. The song"s murder ballad viral video now has over 25,000,000 views. An international cult hit, it has also inspired myriad tattoos, multiple 7" pressings and well over fifty cover versions. The LP version features an exclusive extra track.

In late 2023, Tokyo-based musician, Daigo Sakuragi, temporarily relocated to London, where he revisited material recorded with fellow Japanese musicians in Tokyo, drawing inspiration from the city’s energy, music, and atmosphere. This new perspective culminated in Togenkyo, a 28-minute work blending early 2000s folktronica and contemporary ambient styles. Sakuragi crafts immersive sonic textures with synthesisers and spatial production, while the organic groove of drums and bass anchors the piece, subtly inviting physical movement. Floating above this foundation, the saxophone weaves through the soundscape, leading the music with an elegant yet exploratory presence.

The session took place at aLive recording studio in Tokyo, with the following personnel:

Daigo Sakuragi: synthesiser, guitar, post-production
Jinya Ichikawa: bass
Shoei Ikeda: saxophone
Kazuya Ooi: drums

The lineup reflects a network of notable Japanese artists: Ichikawa, Sakuragi’s longtime collaborator in D.A.N.; Ikeda, known for his work with Maya Ongaku; and Ooi, a drummer for yahyel.

Sakuragi is best known for his band project D.A.N., where he contributes vocals, guitar, and production alongside bassist Jinya Ichikawa and drummer Teru Kawakami. Since its formation in 2014, D.A.N. has gained recognition for their unique fusion of indie rock/pop, dub, and electronic music. Under his solo moniker Daigos, Sakuragi explores electronic dance music through DJing and production, experimenting with Eurorack modules and samples in a refined, microscopic aesthetic. Recently, his creative output has expanded into diverse fields, including advertisements, artist collaborations, and films.

The term Togenkyo resonates with the concept of utopia, yet it diverges—it does not symbolise a flawless paradise but rather an attainable state of peace within oneself. Sakuragi reflects on finding his own Togenkyo in London, far from his hometown of Tokyo. The EP brings a sense of comfort and calm, reminding listeners that such a space exists not far from reach.

"I imagine that one of the first things I heard in the world was the
explosion of a Russian ammunitions factory on the outskirts of my
hometown. It blew up the night I was born a new GDR-citizen. I´m not
sure I heard a noise when the Wall came down, but it still echoes in my
body. The echo contains many frequencies. Some of them sound like Gabber
playing in my childhood room over the speakers my grandfather once stole
from a Leipzig radio station. Some of them sound like me and my friends
running through the streets. They sound like my mother laughing and
consoling women in the women´s shelter where she worked in 1992. They
sound like birds: my father swears after the Reunification the great
crested grebes on the town lakes lost all fear of humans. Some of them
sound like these recordings."

(Limited edition to 500 copies, remastered audio, pressed and printed in Indonesia) The 13 tracks contained in this compilation “Begadang: Soneta Group Best Songs, 1975-1980” are some the most innovative music that came out of Indonesia’s music scene in the 1970s, tunes that has cemented Rhoma Irama’s status as the king of the genre.



Dangdut is the biggest musical genre in Indonesia. Dangdut, onomatopoetic name from the sound of hand drums used in this type of music, is what reggae to Jamaicans, country to Americans or skiffle to mid 20th century British people. And in this genre of dang dut, the name Rhoma Irama looms large. He is until today the undisputable king of dangdut and his role as pioneer of the music is already in the history book. In fact, there's one book documenting the outsized role of Rhoma in establishing dangdut as the father of this music. The book is aptly titled Dangdut Story, written by Pittsburgh University music professor Andrew N. Weintraub.



Among Indonesian fans of dangdut, there’s this one misconceptions that dangdut music is that it is an indigenous art form from Indonesia and that it constitutes an amalgamation of local, traditional music of this Southeast Asian nation, with Malay music being the most prominent feature in the mix.



Dangdut pioneer Rhoma Irama is among the first to reject this assertion. “Dangdut music may have originated in Deli (in North Sumatra) but then got the influences from the West and India”, he said.



Indeed, most of Rhoma’s well-known compositions may have been influenced by Indian tunes but some of his best quality works owed much to the West.



Rhoma had long found home in Western pop music. In the early 1960s, after honing his guitar playing skill, Rhoma set up his first band Gayhand to play the tunes of The Beatles, Paul Anka and Tom Jones. In 1972, Rhoma won best singer title in a Southeast Asia singing competition in Singapore playing Tom Jones “I Who Have Nothing.”



Yet, nothing changed Rhoma’s fortune in the music industry, to a point where he decided to leave pop and switched to playing Orkes Melayu (Malay Orchestra) music, first with Orkes Melayu Purnama and later with Soneta Group.



His career soon took off with Soneta, especially after he introduced what ethnomusicologist William H. Frederick considered as “theatre”, through which Rhoma borrows many elements from stage performances of British and American rock bands. These elements, kitsch and pomp, he liberally adopted and became an inseparable part of dangdut itself; tight pants, long hair, platform shoes, glitter and glamour which would not be out of place in Elton John and David Bowie stage show.



And this is actually the contradiction of Rhoma’s brand of Malay music. “One might legitimately ask how imaginative, not to say bizarre, costuming and dancing with abandon could be related to some of the objectives of Rhoma has set for himself and soneta group”, Frederick wrote on his seminal work on the singer, Rhoma Irama and the Dangdut Style: Aspects of Contemporary Indonesian Popular Culture, published in 1982.



From technical point of view, Rhoma not only replaced the acoustic elements from Melayu Music with electric instruments but also created new synthetic sounds that has never been attempted before in Indonesia’s music industry.



Detractors like to point out how much he was indebted to Deep Purple, but a closer inspection reveals how he in fact had mined his influences even deeper.



Notice how Rhoma reproduced funk, which is all the rage in early 1970s, in the song “Santai” (Relax), this album’s closer or “Credit Title (Instrumentalia)” which opens this Darah Muda (Young Blood) soundtrack. The rubbery bass lines that open both songs can easily find home in any Sly and the Family Stone’s or Isaac Hayes’ tunes from that era. Other highlights of the song is the funky guitar licks and the droning Hammond a la George Clinton that stabs deep in the record groove. In the guitar solo, you can also hear the bark of George Harrison’s licks from “Taxman”.



The 13 tracks contained in this compilation “Begadang: Soneta Group Best Songs, 1975-1980” are some the most innovative music that came out of Indonesia’s music scene in the 1970s, tunes that has cemented Rhoma Irama’s status as the king of the genre. Only 500 copies were pressed for this compilation.

When Creed Taylor was setting up his CTI label one of his proposed signings was Billy Vera. This led to a deal for Vera’s younger sister Kathy McCord. In fact, McCord was the first artist signed and recorded by CTI. Her debut, “Kathy McCord” was released in 1970.

Although the label would go on to establish a fine reputation in jazz, “Kathy McCord” was a folk rock album. A gifted young poet the 17-year old McCord wrote many of the tracks on the album which were then interpreted in the studio by a crack team of jazz musicians that included Harvey Brooks (bass), Hubert Laws (flute), John Hall (guitar) and Wells Kelly and Ed Shaugnessy (drums). Musically and lyrically both the musicians and McCord stretched out on tracks like ‘Rainbow Ride’, ‘Jennipher’, ‘Candle Waxing’ and ‘Take Away This Pain’ to conjure up an amazing fusion of folk and jazz. The only cover on show was a version of Lennon and McCartney’s ‘She’s Leaving Home’ which McCord repurposed as ‘I’m Leaving Home’.

Upon release the album sold poorly. Creed’s expertise and contacts were in the jazz field and he had no idea how to market an album of folk jazz songs sung with fragile beauty by a good looking girl still in her late teenage years. Also, when Billy Vera did not sign to CTI McCord was dropped.

Over time “Kathy McCord” attracted a dedicated following amongst folk-rock collectors in America and the UK. In many respects it was an echo of something like Deena Webster’s 1968 folk rock LP, “Tuesday’s Child” that also came, went and is now sought after.

Ace are delighted to give the world the first vinyl reissue of “Kathy McCord” since 1970. Pressed on black 180gm vinyl it also includes liner notes from Billy Vera - who has this to say about his late beloved sister: “My sister had the goods. She could sing, she could write and she looked great. Like so many other talented people, she just failed to get lucky. Listen and enjoy her. I love her stuff”. You will too...

After releasing SOUL FICTION in May 2023! Cosmo Klein & The Campers release a "Soul Fiction Remix"ed album with remix-management by Berlin based DJ Daniel W. Best of Best's Friends Music.

Remixers inc. Art Of Tones, Opolopo, Philippa, DJ Friction (Germany). In the past the Cosmo Klein from Berlin has dedicated himself to different genres of music such as Pop, House Music, Soul, Jazz & Funk. Numerous hits like "Beautiful Lie", "Feel Alive", "All I ever need" or the Duet with German singer Maya Saban have made Cosmo Klein one of the few internationally successful music exports from Germany.

2022 Repress

Tapper Zukie's 'Black Man' album originally came out in 1978 as a Jamaican only release on Tapper's' Stars imprint. Long deleted it has become a classic in Mr Zukie's vast cannon of musical biscuits and is well overdue this worldwide release for the first time.
Tapper Zukie (b1956. David Sinclair, Kingston, Jamaica) was raised in the rough and tough West Kingston area of Jamaica, between the districts of Trench Town and Greenwich Farm. Living pretty much on the streets from an early age, the youths including the young Tapper had no choice but to fall into the hands of the Political Parties that controlled various ghetto areas of the town. Music seemed like the only way out of a life of crime and gang culture. A path that Tapper Zukie found by the mid 1970's was establishing himself as a named star on the DJ Roots circuit. Back home in Jamaica he was also getting a name for his production work for other local singers such as Prince Allah and the group Knowledge. To release these productions and his own material in Jamaica, Tapper started up his own label called Stars. It's this label that saw the initial release of this album 'Black Man'. A great collection of Tapper tunes such as his biblical cut 'My God Is Real', 'Revolution' and the tile track of this collection 'Black Man' and some work overs of some of his felloe Jamaican Artists like 'Poor Man Problem' a work over of Johnny Clarke's ' Blood Dunza' and also Mr Clarke's Leggo Violence'. 'Yaga Yaga' re working Horace Andy's and Tapper's big hit 'Natty Dread ah She Want'. 'Gather Them' a reworking of Knowledge's tune of the same name with the help from bands like Jah Wisdom and Delroy Fielding. A great collection of tunes and reworkings that we hope will find a wider audience with this release.
For the CD issue of this release we had added Tapper's 'Liberation Struggle', 'Get Ready', 'Prophesy' and 'Fire Bun' tracks from Tapper Zukie's back catalogue that seem to sit well and follow the theme and meanings of the 'Black Man' album.

Dear Life Records is proud to present the physical reissue of the self titled debut of MJ Lenderman. MJ Lenderman is a songwriter born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. The anatomy of an MJ record might go something like this: warped pedal steels and skuzzed out guitar; a voice reminiscent of the high-lonesome warble of a choirboy; the keen observations and reflections of a front stoop philosopher. Songs snake their way from a lo-fi home recording to something glossier made with longtime friends at Asheville's Drop of Sun studios, but the recording setting doesn't seem to matter much - at its core, a Lenderman song rings true. "MJ Lenderman" was recorded, mixed and mastered for digital in 2019 by Colin Miller in Asheville NC, and was self-released online to quiet but firm acclaim. Now available as a Double LP and remastered for vinyl by Heather Jones, it offers a glimpse into the formative steps of a style; focused and precise, yet expansive and rough around the edges, that remains consistent across MJ's catalogue to date (see also 2021's `Ghost of Your Guitar Solo' (DLR 016) and 2022's `Boat Songs' (DLR 031)). Looking as firmly to the legacy of 90s slowcore as it does to the tenor of Magnolia Electric Co. and sound wall of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, these 9 songs clock in at just over an hour and offer warm, patient worlds of heavy color that blow by breezily. These are songs that wrap mysterious and urgent feeling in layers of patience and clarity that unfold anew with each timeless listen.

Muireann Bradley is a young blues, ragtime, roots and folk guitarist and singer based in Ballybofey in County Donegal Ireland. “This is my first album. Most of these tunes were originally recorded by the great blues men and women who were making records from the 1920s and 1930s right up in some cases to the early 1970s. I have also found inspiration for the renditions recorded here in the playing of some of the musicians who began recording this music in the 1960s and later, and who in some cases learned at the feet of the greats. Many of these guitarists played pivotal roles in the 1960s blues revival and subsequent “rediscovery” of many of the greats of country blues. I grew up steeped in these old blues in the hills overlooking the valley of the River Finn just outside the town of Ballybofey in County Donegal. My father would play this music constantly at home and wherever we went in the car and talk about it endlessly whether anyone was listening or not, telling stories about the lives of these musicians as if they were legend, mythology or the evening news. My father could of course play all this stuff on guitar, I remember watching him when I was very young and thinking “I want to be able to do that”. When I was nine he agreed to teach me and bought me my first little travel guitar. I worked hard to learn how to play but as time wore on I seemed to have less and less time to practice as I became more and more invested in the combat sports I was regularly training and competing in. Then in March 2020 the first Covid lockdowns happened and all contact sports were shut down. I was lost for a while but soon found my way back to the guitar. I was now listening, playing and practicing with a new intensity and focus. In a very serious moment, I wrote out a list of tunes I was going to learn. The first tune on that list was Blind Blake’s “Police Dog Blues”. I’m not sure now how long it took to get that arrangement together but when it was ready we videoed me performing it and posted it on YouTube. It ended up getting a lot of attention, I remember my parents being quite shocked and soon after that Josh Rosenthal got in touch… and here we are! Each individual track on this album was recorded live in the studio and represents one entire take with me singing and backing myself up on guitar simultaneously. Most are either first or second takes. Nothing has been added or taken away, no overdubs or modern recording tricks of any kind have been used at all so at least in some respects this album has been recorded in the same way as those classics of the 1920s and 1930s

Matilda Mann’s debut album, Roxwell, is a heartfelt exploration of love, vulnerability, and nostalgia. Named after the street of her childhood home, the album reflects Mann’s sentimental connection to her formative years in West London, where she grew up as an only child. Her introspective lyrics and delicate vocals navigate the highs and lows of relationships, from infatuation to heartbreak.
“This is my debut album. Every song feels like a part of me, and I’m so, so excited that it’s finally coming out. It explores various types of love, the experience of growing up and reflecting on the past, the struggle of not being able to give someone your all, getting stuck in the past, and accepting what you can’t change.”

Oxblood Vinyl

If you’ve followed the global shenanigans of heavier music over the past decades, you know the name Marko Hietala.
And if you don’t, I strongly suggest you go back down the dark rabbit hole and do your homework again. There is no doubt about it: Marko Hietala has been synonymous with quality for more than four decades. Hietala has not only shaped, but also defined the sound of harder rock, as a founding member of the heavy metal band Tarot, as an essential member of the supergroup Sinergy (next to extreme talents such as Alexi Laiho) or as one of the key figures of world’s biggest symphonic metal band Nightwish. Needless to say, his thunderous bass lines and rich vocals have been echoed in the world’s most famous venues, such as Wembley Arena and legendary festivals like Rock in Rio.
However, despite all the achievements, new conquests are coming at a steady pace... Just recently, Marko Hietala has appeared in a starring role in the TV series Vain elämää, which has gathered millions of viewers in Finland.
When it comes to an endlessly talented artist with a strong musical flame in his heart, an eponymous album is always just a matter of time. In the case of Marko Hietala, it took a while, but better late than never: his long-awaited first solo debut, Mustan sydämen rovio, finally arrived to grace the spring of 2019 (later reissued in English as Pyre of the Black Heart) Guess what? Marko Hietala’s musical and lyrical tide has not dried up and the well-received debut is getting the company it deserves. To be released in February 2025, “Roses from the Deep” follows the adventurous path of its predecessor, but perhaps with even greater ambition.
“Sometime in 2017-18, Nightwish took a break – first for about 20 years – and I decided to spend my time working on my first solo album”, I’ve come up with all kinds of ideas over the years, and it was time to get them out of my system. When I set my sight on the album, I didn’t limit myself in any way. If the idea felt good, it was good...” Hietala recalls.

„When you gonna stop running?“ fragen The Men in der ersten Zeile von „Pony“, dem ersten Song und der ersten Singleauskopplung aus dem
kommenden Album „Buyer Beware“ des New Yorker Rockquartetts. Machen Sie keinen Fehler - dies ist kein Zeichen einer existenziellen Krise,
sondern eher ein Aufruf zu den Waffen für eine Band, die noch nie lange stillgestanden hat. Nach eigenen Angaben ist „Buyer Beware“ ihr 15. Album
seit ihrem Debüt „We Are The Men“ (2009) und ihr viertes für Fuzz Club.
The Men haben eine Arbeitsmoral, die so altmodisch ist wie ihre Rockwurzeln, doch trotz der Hektik scheinen sie nie in Eile zu sein - ein Widerspruch,
der sich in ihrer Musik auf natürliche Weise auflöst, indem sie die rohe Wut des Punkrock mit der minimalistischen Strenge eines Steve Reich (oder,
außerhalb der Musik, Mark Rothko) in zenartiger Ausgewogenheit in Einklang bringen. "Buyer Beware“ ist die fünfte Zusammenarbeit von The Men
mit dem Tontechniker Travis Harrison (Guided by Voices, Built to Spill), der die Nuancen der Gruppendynamik - Nick Chiericozzi (Gitarre/Gesang),
Kevin Faulkner (Bass), Mark Perro (Gitarre/Gesang) und Rich Samis (Schlagzeug) - sehr gut einfängt. Durch die direkte Aufnahme auf Band fängt
Harrison das rohe, konfrontative Fieber ihrer Bühnenshows ein, ohne dabei ihre introspektiven Untertöne zu opfern. Das Ergebnis ist zweifelsohne ihr
aggressivstes Album seit „Leave Home“ (2011) und ihr psychedelischstes seit „Immaculada“ (2010)

Chaz Bear (formerly Bundick) has been immersed in music from a young age, shaped by a household rich with sounds ranging from Michael Jackson and Elvis Costello to The Specials. Growing up biracial in South Carolina, these diverse influences contributed to the unique blend of styles Chaz weaves into his work. Nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 2020 Grammy Awards for his collaboration with Flume on “The Difference”, Chaz’s genre-defying sound has won critical acclaim. His journey began in earnest with early home recordings that showcased his prolific nature, leading to over 10 Toro y Moi albums released independently before signing with Carpark Records in 2009.

Chaz’s debut album under Carpark, Causers of This, was a seminal release that sparked a movement of sample-heavy bedroom recordings. Its success led to early assumptions that he was limited to this sound, but Chaz quickly proved his versatility with 2011’s Underneath the Pine, recorded between tours and featuring entirely live instrumentation. This pivot set a pattern for Chaz’s career: each subsequent release explored new terrain, from the psych rock of What For? to the R&B-influenced Boo Boo, all tied together by his signature production and melodic sensibilities.

Following Boo Boo, 2019’s Outer Peace marked Chaz’s return to the Bay Area after a year in Portland, embodying a celebratory homecoming filled with collaborations and vibrant playfulness. Featuring friends and eclectic references to contemporary hip hop, funk, Eurodance, and ambient textures, Outer Peace was a sharp contrast to the contemplative, isolation-driven Boo Boo and solidified Chaz’s place on the cutting edge of music.

Five days post-release, Chaz teased Soul Trash on Instagram, sharing a cassette titled SOUL TRASH V1 with a Dropbox link, which was later removed. The mixtape was officially released digitally on October 29, 2019, and has since garnered over 39 million streams. This album was also his first collaboration with Elijah Kessler, who later released an album on Chaz’s Company Records. Now available on vinyl for the first time, Soul Trash epitomizes Chaz's experimental spirit, featuring ambient sounds, lo-fi loops, and contributions from Old Grape God, and Caleon Fox. Released alongside more recent projects like Mahal and Hole Erth, Soul Trash bridges his past with his ever-evolving artistry, proving Chaz’s creative well is far from dry.

"The title is a description of what I do - making music in the home studio on a keyboard (real and virtual), reflecting some kind of dream world. Initially I had read in a book the phrase Homemade Pipe Dreams which I changed to Homemade Ivory Dreams - referencing ivory that often describes a piano keyboard."

First released digital only, June 2, 2017

From a review in Classical Ear August 2017:
It carries itself with all the vivid – and here often hallucinogenic – intensity typical of Doyle’s work. Structure and detail, rhythmic propulsion, tonal variation and textural intricacy all reveal his equally characteristic meticulousness. There’s a palpable emotional energy to, a discernible intellectual interrogation of, pieces that are acutely personal, adroitly framed and superbly realised. It’s as if Debussy had collaborated with dance-music duo Orbital.

VENTILATEUR is an instrumental project combining sounds from the vivid worlds of contemporary jazz and postpunk. The three-piece band, consisting of Iben Stalpaert on drums, Jasper Hollevoet on bass and Daan Soenens on guitar, uses angular rhythms and flowing melodies to construct compositions that embody both contrast and cohesion. Originally from Bruges, the band currently has Ghent as its homebase.

The trio released its self-titled debut EP on 22 March 2019. VENTILATEUR won awards at Fresh Fish, Red Rock Rally and Burgrock that same year and was one of the laureates of the then brand new Sound Track. Thanks to Sound Track 2020, the band received a residency at Het Entrepot in Bruges and a year of professional coaching from VI.BE and other national players in the music landscape.

In 2020, VENTILATEUR joined forces with young Ghent theatre collective Camping Sunset for the performance Happiness. The band composed the soundtrack for the play and also performed it live during the five-week run of the production. The music was subsequently recorded and released under the title A Soundtrack For Happiness at the Brussels label Sentimental.

In 2022, VENTILATEUR released its first full-length album with W.E.R.F. Records. Hoofdplaat, titled after the village near the manor house that served as its recording location, is the result of a long process of purification. VENTILATEUR presents the essence of their sound, stripped from all ballast.

VENTILATEUR balances on the border between the ‘niche’ world of instrumental jazz and the accessible world of the pop-rock circuit. From this position, the band aims to bring instrumental music to a wider audience. Apart from being purely intrinsically artistic, the trio's ambition is to excite a new audience for cultural participation and specifically the rich genre of jazz. Through their choice of accessibility within the experimental, the band aims to form a bridge between a wider audience and a musical world still too often labelled as ‘niche’. The musicians not only focus on the club and festival circuit, but have already written soundtracks for some short film projects and are also reaching out to the theatre world.

In its early years, VENTILATEUR was mainly known within the Flemish arts landscape on the Bruges-Ghent-Brussels axis. A soundtrack for Happiness and Hoofdplaat introduced VENTILATEUR to a new audience. Songs from the albums got airtime from Radio 1, Klara and other stations, and singles appeared in national playlists. The band’s music was also picked up by VRT, which used the single Nectar during several programs. In 2023, the band scored their biggest gig yet: Ghent Jazz on a podium curated by their label, W.E.R.F. Records.

VENTILATEUR as a project can count on the support of organisations such as W.E.R.F. Records, Cactus Music Centre, Het Entrepot and VI.BE. The band also has close ties with theatre companies such as Camping Sunset, Compagnie Cecilia and Ontroerend Goed and, of course, numerous connections within the Flemish and Brussels music scene.

Mike Montgomery’s lifelong fascination with music began as a solitary endeavor. After secretly mining his dad’s record collection of golden 60s and 70s icons and tumbling headlong into 80s skateboard culture and its thrilling soundtrack, Mike learned guitar and started amassing songs on his Tascam Porta-Studio, chronicling hushed bedroom melodies with each new chord he discovered. Soon, he founded thistle, a wonderfully self-sufficient power trio that served as a rich opportunity to tinker with every stage of the music-making process. Through four LPs and two EPs between 1992-2013 and countless thistle shows criss-crossing North America, Mike discovered how to book a tour, repair equipment, run live sound, manage a label, build a studio, and foster a community of collaborators.

Inspired by R.Ring’s looseness and a growing confidence in spartan songwriting, Montgomery’s latest project - under the Nervous Verbs moniker - further peels back the layers of production and fussiness that might accompany access to a fully appointed studio. Instead of ensconcing himself in Candyland with limitless options, Montgomery treated his latest batch of songs as field recordings, often using phone memos to document melodies and entire performances at their inception, where and whenever they might materialize. He realized “there was something about the idea of noticing I had captured something of myself that I couldn’t recreate on subsequent attempts.” As he collected these home sketches, he shared them with friends (including Kelley Deal, Lori Goldston, Devin Ocampo, Joe Suer, Kate Wakefield, Rick McCarty, Adam Nurre, Matt Hart, Dan Dorff Jr., and Alexis Marsh) who responded with supportive contributions, fostering the initial sparks. “All of the extra tracks people sent me that I dressed the songs up with showed me that these were sturdy enough to hold those layers.”

'Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs" ist/war das letzte leidenschaftliches Projekt von Chills' Martin Phillipps vor seinem plötzlichen Tod. Es ist eine engagierte Neuinterpretation früher, unveröffentlichter Songs, die zu seinem künstlerischen Abschied, einem bleibenden Vermächtnis und einer Erinnerung an sein großes, unterschätztes Talent werden. Das Album wurde mit der Liebe und dem Enthusiasmus seiner Band, der Familie und Freunden abgeschlossen. Martin Phillipps, Sänger, Songwriter und Hauptmotivator der Chills hat in den 2000er Studio- und Live-Alben veröffentlicht, während er mit dem typischen Elan in sein sechzigstes Lebensjahr ging. Inmitten dieser Dynamik suchte er immer noch in alten (Demo-)Bändern nach den Ursprüngen, die 1987 zu seinem weltweiten Erfolg geführt hatten, der zwar über Nacht eintrat und doch sieben Jahre brauchte, um zu zünden. Diese frühen Songs und Skizzen wurden wieder aufgegriffen, überarbeitet und schließlich auf Album gebannt. Spring Board" ist somit das letzte Kapitel des unermesslich bedeutsamen Schaffens des Martin 'The Chills' Phillipps, ist alarmierend, persönlich, spröde und manchmal hoffnungslos optimistisch. Hier blickt ein Mann zurück auf eine wellenförmige Karriere, die zu nichts Geringerem als Kultstatus führte. Die Lieder eines Menschen, der seine Wurzeln und die innersten Gedanken, Hoffnungen und Ängste seines jungen Ichs wiederentdeckt und zum erstenmal. Spring Board" enthält Beiträge von Julia Deans von Fur Patrol, Elroy Finn und Split Enz, Neil Finn von Split Enz/Crowded House, Hollie Fullbrook von Tiny Ruins, Greg Haver von den Manics, Troy Kingi, Shona Laing, Tami Neilson, Dianne Swann (Everything That Flies) und Clementine Valentine von Purple Pilgrims. The Chills 2024 sind/waren Martin Phillipps, Oli Wilson, Erica Scally, Callum Hampton und and Todd Knudson. Doppel-LP, UV Spot Klappcover, klassisch schwarzes Vinyl mit dlc oder Digisleeve CD mit Lyric-Poster-Booklet

Portland-based ambient architect and far afield sound technician Graintable, aka James Cooke returns with his debut outing on Music To Watch Seeds Grow By and his fourth in the R$N stable; 'Blue Flax'. Following his acclaimed and sold out cassette releases 'Herons', 'Universal Ash' and ‘The Rain In The Trees’ on Ransom Note Records, this new collection sees Cooke delving deeper into the intersection of natural processes and liminal organic electronics.

'Blue Flax', the resilient flowering plant celebrated for its delicate blue blooms and medicinal applications, is native to the Pacific Northwest - the region Cooke calls home. This plant has long grown on the ancestral lands of the Wasco, Klickitat, Warm Springs, Cayuse, and Umatilla tribes. Its connection to this landscape underscores the album’s themes, weaving together ten intricate ambient pieces that reflect the plant's dual nature of part healer, part object of wonder. Recorded during the transitional hours of dawn and dusk in his Portland studio, Cooke’s soundscapes capture both the meditative aspects of watching plants grow and the gradual transformation of organic matter into usable forms. The centrepiece of the album Cerulian FIelds, reminds of the early morning light, those inspiring hours before the rest of the world wakes and the first shoots break through the soil into the new dawn. It’s a beautiful crystallisation of what is Cooke’s most comprehensive collection of meditative compositions to date.

For fans of: Steve Roach, Alessandro Cortini, Suzanne Ciani, Davis Galvin

Early support including: Courtesy, Laurent Garnier, Massimiliano Pagliara, DJ Harvey, Domenic Capello

ascha Funke is creating a long overdue monument to an almost forgotten cultural artefact of the GDR: the ‘Germina Speeder’ was the only skateboard made in East Germany before reunification and was launched in 1986. It was produced by VEB Schokoladen-Verarbeitungsmaschinen (a state-owned chocolate processing machine factory) in Wernigerode and was therefore affectionately known as the ‘chocolate board’. However, it was hardly suitable for actual skateboarding due to technical inadequacies. It is not known whether Sascha himself owned such a board, but the tracks on the ‘Germina Speeder’ EP definitely roll better than the original. The opener ‘Blaupunkt’ breathes the euphoric spirit of the legendary Berlin club ‘E-Werk’, while the title track would have been more at home at the ‘Dubmission’ parties in the Turbine. Sascha leaves the 90s behind with radiant positivism; ‘Bo Knows’ sounds more like a 2000s open air at Café Schönbrunn. The EP closes with ‘Mastermind’, a high-octane psy-proghouse banger that, like all four tracks, quotes the past but still has both feet on today’s dance floors. Or rather, is dancing. 4:1 for love!

Sascha Funke setzt einem nahezu vergessenen Kulturgut der DDR ein längst überfälliges Denkmal: Der “Germina Speeder” war vor der Wende das einzige in Ostdeutschland hergestellte Skateboard und kam im Jahre 1986 auf den Markt. Es war ein Erzeugnis des VEB Schokoladen-Verarbeitungsmaschinen aus Wernigerode und wurde daher liebevoll auch als “Schoko-Board” bezeichnet. Zum eigentlichen Skateboardfahren war es allerdings aufgrund von technischen Unzulänglichkeiten kaum zu gebrauchen. Ob Sascha selbst ein solches Board besaß ist nicht überliefert, aber die Tracks auf der “Germina Speeder” EP rollen allemal besser als das Original. Der Opener “Blaupunkt” atmet den euphorischen Geist des legendären Berliner Clubs “E-Werk”, während der Titeltrack eher bei den “Dubmission” Parties in der Turbine gelaufen wäre. Mit strahlendem Positivismus verlässt Sascha die 90er; “Bo Knows” klingt eher nach einem 2000er Open Air am Café Schönbrunn im Volkspark Friedrichshain. Die EP schließt mit “Mastermind”, einem hochoktanigen Psy-Proghouse Knaller, der wie alle vier Tracks zwar das Vergangene zitiert, aber dennoch mit beiden Füßen auf den Tanzflächen von heute steht. Beziehungsweise tanzt. 4:1 für die Liebe!

Anfang 2025 werden die Mercury Studios Supertramps „Live In Paris ’79“ auf 3LP veröffentlichen. Diese
Show wurde aufgezeichnet, als die Band auf Tournee war, um ihr Album Breakfast In America zu unterstützen, das in 9 Ländern auf Platz 1 landete, für 4 Grammy Awards nominiert wurde (und 2 gewann)
und sich weltweit über 20 Millionen Mal verkauft hat. Das Album enthält die Hit-Singles „Logical Song“,
„Goodbye Stranger“, „Take The Long Way Home“ und „Breakfast In America“, die alle auf dieser Veröffentlichung zu hören sind, zusammen mit einer Vielzahl anderer kultiger Supertramp-Songs.

'Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs" ist/war das letzte leidenschaftliches Projekt von Chills' Martin Phillipps vor seinem plötzlichen Tod. Es ist eine engagierte Neuinterpretation früher, unveröffentlichter Songs, die zu seinem künstlerischen Abschied, einem bleibenden Vermächtnis und einer Erinnerung an sein großes, unterschätztes Talent werden. Das Album wurde mit der Liebe und dem Enthusiasmus seiner Band, der Familie und Freunden abgeschlossen. Martin Phillipps, Sänger, Songwriter und Hauptmotivator der Chills hat in den 2000er Studio- und Live-Alben veröffentlicht, während er mit dem typischen Elan in sein sechzigstes Lebensjahr ging. Inmitten dieser Dynamik suchte er immer noch in alten (Demo-)Bändern nach den Ursprüngen, die 1987 zu seinem weltweiten Erfolg geführt hatten, der zwar über Nacht eintrat und doch sieben Jahre brauchte, um zu zünden. Diese frühen Songs und Skizzen wurden wieder aufgegriffen, überarbeitet und schließlich auf Album gebannt. Spring Board" ist somit das letzte Kapitel des unermesslich bedeutsamen Schaffens des Martin 'The Chills' Phillipps, ist alarmierend, persönlich, spröde und manchmal hoffnungslos optimistisch. Hier blickt ein Mann zurück auf eine wellenförmige Karriere, die zu nichts Geringerem als Kultstatus führte. Die Lieder eines Menschen, der seine Wurzeln und die innersten Gedanken, Hoffnungen und Ängste seines jungen Ichs wiederentdeckt und zum erstenmal. Spring Board" enthält Beiträge von Julia Deans von Fur Patrol, Elroy Finn und Split Enz, Neil Finn von Split Enz/Crowded House, Hollie Fullbrook von Tiny Ruins, Greg Haver von den Manics, Troy Kingi, Shona Laing, Tami Neilson, Dianne Swann (Everything That Flies) und Clementine Valentine von Purple Pilgrims. The Chills 2024 sind/waren Martin Phillipps, Oli Wilson, Erica Scally, Callum Hampton und and Todd Knudson. Doppel-LP, UV Spot Klappcover, klassisch schwarzes Vinyl mit dlc oder Digisleeve CD mit Lyric-Poster-Booklet