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Label heads Make A Dance return with the 13th installment on their acclaimed imprint, M.A.D. RECORDS

Leading the charge is the long-requested ID, 'Young Man' — a rolling, deep, and driving house cut, layered with a hauntingly soulful blues vocal – a track that confidently carves its own lane in a crowded field.

On the B-side, 'Club Dub 909' offers a more direct and energetic take, punctuated by bursts of their signature dub siren — a nod to the duo’s unmistakable style.

Rounding out the EP is 'Down', a sleazy, heads-down affair that’s been igniting dance floors every time it’s dropped in their sets.

Cardiff man Chesus makes raw, no-nonsense, highly effective club tracks that are well-sampled and subtly 90s-leaning. He might be best known for doing them under his Earl Jeffers alias but this one is one of his standouts, and it was originally made back in 2008-ish before being left on a hard drive then rediscovered and put out in 2013 on Local Talk. Here, the evergreen jam resurfaces via the MELANGE Archives series. 'Special' is indeed just that - it brims with feel-good energy thanks no doubt to the swooning strings which bring great life to swinging drums, chopped-up soul vocals and expressive synth lines. It's a pure party starter that is ageing to perfection.

Underoath sind seit fast zwei Jahrzehnten eine wegweisende Stimme im progressiven Heavy Rock. Nur sehr
wenige können mit ihnen mithalten, wenn es darum geht, immer wieder an die Grenzen zu gehen oder sich
kreativ weiterzuentwickeln. „Voyeurist“ ist eine Rückkehr zu Underoaths Heavy-Metalcore-Wurzeln, die sie
in den 2000er Jahren zu einer der größten Bands in der Metal-Welt machten. „Voyeurist“ ist ihr neuntes
Album und das erste, das die Band komplett selbst produziert hat. Es wurde im Studio von Gitarrist Tim
in Tampa, FL aufgenommen und enthält 10 Tracks, die schwer, aber dennoch experimentell und manchmal
wunderschön sind. Während das letzte Album „Erase Me“ aus dem Jahr 2018 eine Abkehr von ihrem
Sound war und eher ein geradliniges Rock-Album, kehrt dieses zu den beliebten Metalcore-Wurzeln der
Band zurück, von denen die Fans so begeistert sein.

One of Romania’s most important composers in the last half-century, Octavian Nemescu (1940-2020) is among the few that were not “part of the system”, managing to survive and compose in a world that felt more and more “empty”, fragile, confused and scarce in prophecies. The mystical approach to his art defines Octavian Nemescu as an essentialist who believed in the power of archetypes in which he found inspiration. His pieces always start from an idea that has spiritual, cosmogonic implications and often involves synthesizers, sounds from nature (buzz of bees) and the “ison” (drone). When defining “meta music” or “imaginary music”, Nemescu was an advocate of looking from above, from the top of the mountain. Silence is very important in his work in order to keep the sound flowing and to reflect on the sound from before, as a space, as a pause for thinking. Nemescu put forward another kind of music: a song that has not yet surfaced through human voice, any musical instrument, orchestra or other electro-acoustic means: an intimate, interior, introverted inner sound that focuses on the individual and the imagination. Imaginary music is a reaction, it comes in contrast to the spectacular, it is anti-show. For him, music had a ritualistic function, it served no cultural purpose.

This 3LP set collects eight pieces for variable ensemble, tape and electronics, composed between 1968 and 2015, selected together with Erica Nemescu, who also mastered the tracks. Most tracks have been previously released on different CD’s but never before on vinyl.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Aesthetical Records is honoured to reissue Peau Froide, Léger Soleil, the groundbreaking collaboration between Finnish electronic music luminary Mika Vainio and French experimental music pioneer Franck Vigroux. Originally released in 2015, this new edition revives a work of unparalleled sonic intensity and textural exploration. The album is set to release on double vinyl and CD on May 24, 2025.

This iconic album is the result of a three year recording process that began after Vainio and Vigroux’s first live performance in Paris in 2012. Their collaboration serves as an intricate balance of minimalist meditations and maximalist energy, pushing electronic music into radical new directions. Peau Froide, Léger Soleil is a journey through psychic resonance and spatial abstraction, constructed through Vainio’s intense, brutalist grooves and Vigroux’s explorations in tonal extremities. Spanning a total of nine tracks, the album unfolds like an odyssey, densely layered yet free from structural limitations, traversing vast emotional landscapes where each sound feels at once intimate and tectonic.

Beginning with the ominous, bass-heavy textures of “Deux,” Vainio and Vigroux establish a dynamic atmosphere, setting the stage for the intense soundscapes to follow. “Mémoire” introduces ghostly voices that weave through thick waves of sub-bass and distorted noise, while “Souffles” explores uncharted sonic territories with its microtonal landscapes and spectral ambiance. Vigroux’s mastery over spatial abstraction comes to life in “Le Souterrain,” adding an atmospheric weight reminiscent of Ennio Morricone’s stark loneliness or Neil Young’s Dead Man soundtrack. In contrast, tracks like “Parabole” and “Le crâne tambour” unleash fierce, maximalist grooves, making them some of the most aggressive and memorable moments in Vainio’s discography.

Peau Froide, Léger Soleil represents a landmark in its sonic identity, embodying a vision of uncompromising, avant-garde sound design. This anniversary reissue on Aesthetical honours that legacy while inviting new listeners into Vainio & Vigroux’s collaborative universe—a space where electronic music becomes both weapon and sanctuary.

The 10th-anniversary edition promises a fresh listening experience, preserving the legacy of two artists who have redefined the boundaries of sound.

Released in 2018, the Original Blunted Breaks Vol.1 compilation was a landmark release in the future jungle revival, collating the sounds of the rapidly emerging underground in long player format and extending the reach of the modern productions beyond the clubs and hardcore vinyl enthusiasts, to the likes of BBC Radio 6, with guest Dead Man’s Chest mix and album feature on Tom Ravenscroft’s show.

In the ensuing years, contemporary jungle music has continued to gain in popularity with a rapidly expanding global influence and reaching younger audiences who’ve adopted it as the sound of now.

In 2025, Western Lore continues its role as a modern tastemaker in both jungle music and the wider electronica scene with Blunted Breaks Vol.3, a 12 track long player featuring a selection of deep and textural future jungle workouts from the freshest rising talent & now established stalwarts of jungle music.

Released on triple heavyweight (180g) black vinyl, shrink-wrapped in full art sleeves & digital.

Motel d'amour - A Lost Electro-Funk Gem from the NDW Era Resurfaces

When we first collaborated with Collage member Markus Kammann on the EP project "Mit den Puppen tanzen" at the end of last year, we never imagined what would follow: Kammann approached us with a completely unreleased full-length album by his former band. Upon receiving the first three preview tracks, we were floored. One of them was "Nachtcafé" - a track that kicks off with a funky bassline layered over the punchy rhythm of a Roland TR-808. Add shimmering synths and Katrin A. Kunze's sharp, distinctive vocals, and we instantly knew we were hearing something special.

For a label dedicated to rediscovering lost treasures, this was exactly what we'd been searching for. The next two tracks - "Rendezvous" and "Casanova" - were just as compelling. When Kammann sent us the full album, we realized we were holding an electro-funk grail from the late golden days of the German Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW). We were listening to "Motel d'amour".

"Motel d'amour" is a concept album, offering a sharp, vibrant perspective from a confident, intelligent, and radiant young woman eager to experience nightlife, love, and music. Kunze's lyrics paint vivid scenes of flirtation ("Nachtcafé", "Rendezvous"), encounters with men ("Casanova"), the pulse of nightlife ("Die Nacht ist noch jung"), love ("Rotes Licht für rote Liebe"), one-night stands ("Motel d'amour"), and more. Rarely has a German album from that era captured emotional nuance and social dynamics so insightfully. Without veering into the overly personal, Kunze's direct, daring lyrical style was groundbreaking at the time - and remains refreshingly bold today.

While German listeners will fully appreciate the lyrical depth, the music speaks volumes on its own. Kunze's words are masterfully complemented by the production of Markus Kammann and Jürgen Grah. As heard on the in-demand "Mit den Puppen tanzen", their creativity seemed boundless. Each track is tightly composed, catchy, and full of character. While many German bands at the time leaned into rock, Kammann drew from the deep grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Brothers Johnson, The Commodores, and the electro-futurism of Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and "Looking for the Perfect Beat". The result: tracks with unmistakable electro-funk flair, powered by the classic 808 drum sound.

Though primarily rooted in funk and electro, the album retains flashes of NDW aesthetics - "Wir haben getanzt heut' Nacht" being a prime example. The instrumentation is a dream list for vintage gear lovers: Yamaha keyboards, Roland Juno-60, vocoder, Micromoog, Hohner D6 Clavinet, Fender bass, and a Telecaster guitar all feature prominently.
Recorded in 1985 at the high-profile Delta Studio by Richard Rossbach, the album attracted interest from Polydor. However, the label proposed using the compositions for a solo project with singer Inga Humpe (of Neonbabies), who was already signed to their roster. This would have required replacing Kunze as the vocalist, an idea the group firmly rejected. As a result, "Motel d'amour" was shelved, and Kammann, Grah, and Kunze moved on to form Cold End.
The album cover features a rare archival photo of Katrin A. Kunze - rediscovered by Kammann and now finally seeing the light of day, 40 years later.

We believe Motel d'amour deserves recognition alongside cult German classics like P!OFF?, 1. Futurologischer Congress' "Wer spricht?", Ami Marie's "Verrückt nach Glück", the funkier cuts of Cosa Rosa, or Piet Klocke's groove classic "Heute ist nicht sonst". It's a record that fits into adventurous DJ sets but also rewards a full, start-to-finish listen.

A note on audio quality: Sadly, the original master tapes were lost. The tracks were restored from a vintage TDK cassette. Thanks to modern digital tools, we were able to remaster them to a high standard - but in some songs light distortions remain. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy this lost and undiscovered gem.

Motel d'amour - A Lost Electro-Funk Gem from the NDW Era Resurfaces

When we first collaborated with Collage member Markus Kammann on the EP project "Mit den Puppen tanzen" at the end of last year, we never imagined what would follow: Kammann approached us with a completely unreleased full-length album by his former band. Upon receiving the first three preview tracks, we were floored. One of them was "Nachtcafé" - a track that kicks off with a funky bassline layered over the punchy rhythm of a Roland TR-808. Add shimmering synths and Katrin A. Kunze's sharp, distinctive vocals, and we instantly knew we were hearing something special.

For a label dedicated to rediscovering lost treasures, this was exactly what we'd been searching for. The next two tracks - "Rendezvous" and "Casanova" - were just as compelling. When Kammann sent us the full album, we realized we were holding an electro-funk grail from the late golden days of the German Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW). We were listening to "Motel d'amour".

"Motel d'amour" is a concept album, offering a sharp, vibrant perspective from a confident, intelligent, and radiant young woman eager to experience nightlife, love, and music. Kunze's lyrics paint vivid scenes of flirtation ("Nachtcafé", "Rendezvous"), encounters with men ("Casanova"), the pulse of nightlife ("Die Nacht ist noch jung"), love ("Rotes Licht für rote Liebe"), one-night stands ("Motel d'amour"), and more. Rarely has a German album from that era captured emotional nuance and social dynamics so insightfully. Without veering into the overly personal, Kunze's direct, daring lyrical style was groundbreaking at the time - and remains refreshingly bold today.

While German listeners will fully appreciate the lyrical depth, the music speaks volumes on its own. Kunze's words are masterfully complemented by the production of Markus Kammann and Jürgen Grah. As heard on the in-demand "Mit den Puppen tanzen", their creativity seemed boundless. Each track is tightly composed, catchy, and full of character. While many German bands at the time leaned into rock, Kammann drew from the deep grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Brothers Johnson, The Commodores, and the electro-futurism of Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and "Looking for the Perfect Beat". The result: tracks with unmistakable electro-funk flair, powered by the classic 808 drum sound.

Though primarily rooted in funk and electro, the album retains flashes of NDW aesthetics - "Wir haben getanzt heut' Nacht" being a prime example. The instrumentation is a dream list for vintage gear lovers: Yamaha keyboards, Roland Juno-60, vocoder, Micromoog, Hohner D6 Clavinet, Fender bass, and a Telecaster guitar all feature prominently.
Recorded in 1985 at the high-profile Delta Studio by Richard Rossbach, the album attracted interest from Polydor. However, the label proposed using the compositions for a solo project with singer Inga Humpe (of Neonbabies), who was already signed to their roster. This would have required replacing Kunze as the vocalist, an idea the group firmly rejected. As a result, "Motel d'amour" was shelved, and Kammann, Grah, and Kunze moved on to form Cold End.
The album cover features a rare archival photo of Katrin A. Kunze - rediscovered by Kammann and now finally seeing the light of day, 40 years later.

We believe Motel d'amour deserves recognition alongside cult German classics like P!OFF?, 1. Futurologischer Congress' "Wer spricht?", Ami Marie's "Verrückt nach Glück", the funkier cuts of Cosa Rosa, or Piet Klocke's groove classic "Heute ist nicht sonst". It's a record that fits into adventurous DJ sets but also rewards a full, start-to-finish listen.

A note on audio quality: Sadly, the original master tapes were lost. The tracks were restored from a vintage TDK cassette. Thanks to modern digital tools, we were able to remaster them to a high standard - but in some songs light distortions remain. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy this lost and undiscovered gem.

Pioneering British electronic musician Mark Van Hoen is set to release his latest solo album, The Eternal Present, on 23 May 2025 via Dell'Orso, a remarkable collection of tracks spanning nearly three decades of recordings from 1998 to 2024.
The Eternal Present embodies its philosophical title, inspired by Joseph Campbell's concept that "Eternity isn't some later time... Eternity is that dimension of here and now that all thinking in temporal terms cuts off." The album explores music as the ultimate expression of existing in the present moment, transcending time and creating a sonic experience that is simultaneously "spectral, ghostly, melodic, harmonic, and decayed."
An influential contemporary of Aphex Twin, Autechre, LFO and Boards of Canada, Van Hoen is best known for his solo work as Locust in the mid-'90s, which helped push post-rave electronic music into newly challenging realms. His extensive discography spans releases on influential labels including R&S, Touch, and Editions Mego. Van Hoen has worked on numerous collaborations throughout his career, including with Nick Holton and Neil Halstead of Slowdive under the moniker Black Hearted Brother—their album Stars Are Our Home was released in 2013.
The Eternal Present continues the lineage of Van Hoen's most significant works, with artwork by Ian Anderson (Designers Republic) reflecting the album's "eternal present" concept with a mysterious visual approach, allowing listeners to form their own imaginary landscapes. The mastering by Stefan Betke (Pole) enhances this document of the evolution of the artist over the years as he continues to hone his signature sound. Using a host of instruments including analogue synthesisers and employing various recording approaches, Van Hoen's equipment changed dramatically over the years—from early DSP processing used on his first solo record on Apollo ‘Playing With Time’ to various synthesisers, modular systems, tape machines, and digital workstations—contributing to the album's rich sonic diversity.
Throughout The Eternal Present, ideas are woven together through spoken word quotations and abstract vocals featuring notable collaborations from Rachel Goswell on the Slowdive cover "Shine" (from 1998), Megan Mitchell (Cruel Diagonals) on "Somewhere", and session vocalists Clare Dove and Dorothy Takev on "No-One Leave" and "It's Not You (In A Way)" respectively. The use of cleverly assembled vocal samples from an "undisclosed but very famous female vocalist" on "Multiplex" (2016) and the indistinct vocalisations on the Cabaret Voltaire-influenced "Only Me" (2017), constantly challenges and disorientates the listener through fluctuating, ever-changing musical elements.
The album was recorded across multiple locations including Somerset, London, Los Angeles, and New York—even beginning compositions during flights and in airport lounges—reflecting Van Hoen's changing personal circumstances, environments, and situations throughout the years.
Of Indian-Jamaican descent, Van Hoen was born and raised in England, absorbing diverse musical influences from his neighbors—African-Jamaican on one side and Punjabi Indian on the other. "Each family played their own music frequently, and I absorbed it." His musical foundations include Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, OMD, Tangerine Dream, Japan, Cabaret Voltaire, and Cocteau Twins, later finding inspiration in My Bloody Valentine, LFO, and '90s producers Robert Leiner and CJ Bolland.
These eclectic influences are evident on The Eternal Present, which contains snapshots of different periods in his life, with changing circumstances across decades creating a variety of textures and sounds. As Mark explains: "It holds the same sonic signature as many of my solo releases and early Locust albums. It's a natural development that has taken place in the last few decades. It's even related to the earliest music I made as a teenager, although perhaps more sophisticated."
“What a remarkably affecting, majestically broad and captivating work it is..what strikes you most is the album’s myriad diversity. Outstanding” (Electronic Sound)

“Whether channelling mid- 70’s Eno, early Aphex Twin or Neu! his vivid sounds shimmer with emotional weight” (Mojo 4*)

"Musically, Van Hoen belongs to a distinguished family tree. Originally influenced by the likes of Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream, and later presaging both Autechre's glitch and Boards of Canada's pastoral IDM." (Pitchfork)

Fronted by brothers Peter O'Doherty and Reg Mombassa , Dog Trumpet have been playing, writing and recording their music since the early 90s. Reg and Pete were founding members of iconic Australian band Mental As Anything, who hit the charts around the world with “Live It Up”. The band made a mark with their left field mix of music, art, video and humour and leading eventually to ARIA awards and induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Dog Trumpet’s new album Live Forever is the result of 2 years in the studio.

For this, their ninth album , the song writing brothers Peter and Reg have brought Peter’s multi instrumentalist son Declan in on drums, production and mixing duties, enhancing and expanding their sonic palette.

At times psychedelic and ethereal, the album weaves together Dog Trumpet’s signature acoustic and electric guitar and bass driven sound with melodic drums, synthesisers, mandolin, saxophone and added backing vocals by their touring bass player Bernie Hayes.

The debut album from Addy Weitzman, ‘Light Months Will Fly Over Us’ explores new-wave, romantic pop and art rock with elegance and ambition, drawing from Weitzman’s scattered network of collaborators, as well as a “frighteningly vast” personal archive of compositions. Sequenced by Seth Troxler and released on his Slacker 85 label, it represents a pivot in musical direction for the imprint, and a showcase for the songwriting craft Weitzman honed as a member of cult electro duo Footprintz, and Montreal synth-pop projects The Beat Escape and Dawn to Dawn.

The title Light Months Will Fly Over Us is derived from a line in a poem by the Russian writer Anna Ahkmatova. Weitzman was immediately struck by its “hopefulness, its mystery… it gives the feeling of being suspended, hanging in a dream-like state”. This interpretation has been translated to the album, rich in memorable songwriting that nonetheless invites the listener to lean in further. Delicately mixed by engineer Pierre Guerineau, known for his work alongside Marie Davidson, each of the eight tracks gently interrogates life’s greater mysteries; fear, love and salvation, each defining and revealing the human soul.

Opener ‘End of The Line’ invites us into an immediately lush space of lounge lizard existentialism, soft brass and piano helping Weitzman introduce “where the journey begins and the fantasy dies”. Across orchestral arrangements arranged by Adam Wilcox, whose sensitive, ambitious compositions are weaved throughout the album, ‘Beyond The Speed of Life’ brings to mind the laments of Scott Walker. Navigating vulnerability via grandeur, Weitzman’s earnest vocals flourish in wide-eyed call-and-response with the object of a transcendent love affair.

Alongside collaborator, Richard Lamb, the next chapter of the LP plunges into contrasting machine-driven moods; the wry, bubbling ‘Entertainment Is All I Wanted (And I Found It)’ is imbued with the playfulness and experimentation of 80s electronic pioneers such as Fad Gadget, while the tougher, icier ‘Stranger To Your Kind’ shifts in a more instrumental direction, recalling Weitzman’s dancefloor experience, as well as contemporaries such as Matthew Dear.

Album centerpiece and striking first single ‘Running & Returning’ is the first of a suite of three tracks in collaboration with Weitzman’s The Beat Escape and Dawn to Dawn bandmate, Patrick Boivin. Blending lush saxophones and angular guitars with a wistful melodic touch and lyrics, its irresistible art-rock rhythm provides the foundation for one of Weitzman’s most involving vocal performances.

It’s followed by an anthem for existential absurdity: ‘Ice Cream Candle’ provides a driving acceptance that “the more and more you learn, the less you understand”; Weitzman submits to this uncertainty with equal grace on ‘No Man’s Land’, as baroque invocations of “words swept through the fields” and meeting “where the water lilies grow” give way to a blistering guitar solo, humbly riding hypnotic percussion.

For the compassionate finale of Light Months Will Fly Over Us, Weitzman narrates the experience of ‘Gabrielle’, a woman slipping between rooms between shuttered blinds in the towering city, “where cigarettes and roses fill the air.”

As lyrically delicate as it is musically ambitious, Light Months Will Fly Over Us is a sublime debut album, enriched with care, love and much-needed enchantment.

Legendary artist, Raincoats co-founder, songwriter, filmmaker, and feminist icon Gina Birch has announced her eagerly awaited second solo album, Trouble, arriving via Third Man Records on Friday, July 11. Pre-orders are available now.

Trouble is heralded by today’s premiere of the album’s blistering centerpiece, “Causing Trouble Again,” available for streaming now. An official music video – directed by famed photographer/filmmaker Dean Chalkley and featuring an all-star collective of fellow female artists including Birch’s longtime friend and co-founder of The Raincoats, Ana da Silva, Neo Naturists co-founder Christine Binnie, singer-songwriter Amy Rigby, X-Ray Spex and Essential Logic co-founder Lora Logic, painter Daisy Parris, artist Georgina Starr, writer Jill Westwood, multi-disciplinary artist and activist Bobby Baker, award-winning costume designer Annie Symons, veteran photographer and Raincoats collaborator Shirley O’Loughlin, and many more – is streaming now on YouTube.

“For the ‘Causing Trouble Again’ video, after hearing Bob Dylan sing about a white ladder all covered with water, I became obsessed with white ladders,” Gina Birch says. “ I decided to use five white ladders, three with seven rungs…I realized later that this references Jacob’s Ladder and a connection from Earth to heaven, but I think I was thinking of ladders as a symbol of getting on, getting up. I wanted to have a choreographed movement with four of us with these ladders. How do we move with ladders? Do we move together, do we fight, do we dance? “I also wanted to reference the wind scene from the film, The Colour of Pomegranates, and to include as many artist women from the Women in Revolt exhibition as I could.

When Elvis joined the Army in 1958, Ricky Nelson was the young man who, it was predicted, would fill the King’s blue suede shoes. He went on to become a country-rock pioneer, but everybody still remembered his pop hits. Ricky Nelson's teenage celebrity typecast him for life, but these recordings from his heyday reveal a solid musician who matured and grew over time. It’s also fair to say that his later music opened the door for the Eagles, featuring ex-Stone Canyon Band bass player Randy Meisner, to pass through. It was more than a sympathy vote that saw Nelson posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

2025 Repress
Yes! Tommy Guerrero’s much-loved 4th LP – the smooth West Coast classic From The Soil To The Soul - gets its first ever vinyl release. As the follow up to his revered Soul Food Taqueria, this album was originally released by Quannum Records 2006 but only on CD. Working with Tommy directly, the LP has been fully remastered, cut on to heavyweight wax, and comes with artwork freshly reworked by the man himself.
From The Soil To The Soul represents a continuation of Tommy’s blissful guitar-soul whilst demonstrating increasingly complex chops and a slightly darker side to his distinctive sound. His spare, effortless funk is blended here with elements of Americana, heavy psych, lo-fi fuzz and intoxicating Latin rhythms. Combined with his typically breezy, laid-back San Franciscan style, it’s a vibe from start to finish.
Recorded primarily in his home studio, Tommy wrote, arranged and played nearly all the instruments, including bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion and kalimba. Renowned street artist Barry McGee, aka Twist, designed the cover art which Tommy has now recast in a deep, deep red for the vinyl version.
As ever with Tommy, the highlights are many and memorable. From twinkling, sun-drenched opener “Hello Again” to the penultimate, punk-rocking track “Let Me In Let Me Out” (featuring the melodic yet fearsome rapping of Lyrics Born), the variety across the LP is relentless, but satisfying, and without once losing focus.
We’re treated to the gorgeous hip-hop blues of “The Under Dog”, Meters-style Hammond B-3 jams like “War No More” and “No Guns More Glory” and Balearic bangers like Bing Ji Ling’s star-turn on the sleazy “Don’t Fake It.”
Curumin’s soulful guest vocal elevates the already-great Brazilian lounge feels of “Salve” to hitherto unscaled heights and the heavy, driving basslines - funky and warm on “Badder Than Bullets”, sombre and intense in “Tomorrow’s Goodbye” and “Molotov Telegram” – never fail to move both body and soul.
But our favourite track is the beautiful breezy pop of “Just Ain’t Me”. A bittersweet, skipping ballad which boasts an incredibly rare instance of Tommy singing. “What you want from me, I can never give” he repeats throughout, lending the already-melancholic atmosphere greater poignancy. It would’ve been number 1 across the planet in a parallel universe.

A Study of Losses", das siebte Studioalbum von Beirut, ist eine Odyssee mit 18 Tracks. Das Projekt entstand im Frühjahr 2023, als Viktoria Dalborg, Direktorin des schwedischen Zirkus Kompani Giraff, Condon fragte, ob er Interesse hätte, die Musik für ihr nächstes Projekt zu liefern, eine Show, die auf einer Adaption eines Romans der deutschen Autorin Judith Schalansky basiert. Die Hauptthemen in Schalanskys Buch "Verzeichnis einiger Verluste" und in der Adaption für die Zirkusshow befassen sich mit dem Konzept des Verlusts und der Vergänglichkeit von allem, was uns bekannt ist: von ausgestorbenen Tierarten, verlorenen architektonischen und literarischen Schätzen bis hin zu abstrakteren Konzepten des Verlusts durch den Prozess des Alterns. "A Study of Losses" reist durch elf Songs und sieben erweiterte instrumentale Themen, die nach den Mondmeeren benannt und von der erschreckenden Geschichte eines Mannes inspiriert sind, der davon besessen ist, alle verlorenen Gedanken und Schöpfungen der Menschheit zu archivieren. Musikalisch jedoch taucht er wieder in Chorgesang, Renaissance und andere Stile ein, die seine frühe Arbeiten inspiriert haben, sowie in Variationen von Klängen und Ideen, die sich auf eine seiner Lieblingsplatten, "69 Love Songs" von The Magnetic Fields, beziehen. Mit einer Länge von fast einer Stunde ist es das bei weitem umfangreichste Album, das Beirut je gemacht hat, und es gehört fraglos zu Condons bisher schönsten Arbeiten. "A Study of Losses" ist das zweite neue Beirut-Album innerhalb von nur zwei Jahren und die Fortsetzung eines weiteren, charakteristisch produktiven Kapitels für Zach Condon. Nach einem halben Jahrzehnt, das er damit verbrachte, sich von hartnäckigen Halsproblemen und einem drohenden mentalen Zusammenbruch zu erholen - was ihn daran zweifeln ließ, ob er jemals wieder vor Publikum auftreten würde - folgt "A Study of Losses" auf "Hadsel", das "einen neuen Anfang für Beirut" markierte, lobte Pitchfork und nannte es "eine aus Verzweiflung und Einsamkeit geborene Platte, die sich dennoch voller Leben anfühlt". Während sich "Hadsel" um eine gewaltige, antike Kirchenorgel drehte, die Condon während eines dunklen arktischen Winters in Nordnorwegen entdeckte, wird "A Study of Losses" durch Streichquartette und Arrangements der Cellistin und "No No No"-Mitarbeiterin Clarice Jensen aufgehellt. Geschrieben und aufgenommen von Zach Condon in Berlin (DE) und Stokmarknes (NO), wobei die Wurzeln des Albums in Schweden und Deutschland liegen, erweitert "A Study of Losses" auch die weite Welt, die er durch die Musik von Beirut aufgebaut hat, seit er das Projekt als neugieriger und umherziehender 14-Jähriger begonnen hat. "Als ich zum ersten Mal angesprochen wurde, einen Soundtrack für einen Zirkus zu schreiben, kam zunächst ein gewisses Trauma der 'Elephant Gun'-Ära hoch", erklärt Condon, als er Ende 2024 ,Caspian Tiger' von "A Study of Losses" vorstellt. "Ich war jahrelang in eine Schublade gesteckt worden, in der ich ein skurriles Zirkuskind war, voller sepiafarbener Bilder von Groschenromanen und vielleicht Löwendompteuren mit Schnurrbärten. Es hätte nicht weiter davon entfernt sein können, wie ich mir die Musik vorstellte, die ich machte. Es ist also eine Ironie, dass ich das Projekt von Kompani Giraff so verlockend fand."

Originally released in 1981 ‘Carry On Oi!!’ hit No.4 in the Independent Chart.
It “introduced” the likes of The Business, The Partisans, Blitz, Red Alert and The Ejected alongside ‘veterans’ such as The 4 Skins and Infa Riot

Now re-issued on vinyl complete with a gatefold sleeve and original inner bag, Previous vinyl re-issues of ‘Oi! The Album’ (AHOYLP 72)
and ‘Strength Thru Oi!’ (AHOYLP 230) have all proved strong sellers and we expect ‘Carry On Oi!’ to do the same.

This is their first new album in almost two years, which is rather short considering the time it took them to prove this theorem.
The songs coexist with a vast amount of musical information, including funk, hip-hop, hard rock, gospel, southern rock, and electronica, and sound open in all directions.

Noda's talent is astonishing, but at the same time, he also uses the metaphor of word play to poke at the truth. Noda's sensitive gaze toward
love and life, which exist side by side with despair, nihilism, and death, cannot be faulted in a work that carefully and skillfully translates such detailed sensitivities into sound. It is an unquestionable masterpiece.

BIOGRAPHY BY IRVINE WELSH
I discovered the Beta Band, like I discovered a lot of great music, basically through eventually surrendering to the enthused urgings of a mate who was cooler than me. He continually evangelized about the EP's. I was lost to the concert hall and firmly ensconced on the dancefloor by then and highly resistant, but quite taken by the idea that a band would bring out extended plays rather than singles. When I did check them out, I was instantly smitten by their originality and power.

The band, therefore, were pivotal for me in terms of my own musical journey, in that they represented a gateway back into indie guitar music, which I'd basically given up since becoming obsessed with rave and acid house.

The Beta Band were definitely a band for the cool cognoscenti- like my buddy- the ones you make a bit of a tit of yourself trying to convert quite straight boring people to.

The emotions they induced were a kind of throwback to school days when you were very pompous and prescriptive about what you liked, and derisive towards non believers. It's a testimony to the power of the music that they could take me to the raw state of the younger man.

I took it personally that they didn't hit the mainstream commercial base. At least two of the three albums they made deserved quadruple platinum status. Hot Shots II and Heroes to Zeros are permanently lodged very high in my top one hundred albums of all time.

So, the return of the Beta Band has me moving into the same mode of immature, adolescent anticipation. Everyone should have the Beta Band albums and EP's in their collection. It still kind of annoys me - in fact it bugs the shit out of me - that most of them don't.

And that really is something.

'moisturizer' ist das mutige zweite Album von Wet Leg, der fünfköpfigen Band von der Isle of Wight, die von Rhian Teasdale und Hester Chambers gegründet wurde. Zusammen mit Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes und Joshua Mobaraki hat Wet Leg die letzten Jahre auf der Straße verbracht und sich zu einer wilden, elektrisierenden Live-Band entwickelt. Das neue Album fängt diese Energie ein und liefert einen Sound, der straffer, mutiger und selbstbewusster ist, aber immer noch vor dem gleichen schnellen Witz und der rohen, ungeschliffenen Energie strotzt.



Isoliert in einem abgelegenen Haus auf dem Lande entstand 'moisturizer' in einem kreativen Rausch, der sich mit Themen wie Besessenheit und alles verzehrender Liebe befasst. Während ihr Debüt aus dem Jahr 2022 mit zwei Grammys ausgezeichnet wurde und die Charts stürmte, bringt 'moisturizer' den nötigen Biss mit: schrille Gitarren, schwere Beats und eine furchtlose Hingabe, alles auf einmal zu fühlen.