Buscar:north base

Jord (Swedish for “Earth”) performs Swedish Atmospheric Black Metal with ear-catching melodies. For fans of Enslaved, Vintersorg and Borknagar! Jord is an atmospheric Black Metal band with Blackgaze and post rock influences founded in 2020 as a one-man project by Jurg. Based in Sweden the inspiration came from northern nature, folk lore, mysticism, a man’s relation to this part of the earth and bands like Alcest, Enslaved, Anathema and Russian Circles. Two albums were released by Northern Silence Productions, “Sol” in 2021 and “Måne” 2022. Jord transformed into a trio in late 2022 and the new demo songs got attention from Hammerheart Records. A few months later a full studio recording of the third album ”Tundra”, in this new band setting, was done. “Tundra” tells the stories about ancient gods, dark and terrifying beings from Swedish folk lore mixed with modern day power struggles. There is a sand grain of truth to every story however old it may be. Jord uses these old mythologies to give a hint about today’s problems with authorities, mind control and delusions. But most importantly on how the elite will break and fall when they have pushed us too far.

For that new release, we will take you on a trip from the South to the North of Europe.

On the A-Side, Sardinia-based producer ProOne79, known for bomb tracks he released on labels such as Circus Recordings and Kneaded Pains, delivers two catchy acid tunes, influenced by the Chicago and Detroit classic sounds.

On the B-side, Glasgow-based producer Fear-E, head of the label Posh End Music and responsible of some killer EPs on Dark Entries, Zone or Super Rythm Trax, gives us three techno cuts for the floor, with a totally disturbed 303 synth.

Five sick tracks for you, acid junkies !

Stepping out of the bedroom and into the Real World, Liverpool’s Strawberry Guy headed down to Peter Gabriel’s idyllic Real World Studios with Manchester’s Northern Session Collective in tow and set about trying to soften and expose the bare bones of his two biggest streaming tracks 'F Song' and 'Mrs Magic'.
Stripped of drums & synths, the music is pared down to piano and romantic new strings arrangements, bringing the careful melodies & indrawn lyrics to the fore.
Having recorded the original tracks in his Liverpool bedroom, swapping the originals’ string samples for their real-life counterparts lends the tracks an even more ethereal quality than the self-produced originals. The trip to Real World marks a first foray into studio recording for Strawberry Guy, and a new high-fidelity direction for the project, as he begins the process of making his sophomore album.
The vinyl edition of these new songs is out November 10, and features the two new strings versions along with the originals of both tracks, meaning fans can finally get their hands on a physical version of early single “F Song.”
While the music of Strawberry Guy favours a hermetic, headphones-forward sound lying somewhere between Bryter Layter-era Nick Drake, The Clientele, Slowdive’s Pygmalion, and the psychedelic 70s output of fellow Liverpudlian Paul McCartney, it’s nonetheless become a smash on TikTok and streaming services with a fanatical young and diverse fan base.

For over a decade, Dean Johnson’s rustic tenor and simply strummed acoustic guitar have been perking up ears around the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Johnson has gradually built a devoted fan base — strictly through live performances and word of mouth — singing existential cowboy waltzes, ballads about wishing one could find a way out of heaven, honest confessionals, and other heartbreakers from a unique perspective. The phrase “hidden gem” would seem appropriate here, but it’s a misnomer when talking about Dean Johnson. He shines bright, in plain sight, and it was only a matter of time before people stopped to take a look. Dean’s gentle and passionate approach to songwriting has inspired many, and his work provides the listener the opportunity to believe once more that a song can be more than the sum of its parts. If you catch even a phrase of his melodies or the sobering tone of his voice, it waltzes its way into your heart like a letter written, signed, sealed, and delivered just for you. His debut album 'Nothing for Me, Please' (Mama Bird Recording Co.) was recorded at Mashed Potato Records in New Orleans with the help of Sam Gelband and Charlie Meyer, Dean’s bandmates in The Sons of Rainier; as well as Mashed Potato regulars Sam Doores (The Deslondes), Duff Thompson and Steph Green. The record is a hazy, relaxed daydream – anthems for those who know the sweetness and coldness of quiet moments, the power and the pain of love. Whether you’ve been waiting patiently these many for Dean to release these songs, or you’re just now coming across his work for the first time, the name Dean Johnson, much like his songs, won’t soon leave your mind.

Polish artist Satl is one of the most diverse and prolific artists to break through in the Drum & Bass realm in the last decade. After a multitude of music on Amsterdam label The North Quarter he is now set to release his most ambitious and eclectic project: Gloom.

This is a project that sees a more mature artist, one that has developed and refined his sound. In what is a clear departure from his previous material, Satl has managed to craft his own exciting take on dark electronic music taking influences from UK Bass music, Techno and beyond.

“I never wanted to be boxed in to one style/genre, but I think I just wasn’t brave enough as an artist to really push this agenda forward until now,” Satl explains. “I think this collection represents where I am at the moment, a ‘new me’, and I’m definitely planning to stay here for a little while, while always looking to the future.”

Gloom has been a mostly solitary creative undertaking for Satl, who explored the boundaries of his Waldorf Blofeld, Elektron Digitakt, FL Studio, Reason, VCV Rack and a handful of plugins over the course of about two years. The album is entirely produced by him and sees just a handful of vocal collaborators: Tru Thought’s own Rhi, New York’s Frank Carter III and L.A.-based vocalist Saigo.

A coming-of-age project, Gloom is the end product of Satl honing his craft and exploring the limits of his own creativity.

NORTHSIDE RECORDS join forces once again with MANDARIN DREAMS to present the debut of a new soulful star in the local night sky.
Introducing “Lord Knows,” a vibrant 7-piece outfit based in Naarm (Melbourne).
Their sound is a fusion of jazz, soul, R&B, showcasing an unfiltered energy that thrives in the flow state of improvised jams. Drawing inspiration from icons like D’Angelo, J Dilla, and Madlib, they’ve formed a sound that is steeped in nostalgia from the early 2000s neo soul era.
Led by singer Brandon DeLord, Lord Knows will bring a smile to your dial.
Their debut release features six soulful songs and artwork courtesy of legendary Naarm artist A.KID
The LORD KNOWS EP will be available on wax from April 20th, 2024, RECORD STORE DAY, with a performance closing out the day at NORTHSIDE RECORDS.
Enjoy a taste of the record with a download or stream of the lead single 'LOSING SLEEP' here.
Spread it like butter!
For the record stores, you can purchase wholesale copies for
We will make sure your order is fulfilled leading up to RSD. Get back to us on this email to put your order in. (Shipping available now for overseas)

‘Life And Death - The Five Chandeliers Of The Funereal Exorcisms’ pulls back the veil unto a nocturnal scene populated by shadows, embers burning coldly in the underworld. Marina Zispin is your guide, siren and protector both. Marina Zispin is the negative space between musicians Bianca Scout and Martyn Reid. Love And Death is the duo’s debut release, five chandeliers of melancholic, vibrant synth pop twinkling in the inky blackness. Both originally hailing from the North East of England and forming a musical partnership before lockdown, Bianca Scout and Martyn Reid initially worked remotely. Having relocated to South London and Newcastle respectively, Marina Zispin was born in earnest after the duo could begin writing and practising in the same space. Bianca Scout is a celebrated musician and dancer with a number of solo and collaborative works in her discographywhile Martyn Reid is a mainstay of the UK noise and power electronics scene, most recently with solo project Depletion. Marina Zispin largely eschews both Scout’s deconstructed approach to song and Reid’s focus on visceral, noise- based productions; the result is a new entity, the underground pop star that exists only in darkened dreams. Marina Zispin, then, is an avatar cajoled, nurtured and directed by Scout and Reid. Analogue electronics redolent of the early 80s Cold Wave and Synth Pop era form the base of the Zispin worldview, with Bianca Scout donning the Marina disguise, embodying the character over five songs of swooning drama, playful melodic interplays and tear-stained, doe-eyed sentiment. Flowers In The Sea opens with an austere 4/4 beat and hypnotic synth parts before Scout/Zispin floats in across the lagoon. Scout’s vocal tone is an instant winner, sweet like honey pouring down over the cold, robotic productions and stereo-panned synth work. We can almost see the petals drift into the horizon before being pulled under by the artist’s sadness. Ski Resort bursts out with a Jacno-inspired bassline and backing that could have been buried in a French disco in 1982 (think Stereo or Linear Movement) before Scout’s narrative details frivolousness and regret before a magical shift for the final coda into major key. Backworth Gold Club closes Side A, a mysterious rigid beat and minor chord synth arpeggios swimming in space, floating and obscure. On Side B, Hymn carries the tone on, church-like synths holding down the pattern for Zispin/Scout to float above in a flowing gown of reverb. The marriage of Reid’s cold musical backbone and Scout’s effortless vocal and co- production is in full flow here, the vocals at times rising to the rafters of this nocturnal place of worship, at other points they’re fuzzy samples cutting in and drifting out or sung with an extreme autotune, abstract and perfect in the moment. Surprise Party is the most straightforward pop bullet, Scout/Zispin’s vocal peering out more from the fog, perhaps revealing more than usual: vulnerability, maybe, the wandering muse of the artists behind the veil or just another layer of mystery behind the enigma? Marina Zispin’s Life & Death - The Five Chandeliers Of The Funereal Exorcisms ends as it began, scintillating in obscurity, leaving everything unanswered but open.

Philly's first supergroup returns with a new LP They released four albums. Their joint debut LP with The Krown Rulers from Camden, New Jersey included production by the Ultramagnetic MCs' Kool Keith and Ced Gee, with a style that was bass-heavy with the Roland TR-808 drum machine and E-mu SP-12 sampler, raw "street" lyrics and aggressive scratch DJing. They performed with Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C., Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, LL Cool J, and many others. They toured the US as the support act for 2Live Crew, and were fan favorites on the groundbreaking Street Beat radio program on Power 99, hosted by Lady B. They were racially mixed and ethnically diverse, and were regular performers at the After Midnight club in North Philly, once the largest Hip-Hop club in America. Their contemporaries included DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, DJ Cash Money and Marvelous, Cool C, Schoolly D, MC Breeze, and Three Times Dope. Brand new tracks and new version of classic My Part Of Town.

Naarm/Melbourne-based soul artist and proud Noongar woman Bumpy presents her new single, ‘Return Home’, it illuminates the transportive nature of BUMPY, guiding the listener through a world in which vulnerability is strength and power is quiet but self-assured.

Described by Bumpy as an ode to home and “the people, places and connections that make us feel grounded and at ease”, ‘Return Home’ is propelled by stirring strings arranged by Aaron Wyatt, who recently marked history as the first Indigenous conductor of an Australian state orchestra.

Chyskyyrai, whose real name is Valentina Romanova, comes from Yakutia (Republic of Sakha), the northernmost republic of Siberia.

She sings in a variety of traditional vocal techniques, drawing on folk songs, animal imitation but most of all on the ancient mythological epic Olonkho, which has a multitude of archaic delivery styles. Olonkho performance is a traveling one-man theatre and a solo improvisation. Traditionally, the Olonkho storytellers, olonkhosuts, travelled from community to community, tribe to tribe, and performed the same function as a shaman. Mostly they were regarded as spiritual guides, teachers and keepers of cultural values. Their performances could last for several days, and were not just entertainment but also the way of teaching that people are not separate from nature and attuned them to it.

The songs presented on this LP capture a period of her life when she met with Tim Hodgkinson (Henry Cow) and Ken Hyder (Talisker) who had been performing together since 1978, and are well-known for their explorations in the field of shamanic cultures and free jazz. Their collaboration with the “Soviet Jazz Federation” goes back many years until finally in 1990, the duo went on an extensive tour in Siberia as “The Shams” during which they also visited Yakutia. Since then they have made numerous trips to Tuva, Altai and Buryatia playing with the local musicians and studying shamanism.

Recorded in Ken Hyder’s basement, early May 2005. Sleeve artwork by Sophie Lécuyer.

As the music industry continuously evolves, pushing boundaries and challenging conventions, artists like Michael Peter Olsen emerge to redefine the very essence of their chosen instruments. With an
impressive career spanning nearly three decades, Olsen has had mainstream exposure through collaborations with renowned artists like Drake, Ed Sheeran, and Arcade Fire and developed multifaceted talents as a player, producer, composer, and Grammy-nominated songwriter.

However, it is his electric cello based solo project, which debuted in a grimy basement club in Berlin in 2019, and his 2021 album “Yearning Flow'' that truly showcased his desire to subvert expectations of what a cello can be. With the release of "Narrative of a Nervous System," Olsen taps into the prevailing sense of disconnection in modern society, accentuated by the recent pandemic. The record delves into the increasing divisions between the mind and body, metaphorically capturing the struggles many individuals face with their mental health.

Olsen aims to bridge this disconnect through his music,
creating a powerful fusion of sonic and visual elements. While the album is instrumental and conceptually-driven, Olsen remains committed to making the music accessible and relatable. Olsen's
vision is further realized through the inclusion of special guests Owen Pallet, Màiri Chaimbeul, alaska B, and Zoon, each representing older music traditions. Celtic, European, North American Indigenous,
and Traditional Chinese are explored and stretched, offering a modern perspective on ancient intuitively based traditions. While Michael Peter Olsen dismantles the preconceived notions surrounding the cello, he continues to create evocative emotional music.

"Narrative of a Nervous System" invites listeners to explore the disconnections between mind and body, and offers a transformative musical journey that resonates with both the modern world and ancient traditions. “Essentially I’m trying to destroy the cello, but do it in a nice way”

Shotmaker was formed in 1993 by three friends from the small towns of Tweed and Belleville in Ontario, Canada: Matt Deline (drums, vocals), Tim McKeough (guitar, vocals), and Nick Pye (bass, vocals). The band relocated to Ottawa in 1994 before ending its run in 1996. They are widely recognized for influencing the direction of emo and post-hardcore music. During their relatively short time together Shotmaker harnessed the collective creativity of the Canadian DIY community to make something special happen. They wrote and recorded two 7”s, two LPs, a split LP (with Washington, D.C., based Maximillian Colby) and numerous songs for compilations and other split records.

The band thrived on playing live shows and completed three coast-to-coast North American tours in addition to many smaller tours. They regularly shared the stage with bands like Policy of 3, Los
Crudos, Unwound, Rorschach, Cap’n Jazz, Indian Summer, Rye Coalition, Modest Mouse, Propagandhi, Hoover, Clikatat Ikatowi, Blonde Redhead and Fugazi. "A Moment in Time: 1993-1996"
is a band-curated, 3xLP box set on colored vinyl. Also included is a 12 page booklet with never before seen images from Canadian photographer Shawn Scallen who chronicled much of the band's history.

All the music has been mastered for vinyl by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland, OR.

This classic selection of songs is taken from her first prodigious burst of creativity when she recorded with her then-husband Kansas Joe McCoy.

If ever a title was justified, then 'Queen of the Country Blues' is the bare minimum that should be afforded to Memphis Minnie, a lone female voice in the maledominated country blues scene whose musical legacy is nothing short of remarkable. Minnie transcended both gender and genre and her recording career spanned from the late 1920s heyday of country blues to the cutting-edge Chicago scene of the 1940s & 1950s, where she helped pioneer the roots of elctric blues, R&B and rock 'n' roll.

This collection highlights the formative years of Minnie's career as part of the duo and includes accomplished blues numbers such as 'Memphis Minnie-Jitis Blues', probably based on personal experience, as well as 'Bumble Bee' their first recorded song and one of Minnie's most successful of her hundred or so songs that she recorded before retiring in the mid-1950s.

2023 Repress!

A stunning follow-up to his late 2018 release. Mostly recorded live at the Apollo Hotel Amsterdam in 1991. This is a compilation of the ''Apollo Hotel CD box'', that Ronald made himself, for family and friends.. BIG tip!

Some words from the label:

From 1986 until 1992, Ronald had a residency in the lounge of Amsterdam’s Apollo Hotel. He would play there 5 days a week, for 5 hours a day. In 1991, throughout several sessions, he recorded himself on a cassette recorder. The recordings were ranging from re-interpreted cover versions to multiple own compositions.

The Apollo was particularly known for its sophisticated and elegant crowd. Guests would come to meet in the lounge to talk business, or end the day with a drink at the bar - dancing was never an option.

Listening to the album, one must wonder how some of this music would go hand in hand with a place like that. It seems Ronald gets lost in music and returns in unequally balanced patterns. Lounge sounds meet drum computer rhythms, punchy baselines, distorted space noises, reoccurring clarinet interludes and improvised piano solos.

Back then, just as now, Ronald never liked to be the center of attention. He simply tried to interact with the surrounding as a provider of the mood - as he explains himself.

Instruments
Live: Grand Piano, Yamaha QX1 Sequencer, 2x Yamaha TX7 Tone Generator, Drumtraks Sequential Circuits, Clarinet, Voice
Added at home: Yamaha DX7 Sounds, Roland R-8
Space Train: Kurzweil Piano, Yamaha DX7, Roland R-8, Soprano Sax, Voice

Recorded live at the Apollo Hotel Amsterdam in 1991, except 'Space train', which was recorded in Ronald’s living room.

All instruments played and arranged by Ronald Langestraat.
All tracks written an composed by Ronald Langestraat, except 'Lowdown' which was written by David Paich & Boz Scaggs, 'Give and take' which was written by Michael Shrieve, Tom Coster & Carlos Santana and 'Orpheus' which was written by David Sylvian.

Emerging from 6 years of sonic exploration, SBTRKT (pronounced 'subtract'), is an electronic music artist based in London, UK known for his synaesthesiac production and early collaborations with, and championing of, Sampha and Jessie Ware, alongside Little Dragon, The Dream, A$AP Ferg, Ezra Koenig and Drake.

Largely anonymous, SBTRKT (real name Aaron Jerome) has established a reputation for iconic visuals and creative, an incredible live show and a sound that effectively defined electronic music in the early 2010s'The Rat Road' sees SBTRKT redefine UK electronic music (again)' according to GQ, bringing together his iconic, synaesthesiac production with an incredible lineup of collaborators including Toro Y Moi, Teezo Touchdown, D Double E, Anna Of The North, Kai Isaiah Jamal, Sampha, Little Dragon and others.

REMIXED & REMASTERED REISSUE OF THE PINEAPPLE THIEF'S 2003
STUDIO ALBUM
Kscope present 'Variations On A Dream', the third album from The Pineapple Thief
newly remixed by Bruce Soord & remastered by fellow bandmate Steve Kitch.
The Pineapple Thief are one of the leading lights of Europe's experimental rock
domain, led by post-progressive mastermind Bruce Soord, the band have built an
incredibly loyal fanbase over the past 23 years through extensive touring &
consistently lauded recordings. Founder Bruce Soord started The Pineapple Thief
as an outlet for his music back in 1999 & has since released over 15 studio
albums.
Albums like 'Someone Here Is Missing' (2010) & 'All The Wars' (2012) paved the
way to their recent releases. Multiple headline tours followed, including their
biggest headline performance in the UK at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire & their first
ever tour of North America.
'Variations On A Dream' opens with the timid beginnings of 'We Subside' as they
slowly move into the more progressive leaning 'Vapour Trails' before the delicate
strings of 'Resident Alien' position us toward the grand finale of the 16- minute
epic 'Remember Us'.
While earlier Kscope releases were many people's introduction to the band, The
Pineapple Thief spent the previous ten years building up a dedicated fan base
across the globe, selling over 25,000 records & nurturing their 'bittersweet'
progressive sound. A sound that has recently been revisited in a beautifully
packaged 'How Did We Find Our Way - 1999 - 2005' deluxe book set.
Kscope will be presenting 'Variations On A Dream' as a single black LP.

Call Me By Your Name, the film by Luca Guadagnino, is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman.

Summer of 1983, Northern Italy. An American Italian is enamored by an American student who comes to study and live with his family. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Chalamet, Hammer and Stuhlbarg's performances, Guadagnino's direction, and the screenplay. Call Me By Your Name won a variety of awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, GLAAD and the 23rd Critics' Choice Award amongst others. Sufjan Stevens' song "Mystery of Love" was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Luca Guadagnino wanted the film's music to be connected to Elio, a young pianist who likes to transcribe and adapt pieces to get close to Oliver. The music is used to reflect the time, the characters' family, level of education and "the kind of canon they would be a part of."

Guadagnino found himself resonating with Sufjan Stevens' lyricism through his work and initially asked Stevens to record an original song. Eventually, Stevens contributed three songs to the soundtrack: "Visions of Gideon", which was used at the end of the film, "Mystery of Love," which was featured in the film's first trailer, and a new rendition of "Futile Devices" with piano. Stevens penned the songs by using the script, the book, and the conversations with the director about the characters. It marks Sufjan Stevens' first soundtrack for a feature film.

Call Me By Your Name is available as a limited edition of 15.000 copies on "Velvet Purple" coloured vinyl. The 2LP is housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with rainbow laminate finish and includes printed innersleeves, an insert with movie stills, and a poster.

Call Me By Your Name, the film by Luca Guadagnino, is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman.

Summer of 1983, Northern Italy. An American Italian is enamored by an American student who comes to study and live with his family. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Chalamet, Hammer and Stuhlbarg's performances, Guadagnino's direction, and the screenplay. Call Me By Your Name won a variety of awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, GLAAD and the 23rd Critics' Choice Award amongst others. Sufjan Stevens' song "Mystery of Love" was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Luca Guadagnino wanted the film's music to be connected to Elio, a young pianist who likes to transcribe and adapt pieces to get close to Oliver. The music is used to reflect the time, the characters' family, level of education and "the kind of canon they would be a part of."

Guadagnino found himself resonating with Sufjan Stevens' lyricism through his work and initially asked Stevens to record an original song. Eventually, Stevens contributed three songs to the soundtrack: "Visions of Gideon", which was used at the end of the film, "Mystery of Love," which was featured in the film's first trailer, and a new rendition of "Futile Devices" with piano. Stevens penned the songs by using the script, the book, and the conversations with the director about the characters. It marks Sufjan Stevens' first soundtrack for a feature film.

Call Me By Your Name is available as a limited edition of 15.000 copies on "Velvet Purple" coloured vinyl. The 2LP is housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with rainbow laminate finish and includes printed innersleeves, an insert with movie stills, and a poster.

The Faithful Brothers

Soul and R&B from Tel Aviv

"It's so difficult to produce the feel and the excitement of the classic northern sound, but The Faithful Brothers were born to do it and they do it so well." Craig Charles, The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, BBC Radio 6 Music.

Is there a Northern Soul scene in Tel Aviv? The surprising answer is – yes, there is. If you're a soulie and in town, look for the Tel Aviv Soul Club, and you might find yourself swaying across a talcum-powder covered floor to Tel Aviv's own unique blend of classic Northern Soul 45s and early 1960s R&B sounds.

Chances are that those 45s will come out of the record boxes of one of the brothers Neeman, Johnnie and Bin. Sons of an Israeli diplomat, they travelled abroad extensively as children, in the 1960s and 1970s, discovering the wonderful world of rare soul music on the way. Tel Aviv Soul Club, aka TASC, is the brainchild of Yashiv Cohen, a DJ who, in 2006, lured the brothers Neeman, whose massive soul collections been hitherto confined to their respective living rooms, into playing their records to the Tel Aviv public. Yashiv is also the lead singer of Men of North Country (MONC), a Tel Aviv band with a distinct sound, blending rock, British pop and soul, that has recorded two albums for the London based label Acid Jazz Records, and toured Europe numerous times.

Since Neeman means Faithful in Hebrew, Yashiv woke up one morning with the crystallization that MONC must create a spin-off, a more puristic soul band, called the Faithful Brothers. There the biological Neeman/Faithful brothers would be joined by some of the members of MONC and a few more musical brothers from Tel Aviv to create new, original soul and R&B music. With a nod to the Northern Soul slogan "Keep The Faith", the name seemed too perfect to waste. The fact that the Neeman brothers were collectors, and not musicians, did not bother a man of vision like Yashiv. One day, he sent Johnnie some lyrics he wrote, asking him to compose music for it. Well, Johnnie called Bin, and they met in Johnnie's record room. With Johnnie playing some of the few chords he knew on his dusty old acoustic guitar, out came Teenage Frost, the first-ever musical composition of the Neeman brothers, recorded by MONC.

It took a few more years, but gradually the brothers succumbed to their fate, to continue their musical progression, from collectors to DJs to musicians. Johnnie took his guitar, Bin took to the piano, and the brothers began pouring out some of their influences, creating new songs. It is finally all coming together. The Faithful Brothers – now an eight-piece band, complete with a mighty brass section – release their first album "The Faithful Brothers".

A long-in-the-works project of ours, here comes A Tribe Called Kotori's first foray into full-length territories, as the immensely talented Rampue takes us on a melancholy-riddled ride across his phantasmatic mindscapes. A true sound explorer, deftly steering his ship down the junction of electronica, abstract and balearic-infused prog house, the Berlin-based vibist has us transfixed and elevated throughout the twelve cuts that form the backbone to this lushly textured promenade in sound - at times understatedly euphoric, at others rivetingly exotic.

Of the creative process that lead to 'Bubblebath Trance', Rampue explains "It all started and ended in the same moment: my cherished feline companion, my laptop awash with an unintended bath, and alas, a dearth of backups. The resultant calamity, an echo of chaotic tranquility." Under the generous layer of irony lies some unaltered truth about Rampue's debut long-player for A Tribe Called Kotori: this sense of serenity that goes with stepping into this warm and bubbling primitive chaos of sorts infuses the listening experience far and wide. Distantly emulating the "euphonious strains" of iconic PS1 video games soundtracks from his youth days, the album has us surfing a constant paradox of emotions, wistful but not abandoning itself to sorrow, dynamic yet suspended in some sort of mind-expanding stasis. As if you were looking at the world beneath you in exploded view, conscious of all thing, slowly moving up the many layers of our atmosphere towards uncharted skies.

A paragon of Rampue's most poignant take on classic electronica tropes, 'Harmonie' blazes with a poetic fire that engulfs about everything in its wake. Just figure yourself riding a chocobo across the sand-covered expanse of North Corel (toasting to the FFVII nerds here) as this blasts out in the distance. From this trancey bubblebath emerge lots of musical shades and nuances, from the nicely dubbed-out, brass-heavy coastal jazz of 'Schattenschranz' to the choppy, trip-hop-adjacent future electronics of 'Inside', via the exuberantly joyous mess of faux-organic number 'Tripomatic' and cinematic charisma of 'Ich hasse Sonne' high-flying orchestrations.

Connecting the dots between that trance-indebted ebullience and further downtempo-friendly attraction, 'Verfahren' perhaps encompasses best what 'Bubblebath Trance' is about: gracefully walking the tightrope in-limbo nostalgia-soaked inner movements and a powerful outward thrust, burning to let the feelings ooze out from the shell that holds them.Clad in purely 90s-compatible breaksy motion, 'Salz' is another attempt to reconcile emotional and physical dissonance, like kneading all states - solid, liquid and vaporous - into an impossible mega-vibe of its own; malleable, strong and enveloping in equal measure. Borrowing from two-step and UK garage, 'Take Away' is a definite high in Rampue's master unfolding of musical twists and turns, summoning a Boarder Community-esque atmosphere and clashing it alongside floor-ready footwork motifs to fascinating effect.

An ode to his studio companion, 'Buchla Trip' finds Rampue's exploring his machinic friend's quirky yet soulful array of electronic potentialities - making it sound like a conversation you'd have with R2-D2 in the heart of a Sandcrawler, whereas 'Kajal' beams us up to a fragmented headspace, halfway altered PC-Pop and arps-loaded electronica on amphetamines. Effusive and transporting, the title-track 'Bubblebath Trance' could well figure as the album's no.1 medley in essence: a bountiful lucid dream of dancing forms, colours and sentiments to wrap your head around, confidently drifting from a liminal state of consciousness down the rapids of one's troubled inner workings.

Rounding off the package, the languid ambient finale of 'Die Leiden des hungrigen Fruehstuecks' rubber-stamps the feeling that 'Bubblebath Trance' belongs to that rare category of albums. The ones that mint their own alphabet aside from typical norms and expectations, teaching you the ropes of their new language as it unreels between your ears - real and unreal, elusive to any other meaning than the one your guts and brains will be inclined to give it to, in real time. A crystal-pure object if you will, that shall not reveal its secrets, even after a thousand listens and just as many wowing moments.