quête:nu boy

Wganda Kenya was ahead of its time, anticipating current contemporary Afro-Latin-funk trends in a prescient way that has inspired a legion of fans across the globe. As part of that legacy, "Africa 5.000" (1975) has a legendary reputation as one of Discos Fuentes' best hard-to-find Afro Caribbean funk records and is a highly prized collector's piece. This LP features several classic dance floor gems as well as some lesser-known nuggets and a non-album bonus cut, plus informative notes. "Africa 5.000" (1975) has a legendary reputation as one of Colombia's best hard-to-find Afro-funk records and is a highly prized collector's piece today. The epic 'La torta' ('The Cake') kicks things off with a lively Colombian interpretation of Haitian compas. The tune is still remembered as a big picó (amplified sound system) hit at the verbenas (outdoor dance parties). 'Fiebre de lepra' ('Leprosy Fever') was also released as a 45 single and is certainly one of Wganda Kenya's wilder tracks. Funky wah-wah guitar, makossa style bass, manic organ, and feverishly insane vocals (from Wilson "Saoko" Manyoma and Joe Arroyo) indicate that Fruko and his pals were having a ball goofing around in the studio. If for no other reason, "Africa 5.000" is sought after for being the album containing Fruko and Javier García's outrageously funky and off-kilter 'Tifit hayed', which has become a tropical dance floor favorite in recent years. Again the "kitchen sink" approach is employed, including massive Latin bass lines, tasty Farfisa organ stabs, a bluesy, jazzy piano solo, and plenty of humorous vocal sound effects (including animal noises and lip burbling). However, it's the stomping break beats and cowbell counterpoint that has kept dance floors busy. Side B leaps out of the speakers with the heavy, strutting 'El caterete', which was the flip side to the 'Fiebre de lepra' single and is based on the 1970 song 'Cateretê' by Brazilian singer/songwriter Marku Ribas. Like its sibling Fuentes studio band Afrosound, Wganda Kenya was ahead of its time, anticipating current contemporary Afro-Latin-funk trends in a prescient way that has inspired a legion of fans across the globe, and this reissue of "Africa 5.000" will only serve to further cement the band's growing reputation amongst today's diggers of tropical psychedelia. First time reissue.

Red Vinyl

Das erste Album des britischen Produzenten und Songwriters seit "Rennen" von 2017 wird am 4. November 2022 auf Vinyl und CD veröffentlicht. Nachdem er zuvor längere Zeit in Wien und Los Angeles gelebt hat, wohnt der in London geborene SOHN nun in den Pinienwäldern von Katalonien, Spanien, und es ist diese neue Umgebung, die ihn zur aktuellen Single "Segre" inspiriert hat. "Trust" markiert für den Solokünstler eine seismische Verschiebung in der Wahrnehmung und Ausrichtung und spiegelt SOHNs neue Verantwortung als Vater von drei Kindern wider. Der Umzug von Los Angeles in die Ruhe Kataloniens und die Erfahrung der Elternschaft veränderten seine Einstellung und auch seine Arbeitsweise: "Ich spürte eine Offenheit, die ich vorher nicht kannte, und mir wurde klar, dass ich es nicht mehr allein schaffen konnte - mir fehlten Gemeinschaft und Freundschaft im Leben und im kreativen Prozess", sagt SOHN. Zum ersten Mal in seiner jahrzehntelangen Karriere lud der Produzent andere ein, ihm bei der Verwirklichung eines neuen Albums zu helfen, und kehrte nach LA zurück (wo er "Rennen" aufgenommen hatte), um mit Yakob, Mike Sonier, Chris Tabron, Jesse Boykins III, Ryan Linvill, Noah Le Gros und Emile Mosseri zu arbeiten. Gemeinschaft, Intimität, Familie und Offenheit sind die Schlüsselthemen auf "Trust", wenn der britische Produzent über sein vergangenes Leben (Wien in 'Figureskating, Neusiedlersee') und seine gegenwärtige Realität ('Montardit', 'Segre') reflektiert. Indem er seinen kreativen Prozess für andere öffnet, lädt Toph Taylor den Hörer dazu ein, sein bisher intimstes und persönlichstes Werk zu erleben. "Auf dem Debütalbum "Tremors" war es so, als wäre ich hinter Glas, aber auf "Trust" fühlt es sich an, als könnte man in diesem Raum sitzen, und nicht nur alleine, man sitzt mit mir, einigen Musikern, einigen Freunden in einem Zimmer."

Gather your loved ones, Together is here. Duster's fourth album is a 13-song exploration of comfortable, interplanetary goth. A sonic vaseline of submerged guitars, solder-burned synths, and over-driven rhythm tracks. "I know people say, `Oh Duster music so sad, we've even said it ourselves before," Clay Parton said. "But it's a lot more like absurdism than nihilism."

Im Jahr 2017 feierte das Album ‚Second Nature' die triumphale Rückkehr von Lionheart in die melodische Rockmusikszene mit einer Sammlung von kraftvollen und denkwürdigen Songs. Wegen vertraglicher Umstände verschwand das Album 2020 außerhalb Japans vom Markt. Nun wurde das Album neu gemastert, um noch druckvoller zu klingen als je zuvor, hier kommt die Ltd. LP Gatefold Edition in goldener Farbe.

Repress 2022

Das Duo Boy Harsher Aus Northampton, Massachusetts Gibt Es Seit 2014 Und Sie Verbinden Düstere Dance-beats, 80er-jahre-versatzstücke Mit Sehr Ätherischen Vocals Und Schaffen So Eine Unheimliche, Intensive Und Fesselnde Klangwelt.
Nach Ihren Ersten Ep&album-veröffentlichungen "lesser Man (diverse Pressungen 2014 - 2018, Soft Science / Nachtaufnahmen / Aufnahme + Wiedergabe / Nude Club) Und "yr Body Is Nothing" (diverse Pressungen 2016 - 2018, Dka Records / Nude Club), Ist - careful Nun Der Nächste Schritt - Vielleicht Noch Einen Schritt Weiter In Richtung Dunkelheit.

Augustus Muller Entwickelt Den Unterbau Der Tracks Aus Präzisen Und Kraftvollen Beats (die Irgendwie Nach Damals Klingen, Aber Von Heute Stammen) Und Schleift Darüber Noch Sägende Synthies, Während Jae Matthews Dazu Haucht, Schreit Und Singt. Diese Kathartischen Aber Auch Magnetisierenden Tracks Wurden Innerhalb Kurzer Zeit Zu Hits Eines Real Existierenden Untergrunds. Das Album - careful Wurde Hauptsächlich In Massachusetts Geschrieben, Mit Einer Handvoll Synthesizern Und Einem Laptop. Für Muller Ist Ein Minimales Set-up Sehr Bedeutend In Diesem Prozess. Gemischt Wurde In Italien Mit Maurizio Baggio Von La Distilleria Studio.

Boy Harsher Haben Sich Über Die Letzten Jahre Bereits Eine Sehr Treue Untergrundgemeinde Er- Und Zu Beginn Des Jahres Eine Triumphale, Restlos Ausverkaufte Tour Durch Europa Gespielt. Es Folgte Eine Weitere Tour Durch Europa Und Zwei Us-touren, U.a. Mit The Soft Moon. Im Frühjahr Folgt Die Eigene Headline-tour Durch Europa.

Country Girl marked a distinct sonic shift with the band, as the EP was the first group of songs written in their new home in rural Massachusetts. The novel isolation of the Northeast gave Jae and Augustus plenty of time to write and explore new sounds, while reminiscing about their time in the south. The move also put the band within driving distance of New York City which was another important factor in their progression. The band attributes partial influence on Country Girl EP to their frequent shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Playing parties like Nothing Changes and Lost Enterprises gave them access to a vibrant new music community. From industrial to noise table techno, the band was enamored by the raw sound and fearless attitude of the artists and crowds alike. The sound of Country Girl is defined by these two worlds that the band existed within - their quiet, modest life in small town Massachusetts and their speedfueled weekends in New York. Country Girl Uncut includes the complete track list of songs from this time period. The album is out on the band’s imprint “Nude Club” on digital, cd, tape, and vinyl formats.

Joakim Ahlund has been a member of both internationally successful
groups Caesars and Teddybears and is responsible for evergreens such
as Jerk it out (Caesars) and Cobrastyle, Punkrocker, Hey Boy
(Teddybears) as well as starting and being the main driving force behind
projects like the more space rock oriented Les Big Byrd, indie pop two
man orchestra Smile (With Björn Yttling from Peter, Björn and John)
He has also worked as a songwriter and producer for numerous other artists like
for example Robyn, Giorgio Moroder, Charlie XcX and Håkan Hellström etc.
Jockum Nordström is one of Swedens most internationally acclaimed visual
artists and has had successful exhibitions at museums like the MoMA in NYC
and prestigious art fairs and museums in Paris, Berlin, Japan and all over the
world. The two friends met when Joakim asked Jockum to make the cover art for
his band Caesars' albums. When Joakim found

Zwei Tracks aus dem aktuellen Album von The Mobile Homes werden von zwei der Größten der Szene geremixt: 'Once Upon A Time I Was Handsome', geremixt von Pete Gleadall & 'The Sorrow Stays For Good', geremixt von Albin Myers.
Pete Gleadall hat mit Künstlern wie den Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, David Bowie, Robbie Williams, Madonna, U2, Kylie und Take That gearbeitet.
Albin Myers ist bekannt für seine Remixe und Arbeiten mit Künstlern wie AVICII, Foo Fighters, David Guetta & ODZ, um nur einige zu nennen, aber
aber auch für seine eigene Musik, die weltweit über Millionen von Streams hat.

Ekin Fil returns to the guitar on Dora Agora. Her earliest recordings, notably her debut on Root Strata, prominently featured guitar in this urgent expressions of a dreamy dreariness that immediately offered enthusiastic comparisons to Grouper. In her development as composer of ephemeral ghostliness for numerous albums as well as her scores to film soundtracks, that instrument has given way to keyboards, organs, synths, and various mood engineering devices, in her beautifully melancholy pursuits of an emotional emptiness through sound. Yet, the pandemic era gave Ekin pause to reflect on her creative process and she picked that instrument back up to create one of her greatest albums to date.

As direct and urgent as these songs can be, Ekin swaddles her acoustic guitar chords in soft-focus reverb and polyphonous shadow, colored with a judicious amount of shoegazing drone and somber atmosphere that speaks to her continued development as a composer. "Ghost Boy" in particular is a bittersweet, wistful tune whose arrangement harkens to Johnny Marr at his peak of effortless downer simplicity. "Farba" and "Yo Feelings" turn the emotional screws with soul-crush crescendos of vocal melodies that build upon Ekin's lonely guitar chords. Again, Grouper emerges as one of Ekin's closest neighbors, alongside Carla Dal Forno, Slowdive's Pygmallion, and Movietone.

"I really feel like I've gone back to a time when I was recording songs with a guitar and keyboard when I was very young. It's kind of like embracing Ekin from that period with my current ideas & mood. it's an homage, it's a wave, a hug from my present to my past…" (Ekin Fil, August 2022)

Mit seinem dritten Album als Peel Dream Magazine lockt Joseph Stevens in eine fabelhafte, zickzackförmige Welt, die er selbst entworfen hat. Auf Pad verzichtet er auf die unscharfe vorherige Glorie seiner Indie-Pop-Vergangenheit - hier zittert erst ein Vibraphon, stehen Streicher ebenfalls im Mittelpunkt. Der Vorhang hebt sich für einen opulentem Kammerpop und gibt den Blick frei auf Banjo. Glockenspiel. Farfisa. Und als er im Titeltrack des Albums ein Stöhnen ausstößt, wird klar, dass dies kein gewöhnlicher Auftritt ist. Pad ist ein konzeptionelles Werk über das Sich-Verlieren, wenn man nur noch sich selbst hat, und deutet auf eine aufregende neue Zukunft für Stevens' Pop-Song hin, indem es seine eigene Existenz neu interpretiert. Als Nachfolger des erfolgreichen Agitprop Alterna aus dem Jahr 2020 stellt Pad eine bedeutende soundtechnische Entwicklung für den 34-jährigen Songwriter dar, der im selben Jahr mitten in der Pandemie nach Los Angeles zog. Drumcomputer und Synthesizer aus den siebziger Jahren sind geblieben, aber er hat seine schnarrende Offset-Gitarre gegen eine Nylonsaite ausgetauscht und sich für einen sanften Barock-Pop-Sound entschieden, der von Bossa, Folk und seiner eigenen unheimlichen Mystik durchdrungen ist. Neben Vorbildern aus der Mitte des Jahrhunderts wie Burt Bacharach greift Stevens auf die kultisch geliebten Basteleien der Beach Boys aus den späten 1960er Jahren zurück und bietet eine surreale Melange aus alten Orgeln und gefundener Percussion sowie Harry Nilssons Songteppich The Point!von 1970. Pad klingt zwar wunderschön, hat aber auch eine gewisse Dunkelheit. Stevens spricht unsere generelle Ambivalenz gegenüber der Zukunft von allem, was wir kennen, an, teilweise beeinflusst durch seine Zeit in New York zu Beginn der Pandemie. In "Hiding Out" klagt er: Ich wandere an der Vernon Mall vorbei und hinauf zur Queensboro Bridge. Man gibt mir das Gefühl, zwei Fuß klein zu sein, aber das ist keine Art zu leben. Letzten Endes verfolgt Stevens einen Ansatz, bei dem der erste Gedanke der beste Gedanke ist, und lehnt sich an die fantastischen Elemente seiner eigenen Lebensgeschichte an. Pad ist ebenso archetypisch wie seltsam und verwischt genau die Grenzen, die es zu definieren versucht. Die Kunst ahmt das Leben nach, aber das Leben ahmt auch die Kunst nach - und die Ergebnisse können manchmal unvorhersehbar sein. Für Freunde von Sterolab, Beach Boys ca. Smile, High Llamas, Broadcast, The Lilys

Before New Zealand's Salad Boys, there was T54, also fronted by Joe
Sampson, joined by Matt Scobie on drums and Sam Hood on bass - T54
featured a visceral, sonic guitar sound, perhaps out of step with most of
the Flying Nun bands at the time
Joe describes T54 as being stuck in the wrong era somewhat yet enduring well in
NZ for those who bought the music and saw us live at the time. Originally
released in 2011, Ally is proud to bring you an expanded and remastered limited
vinyl edition of their first ep that also includes several demos and live tracks. Be
prepared to be wowed by this noisy three piece from Christchurch influenced by
classic NZ bands who also have three members (The Clean) or numbers in their
name (The 3Ds) -- like The Clean, The 3Ds, and other NZ greats, T54 will not
disappoint!
Tracks: Birds / Julie K / CR Model / Vehicle / Singer in Mouth / Death Drive / CR
Model / Life Is Swell / O Nina / Fred Gavin / Kill Red / Julie K / Le Snack / Choose
Your Own Ending / Localism / Soon I'll Be Nicking Speed Boats / House Music /
Julie's Last Wish / Nurse Jen / Christian Dale

This album marks the debut recording for Venezuela's Velvet label by pianist Ray Pérez and his trombone-led salsa band Los Dementes. Heavy dance numbers and the distinctive vocals of Perucho Torcat make this historic 1967 rarity a sought-after collector's item. Now the LP has been lovingly restored, mastered from the original tapes, with its original artwork intact, preserving the legacy of Los Dementes for today's generation of salsa lovers everywhere. First time reissue. Salsa pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger Ray Pérez, acquired his nickname "Loco" by being a free, independent spirit, an innovator and iconoclast who was initially branded as "crazy" for the freshness and audacity of his sound. Amazingly, he is not that well known in the US, where he spent some time in the late 1960s and salsa was king during the 1970s. Yet he was quite popular in his home country from the beginning, especially amongst the working class of Caracas and Maracaibo, who adopted Cuban music played by New York Puerto Ricans as their own and called it "salsa" years before the term was employed by US labels like Fania as a marketing tool. Pérez is revered in Venezuela, as well as in Mexico and Colombia, and his storied career, which spans seven decades and thousands of concerts, has yielded more than 35 albums recorded by his various bands, including Los Dementes, Los Kenya, and Los Calvos, all of which are collector's items today. At the start of 1967 Pérez debuted Los Dementes, with vocalists Claudio Zerpa and Perucho Torcat backed by an ace band featuring only trombones in the brass section. Titled "¡Alerta mundo! Llegaron los 'The Crazy Men'" the record was released on the small Venezuelan label Prodansa. Soon after, Prodansa folded and Los Dementes were left without representation or much compensation for their efforts, being paid only in records. In the end of February of that year, Pérez returned to Caracas from a stint in Maracaibo in order to finish his first LP with the well-established and larger Velvet label, entitled "Manicomio a locha". In the first quarter of 1967, Velvet unleashed a trilogy of salsa records in order to compete with rival label Palacio and their recent success with Federico y su Combo Latino: "Porfi '67 Salsa & Boogaloo" by Porfi Jiménez y su Orquesta, "Guasancó" by Sexteto Juventud and lastly "Manicomio a locha". The LP begins appropriately with the boisterous title track, written by the band's conguero Carlos "Nené" Quintero, who would become a legend in coming years. Torcat describes a jam session in mental institution and introduces the band, with tasty solos by trombonist Rufo García followed by Ray on piano. Already you can hear something was different about Ray and his "Crazy Men"-a sound as wild and innovative as what was happening in New York with Eddie Palmieri, but with a more unhinged, raw feeling in line with Willie Colón and other younger Nuyorican bands. Next up is an intriguing track sung in a mix of Italian, English, Spanish and Papiamento by Pérez himself, performed in the complicated rhythm of the mozambique, an Afro-Cuban carnival beat developed in the early 1960s. This is followed by the heavy dancer 'Rico guaguancó', penned by Angelito Pérez, which changes from the guaguancó to the mozambique rhythm mid-way through, proving that Los Dementes were "different from the rest" as the lyrics say. 'Puerto Libre', sung by Torcat, is dedicated to the Venezuelan island of Margarita in the Oriente region, and the independent spirit of its working people. The rhythm changes from guaguancó to guajira and back again but remains danceable all the way through. The side closes out with a "3 in 1" medley inspired by the popular formula of the mosaicos of Billo's Caracas Boys, seamlessly knitting together several different tempos, rhythms, moods and compositions. Side two starts strong with the fierce yet satirical 'Corte e' patas', then 'Alma Cumanesa', a typical folk song refashioned as a guaguancó. This is followed by the funky 'Guajira con Boogaloo'. The tune echoes the sound of young Latin New York, pointing out the connection between Cuban and African American soul music. The pace picks up again with 'Fiesta de trombones', a hot descarga and then the album closes with another medley. Though this marks the end of a rather short album, it also signaled the emerging success of Los Dementes and their involvement with the salsa boom in Venezuela, quickly selling out of its initial run of 1000 records and making for a memorable debut on the Velvet label. Now this rare and sought-after LP has been lovingly restored, mastered from the original tapes, with its original artwork intact, preserving the legacy of Los Dementes for today's generation of salsa lovers everywhere.

1998 esce l’atteso secondo album di Alexia dal titolo “The Party”. L'album contiene quattordici brani tra cui i due singoli più gettonati dell’estate 1998 ovvero “Gimme love” e “The music I like”. L’album si aggiudica numerosi dischi d’oro e di platino con le sue oltre cinquecentomila copie vendute. “Gimme love” e “The music I like” sono stati al no. 1 delle classifiche quasi simultaneamente, vendendo un totale di più di centomila copie, un vero record nel mercato italiano. Nell’estate del 1998 Alexia domina la scena musicale in vetta alle classifiche, più di ogni altra artista italiana della dance music. In quel periodo, in Inghilterra, esce il remix di “Uh la la la”. E’ il primo singolo di Alexia ad uscire in quel mercato e diventa subito un successo, top ten in classifica. Questo particolare remix é contenuto
nell’album “The Party” come bonus track.

Gather your loved ones, Together is here. Duster's fourth album is a 13-song exploration of comfortable, interplanetary goth. A sonic vaseline of submerged guitars, solder-burned synths, and over-driven rhythm tracks. "I know people say, `Oh Duster music so sad, we've even said it ourselves before," Clay Parton said. "But it's a lot more like absurdism than nihilism."

Gather your loved ones, Together is here. Duster's fourth album is a 13-song exploration of comfortable, interplanetary goth. A sonic vaseline of submerged guitars, solder-burned synths, and over-driven rhythm tracks. "I know people say, `Oh Duster music so sad, we've even said it ourselves before," Clay Parton said. "But it's a lot more like absurdism than nihilism."

Toronto-based musician and producer David Psutka aka ACT! (fka Egyptrixx / Anamai / Ceramic TL) will release his latest project ‘Strange Bounty / About Life’ for his own Halocline Trance imprint.

‘Strange Bounty / About Life’ is Psutka’s debut album proper as ACT! following the release of the “sonic mixtape” ‘Universalist’ in 2018 and the augmented reality soundtrack ‘Grey Matter AR’ in 2021; a series of Snapchat filters created by artist Karen Vanderborght and soundtracked by ACT! which explored the poetic and existential potential of AR and social media.

The new album represents a refinement of aesthetic and compositional ideas that exist across Psutka’s various projects and collaborations. It is a bold blend of new psychedelia braided with ecstatic groove. It’s a collage of physical sound, composition and freeform electronics that is simultaneously original, bold, and balmy whilst retaining a certain timeless familiarity and the obvious, indelible hallmarks of Psutka’s creative vision.

“‘Strange Bounty / About Life’ is in some ways my most refined record. The previous period of solo material was quite experimental and spontaneous, whereas this was written slowly and with more intentionality, and as a result, feels very clarified. Robin Dann of Bernice, and Alanna Stuart of Bonjay both contributed lovely vocal work to the record and it was written and performed primarily on guitar. I think it is fair to call this an 'experimental guitar record'.” David Psutka (ACT!)

On opener ‘Oblivion Shuffle’ synths trickle and squelch beneath vintage arcade bleeps, an off-kilter rhythm and mournful vocals. The palette of faintly dystopian electronics, unnerving ambience and scorched, wonky rhythmic pulses reoccur across the album on tracks like ‘Separation Code Is Togetherness Meta’, ’50 Million Motives For Making’, ‘Peace Javelin Heaven Bound’ and ‘Street Racer’.

Elsewhere on the record the guitar is more obviously prominent, and its presence allows the thematic subtleties of ACT’s music to flourish. It becomes clear after numerous listens that there is a push and pull at play across the whole project; one of optimism vs existentialism, of anxiety vs hope - a consistent theme of Psutka’s back catalogue. The track titles themselves even begin to reveal juxtaposition contained within and a deeper inspection of the lyrics reveals more.

‘Lotto’ and ‘Rebuild Your Body’ and title track, ‘Strange Bounty / About Life’ all feature slick classic soul hooks, silky vocals and smooth Balearic guitar licks over the idiosyncratic beats and distinctive electronic instrumentation. A perfect melding of the two seemingly disparate stylistic directions on the album. A real testament to the refinement promised by Psutka on this project.

In addition to ACT!, Psutka has released music with numerous projects including Anamai, Egyptrixx and Ceramic TL, he has collaborated widely with artists such as Junior Boys, Ipek Gorgun, and Kuedo as well as Jessy Lanza (2016) and an official remix for Massive Attack’s ‘Hymn of the Big Wheel (2012). The contributions on this album, from Robin Dann and Alanna Stuart, reflect the deeply collaborative nature of the Halocline Trance label and the Toronto creative scene more broadly.

Many of Psutka’s releases have received critical acclaim from media outlets such as Pitchfork, Exclaim, The Quietus and Resident Advisor. As a live performer, he has toured extensively including performing at Sonar Festival, Roskilde, Mutek, MOMA PS1 Warm-UP and CTM Festival. He’s also presented sound installations at various institutions such as Galeria Civica Commune di Modena, and Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

In 2015, Psutka launched Halocline Trance as a home for his various sound projects, events and collaborations. Now a creative collective and label, it has grown to include a diverse array of artists including Casey MQ, Xuan Ye, Myst Milano, Colin Fisher and others. The label is described as “genre-agnostic” and conceptually open, supporting work across a wide spectrum of creative fields including soundtrack recording, AR design and traditional artist albums. Their impeccable roster also includes, theorist/improviser Eldritch Priest, and AR/VR artist Karen Vanderborght. In recent years, Halocline Trance has established itself as a platform that facilitates many of Canada’s most exciting creative music projects. Many of the releases have received critical acclaim from outlets including Pitchfork, Exclaim, Bandcamp and Resident Advisor.

Limited Edition Nora Steiner und Madlaina Pollina malen das Bild einer Welt, die wir schon lange nicht mehr so eindrücklich und reflektiert wahrgenommen haben. Aufbruch, Licht und Schatten und die Bedrängnis der Gegenwart, ausgedrückt in bezauberndem Indie-Folk-Pop, der Zähne zeigt und enorme Dynamik entwickelt. Mal erinnert ihr zweistimmiger Gesang an First Aid Kit, ihre kompositorische Zugänglichkeit lässt an den perlenden Pop von Boy denken, dann wieder geleitet uns das Duo an düstere Abgründe, wie sie auch Emily Jane White beschreibt. Allerdings sind dies nur ungefähre Orientierungspunkte. Dass die beiden aus der Schweiz kommen, ist grundlegend für deren Debütalbum "Cheers", denn "Cheers" heißt nicht nur Prost, "Cheers" kann ein Anfang und ein Ende sein, eine Begrüßung und auch ein Abschied. Dabei spielen Steiner & Madlaina gekonnt mit Ambivalenzen. Mal fließen ihre Songs lieblich daher, dann türmen sich die Instrumente walzenartig auf. Durch die analogen Sounds und teils surfigen Gitarrenklänge gewinnt "Cheers" an Wärme und transportiert einen unterschwelligen 60er-Jahre-Charme. Im Zentrum des Ganzen stehen aber immer die Stimmen von Steiner & Madlaina, die so perfekt harmonieren, dass man die Vertrautheit und langjährige Freundschaft der beiden herauszuhören meint.

Old-School-Hip-Hop how it has to be! Creamy soul samples and sing-along choruses. With this release we celebrate 2 things: our (Lonestar’s) 20th anniversary (yes, we’re old!) and the 10th anniversary of this excellent album. It was originally released only in a small edition on vinyl done by the band. Now it gets a proper re-release with an exclusive-coloured version. But it’s limited to only 300 copies. So be fast or regret it later! "Party people hold onto your hats!" Ugly Duckling presents their fifth full-length album Moving at Breakneck Speed. After more than a decade in the music business, Young Einstein, Andy Cooper and Dizzy Dustin are well accustomed to the recording process. For their latest LP, the boys dug deep into their bag of tricks to create what they feel is their most dynamic and complete release to date. Moving at Breakneck Speed is an exciting and musically exotic adventure story that has our desperate heroes circling the globe to outrun an evil gang of super-criminals determined to put an end to UD once and for all. The record is made up of 14 power packed tracks that showcase Ugly Duckling’s classic production sound as well as the flavourful and humorously soulful vocal styles of Dizzy and Andy. “By the time you work on your fifth record, you ought to know how to do it, right?” asks Andy, “I think we put all of the pieces together to make a really, really good album”. We've made a habit of finding talented artists to create our artwork and this album is certainly no exception. This time around we enlisted the help of Justin Ridge. A native of smoggy Southern California, Justin has enjoyed making silly drawings and directing on animated shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars: Clone Wars, The Cleveland Show, and most recently Black Dynamite: The Animated Series. You can see more of his stuff on his website at justinridgeart. It has been a pleasure working with Justin on this venture and look forward to seeing what the future has in store for this very gifted animator. Also contributing his talents to this album is photographer Noel J. Hadley. We have Noel to thank for the awesome photos that you see displayed throughout the site. Noel's specialty is actually wedding photos, but he was kind enough to join us on a fun-filled afternoon in Los Angeles to capture the theme images for the new album. He was also along for the ride during the filming of the Elevation video, set to be released later this year. You can check out photos from the video shoot on Noel's blog. In addition, there are a number of people who donated their time and effort to help bring this album to life. Comedian TJ Miller can be seen in the Elevation video, a combination live-action/cartoon which will be animated by Justin Ridge. We would also like to thank Andy Carpenter, Jon St. James, Josh Barlow, Josh Fischel, Victor, Dago, Tamika, Tiko, Hiroko, Missy, Brian, Ashley-Dominique, Clout, and the entire Tru Beatz Crew for their contributions. You are all valued members of the UD family. Track listing: Keep Movin’; Momentum; $100 Weekend; Elevation; I Wonder Where She Is Now; One Horse Town; Anything Can Happen (In The Big City); How It Used To Be; Einstein Got A Monkey; Run For The Light; Sprint!; The Homecoming; The Breakneck Theme; Endless Summer

Blue - also Antony Costa , Duncan James , Lee Ryan
und Simon Webbe -, das ist so ein Name, der einen
automatisch in die Boygroup-Ära transportiert: Sie waren
nicht nur einer der größten und erfolgreichsten Acts jener
Hochphase, sondern vor allem auch einer der besten. Auf
den drei Alben, die ihnen in den Nullerjahren
Spitzenplätze in den Charts (u.a. 3x #1 UK, 1x Top-10
DE) und reichlich Platin bescheren sollten, verschränkten
sie lässigen R&B mit hochauflösender Pop-Perfektion und
emotionalen Balladen, was der im Jahr 2000 gegründeten
Boygroup nicht nur 16 Millionen verkaufte Albumeinheiten
bescherte. Auch zwei BRITs räumten sie ab im
Königreich, wo sie gleich 11 Mal die Topregion der
UK-Singlecharts aufmischen konnten und davon gleich
noch drei Mal die #1 belegten.

Parallel zur Stadiontournee werden Blue im Herbst ihr
sechstes Album Heart & Soul veröffentlichen - ihr erstes
fürs neue Label Tag8 Music/BMG. Der neue Longplayer
unterstreicht und zelebriert all das, was die Band während
ihrer ersten Blütezeit ausmachte, denn er spielt immer
wieder auf die Vergangenheit an, bringt aber auch
kontinuierlich Neues ins Spiel. Ihr Trademark-Sound
schwingt im sorglos-ausgelassenen Titelsong, der von
MNEK (Beyoncé, Little Mix) mitkomponiert wurde,
genauso mit wie in der gefühlvollen Ballade "Magnetic",
bei der die Jungs mal wieder ihr ganzes umwerfendes
Stimmvolumen auspacken dürfen. Mit der Leadsingle
"Haven't Found You Yet" legen Blue einen Instant-Classic
vor, der klanglich eher in Richtung Justin Bieber oder
auch jüngere Coldplay-Hits geht. Man hört, dass sie
unbedingt alles geben wollten für Heart & Soul

In the spring of 2020, Willem Ardui and Jean-Valéry Atohoun of blackwave. found themselves in a difficult creative and personal period and in need of a change of scenery to recharge. They find their peace in the cosmopolitan melting pot of Los Angeles, the City of Angels, and for Ardui and Atohoun also a city of dreams. A dreamworld in which they rediscover themselves as artists and as individuals.



The spark from which blackwave. had emerged in 2016 caught fire again during their 20-day trip to the American West Coast. With renewed passion, inspiration and vision, the duo writes and works on new music, as if in a daze, day and night, with no limits to the creative process. With about thirty demos in their pocket, Ardui and Atohoun fly back to Belgium. Three days later, the first covid-lockdown hits them cold and the regained enthusiasm slowly ebbs away. Another period of uncertainty began, and at one point it was even doubted whether the group would continue to exist...



But the towel is not thrown in the ring. blackwave. starts polishing the American demos and distills 11 tracks from them. These now make up 'no sleep in LA', their second full-length album and follow-up to 2019's successful 'ARE WE STILL DREAMING?' 'no sleep in LA' is about the highs and lows of the past years, the insights they have gained, the difficulties and the beautiful moments. Everything about the record feels a lot more mature as a result. Existential themes are explored more and more deeply. Doubt and uncertainty, depression, grief and loss, dreams and ambitions, nostalgia, love and desire, no stone is left unturned.



The album also exudes maturity on a musical level: it is more compact in length than its predecessor, but the instrumentation is more in-depth. Strings, horns, backing vocals and other session musicians enrich the genre-transcending sound of blackwave. Everything is arranged to perfection without being delineated. The common thread is the thoughtful and lively lyrics of the two frontmen, and the layered production of Willem Ardui. To this end, Ardui received help on a number of tracks from the likes of Paul Meany (Twenty One Pilots), MiSCHiEF BOY (Cantrell), Spencer Petersen (Sego), Tobie Speleman (incidentally mixer of the entire record), and even his younger brother Remco Ardui.



Celebrated guest features include Lute (signed to Dreamville, J.Cole's label), Abhi The Nomad (artist from Austin, Texas who met the duo in LA) and Caleborate (a good friend and old friend to blackwave. fans). Kirby, who has already collaborated with the likes of Beyoncé and Kanye West, co-wrote the song "I Miss" on the album.