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o encapsulate the themes. “Aseurai means around you in the atmosphere, hard to reach, fading away,” Choi says. “It’s a poetic expression. You wouldn’t say it in normal conversation, but I like that.”

Following the four-piece band’s 2024 self-titled EP, Aseurai adds disco and city-pop influences while staying true to dream-pop roots. While Phoebe Rings was originally a solo project of Choi’s, Aseurai marks a shift with contributing songwriting credits from the whole band. The four musicians cut their teeth working on other notable NZ projects such as Princess Chelsea, Fazerdaze, Tiny Ruins, AC Freazy,, Sea Views and Lucky Boy.

With a more ambitious collection of instruments, Choi says this album heralds the start of true collaboration: “I feel more precious about this LP because it includes everyone’s gems.” Guitar/synthesist Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent spearheads unexpected arrangements, with bold fuzzy guitar textures, to spice up the mix. Benjamin Locke adds maturity to the lyrics, paired with perfectionist bass lines. And drummer Alex Freer’s slick production soars Aseurai to diverse and synergetic heights. The broth is richer with more cooks in the kitchen, and the brewing of textures creates a distinct ‘Phoebe Rings’ sound.

If the EP was spacey, then Aseurai settles on earth, rooted in tangible moments. “Without getting too gloomy, it’s a weird world out there. A lot has changed in the world since the EP came out,” says Kavanagh-Vincent on this transformation. The album delves into hope and longing across all possibilities, and this exploration of holding on and letting go is organically threaded throughout. Across ten songs, Phoebe Ring’s storytelling ranges from tongue-in-cheek musings on gentrification to tender autobiographical memories.

아스라이 흩어지는 하늘의 별이 (May the falling light of faraway stars) / 그대의 손 끝에 닿아 숨이 돼주길 (Reach your fingertips and let you breathe),” Choi sings in the title track “Aseurai.” Imagined as a breezy track inspired by a 90’s Korean pop band, Choi discovered, when fleshing out the lyrics, that it was about yearning for people she couldn’t see anymore. In the old-school disco track, “Get Up,” Locke addresses struggles with mental health in a Matrix-inspired driven mantra:  ‘Just get up / Just get up.’ The groove persists with ‘Fading Star,” a quirky ballad filled with steely jazz/rock guitar solos dedicated to a suburban aging musician. Kavanagh-Vincent’s lead single ‘Drifting’ is an unrequited celestial love song with bouncing bass and playful synths.

The band wrote, produced, and engineered the album across studios and band members’ homes in 2023/2024 in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). It features mixing/mix production by local legend Jeremy Toy (Bic Runga, Aaradnha, Princess Chelsea) and mastering by Kelly Hibbert. With Aseurai, Phoebe Rings mark out a brilliant new constellation in their sky, bringing their individual compositions to the fore whilst seamlessly threading them into one celestial body - launching skyward on Carpark Records in June 2025.

"62 years ago, the famous film directed by Norman Taurog, “Blue Hawaii,” was released. The film’s soundtrack includes memorable songs like “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Blue Hawaii,” which helped popularize Hawaiian music worldwide. This catchy and sunny soundtrack perfectly captures the tropical atmosphere of the film and remains a timeless favorite among Elvis fans and 60s music enthusiasts. To celebrate this cinematic and musical landmark, here is an exclusive limited-edition Shaped Picture-Disc vinyl!"

The double LP release features reworks of many of the most well-known songs from the band led by Roger Waters and David Gilmour.

Fresh out of the oven! Joe Claussell slices and dices the original disco version into a floor filling monster. Originally released in 1980 on Norman Connors often forgotten 10th Album ‘Take It To The Limit’ on Arista, the single of the same name is a classic Philly Disco Soul joint featuring the commanding vocals of Adaritha and the production prowess of Connors himself.Claussell bleeds dry what was already there, extending it in a chaotic peak time disco jam, the kind you have surely hear him manipulate into madness on the Body & SOUL dance floor. Pressed on virgin vinyl and house in a white die-cut sleeve with Arista Promo sticker.

VERVE ACOUSTIC SOUNDS SERIE: komplett analog von Ryan K. Smith bei Sterling Sound von den Originalbändern gemastert, QPR-Pressung (180 g), stabiles Tip-On-Gatefold (Stoughton Printing), wattierte Innenhülle, Gatefold Sleeve

Ein Klassiker des Vocal Jazz! ”All Or Nothing At All” - was für ein passender Titel! Denn für Billie Holiday, deren Karriere sich im Sinkflug befand, ging es in gewisser Weise wirklich um alles oder nichts. Es war das letzte Album, das Norman Granz von der Sängerin auf seinem Label Verve veröffentlichte. Entstanden waren die Aufnahmen im August 1956 und Januar 1957 bei denselben Sessions wie die Holiday-Klassiker ”Body And Soul” und ”Songs For Distingué Lovers” und übertreffen diese nach Ansicht heutiger Kritiker sogar.

BED ist eine neue in Berlin gegründete Band, im Kern ein queeres Musikprojekt mit einem Sound, der in Shoegaze, Dream Pop und Post Punk verwurzelt ist. BED's Texte sind traurig und sexuell, während sie Fäden von Verletzlichkeit und Begehren verweben und so ein Werk schaffen, das den normativen kreativen Ausdruck in Frage stellt. Dies zeigt sich auch in den Vocals, die absichtlich geschlechtsneutral sind und eine fließende Identität darstellen. In den Kompositionen von "everything hurts", dem Debütalbum der Band, eineComing-of-age Story, in der es ein Gefühl geht, ein bestimmtes Alter im Leben zu erreichen, eine zweite Jungfräulichkeit in ihrer musikalischen Praxis zu verlieren, Unschuld zurückzugewinnen und die Wunden des Erwachsenenlebens zu pflegen. Es gibt narrative Aspekte, die HörerInnen fesseln, Interludes, die ein Geheimnis flüstern und der Erzählung des Albums Tiefe verleihen. "everything hurts" ist ein zartes und doch raues, lautes und gleichzeitig dramatisches Werk, das einem sensiblen Publikum gehört - jemanden, der auf der Suche nach tief empfundenen Melodien und autobiografischen Geständnissen ist, gepaart mit post-produzierten vocals und druckvollen elektronischen Beats.

Ltd edition in transparent yellow vinyl!



The Mystery Lights 2nd outing on Daptone's rock subsidiary, Wick, sees them digging deeper into their cavern of influences, taking on tips from Suicide, The Kinks and Television as they look to build on their already party fuelled, raucous sound.

The Mystery Lights story begins in 2004 in the small town of Salinas California when friends Michael Brandon and Luis Alfonso -whose shared fondness for groups like The Mc5, Velvet Underground, Dead Moon, and The Fall (just to name a few) -decided to join forces and craft their own brand of unhinged rock and roll. From there they spent the better part of 10 years touring relentlessly before migrating to Queens, New York in 2014.

With a live show known for its raw, visceral energy and relentless assault –leaving little to no stoppage between songs –they barreled through countless NYC haunts and DIY venues, quickly amassing a fervent local following. The buzz soon caught the attention of Daptone Records execs who were in the beginning stages of launching a new rock-centric imprint, Wick Records. Impressed by the groups’ musicianship, groove, endless supply of energy, and understanding of musical history the Mystery Lights were quickly signed to Wick. Though a rock band at heart, the parallels to what Daptone Records had traditionally looked for in their Soul artists was undeniable. Soon sessions were booked with Producer/Engineer Wayne Gordon, and the release of their debut single “Too Many Girls” b/w “Too Tough to Bear” launched to mass critical fanfare.

Upon the release of their self-titled full-length on June 24th 2016 The Mystery Lights were quickly crowned “one of New York’s finest garage rock bands” by NME. Extensive touring, including multiple stops in Europe, Asia and Australia followed which found the group graduating from support slots at hole-in-the-wall clubs to headlining stages at major festivals worldwide.

After two years of break-neck, non-stop touring, the group settled back into Queens to prepare for their second full-length record, Too Much Tension(out May 2019). With Wayne Gordon in the producer’s chair and several intense writing sessions under their belt the group were back at Daptone’s House of Soul and ready to track. While keeping the hard-hitting approach of the first LP, Too Much Tension finds the group digging deeper into their well of eclectic influences, enriching their sound without echoing the past. Mixing the eerie, insistent synth sounds of groups like The Normal and Suicide, the energy and swagger of punk’s golden age, the pop sensibility of The Kinks, and the stark, deliberate execution of Television -The Mystery Lights are taking their idiosyncratic brand of rock and roll to dizzying new heights.

First studio album in 11 years for Normandy-based, English psychedelic folk
musician/painter, Mark Fry
When 19-year-old Mark Fry recorded his debut album 'Dreaming With Alice' for RCA
sublabel, "It" in Italy in 1971, little did he know that it would become a much-soughtafter, much -bootlegged "acid folk" classic three decades later, with millions of Spotify
plays. Fry, an acclaimed painter in the interim, returned to making music in 2008 and
has released three more acclaimed studio albums - this, 'Not On The Radar,' is the
fourth. These days, far less "acid" than in his youth, Fry still knows his way around a
beautiful melody. The new album, recorded with musician friends at his Normandy
home studio and produced by David Sheppard (Ellis Island Sound/ State River
Widening) is resplendent with love songs, the beauty of nature and the passing of
time.
Full press, radio, online PR campaign both in the UK and in the EU, handled by Big
Mouth Publicity. Mark plays a very rare London show, as an album launch, with full
band, on the day of release, at Stone Nest, Shaftsbury Avenue, London. He will also
perform at A Celebration Of The Incredible String Band, Southbank Centre, London on
20th Sept (alongside Sam Amidon, Junior Brother, Daisy Rickman and more.
Reviews in Mojo and Uncut (with interview) confirmed for month of release. News/
features online : Click Roll Boo, KLOF, Maximum Volume Music, Pipilo Pop, The Pop
Corporation, White Light/White Heat (Italy). Playlisted : Rockambula, Foxy Lady

1982 4-Piece Demo' is the first official, fully-licensed and unreleased material to be released under the name Strawberry Switchblade in 30 years. Since disbanding amid major record label acrimony and personal differences in 1986, the already-cult band have since grown in stature and legend. Trailblazers in many ways, the band's mythology justifiably centers around the charismatic duo of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, but that isn't a complete picture. Bryson and McDowall's growing friendship, having met some years earlier on the punk scene, became a creative partnership: Bryson's art school background and McDowall's history in avant-punk group The Poets meant Strawberry Switchblade was a band pitted against many established norms. The band's very first incarnation, an all-female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow's Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends Janice Goodlett and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry Switchblade would eventually pair down to a duo and go on to chart success but it's in these raw, passionate recordings that the songwriting and vocal elements were being hammered out and explored in real time.


Spanish Song' is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall's instantly recognizable lead vocal dovetailing with Bryson's harmonies and lead guitar, it's the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indie-pop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. "Trees & Flowers" is instantly recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it's given a more forceful rhythm section: Goodlett and McGowan's playing is in fact accomplished and doesn't hint at the bands' youth. "Go Away" would also surface later on the band's debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting refrain. These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.


Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and new text. Pa

2025 Repress.
Originally released in limited formats in 2017 and having since been repressed several times, 2025 sees
a new pressing to acknowledge the enduring legacy of this recording. In 2024, the song Trees & Flowers
became an unexpected hit on Tik Tok and introduced a new generation to these timeless songs.

“1982 4-Piece Demo” is the first official, fully-licensed and unreleased material to be released under the name
Strawberry Switchblade in 30 years. Since disbanding amid major record label acrimony and personal differences
in 1986, the already-cult band have since grown in stature and legend. Trailblazers in many ways, the band’s
mythology justifiably centers around the charismatic duo of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, but that isn’t a
complete picture.

Bryson and McDowall’s growing friendship, having met some years earlier on the punk scene, became a creative
partnership: Bryson’s art school background and McDowall’s history in avant-punk group The Poets meant
Strawberry Switchblade was a band pitted against many established norms. The band’s very first incarnation,
an all-female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow’s Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends
Janice Goodlett and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry
Switchblade would eventually pair down to a duo and go on to chart success but it’s in these raw, passionate
recordings that the songwriting and vocal elements were being hammered out and explored in real time.
“Spanish Song” is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall’s instantly recognizable lead vocal
dovetailing with Bryson’s harmonies and lead guitar, it’s the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry
Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indiepop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. Trees & Flowers is instantly
recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it’s given a more forceful rhythm
section: Goodlett and McGowan’s playing is in fact accomplished and doesn’t hint at the bands’ youth. Go Away
would also surface later on the band’s debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting
refrain.

These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.
Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single
photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and
new text from contemporary Stephen Pastel.



Spanish Song' is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall's instantly recognizable lead vocal dovetailing with Bryson's harmonies and lead guitar, it's the first glimpse at an alternative history of Strawberry Switchblade. This incarnation could easily have been featured on a Nuggets compilation or a precursor to the indie-pop revolution that would take over British bedrooms a couple of years later. "Trees & Flowers" is instantly recognizable, a bona fide classic that would earn the band its first record deal. Here it's given a more forceful rhythm section: Goodlett and McGowan's playing is in fact accomplished and doesn't hint at the bands' youth. "Go Away" would also surface later on the band's debut LP but here it is a moody-garage stomper with a psychedelic, haunting refrain. These 3 songs point to a tantalizing future of the band that was never realized.


Remastered and restored by Sean Pennycook from the original cassette, with artwork based on a single photographic contact sheet (the only visual evidence of the band in this form) and with a booklet of photographs and new text. Pa

Bristolian band Knives unleash their debut album GLITTER, a bold manifesto celebrating diversity and inclusion.

This post-punk powerhouse is unafraid to challenge norms, offering a space for rebellion and empowerment across all backgrounds. With a distinct raw sound and message, GLITTER speaks on Knives' lived experiences of music, life and politics.

More than just a band, Knives are a movement - creating live experiences that amplify marginalised voices and foster a passionate, active fanbase.

Little Blue, the latest album from Nashville artist Kristina Murray was recorded with producers Misa Arriaga and Rachael Moore. The collection grapples with loneliness, desperation, and existential crises through a series of cinematic snapshots of small-town burnouts and last call lovers. Murray is a country artist in the truest sense, a genuine craftswoman with a keen eye and ear for the little details that bring her working-class characters to life, and her delivery is timeless, blurring the lines between the old school honky-tonk, swampy Americana, and R&B-infused southern rock she grew up on in her home state of Georgia. If Murray sounds like a seasoned vet on Little Blue, that’s because she is. While the album marks her Normaltown debut, Murray’s spent the last decade since moving to Nashville paying her dues in an endless series of dive bars and juke joints, and the result is an electrifying introduction to an artist only just beginning to get the kind of wider recognition her talent has long warranted. “I’ve been to some pretty low places these last ten years,” Kristina Murray confesses. “Faced a lot of heartbreak and loss and grief, but you have to learn to live with those things if you’re going to survive. You have to persevere.” That spirit of perseverance forms the bedrock of Little Blue.

"Beyond a Dream" is a live jazz album by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and drummer Norman Connors, recorded on July 22, 1978, at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and released in 1981 by Arista Novus. The album showcases a blend of spiritual and free jazz elements characteristic of Sanders' style, complemented by Connors' dynamic drumming. A reviewer from Dusty Groove described it as "a dream of a record from this legendary spiritual jazz duo."

Extending the melodious and mad, three-decade story of Super Furry Animals projects by adding another bombastic and beautiful chapter, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan and Guto Pryce reconvene to announce the release of their second album, Pando.

Meeting every pummelling motorway mile with the beat of their psychedelic-soul-house blend since the release of their debut, Official UK Breakers Album Chart No.1 album, DK.01, in late 2023, Das Koolies’ energetic return to festival fields, intimate venues and service station shopping has affected no distraction from their mission. Committing to more time on the road at the same time as sharing rich spoils from the studio, Das Koolies include Newport, Nottingham, London and Manchester in their live plans. Determinedly exploring capability and ambition, the band’s continued, restorative return to wired and wonderful, man-and-machine-based music, following years of psych-folk-rock experimentation as four Furries, hasn’t meant forgetting the past. Som Bom Magnífico’s tour story, combining wistful and weary memory, rests the band’s case.

Taking on the lead lyrical and vocal role, Daf Ieuan, says: “Hindsight and rose-tinted glasses. It’s a song about a time when it was normal to order a veggie breakfast in hotels as a concession to a healthier life style, then following up by requesting to see the ‘Breakfast Wine Menu’. As Lou Reed sang: "Wine in the morning!".
Everyone should live like that for a while. Could be for a couple of days or a couple of decades. We’ve never laughed so much, but never again.”

Extending the melodious and mad, three-decade story of Super Furry Animals projects by adding another bombastic and beautiful chapter, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan and Guto Pryce reconvene to announce the release of their second album, Pando.

Meeting every pummelling motorway mile with the beat of their psychedelic-soul-house blend since the release of their debut, Official UK Breakers Album Chart No.1 album, DK.01, in late 2023, Das Koolies’ energetic return to festival fields, intimate venues and service station shopping has affected no distraction from their mission. Committing to more time on the road at the same time as sharing rich spoils from the studio, Das Koolies include Newport, Nottingham, London and Manchester in their live plans. Determinedly exploring capability and ambition, the band’s continued, restorative return to wired and wonderful, man-and-machine-based music, following years of psych-folk-rock experimentation as four Furries, hasn’t meant forgetting the past. Som Bom Magnífico’s tour story, combining wistful and weary memory, rests the band’s case.

Taking on the lead lyrical and vocal role, Daf Ieuan, says: “Hindsight and rose-tinted glasses. It’s a song about a time when it was normal to order a veggie breakfast in hotels as a concession to a healthier life style, then following up by requesting to see the ‘Breakfast Wine Menu’. As Lou Reed sang: "Wine in the morning!".
Everyone should live like that for a while. Could be for a couple of days or a couple of decades. We’ve never laughed so much, but never again.”

Comes on Black & White Marbled Vinyl, complete with a printed inner sleeve featuring insightful liner notes. CHARLY RECORDS present the first ever reissue of the sought-after cult New York, gospel street opera, Free The Black Man’s Chains. The most intriguing, and certainly the most ambitious project on the city’s GSF label (see more stunning titles on GSF exclusively from Charly). The project had its roots in a trio of singles released by the mysterious Broad Street Gang in 1971. The first, on the Cougar label called “Fair Skin Man” and its two follow-ups “L-o-v-e Love” and the title track from the album “Free The Black Man's Chains”. Celebrated musicians on the sessions were Mitchell Rowe, Bobby Eli, Len Pakula, Daryl Hall, Ron Baker, Norman Harris, The Raelettes and strings arranged by Richie Rome. A project like Free The Black Man's Chains should have been perfect for the multi-media nature of GSF. The album could have led to a film in the way that it had for Jesus Christ Superstar, but instead like so many of the label's releases, the album failed to make its mark due to a lack of promotion. GSF would barely reach its second birthday before it – and its parent company – shut down. A Black Opera…

VERVE ACOUSTIC SOUNDS SERIE: Stereo, komplett analog von Ryan K. Smith bei Sterling Sound von den Originalbändern gemastert, QPR-Pressung (180 g), stabiles Tip-On-Gatefold (Stoughton Printing), wattierte Innenhülle.

“Ben Webster & Associates” war 1959 das dritte und letzte Projekt, für das der Produzent Norman Granz die beiden Tenorsax-Ikonen Ben Webster und Coleman Hawkins im Studio zusammenbrachte. Als dritter Tenorist gesellte sich bei dem entspannt swingenden Austauch noch Budd Johnson hinzu, von dem Ben Webster in seiner Jugend in Kansas City seine ersten Saxofonstunden erhalten hatte.

Make Some Noise" ist nicht nur Musik: Es ist eine Grundsatzerklärung. In einer Szene, die sich manchmal repetitiv und inzüchtig anfühlt, beschließt MDB, die Regeln zu brechen und mit Klängen und Genres zu experimentieren, die normalerweise nicht nebeneinander existieren. Von der Kraft des Flamencos und der Intensität des Metals bis hin zur Seele des Blues, der Sinnlichkeit des Souls, der Aufmüpfigkeit des Punks, der Kraft des primitiven Rockabilly und der Frische des Surf ist jeder Song ein Schrei. Dieses Album fängt den Geist und die Energie der Berliner Subkultur ein, Unterschiede werden umarmt und die Kreativität kennt keine Grenzen, die Inspiration, Stile zu mischen und Grenzen zu überschreiten. "Make Some Noise" ist eine Einladung, aus der Komfortzone herauszutreten, zu feiern und zu entdecken, dass in den Unterschieden die wahre Kraft der Musik liegt.

A Chaos Of Flowers is an album that builds on their ferocious 2023 album nature morte. BIG|BRAVE"s music has been described as massive minimalism. Their fusillades of textural distortion and feedback emphasize their music"s frayed edges as much as its all-encompassing weight. The potency of the trio"s work is their singular artistry combining elements of traditional folk techniques and a modern deconstruction of guitar music. Gain, feedback, and amplitude are essential. For A Chaos Of Flowers guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie drew heavily on the poems of artists whom Wattie found kinship in, their words resonant with experiences of those often sidelined by cultural norms. "I discovered that most poems from folk traditions or in the public domain seem to be by men - to which I could not quite relate. In my search, I rediscovered some of my favorite works and poets," says Wattie. Guitarist Mathieu Ball and drummer Tasy Hudson help Wattie shape poetry into pieces as dense and impenetrable as they are vulnerable. BIG|BRAVE achieve their colossal sound through minimalist approaches, a deft understanding of dynamics and an inventive employment of percussion and distortion. The trio reconceptualize what it is to be heavy or minimal, challenging perceptions with their illumination of painfully overlooked perspectives. Guest guitarist Marisa Anderson lends earthen, blues-inflected atmospheres to the album, where guitarist Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi amplify the squall. Working closely with frequent collaborator and producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the internal tumult of Wattie"s voice rings out in warbles, haunting echoes, and unearthly harmonies across bold immense walls of distortion. BIG|BRAVE have collaborated with metal monsters The Body on a previous Thrill Jockey release, Leaving None But Small Birds, and have toured internationally with bands like SUMAC, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SUNN O))), and Lingua Ignota. As they continue to ascend in their journey as pioneers in the contemporary metal scene, it"s safe to say that BIG|BRAVE are here to stay.

Norman Blake, Bernard Butler und James Grant sind drei der bekanntesten und angesehensten Musiker ihrer Generation. Norman ist die treibende Kraft von Teenage Fanclub, Bernard ist bekannt für seine Soloarbeit und Produktionen mit Suede und James für seine Soloarbeit und Love And Money. Nach einigen sehr gut aufgenommenen Shows, bei denen das Trio eine Auswahl der Songs der anderen spielte, kam das Kollektiv wieder zusammen, um neues Material zu schreiben. Die daraus resultierende Platte ist ein wahres Vergnügen; jeder der Jungs singt abwechselnd mit sympathischem Input seiner Mitspieler. Butler, Blake & Grant strotzen vor natürlicher Kameradschaft und wunderschön gestalteten Songs voller Melodie, Harmonie und tadellosem Gitarrenspiel.

Process of Elimination explores sickness as a teacher for anti-capitalist modes of being; a rewilding of the self. The product of an attempt to be indestructible, this sickness has an unknown diagnosis. The only route to determine the indeterminable is via a process of elimination. Eliminate the noise so it may quieten and make space for listening to what whispers underneath, allowing a return to the present moment. Slowness and queerness as technologies, questions as answers and mysticism as a path to healing when science alone does not suffice.

London-based multidisciplinary artist El Hardwick’s sophomore album follows their experience of becoming chronically ill after years of treating their body like a machine. El explains: “After failing to receive a diagnosis, which is only given via a lengthy process of elimination, I instead turned to autonomous modes of healing rooted in mysticism and herbalism; putting aside the need to be defined. My journey towards accepting my disability is told in parallel to my coming-out as trans. I also see my non-binary identity as a process of elimination: I am neither gender, both, in-between. It is through rewilding myself from capitalism and gender normativity that I learn how to connect to my body and the earth; no longer allowing either’s energy to be extracted from. The less I sought answers, language, metrics and analysis, the more peace I found.”

Heated compilation of 81-1990 rarities.

"Club Méduse’s Charles Bals joins forces with Norman Gervais of Bayetë fame to deliver a 10-track melange of languorous seaside serenades and beach-kissed AOR slow burners/bangers.

Each song evokes wave glimmer and synthetic textures on this first drop by Beirut-via-Saint Tropez label Pocket of Light, one for the listener that’s crossed the last frontier of the registry and needs just a little more.

Is it the Baleares or the Caribbean? Is it hopeful anguish or mature happiness? And with captains like this, does it matter at all…?”

Norman Westberg (guitar), Giridhar Udupa (ghatam, konnakol, khanjira, percussion) and Jacek Mazurkiewicz (double bass, electronics)An extraordinary meeting of three artists from three different musical worlds and three different continents. Norman Westberg (ex-Swans) and Jacek Mazurkiewicz have already released one album together "First Man In The Moon" in 2021 (published by the Swiss label Hallow Ground).In the new project, they are accompanied by Giridhar Udupa, an Indian master of ghatam (a clay percussion instrument that looks like a jug). The album will feature 3 long trance compositions, referring to ambient, krautrock, free jazz and Indian music.Jacek Mazurkiewicz describes the creation of this album as follows:"I met Norman Westberg while supporting the Swans tour in Poland as 3FoNIA. A few years later, during Norman's tour with Gira, we recorded a duet.The trio session took place similarly to the previous duet session during Norman's solo concert in Warsaw on the Swans tour.Recorded with Adam Toczko, a quick meeting on a day off from work.I invited Giridhar Udupa to the trio, whom I had met earlier during the period when I co-founded the band Limboski. I once invited Wacek Zimpel to play a few concerts with Giridhar. Wacek later created Saagara and I was wondering about some unusual musical context in which I would find myself with Giridhar. I was looking for an interesting sound configuration, but also a cultural one, with a different approach to creating music. I got the impression that for both Norman and Giridhar it was a fairly fresh meeting, not obvious. And on the other hand, ordinary - everyone did their own thing."Detroit guitarist Norman Westberg moved to New York in 1980 and became a part of the experimental music scene that was experiencing its golden age. Westberg himself became a permanent fixture when he joined the iconic avant-rock band Swans in 1983, and was the only member other than frontman Michael Gira to play with them for most of the band's run, both until their 1997 disbandment and his return in 2010. Westberg has also been involved with other legendary New York noise-rock acts, including Jim Thirlwell's Foetus and the post-Swans Heroine Sheiks, in which he played with Cows frontman Shannon Selberg; and in 2014, he joined the noise-rock supergroup Hidden Rifles, whose members included Mike Watt of Minutemen and Mark Shippy of U.S. Maple. Westberg's solo compositions, most often for solo guitar and a set of effects, draw on drone and post-minimalism, bringing to mind dark ambient passages from Swans albums.Giridhar Udupa is an extremely valued teacher and world-renowned artist, an Indian master of ghatam (a clay percussion instrument that looks like a jug). He was born into a family with long musical traditions. He began learning to play at the age of four, guided by his father. At the age of twelve, he already had his first performances behind him. He currently gives concerts alongside the greatest masters. He has received many prestigious awards. He performs in the USA, Spain, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, Oman and Kuwait. Giridhar Udupa is a member of the band of the Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri, nominated for an Oscar for the best song for the film Life of Pi. He is one of the founders of the Layatharanga band. He also plays virtuoso other traditional instruments of South India, such as mridangam and kanjira, and is excellent at using the konnakol technique (a type of rhythmic vocalization).For three decades, the artist has been a global ambassador and icon of Carnatic music. He is the founder of The Udupa Foundation, a charity organization established in 2015 to promote Indian music, performing arts and culture. He has participated in recording dozens of albums. He is also well-known in our country thanks to his cooperation with Polish performers, which resulted in excellent artistic effects, such as the famous Indialucia - Michał Czachowski's group / project or the Saagara formation, led by Wacław Zimpel. Udupa also played on the album Lechoechoplexita, released by Leszek Hefi Wiśniewski, and on the album of the band Layatharanga, released in our country.Jacek Mazurkiewicz is interested in music in the broad sense. He puts his sounds together based on emotional impressions and pulse. Combining acoustics with electronics, he is constantly looking for a new sound. Solo as 3FoNIA, in a duet with Mikołaj Trzaska or Tomek Dąbrowski, the JMB trio with Wojtek Jachna and Jacek Buhl, in the Modular String Trio quartet, the Afrobeat quintet Faso Tamala are just some of his musical incarnations. With Patryk Zakrocki, as part of an audio mission, he massaged hundreds of pairs of ears in the Inner Ear Massage Office. He also deals with sound design, composing and producing music for films and theatre performances. He collaborated with many Polish and foreign artists.

2025 Repress

DJ Koze might be one of the world's best producers, but above all he's a DJ, and it's his DJ ear that governs. J
ust as in a great set, so with his releases: 'Seeing Aliens' came out of nowhere, a big buzzing beast of a track, to announce that Koze was back on the scene and prime everyone for the coming album, knock knock.
But now that Koze has your attention, it's time to remind everyone what's most important about club music, pull things back, take a turn to the left, and get deep into the groove.

Thus 'Pick Up': the second single from knock knock is 100% pure groove, doubly so in the extended 12' version.

In a sense it's incredibly familiar - it is essentially a filter disco record, very close to something you could imagine coming out of Paris around the turn of the millennium. But of course, this is Koze. Nothing is normal or familiar in his world, and he's taken this most foundational of clubland staples into new territory. Flipping amples of Gladys Knight & the Pips 'Neither One Of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)' and Melba Moore's 'Pick Me Up, I'll Dance', it creates something completely airborne, shot through with emotions such as gods must feel: not quite explicable to the human mind but strong enough to knock you off your feet. In its way it's absolutely as powerful as 'Seeing Aliens', but it comes in like the proverbial iron fist in a glove of velvet.
The flip, a ten-minute new track, 'The Love Truck' is a big contrast again. If 'Pick Up' is giddy flight,
'The Love Truck' is woozy floating. Its sharp, clicking percussion recalls 2000s minimal techno, but this time absolutely nothing is generic. The long, intense, on-and-off bass tones, the flickers of birdsong, the pure voices slipping in backwards as if from the future... it's all like the most blissful dream, and culminates in a coda so subtle yet so beautiful it's like ever time you've ever seen the sun rise and thought 'I never want this to end', all the while understanding deep down that the fleeting nature of the pleasure is also what give it its power. But of course, being created with that consummate DJ's ear, it's also full of the thrill of wondering what Koze has in store next.

Bestselling second album from 2009 with eleven songs recorded in Mexiko, no overdubs, no effects ! - "Rules" followed the successful debut album "Dreams" from 2006. The song "1517" was used in the video game FIFA 10.

C r e d i t s
Bass: Marcin Öz
Drums: Sebastian Maschat
Electric Piano, Synthesizer: Daniel Nentwig
Vocals, Guitar: Erlend Øye
Vocals (A2): Denitza Todorova, Marcin Öz, Simone Rubi
Mixed by Norman Nitzsche
Recorded by and written-by The Whitest Boy Alive
Lyrics by Erlend Øye
Recorded at Glass Cube Studio and Funkhaus Nalepastraße, Berlin
Mixed at Villa Qrella
Artwork by Geoff McFetridge
Mastered by Bo Kondren

Annie A, the one-off collaborative project between Félicia Atkinson, Time is Away, Christina Petrie and Maxine Funke, arrives on A Colourful Storm with an inquisitive, exploratory composition evoking questions of inconstancy and reconciliation, vastness and finitude and the sometimes cruel deception of human perception. Who will conduct our dreams if we never wake?

It is a geographically diverse yet like-minded ensemble whose seeds were sown during an A Colourful Storm show in London, where time on stage was shared by Atkinson, Time is Away and Petrie. Atkinson had previously found solace in Time is Away's Ballads (ACOLOUR041), Funke's Seance (ACOLOUR035) and particularly the voice of poet Petrie, whose delivery drifts from a wide-eyed stream of consciousness to crystalline sensory expression. It is the perfect accompaniment to Atkinson's hushed tones, spoken sensitively like a mother to a resting child.

Atkinson's evocative sonic landscapes are formed from keyboard, voice and organic materials collected from life on the dramatic coast of Normandy, as well as field recordings from places far and wide. She breathes life into liminal spaces, the sound of wind, whispers and the distant clatter of rocks conjuring visions of places both beautiful and eerily familiar. Time is Away delicately arranges the field of sounds, their weaving and layering likened to the assembly of an Anni Albers textile. The spirit of Albers guides the piece, Petrie's recounting of her loom and thread a symbol of her endurance, vitality and seeking wonder in intricacies. The piece also features an exclusive concluding track by Maxine Funke, whose meditation on vulnerability confronts and surrenders herself to the enchanting natural world.

Wie macht man als gefeierter Progressive-Rock-Musiker, der schon Dutzende von Alben produziert hat, ein Album, das anders ist als das, was man normalerweise erwartet? Eine Antwort ist, mit Musikern zusammenzuarbeiten, die ebenfalls über jahrzehnte-lange Erfahrung und weltweite Anerkennung verfügen, ein paar Samen zu säen und dann abzuwarten, was passiert. Für das Projekt Cosmic Cathedral und das Debütalbum "Deep Water" hat Neal Morse genau das getan und sich mit Chester Thompson (Genesis), Phil Keaggy und Byron House zusammengetan. Ein Großteil des Albums entstand in Jam-Sessions, aus denen Mor-ses langjähriger Audiopartner Jerry Guidroz die besten Stücke zusammenstellte, wie zum Beispiel das 38-minütige Epos "Deep Water Suite". "Auch Time To Fly", so Morse, "entstand direkt aus einer dieser Jam-Sessions, bei der wir eine von Phils Ideen aufgriffen und zu viert weiter ausarbeiteten. Herausgekommen ist ein eher Groove-orientiertes Album, das Morse als eine Art "Prog meets Yacht Rock meets The Beatles" bezeichnet, mit einem unverkennbaren Jazz-Fusion-Einfluss: "Diese Jungs sind echte Groover: Selbst wenn sie Prog spielen, klingt es eher wie Steely Dan, aber wenn Phil und ich anfangen zu singen, klingt es wie The Beatles! Erhältlich als Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP & Digital Album.

"Wir sind die reinste Party, wir sind Pöbel & Gesocks" "Bei uns kann jeder mitzieh`n ob in Turnchuhen oder Docs!" Seit Jahrzehnten ist die ursprünglich unter dem Namen "Becks Pistols" umtriebige Band aus dem Ruhrpott um Frontsau "Willi Wucher" mit ihrem sympathischen Asi-Charme aus der deutschen Punkszene nicht mehr wegzudenken. Die Konzerte, Schlachtrufe und oft derben Hits von Pöbel & Gesocks sind längst legendär! Jetzt erscheinen zwei seit über zwanzig Jahren nicht mehr erhältliche Kultscheiben der "Oi-Punk-Pervers"-Ikonen als Collector's Reissue mit komplett neuem Artwork und streng limitiert in farbigem und schwarzem Vinyl sowie original CD-Version. 5 Millionen (1998) & Lieder Über Leben Und Tod (2002) "Pöbel & Gesocks" ein Leben lang_! Lieder Über Leben Und Tod als klassisch todschwarze LP, klares blaues Leben-Vinyl oder CD (Original Digipak) erhältlich!

"Wir sind die reinste Party, wir sind Pöbel & Gesocks" "Bei uns kann jeder mitzieh`n ob in Turnchuhen oder Docs!" Seit Jahrzehnten ist die ursprünglich unter dem Namen "Becks Pistols" umtriebige Band aus dem Ruhrpott um Frontsau "Willi Wucher" mit ihrem sympathischen Asi-Charme aus der deutschen Punkszene nicht mehr wegzudenken. Die Konzerte, Schlachtrufe und oft derben Hits von Pöbel & Gesocks sind längst legendär! Jetzt erscheinen zwei seit über zwanzig Jahren nicht mehr erhältliche Kultscheiben der "Oi-Punk-Pervers"-Ikonen als Collector's Reissue mit komplett neuem Artwork und streng limitiert in farbigem und schwarzem Vinyl sowie original CD-Version. 5 Millionen (1998) & Lieder Über Leben Und Tod (2002) "Pöbel & Gesocks" ein Leben lang_! Lieder Über Leben Und Tod als klassisch todschwarze LP, klares blaues Leben-Vinyl oder CD (Original Digipak) erhältlich!

Marina y su Melao is a band from Barcelona led by Puerto Rican Marina Molina. After a period of live activity, in 2025 they will release their debut album, "Rezo al agua", where Puerto Rico's bomba, an eminently rhythmic genre, expands to fuse with the colours and flavours of other Afro-Caribbean sounds. Tradition and folklore are embodied in a powerful and innovative conception.

In "Rezo al agua", Marina Molina expresses an attachment to the land, the landscape, the culture, the beliefs and the environment where she was born, Puerto Rico. She does this through bomba, one of the country's most identifying musical expressions. Bomba is as old as the slavery of those who gave birth to it in order to tell their tribulations and hopes, armed with the instrument they had at hand: the drums. It is a kind of meta-genre that includes a multitude of rhythmic varieties.

But Marina is something more than bomba, the legacy she received from her elders and which she does not wish to turn into a frozen object of veneration, an untouchable totem, mystical and ruled by norms bequeathed by the years. Marina, who has Colombian blood in her veins, is an artist of today, of a world in which cultures can mix, people migrate, influence each other, travel, exchange their cultural traces, can see online what happens at the other end of the world and thus open the window that facilitates the mixing of identities. These mixtures redraw borders and genres, allowing popular music to avoid its fossilization.

Marina grows in this fertile territory. She has a ductile and powerful voice, as clear as her strong, independent mindset. This is a remarkable element in the lyrics of the album, which despite being written from a current perspective, contain the sense that popular lyrics have always had: they explain life with the small letters of the everyday. And all this is presented in the bomba genre. Impure. There is an African guitar, a pedal steel guitar, a Wurlitzer, an accordion and everything that Marina and Miguelito Superstar, the album's producer, thought was necessary to accentuate the musicality of a full voice and drums that resonate raw with the vibration of tradition. A tradition now in the hands of a woman who aspires to her own space in life, to write her own chapter.

Wie macht man als gefeierter Progressive-Rock-Musiker, der schon Dutzende von Alben produziert hat, ein Album, das anders ist als das, was man normalerweise erwartet? Eine Antwort ist, mit Musikern zusammenzuarbeiten, die ebenfalls über jahrzehnte-lange Erfahrung und weltweite Anerkennung verfügen, ein paar Samen zu säen und dann abzuwarten, was passiert. Für das Projekt Cosmic Cathedral und das Debütalbum "Deep Water" hat Neal Morse genau das getan und sich mit Chester Thompson (Genesis), Phil Keaggy und Byron House zusammengetan. Ein Großteil des Albums entstand in Jam-Sessions, aus denen Mor-ses langjähriger Audiopartner Jerry Guidroz die besten Stücke zusammenstellte, wie zum Beispiel das 38-minütige Epos "Deep Water Suite". "Auch Time To Fly", so Morse, "entstand direkt aus einer dieser Jam-Sessions, bei der wir eine von Phils Ideen aufgriffen und zu viert weiter ausarbeiteten. Herausgekommen ist ein eher Groove-orientiertes Album, das Morse als eine Art "Prog meets Yacht Rock meets The Beatles" bezeichnet, mit einem unverkennbaren Jazz-Fusion-Einfluss: "Diese Jungs sind echte Groover: Selbst wenn sie Prog spielen, klingt es eher wie Steely Dan, aber wenn Phil und ich anfangen zu singen, klingt es wie The Beatles! Erhältlich als Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP & Digital Album.

written and recorded by Rocket in Valley Village, CA.
Rocket is Alithea Tuttle (bass and vocals), Baron Rinzler (guitar), Cooper Ladomade (drums) and Desi Scaglione (guitar)

Purple Vinyl

House music, nightlife entertainment and DJ/Producer virtuoso Louie Vega has proven over and over again that he's a master chemist in the studio. His latest release is an uptempo and speaker-knocking remix of Funkadelic's 'Ain't That Funkin' Kind of Hard on You' (produced by George Clinton and & G Koop) from the album 'First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate'.
The original version is nothing short of a classic, but it's as if the song had never been invited to a Louie Vega post-midnight global extravaganza. Was the song not aware that spellbound dancing and high BPMs were the standard for House Music Normally, such a blaring disregard for nightlife decorum would relegate a song to the pits of sonic hell, but we're talking about George Clinton here!The original opens up with a G-funk groove that screams Westside and lowriders. The listener is then blessed with Clinton as he adds his sage, soulful and pimpadelic vocals, complemented by Funkadelic singers asking him about the pains of the funk. The semblance of a beat that could drive the dancefloor into the morning hours is there, but in no way has it blossomed into its full glory. Enter Louie Vega.
His remix immediately greets listeners with a decadent spread of instrumentation and chutzpah. The original song's DNA populates the first thirty seconds of the remix but then an explosion takes place and the song assumes a new identity. The transcendent experience is akin to taking the elevator to a rooftop party and once the doors open- boom! The remix begs you to dance, the G-funk groove is now in your face instead of being laidback and percussion takes a front seat to take you away. The song is alive, there's no other way to describe it.
Be sure to buy your vinyl at an outlet near you! the Louie Vega remix of Funkadelic's 'Ain't That Funkin' Kind of Hard on You' on Vega Records!

4XLP. Hardcover slipcase box. Liner notes from Soichi Terada, Colour: translucent red, clear, blue, and yellow vinyl

It has been 25 years since the release of Saru Get You (サルゲッチュ), known stateside and in the UK as Ape Escape. Ape Escape marked a significant milestone for the PlayStation, as it was the first game to require use of the PlayStation's DualShock (analog) controller. In Ape Escape, the use of the analogue sticks goes beyond camera rotation and acts as an extension of Kakeru's (Spike's) own character, controlling his many gadgets like the stun club, time net, and sky flyer. It's a unique form of control that, really, didn't become popularized until the release of the Nintendo Wii. It feels like a distinctly Japanese design, the sort of off-the-wall design that is either embraced or rejected on a global scale. In Ape Escape's case, the mechanic caught on.

Ape Escape is fast, frantic, and—at times—downright frustrating. Pipo monkeys dash, taunt, and swim away from your advances. They ride water monsters, fly UFOs, and even shoot uzis! Whether it's Kakeru, his friends, or the monkeys themselves, the characters are always running across the levels. This mad dash is enhanced by the game's soundtrack, composed by legendary composer Soichi Terada. As he recalls, the director of the production said, "Spike and his friends always have the image of running." In response, Terada happily produced fast songs with an average speed of over 170bpm. The resulting gameplay and audio is a match made in heaven.

Ape Escape is the first game soundtrack Mr. Terada ever created. The producers of the game heard one of his singles, "Sumo Jungle," and thought his frenetic drum-and-bass (Jungle) would be perfect for the game. The marriage of Ape Escape's charming overworld and Soichi's upbeat compositions is nothing short
of sublime. Especially now, it is difficult to separate the mischievous Pipos and fast-paced action from Soichi Terada's silky smooth synthesizer and heart-pounding bass. Earlier this year (2024), Soichi Terada's Ape Escape work was celebrated by the six-track EP Apes in the Net, which includes music from Ape Escape 1 and 3 (Terada did not compose the series' second installment). The label, Rush Hour Music, has prestigiously championed almost all of Soichi Terada's music, especially his (specifically non-VGM) house, jungle, and drum and bass releases (Sounds from the Far East, Asakusa Light, and more).
Before Apes in the Net, Terada's Ape Escape music was only available on CD, released in Japan around 2010. This release featured reconstructed tracks created by Mr. Terada himself, identical to the music arrangements featured in the game. The biggest difference, of course, was that they were of higher fidelity than was originally available on the PS1 disk format. Completing all of the aforementioned releases is this box set, released by Far East Recording in partnership with Cartridge Thunder and officially licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment. This box set release includes four LPs, housed individually by a hardcover slipcase. This box set includes every song from Ape Escape 1, except those available on Apes in the Net. This box set release also includes one bonus song, previously unreleased anywhere else (including the game itself!).

The music on this box set was meticulously mastered by Justin Perkins of Mystery Room Mastering. Using Mr. Terada's premastered source files, the music was completely and specifically mastered for vinyl. Rounding out the audio is absolutely stunning artwork created by Gobo3D. CT worked with Gobo to recreate some of Ape Escape's most iconic characters, referencing the original Japanese guidebook and other promotional materials. The result is visually delicious 300dpi artwork that takes you straight back to 1999. As uber-fans of the original PlayStation game, Cartridge Thunder and Far East Recording are proud to celebrate Soichi Terada's music and pay our respects to such a legendary PlayStation franchise—on the original hardware's 30th anniversary no less! It's with a happy heart, then, that Far East Recording and CT present to you Soichi Terada's Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks in a Box.

Please note: due to licensing exclusivity, this release does not include tracks previously released on Apes in the Net

Edinburgh-based three-piece funk band High Fade are set to release their debut album 'Life’s Too Fast'.

Capturing the raw, on-stage energy that has been the driving force behind High Fade’s meteoric rise was never going to be easy, but that’s exactly what Harry, Oli and Calvin set out to do with a clear creative vision to record their album live at the iconic RAK Studios in London.

'We recorded in RAK Studios, with the desk built for the Rolling Stones in ‘76, with the same cigarette burns still on the faders. It instantly had a vibe of raw energy and liveliness to it that matched the way we wanted to record - live.' – Calvin

The result? 'Life’s Too Fast' – a blistering 10-track debut from one of the UK’s most exciting bands that manages to deliver the same tight, groove-laden funk rock that has put the group on the radars of Jack Black, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk, has seen them tour with The Cat Empire, and tick off iconic venues including Glastonbury, Jazz Cafe, and Boomtown Festival.

'We decided to record the album live rather than through the normal single track overdubbed method – we felt this would help to fully convey the band’s power, sound and energy across to the listener! More like we’re playing a gig and having it recorded – it was a tough process, but we went about it in the best way for both us and the audience, to ensure they’re getting the most authentic High Fade sound and experience possible.' – Oli

Having spent much of the last three years on the road seeing to a punishing tour schedule, 'Life’s Too Fast' is a chance for the band to stop and take stock, to reflect on their whirlwind success, and create an artistic milestone that demonstrates who High Fade are today. 'It’s the most accurate representation of what High Fade is, what we sound like, and who we are' explains Harry. Telling a clear story that matches their own experiences over the last few years, the album is a snapshot taken by a band who are accelerating towards real success and recognition.

'I’m glad we finally have a body of work that we’re proud of and feels like a collection of songs that nicely represents where we are right now. It’s organised chaos and shows that we like to play, but can also write a catchy tune.' – Calvin

Launching into proceedings with the effortlessly uplifting 'Take Me To The Floor', every track is a demonstration of the band’s technical prowess and broad sonic palette. A forward-facing selection of completely original material, the album also gave the band the opportunity to re-imagine fan-favourite 'Sharpen Up' as a stripped-back cut that reflects the band’s current lineup.

'Honestly, I kinda feel like I could explode with excitement about getting it out for everyone in the world to hear because it has been a long time in the making! A culmination of what all the singles have been working towards! I guess the album represents us and the direction we’re taking the music, it represents us as a trio and the gel that is High Fade.' – Oli

Night Keeper is a collaborative album by New York City-based artist Aaron Landsman and former Swans guitarist Norman Westberg that is based on the former's eponymous play. Westberg recorded it together with performer Jehan O. Young for the Swiss Hallow Ground label, with Landsman serving as the record’s producer. The original piece was first performed in the Spring of 2023 at The Chocolate Factory Theater in Queens and filled the stark industrial space with spoken text, choreography, projections, and music in dim light and, occasionally, complete darkness. Westberg and Young afterwards brought it to the studio to record it as a two-part
album in whose course his textural sounds, based on loops and samples, set the stage for her soothing, sonorous vocal performance. »Night Keeper« is a performance inspired by sleeplessness and the wanderings of the human mind at night—about time and memory.
Westberg and Young elegantly capture its essence in these roughly 44 minutes with a somnambulic album, letting sound and meaning flow into each other. The initial spark for Night Keeper was a run of almost sleepless nights in different neighbourhoods of a city that is perpetually insomniac. Instead of trying to force himself to go back to sleep by any means necessary, Landsman started writing down his thoughts. As he explains in the liner notes—accompanying the music along with drawings made by audience members during the performances—he started listening to the particular way in which the voice in his head navigates time and language. Accordingly, the texts that Young reads on the record form a diverse collection of specific moments, imagining different speakers and evoking different
situations. Westberg complements, accentuates, and juxtaposes these with different means. Ominous drones, soaring melodies, rhythmic bass sounds: the guitarist, whose latest release for Hallow Ground was 2021’s First Man In The Moon with Polish double bassist Jacek Mazurkiewicz, conjures up distinct sound worlds in which Young can let Landsman’s scenes unfold to gripping effect.
Landsman makes it clear that »Night Keeper« was intended as an invitation to »stay up, look out the window, let what’s happening outside spark reveries or predictions« or even take it on a stroll through the neighbourhood—at night, of course. Much like the original piece, this album is then one dedicated to wandering around, both mentally and physically.

»Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds« explores sound’s relationship with architecture, inspired by the Naala Badu building at the Art Gallery of NSW. Created from sound prompts responded to by artists like Jim O’Rourke and claire rousay, the work reflects on space, collaboration, and the fluid nature of sonic environments.

I like to think that sound haunts architecture.

It’s one of the truly magical interactions afforded by sound’s immateriality. It’s also something that has captivated us from the earliest times. It’s not difficult to imagine the exhilaration of our early ancestors calling to one another in the dark cathedral like caves which held wonder, and security, for them.

Today the ways in which sound occupies space, the so-called liquid architecture, holds just as much wonder, albeit one that is often dominated by functionality and form. Beyond those constraints however, how sound operates in the material world is something that exists at the fundament of our understanding of music, and moreover within the broad church we know as the canon of sound arts.

Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds is a record born out of these relations. In a direct sense, the record is the product of an invitation by curator Jonathan Wilson to create a sound environment, reflecting on the Naala Badu building at the Art Gallery Of NSW. The building’s name, which translates from the Gadigal language to ‘seeing water’, was opened in 2022 and this piece was offered as an atmospheric tint to visitors walking through the building throughout the year following its opening.

It’s also a record born out of a recognition for the porousness sound affords, especially as a device for collaborative endeavour. This composition is one born out of generosity and acoustic solidarity. Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds is comprised not just of my sounds, but also that of an incredible array of artists who have also operated in the orbit of the Art Gallery Of NSW. The players include Amby Downs, Chris Abrahams, Chuck Johnson, Claire Rousay, Dean Hurley, Jim O’Rourke, JW Paton, Madeleine Cocolas, Norman Westberg, Stephen Vitiello and Vanessa Tomlinson.

The piece was constructed around two long form sound prompts that each musician responded and contributed to. These materials there when digested into the final piece you hear. The work could not exist without the substantial offerings these artists made, and I am immensely grateful to each of them.

I’ll finish with a little note that appears on the LP itself.

Place is an evolving, subjective experience of space. Spaces hold the opportunity for place, which we create moment to moment, shaped by our ways of sense-making.

Whilst the architectural and material features of space might remain somewhat constant, the people, objects, atmospheres, and encounters that fill them are forever collapsing into memory.

Lawrence English
Performed by Amby Downs, Chris Abrahams, Chuck Johnson, Claire Rousay, Dean Hurley, Jim O’Rourke, JW Paton, Madeleine Cocolas, Norman Westberg, Stephen Vitiello, Vanessa Tomlinson