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T.O.Y.'s new album, The Prophet, is passion, history, a vintage museum, and full of great songs that are waiting to be heard. T.O.Y. is a German synthpop and futurepop band founded in 2001 by Volker Lutz. Highlights include collaborations with Alphaville's singer Marian Gold ("Turn On!") and FAITHLESS drummer Andy Treacey ("Silent Soldiers"), blending T.O.Y.'s atmospheric sound with iconic voices from the electronic music scene. "The Prophet is something truly special. During the Corona pandemic, wrapped in isolation, we all needed consistency, a sense of comfort, and security. I found that feeling through sounds--the sounds I have known my whole life: the music of the 80s. Courageously and full of ideas, one song after another emerged. Motivated by the wonderful collaboration and friendship with Alphaville frontman Marian Gold, who kept encouraging me with words about how good this record was, the pandemic passed, and so did one year after another. Through my friendship with Faithless drummer Andy Treacey, I got in touch with Jonathan White, also a member of the Faithless family. A true genius on bass in live performances, he became part of the album as well." - Volker Lutz

The duality of "man" is a subject that has been explored in art for centuries, from writings of the Bible to Descartes, all the way up to filmmakers like Lynch, Cronenberg, & Carpenter. Who is your "true self" & what do they want? With their sixth studio album "Wish Defense" (again for longtime home Trouble In Mind Records), Chicago trio FACS take a good, long look in the mirror to face themselves. The return of original member Jonathan Van Herik - who stepped away from the group just before their debut album "Negative Houses" was released in 2018 - replacing longtime bassist Alianna Kalaba brings renewed vigor & a marked angularity from the band's more recent output. The songs still hit hard, but the approach is sideways - the roles have changed since Van Herik's original tenure & his previous time with Case & powerhouse drummer Noah Leger in Disappears; now on bass, Van Herik was originally the group's guitar player and features on the debut, while current guitarist Brian Case played bass. This role reversal has helped the band's dynamic, offering up a different musical perspective than before, now revisiting the trio's long-going collaboration with some distance and time. Case notes that the lyrics on "Wish Defense" revolve around doppelgängers or "doubles", tackling the idea of facing yourself and observing your ideas and motivations. Look no further than the album's title track; "Enter the mirror / Double walker / An intimate / Wish defense / Is it real? / You beside me / The detail / Terrifying / Abject self / Your grief / A public / Performance". Case lays out the entire album's theme in one stanza; Are your actions & emotions your true self? Or are they a performative aspect of that "other" person you put forward? Case says that ultimately the sentiment is "_don't let the bastards get you down, there's something beyond this moment, like hope - but not in the naive belief that ultimately people are good". "Wish Defense"s artwork is also a subtle reference to "Negative Houses"' art, returning to that album's black & white starkness & minimalism. The album's checkerboards everywhere are offset reflections of themselves, mirrored with the album's lyrics printed front & center on the cover. Everything is out in the open. A final note; "Wish Defense" is the last album engineered by Steve Albini. Two days were recorded at Electrical Audio in early May of 2024 before Steve's untimely passing, with renowned engineer & friend Sanford Parker stepping in to finish the session 24 hours later, tracking the last bits of vocals and overdubs. Longtime collaborator John Congleton mixed the album as Albini would have; in Electrical Audio's A room, off the tape, using Albini's notes about the session.

MUNA sind magisch. Welche andere Band hätte das verlorene Jahr 2021 mit Pailletten und Pompoms geprägt - und dich dabei ganz nebenbei zum Singen bringen können (und vielleicht sogar zu glauben), dass "Life's so fun, life's so fun" ist? All das während der vielleicht unruhigsten Phase deines Lebens? "Silk Chiffon", der Instant-Hit von MUNA mit Labelchefin Phoebe Bridgers, schlug wie ein doppelter Regenbogen in den grauen Himmel der anderthalbjährigen Pandemie ein. Pitchfork nannte es einen "Strudel von Schmetterlingen im Bauch", NPR einen "Queerwurm", der US-Rolling Stone "eine der süßesten Melodien des Jahres, die die Art von purer Pop-Seligkeit ausstrahlt, die so viele Bands anstreben, aber fast nie richtig hinbekommen." Für MUNAs Gitarristin und Produzentin Naomi McPherson war es ein "song for kids to have their first gay kiss to." Und so blühten mehrere Tausend verrückte Twitter- und TikTok-Memes auf. Seit Beginn ihrer Karriere haben MUNA den Schmerz als Fundament der Sehnsucht, als Zentrum der radikalen Wahrheit, als Teil des Erwachsenwerdens und als inhärenten Faktor der Erfahrung von Marginalität betrachtet - die Bandmitglieder gehören Queer- und Minderheitengemeinschaften an und spielen ihre Songs vor allem für diese. Gavin, McPherson und Josette Maskin - die Gitarristin von MUNA - verbindet eine bald zehnjährige Freundschaft. Sie begannen im College an der USC zusammen Musik zu machen und veröffentlichten 2017 mit der Single "I Know a Place" einen frühen Hit als eine aufgestaute Beschwörung zur LGBTQ-Zuflucht und Transzendenz. Jetzt, in ihren späten Zwanzigern, ist das Trio so etwas wie eine Familie geworden. Sie verbrachten einen Großteil der frühen Pandemie als eine Gruppe, die füreinander und für MUNA da war, selbst als sie sich über nix in Bezug auf Zukunft sicher sein konnten. Sie wurden von ihrem vorigen Label RCA gedroppt und es gab nur wenig Einkommen, kein Adrenalin, mit dem sie arbeiten konnten, keine Live-Shows mit Publikum, das sie an den Beistand erinnerte, den ihre Songs bieten können. "Muna", das selbstbetitelte dritte Album der Band, ist mehr als eine Rückkehr. Die Zeit der Unsicherheit und des offenen Hinterfragens der Band hat alles weggebrannt und ein Meisterwerk von einem Album hinterlassen - die kraftvolle, bewusste, dimensionale Leistung einer Band, die niemandem außer sich selbst etwas beweisen muss. Der Synth auf "What I Want" funkelt wie eine ROBYN-Tanzflächenhymne; "Anything But Me", das im 12/8-Takt galoppiert, erinnert an SHANIA TWAIN im Neonlicht der Achtziger; "Kind of Girl" mit seinem aufsteigenden, klagenden THE CHICKS-Refrain bittet darum, mit deinen besten Freund*innen bei maximaler Lautstärke gesungen zu werden. MUNA arbeiteten mit dem Quellcode des Pop, der das Herz berührt - das Album ist voller Sehnsucht und Offenbarung und hart erkämpfter Freiheit.

Celebrating 25 years since its original release, The High & Mighty's seminal debut album, "Home Field Advantage", returns in a special anniversary edition vinyl reissue. Originally launched under the iconic Rawkus Records banner, this album became a defining moment in underground hip-hop, showcasing the sharp wit and raw talent of Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Mi. Now, in collaboration with Eastern Conference Records, RRC Music Co. revives this classic with the care and respect it deserves.

"Home Field Advantage” stands as a testament to the golden era of hip-hop, featuring an all-star lineup of guests who helped cement its legendary status. The album includes unforgettable appearances by Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Evidence, Eminem, Defari, Cage, Kool Keith, among others, each bringing their unique flavor to the project and amplifying its impact.

This 25th-anniversary edition is more than just a reissue; it's a revitalization. As a special treat for collectors and die-hard fans, this edition includes six bonus tracks, adding further depth to an already rich collection of tracks. Remastered for vinyl by the renowned Davide "Bassi Maestro" Bassi and packaged in a gatefold jacket with restored original artwork curated by Mr. Krum, this release pays homage to the album's legacy while celebrating its enduring influence.

This 25th anniversary reissue is not just a trip down memory lane — it's a reminder of why this album continues to resonate in the hip-hop community today. Don't miss the chance to own this piece of music history, reborn for a new generation.

Claude VonStroke makes long-awaited Crosstown Rebels debut with ‘Noche Clara’, featuring Honeycomb. A full-circle moment between two house music icons finally comes to fruition, with the two-tracker out on 5th December 2025.

Two decades after label founder Damian Lazarus first booked him to play in the UK, American electronic icon Claude VonStroke finally lands on Crosstown Rebels with ‘Noche Clara’ - a release that bridges friendship, history, and the enduring spirit of the global underground. Built around hazy tones, captivating synth melodies, and sweeping atmospherics, ‘Noche Clara’ captures the playful minimalism and late-night atmosphere that defi ned his early work. On the flip, ‘Bam Bam’ layers warped vocals over a trippy off kilter sonics and a tunnelling, hypnotic groove, providing a haunting and commanding deep dive into the late-night hours. A collaboration with beatboxer, producer, DJ, and instrumentalist Honeycomb, who recently toured with The Floozies and Dirtwire, the link-up came naturally following a joint appearance between the pair at California’s infamous Zenyara, plus multiple Dirtybird festival appearances and more.

A true maverick of modern dance music, Claude VonStroke has spent over two decades shaping the sound and culture of house. From founding the iconic Dirtybird label, home to artists like Fisher, Eats Everything, and Catz ‘n Dogz, to headlining the world’s most respected clubs and festivals, his legacy is built on connection, humour, and an unfiltered love of the dancefloor. Now exploring more underground and experimental sounds, VonStroke is entering a new creative chapter ahead of his forthcoming artist album in early 2026 - a shift perfectly exemplified by this impressive debut on Crosstown.

Oliver Dollar presents the ‘Contemporary’ LP on Rekids. The album features collaborations with producers and vocalists like ADMN, Seven Davis Jr., Brillstein, APROPOS, and more, releasing on 21st November 2025.

German House artist Oliver Dollar announces his ‘Contemporary’ LP on Rekids, arriving 21st November 2025. Since 2024, he has released four EPs on Radio Slave’s label, featuring collaborations with over a dozen artists and singer-songwriters, supported by the likes of Dam Swindle, Louie Vega, Honey Dijon, Hunee, Kai Alce, and more.

Since 2011, Industry Standard label boss Oliver Dollar has become a trusted name in House music, he was one of the leading proponents of its Fidget subgenre in Berlin at the height of its popularity, propelling him towards releases on labels such as Snatch!, Classic Music Company, and Defected, alongside a reputation as a formidable collaborator that’s worked with the likes of Crazy P, Mousse T, and Todd Edwards. For the ‘Contemporary’ LP, he doubles down on this spirit of partnership, bringing together a transatlantic cast of friends and peers, linking Berlin and Detroit through a shared House vision. The album begins with ‘The New Is Here’, where Oliver Dollar teams up with Nils Ohrman for a soulful sermon that sets the tone with warmth and gravity, which was previously reimagined into a club-focused dub for ‘Contemporary Part Four’. From there, the mood shifts into ‘Downtown’ with Phil WZK, a deep, Jazz-inflected groove underpinned by a spoken monologue that feels both intimate and eternal Vocalists like APROPOS, Boog Brown, and Billy Love then bring soul and gospel fire, while producers including ADMN, Seven Davis Jr., Harvard Bass, Brillstein, and Austin Ato shape grooves that range from Disco-tinged uplift to deep, dubby hypnotism. Rather than a showcase of features, the album flows as one unified statement, a celebration of community, connection, and the timeless energy of House music.

Founded in 2006, Radio Slave’s Rekids has since launched the Techno-focused Rekids Special Projects in 2017 and its latest sublabel, REK’D, in 2024. With Matt Edwards as the sole A&R, Rekids has been instrumental in developing emerging artists and remains a trusted home for House and adjacent sounds, recently featuring names such as Hilit Kolet, Tal Fussman, Frankey & Sandrino, Mathias Kaden, Huxley, and many more. Oliver Dollar’s ‘Contemporary’ LP on Rekids is a genuine team effort, bringing together some of the brightest voices and producers for a masterpiece that seamlessly blends modern and classic House, Dub, and Disco.

During the 35 years of making music, Dave Lee has constantly been searching for new singers and writers to work with. A search that’s ended up with many fantastic collaborations and releases with the likes of Thelma Houston, Taka Boom, Dianne Charlemagne and Seal. More recently this quest led him to Maurissa Rose and the creation of their album ‘London / Detroit’. After hearing Maurissa's voice on a Theo Parrish record Dave reached out to her and after a few long phone conversations and mp3 swaps they both agreed a visit to London would be much more fun than trying to work together remotely. Maurissa made the journey from her home in Detroit to write and record an album with Dave at his studio in March 2022 - as they both feel that creating music together in the same room is always better. The fruits of their labour yielded 11 brand new songs (and 1 cover) tapping into their collective love of Soul, Disco and R&B, with a sprinkle of Soulful House. This album is a special one for Dave Lee as it’s the first time in his career he’s recorded an entire album with same singer on every track.

In the album’s liner notes Dave talks of how Maurissa is a naturally creative person, full of ideas, warm & unpretentious which is reflected in her vocal performances throughout ‘London / Detroit’. Dave’s expertly crafted music is backed up with a deeply passionate yet effortless delivery from the Detroiter, a marker of someone who has honed and perfected their art. When it comes to the music side of this LP, Dave Lee is once again proving he’s still at the top of his game and shows no sign of relenting. Drawing from his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Soul/Funk/Disco, we are treated to a range of styles, BPMs and influences from 95bpm street soul to more uptempo disco and boogie flavours. Be it the rippling synth voyage opener of ‘You Decide’, taking the Johnnie Taylor classic ‘What About My Love’ into a modern Boogie realm, upping the tempo on the soulful houser ‘I Feel the Sun” or bringing the tempo back down to the bassy acidic chug of ‘You’re Giving Me Life’. Mr Lee is truly adept at creating a modern disco soul sound without the usage of samples.

London and Detroit might be two very different cities on opposite sides of the Atlantic but this album is proof that creative synergy knows no distance.

Out everywhere on Feb 28th on Gatefold Vinyl, CD and Digital/Streaming.

DJ Subaru returns to Palms Trax’s CWPT with ‘Dog’, showcasing three tracks of offbeat dancefloor material that encompasses throbbing italo, sticky indie dancefloors and snarling, timeless punk.

Following on from their 2024 EP ‘Lots of Love’, the short time since has seen the DJ and producer rising on their own terms, scoring Tune of The Week from BBC 6Music’s ‘Introducing’, playing multiple gigs at Berghain/Panorama Bar and elsewhere around Europe, always returning to hone their cultishly adored Pleasuremaxxx party in their home city of Leeds.

Title track ‘Dog’ reunites DJ Subaru with regular vocal collaborator Chopper Johnson, delivering a gratifying sermon of canine defiance to suit Subaru’s razor-sharp motorik disco, whose pumping bassline and angular guitar licks prove irresistible to dancers seeking independent energy in the lineage of CBGBs or Trash.

Meanwhile, 'Rush' channels the same philosophy into a pogoing pleasure palace, raising the tempo and masterfully dividing its impulses between the cosmic elegance of Norwegian nu-disco and Pete Waterman’s poppers-fuelled strobe light fantasies. The result is an international anthem in memory of all local discotheques.

Finally, ‘Swoon’ steps back from the fizzier attitude of its tougher siblings for Subaru’s most disciplined attempt yet at a “proper club track”; the result succeeds entirely on its own terms, destined to transfix revelers with blissful analogue chords and slinky drums, while never skipping a beat on Subaru’s unique sonic character. From Leeds, with love.

The highly popular Studio Ghibli vinyl series now includes 1993's "Ocean Waves" and 2002's "The Cat Returns" and "Ghiblies Episode 2"! The albums feature new jacket designs and comprehensive liner notes, making them a truly luxurious experience.

Enjoy the beautiful jacket design and the rich sound that only vinyl can offer.

*2-disc double jacket set (music tracks on Sides A, B, and C; the reverse of Side C features laser-etched character designs).



Yuji Nomi, the composer behind "Whisper of the Heart," has once again composed the music. Includes the theme song "Become the Wind" by Ayano Tsuji, as well as five bonus tracks.

From 1968 through to the mid 1970’s the reggae beat began to slow down,some say due to the extreme heat hitting down onto Kingston Town and its surrounding enclaves. People needed something less strenuous to dance to. The Ska and Rocksteady Sounds (see 101 Orange Street KS007) that rocked Jamaica previously, had now found a slower tempo and become more ‘Dread’ lyrically to suit the times. Reggae music has always moved within the social climate it found itself in and this set here, as we ‘Return To Orange Street’ was ROOTS ROCK REGGAE TIME....

The Rastafarian message that runs through this collection of ‘Reality’, sometimes labelled ‘Sufferers’ music,is strong and works on many levels. It can come across on a heavy rhythm and vocal cut. Its example represented here by Prince Jazzbo’s ‘Dread in a Earth’ and ‘I Roy’s ‘Roots Man Time’, moving through to the popular new sounds of the DJ’s working over an old rhythm and alongside its existing vocal. As with Busty Brown working with Delroy Wilson's ‘Know Your Friend’ and Mr Jah Stitch working over Johnny Clarke’s ‘Roots Natty Roots’ to produce an even more dreader ‘True Born African’. The heartfelt lyric can also convey this message as we can see when Horace Andy laments ‘Where is the Love’ and Delroy Wilson again shows us on his ‘Who Cares’ cut. The great Twinkle Brothers also put the message across on their two cuts we have here, ’Too Late’ one of their lost classics if ever there was one and the thoughtful ‘It’s Not Who You Know’,being another prime example.

Orange Street itself is always at the heart of all reggae's musical changes and some singers also ride these waves as Mr Cornell Campbell shows us here with two cuts. The mournful ‘Too Be Loved’ and his uplifting ‘Girl of My Dreams’, which uses the same rhythm as our previously mentioned Prince Jazzbo’s 'Dread in a Earth’. Showing us that firstly you can’t keep a good rhythm down and secondly that two if not more great songs can work from the same source point. The light hearted ‘Vengeful’ lyric also worked in this period when artists spared off to each other on records to vent their frustrations. As we can hear here with Mr Lee Perry’s ‘You Funny Boy’. The song snipping back at a previous employer over what he felt were his misdoings to an under appreciated Mr Perry. We have culled these tracks together to show that the Dread Roots feel of the 1970’s came across in many guises and even in earlier songs these sentiments were also prevalent. As represented in Slim Smith’s almost bluesy feel in ‘Trying To Find a Home’, never a truer statement in Kingston's ghetto areas.

Well we hope you enjoy this musical journey and make a connection with messages portrayed here, as Mr Monty Morris points out on his contribution to this collection ‘Times Are Dread’.... Dread indeed.....

Seine exzeptionellen Fähigkeiten als Schlagzeuger hatte Johnathan Blake dem Blue-Note-Team schon bei
Aufnahmesessions mit dem Hammond-Organisten Dr. Lonnie Smith und dem Pianisten Kenny Barron
bewiesen. Im Jahr 2021 gab Blue-Note-Boss Don Was dem Schlagzeuger dann die Gelegenheit, sich auf
einem eigenen Album auch als Bandleader und Komponist zu präsentieren. Auf “Homeward Bound” stellte
Blake sein neues Quintett Pentad vor, das er mit einigen der aufregendsten Musikern der zeitgenössischen
Jazzszene bildete.

Die Scorpions feierten ihr 60-jähriges Bandjubiläum mit einem besonderen Arena-Konzert in ihrer Gründungsstadt Hannover. Am 5. Juli spielten sie unter dem Motto „Coming Home“ ihre legendärsten Songs
aus 60 Jahren Bandgeschichte. Die Live-Aufnahme dieses monumentalen, ausverkauften Konzerts erscheint
noch in diesem Jahr als Live-Album – für die 45.000 Fans, die diesen historischen Moment live miterleben
konnten, und für alle Fans weltweit, die mit der Band feiern und in Erinnerungen an die letzten sechs
Jahrzehnte schwelgen möchten.

Imagine curating a dream lineup of MCs and producers from every corner of the rap world—sounds impossible, right? Not for artist and illustrator Gangster Doodles, who has been bringing this vision to life for the past decade. Now, with “Gangster Music Vol.3”, the trilogy reaches its grand finale, and it’s bigger, bolder, and more unpredictable than ever before. Gangster Doodles himself puts it best: "It’s hard to believe that I’ve been actively working on this Gangster Music series for the past 10 years. The most gangster music trilogy of ALL TIME is almost complete!! And in my humble opinion Vol.3 is the most exciting out of the 3, both from a music standpoint (special shout-out to all my music heroes on Vol.3) and artistically speaking this is the most fun I’ve had in years”

Since launching Volume 1 in 2019 and following up with the second volume in 2022, Gangster Doodles has been shaping the Gangster Music series into a one-of-a-kind sonic universe—an unfiltered mix of underground titans, unsung legends, and rising stars. Volume 3 is the biggest installment yet, boasting a staggering 30 tracks that traverse the entire spectrum of rap and beat culture.

This time around, the lineup is as eclectic as ever. From legendary pioneers like Lee Perry and Tommy Wright III, to veteran producers such as Mr. Scruff and Peanut Butter Wolf, the album pays homage to hip-hop’s roots while pushing forward into fresh territory. The roster also includes established up-and-comers like Devin Morrison, Low Leaf, DJ Harrison, Quelle Chris, Homeboy Sandman, and Suzi Analogue, ensuring a mix of classic flavors and new-school innovation. The bubbling underground is well represented too, with artists like Raz Fresco, Atlanta’s 645AR, and Pro Era’s Chuck Strangers bringing their own distinct heat.

From pioneering SoundCloud rappers like Pouya to genre-bending composer John Carroll Kirby, from Birmingham’s Romderful to Chile’s RVYO, the album encapsulates a truly global soundscape, proving once again that Gangster Doodles’ ear for cutting-edge talent is second to none.

140 gram purple colored vinyl (with download code) "I've seldom allowed myself to stay in one place for very long," Glen Phillips says, explaining the genesis of his new album, 'There Is So Much Here' "I was lucky during the COVID lockdown to move in with my girlfriend, now fiance , and to stay home for the longest stretch I've had since the birth of my daughter, 20 years ago. After a life of travel and seeking out peak experiences, I began to appreciate the subtle beauty of sitting still."

The 11 tracks on Phillips' new album are informed by the time that the pandemic shut down allowed for reflection, moving between quiet love songs and rockers that consider the multi- faceted meanings hidden in our everyday lives. Glen Phillips has been making music for over two decades, with a career that began as the 14- year- old frontman for Toad the Wet Sprocket. Since then, he's accumulated an esteemed body of work comprising eight albums with Toad (which collectively have sold close to 4 million units) and three as a solo artist.

When Niko Moon broke out with his triple-platinum hit “GOOD TIME,” the Texas-born, Georgia-raised singer/songwriter lit up the country scene with his larger-than-life energy and message of radical positivity. Since then, he’s earned a passionate following, major TV performances, and praise from outlets like Holler and American Songwriter. With AMERICAN PALM Deluxe, arriving right before his headline AMERICAN PALM Tour, Niko expands his latest LP with
two new tracks, “BREATHE” and “BARE FEET IN THE SAND,” furthering his mission of creating music that feels like a“mental vacation” filled with sun-soaked serenity and coastal escape.

“Breathe is all about finding that place where you can take a deep breath and let your worries drift away,” says Niko. “I find peace by the water, and I wanted the song to be a mantra of positive self talk and a celebration of the coast.”

Niko partly grew up in Georgia, spending summers on Florida beaches, an influence that shapes the concept-driven AMERICAN PALM. Written during his THESE ARE THE NIGHTS tour with producer Danny Majic and songwriter David J, the record blends coastal sounds—ukuleles, nylon-string guitars, ocean waves—with organic beats and a touch of ‘90s hip-hop, nodding to his Atlanta roots. The result is a seaside getaway in album form, equal parts carefree, romantic,and life-affirming.

Tracks like “I LOVE THIS BEACH” and “YOU, ME & A BEACH” capture that spirit. The latter, a love song linking his wife and the beach as his grounding forces, helped cement the record as his first concept album. “SANDBAR” delivers a euphoric summer vibe, while “SANDCASTLES” reflects on life’s impermanence. “KING OF THE ISLAND” is a family
milestone—co-written and sung with his father, Cris Cowan.

Niko’s journey began early, inspired by his dad, a truck driver and drummer who introduced him to John Prine and Emmylou Harris. Niko picked up drums at eight, guitar at fifteen, and started playing in bars while working construction. A chance encounter with Zac Brown led to songwriting cuts like “Homegrown,” before Niko launched his solo career with “GOOD TIME,” a No. 1 hit on both Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts. From the start, he committed to making only positive music: “In a way a song is like a mantra, and I want mine to carry optimism and encouragement.”

Since his debut, Niko has sold out the Ryman, played major festivals like Stagecoach, and performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Beyond music, he and his wife Anna founded the Happy Cowboy Foundation to support mental health and addiction recovery, and launched Happy Himalayan water and the American Palm clothing line, both of which benefit the foundation.

Pianist and singer songwriter Tilda Gebhardt creates a curious and immersive world on her debut "Come the Afternoon", a tender portrait of her upbringing in the bleak yet beautiful north west English countryside.

Telling tales that take us back to a 1936 premier of Swing Time, or inside a telescope where a man named Ernest lives, via the vast plains of the Australian desert - Gebhardt's unusual combination of playfulness, storytelling and profound reflection is carried along by her crystalline voice, and acrobatic piano.

Inspired in turn by the magic of moving images and nature, "Come the Afternoon" is like a collection of miniature films, chronicling Tilda's adventures on the fells of the langdales, hiding in the heather on the Trough of Bowland, and exploring the fields and valleys that surround her home in Lancaster.

Sounds like: Joni Mitchell, Liza Minelli and Joanna Newsom picking cockles in Morecambe Bay.
Recommended if you like: Keith Jarret, Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, Issa Kobayashi, John Berger.

Over the course of 2025 IARC will be celebrating their eleventh year of existence by revisiting some of the most celebrated (and hard to find) entries in their decade of releases. These LP packages will be presented with new liner notes, new insert booklets, and the fresh 2025 redesign of their iconic obi and dome logo. They will also be at a price point intended to help make it easier for stores to stock and sell these essential pieces of their catalog.

Transparent Purple vinyl. Sometime in 2005, a lone box of master tapes escaped an estate sale and made its way through a network of collectors, record dealers, and "junkers" into the hands of leading Ohio soul expert Dante Carfagna, who linked them to Columbus, Ohio's mysterious Prix label (See: Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label). A bit of research turned up Prix proprietor George Beter, who identified most of the unlabeled material. All it took was an endless series of phone calls and letters and two fields trips in Columbus. But one complete mystery wended its way onto our final Prix compilation. "You and Me," a simple but irrepressible demo credited only to Penny & the Quarters, was found tacked onto a mixed studio reel. Our survey of every willing lifer left on the Columbus soul scene, including retired DJs, producers, and important local artists, produced not so much as a glimmer of recognition at the name Penny & the Quarters. Though we loved the song from the first play, it may've ended up a bit buried on our original compilation, as #18 of 19 tracks.Four years later, Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label hadn't exactly become a huge seller, although listeners had repeatedly told us that the unfiltered studio demos that fill out the record's back half were true diamonds in the rough. But neither Penny nor her Quarters had appeared to claim credit for their efforts. Then, completely out of left field, we heard from respected screen actor and avowed Numero fan Ryan Gosling that Penny's piercing bit of stripped down doo-wop was being considered for inclusion in Derek Cianfrance's indie-weeper film Blue Valentine. What we didn't know was that "You and Me" had won a major role in what became an indie circuit hit, and that Penny & the Quarters would instantly assume the role of world's most famous unknown doo-wop group.Every week is a slow news week in Columbus, Ohio, and early January 2011 found the city recovering from the thrill of elevating Ted Williams_the formerly homeless guy with the awesome voice for radio_into a national news sensation. But both major daily newspapers in town, as well as the city's alternative weekly, also ran stories about how a lost and unknown Columbus soul group had become the musical centerpiece of a film already garnering Oscar buzz. That mainstream spotlight aimed at Blue Valentine and Penny & the Quarters did the trick: we finally made contact with the widow of Jay Robinson, lead Quarters' singer and songwriter. Robinson, it turned out, had also been the leader of Columbus doo-wop pioneers The Supremes (later known as "The Columbus Supremes," for reasons which should be obvious). Jay Robinson never did give up on the dream of writing a hit record; even so, the posthumous realization of his dream is cold comfort for his widow and daughter. With their blessings, we returned to those estate sale masters and pulled down another neglected track ("You Are Giving Me Some Other Love") from the still-unknown Penny and her now-partly-known Quarters. "You and Me" is a song that could not be suppressed: not when Prix failed to release it; not when Penny & the Quarters were forgotten; not when Numero stuck it at the bitter end of a much overlooked compilation. Its evolution from estate sale trash to silver-screen gold has finally returned it to big-hole 45, where it probably should have lived all along.

Following the kaleidoscopic ambition of Djesse Vol. 4, Jacob returns with The Light For Days – a stripped-back, emotionally resonant body of work that is reflective of the quiet core of his artistry.

Recorded in just four days in the very room where his career first took flight, The Light For Days trades scale for intimacy, spotlighting Jacob’s unmistakable voice and a deepening relationship with the guitar. The result is a collection of originals and handpicked covers that feel immediate, heartfelt, and timeless.

The Light For Days is a powerful reminder of the versatility that has earned Jacob seven GRAMMYs across various genres. For those who’ve seen Jacob live, this record will feel like coming home. For everyone else, it’s an invitation to see and to hear him in a new light.

Dharmacide is a Spanish band known for their eclectic fusion of genres, blending elements of shoegaze and dreampop music. Their sound is marked by intricate guitar riffs, powerful drumming, and deep, emotive vocals that create a unique atmosphere. The band, with members of Alcalá Norte and Depresión Sonora, has made a huge impact on various stages, performing at renowned venues and festivals, including iconic spots in their home country as well as internationally, earning praise for their high-energy performances and thoughtful compositions. Their latest singles have been produced, mixed and mastered by Mark Gardener from Ride. "Tougher Than the Rest" is their awaited second album. They take a step forward with a darker sound with gloomy riffs and ethereal voices in which they describe perfectly how the sound of a night full of random events -that surely, we all have experienced- would be like. Their sound is influenced by today's bands like Diiv, Warpaint or Beach House but also by classic artists like Cocteau Twins, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds or Tom Waits. 'The Cigs, The Light, The Coffee and Crying' is the first single in which we find a powerful reverb-laden riff with a solo vocal melody in the middle of the chaos until breaking into a powerful chorus. Their debut LP "Cult Band Member" (2021) is sold out and the growing interest in the band anticipates that copies of this new album will not last long.

It was in Studio 4 of WDR in January 2022 when Simon Oslender first met Steve Gadd during the recording session for the album 'Centerstage'. Guitarist Bruno Muller was also there. The chemistry between the musicians was right from the very first time they played together. At the end of the session, Steve Gadd said to Simon and Bruno: "We'll do more together." And that's exactly what happened! Simon Oslender's highly successful studio album 'All That Matters' was recorded at the end of 2023.

Will Lee was also there on bass, who together with Steve Gadd has been one of the most famous rhythm sections in pop and jazz history for almost 40 years. At the end of the recording session, it was clear to everyone involved: this band had to go on tour to present this music to fans live. In December 2024, the time had come. The band, joined here and there by guests Jakob Manz on alto saxophone and Nils Landgren on trombone, went on tour. All concerts were sold out; the atmosphere in the respective venues was magnificent; thunderous applause and encores in every club or concert hall. Every concert was recorded. Now the result is here. An album full of joy, musicality, spontaneity, creativity, and incredible grooves! 'On A Roll - Live', a concert to take home with you. It doesn't get any better than this!

Following the success of 1998's Whitey Ford Sings the Blue, Eat at Whitey's finds him beefing up his sound as well as bringing in big names, such as N'dea Davenport (who adds her vocals on the sexy, R&B- flavored "Love for Real"), Goodie Mob's Cee- Lo, Cypress Hill's B Real, and Carlos Santana, for whom Everlast penned the Grammywinning "Put Your Lights On." Everlast is still fixated on redemption and regret, but his intensity and passion make up for the narrow focus, as, guitar in hand, he conjures up a nocturnal, sultry world populated with saints, sinners, and homeboys.

Laaps starts into 2024 with the release of the first collaborative recordings by Benoît Pioulard and Offthesky, two long-time explorers of the experimental ambient genre.

Benoît Pioulard is the primary audiovisual project of Michigan-born, Brooklyn-based Thomas Meluch. With six LPs on the renowned kranky imprint, as well as a catalog of works for Universal (UK), Morr Music (DE) and others, he has constructed a unique aesthetic steeped in the textures of analog decay and pop song structure using chiefly guitar, piano and tape processing. He has also built an extensive archive of Polaroid photographs (many of which grace his album covers), the first official collection of which is the hardcover book "Sylva", released in 2019. His most recent album "Eidetic" (Morr Music, 2023) was his first vocal-heavy work in several years.

Jason Corder aka Offthesky is an experimental-ambient multimedia artist based in Denver, CO. He has been producing music, video art, audio software, and the occasional interactive sound sculpture, for over 20 years. He teaches private courses on generative music and occasionally lectures on various sound design topics at Denver University. He currently is the Audio Director at the Denver based videogame studio Dire Wolf. Over the years, he has worked with labels such as Home Normal, 12k's term, Facture, and more. Over the years he has performed at Mutek, Decibel, Communikey and other festivals, sharing the bill with likeminded artists Pole, Matmos, William Basinski, and more.

Originally released in the mid-’90s, Entropy EP by O.H.M. stands as one of the most iconic and sought-after releases from the golden era of electronic music. Home to the legendary track “Oceanic,” this record showcases O.H.M.’s unique ability to merge diverse sonic worlds — moving seamlessly from deep, hypnotic atmospheres to raw, hardcore energy, all infused with unmistakable acid vibrations. Now, for the first time ever, Entropy EP is being reissued in a fully remastered edition, bringing new life and clarity to its timeless sound. Carefully restored from the original sources, this reissue preserves the warmth and energy of the original pressing. A cornerstone of mid-’90s electronic innovation — finally available again, sounding better than ever.

With Love and Squalor ist das Major-Label-Debüt der Rockband We Are Scientists. Das Album erschien im Oktober 2005 bei Virgin Records in Großbritannien und erreichte Platz 43 der Charts. Dank einer treuen Fanbasis wurde es 2006 – rund sechs Monate nach Veröffentlichung – mit Gold ausgezeichnet. Durchschnittlich verkaufte sich das Album 4.166 Mal pro Woche, bevor es zertifiziert wurde.

Der Titel ist inspiriert von der Kurzgeschichte For Esmé – with Love and Squalor von J.D. Salinger, ursprünglich erschienen im New Yorker und später in der Sammlung Nine Stories.

Zum 20-jährigen Jubiläum erscheint nun eine limitierte 2LP-Edition mit unveröffentlichtem Archivmaterial, B-Seiten, Akustik- und Live-Versionen. LP1 kommt in Pink, LP2 in Rot

Kevin Sery is the ambient guitarist behind From Overseas and now returns with a brilliant follow-up and stylistic evolution of his 2020 debut, Home. This one was inspired by fatherhood and the artist's studies in environmental philosophy, which is why the eight luminous soundscapes feel both intimate and immense. Layers of shimmering guitar, airy drones and organic resonance add up to a sonic meditation on awe that cannot help but have a profound effect. From the cascading beauty of 'Appalaches' to the radiant calm of 'Infinite,' this is ambient music that is too emotional and cinematic to be simply left playing in the background. It's a contemplative heavyweight that demands and rewards your full attention.

Mit "Tourist History" veröffentlicht die britisch-irische Indieband Two Door Cinema Club eines der einflussreichsten Debütalben der 2010er Jahre in einer besonderen 15th Anniversary Edition. Das Album, das 2010 erschien, gewann den Choice Music Prize als Irish Album of the Year und markierte den Start einer Weltkarriere, die von Festival-Headliner-Shows bis zu über 1 Milliarde Streams von "What You Know" führte.

Zur Feier des Jubiläums erscheint Tourist History in drei liebevoll gestalteten Formaten - inklusive bisher unveröffentlichter Remixe und Raritäten.

Seit dem Garageprojekt in Bangor haben Alex Trimble, Sam Halliday und Kevin Baird eine beeindruckende Karriere hingelegt - mit Top-10-Alben wie Beacon, Gameshow, False Alarm und Keep On Smiling und ausverkauften Touren weltweit. Diese Jubiläumsausgabe ist ein Muss für Indie-Fans und Sammler - ein Meilenstein moderner Gitarrenmusik.

Adey Omotade, a sound artist and cultural cartographer rooted in Lagos and shaped by diasporic experiences in Paris, Johannesburg, Berlin and Ivory Coast, brings a rare sensibility to this work: walking between worlds, bringing with him the cadence of home and the dissonance of diaspora. In his hands, sound becomes ritual: a migration of soul, an assemblage of bells, melodies and chants woven from Ifa shrines, river banks and Yoruba festivals. Playing the dual role of griot and cartographer, Omotade, who works across acoustic ecology, experimental music and sound design, builds each track like a shrine: layered, intentional, alive with breath and blood, each track a libation, each break an invocation. Each track unfurls like aso-oke, the celebratory fabric of the Yoruba people: drums that speak in polyrhythms, synths bending like waves, incantations layered like memory, fading then returning, gently like the water at the banks of the Osun River.

The influence of experimental sound design is evident throughout, but ‘Ni'ran’ is no cold abstraction. It pulses with life, with the heartbeat of talking drums, the breath of ambient textures and the warmth of the voices of babalawos, priests of Ifa, invoking ire (blessings) on all. ‘Oori : Ogbe’ invokes the sacred Odu Ifá — a divination verse that speaks of beginnings, clarity and destiny. In ‘Ofo : 'Nkantation’, polyrhythms unfold like verses, each beat a coded message inviting listeners to reflect on destiny and alignment.The title track ‘Ęęro : Eeşu’ begins with the haunting voice of a priest reciting the Odu Ifá, a calling to give unto Eesu his due. Percussive patterns unfold like verses, each beat both a memory and a prayer.

Soft Rock to Riches announces our first original songwriting winner: Jonathan Kirby from Winston-Salem, North Carolina! “This Is Your Song” is an evocative beat ballad dedicated to seemingly endless Southern summers, late night drives, and romantic realism. In the early morning hours of August 9th, 2018, Kirby layered the drum patterns, chords, and hushed harmonies through a Tascam four track while his dad slept in the next room. Written and recorded in just three hours, “This Is Your Song” fits comfortably alongside privately pressed electronic soul ballads from home recording’s heyday.

The Devin Dare Dusk Mix introduces Vivienne on Side B, adding a graceful harmony that champions Kirby’s pining refrain. The Dusk Mix flips Kirby’s ballad over a head nodding breakbeat with a hypnotic synthesizer line and light, airy brushes of strings and delay.

Jonathan Kirby is a musician and archivist known for his ambient jazz LPs Safe to Disconnect and Safe To Disconnect II, his writings for Wax Poetics, compilations for the Numero Group and his exhaustive archival research on the music of his native North Carolina.

South London’s Jerkcurb – aka Jacob Read – is back with news that his sophomore album ‘Night Fishing On A Calm Lake’ is to be released at the end of November following 2019’s ‘Air Con Eden’.

After that album’s successful release Read had planned to expand Jerkcurb into a full band setup when his father, a painter like himself and a creative inspiration, passed away. Instead of the envisioned plan of taking his project bigger Read returned to the family home and re-examined the material for the new album and instead the album became one of reflection, grief and redemption. It’s not much of a stretch to see clear musical inspirations for the record too – Prefab Sprout, Talk Talk and The Blue Nile, records where the moments of silence are stretched out.

Read produced and engineered the album himself, mostly at home with Lara Laeverenz and Gray Rimmer providing cocals. The album is mixed by Dilip Harris (King Krule, Mount Kimbie).

The enchanting cover artwork was painted at Read’s father’s studio in Camberwell, painted in oil with its dreamlike blur of blue and black . It hints at the early film noir and magical realist influences for the album.

Previously we’ve mentioned influences from the 1970s self-reflective work of Nick Drake & John Martyn to the lovelorn tragedy of troubadours such as Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley creating a fusion of 1960s/70s folk and blues.

Now Cardiff-based indie folk singer-songwriter Ivan Moult returns with his most personal work to date, Stood Out In The Storm, due to be released on November 7th through Bubblewrap (home to The Gentle Good). The album follows the acclaimed Songs From Severn Grove (2023), which drew praise for its warmth, intricacy and timeless songwriting, cementing Ivan’s reputation as one of Wales’ most compelling contemporary voices.

While Songs From Severn Grove captured moments of renewal and joy - written in lockdown and
during the early days of fatherhood - its follow-up takes a braver, more vulnerable step. Stood Out
In The Storm was written in the aftermath of a personal crisis and charts Ivan’s gradual process of
healing and recovery. The record traverses darkness and light, despair and resilience, offering a
deeply honest exploration of fragility, survival and hope.

Ivan’s signature sound remains at the core: a seamless blend of 1960s/70s folk and blues infused
with modern textures, drawing influence from John Martyn, the late great Terry Reid and Ry
Cooder. On Stood Out In The Storm, that familiar intimacy is expanded with a greater presence
of guitars and organs, adding new depth and urgency to the sound. As with his previous records,
Ivan wrote, played, recorded and mixed the album at his Cardiff home studio, and the record sits
as a companion piece to Songs From Severn Grove.

Over the years, Ivan has gained support from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio Wales and KLOF
(Formerly Folk Radio UK), earned festival slots at Cornbury Festival, Festival of Voice and Sŵn,
and shared stages with the likes of This Is The Kit, Becca Mancari and Willy Mason. Now, with
Stood Out In The Storm (out November 7th), he offers his most powerful and affecting work yet –
an album born of struggle, but defined by resilience.

“Exquisite”- Folk Radio UK 

“Beautiful” - Huw Stephens, BBC Radio

“Utterly wonderful” - Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales

”There is a wonderful delicateness that resonates through Ivan’s heartfelt lyrics, deamy music and vocals. Ivan is able to take listeners on their own journey of growth through his soft melodies and blissful atmosphere”
- Amplify The Noise

Songs for Nothing was written upon Olan Monk’s return to the west coast of Ireland. The album is imbued with the influence of sean-nós singing, Irish language songs in the “old style” that often proclaim tales of love, loss and landscape; and also heavily indebted to the late Sinéad O’Connor’s confessional songwriting. Reconstructing these influences through their unique perspective has resulted in a fragmentary album veering between collaged pop, machinic rock and slow airs, “dedicated to Conamara and all who have called it home”. The western, Atlantic-facing edge of Ireland has a particular feeling and energy, one that permeates the release: the granite pulsates, the ocean and sky reflect intensities, seaweed rots on shingle shores, plants bloom, ancient trees come up for air from the drowned forest in Galway Bay, the sun splinters through the low clouds.

All songs written and arranged by Olan Monk
Vocals, guitars, piano and tin whistle performed by Olan Monk
Drum programming by Olan Monk featuring recordings of percussion performed by Michael Speers
Vocals on ‘Down 3’ and ‘Fate (Reprise)’ performed by Maria Somerville
Cello on ‘Blank Page’, ‘Oatmilk’, ‘Pomegranate’ and ‘Fate (Reprise)’ performed by Risteárd Ó’hAodha
Violin on ‘Corp’, ‘Down 3’ and ‘Drón Feadóige’ and accordion on ‘Amhrán Mhaínse’ performed by Peadar Tom Mercier
Bodhrán on ‘Corp’ and ‘Drón Feadóige’ performed by Aindriú De Buitléir
Harp on ‘10 Days’ performed by Róisín Berkeley
Flute on ‘10 Days’ performed by Dylan Kerr
Accordion on ‘Blank Page’ performed by Olan Monk

Recorded and mixed by Olan Monk
Additional mixing on ‘Can’t Wait’ by Patrick Burniston
Mastered by Noel Summerville
Photography by Charlie Joe Doherty
Artwork by Nicola Tirabasso
Thanks to Nic Tasker

With love to friends and family for their support in making this record
Dedicated to Conamara and all who have called it home

Das ursprünglich im Juni 1985 veröffentlichte dritte Studioalbum „Theatre of Pain“ von Mötley Crüe
läutete einen kühnen neuen Sound und Look ein, behielt aber gleichzeitig die für die Band charakteristische
Hardrock-Intensität bei. Dieses trendsetzende Album prägte den Stil und die Musik vieler nachfolgender
Bands, während die Crüe selbst ihren Look und Sound mit jedem Album weiterentwickelten.
Theatre Of Pain war das erste Album der Crüe, das es in die US-Top-10 schaffte und auf Platz 6 landete.
Es war auch ein echter weltweiter Hit und erreichte Platz 7 in Australien, Platz 7 in Schweden, Platz 5 in
Finnland, Platz 11 in Kanada und war ihr erstes Album in den britischen Top 40 (Platz 36). Das Album
ist derzeit in den USA mit 4-fach Platin und in Kanada mit 3-fach Platin von der RIAA zertifiziert.
Die Tour führte sie um die ganze Welt: Japan, USA, Kanada, Deutschland, Frankreich, Schweden, Finnland,
Norwegen und Dänemark. Das bahnbrechende Video zu ihrem Kult-Track „Home Sweet Home“ war über
90 Tage lang die meistgewünschte Nummer 1 und veranlasste MTV dazu, die „Crüe Rule“ einzuführen,
wonach ein Video nur 30 Tage lang für die Wunschliste zugelassen war!

Das ursprünglich im Juni 1985 veröffentlichte dritte Studioalbum „Theatre of Pain“ von Mötley Crüe
läutete einen kühnen neuen Sound und Look ein, behielt aber gleichzeitig die für die Band charakteristische
Hardrock-Intensität bei. Dieses trendsetzende Album prägte den Stil und die Musik vieler nachfolgender
Bands, während die Crüe selbst ihren Look und Sound mit jedem Album weiterentwickelten.
Theatre Of Pain war das erste Album der Crüe, das es in die US-Top-10 schaffte und auf Platz 6 landete.
Es war auch ein echter weltweiter Hit und erreichte Platz 7 in Australien, Platz 7 in Schweden, Platz 5 in
Finnland, Platz 11 in Kanada und war ihr erstes Album in den britischen Top 40 (Platz 36). Das Album
ist derzeit in den USA mit 4-fach Platin und in Kanada mit 3-fach Platin von der RIAA zertifiziert.
Die Tour führte sie um die ganze Welt: Japan, USA, Kanada, Deutschland, Frankreich, Schweden, Finnland,
Norwegen und Dänemark. Das bahnbrechende Video zu ihrem Kult-Track „Home Sweet Home“ war über
90 Tage lang die meistgewünschte Nummer 1 und veranlasste MTV dazu, die „Crüe Rule“ einzuführen,
wonach ein Video nur 30 Tage lang für die Wunschliste zugelassen war!

Nora is back! This is a brand-new 2025 EM Records re-pressing of Nora Guthrie's ultra-rare "Emily's Illness", a lost gem of songcraft originally released in 1967, in the same 7-inch vinyl format (b/w "Home Before Dark") as the original. Featuring the radiant vocals of the then-17-year-old daughter of Woody Guthrie, "Emily's Illness" was written by Eric Eisner (The Strangers) and impeccably arranged by Artie Schroeck. A romantic amalgam of psychedelia, pop, and acid-folk, informed by the harmonic and rhythmic subtleties of João Gilberto and jazz. Both songs here are wistfully melodic gems, framed by lovely orchestration.

Reissue of the very first album ever released by Sly & Robbie’s iconic TAXI label back in 1979.



"Having saved enough money during a tour with Peter Tosh to buy 4 multitrack recording tapes, Sly & Robbie asked Gregory to voice a few songs for them. Because they had played on so many of his hits, Gregory generously agreed to do it for free to help bootstrap the new TAXI label.

In 1979, Gregory Isaacs was by far Jamaica’s most popular artist, earning his "Cool Ruler" nickname many times over releasing hit after hit, most of which were produced with Sly & Robbie, who at 25 years of age were already the hottest backing band. Out of these sessions came hits like "Soon Forward", a fabulous cover of Bob Marley’s "Slave Driver" and 4 other potent tracks. There were no flimsy soul or pop covers: Gregory Isaacs, whose voice and range were at their peak, sang with clarity, depth, verve and confidence, with no unnecessary mannerisms.

A must have for any serious music fan, this crucial album features extended so-called "Discomix" versions of all the songs, providing listeners with a generous serving of the Riddim Twins drum and bass extravaganza. In addition to the original album, we have added 3 dub versions that were only released in Jamaica, as B Sides of singles, in 1979. These have never been reissued until now and provide a fascinating glimpse into Sly & Robbie's drum and bass sound, which revolutionized Reggae music at the time."

Progressive rock may rarely grace the mainstream spotlight, but its devoted global community continues to thrive, and few bands embody that spirit better than Airbag. Since their debut EP, Safetree (2007), and first full-length album, Identity (2009), the Norwegian quintet has steadily built a worldwide following with their cinematic soundscapes, soaring melodies, and timeless songwriting. From All Rights Removed to The Century of the Self, each release has cemented Airbag's reputation as one of the most vital acts in modern progressive rock, earning critical acclaim and packing venues across Europe and beyond. Now, 16 years and five studio albums later, Airbag returns with their first official live album, captured during a powerful performance at Poppodium Boerderij in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands in 2024. This double CD / double vinyl release showcases the band at their best, raw, immersive, and sonically stunning. The recordings have been meticulously mixed to preserve the atmosphere and authenticity of the live shows. For collectors, the vinyl edition is a must-have: A deluxe gatefold cover with an exclusive booklet and a limited first pressing on coloured splatter vinyl, a beautiful piece for fans and audiophiles alike. Whether you've followed Airbag from the beginning or discovered them along the way, this live album is a celebration of a band that continues to defy trends, connect deeply with fans, and delivers music that stands the test of time.

Liebe, Schmerz, das Tiefgründige, das Alltägliche: nyxy nyx ist für die Träumer und wahren Gläubigen. Tief im Kaninchenbau, gefangen in einer Schlinge, verwischen die zyklischen Riffs und Selbstreferenzen des Projekts die Grenzen zwischen Zeit und Realität und versetzen die Zuhörer in eine Déjà-vu-Falle aus unheimlichen Melodien und nebligen Blicken. Die für ihre Zeitlichkeit bekannte Band aus Philadelphia hat jahrelang an ihrer degenerativen Diskografie gearbeitet. Tracklisten werden geändert, Master ausgetauscht und Songs neu aufgenommen. In vielen Fällen ist eine Veröffentlichung nur für diejenigen zugänglich, die über einen Download oder eine physische Kopie verfügen. Zum ersten Mal überhaupt wird nyxy nyx sich zu einer vertraglich abgesicherten Unendlichkeit verpflichten. ,Cult Classics Vol. 1" erscheint bei Julia's War Records. Brian Reichert, Tim Jordan (Sun Organ), Benjamin Schurr (Luna Honey) und Alex Ha (ex-Knifeplay) werden von Madeline Johnston (Midwife) und Josh Meakim (A Sunny Day in Glasgow) für das erste Studioalbum von nyxy nyx in voller Besetzung unterstützt. Aufgenommen von Dan Angel, ist ,Cult Classics Vol. 1" die härteste Version von nyxy nyx und fängt ihre schlammige und transzendente Live-Energie ein - die perfekte (Wieder-)Einführung für Fans und Neulinge gleichermaßen. nyxy nyx startete 2014 als Performance-Kunstprojekt von Brian Riechert und Drew Saracco. Das Duo spielte Noise- und Underground-Punk-Shows und arbeitete mit vielen Freunden und Gastmusikern zusammen. Home-Aufnahmen, Kassetten und CDs von ,nyxy nyx" wurden von Labels vertrieben, aber die meisten sind DIY: handgemacht, mit Freunden geteilt und in kleinen Bibliotheken zu finden. Bis 2020 stellte nyxy nyx eine Live-Band zusammen, spielte regelmäßig, tourte an der Ostküste und nahm dann ,Cult Classics Vol. 1" auf. Jeder Song auf diesem Album wurde live gespielt, aber keiner zweimal gleich.

This compilation of the best of Gil Scott-Heron’s Flying Dutchman output was originally released in 1974 and pulled together tracks from his first three albums “Small Talk At 154th And Lennox” (1970), “Pieces Of A Man” (1971) and “Free Will” (1972).

Ace first reissued this album on vinyl in the UK in 2017 (BGPD 306) although that version came in a single sleeve with a printed inner.
This version restores “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” to its original Flying Dutchman format in a gatefold sleeve. The music and words - pressed on 180gm vinyl - are as relevant today as they were in the early 1970s.

Ein Rapper mit Intensität, der ebenso Sänger mit Leidenschaft und ein Produzent ist, der sich die Nostalgie zunutze macht, um die Zukunft zu beherrschen - das Projekt Jim Legxacy ist auf dem besten Weg, vom sagenumworbenem Newcomer zur lodernden Hype-Flamme zu werden. Jims produktives Schaffen, das auf die britische Musik im Jahr 2025 eine immer größere Bedeutung hat, erzählt wie immer eine wichtige Geschichte. Mit seinem Songwriting ist er der Zeit immer einen Schritt voraus und hält den britischen POC einen Spiegel vor, in dem er sich selbst und seinesgleichen widerspiegelt. Damit steht er gleichzeitig stolz, als auch bescheiden an der Spitze einer Bewegung, einer neuen Generation von Songwriter, die sich einen Weg aus dem Untergrund bahnen und immer weiter nach oben drängen. Das neue Mixtape "Black British Music (2025)" schafft Raum für Komplexität, Sensibilität und Experimente und verändert nicht nur die Erwartungen daran, wie britische Musik klingen, sondern auch, wofür sie stehen kann. Musik war schon immer ein Teil von Jims Identität. Sein sich ständig weiterentwickelnder, kaleidoskopischer Sound hat Einflüsse aus allen Genres, insbesondere R"n"B, Soul, Pop, Grime, Midwest Emo, Afro Beats und Alternative. Jims künstlerische Reise begann im Jahr 2018 mit mehreren Singles und zwei größeren Releasen (Dynasty Program: A Metrical Composition Inspired by the Nights Spent as The Raiider; and Citadel), die sein künstlerisches Wachstum, seine Vielseitigkeit und seine Verletzlichkeit zeigten, während er mit der Obdachlosigkeit kämpfte. 2023 veröffentlichte er sein Mixtape "Homeless N*gga Pop Music", das von der Kritik sehr gelobt wurde. Es folgten Support und Cosigns von Acts wie Dave, Stormzy, Central Cee, Headie One, Skepta, Loski, Jack Harlow und zuletzt zwei Songs, die er mit Fred again.. Entwickelte.

Thermodynamic Indieswing group Mindy Misty. VS Europ Europ in collaboration with noisemystics Europ Europ.

Sugaring a Strawberry, the sophomore record from Julia, Julia, is a study in coming undone—on purpose. Recorded at COMA, Julia Kugel's home studio, and mixed through a custom Flickenger clone, the album drifts in and out of clarity like memory itself. It's emotionally retrospective, creatively unvarnished, and deeply human. You can hear it in the hiss, the warmth, in the vocals so raw they're like an open window. These songs weren't engineered for perfection. They were built to breathe. Her long-time collaborator and husband, Scott Montoya, mixes it all so loosely that you can hear the air between tracks— a space that makes the music feel inhabited rather than recorded.


"Bound" opens the album like a secret passed between sisters, solemn and unspeakably close. It begins with the softest of touches: hushed guitar, a near- whispered delivery that carries the intimacy of someone singing only for one other person. It's a love song, but not romantic, more ancestral in the way long bonds can be. All glow and undercurrent, "I Know," is like hearing someone hum through a wound. The track arrives as if it had been waiting, coiled and complete, to be sung. Its pulse is slow but insistent, anchored on a hypnotic loop and a vocal that's half-incantation, half-confession. One of the most outward-facing songs on the record, "Feeling Lucky," opens like a cigarette flicked in the dark– smoky and a little bit slick. Built on a skeletal beat and a nearly detached vocal, it leans into a sarcastic swagger that barely masks the ache beneath. The delivery is droll and glazed, the instrumentation is sparse and a little woozy, leaving space for her voice to sway—a shrug of a song, stylish in its sadness. "A Love That Hurts" drifts in on soft, fingerpicked guitar and a dry, close-mic vocal that feels both haunted and immediate. The mix is stripped down and analog-warm, letting tape hum and silence frame the emotion. Julia sings like she's remembering something she doesn't want to, each line a slight unraveling. Like the rest of the album, "A Love That Hurts" doesn't push toward resolution. It sits in the ache, sifts through it, makes it beautiful.

Sugaring a Strawberry doesn't seek catharsis so much as stumbles into it. There's a quiet volatility to these songs like they might fall apart if you press too hard. It moves in shadow and softness, asking questions it doesn't answer. It doesn’t end with closure. It ends with truth.

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.

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 colour 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.

With ten original compositions (and one well-chosen cover) to record and a schedule window of just one day in New York City to record them, there was no margin for error. For the frontline Kerry picked a pair of legends - Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar and Jaleel Shaw on alto and soprano sax. In the rhythm section she selected NYC's busiest bassist Alex Claffy and, keeping it close to home, her partner George Colligan on drums. And in the face of delayed flights and traffic hold- ups, the album Alternate Route was created, hitting the highest standards of performance with the depth and warmth of Kerry's challenging but engaging compositions. It's a set of tough and tender tunes that combine sophisticated harmony with intricate but accessible melodies to inspire some fierce blowing from everyone, all delivered with a concise, timely precision.

The empathy and good feeling flowing between the players are audible from the first notes: "Kurt, Jaleel and Alex all have Philly roots so there's a really strong relationship there. Alex is incredibly gifted, and Jaleel is such a beautiful player with such a huge, recognizable sound. And it was such a thrill to have Kurt on the album - he's one of my favorite composers and I've been a fan for such a long time." Each player has a powerful personality and Kerry allows them free rein, yet such is the strength of her compositions, and her calmly stated but immensely powerful presence on piano, that no one player dominates the music: everyone finds their own alternate route to excellence.

Hot off the griddle, Cookin' The Books is the long awaited new album from Australia's kings of Hammond soul, Cookin' On 3 Burners. Their first studio LP in six years finds the trio in top form - deep in the pocket, wide in scope, and stacked with heavyweight collaborators. With a 27-year legacy, global tours, and over 2 billion streams (including the international smash This Girl), Cookin' On 3 Burners remain a defining force in vintage soul, funk, and groove.

Cookin' The Books features a collection of killer collaborators including electrifying live vocalist Stella Angelico, acclaimed soul artist Natalie Slade (Steve Spacek, Katalyst, Simon Mavin), hip hop mainstay Mantra alongside Jane Tyrrell (The Herd), rising alt-soul voice Wilson Blackley, and a sweeping string arrangement from composer/violinist Tamil Rogeon (Aloe Blacc, The Dandy Warhols).

Across the record, the group shifts seamlessly between gritty instrumentals and lush vocal cuts - from the cinematic funk of "Only Words", to the break-beat heavy title track "Cookin' The Books", the bumping bounce of "No Bread For You", and the introspective soul of "Phoenix". Every track reflects the group's deep funk DNA while carving out bold new territory.

With airplay from BBC6's Craig Charles, support from tastemakers (Wax Poetics, Dusty Groove, Rolling Stone Australia), and a world tour booked for 2026, this release is a must-stock for deep funk, soul, and cinematic groove audiences.

Der Gitarrist John Scofield und der Bassist Dave Holland, zwei der zeitgenössischen Meister des Jazz, haben
im Laufe der Jahre in verschiedenen Zusammenhängen zusammengespielt – darunter Projekte mit Herbie
Hancock und Joe Henderson sowie eine energiegeladene Gruppe mit Joe Lovano und Al Foster. Memories
of Home ist nun ihr erstes Duo-Album, letztes Jahr nach ausgiebigen Tourneen in den NRS Studios in
Catskill, New York, aufgenommen. John Scofield: „Die Platte enthält, genau wie unsere Live-Shows,
Stücke, die jeder von uns komponiert hat, einige neu, einige alt. Wir teilen jahrzehntelange gemeinsame
musikalische Bezugspunkte. Die Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede in unseren Herangehensweisen machen
die Zusammenarbeit, wie ich finde, umso spannender.“
Das Album enthält Scofields Songs „Icons at the Fair“, „Meant to Be“, „Mine Are Blues“, „Memorette“
und „Easy for You“ sowie Hollands „Mr. B“, „Not for Nothin’“, „You I Love“ und „Memories of Home“.

On Beacon Hill: at twilight we find Anthony Moore, roots winding backwards to the halcyon days of Slapp Happy and the "70s progressive art rock scene, at guitar and piano. With the atmospheres and accompaniments of AKA & Friends, he breathes infernal new life into songs from his six decades of multivarious music making. This new delivery system is unto a séance, a communal incantation, twining Anthony"s avant and pop traditions together in a darkly radiant coil of folky chamber music; a rope to lower the listener through cobwebs and murk, unveiling new life beneath Anthony"s mad old lines. AKA are Anthony Moore, Keith Rodway and Amanda Thompson. A pagan family of sound worshipers hailing from that unholiest of all places: Hastings UK, home of Crowley and Turing. Like their sinister forbears in that infamous tradition, this latest trinity shares a passion for subverting pattern and number, factoring unlikely permutations arising from sea and horizon, greensward, the southerly aspect, and the planisphere as half-world. Their equatorial shore speaks of a planet of water and earth, fire and air. AKA"s humble tools of choice for this endeavor are guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer and vocals. The Friends of AKA are Tullis Rennie, trombone and electronics; Olie Brice, double bass; Richard Moore, violin; and Haydn Ackerley, guitar. They too navigate the shoreline of the south coast, haunt the same taverns and regularly play together in whatever combinations fit the bill. Leaving the drums (and their drummer) at home to realize anew these dreamladen songs, AKA & Friends ensure that the notes fall around the beat and not on it, so as to define the pulse with absence. As such, time is liberated, prised free from the merciless clock; a rhythm of waves, passing through a steady-state universe of no beginnings and no endings. Discontinuities are dissolved, all is transition.

“In a concert, I show something with a beginning, a middle and an end. But, there is no end. Of course, there is no end. Because I am the music, and I am still here.” - Sophie Agnel

‘Learning’ - Sophie Agnel’s first solo LP, feels like the dark, physical inversion of her excellent ‘Song’ which came out on Relative Pitch earlier this year. Sinking her unique sound into vinyl for the first time, the LP arrives as Agnel recovers from a brain tumour - a shocking discovery that will require Agnel to start again with the piano. It’s a terrifying prospect, but Agnel has been here before, having reorientated herself almost entirely away from her early classical training over the last 4 decades of her work.

‘When I was young I had very good ears, oriole absolute. Then later I began to make strange sounds with my piano, to do different kinds of music. I was more interested in the sounds than the melody, for example. I remember once I sat down in a shop to try to read the scores of Schubert and there was a light emitting a very strong bzzzzzzz. And I couldn't listen to my oriole internal - I couldn't read the score. I was entirely subjugated by the sound of the light. And I understood that something had changed. Ten years before I could read and not hear the light. Now I understood that my ears were completely different. I was more open to the sounds of life.”

Born in Paris in the 60’s and playing her parents piano as soon as she could stand up, Agnel quickly grew tired of the classical world. What frustrated her was the strange disconnect between the frame of the piano and its keyboard - a weird boundary that seemed to form some hushed code of etiquette. “The first thing I put inside the piano was a plastic goblet. I’d seen a few pianists do it: Fred Van Hove, for example, put rubber balls inside his. But what didn’t appeal to me was that there seemed to be no link between the pianos outside and inside.”If you see Agnel play now, the body of her piano is littered with fish tins, ping pong balls, wooden blocks - not that you’d recognize their sounds. Having absorbed the language of the European avant-garde, Agnel is known for pulling the piano’s interior outside of itself by tipping her handbag into it. But these ‘strange sounds’ don’t just come from Cage - they also share the poetic force of Cecil Taylor and ‘Learning’ demonstrates that Agnel’s work on the piano's keyboard is just as important as what she’s littered on its strings. The record lets loose her ability to unleash a formidable sound mass and then rope it back to one single, clarifying note. With one hand, Agnel plays 88 tuned drums and on the other an enormous guitar - with the LP rotating through oncoming trains, and blues harmonica and feedback. It’s single minded stuff, borne out of a dedication to a wholly personal language of gesture, accumulation and deft reduction. “Maybe when I’m 80 I will not need anything,” Agnel says in a recent film made at her home. “I will do the same but with one note, and one finger. Maybe it's enough.”

‘Learning’ arrives in a reverse board sleeve designed by Jereon Wille. Recorded live at Cafe OTO by Billy Steiger on 6th June 2023 and 4th June 2024. Mixed by James Dunn and Benjamin Pagier. Side B edited by Benjamin Pagier. Mastered and cut by Loop-O. Front photograph by Aimé Agnel. Typography and layout by Jeroen Wille.

Manchmal geht einfach alles POP! Fall in Love Again with "Balloon Balloon Balloon"! Unterwerfung. Das ist das Wort, das mir in den Sinn kommt, wenn ich mich mit Kai Slaters Sharp Pins auf den überwältigenden Pop-Planeten begebe. Das Universum funktioniert nur, wenn man sich unterwirft: sich der Liebe unterwirft, sich der Rockmusik unterwirft. Sich der Kraft zu unterwerfen, die von einem Jungen ausgeht, der seine Gitarre schwingt, um makellosen Gitarrenpop zu kreieren, der ins Pantheon der Idole gehört, zu denen er mit diesem Album aufsteigt. Natürlich ist es verständlich, dass man zunächst wütend ist. Alle waren wütend auf Big Star, weil sie den Beatles zu nahe kamen. Und alle werden wütend auf Sharp Pins sein, weil sie dasselbe tun und dann noch Guided by Voices mit ins Spiel bringen. Wie kann er es wagen? Diese Überheblichkeit. Welcher 20-Jährige glaubt, er könne Robert Pollard übertrumpfen? ,Queen of Globes and Mirrors?" Ein Verbrechen. Mit dem noch schlimmeren Verbrechen, Songs zu schreiben, die so rätselhaft zeitlos sind, dass man glauben könnte, sie seien aus einem verlorenen Beatles-Band gestohlen worden. ,I Don't Have the Heart" und ,(I Want to) Be Your Girl" lassen einen wirklich im Unklaren darüber, wann und wo sie entstanden sind. Aber wenn der Lo-Fi-Noise-Pop von "Balloon Balloon Balloon" uns an etwas erinnert, dann daran, dass nur Kai das kann. Mit seiner 12-saitigen Gitarre und seiner unermüdlichen Besessenheit von Popmusik ist Slater einzigartig ausgestattet, um nicht nur von Pollard und Chilton das Erbe anzutreten, sondern auch den Byrds, den Temptations, den Four Tops und allen anderen Künstlern nachzufolgen, die versuchen, die wahre Liebe auf Band zu bannen. Er wendet die Taktik ,um Vergebung bitten, nicht um Erlaubnis" an, wenn er sich bei diesen Größen bedient, und uns bleibt nichts anderes übrig, als Slater zu vergeben, dass er uns diese Rock'n'Roll-Juwelen schenkt, die er aus der Vergangenheit in eine Zukunft katapultiert, die so melodisch makellos und doch kantig und aufrichtig ist, dass wir ihm auch dafür danken müssen, dass er das Genre vor der Bedeutungslosigkeit bewahrt hat. Denn was Slater hinzufügt, ist ganz und gar sein Eigen. Eine unbeschreibliche Sensibilität für das Songwriting, die trotz der zahlreichen Anleihen nur ihm gehören kann. Am Ende des Albums schluckt man jegliche Wut oder Ungläubigkeit, die man vielleicht hatte, und akzeptiert, dass Sharp Pins wirklich so gut sind. Auf diesem umfangreichen, aber niemals überladenen Album erschafft Slater eine Welt voller kleiner Pop-Perlen, die so einfach und dumm gut sind, dass sie uns daran erinnern, dass eine andere Welt möglich ist. Denn es ist nicht nur so, dass die Songs unmöglich aus dem Kopf gehen, was sie auch sind. Es ist Slaters eigene Hingabe an dieses Streben nach dem perfekten Popsong, die uns glauben lässt, dass dies nicht nur möglich ist, sondern auch ausreicht, um dem Leben wieder Form und Farbe zu geben. Fall in Love Again ist keine Empfehlung, sondern eine Verpflichtung. Nicht nur gegenüber einem schönen Mädchen, von denen es auf dem Album viele gibt, sondern gegenüber der Welt selbst. Vielleicht ist es dann möglich, die Zukunft zu erreichen, von der der 20-jährige Slater selbst träumt, aber bis dahin haben wir seine Liebesbriefe an den Rock'n'Roll und die Welt um ihn herum, die uns Gesellschaft leisten.

Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack enthält alle Songs der Stars aus dem emotionalen und mitreißenden
Finale von Universal Pictures’ weltweitem Kinoerfolg Wicked: For Good und entführt die Zuhörenden in die
magische Welt von Oz. Mit Musik und Texten des legendären Grammy- und Oscar®-Preisträgers Stephen
Schwartz enthält der Soundtrack zwei neue Originalsongs aus dem Film: „No Place Like Home“, gesungen
von der Oscar®-Nominierten Cynthia Erivo als Elphaba, und „The Girl In The Bubble“, gesungen von der
Oscar®-Nominierten Ariana Grande als Glinda. Darüber hinaus ist „The Wicked Witch of the East“ auf
dem Soundtrack zu hören, das zuvor nicht in den Broadway Cast Recordings enthalten war. Der Soundtrack
enthält auch die bei den Fans beliebten Songs „Thank Goodness“, „As Long As You’re Mine“, „No Good
Deed“ und den Titelsong „For Good“.
”Wicked: For Good“ - The Soundtrack ist ab dem 21.11.25 erhältlich

Australian artist Factory Preset dropped a killer album, Swingchronize Me, back in 2022 and it was an ode to the DIY acid wave scene of 90s Sydney DIY made using a 'swingchronizer,' aka a homemade box that "bypassed the temporal rigidity of other units allowing the freedom to create consistent swing effects." Now, four of the cuts get reworked into deep, groove-driven and masterfully well swung sounds that are fluid, loopy and could unfold endlessly without ever growing stale. Some are slow and predatory, others are more light and colourful, all of them perfect for dropping into long-form sets where both body and mind get locked in.

'Songs and Bodies' is best described as hypnagogic post-rock, an impressionistic blur of dissociated riffs, jazzy rhythms and half-heard voices that casts a beguiling digital silhouette of '90s indie music. The album began as a personal experiment, a question that emerged as Piotr Kurek cast his mind back to the era that birthed bands like Gastr del Sol, Bark Psychosis, Labradford and The Sea and Cake. Curious how this music might sound in today’s cultural climate, he started recording sketches at home on guitar and keyboard, applying the same advanced processing, editing and manipulation techniques that had nourished his last run of albums. Early on, he brought in drummer Mateusz Rychlicki and bassist Wojciech Traczyk, layering their performances into the evolving material. These ideas might have remained in that unvarnished state had Unsound not suggested a live performance of the work in October 2024. Spurred by the invitation, Kurek hardened his resolve, finishing a crumpled, uncanny set of half-songs that extend the chimerical sonic universe of the jazz-inspired 'Smartwoods' and its baroque predecessor 'Peach Blossom'.

Not an exercise in nostalgia, 'Songs and Bodies' is an examination of the '90s and '00s experimental rock canon that isolates its humanity as the world stares down a new technological dawn. At a glance, Kurek's songs are remarkably organic, diaphanous guitar-led meditations embellished with era-specific organ and electric piano vamps, cryptic vocal utterances and dusty drums, but it's all an illusion. Listen a little closer and the wrinkles appear—the robotic, garbled articulations, awkward tempo fluctuations and charming hiccups.

Kurek distills these vulnerabilities and blemishes to present a deeply personal but relatable abstraction of familiar sounds and gestures. It's the closest the composer has come to old-fashioned songwriting, but the end result is the same: an invitation to look beyond the frosted glass of an increasingly digital existence.

Anthology 4 - Triple LP. The new volume from The Beatles Anthology Collection.

Anthology 4, is newly curated by Giles Martin, including 13 previously unreleased demos, plus fascinating session and other rare recordings dating from 1963 to 1969. It also includes the band’s final single, ‘Now And Then’, released in 2023, and new mixes of The Beatles’ Anthology-associated hit singles: the GRAMMY-winning ‘Free As A Bird’ and ‘Real Love’, given new life by their original producer, Jeff Lynne, using de-mixed John Lennon vocals. Furthermore, Anthology 4 presents 26 tracks that have never previously been released on vinyl.

The track notes are written by Kevin Howlett with an introduction compiled from 1996 interviews recorded with The Beatles’ close friend and adviser Derek Taylor.

Pressed on 180g black vinyl, the triple LP is housed within poly-lined inner bags and a triple gatefold sleeve.

»La Traversée« (»The Crossing«) is Matthias Puech’s second album for Hallow Ground and follows up on 2023’s »Mt. Hadamard National Park.« Profoundly inspired by re-reading »The Odyssey,« the French composer, instrument designer, and scholar used a Eurorack modular synthesizer to create four pieces that are by far the most intuitive and emotionally charged in his ever-expanding catalogue. Puech’s masterful command of sound comes to the forefront with even more urgency on this record. A wandering meditation on the human condition, »La Traversée« is an album that is constantly in motion—complex electronic music at its most gripping and evocative.

The foundation for »La Traversée« was laid when Puech prepared a live set for a tour organised in collaboration with Hallow Ground in support of »Mt. Hadamard National Park.« Before writing the first three pieces—»Ennosigaios,« »Polyphármakos,« »Nekuia«—the 18½-minute-long »Ithâké« was composed in near-total isolation in the South of France at the end of 2023. Puech performed the material live several times before taking a step black from it for a while. He revisited the pieces when preparingthem for a release. »I was struck by how the technical process and the intention behind the music had completely vanished from my memory,« he says.

What remained intact, however, was Puech’s association of the material with one of the most influential texts of Western literature. Reading a graphic novel adaptation of »The Odyssey« with his two four-year-olds, he noticed the effect that it had on them and himself. »Its themes of longing, fear of and attraction to the unknown, unresolved quests, and the struggle for control felt topical,« he says. »I was completely taken. Every story ever told seemed contained in this ancient tale; every story I have ever tried to tell as a composer seemed inscribed in this framework.« This also extended to formal motifs such as the repetition of incidents, narrative developments, or dramatic effects that also mark »La Traversée.«

Puech says that he perceived Homer’s writing as musical, »like an old Delta blues or a Renaissance counterpoint,« which inspired his writing process. »With a couple of knobs on my Eurorack system, I could control the unfolding of a story,« he notes. »This made me pass through different emotional statesand led to moments in which everything made sudden sense—when you as an artist get a glimpse atsomething essential, can touch upon something universal.« This shines through »La Traversée,« a wildly imaginative album that is deeply personal while also telling a story far more wide-reaching than that of its creator.

Toyah’s 1991 solo album Ophelia's Shadow is issued on limited edition picture disc vinyl for the first time ever.

The picture disc features colour images on each side of the vinyl and is housed in special die-cut vinyl outer sleeves containing previously unseen colour photography from the album shoot.

A personal favourite album of her catalogue, Toyah confirms: “Above all, this is the one album I have made that truly represents me. I’m fiercely proud of it. Ophelia’s Shadow is not just a record, it’s a reflection of who I was, who I am, and who I continue to become. It’s the sound of resilience, reinvention, and raw truth.”

The album features a band line-up including Trey Gunn on stick, Paul Beavis on drums and Tony Geballe on guitar. Two tracks, Brilliant Day and Lords Of The Never Known feature Robert Fripp on guitar and were originally played live by Sunday All Over The World, the band Toyah & Robert Fripp toured and recorded with in the late 1980s.

180GR./GATEFOLD SLEEVE/12 PAGE BOOKLET/20 TRACKS/COLOURED VINYL

Pablo Sánchez´s new solo album “Archipiélago” is out now. The new long player, a follow-up to his “Nocturnal” album as Basic Need will be released on Sisternoise Records and is a 42 minute voyage sailing through uncharted waters.

Every archipelago is a constellation of islands, distinct yet bound by invisible tides. Archipiélago, the latest work from Pablo Sánchez, follows this same geography of sound and memory. Its islands are not of sand and rock, but of places which inspired the artist throughout his life; Buenos Aires, Caracas, Puerto Rico, New York, Madrid, Berlin, and Barcelona. Each city has left a trace, a shoreline carved into Sánchez’s musical journey and left a distinctive musical mark.

The ten songs gathered here are like sovereign entities, each with its own character, its own rhythm, its own language. Together they form a single territory, a map drawn by musical experience, longing, and imagination. They are ports of call, but also fragments of a larger voyage, where tradition and experimentation, nostalgia and discovery, coexist to create a common territory. Along the way guest magicians Animal Feelings and Salomeya add their vocal sparks to the voyage.

Archipiélago is not a destination but a map of crossings, a territory of sound where the journey itself becomes home.

Following releases on Longform Editions and her own Paralaxe imprint, Dania descends on Somewhere Press with crepuscular, quixotic pop that hits a sweet spot between Mark Clifford’s Cocteau Twins remixes and Massive Attack.

Parked next to Alliyah Enyo, Slowfoam, and Angel R, Dania’s found an ideal home at Somewhere Press, and »Listless« is her most confident, transcendent set to date. Her last few albums were steeped in meaning – a way for the Iraq-born, Tasmania-raised artist to explore her identity and probe the impacts of colonisation. Here, she gives herself more room to breathe, thriving in the mysteries of nighttime – a direct reference to her nocturnal existence as an emergency doctor in Australia. The album was completely composed in the midnight hours, but it’s not self-consciously dark in the way you might expect. Opening track »On a Grassy Knoll« is one of the prettiest – and poppiest – tracks Dania has released, cracking open her voice with thrumming harmonies that she complements with granulated, Guthrie-esque guitars and, most unexpectedly, half-speed drums. It’s the first time Dania’s used percussion, and it suits her extremely well.

In fact, even when the powdery breaks drop away in the album’s final breaths, you can almost hear an outline of where they might remain. On »Write My Name«, Dania loops her voice between waved strings and slippery piano phrases, and the hypnotic closer »A Hunger« is a thudding, sub-heavy 4/4 away from being Peak Oil-style contemporary dub techno.

But the big draw here is Dania’s batch of hazy dream-pop miniatures, like the Seefeel-adjacent »Heart Shaped Burn« (with Rupert Clervaux on drums), and the Bristolian »Car Crash Premonition«, that features a rolling bassline taking us right back to 1998. Very strong – peak listening if you’re into Bowery Electric, MBV, or Mark Van Hoen.

Slip is Paul Abbott’s response to his 3 day residency at OTO in 2023. It’s a continued exploration of the acoustic-digital hybrid drum setup Abbott has been developing for some time, which involves drum kit and synthetic sounds combined closely—through an entanglement of limbs and cables—in an intimate but strange relationship with each other.

Paul Abbott hasn’t had any formal musical training, but has a long history of making music, having collaborated for years with Seymour Wright, Pat Thomas, Michael Speers, Cara Tolmie, Anne Gillis and many others. Eventually, led by a profound suspicion of what is fixed or limited, Abbott began finding other ways to organise sound - or what he calls ‘material’:

“I wanted a way to 'persuade' or guide the possibility of something happening - my activity or the events of an algorithmic composition - for example, but without certainty or formalism. It felt to me, during playing, that certain ideas had a particular sort of shape, but more than the form of a line. I began to write alongside (before/after) playing the drums, and ‘characters’ began to enter the scene as a more wobbly, and therefore appropriate option to notation. Working with these characters allowed me to simultaneously approach body, imagination, language and music: without dividing things up or separating these aspects from each other. It allowed me to leave things messy and entangled, whilst trying to deal with form and specificity: wanting to have some things feel or respond differently to other things at other times.”

In approaching his residency, Abbott developed a fixed cast of characters - crystal, lleaf, reiy.F, reiy.C, strike, nee, qosel, sphu and aahn. They each communicate using different kinds of movement and drum kit/s, and Abbott choreographed them as ‘dances’ based on different feelings, or outlines of behaviours suggestive of ways of moving (body, drums, sounds). He then arranged these characters into ‘compositions’: one for each performance day, with each composition featuring multi-layered activity - options for behaviours, ways to move around the rooms, play drums, develop synthetic sounds, change the lights or re-distribute the sound in the space.

After the performances, Abbott took home 9 hours of recordings split into up to 28 multitrack channels for each day, and re-organised his cast once more into a performance for 2LP, CD and digital. It’s an enormous amount of work - but Abbott is activated by the process. For him, the pleasure of unstable edges, possibilities, slippages, is the vital attraction. Like all living organisms, Abbott’s characters have malleability and responsivity. They stimulate a bundle of possible behaviours, a tendency to act a certain way, a temperament, a boundary of respective limits or affordances.

It’s an affective way of working, inclusive of Roscoe Mitchell, Sun Ra, Nathaniel Mackey and Milford Graves. In ‘Pulseology’(2022), Milford Graves reminds us, ‘Breath varies, so cardiac rhythm never has that (metronomic) tempo. It’s always changing. All the alignments of the heart are determined based on the needs of the cells, specifically tissues and organs. The heart knows if it needs to speed up.’ In Slip, to slip, in a heartbeat, is to descend not into the grid of the even metre accorded to the heartbeat, but into a play of mutability and modality. To change is the condition of the heart.

Seven Blood make music that manages to move the listener despite its hard-hitting sounds. Metal meets Emo-Core. Their songs revive the seemingly lost connection between volume and emotionality. However, they refrain from imitating existing bands and create their own sound, which complements the music of their youth with the band's own character. It all started in spring 2023. Anfy, Azaria, and Oli were going through strong personal crises, had known each other for several years, and decided to do what helps most in such a situation: process the pain together through songwriting. Shortly after, Josi joined and completed the band. Their lyrics deal with personal struggles and observations of our society, whether it's the toxicity of individuals or the ignorant attitude of an entire species. Seven Blood embed these lyrics in a brutal wall of sound that gives their thoughtfulness a furious undertone. The combined force of drums, bass, and guitar rises behind the vocals and is complemented by the ethereal and sometimes biting sounds of fanfares and synths. All of this culminates in a musical high that gives the listener the feeling that everything, and simultaneously nothing, is okay.

Seven Blood make music that manages to move the listener despite its hard-hitting sounds. Metal meets Emo-Core. Their songs revive the seemingly lost connection between volume and emotionality. However, they refrain from imitating existing bands and create their own sound, which complements the music of their youth with the band's own character. It all started in spring 2023. Anfy, Azaria, and Oli were going through strong personal crises, had known each other for several years, and decided to do what helps most in such a situation: process the pain together through songwriting. Shortly after, Josi joined and completed the band. Their lyrics deal with personal struggles and observations of our society, whether it's the toxicity of individuals or the ignorant attitude of an entire species. Seven Blood embed these lyrics in a brutal wall of sound that gives their thoughtfulness a furious undertone. The combined force of drums, bass, and guitar rises behind the vocals and is complemented by the ethereal and sometimes biting sounds of fanfares and synths. All of this culminates in a musical high that gives the listener the feeling that everything, and simultaneously nothing, is okay.

"PROG-ROCK LEGENDS SPOCK’S BEARD ARRIVE ON MADFISH WITH NEW ALBUM THE ARCHAEOPTIMIST. GATEFOLD 2LP VERSION, PRESSED ON RED VINYL. “mad time signatures, impossible harmonies, intense arrangements…sensational”
THE PROG REPORT “a true heir of the legacy of bands as Yes, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd & old Genesis…a truly fascinating voyage.” METAL TEMPLE If Spock’s Beard have taught us anything over their 30+ years in the business, it’s that they have no interest in becoming their own tribute act. The Archaeoptimist - their latest offering & first release on Madfish - is not a retreat into old habits, but a recalibration. Just when you think they’re settling in, they kick the walls out instead. At the centre of this particular storm is Ryo Okumoto, whose fingerprints are all over the album - not just as a performer, but as a driving creative force. Teaming up with co-writer Michael Whiteman (I Am the Manic Whale) & longstanding bandmembers Alan Morse & Ted Leonard, Ryo has helped shape an album that is undeniably Spock’s Beard with a characteristic wry smile to boot. The album was produced by Okumoto & recorded at each band member’s respective home studios. Esteemed producer Rich Mouser (Dream Theater/Weezer) takes up the mixing & mastering duties. Over more than 30 years, Spock’s Beard have established themselves as one of modern progressive music’s most exciting & consistent acts, with live shows as renowned as their studio work & tours that draw sold-out audiences across the globe. Their albums regularly chart worldwide, with 2018’s Noise Floor reaching #3 on the UK Official Rock & Metal Chart & #6 on the Official Progressive Albums Chart.

The tracks on Night Song reflect Howl Quartet's narrative range, with each composition offering a personal or poetic point of departure. The title track, 'Night Song', captures the shifting emotional landscape of new parenthood, drawing on quiet intensity and tenderness. 'Falling Man' is a moving tribute to Brunt's great uncle, an RAF pilot who died in a plane crash shortly after the Second World War, while 'Renjo' channels the drama and exposure of a high-altitude journey through the Himalayas. 'Smallhope', dedicated to a much-loved family home, unfolds slowly with warmth and nostalgia. 'Embers' reflects on the quiet, transformative energy of a fire's dying glow.

'Oku' is a journey inward, drawing on the Japanese idea of inner space, 'Tolls' offers a sombre reflection on consequence and choice and 'Gwdihw' is a lively tribute to the much-missed Cardiff venue where the group's early musical friendships began. Each member of Howl Quartet brings their own musical voice to the group, but it is the strength of their long-standing connection, musically and personally, that defines the band's sound. With its balance of lyricism and exploration, Night Song is both a natural progression and a bold new chapter for the quartet.

As a label, we are specialists in musical diversity. With our newest installment of the annual System 108 compilation we present you two parts of hand picked creative output by our friends, residents and dearest guests. Curated by the artist Ira Bespalova, the concept of both parts is simple and deep: the good, the calm, the kind is part 1 and all anti-heroes, filthy electro-armored jams is part 2. All together - another twist of the planet, another beat of our big heart, that became shelter and home home for a whole new tribe. It pumps, it creates, unites and warms up, kicks it real hard, no matter how tough it is. Part 1 is densely populated by our new kids on the block! Isktrit, TURBOSH, BORIS REDWALL, DJ Yesyes, Dominique Mara have been releasing singles, EP's and album during 2023 and became an integral part of the collective. Here you will also find good old friends Maksimovna, Lipelis, Kito Jempere. Very special Siberian inspired trippy workout by RLGN and Sasha Kustov, Luchshiy Drug. And a super special guest appearance starring Magnus Opus and mo?se?. The running order is curated as a narrative, as an album that takes you on a journey. But separately, it all works as singles, DJ tracks and tools. Welcome to Nine Years Of Love!

The first ASFON release has been a year-long labour of love that has come into being from what felt like a lucid dream, off in the distance, too crazy to believe was real. From our first meeting in the Freerotation yurt to late-night exchanges in Bristol, Winkles (Jamie Slater) has been sharing tracks that lingered long after the party ended. Their raw textures and warped sense of time found a natural home in our sets, eventually leading to the emergence of ‘The Unavoidable EP’, a collection of four diverse tracks which form a singular, immersive experience.

On A1 journey, The Unavoidable Consequence Of Familiarity, a knocking kick opens the door to this new sound world, introducing us to the granular clicks, crazed telephony and vocoded grunts which populate the deep space of Winkles’ imagination. Machines whir and perception shifts in the space between distant synth stabs, while a pulsating bassline battles to break through the filter and create a throbbing low end. Hallucinatory and deep, this is the perfect introduction to both the EP and the ASFON outlook.

Semi Stretches sees Winkles pick up a signal from beyond the outer rim, fire up the hyperdrive and lock into the rolling hum of intergalactic techno. Juggernaut bass forms the perfect counterpoint to the rapid fire rim shots trembling away up top as this Venusian club craft battles static, drives through the milky cosmic and transports the dancing bodies to a Multicoloured Plasticine Universe.

Cutting the engines and switching to suspended animation, Winkles lets us drift through a hazy dream-space where there’s no up or down, where twinkling arps, insectile electronics and hazy sirens coalesce into a psychotropic swirl.

Out of this multicoloured mirage comes Osaka-based astral traveller Erik Luebs, who translates that peak-time ambient bubbler into a Balearic chugger which emerges from the ether to add another dimension to the EP. Rubberised bass, velvet pads and nuanced percussion ensure this is perfect for poolside play in a land of pink sand and sideways tides.

Voal — Vand and Shoal — reveal five more cuts on their home label Isotoop, taken from the pair’s time living together in Utrecht. Whereas the debut EP, ‘Saffron’, dropped the listener into psychedelic aesthetics and atypical rhythmic structures, the sequel ‘Jinx’ has a more crystal-cut vision of club music, made for no less exploratory dancefloors.

Possessing a natural progression almost as fluid as a contiguous live set, with imagination each track can form the basis of the next through the fingerprints of a barely-perceptible ghost leaving a piecemeal narrative impression, an exposure in negative that develops over repeated exposure to the five versatile tracks.

Relative to Saffron’s sidestepping repertoire, this latest EP goes for the jugular with insistent club dynamics from the get-go. Summoning steps on air, a self-contained package of breezy dancefloor initiation and escalation, all-in-one, and from the foothold of this thermal vortex Crosswind ups the drama with storm-hued dynamics and blustery club debris.

The knife of aesthetics is freshly sharpened for the flip: Jinx takes the record out of earthbound atmospheres and deep into sci-fi territory. A jigsawwing bassline seems to drill ever-deeper into an expanding landscape, as it does so uncovering small sonic treasures locked in the bedrock. A mirror to this scene, The Chain digresses with bubbling verve and psychedelic strut, a combo-finishing left hook that simultaneously holds playfulness alongside dour dramatics, a duality shared by vinyl-exclusive closing track Ouah, which blows out the lights with a smirk, and premium hallucinatory dub psychosis.

TX2, AKA Evan Thomas, prides himself on injecting authentic stories and experiences from his own life into his lyrics. As someone who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community himself, he admits he hasn't always fit in. His songs document that experience, but really - his stories are about all of us, penned for anyone who has ever felt alone. Per usual - the singer is willing to cause a little chaos with his new track, if that's what it takes to draw attention to important societal issues. With his tracks, he's making his voice heard loud and clear. "10 years ago I started TX2, and when the project first started I was the joke of my hometown. I was bullied by my entire hometown, and told by family that I would never make it. Years later I am still the joke, but now a punching bag for the entire internet. I've practiced what I've preached and consistently talked about mental health awareness, safety, and LGBT rights just to be made fun of and seen as `one of the most hated artists'. This world is filled with vultures, and I'm sure everyone can relate." Six track debut EP available as CD & LP

With no musical background and without ever having performed in public, Zelmani rose to the top of the charts in 1995
with her self-titled debut album. Until now, she has released up to fifteen albums and was described as Sweden's answer to
Norah Jones. In 2005 she released A Decade Of Dreams 1995-2005, a compilation album featuring both fan favourites and her
personal favourite tracks of the decade.

This double LP features 18 tracks including “Going Home” and “Dreamer” and eventually reached #2 in the Swedish album charts.

1995-2005 A Decade of Dreams is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet with photos and notes about the songs.

2025 Repress

Mihai Popoviciu, one of the most esteemed names in the deep house and minimal scene, is set to unveil his anticipated new album, ‘Puzzle Box’, on Bondage Music. As one of the label’s core artists, Popoviciu returns for his second full-length album release on the imprint following his successful 2016 album, ‘Home’ - available on vinyl from 15th November 2024.

With a career spanning over a decade and with releases on numerous influential labels such as 8Bit to Berg Audio, Popoviciu has firmly established himself as a go-to within the minimal-leaning realms of house music. Known for intricate soundscapes and deep, hypnotic grooves, his work continues to captivate audiences globally. On ‘Puzzle Box’, he delves deeper into his signature stripped-back yet soulful aesthetic, offering a diverse collection of tracks that traverse through various sonic textures.

“With Puzzle Box, each track unlocks something deeper with every listen” - Mihai Popoviciu.

Consisting of thirteen tracks in total, ‘Puzzle Box’ showcases the Romanian’s sound to its fullest. On the vinyl edition, fans are treated to standout tracks like ‘Batiscaf’, ‘Storm Rider’, and ‘Far Gone’ — vinyl-only gems that capture Popoviciu’s talent for layering subtle, dubby tones with groovy rhythms. The opening track, ‘They All Say’, sets the mood with smooth, atmospheric beats with a skippy groove, followed by the dynamic “Video” and the driving, pulsating energy of “Frankfurt.”

Popoviciu’s skill in crafting versatile productions is showcased throughout the album, with each track offering something unique.
From the sleek, melodic strains of ‘Puzzle Box’ to the hypnotic, rolling basslines of ‘Kinetic’, this LP is a journey into his meticulously constructed sound. The digital version also features the bonus track ‘Body Count 2’, offering a final, rhythmic flourish to round off the release.
‘Puzzle Box’ further cements Mihai Popoviciu’s role as a mainstay on Bondage Music, a label which continues to champion forward-thinking, minimal-leaning house music. With this latest LP, Popoviciu once again proves why he remains a favourite, building on his storied career with another masterclass in refined, deep electronic music.

Infotext ENG

After establishing himself as one of Europe's most distinctive voices in instrumental hip-hop, Mr. Käfer is ready to tell a different story. His third solo album, A Past Sense, arriving via Melting Pot Music on 11th November, shows a bold creative evolution from his signature lo-fi aesthetic into lush, collaborative territory that spans continents and genres.

His sixth project for Melting Pot Music marks a creative leap from the mood-driven, jazz-tinged instrumentals that built his reputation on releases like Lost Reflections (2019), Orientation (2020), and Now/Again I and II (2021, 2023). Now he's orchestrating a 14-track journey that weaves together hip-hop, soul, jazz, and North African rhythms through collaborations with carefully selected artists including Novine (GER), J-Tek (US), Kenji (US) and Cloudhead (AT).
Thematically, the album explores how memory reshapes identity, questioning the gap between who we were and who we've become. The visual side comes courtesy of acclaimed photographer and art director Robert Winter, capturing this nostalgic-yet-progressive spirit. A Past Sense will also be released on LP.
With A Past Sense, Mr. Käfer steps out from behind the boards and into the spotlight—trading lo-fi playlist comfort and algorithm-driven streams for something deeper. A past sense, maybe. But definitely a future sound.
Infotext DE
Europas instrumentaler Hip-Hop bekommt einen neuen Sound. Mit seinem dritten Soloalbum „A Past Sense“ verabschiedet sich Mr. Käfer von seiner lo-fi-geprägten Vergangenheit und erschafft ein Werk, das über Genres und Kontinente hinausgeht.
Wo frühere Veröffentlichungen wie „Orientation“ (2020) und die „Now/Again“-Serie (2021/2023) durch intime, jazzgetränkte Instrumentals bestachen, öffnet sich „A Past Sense" neuen Horizonten. Auf 14 Tracks verschmelzen Hip-Hop-Fundamentals mit Soul-Harmonien, Jazz-Improvisationen und nordafrikanischen Rhythmus-Patterns.
Die Kollaborationen mit Novine (Deutschland), J-Tek und Kenji (beide USA) sowie Cloudhead (Österreich) sind dabei keine Gastauftritte, sondern organische Begegnungen, die Mr. Käfers Musik in unerwartete Richtungen lenken. Er bricht bewusst aus der Blase algorithmusgetriebener Lo-Fi-Playlists aus und setzt auf echte musikalische wie menschliche Verbindungen.
Thematisch kreist „A Past Sense" um die Macht der Erinnerung und die Frage, wie Vergangenheit unsere Gegenwart formt. Diese konzeptionelle Tiefe spiegelt sich auch in der visuellen Umsetzung wider: Fotograf und Art Director Robert Winter entwickelte eine Bildsprache, die Nostalgie und Zukunftsvision in perfekter Balance hält.
Mit „A Past Sense" positioniert sich Mr. Käfer neu im internationalen Beat-Kosmos. Das Album erscheint am 11. November über Melting Pot Music – digital und auf Vinyl.

Fire of God's Love ist das legendäre Album der australischen Nonne Schwester Irene O'Connor aus dem Jahr 1973 - eine aufrichtige, gefühlvolle und unbewusst psychedelische Songfolge, die der Selbstreflexion und dem Erwachen des inneren Geistes gewidmet ist. Das Album ist eine Sammlung von originellen spirituellen Folksongs, die von O'Connor geschrieben und mit Gitarre, E-Orgel, Drumcomputer und ihrer engelsgleichen Stimme interpretiert wurden. Es wurde von ihrer Mitschwester und Toningenieurin Sister Marimil Lobregat auf erstaunlich futuristische Weise aufgenommen und abgemischt. Freedom To Spend bietet die erste autorisierte Neuauflage dieses heiligen Grals seit 1976; das Album wurde mit Sorgfalt und Bedacht aus den besten verfügbaren Quellen restauriert und remastered. Als junge römisch-katholische Nonne im Orden der Franziskanerinnen von Maria begann Schwester Irene 1953 ihre musikalischen Aktivitäten, als sie von Sydney in ein Kloster in Singapur zog und begann, Kinder mit Lernschwierigkeiten zu unterrichten. Nachdem sie sich eine Akustikgitarre zugelegt und drei einfache Akkorde gelernt hatte, blühten Irenes Lieder dank der Begeisterung der Kinder auf. Durch einen glücklichen Zufall arbeitete ein Elternteil eines Schülers bei einem kommerziellen Radiosender in Singapur, und Irene wurde eingeladen, im Studio des Senders aufzutreten und aufzunehmen. Sie ging hin, trug ihre Ordenstracht und hatte ihre Gitarre dabei, und nahm dort 1965 ihren ersten eigenen Song auf. Unter dem Pseudonym Myiriam Frances, um innerhalb ihres Ordens anonym zu bleiben (,Nonnen machten so etwas nicht", bemerkte O'Connor), veröffentlichte Phillips Ende der 1960er Jahre eine Reihe von Platten von Schwester Irene. Im Kloster in Singapur lernte Schwester Irene Schwester Marimil Lobregat kennen, eine Mitbrüderin aus dem Franziskanerorden, die Anfang der 1960er Jahre von den Philippinen auf die Insel gezogen war. Mehr als ein Jahrzehnt später trafen sie sich, wie durch göttliche Fügung, in einem anderen Kloster in Point Piper in Sydney wieder. Marimil, ebenfalls Musikerin und Klangenthusiastin, arbeitete als Audio- und Videotechnikerin beim Catholic Radio and Television Centre in Homebush im Westen Sydneys. Schwester Irene, die treu an ihren musikalischen Fähigkeiten feilte, und Schwester Marimil schmiedeten den Plan, sich an mehreren Sonntagnachmittagen im Zentrum zu treffen und die Lieder zu komponieren, die später auf ,Fire of God's Love" erscheinen sollten. Die Lieder von ,Fire of God's Love" werden von Schwester Irene mit ihrer engelsgleichen Sopranstimme gesungen (mit Texten in Englisch, Latein und Malaiisch) und von Schwester Marimil produziert und auf einem Teac 3340S 4-Spur-Tonbandgerät aufgenommen. Marimil trug maßgeblich dazu bei, die unheimliche Jenseitigkeit zu zaubern, die das Album durchzieht. Die kristallklare Stimme von Schwester Irene wird exquisit von einem schimmernden Mosaik aus Hall und analogen Synthesizer-Klängen umhüllt, während sie wie eine Glocke in der Dunkelheit erklingt und so lange nachhallt, bis die Wahrheit oder das Göttliche erscheint. Themen wie Barmherzigkeit, Gnade, Licht und Geheimnis werden von sanften Akustikgitarrenklängen und ewigen Pianotönen untermalt, die sich langsam auf vibrierenden Fäden drehen. Bei den Songs mit Keyboards spielte Schwester Irene alle Parts live in Echtzeit, einschließlich der Basspedale. Die Drum Machine wurde von derselben Orgel erzeugt, die sie spielte, und gleichzeitig ausgeführt. All dies trägt zu einer Atmosphäre erhöhter Präsenz bei, einem organischen Blitz, der tief aus dem Unterbewusstsein kommt. Entstanden aus Ideen, die in einem ruhigen Kloster und abgeschieden von weltlichen Einflüssen entstanden sind, wird der liturgische Rahmen des Albums durch die innige Hingabe zweier Schwestern gefiltert - ihre eigene Interpretation von Popmusik, befreit von Anmaßung und oberflächlichem Glamour. Der Titel des Albums stammt, wie viele seiner Songs, aus einem Bibelvers, in diesem Fall Lukas 12:49. Aber Schwester Irene und Schwester Marimil haben ihn in einen Raum gebracht, in dem alle spirituell Suchenden die Übertragung oder: ungewöhnliche Hermeneutik schätzen können. Die Texte sprechen universelle Bedürfnisse, Wünsche und Sehnsüchte an: ewige Liebe und Zuneigung, ein Ende der Einsamkeit, eine neue Form der Erleichterung, Befreiung von der Angst vor dem Tod. Anstelle von Hymnenformeln bedient sich Schwester Irene, vielleicht unbeabsichtigt, der damals modischen Folk- und Psychedelic-Musik, um eine Predigt zu halten, die sich wie Liebesbriefe an eine göttliche Präsenz liest und über jede formale Religion hinaus zur Seele spricht. ,Fire of God's Love" ist ein inspirierendes Archiv früher elektronischer Experimente zwischen zwei befreundeten Frauen und Mystikerinnen, eine Dokumentation ihrer göttlichen Energie, die auf disziplinierte Weise kanalisiert wurde. Bei seiner Erstveröffentlichung war es weder ein durchschlagender Erfolg noch ein Misserfolg, sondern wurde vor allem mit Neugierde aufgenommen. Die beiden haben nie wieder gemeinsam Musik gemacht, und in den 50 Jahren seitdem zieht ihre einmalige Zusammenarbeit weiterhin Zuhörer an, die sie in Plattenläden entdecken (sei es die Originalpressung von Phillips oder die klanglich überlegene Neuauflage von 1976 bei Alba House Communications) oder eher über YouTube, als zufällig entdeckter und heiß diskutierter Kultklassiker. Heute lebt Schwester Irene in Sydney, Australien, und freut sich, dass ein neues Publikum in ihrer Musik mit Schwester Marimil einen Sinn findet. Ihre Geschichte ist ein Beweis dafür, dass man nicht viel braucht, um ein visionäres, zeitloses Album zu schaffen: ein Tonbandgerät, Freundschaft und ,The Fire of God's Love", um den Weg in die Zukunft zu ebnen. Das kann ein spiritueller Freund sein oder ein irdischer Begleiter direkt neben einem. Sister Irene O'Connors ,Fire of God's Love" wird am 14. November über Freedom To Spend auf Vinyl, CD und als digitale Ausgabe veröffentlicht.

Fire of God's Love ist das legendäre Album der australischen Nonne Schwester Irene O'Connor aus dem Jahr 1973 - eine aufrichtige, gefühlvolle und unbewusst psychedelische Songfolge, die der Selbstreflexion und dem Erwachen des inneren Geistes gewidmet ist. Das Album ist eine Sammlung von originellen spirituellen Folksongs, die von O'Connor geschrieben und mit Gitarre, E-Orgel, Drumcomputer und ihrer engelsgleichen Stimme interpretiert wurden. Es wurde von ihrer Mitschwester und Toningenieurin Sister Marimil Lobregat auf erstaunlich futuristische Weise aufgenommen und abgemischt. Freedom To Spend bietet die erste autorisierte Neuauflage dieses heiligen Grals seit 1976; das Album wurde mit Sorgfalt und Bedacht aus den besten verfügbaren Quellen restauriert und remastered. Als junge römisch-katholische Nonne im Orden der Franziskanerinnen von Maria begann Schwester Irene 1953 ihre musikalischen Aktivitäten, als sie von Sydney in ein Kloster in Singapur zog und begann, Kinder mit Lernschwierigkeiten zu unterrichten. Nachdem sie sich eine Akustikgitarre zugelegt und drei einfache Akkorde gelernt hatte, blühten Irenes Lieder dank der Begeisterung der Kinder auf. Durch einen glücklichen Zufall arbeitete ein Elternteil eines Schülers bei einem kommerziellen Radiosender in Singapur, und Irene wurde eingeladen, im Studio des Senders aufzutreten und aufzunehmen. Sie ging hin, trug ihre Ordenstracht und hatte ihre Gitarre dabei, und nahm dort 1965 ihren ersten eigenen Song auf. Unter dem Pseudonym Myiriam Frances, um innerhalb ihres Ordens anonym zu bleiben (,Nonnen machten so etwas nicht", bemerkte O'Connor), veröffentlichte Phillips Ende der 1960er Jahre eine Reihe von Platten von Schwester Irene. Im Kloster in Singapur lernte Schwester Irene Schwester Marimil Lobregat kennen, eine Mitbrüderin aus dem Franziskanerorden, die Anfang der 1960er Jahre von den Philippinen auf die Insel gezogen war. Mehr als ein Jahrzehnt später trafen sie sich, wie durch göttliche Fügung, in einem anderen Kloster in Point Piper in Sydney wieder. Marimil, ebenfalls Musikerin und Klangenthusiastin, arbeitete als Audio- und Videotechnikerin beim Catholic Radio and Television Centre in Homebush im Westen Sydneys. Schwester Irene, die treu an ihren musikalischen Fähigkeiten feilte, und Schwester Marimil schmiedeten den Plan, sich an mehreren Sonntagnachmittagen im Zentrum zu treffen und die Lieder zu komponieren, die später auf ,Fire of God's Love" erscheinen sollten. Die Lieder von ,Fire of God's Love" werden von Schwester Irene mit ihrer engelsgleichen Sopranstimme gesungen (mit Texten in Englisch, Latein und Malaiisch) und von Schwester Marimil produziert und auf einem Teac 3340S 4-Spur-Tonbandgerät aufgenommen. Marimil trug maßgeblich dazu bei, die unheimliche Jenseitigkeit zu zaubern, die das Album durchzieht. Die kristallklare Stimme von Schwester Irene wird exquisit von einem schimmernden Mosaik aus Hall und analogen Synthesizer-Klängen umhüllt, während sie wie eine Glocke in der Dunkelheit erklingt und so lange nachhallt, bis die Wahrheit oder das Göttliche erscheint. Themen wie Barmherzigkeit, Gnade, Licht und Geheimnis werden von sanften Akustikgitarrenklängen und ewigen Pianotönen untermalt, die sich langsam auf vibrierenden Fäden drehen. Bei den Songs mit Keyboards spielte Schwester Irene alle Parts live in Echtzeit, einschließlich der Basspedale. Die Drum Machine wurde von derselben Orgel erzeugt, die sie spielte, und gleichzeitig ausgeführt. All dies trägt zu einer Atmosphäre erhöhter Präsenz bei, einem organischen Blitz, der tief aus dem Unterbewusstsein kommt. Entstanden aus Ideen, die in einem ruhigen Kloster und abgeschieden von weltlichen Einflüssen entstanden sind, wird der liturgische Rahmen des Albums durch die innige Hingabe zweier Schwestern gefiltert - ihre eigene Interpretation von Popmusik, befreit von Anmaßung und oberflächlichem Glamour. Der Titel des Albums stammt, wie viele seiner Songs, aus einem Bibelvers, in diesem Fall Lukas 12:49. Aber Schwester Irene und Schwester Marimil haben ihn in einen Raum gebracht, in dem alle spirituell Suchenden die Übertragung oder: ungewöhnliche Hermeneutik schätzen können. Die Texte sprechen universelle Bedürfnisse, Wünsche und Sehnsüchte an: ewige Liebe und Zuneigung, ein Ende der Einsamkeit, eine neue Form der Erleichterung, Befreiung von der Angst vor dem Tod. Anstelle von Hymnenformeln bedient sich Schwester Irene, vielleicht unbeabsichtigt, der damals modischen Folk- und Psychedelic-Musik, um eine Predigt zu halten, die sich wie Liebesbriefe an eine göttliche Präsenz liest und über jede formale Religion hinaus zur Seele spricht. ,Fire of God's Love" ist ein inspirierendes Archiv früher elektronischer Experimente zwischen zwei befreundeten Frauen und Mystikerinnen, eine Dokumentation ihrer göttlichen Energie, die auf disziplinierte Weise kanalisiert wurde. Bei seiner Erstveröffentlichung war es weder ein durchschlagender Erfolg noch ein Misserfolg, sondern wurde vor allem mit Neugierde aufgenommen. Die beiden haben nie wieder gemeinsam Musik gemacht, und in den 50 Jahren seitdem zieht ihre einmalige Zusammenarbeit weiterhin Zuhörer an, die sie in Plattenläden entdecken (sei es die Originalpressung von Phillips oder die klanglich überlegene Neuauflage von 1976 bei Alba House Communications) oder eher über YouTube, als zufällig entdeckter und heiß diskutierter Kultklassiker. Heute lebt Schwester Irene in Sydney, Australien, und freut sich, dass ein neues Publikum in ihrer Musik mit Schwester Marimil einen Sinn findet. Ihre Geschichte ist ein Beweis dafür, dass man nicht viel braucht, um ein visionäres, zeitloses Album zu schaffen: ein Tonbandgerät, Freundschaft und ,The Fire of God's Love", um den Weg in die Zukunft zu ebnen. Das kann ein spiritueller Freund sein oder ein irdischer Begleiter direkt neben einem. Sister Irene O'Connors ,Fire of God's Love" wird am 14. November über Freedom To Spend auf Vinyl, CD und als digitale Ausgabe veröffentlicht.

Colemine Records freut sich, eine spezielle 10-Jahres-Jubiläumsausgabe von ,Sound of Sinning", dem bahnbrechenden Studioalbum von Monophonics, zu präsentieren. Seit ihrer Gründung im April 2015 tragen Monophonics stolz die Fackel der reichen Musikgeschichte und -kultur San Franciscos durch die Generationen bis in die heutige Musiklandschaft. Sie halten an Traditionen fest, sind aber keineswegs Puristen, sondern spielen ihre eigene Musikrichtung, die als ,Psychedelic Soul" bekannt ist. Auf ihrem vorherigen Album ,In Your Brain" ließ sich die Band von Acts wie den frühen Funkadelic, Sly and The Family Stone und den von Norman Whitfield produzierten Platten der Temptations beeinflussen. ,Sound of Sinning" markierte den Beginn des Wachstums der Band in allen Bereichen. Mit Einflüssen aus Northern Soul, Doo-Wop, Rock ,n` Roll, Psych Pop und Filmmusik zeigen Monophonics ihre Vielseitigkeit, bleiben aber ihren Wurzeln treu. Insgesamt ist es herzliche Musik mit Old-School-Vibes, ohne dabei die Gegenwart aus den Augen zu verlieren. Diese Musik ist geprägt von dem zeitlosen Gefühl, als man noch Songs schreiben und produzieren konnte, die man sich immer wieder anhören konnte. ,Sound of Sinning" wurde von Kelly Finnigan & Ian McDonald produziert und auf einem alten Tascam-Acht-Spur-1/4-Zoll-Bandgerät in den Transistor Sound Studios in San Rafael, Kalifornien, aufgenommen. Seit ,Sound of Sinning" hat die Gruppe das von Kritikern hochgelobte Album ,It's Only Us" (2020) und das Konzeptalbum ,Sage Motel" (2023) veröffentlicht, das sich über 10.000 Mal verkauft hat. Die Band tourt weiter, hat kürzlich eine Reihe von Shows mit dem legendären Lee Fields absolviert und steht vor einer internationalen Tournee für 2025.