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Unknown Waveforms is the forthcoming album from Belgian trio KAU, set for release on October 10, 2025. Marking an evolution since their 2023 release The Cycle Repeats, this new record captures a more personal, immediate, and unfiltered version of the band's sound. In an increasingly digital world, KAU takes a different route, with an album rooted in human connection, live energy, and creative spontaneity. Here, the trio reflect their take on instrumental music, drawing heavily fromjazz, hip hop, and electronic influences.

At the heart of Unknown Waveforms lies the starting point of three musicians in a room, writing and composing music on the spot. For KAU, this idea mirrors their working method: long jam sessions, free-flowing experimentation, and shared moments of inspiration. Songs often take shape slowly, unfolding over hours or days, but always built collaboratively as a trio.

The album's title reflects the mystery behind how music comes together, but is also both literal and symbolic. Unknown waveforms are the sounds that arise when machines and people interact in unpredictable ways. Whether you're an experienced musician or just starting out, the creative process often feels elusive and hard to fully understand. But there are also certain moments: creative sparks that can't be planned or programmed. It ends up being more than notes, gear, or structure, it's about the process, the tension and energy that builds when people connect and create in the same room.

The title track, Unknown Waveforms, captures that exact process. It opens with a quote from synth pioneer Wendy Carlos: "I'm just trying to show you how we get some of these sounds", inviting listeners directly into the creative space. The track focuses less on a polished outcome and more on the moment before a song is "finished": it's a portrait of experimentation, feeling, and raw expression.

This commitment to honesty permeates the entire album. KAU kept overdubs to a minimum, avoided excessive editing, and prioritized spontaneous choices over calculated ones. In a time when the future of live, improvised music feels uncertain, they double down on the physical, the real, and the immediate. The album resists the pristine polish of modern production, favoring the warmth and imperfection of analog synthesis. The band embraces the character of their instruments, particularly vintage gear, where subtle flaws add beauty, depth, and personality.

One standout track, cr_eye, is driven by the Moog Subphatty-a key instrument in the band's toolkit for its analog warmth and powerful sub-bass. The track centers around the conversation between bass and drums, allowing the keyboards to recede and create space. It draws emotional threads from earlier KAU tracks like Kampala and Kautokeino, bridging past and present with a shared atmosphere and rhythmic interplay.

Another highlight, Stratford, finds inspiration in London's transport system and the UK jazz scene that has long influenced KAU. A field recording snippet of the London Underground kicks off the track, connecting it to the rhythm of everyday commutes. Built around a hypnotic sequencer line from the Roland JX-3P, the track evokes the motion of a metro journey. Artists like Nubya Garcia, Yussef Dayes, and Alfa Mist, giants of the scenethat the band has admired for years, resonate subtly throughout.

Above all, Unknown Waveforms is a statement of intent from KAU: a celebration of imperfection, creative honesty and an insight in the process.

The Modulator, AKA Freddy Fresh is back in town !

LTD 100 COPIES !!!


To share this event in the best way i asked him a few questions...
Official Interview now begins :)

Tool : The last Analog Records USA was in 2000... Why did you stop it and why do you wish to realese vinyls again ?


Mr Fresh : Ii actually never stopped I just made alot of other styles of music that I do not think were proper for my Analog and E.M.F. labels (Analog is now run by Mike McLure of SAuto Kinetic we work together on that label and Electric Music Foundation is all my label.. we did some great digital releases on E.M.F. recently with ADSX / Scott Radke/Dave Olson / Poor Boy Rich etc.. and can be found here

for me my last Techno Analog vinyl 12” Release was in 1997 Quiver 12"


But I did release a few Techno/Electro style tracks on my Electric Music Foundation labels as 12” singles
in 2003 I made these
Black Out

Orange Krush


I always continue to make music and have hundreds of unreleased songs that I think some are not worth putting on 12” single as I fear to weird, experimental etc.. I try to isolate myself and make unique music hopefully not sounding like what others are making but try to be my own self




Tool : What are you favourite machines or software to make music these days ?


Mr Fresh : I still use many vintage synths like my Jupiter 8, Arp 2600, Roland System 100M, 303’s etc.. but now I also use some Eurorack Modules E950, Clouds, Metropolis Sequencer etc.. also TR8, Twisted Electrons Acid 8, Teenage Engineering Factory, PO Calculators, Korg Volca Sampler, Electrix Filter Factory, Space Echo (Boss) and MPC 4000 controlling Hardware and I usually record random ideas to a flash recorder and sometimes import into ableton tracks etc.. then use Reaktor or some other soft synths but I always start Analog. I also use Critter and Guitari Looper to record organic sounds to use for percussion.




Tool : What are your forthcoming projects on vinyl in the near future ?


Mr Fresh : I have a remix electro style for New Zealand Independent Cardboard and Computers soon on 12” single

I have COMACID EP coming out of Belgium on 12” single very soon which features some older tracks (Binder, Scared, Slow Death, Spacefunk) mainly re-release of Techno/Acid stuff all analog of course

Then I have two releases with Toolbox Records and possible new stuff with Acid.Paris and hopefully we start a nice relationship with Toolbox for a long term ha ha! My daughters start school next month so I am preparing new Eurorack Modules and getting Syncussion to really hit it and spend some serious time in the studios. I am really inspired to do the more electronic vibes now and feeling the A.C.I.D. alot lately with the newer technology

Hard Times and DJ Spen go back decades. The Baltimore house veteran has long been a fixture at the label’s parties, on the remixes, and now under his Muthafunkaz alias he cements the bond with a set that’s as much a time capsule as it is a renewal. The Muthafunking Hard Times EP revisits a clutch of Spen’s early-to-mid-2000s jams that, till now, have never been committed to wax. True to form, Spen hasn’t simply dusted them off: he’s remastered, refreshed, and imbued them with a 2025 gleam, bridging past and present in one irresistible sweep.

The A-side opens with the Funkee Kole Cappin’ Mix of 2008’s “(You Make Me Say) Woah!”, a gospel-fired stormer whose call-and-response vocals climb skyward while a cheeky Fab Four nod keeps things buoyant. “Holy Ghost” follows in its Holy Spirit incarnation, wringing church-floor catharsis from tribal percussion and sanctified chants - a blast of kinetic, almost Faya Combo-like fervor.

Flip the record and you’re hit with the swing and strut of 2010’s “Gotta Hold On Me,” Spen’s Vocal Mix turning horns and jazzy drums into a pure adrenaline surge. The closer, “Doin’ The Best I Can,” is a tonal shift: harmonica and guitar sketches circling loose-limbed beats, equal parts after-hours reverie and Sunday-morning balm.

Too vibrant, too joyous, too Spen not to press - The Muthafunking Hard Times EP isn’t just archival housekeeping. It’s an affirmation of what house music does best: uplift, electrify, and remind you that, even decades on, the spirit still moves.

The Criminal Minds return with the superb Smoove Criminal, a collection of criminally good tracks, the title track, Smoove Criminal, shows off the clean and sharp sound of the latest TCM workout, with heavy drums, rolling grooves and devastating bass.
Meanwhile, The Criminal Part 2 is a proper authentic old skool work out, a follow on from the classic Criminal Minds track, The Criminal.
And lastly, the Swankout Remix is a ruff jungle workout of a classic track, and this is the mix that has already been played on national radio, so its bound to hit in all the right places...

Demuir marks an inaugural release on Hot Creations with High. Alive. And Dirty., a
diverse four track EP made up of all original records.

The EP opens with Santa and The Elf. A penetrating bassline ratchets up and down, as horn
like synths whir occasionally in the background, alongside tassel-like hi-hats. Up next, the title
track High. Alive. And Dirty. provides stunning contrast. A happy, funk-fuelled number, the
track incorporates disco elements with “positive and soulful vibes”, before Rawness - Beat 3
features a “raw native structure”, bongo sounding drums and tropical vocals to from a well-
rounded, feel-good record. Eerbawdy Wants to Deeezsko rounds off the EP in fine form, with
more disco elements and chiming, emotional keys.

Canadian-based Demuir is a distinctive talent in the electronic music sphere. A prolific
producer, Demuir has already made a home on labels including I’m A House Gangster as well
as Cassy’s Kwench Records, whilst he is soon set to release on Loco Dice’s iconic Desolat
imprint.

2025 Repress

FINALLY! The very first commercial release of two legendary remixes of Arthur Russell's "In The Light Of The Miracle". Both are widely regarded as transcendent masterpieces and very much befitting of the title “holy grails”.

These long-beloved mixes are the types you'd wish would last for eternity. With almost 30 minutes of music here, we very nearly get our desires granted. At last, these jaw-dropping mixes are widely available to every Arthur fan in the world. This is musical perfection.

The deep Loft classic "In The Light Of The Miracle" remained unreleased during Arthur's lifetime, finally discovered when Phillip Glass included the original version on Another Thought on Point Music in 1993. As Steve Knutson told us, when Another Thought was being put together, the plan was to release a companion album of remixes that was overseen by Steve D'Aquisto but the project only got as far as these two remixes of "In The Light Of The Miracle".

Some dodgy scans of some centre label designs suggest that Point Music might’ve been planning to release these on a 12" but it didn’t happen. The story goes that Gilles Peterson heard the remixes on a visit to the Point Music offices and wanted to release them on Talkin’ Loud. We’re not sure how many white label copies made it out into the wild, but again, these remixes didn’t make it to a proper release.

These remixes both extend and undeniably enhance the original, elevating it to new heights. The 13 minute remix on the A-side is by Danny Krivit & Tony Smith with editing duties performed by Tony Morgan. As ever with Arthur, the music is almost impossible to describe: is it Disco? Garage House? Avant Garde? None of these tags do full justice to its sheer majesty. You best just listen. Stretching out the original with some unbelievably great percussive elements, until we're in a deeply spiritual, otherworldly realm, it's just too beautiful for words. As many have claimed, it's the prototype for EVERYTHING.

The "Ponytail Club Mix (Part 1 & 2)", produced by Tony Morgan in the mid-90s, is in a more up-tempo style, with vocals higher in the mix, the BPM upped to 120 and the addition of a housey 4/4 kick drum. A 14 minute epic, you could say this is a more straight ahead "club-friendly" mix (but can things ever be that straightforward with Arthur?!) It also has some really interesting vocal parts not used in the other versions, including some vocals from guest poet Allen Ginsberg.

These remixes are part of the same original project that also produced the Another Thought album so it seems only right that they have a sleeve that matches. Thanks again to Janette Beckman for letting us use another of her photos of Arthur and the rest of the design follows what Margery Greenspan, Tina Lauffer and Michael Klotz did for Another Thought back in 1994.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year.

Gong's Gang , a one-off project for the unique family of true musicians: Giuseppe, Lino, and Rossana Nicolosi; brothers and sisters who knew ''something'' about the Italo-boogie-funk of the early '80s, uncontaminated by the increasingly invasive electronic sound of a yet unappreciated Italo-Disco. Gimme Your Love is a gem, with Rosanna Nicolosi leading the way on vocals and cascading synths and bass blending into an intoxicating mix that should make any funk detective froth with approval. And investigating how it sounds, one discovers a certain similarity to a Charades track; strings sound a bit like Gimme The Funk (written and produced by poet Lotti Golden and Richard Sher both with Chuck Wansley and Kathrine Joyce on Warp 9), mixed in 1982 by John "Jellybean" Benitez, a very close friend of Tony Carrasco, who in 1983 produced, arranged, and mixed 'Gimme Your Love'. The two always kept an eye on each other, even from a distance, staying in touch. However, these assumptions do not detract from this stellar song: whether you prefer the vocal hit or the subtly voiced instrumental, that you can dance at any nighttime party and that absolutely deserves a second chance in the spotlight.

Like sneaking an extra scoop (or two) of ice cream for dessert, what do you do when you know something’s bad for you, but its vice-like nature makes it all the more irresistible? Vega Records explores this conundrum in its latest release, “Can’t Let You Go” by the late, great Loleatta Holloway.

“Can’t Let You Go” is one of the last unreleased recordings Loleatta completed before her passing in 2011. In the main mix, she addresses a relationship she knows she should end but can’t bring herself to leave because the lovin’ is just too good: “I keep coming back time and time again,” she ruminates with raw emotion. “We got to make things better or we got to do whatever to make it right… oh, let’s make it right, ‘cause I can’t let you go.”

For the unfamiliar, Loleatta Holloway, a.k.a. the “Queen of the Night,” is a bona fide disco and soul icon. The singer behind successful singles such as “Hit and Run” and “Love Sensation,” she is one of the most sampled artists from the disco era.

The posthumous single was written and produced by prolific artist Yvonne Turner, whose resume includes production and remix credits for music greats such as Whitney Houston, Willie Colon, and Jeffrey Osborne; as well as mixes for Lenny Kravitz, Lalah Hathaway, Mica Paris, and more. Providing subtle, smooth background vocals for the track, she allows Loleatta’s belting vocals to be the star of the percussive house groover; while Vega Records boss Louie Vega offers a “Roots” mix and emotion-charged “Soul House” mix. Louie Vega also invited his vocalist friends Tawatha Agee (of seminal R&B and soul group Mtume) and Cindy Mizelle (Louie Vega’s longtime collaborator) to add powerful hooks and new background arrangements, enhancing the track with some call and response to Loleatta's adlibs during the vamp. Gene Perez on Bass, Axel Tosca on Fender Rhodes, and Roberto Quintero on percussion. In all, the record is club-ready catharsis made for dancing all your troubles away.

“Loleatta Holloway was one of the most dynamic vocalists of our time,” says Yvonne Turner. “She was blessed with the gift of song and her energy was electric! Loleatta's passion and artistry is on full display as she masterfully interprets a lyric then delivers her signature adlibs, which never disappoint. To describe her in a few words, Loleatta Holloway was the truth... my friend... extraordinary!”

Adds Louie Vega, “Loleatta Holloway has had a huge impact in my life as a DJ, producer, and clubber. She touched me in many ways through my music-making and even style of DJing; to this day, I still play many of her songs and acapellas. This is just our little way of saying thank you so much for what you've done for so many lives with your beautiful voice, you've affected us all!!!”

The record’s cover artwork is a mural of Loleatta Holloway created by Richard Wilson, a London-based artist who takes inspiration from DJs and producers from the house music and disco scene. Last month, Louie traveled to Liverpool, England for the mural’s unveiling.

Amsterdam indie stalwarts Pip Blom and Willem Smit, respectively the songwriter & vocal force behind Pip Blom and the driving creative mind behind Personal Trainer, have come together after a decade of intermittent collaborations to launch a new project: Long Fling. The duo's self-titled debut album arrives 3rd of October, 2025, unveiling a collection of charming, offbeat guitar and drum machine, kraut-rock tinged anthems, touching on everyday oddities like socks, shoes, and the allure of staying home.

Unlike typical duets, Long Fling doesn’t focus on harmonies or traditional back-and-forth vocals. Instead, Pip and Willem trade lines over minimal, melodic arrangements that reflect their shared sensibilities. The songs are direct but often playful, shaped by a mix of guitars, drum machines, and off-the-cuff lyrics.

Over the course of ten years, Willem and Pip’s songwriting process evolved from tentative beginnings filled with creative tension to a natural, collaborative flow. Willem reflects: “Over the years, I feel we’ve grown more comfortable making music together... Assembling a record we have been accidentally making without the goal of making a record was fun, but also weird. It felt a bit like archaeology sometimes. We tried to change things... but found out quite quickly that it made most sense to stay true to the initial ideas we had.”

we each asked our dads whether the album sounded more like a Willem album or a Pip album, they both said the other’s name. I really feel like we made this album together - it’s a true blend of the both of us.

Orange & Red Splatter Vinyl. John Carpenters Soundtracks für die jüngste Halloween-Trilogie, die er zusammen mit seinen langjährigen Mitarbeitern Cody Carpenter und Daniel Davies komponierte, markierten die Rückkehr des legendären Regisseurs und Komponisten zur Filmmusik nach fast zwei Jahrzehnten Pause. Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) und Halloween Ends (2022) wurden alle von David Gordon Green inszeniert, der Carpenter bereits früh in die Vorproduktion einbezog und ihn schließlich als ausführenden Produzenten und Soundtrack-Komponisten für die Trilogie engagierte. Nun erscheint erstmals eine Deluxe-Edition des Soundtracks zu ,Halloween Ends" als 2xLP-Erweiterung bei Carpenters langjährigem Label Sacred Bones Records. ,Halloween" aus dem Jahr 2018 war ein Erfolg, der die kühnsten Träume aller Beteiligten übertraf. Der Film startete mit den höchsten Einspielzahlen in der Geschichte von Blumhouse und war der erfolgreichste Film der ,Halloween"-Reihe. Es war unvermeidlich, dass bald zwei Fortsetzungen, Halloween Kills und Halloween Ends, grünes Licht erhielten. Green unterschrieb für die Regie beider Filme, aber er wollte nicht davon ausgehen, dass John, Cody und Daniel für die Filmmusik zurückkehren würden. ,Ich nehme nichts als selbstverständlich hin", sagt er. ,Man hofft also, dass sie eine gute Erfahrung gemacht haben. Ich weiß, dass wir Spaß an dem Projekt hatten, aber man weiß nie, wie es um die Zeit und die finanziellen Interessen der Leute steht und all diese Dinge. Die Realitäten des Geschäfts und des Filmemachens laufen nicht immer so reibungslos ab. Aber es gab keine Probleme. Wir sahen uns an und sagten: ,Wie können wir das hinbekommen? Lassen Sie es uns noch einmal versuchen.` Zweimal."Die erweiterte Version von Halloween Ends enthält 10 bisher unveröffentlichte Stücke und wird mit brandneuen Artworks von Chris Bilheimer und einem exklusiven 24 x 36"-Poster von Creepy Duck geliefert. Erweiterte Versionen der Soundtracks zu Halloween und Halloween Kills sowie eine Box mit allen drei erweiterten Editionen werden ebenfalls am selben Tag bei Sacred Bones erhältlich sein.

Orange & Green Splatter Vinyl! John Carpenters Soundtracks für die jüngste Halloween-Trilogie, die er zusammen mit seinen langjährigen Mitarbeitern Cody Carpenter und Daniel Davies komponierte, markierten die Rückkehr des legendären Regisseurs und Komponisten zur Filmmusik nach fast zwei Jahrzehnten Pause. Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) und Halloween Ends (2022) wurden alle von David Gordon Green inszeniert, der Carpenter bereits früh in die Vorproduktion einbezog und ihn schließlich als ausführenden Produzenten und Soundtrack-Komponisten für die Trilogie engagierte. Nun erscheint zum ersten Mal eine Deluxe-Edition des Soundtracks zu ,Halloween Kills" als 2xLP-Erweiterung bei Carpenters langjährigem Label Sacred Bones Records. ,Halloween" aus dem Jahr 2018 war ein Erfolg, der alle Erwartungen der Beteiligten übertraf. Der Film startete mit den höchsten Einspielzahlen in der Geschichte von Blumhouse und war der erfolgreichste Film der ,Halloween"-Reihe. Es war unvermeidlich, dass bald zwei Fortsetzungen, Halloween Kills und Halloween Ends, grünes Licht erhielten. Green unterschrieb für die Regie beider Filme, wollte aber nicht davon ausgehen, dass John, Cody und Daniel wieder für die Filmmusik verantwortlich sein würden. ,Ich nehme nichts als selbstverständlich hin", sagt er. ,Man hofft also, dass sie eine gute Erfahrung gemacht haben. Ich weiß, dass wir Spaß an dem Projekt hatten, aber man weiß nie, wie es um die Zeit und die finanziellen Interessen der Leute steht und all diese Dinge. Die Realitäten des Geschäftslebens und des Filmemachens laufen nicht immer reibungslos ab. Aber es gab keine Probleme. Wir sahen uns an und sagten: ,Wie können wir das hinbekommen? Lassen Sie es uns noch einmal versuchen.` Zweimal." Die erweiterte Version von ,Halloween Kills" enthält 25 bisher unveröffentlichte Stücke und wird mit brandneuen Artworks von Chris Bilheimer und einem exklusiven 24x36-Zoll-Poster von Creepy Duck geliefert. Erweiterte Versionen der Soundtracks zu ,Halloween" und ,Halloween Ends" sowie eine Box mit allen drei erweiterten Editionen werden ebenfalls am selben Tag bei Sacred Bones erhältlich sein.

Wenn Sie von Hillsborough, North Carolina, auf der 1-85 nach Norden fahren und die Ausfahrt zur 58 East nehmen, erreichen Sie in fünfzehn Minuten Diamond Grove, ein kleines, nicht eingemeindetes Gebiet im Brunswick County, Virginia, am Meherrin River. Für die meisten Besucher gibt es dort nicht viel zu sehen - für Lebensmittel müssen Sie nach Lawrenceville und für Baumaterial nach South Hill fahren. Doch versteckt in diesem Fleckchen Virginia-Piedmont liegen die Überreste einer Milchfarm aus den 1740er Jahren, deren Haupthaus ein wunderschönes altes Gebäude mit zwei Etagen ist, das noch immer mit Seilbetten und allem Drum und Dran ausgestattet ist. Wenn man heute dorthin fährt, hört man in der Ferne Geräusche von jemandem, der in den vermieteten Nebengebäuden Sojabohnen und Baumwolle verarbeitet, von landwirtschaftlichen Reifen, die über Schotterstraßen knirschen, von quakenden Fröschen und von singenden Meisen: chick-a-dee, chick-a-dee. Aber wenn Sie zufällig im September 2023 vorbeigekommen sind, konnten Sie vielleicht Fiddle-Melodien hören, die von den Kiefern widerhallen, BBS-Geräusche in leeren Räumen und die Klänge von Weirs, die ihr zweites Album und ihr Debüt bei Dear Life Records aufnahmen: Diamond Grove. Weirs ist ein experimentelles Kollektiv, das aus der Musikszene im Zentrum von North Carolina hervorgegangen ist und zu gleichen Teilen aus Oldtime-Folk und DIY-Noise besteht. Die Auftritte von Weirs sind hierarchielos und umfassen zwischen zwei und zwölf Personen. Im September 2023 reisten neun von ihnen die US-58 hinauf, um sich im Wohn- und Esszimmer des Hauptgebäudes einer Milchfarm einzufinden, die noch immer im Besitz der Familie des Bandmitglieds und Organisators Oliver Child-Lanning ist, deren Verwandte seit Jahrhunderten dort leben. Die Besetzung von Weirs - weder endgültig noch besonders wertvoll - umfasst Child-Lanning, Justin Morris und Libby Rodenbough (seine Mitstreiter bei Sluice); Evan Morgan, Courtney Werner und Mike DeVito von Magic Tuber Stringband; sowie die treuen Andy McLeod, Alli Rogers und Oriana Messer, die bis tief in die Spätsommernächte spielten. Das Ergebnis sind die neun Tracks von Diamond Grove, aufgenommen mit einer provisorischen Signalkette, die aus geliehenem Equipment der gesamten Community zusammengestellt wurde. Das Weirs-Projekt begann als Tape-Experimente mit traditionellen Melodien, die Child-Lanning im Winter 2019 unter dem Namen Pluviöse aufgenommen hatte. Daraus entstand das erste Weirs-Album Prepare to Meet God, das im Juli 2020 in Eigenregie veröffentlicht wurde und eine Zusammenarbeit zwischen Child-Lanning und Morris während der COVID-Pandemie war. Die seltsamen Umstände dieses Debüts - eine gemeinschaftliche Tradition von Live-Songs, die isoliert voneinander aufgenommen wurden - werden durch Diamond Grove aufgehoben, ein Album, das in der unwiederholbaren Konvergenz von Menschen, Ort und Zeit verwurzelt ist. Auf dem neuen Album setzen Weirs ihre Suche nach dem besten Weg fort, sogenannte ,traditionelle" Musik weiterzuentwickeln, zu bewahren und zu befreien. Sie sind Songfänger, die Melodien sammeln, die kurz vor dem Vergessen stehen. Ihr wildes, Jahrhunderte umspannendes Repertoire klingt wie eine avantgardistische Jam-Session - eine Art Real Book für eine Szene, die sich mit Porch Jams, Big Blood, Amps for Christ und Jean Ritchie auskennt. Weirs fangen Songs ein, deren Interpretationskanon noch offen genug ist, um neben denen zu stehen, die sie zuvor gesungen haben, aber niemals über ihnen. Dies sind keine Versuche, definitive Versionen zu schaffen. Die Aufnahmen auf Diamond Grove fühlen sich eher wie Besuche als wie Überarbeitungen an. Und die Frage, die Weirs auf diesem Album stellen, ist nicht, wie sie einfach die Tradition ihrer Vorfahren fortsetzen können, sondern wie traditionelle Musik heute klingen könnte. Für Weirs könnte die Geschichte dieser Tradition weniger aus dem Folk-Revival stammen als aus der Musique concrète, weniger aus makellosen alten Meisteraufnahmen als aus etwas wie The Shadow Ring, wenn diese aus dem evangelikalen Süden kämen. Wenn man ,(A Still, Small Voice)" hört, spürt man, wie die Kraft der Hymne etwas Gleichwertigem weicht: den Dielen, dem Knistern des Feuers, dem Zubereiten und Essen von Mahlzeiten. Diese Spannung zwischen Bewahrung und Verfall ist das innere Leuchten von Diamond Grove. Nehmen wir ,Doxology l": Die Melodie von ,Old Hundred", einer Hymne aus der Sacred-Harp-Tradition, wird in MIDI umgewandelt, über iPhone-Lautsprecher abgespielt und in der Septemberluft neu aufgenommen. Für manche Revivalisten mag diese Hymne, gesungen mit der ganzen Pracht gefälschter Auto-Tune-Stimmen, blasphemisch klingen. Aber Ohren, die beispielsweise auf die Hyperpop-Produktionen der letzten Jahrzehnte eingestellt sind, werden sofort die spannungsgeladene Schönheit des digital verfremdeten Shape-Note-Gesangs verstehen. Dieselbe Spannung belebt ,l Want to Die Easy". Weirs' Version basiert auf der Aufnahme von A Golden Ring of Gospel, die in der Folkways-Sammlung Sharon Mountain Harmony verewigt ist. Die Melodien, Texte und Strukturen sind weitgehend unverändert geblieben. Aber die ,reine" Klarheit der Stimmen der frühen Aufnahme ist verschwunden. An ihre Stelle tritt der distanzierte Klang des Silos der Milchfarm, in dem Weirs ihre Version aufgenommen hat, dessen natürlicher Nachhall von zwei Sekunden die ursprüngliche Nähe ersetzt. Auf diese Weise wird der Klang des Aufnahmeortes selbst zu einem Teil der traditionellen Darbietung. Das Herzstück von Diamond Grove ist Weirs' Interpretation von ,Lord Bateman", einer Melodie, die Jean Ritchie als ,große Ballade" bezeichnete: Sie wurde gespielt, wenn die Arbeit getan war und der Tanzabend zu Ende war. Es ist ein Lied aus dem 18. Jahrhundert - so alt wie die Diamond Grove Farm - über einen gefangenen Abenteurer, der laut Nic Jones den Geist eines Errol-Flynn-Films verkörpert. Wie viele großartige und oft a cappella gesungene Interpretationen steht auch bei diesem ,Lord Bateman" die Stimme im Vordergrund und unterstreicht die Bedeutung des Geschichtenerzählens für das Zusammenkommen der Kinder. Neu ist hier der immense Bordun, der die Erzählung in ein unaufhörliches Gewebe elementarer Kräfte verwandelt. Es ist ein verschwommenes Murmeln kollektiver Saiten, das den Kanon von Ritchie und June Tabor ebenso bereichert wie Pelt's Ayahuasca oder Henry Flynt's Hillbilly Tape Music. Obwohl Diamond Grove nicht explizit von der alten Milchfarm handelt, auf der es aufgenommen wurde, kann es nicht umhin, ihr zu ähneln. Alte englische Balladen wie ,Lord Bateman" und ,Lord Randall" ergießen sich über Felder, die einst von der britischen Krone ,vergeben" wurden. Tragische Lieder wie ,Edward" taumeln über Tuscarora-Pfade und Baumwollfelder nach dem Bürgerkrieg. Hymnen wie ,Everlasting l" und ,Everlasting Il" fangen das Mondlicht ein, das seit Lord Bacons Rebellion durch doppelt gehängte Fenster fällt. Und die Nachtvögel trillern noch immer, und die Pflüge pflügen noch immer eine unkomponierte Musik, die darauf wartet, von zufälligen Ohren entdeckt zu werden. Diamond Grove ist in dieser Hinsicht Geschichte. Es ist ein Ort. Es ist Zeit. Es ist das Einfangen von Liedern, Lebendigkeit, Tonbandmanipulation. Wie der niedrige Damm, den das Wort ,Weir" andeutet, ist es eine Verteidigung gegen die Strömung. Es ist eine Verteidigung regionaler Lexika gegen massenproduzierte Umgangssprachen; eine Verteidigung gegen den Glauben, dass wir einfach zu einer einfacheren Zeit zurückkehren können; eine Verteidigung gegen die Vorstellung, dass Volksmusik ,rein" bleiben muss; eine Verteidigung gegen die Behauptung, dass ein Traum von der Zukunft, der in verlorenen Geschichten schlummert, unwiederbringlich verloren ist. Gegen all das verteidigt Diamond Grove traditionelle Musik, indem es sie so klingen lässt, wie die Komplexität der heutigen Zeit - weil es weiß, dass solche Musik und all die Geschichten, die in ihr stecken, auch in Zukunft eine Rolle spielen werden.

In 2005, when they formed Cotonete, the Parisian musicians secretly dreamed of playing 70s Brazilian funk in Brazil. Having become specialists in the style, the dream became a reality 12 years later thanks to Brazilian singer and actress Simone Mazzer (awarded Newcomer of the Year), who decided to hire the Parisian group to record her second album.
The engagement quickly turned into a collaboration, with Cotonete taking part in the selection of the repertoire, the arrangements, and the production of the album. It was prepared and recorded in Paris at Studio Prado in July 2016. It would be mixed and released in Brazil in 2017.
And so, Simone finally invited Cotonete to come and set foot on Brazilian soil. Five concerts, including two wonderful ones at the SESC Copacabana in Rio, were organized for the album's release. It was during this tour that the band met singer Di Mélo, with whom they recorded the album "Atemporel" in Sao Paulo, featuring the track "A.E.I.O.U."

Nearly 10 years after its recording, the album "Simone Mazzer & Cotonete" is finally being reissued on vinyl on Prado Records. It has been remixed for the occasion by Fabien Girard.
Simone Mazzer will be in France in September 2025 and performing at the Studio de l'Ermitage on September 19th for the official vinyl release.

Brussels-based guitarist Benjamin Sauzereau is one of the most respected figures in Belgian jazz, working across the full spectrum-from elegant jazz to adventurous improvisation. You may know him from projects such as Les Chroniques de l'Inutile, Hendrik Lasure Warm Bad, Book of Air, and Fur. Over the past few years, he has written a large number of compositions under the umbrella of 'REMORQUE', performed in various line-ups-a concept somewhat reminiscent of John Zorn's Masada compositions.



These pieces share a clever and imaginative approach to composition, improvisation, and arrangement. Typically short but vibrant, they shimmer with color and atmosphere-sometimes lyrical and contemplative, other times playful, whimsical, or slightly prickly. Each piece opens up a small, self-contained universe full of nuance, refinement, and space, interpreted by musicians who navigate fluidly between classical discipline and free improvisation.



Following the first release Un on W.E.R.F. Records, Sauzereau now presents the highly anticipated follow-up: DEUX. This second chapter dives even deeper into the sonic world of REMORQUE-further refining its playful contrasts, rich textures, and poetic unpredictability. With DEUX, Sauzereau cements his reputation as a composer who continuously reshapes the boundaries between structure and freedom, offering a listening experience that is as intimate as it is exploratory.

Although it had a very troubled birth, all detailed in the liner notes included with those different versions here, CRADLE OF FILTH almost-album-length 1996 EP V Empire, Or Dark Faerytales In Phallustein proved to be a superb triumph over adversity.

Despite all their legal problems, line-up changes and insane pressure after the gigantic success of their debut album, the Brits nevertheless managed to write and record a slab of new even grander songs, next to a new version of the already classic ‘The Forest Whispers My Name’, some would argue even bettering their debut in the process.

Another undeniable 90s symphonic black metal masterpiece, available again for the first time officially since 2017!

Although it had a very troubled birth, all detailed in the liner notes included with those different versions here, CRADLE OF FILTH almost-album-length 1996 EP V Empire, Or Dark Faerytales In Phallustein proved to be a superb triumph over adversity.

Despite all their legal problems, line-up changes and insane pressure after the gigantic success of their debut album, the Brits nevertheless managed to write and record a slab of new even grander songs, next to a new version of the already classic ‘The Forest Whispers My Name’, some would argue even bettering their debut in the process.

Another undeniable 90s symphonic black metal masterpiece, available again for the first time officially since 2017!