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We are thrilled to kick off our label endeavors with one of the rarest and simultaneously best-recorded independently released German new wave singles in history: "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" ("The Same Dream Every Night") by Total.

Back in late 1983, Total found themselves in a pivotal rendezvous with CBS Records in a Frankfurt hotel lobby. The entire band was present, along with the esteemed NDW manager Jim Rakete, who had played a role in launching Nena to national and international stardom. Also in attendance were the A&R representatives from CBS. It was on this day that Total was presented with the opportunity to ink an album deal with CBS. However, since they had only recorded the titular song thus far, negotiations hit a snag. CBS insisted on a full album rather than a standalone single.
Ultimately, the band decided to independently issue a limited 7" run of "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" under Günther Mannschreck's Schreckschuss label in January 1984. These vinyl copies became the band's currency for pursuing record deals and promotional prospects. However, despite the potential to achieve commercial success and garner radio airplay, the song and the "Total" project gradually waned from the music landscape. Regrettably, only a few vinyl copies have managed to endure over time. This NDW "holy grail" may have prompted a fair share of dreams for serious vinyl collectors, as to this day, not a single physical copy has been put up for sale on platforms like eBay or Discogs. Interestingly, Maisenbacher has even fielded an offer of over 400 Euros for an original copy, although he regretfully couldn't fulfill the request due to possessing just a single copy himself.

The song itself is a fusion of diverse musical styles. Crafted using the Oberheim OB8 system, complete with the DMX drum machine and a bassline woven from a Jupiter 8 keyboard, it carried a groove reminiscent of New York's electro hip-hop sound in "The Message," setting it apart from typical German new wave productions. Additionally, a Korg Polysix was integrated, and guitar effects were layered to finalize the infectious synth-pop instrumental. Newcomer to the band, Andrea Ströbel, laid down a flawless vocal layer that steered the song towards a straightforward NDW direction, giving it a resonance that surely resonated with mainstream and radio audiences. To complete a B-side for the original vinyl single, the legendary state-of-the-art L480 Lexicon reverb was used. In the more experimental "Maxi Mix," now known as the "Dub Mix," Mannschreck expertly manipulated the machine. The outcome stands as a historical example of incredible studio craftsmanship and the cutting-edge techniques of the 80s.
For the new 12" release, Mannschreck unearthed an alternative mix of the song on the original tapes, featuring a distinct introduction, break, and exciting edits. In addition, DJ Friction, who contributed to the transfer and mastering for the release, treated us to a superb edit that cleverly melds all versions of the song while incorporating a few extra bassline groove elements.

The captivating reissue cover spotlights vocalist Andrea Ströbel, who gazes with determination. A hand reaches out to grab her shirt, attempting to pull her down. Symbolizing the song's theme, it embodies the unsettling dream conveyed by the lyrics-yet she steadfastly resists.

In summary, we are elated to present a significant gem for vinyl enthusiasts: a splendid mid-tempo tune that dances on the boundary of synth-pop, new wave and electro. The new 12" single underwent meticulous mastering, and the outcome is nothing short of astounding, surpassing the sonic quality of the original pressing.

We are thrilled to kick off our label endeavors with one of the rarest and simultaneously best-recorded independently released German new wave singles in history: "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" ("The Same Dream Every Night") by Total.

Back in late 1983, Total found themselves in a pivotal rendezvous with CBS Records in a Frankfurt hotel lobby. The entire band was present, along with the esteemed NDW manager Jim Rakete, who had played a role in launching Nena to national and international stardom. Also in attendance were the A&R representatives from CBS. It was on this day that Total was presented with the opportunity to ink an album deal with CBS. However, since they had only recorded the titular song thus far, negotiations hit a snag. CBS insisted on a full album rather than a standalone single.
Ultimately, the band decided to independently issue a limited 7" run of "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" under Günther Mannschreck's Schreckschuss label in January 1984. These vinyl copies became the band's currency for pursuing record deals and promotional prospects. However, despite the potential to achieve commercial success and garner radio airplay, the song and the "Total" project gradually waned from the music landscape. Regrettably, only a few vinyl copies have managed to endure over time. This NDW "holy grail" may have prompted a fair share of dreams for serious vinyl collectors, as to this day, not a single physical copy has been put up for sale on platforms like eBay or Discogs. Interestingly, Maisenbacher has even fielded an offer of over 400 Euros for an original copy, although he regretfully couldn't fulfill the request due to possessing just a single copy himself.

The song itself is a fusion of diverse musical styles. Crafted using the Oberheim OB8 system, complete with the DMX drum machine and a bassline woven from a Jupiter 8 keyboard, it carried a groove reminiscent of New York's electro hip-hop sound in "The Message," setting it apart from typical German new wave productions. Additionally, a Korg Polysix was integrated, and guitar effects were layered to finalize the infectious synth-pop instrumental. Newcomer to the band, Andrea Ströbel, laid down a flawless vocal layer that steered the song towards a straightforward NDW direction, giving it a resonance that surely resonated with mainstream and radio audiences. To complete a B-side for the original vinyl single, the legendary state-of-the-art L480 Lexicon reverb was used. In the more experimental "Maxi Mix," now known as the "Dub Mix," Mannschreck expertly manipulated the machine. The outcome stands as a historical example of incredible studio craftsmanship and the cutting-edge techniques of the 80s.
For the new 12" release, Mannschreck unearthed an alternative mix of the song on the original tapes, featuring a distinct introduction, break, and exciting edits. In addition, DJ Friction, who contributed to the transfer and mastering for the release, treated us to a superb edit that cleverly melds all versions of the song while incorporating a few extra bassline groove elements.

The captivating reissue cover spotlights vocalist Andrea Ströbel, who gazes with determination. A hand reaches out to grab her shirt, attempting to pull her down. Symbolizing the song's theme, it embodies the unsettling dream conveyed by the lyrics-yet she steadfastly resists.

In summary, we are elated to present a significant gem for vinyl enthusiasts: a splendid mid-tempo tune that dances on the boundary of synth-pop, new wave and electro. The new 12" single underwent meticulous mastering, and the outcome is nothing short of astounding, surpassing the sonic quality of the original pressing.

The debut recording by Setting, a trio comprising Nathan Bowles (solo/trio, Pelt, Black Twig Pickers); Jaime Fennelly (Mind Over Mirrors, Peeesseye); and Joe Westerlund (solo, Califone, Sylvan Esso, Jake Xerxes Fussell). Deluxe LP edition features 140g black virgin vinyl and a reverse board jacket with art by Timothy Breen. Deluxe CD edition features a gatefold jacket with art by Timothy Breen. RIYL: Popol Vuh, Brian Eno’s Ambient 4, Harmonia, The Necks. Setting, befitting its name which can be read as noun or verb, and simultaneously suggests the sun, or any star in the firmament from our earthbound perspective; a story and its surroundings, its scenic context or mise en scène; or a psychedelic experience, as in the prescription to mind one’s “set and setting” arose outdoors, uncontained and unconstrained by architecture. The group’s debut recording Shone a Rainbow Light On traverses textural, phosphorescent topography with a certified organic folk-engine. Kosmische correspondences are inevitable and valid, but also somewhat deceptive, given this meditative music’s terrestrial rootedness in the familiar natural world, more in native humus and humidity than in outer space. Fuelled by a vibratory hybrid of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, these four stately longform pieces sound like a UFO slowly sinking into a peat bog (or, as we call it in North Carolina, a pocosin). An instrumental trio comprising Nathan Bowles (solo/trio, Pelt, Black Twig Pickers) on strings, keys, and percussion; Jaime Fennelly (Mind Over Mirrors, Peeesseye) on harmoniums, synthesizers, and piano zither; and Joe Westerlund (solo, Califone, Sylvan Esso, Jake Xerxes Fussell) on drums, percussion, and metallophones, Setting established its own setting and found its footing in regularly scheduled improvisational sessions outside Westerlund’s home in Durham, North Carolina, beginning in 2021. The three players began as two, in the context of occasional Bowles and Westerlund percussion duo performances dating back to 2018. Fennelly provided the initial impetus to gather and play together with intentionality and discipline, as well as an harmonic adhesive and thickening agent in the grain and gravity of his harmonium and synthesizer. As always, Bowles’s background as a pianist and drummer informs his approach to banjo, imparting a woodiness, a piney verticality and resinous tang. Westerlund’s training with Milford Graves is apparent in his polyrhythmic flow and its correspondences to human circulatory and corporeal rhythms. They recorded their collective discoveries with engineer Nick Broste in the spring of 2022.The record begins, like the group’s name, and like the language of its unique instrumental interplay, with ambiguous grammar: “We Center,” the first and longest track at thirteen and a half minutes, builds patiently to a percolating climax of tidal heaving, with ceremonial connotations. “Zoetropics,” the shortest piece, follows, offering a more diaphanous counterpoint to the density of its predecessor. The zithery, shivering “A Sun Harp,” its title redolent of Sun Ra, showcases Westerlund’s unfettered drumming, which skitters restlessly until anchored, at its conclusion, by a minor bass progression. Finally, “Fog Glossaries” exhales through the maritime and meteorological evocations of its title, distant buoys clanging. Although certainly elements and strategies of so-called ambient and drone musical traditions are invoked and deployed, those diffuse terms feel inadequate to describe everything else happening here: the devotional valences, the minimalist rigor, and even submarine jazz inclinations perceptible beneath the surface. Throughout this four-movement program, which invites deep listening, it is often difficult to differentiate individual instruments from the massed choir of the group’s unified sonic presence. At times what sound like field recordings cicadas, birds, wind, water splash out of this slow but powerful current, only to be revealed as overtones produced by harmonium, banjo, or cymbals. Setting’s sound is fundamentally synthetic in the sense of synthesis, not artifice—in a manner remarkable for its almost entirely acoustic arsenal of instrumentation, often registering as the product of a single alien technology, perhaps the rainbow lights of that bog-marooned UFO. (“Setting,” of course, can also refer to a machine’s variable operational amplitude its temperature, volume, speed, elevation, etc.) Sometimes the most seemingly extraterrestrial lifeforms are in fact our unfamiliar earthbound neighbors. Despite the destruction of many such habitats, the coastal plains of eastern, tidewater North Carolina is home to more pocosins freshwater, evergreen wetlands with deep, acidic, sandy, peat soils than anywhere else in the world. These threatened peat-bog ecosystems are the only native environment to sustain the carnivorous Venus flytrap, among other oddities. The sonic ecosystem of Setting similarly deep, acidic, and boggy contains equivalent wonders, savage and delicate, for listeners willing to take the time to sink.

Have you heard of the Nurse With Wound List? If you are a fan of creative-experimental-unlikely music, certainly. You would therefore be aware that amongst the recommendations that Steven Stapleton slipped into the first album of his group Nurse With Wound, were to be found a few restless frogs: Jef Gilson, Luc Ferrari, Jacques Thollot, Urban Sax, Horde Catalytique and last but not least Jean-Jacques Birgé and Francis Gorgé. Stapleton admired their album Défense de. The two Frenchmen just had to conceive of a fabulous precursor to the channel tunnel (check out the inside of the record, you’ll see) to enable Stapleton to come to France in 1980. The Englishman was looking for contributions to a compilation to be released on his United Dairies label that he had created with John Fothergill, and he naturally called on Birgé and Gorgé, who were then playing with Bernard Vitet in ‘Un drame musical instantané’.

It was a done deal and the compilation would be named In Fractured Silence. Alongside Nurse With Wound and Un drame musical instantané, could be heard Hélène Sage (whom Birgé introduced to Stapleton) and Sema, a project from the experimental British musician Robert Haigh who had participated in key records in the Nurse With Wound discography, such as Homotopy to Marie and Spiral Insana.

The curtain is raised and it is Un drame musical instantané who start the ball rolling. Mystery abounds; synthesisers lurk, percussion clatters and the sounds (creaks, whistles, vocal insertions...) fire in all directions. For the piano, it’s a debacle, the Drame won, Hélène Sage can take over. Heading up a quintette including Gorgé and Vitet, she creates a cushioned chamber music with strings and many silences.

On the B side, it’s the other side of the channel. Sema’s piano first off, which dares everything, even melody, before spilling out its darkest ideas in a raucous requiem. Finally, Stapleton appears, delving into his collection of female voices to devote himself to an iconoclastic transformation and concoct a song which collapses under the assault like Marianne at Agincourt. After having listened to In Fractured Silence, you will simply have to choose sides.

Have you heard of the Nurse With Wound List? If you are a fan of creative-experimental-unlikely music, certainly. You would therefore be aware that amongst the recommendations that Steven Stapleton slipped into the first album of his group Nurse With Wound, were to be found a few restless frogs: Jef Gilson, Luc Ferrari, Jacques Thollot, Urban Sax, Horde Catalytique and last but not least Jean-Jacques Birgé and Francis Gorgé. Stapleton admired their album Défense de. The two Frenchmen just had to conceive of a fabulous precursor to the channel tunnel (check out the inside of the record, you’ll see) to enable Stapleton to come to France in 1980. The Englishman was looking for contributions to a compilation to be released on his United Dairies label that he had created with John Fothergill, and he naturally called on Birgé and Gorgé, who were then playing with Bernard Vitet in ‘Un drame musical instantané’.

It was a done deal and the compilation would be named In Fractured Silence. Alongside Nurse With Wound and Un drame musical instantané, could be heard Hélène Sage (whom Birgé introduced to Stapleton) and Sema, a project from the experimental British musician Robert Haigh who had participated in key records in the Nurse With Wound discography, such as Homotopy to Marie and Spiral Insana.

The curtain is raised and it is Un drame musical instantané who start the ball rolling. Mystery abounds; synthesisers lurk, percussion clatters and the sounds (creaks, whistles, vocal insertions...) fire in all directions. For the piano, it’s a debacle, the Drame won, Hélène Sage can take over. Heading up a quintette including Gorgé and Vitet, she creates a cushioned chamber music with strings and many silences.

On the B side, it’s the other side of the channel. Sema’s piano first off, which dares everything, even melody, before spilling out its darkest ideas in a raucous requiem. Finally, Stapleton appears, delving into his collection of female voices to devote himself to an iconoclastic transformation and concoct a song which collapses under the assault like Marianne at Agincourt. After having listened to In Fractured Silence, you will simply have to choose sides.

French Psych-JAZZ-Soul-FUNK original soundtrack for initial soft erotic drama from 1973, later re-edited into "Sex Revolution" hardcore! "Jeu de Dames, la libération des femmes" (1973), a film by director Christian Lara, is a vaguely subversive charm flick that won't be remembered for a long time. An amusing detail, however, is that Georges de Caunes, father of Antoine de Caunes, the famous French TV personality, plays the lead role alongside Danielle Palmero. It's just one of a number of naïve films that, without being erotic, is sufficiently olé-olé that it failed to find a place in theaters on the traditional circuit. Faced with this commercial failure, the unscrupulous producer at the time, anxious to save his investments, decided to re-edit the film so that it could be screened in the X-rated circuit. He rechristened the film "Sex Revolution" in a more racy style, inserting more hardcore scenes to appeal to fans of the genre. Although Georges de Caunes is no longer credited on the poster or in the credits of "Sex Revolution", he finds himself, in spite of himself, promoted to lead actor in a porn movie, much to the delight of his son Antoine de Caunes, who is still dreaming 50 years later of finally being able to watch this forgotten masterpiece of the 7th art. The film seems to be a dud (pn: the author haven't seen it), but as for the music, Jean Claudric is particularly inspired and offers us one of the best French jazz funk soundtracks, which would not blush at the comparison with the best of the genre, such as Michel Legrand's "Un homme est mort", or Jean-Pierre Mirouze's "Le mariage collectif", previously released by Born Bad. Four short tracks, one with pyschedelic touches, the secomd more funky, the third a bit soul-jazzy, the fourth a French typical melancholic-melodic one makes a hot 7"-EP.

Alan Abrahams aka Portable returns to the label in fine form with his latest full-length LP, Augmented Dreams. The title refers to the use of everyday technological advancements to achieve what were once
only dreams or visions of past generations, making this an explorative concept album that is equal parts not-too-distant science fiction, and about as topical as it gets.
From the gorgeous opening string layers of “The Pull of Time” to the classy 4/4 grooves of “Begin Again” or lead single “Guiding Me”, into the apropos and angular sci-fi broken beat feels of “Parallax” and “The Color of Static”, fitting Detroit-influenced love taps like “Beacon” and “The Mycorrhizal Network”, the politically-inspired “Are We Not Above It?” referencing the lingering effects of colonization featuring NiQ E from South Africa on vocals and L_cio from Brazil on flute, through to the futurist pop elegance of the dreamy duet recorded with Alexey Kochetkov “I Need You” and the conclusive titular track, it is clear that both the in-depth concept and immaculately-crafted musical content in Portable’s inimitable style are balanced in significance and expressive effect. This also functions as a timely statement in itself, as today’s iceberg-tip evolution of AI technology is currently impending over the arts and many of our existing realities.
This ten-song album serves as an imaginative yet hyperrealist narrative on how humanity’s fascination with and reliance on ever-advancing technology defines the times we find ourselves in, while the skillful sonic displays and present-era production techniques along with Abraham’s knack for timeless emotive songwriting offer up this solid soundtrack for the ages.

Nicky Prince has never been bound by musical genre. The Milton Keyes born and raised. Vocalist has the versatility to fit any vibe while not compromising her signature sound. Although best known for her Garage hits with Zed Bias in the early 2000s, Nicky was performing and recording with various acts well before the height of Garage’s popularity. She started her career singing in Soul and Funk bands, and over the last two decades has lent her voice to Electro, Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, House, and Ska tracks.
In 2009 Nicky graced listeners with her debut solo EP “See What You Mean.” Within only five tracks the singer-songwriter displays impressive range, from the up-tempo, energetic funk of “I’m Hearing You” to a bluesy rendition of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” to the hushed tones of the EP’s sole acoustic number, “Balancing Scales.” She is backed on this effort by her band Soul Selecta, which includes renowned UK session players Dave Baldwin on Hammond organ and Robert ‘Skins’ Anderson on drums/percussion. Sadly, the release was criminally slept-on.

While “See What You Mean” was available on streaming services and CD, the EP
never received the vinyl treatment. So, rather than simply reissuing the project, Nicky has teamed with KU to offer what she calls a “reincarnation” of her debut on wax.

Now retitled “Listen Up,” this underrated affair has had new life breathed into it. To bring out the best in the original recordings, each song has been meticulously remastered by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio. Then to fill out the 12”, Nicky has added a handful of unreleased songs, including a heavy groove cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It,” which sees her reconnect with Zed Bias; a punchy, funked up tune titled “Listen Up;” and the original version of “Balancing Scales” that reveals what the track sounded like before it was stripped down to just guitar and vocals. This offering perfectly captures Nicky’s distinct tastes and inspirations. Further, it fills a hole in your record collection that you didn’t know was there until now.

Banana Club is without doubt one of the top new labels on the Breakbeat scene today. Led by the young and highly prolific Cadiz artist, FM-3, it was set up in 2020 with a strong identity and powerful, effective dancefloor grooves inspired by English bassline and 2step/garage and a touch of funk.

On this first vinyl release by the label, entitled Funky Beats, FM-3 kicks off his musical discourse with One for Me, a track which showcases the characteristic quality and forcefulness of his groove. This is followed by the album eponymous track Funky Beats, a collaboration with the multiple Spanish and World Scratching Champion, Jose Rodriguez, who dazzles with a number of superb passages in which improvisation and funk come to the fore.

The B-side opens with Panorama, featuring Orak. This fascinating, highly-experimental track offers a fusion of breaks and tech house and an elegant acid line which acts as a common thread and brings cohesion to the whole idea. The record closes, as you would expect, with a collaboration with Bowser, another of the label regular artists, entitled Bubbling.

A classic bassline dancefloor filler, it will take you back to the best tracks of the late nineties and early noughties. The classic black 12", mastered and cut by Simon, a veteran sound engineer at the Exchange Vinyl in London, has achieved a sound which is quite simply brutal.

Since forming in early 2021, The Prize have established themselves as one of Melbourne's premier rock and roll outfits, funnelling vocal soaked hooks and harmonies through a three guitar onslaught and a pulsating rhythm section. Their unique blend of power pop and rock and roll has earned new fans and followers from all sides of the globe. The Prize’s debut EP "Wrong Side of Town' sold out on the first day of its release and received high praise from the likes of punk legend, Henry Rollins. The band quickly found itself securing plum support slots for bands like the Sunnyboys, Pavement and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. This culminated in a national tour supporting The Chats in late 2022 that has helped to establish them as a premium live act with the tunes to back it up. To top it all off, The Prize are set to embark on their first international outing in August/September 2023 supporting KGLW and the Murlocs on their European tours with a number of headline dates across Europe and UK. “First Sight”, the much anticipated second release from The Prize will be out just in time for the EU/UK tour via Anti Fade Records and Drunken Sailor from August 18th

Introducing a super charged split LP featuring the talents of Cameron Stallones aka Sun Araw and Spencer Clark’s duo with Jan Andersen, Tarzana.
What originally started as an Aquapelago inspired residency in the summer of 2021 quickly developed into its own thing. Truth be told, both artists always surfed their own personal waves of musical freedom, so Aquapelagos Vol.2 album became AQUA X, a split offshoot work featuring rehashed Tarzana compositions on one side and a live presentation form Cameron’s residency in the island of Tenerife around Keroxen festival’s 13th Edition. With two artists very dear to us this split LP picks up perfectly on the aquapelagic concept and twists inside out into worlds high and below creating a further testament to both’s artists oeuvres. Here’s an extract of Professor Haywards original liner notes regarding the music:
‘’The tracks on this album reflect the geo-cultural position of Californian-based musicians, Cameron Stallones, (who records here under the Sun Araw moniker), and Spencer Clark and Jan Andersen’s (performing as Tarzana) with oceanic atmospheres and structures of feeling.
Sun Araw’s dedication to producing subtle, flowing, psychotropic compositions can be read as an attunement to the oceanic sublime. Recorded within the disused Keroxen tank in Santa Cruz harbour in Tenerife, The Canary Suite is an extended piece that features a mix of electronic pulses, short synthesizer fragments and distorted guitar bursts. The textures are relatively sparse throughout, with a linear emotional contour sustained by an ongoing melodic play within a defined band of possibilities before settling into a calmer, soothing and floating mood, like an aural floatation tank.
Tarzana’s tracks artfully blend simple synthesizer tones, vocal exhortations, and an assortment of treated instrument sounds to create a pulsing, wandering and restless music. Short rhythmic ostinato fragments push and pull against bold blown pipes and horns while subtle darker colours and shades intermittently move through the soundscape to intensify the mood. This is busy and dense music but with an orderly flow and internal sense of motion that sweeps up the listener in its wake, like a sailing ship propelled through tropical seas.’’

It delves further into studio production, further blurring the line between the acoustic and synthetic worlds. Extreme metal elements are thrown into the mixture of traditional Bugandan percussion and club sounds they've become synonymous with.

The distorted, chaotic energy of the record is channelled into a direct critique of the hostile immigration and freedom of movement policies implemented in the UK, as well as across the world. Fuelled by their frustrations with this intentionally convoluted system, the group have produced their most cataclysmic effort to date.

"Linking the high intensity drumming of the Ugandan Nilotican Ensemble with UK producers Spooky-j and pq, Nihiloxica's off the hook energy has been laying waste to tours and dancehalls since pre- pandemic days...the title track provides a vehement answer in the form of four minutes of corrosively headbanging Afrotech. A hostile environment for fascists." - The Wire

In the spring of 2011, MGMT was approached by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York to create a wholly unique live music experience in conjunction with the Maurizio Cattelan retrospective All, which opened that autumn. The group performed the original music at the Nov. 10, 2011 private opening, and again the following night for the public debut. Titled 11- 11-11 in honor of that date, the music will finally be released on all streaming platforms on 11- 11-22, the 11th anniversary of the hour-long, one-off concerts.

In 2019 BC (Before Covid) Discharge frontman Jeff Janiak reached out to longtime friend and musician JP Parsons to assist on a new project. The pair wrote and recorded various ideas before reaching out to Amebix guitarist Stig.C.Miller who joined them in the midst of the global pandemic. The trio utilized this new creative climate of physical restriction and went on to set the foundations for their first album, via file sharing home recordings, which would be arranged and produced by Stig. It was several months later when he would call upon Nausea, Ministry and former Amebix drummer Roy Mayorga to complete the line up. Roy went onto record drums, mix and produce the band's debut album 'LET THEM EAT FAKE'.

In these unprecedented times of global restriction, fear and the everlasting lack of faith in the hierarchy 'False Fed' has cultivated a heavy sound that is drenched in melody, aggression and shrouded in darkness. It is not bound by genre, yet still offers subtle hints to the creators lineage. 

False Fed are:
Jeff (JJ) Janiak - Vocals 
Stig.C.Miller - Guitar 
JP Parsons - Bass Guitar 
Roy Mayorga - Drums 

In the Shadows is the third full-length studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate. It is the first offering of the band since their reunion in 1992. After an almost decade-long hiatus, Mercyful Fate's reunion did not disappoint; it was as if they picked up right where they had left off. There are more of King Diamond's gothic tales of horror and the supernatural, and the music sounds better than ever. It doesn't have the historical significance of their early-'80s material, but that doesn't really matter; this is high-quality material from a tight veteran band.

Having been deck slaying as near their London headquarters as Germany and as far as Canada, goth techno prodigy Lesser Of is steadily approaching double digit release count. With an established residence at queer x trans focused, revolutionary event series Subverted, their efforts have been welcomed to a formidable list of industrial electronic labels and remixed by a tidy sum of high profile scene icons.

Here at Depth.Request our sonars are attuned to emanant potential, and so we conscript Lesser Of to hammer out our fourth acetate offering to date. To this, harsh noise and drone music inspirations are declared, alongside an artistic secret of the trade: lights-off sessions in live room of a recording studio vibrating with the pulse of a bass guitar ran through a freeze pedal were what begot the tracks, and they are well intent on assaulting your headphones with noise. Reeko on the remix - yes, this record fucks.

Prolonged, ominous intro? Nah. Have a face full of Crude Manifestation Of Power instead, as an insatiable, 10-minute long opener braces your ears for a week of ringing with a sonic equivalent of metallic thrashing one could expect from being a sinful, rave-lusting scoundrel. On title-diverting continuation Within My Fragility the words "strength in fragility" are truly alliterated as the pace, abrasiveness and intensity of pummelling are all ramped up fiercely, with linear open hats thrown against them from time to time for good measure. Having reached 140 BPM and concrete mean, Masked proceeds in a well anticipated ra(n)ge: infernal atmosphere, sandy hats and layered tectonic tremors achieved with increasingly undefined low end consisting of a rumble line and rolling kick morphing into abrasive haze. Winding the tempo back a notch, a halftimearranged contemplation Our Descent grows in direct, hyperborean vector: glassy drones and sharp syncopulsation first - atonal reverberations, distorted arpeggios and punchy stabs endwise. Reeko's analog reinvention of Masked convolves the drum structure by borrowing from breakbeat narratives and authorizes the dystopian ambiance to rise and fall on more gradual, panning, confined terms; adding, however, more disorder to the mix with spectrum slicing, high-range chaos.

As you would have learned to expect from Depth.Request, Within My Fragility EP is not an easy listening five-tracker. If by the end of it you find yourself feeling as if you just stepped out of a pounding warehouse at 3AM and you don't know what day it is, you wouldn't have been experiencing this mindspace alone.

GER SMILE zeigen mit ihrem hervorragenden Debut PRICE OF PROGRESS leichtfüßig auf, dass Post Punk im Jahre 2023 noch immer erfrischend klingen kann. Sie nehmen ihre Referenzen nicht als Dogma, bleiben experimentell, eigensinnig. Erzählerisch, eingängig, rough und anschmiegsam verschmelzen dabei die feinsinnigen, poetischen Beobachtungen von Sängerin Rubee True Fegan (USA) mit dem versierten Sound einer Band, die von Produzent Olaf Opal genau dahin gebracht wurde, wo sie hingehört: an den Startblock innovativer, kluger und sinnlicher Gitarrenmusik. In PRICE OF PROGRESS manifestiert sich das Zusammenspiel aus musikalischem Sturm und Drang und der Reife einer reflektierten Erzählperspektive. Was hier entstanden ist, klingt nun, 2023, in seiner jugendlichen Frische durchaus nach einem Debut - gleichzeitig aber nach dem Werk einer erfahrenen, über lange Zeit gewachsenen Band. Nur deutsch klingt es nicht, was sicher im Wesen von Sängerin Rubees True Fegans Heimat Albuquerque (New Mexico) begründet liegt, gleichsam aber in der Vielseitigkeit, die sich SMILE erlauben - und ihrer einhergehenden Virtuosität an den Instrumenten. SMILE versuchen sich dabei - einem Post-Punk britischer Machart folgend - durchaus in homogener Geradlinigkeit (Herrengedeck), lassen Kühle zu (Machine Dreaming) und folgen einem düsteren Ernst (Säge). Diese Facetten aber vermengen sich mit einer heiteren Experimentierfreude (Stalemate, Produce, Hungry Ghosts), mit Humor (Doohickey), mit verträumter Beschwingtheit (Commuter) und Genresprengender Pop-Af finität (Protection). So zeigt sich dieses stilsichere Album in einer Vielseitigkeit, die heute selten zu finden ist - und klingt trotzdem wie aus einem Guss. Auch die ersten drei Singles zeigen gut das Panorama, das SMILE mit ihrem Debut aufmachen: Dog In The Manger erinnert zunächst an Talk Talks Happiness Is Easy, wechselt aber nach dem Drum-Intro schnell die Spur. Der Opener der Platte stellt Rubee als Sängerin vor, die, trotz einer gewissen Gelassenheit in der Performance, von Wut und Traurigkeit getrieben ist. Der Text ist eine politische Reflexion, ausgelöst vom gekippten Abtreibungsrecht in den USA, das sich mit einer alten griechischen Fabel verbindet. So startet das Album mit einem Rätsel und offenbart, das Musik noch immer eine Waffe sein kann - aus Sound, Herz und Verstand. In Doohickey, einem der beschwingtesten Songs der Platte, kramt Rubee in ihrer Erinnerung, besucht ihre verstorbene Großmutter, eine unfreundliche alte Frau, die in ihrem Haus hortete, was sie fand. So entsteht eine Kurzgeschichte über die weirdest person alive und zeigt SMILE als Band, in der Text und Musik nicht konkurrieren, sondern stets Symbiose feiern. Zackig und temporeich wie das erzählte Leben kommen auch Gitarren und Rhythmussektion daher, finden zu einer soghaften Dynamik, ohne mit billigen Sing-alongs zu arbeiten. Protection, die dritte Single, ist wohl das eigensinnigste Stück der Platte, erzeugt, gesanglich pendelnd zwischen Blood Orange und Bands wie Siouxsie & The Banshees oder Bow Wow Wow, eine breite und intensive Palette, bringt einen The Fall-artigen Witz ein und wird zwischen den vermittelten Gefühlen zur Achterbahnfahrt. Das Stück schrieb Gitarrist Lars Fritzsche, mit dem Ziel, einen klassischen Hit zu schaffen (gelungen, wenn auch nicht klassisch!) - und schuf in der Offenheit des Songs dabei eine perfekte Fläche, die nun gleich mehrere Stimmen der Band versammelt. Im Zentrum: Rubee, die hier einen Text performt, der zwischen Traum und Cut-up ihren poetischen Glanz scheinen lässt. Die aus der Hüfte geschüttelte Dramaturgie ist dabei Paradebeispiel für die Innovation einer der spannendsten neuen Gitarrenbands, die nun auf dem Indielabel Siluh (Wien) eine Heimat zwischen Köln, Bonn und Albuquerque gefunden hat. Wahnsinn! (Hendrik Otremba)

ENG SMILE IS A POST-PUNK BAND WITH A SINGER, WHO PREFERS NOT TO SING. INSTEAD, SHE INTONES HER POETIC STORIES SPIKED WITH PERSONAL REFLECTIONS. With their excellent debut PRICE OF PROGRESS, SMILE light-footedly show that post punk can still sound refreshing in 2023. They don't take their references as dogma, remain experimental, stubborn. Narrative, catchy, rough and cuddly, the subtle, poetic observations of singer Rubee True Fegan (USA) merge with the accomplished sound of a band that producer Olaf Opal has put exactly where it belongs: on the starting block of innovative, clever and sensual guitar music. In PRICE OF PROGRESS, the interplay of musical Sturm und Drang and the maturity of a reflective narrative perspective manifests itself. Ltd pink vinyl LP!

GER SMILE zeigen mit ihrem hervorragenden Debut PRICE OF PROGRESS leichtfüßig auf, dass Post Punk im Jahre 2023 noch immer erfrischend klingen kann. Sie nehmen ihre Referenzen nicht als Dogma, bleiben experimentell, eigensinnig. Erzählerisch, eingängig, rough und anschmiegsam verschmelzen dabei die feinsinnigen, poetischen Beobachtungen von Sängerin Rubee True Fegan (USA) mit dem versierten Sound einer Band, die von Produzent Olaf Opal genau dahin gebracht wurde, wo sie hingehört: an den Startblock innovativer, kluger und sinnlicher Gitarrenmusik. In PRICE OF PROGRESS manifestiert sich das Zusammenspiel aus musikalischem Sturm und Drang und der Reife einer reflektierten Erzählperspektive. Was hier entstanden ist, klingt nun, 2023, in seiner jugendlichen Frische durchaus nach einem Debut - gleichzeitig aber nach dem Werk einer erfahrenen, über lange Zeit gewachsenen Band. Nur deutsch klingt es nicht, was sicher im Wesen von Sängerin Rubees True Fegans Heimat Albuquerque (New Mexico) begründet liegt, gleichsam aber in der Vielseitigkeit, die sich SMILE erlauben - und ihrer einhergehenden Virtuosität an den Instrumenten. SMILE versuchen sich dabei - einem Post-Punk britischer Machart folgend - durchaus in homogener Geradlinigkeit (Herrengedeck), lassen Kühle zu (Machine Dreaming) und folgen einem düsteren Ernst (Säge). Diese Facetten aber vermengen sich mit einer heiteren Experimentierfreude (Stalemate, Produce, Hungry Ghosts), mit Humor (Doohickey), mit verträumter Beschwingtheit (Commuter) und Genresprengender Pop-Af finität (Protection). So zeigt sich dieses stilsichere Album in einer Vielseitigkeit, die heute selten zu finden ist - und klingt trotzdem wie aus einem Guss. Auch die ersten drei Singles zeigen gut das Panorama, das SMILE mit ihrem Debut aufmachen: Dog In The Manger erinnert zunächst an Talk Talks Happiness Is Easy, wechselt aber nach dem Drum-Intro schnell die Spur. Der Opener der Platte stellt Rubee als Sängerin vor, die, trotz einer gewissen Gelassenheit in der Performance, von Wut und Traurigkeit getrieben ist. Der Text ist eine politische Reflexion, ausgelöst vom gekippten Abtreibungsrecht in den USA, das sich mit einer alten griechischen Fabel verbindet. So startet das Album mit einem Rätsel und offenbart, das Musik noch immer eine Waffe sein kann - aus Sound, Herz und Verstand. In Doohickey, einem der beschwingtesten Songs der Platte, kramt Rubee in ihrer Erinnerung, besucht ihre verstorbene Großmutter, eine unfreundliche alte Frau, die in ihrem Haus hortete, was sie fand. So entsteht eine Kurzgeschichte über die weirdest person alive und zeigt SMILE als Band, in der Text und Musik nicht konkurrieren, sondern stets Symbiose feiern. Zackig und temporeich wie das erzählte Leben kommen auch Gitarren und Rhythmussektion daher, finden zu einer soghaften Dynamik, ohne mit billigen Sing-alongs zu arbeiten. Protection, die dritte Single, ist wohl das eigensinnigste Stück der Platte, erzeugt, gesanglich pendelnd zwischen Blood Orange und Bands wie Siouxsie & The Banshees oder Bow Wow Wow, eine breite und intensive Palette, bringt einen The Fall-artigen Witz ein und wird zwischen den vermittelten Gefühlen zur Achterbahnfahrt. Das Stück schrieb Gitarrist Lars Fritzsche, mit dem Ziel, einen klassischen Hit zu schaffen (gelungen, wenn auch nicht klassisch!) - und schuf in der Offenheit des Songs dabei eine perfekte Fläche, die nun gleich mehrere Stimmen der Band versammelt. Im Zentrum: Rubee, die hier einen Text performt, der zwischen Traum und Cut-up ihren poetischen Glanz scheinen lässt. Die aus der Hüfte geschüttelte Dramaturgie ist dabei Paradebeispiel für die Innovation einer der spannendsten neuen Gitarrenbands, die nun auf dem Indielabel Siluh (Wien) eine Heimat zwischen Köln, Bonn und Albuquerque gefunden hat. Wahnsinn! (Hendrik Otremba)

ENG SMILE IS A POST-PUNK BAND WITH A SINGER, WHO PREFERS NOT TO SING. INSTEAD, SHE INTONES HER POETIC STORIES SPIKED WITH PERSONAL REFLECTIONS. With their excellent debut PRICE OF PROGRESS, SMILE light-footedly show that post punk can still sound refreshing in 2023. They don't take their references as dogma, remain experimental, stubborn. Narrative, catchy, rough and cuddly, the subtle, poetic observations of singer Rubee True Fegan (USA) merge with the accomplished sound of a band that producer Olaf Opal has put exactly where it belongs: on the starting block of innovative, clever and sensual guitar music. In PRICE OF PROGRESS, the interplay of musical Sturm und Drang and the maturity of a reflective narrative perspective manifests itself. Ltd pink vinyl LP!

SULPHUR AEONs neuestes Werk ist gesegnet mit Kontrasten, klanglicher Ebbe und Flut. Ein Taifun kantiger Riffs und wilder Blastbeats, raffinierte Melodieschichten, dichte Atmosphäre und triumphal gesungene Refrains reißen dich mit. Ätherische Akustikgitarren, subtile Synthesizer, einen Hauch von Gothic ('The Yearning Abyss Devours Us'), satte Leads, E-Bow-Parts, heftige Aggression ('Arcane Cambrian Sorcery'), monumentale Schwere, die in hypnotische Gesangsmuster übergeht ('Seven Crowns And Seven Seals'), und ein großes Finale ('Beneath The Ziqqurrats') - "Seven Crowns And Seven Seals" überschreitet Genres; es wütet und zerstört, lullt dich im nächsten Moment in gefährlich täuschende Ruhe, nur um dich unwiderbringlich in den dunklen Strudel des Ozeans zu reißen. SULPHUR AEON meistern ihren durchdringenden Cinematic Death Metal der Extraklasse, gehen über sich hinaus und klingen dabei doch unverkennbar kohärent - perfekt eingefangen und verfeinert von den langjährigen Mitarbeitern Simon Werner und Michael Zech (Secrets Of The Moon, Bølzer etc.), während das Mastering von V. Santura (Triptykon, Dark Fortress) übernommen wurde. Was das Artwork betrifft, so haben SULPHUR AEON diesmal mit der Tradition gebrochen, wieder mit Ola Larsson zu arbeiten, und sich mit dem Italiener Paolo Girardi zusammengetan, um eine Lovecraft'sche Apokalypse darzustellen, die der Opulenz und Dynamik des Albums einen raueren Stil entgegensetzt.

SULPHUR AEONs "Seven Crowns And Seven Seals" ist der offensichtliche und - zumindest im Moment - möglicherweise auch der Höhepunkt einer Band, die besessen von ihrer Kreativität ist und sich leidenschaftlich und bereitwillig der Herausforderung stellt, Musik zu produzieren, die so zeitlos und originell ist wie das literarische Vermächtnis von H.P. Lovecraft. Stürzen Sie sich in die dunklen Gewässer und lassen Sie sich von der Flut des Ozeans verschlingen...

You can listen closely to singer- songwriter Julian Saporiti's lyrics, which juxtapose true stories of struggle from throughout Asia and its diaspora with Saporiti's own reckoning with intergenerational trauma.

You could also let the majesty of Saporiti's songcraft wash over you, his captivating melodies cloaking those themes in a veneer of hope and ecstasy. But the deepest storytelling happens at the sonic level, as sounds drawn from across the Eastern hemisphere mingle freely with distinctly American instrumentation - banjo and koto, lap-steel and guzheng - while electronically manipulated field recordings of rushing water, chirping birds and other natural sounds ground us in the now. Adventurous and affecting,' Empire Electric' offers a vision for a new kind of folk music, one that tells unorthodox stories through unorthodox means and finds new pathways through our tangled roots.

You are about to embark on a new intergalactic journey into black space, fuelled by funk, powered by computers. Soul Jazz Records" new second collection of twisted hyperspace electro/funk "Space Funk 2: Afro Futurist Electro Funk in Space 1976-84", continues its intergalactic journey.

Featuring rare and off-the-wall space funk and electro rarities and obscurities, all released on small independent USA record labels in the late 1970s and 1980s. Artists on this release include Alien Starr, Bobby Demo, Maggatron, Mid-City Crew, Tribe, Junie, Rich Cason and the Galactic Orchestra and many more intergalactic space warriors! This is space age bionic funk, programmed to make you dance!!!

The sophomore album from Australia's biggest hype beast. At the forefront of Australia's Deathcore scene, TO THE GRAVE are an essential prospect for fans of Chelsea Grin, Brand of Sacrifice, Thy Art is Murder and Lorna Shore. Supported with full US and European touring throughout 2023 + 4 music video singles.

The sophomore album from Australia's biggest hype beast. At the forefront of Australia's Deathcore scene, TO THE GRAVE are an essential prospect for fans of Chelsea Grin, Brand of Sacrifice, Thy Art is Murder and Lorna Shore. Supported with full US and European touring throughout 2023 + 4 music video singles.

Producer, DJ, and composer Seb Wildblood returns tothe fold with third album "separation anxiety." Set for release via his own "all my thoughts" label, the prolific producer"s blissful electronics are on full display across the album"s 10 tracks, his most ambitious and fully realised offering yet. "The record largely explores coming to terms with abandonment, and what that looks like when starting to build a future of your own," explains Wildblood.

Outer Order presents his debut EP on his own imprint with a journey through his sonic vision with 5 tracks that suit different moments on or off the dancefloor.

Heavily inspired by late 80s and early 90s UK, Detroit and Chicago productions that were brought to his knowledge by his father, Outer Order set out to recreate his own view on this era by indulging in the hardware and techniques used at the time, setting a timeless tone to this 5 track EP.

Recorded, produced and mixed by Reece Ashibende-Dunn aka Outer Order at his home studio in Mallorca, Spain.

Die in Antwerpen ansässige Progressive-Hardcore-Band BEAR meldet sich mit ihrem mit Spannung erwarteten neuen Album "VANTA" triumphal zurück. Entstanden aus dem Schmelztiegel persönlicher Prüfungen - Krebs, eine globale Pandemie, zerbrochene Beziehungen und tiefgreifender Verlust - haben BEAR ein Album geschaffen, das den Schmerz, die Qualen und die Angst widerspiegelt, die unsere menschliche Erfahrung ausmachen."VANTA", benannt nach der dunkelsten bekannten Substanz, repräsentiert die Reise der Band durch ihre schwierigsten Zeiten. Es ist ein Zeugnis ihrer Unverwüstlichkeit, eine unapologetische und unerbittliche akustische Reise, die furchtlos durch den Sturm der Widrigkeiten navigiert. Doch hinter der wilden Fassade des Albums verbirgt sich auch die Schönheit, die im Leiden liegt, und es unterstreicht die tiefe Wahrheit, dass es kein Licht ohne Dunkelheit gibt. Mit seinen elf Tracks ist "VANTA" ein Leuchtfeuer der Beharrlichkeit und Stärke im Angesicht der Turbulenzen des Lebens. Das Album beginnt mit "Atone" und endet mit "Andram" und führt den Hörer durch eine Achterbahn der Gefühle, wobei jeder Track ein Kapitel in seiner persönlichen Saga darstellt. Tracks wie "Cisplatin" und "Defeatist" verdeutlichen den Kampf mit dem Krebs, während "Earthgrinder" und "Cells" den mentalen Kampf offenlegen, der durch die Isolation in der Pandemie hervorgerufen wird. "VANTA" ist nicht nur ein Album. Es ist die Verkörperung von BEARs Reise durch persönliche und globale Umwälzungen, ihre Verwandlung von Opfern der Umstände zu Vorboten der Hoffnung. Es ist ein klarer Ruf an alle, die es hören: Im Angesicht der größten Finsternis kann es immer noch Licht geben.Während BEAR sich weiterentwickeln und ihren Weg formen, bleibt eine Sache sicher: Fear The BEAR! Für Fans von The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, Converge, Meshuggah, Frontierer, Lo! Ltd Single Colour LP (Transparentes Vinyl, Transparent Blood Edition) in Gatefold-Cover w/ copper foil embossing

Inhale. Exhale. Mind your breathing. Squeeze your butt muscles together, and release. Pay no attention to the world on fire around you. This is fine. Written in the most claustrophobic months of 2020, Husbands' third full-length record, "Full-On Monet", plays out like a meditation gone toxic. Densely layered. Lush pop melodies. Surf-rock harmonies. Distorted synth hooks and psychedelic flourishes. All of it coming together to create something that's free-spirited, brainy, fun - and simultaneously jarring, synthetic, and off-kilter. "From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big ol' mess."

Hjalte Ross neues Album "Less" erscheint im Oktober 2023 und zeigt sein bisher direktestes, verletzlichstes und ausdrucksstärkstes Songwriting. Selbst-produziert, minimalistisch, schön und tödlich - das ist das neue Album von Hjalte Ross. Bereits mit den beiden Alben, dem Debüt "Embody" (2018) und dem Nachfolger "Waves of Haste" (2020), etablierte der preisgekrönte junge Künstler seinen Namen sowohl in Dänemark als auch in der internationalen Songwriter-Szene. Auf die Platten folgten von der Kritik gefeierte Konzerte und große Aufmerksamkeit. KEXP, MOJO, Uncut, Clash Magazine, sind nur einige derer, die ihre Liebe zu dem dänischen Songwriter gezeigt haben. Wild und sanft ist der neue Hjalte Ross, der beschreibt, dass Less" eine Sammlung von Liedern für deine heilige Stunde ist, die sich mit deinen Gefühlen verbindet. Hjalte Ross stellt sein Album vor: "'Less' umfasst Songs, die in schwierigen und herausfordernden Zeiten entstanden sind, aber trotzdem geschrieben wurden. Less' enthält nicht nur ein bestimmtes Gefühl, sondern vielmehr eine Sammlung von Gefühlen, die alle unter das Thema der Unzulänglichkeit fallen." Ross legt seine innersten Gedanken offen und schafft so eine Atmosphäre gemeinsamer Intimität. Ross' künstlerische Reise wurde nicht allein unternommen. Die Zusammenarbeit mit seinen Musikerkollegen Mads Lang, Astrid Matthesen und Jonas Kardyb sowie das geschickte Händchen des Toningenieurs D. James Goodwin haben "Less" einen Reichtum verliehen, der in jeder Note nachhallt. Der Titel ist keine bloße Beschreibung, sondern ein Tor zum thematischen Kern des Albums. Ross erforscht die Komplexität von Emotionen und stellt die Vorstellung in Frage, dass diese Gefühle nur seine eigenen sind. "Less" ist eine Einladung zu einer gemeinsamen Erfahrung - Trauer, Hoffnung und Wachstum - die über das Individuum hinausgehen und uns als Menschen verbinden. In einer Welt, die oft das Spektakel schätzt, ist "Less" ein unaufdringlicher Triumph - ein Spiegelbild von Ross' Entschlossenheit, sich seiner eigenen Verletzlichkeit zu stellen und die Schönheit darin zu beleuchten. Dies ist "Less". Klappcover, rauer Karton, 140 gr klassisch schwarzes Vinyl mit 28seitigem 12"-Booklet!

RIYL: The Fall, Royal Trux, The Dead C, Shirley Collins, ’70s British progressive rock, Dean Blunt.
Throughout their legendary, decade-long run, the Shadow Ring were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. Before their disbandment in 2002, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of rowdy teenagers in southeast England, left behind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7"s, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zine appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, all which have bolstered their enduring word-of-mouth mystique. Beginning this year with the first-ever vinyl pressing of the self-released pre-Shadow Ring tape The Cat & Bells Club (1992), Blank Forms Editions is conducting a systematic retrospective of the storied group, including a multi-year LP reissue effort and a forthcoming comprehensive CD box set and an over five hundred page book. Recorded in summer of 1994 at S.H.P studios (frontman Graham Lambkin’s parents’ home), the group’s sophomore record Put the Music In Its Coffin is a more sinister, saturnine affair than their debut City Lights. Coffin was many listeners’ introduction to the Shadow Ring, who had hitherto self-released their music, courting a steady stable of international fans through the magazine and mail-order catalog Forced Exposure. For their follow-up, the duo reached out to the ascending Philadelphia label Siltbreeze, whose eclectic roster of sneering, low-fidelity rock and noise connected disparate subterranean scenes from rust-belt America to the English Midlands, Dunedin, and beyond. As luck would have it, Siltbreeze proprietor Tom Lax was already a fan of the band’s first record and arranged to release both a 7” and their “difficult second album.” The connection proved to run deeper than vinyl within six months, Lax would pick up the pair from the airport for their spring 1995 US tour. This episode marked not only their first trip to the States but their first live performances at all, formally introducing the Shadow Ring to the American underground and solidifying the allure of the Folkestone pair. From the get-go, the record has a menacing, vile ambience. Its opening track “Horse-Meat Cakes,” inspired by an anecdote by pulp author Philip K. Dick about how he and his wife subsisted off low-grade pet food when he first arrived in San Francisco, sets the tone lyrically and sonically. Subsequent tracks are filled with Rabelaisian body horror and sinewy, haptic diction. “I try to pass out vital organs, convinced that they are waste,” intones Lambkin in “Heart, Liver & Lungs,” before a chorus of detuned guitars kicks in, nearly drowning out the speaker’s account of consuming chevaline intestines. Later songs similarly detail vernacular cooking (“Caribbean Porridge,” about a cornmeal hangover cure), bodily processes (“Nocturnal Middle Rumbles,” about nighttime defecation), and creaturely conflict (“Crystal Tears” and “Spin The Animal Dial”). The album’s makeshift percussion and teenaged rawness resembles the verve of City Lights, while its screeching strings and gnarly distorted vocals give it a sparse, miasmic atmosphere that look towards the uncompromising, otherworldly experimentation of the band’s Hold Onto I.D. (1996) and Lighthouse (1997), making this one of the Shadow Ring’s most distilled musical statements

Kasra V is here to engulf the club. Fresh off the success of his recent release on Radiant Records titled "Hyperdelic," Kasra is submerging listeners with a signature sound touching on dance music visions from different epochs but harnessing a unique aural palette. Kasra applies cut up techniques with sampling and utilizing his own voice as a tool throughout the record, topping the club energy with a punk rock sensibility. Equal parts eccentric and equal parts calculated, the tempest of this record is doused in wild elements: anthemic vocal samples with arena shaking capabilities, 80's hedonistic nostalgia, catchy utopian vibrations with a psychedelic cyber flair, flirting with inspiration from groups like Meat Beat Manifesto and YMO. Euphoric and aerated, but with a slicing undertone utilizing his freaky sampling prowess. Shaytoon is proud to present the next chapter of diaspora alchemy for your listening pleasure. Prepare for a flood.

Returning fresh off of his last project 'Goes On EP', Darone is back with another 12". This time, his project pays homage to two places which he calls home. A juxtaposition of his birthplace, Los Angeles, and where he feels a strong connection, Armenia. The A-Side features 'Dance of the Sun Worshipers', which was written with the petroglyphs of Ughtasar and the Armenian Stonehenges of Syunik in mind. The henges in question were set as an astronomical observation tool to view the Milky Way Galaxy by the ancient natives of the land.

Parts of the petroglyphs have carvings of beings dancing around a wheel of fire. A representation of the Sun or early signs of the Armenian Eternity Wheel. The B-Side features 'Far Away' by Sassounian and a remix of the same track by Byron The Aquarius. Far Away was written at the height of lockdown, with a local collective of the same name in mind.

Operating as a cassette label, mixtape series, and party, Far Away was based in Los Angeles, run by Cooper Saver and Jen Ferrer. Darone would frequently attend their events in Los Angeles and find comfort in a community that he can call home. On remix duties, Byron The Aquarius delivers a raw and chuggy tip to Darone's track, 'Far Away'. A dub of the original, Byron programs this one into a full and thick driving force for the dance floor and the heads. This is Rocky Hill.

Memory Play returns to Control Freak Recordings, this time offering up the latest release for their White Label series with Weather Structures EP.

Following recent performances across Japan and at London techno haven FOLD, Memory Play has marked themselves out as one of the most exciting & energetic live techno acts to emerge onto the scene in recent years.

Dark, mechanical and intensely psychedelic, Weather Structures EP sees Control Freak exploring new sonic territory. A boundary-pushing exploration in driving 4x4 techno, Memory Play’s strong focus on hyper-detailed textures will be instantly familiar to fans of their debut Choice EP, released on Control Freak earlier this year.

'In 1972, trumpeter Baikida Carroll and some of his colleagues from the Black Artists Group (more precisely saxophonist/flutist Oliver Lake, trombonist Joseph Bowie, drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw and trumpeter Floyd LeFlore) took the advice of their friends in the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and left their native Missouri to come and discover the bright lights of Paris for themselves. The following year they would even get the chance to record their only album which would rapidly attain mythical status and a collector’s item: “In Paris, Aries 1973”.

Therefore, it was not surprising that they crossed paths with Jef Gilson in the capital. He was always on the lookout for new artists for his recently formed Palm label and had been active on many fronts in jazz since the end of the 50s. The French bandleader / pianist / composer / sound engineer had already recorded, in the preceding months other American musicians who would go on to have great careers: Byard Lancaster, Keno Speller, Clint Jackson III, Khan Jamal... Gilson therefore offered Baikida Carroll the chance to record his first album under his own name, which would be the 13th release on the label. Carroll logically asked Oliver Lake to join him. He also recruited Manuel Villaroel, a young Franco-Chilien pianist from the group Matchi-Oul, who had already released an album on Futura in 1971 and would release another on Palm in 1976. The group was completed with the addition of Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, who had just released a well-received album on the Saravah label. They were ready to enter the studio for the 3rd, 4th and 5th June 1974.

The first side of the album is divided into two long tracks which send free jazz back to its long-lost African roots. The opener “Orange Fish Tears” indeed rolls out a jungle of percussion of all sorts and sizes -the whole group is involved- which weave and mix together reaching a point where all bearings are lost, lending a sense of wonder to the majestic entry of the brass and woodwinds, flying suddenly out from the undergrowth. “Forest Scorpion” (sic) is a real voodoo ceremony where a venomous percussive groove backs the fiery solos from keyboards and saxophone in a furious trance. A warning; after these two tracks listeners are physically and emotionally wiped out!

The other side is more introspective. Deliberately using dissonance and repetition, “Rue Roger” -the only composition by Oliver Lake- in a long dialogue between trumpet and saxophone, could almost remind us of Terry Riley in his favourite ballpark. “Porte D'Orléans”, the fourth and final track on the album, has the group back to their old tricks in a long hallucinatory jam which owes as much to the contemporary music of György Ligeti as to the most angst-ridden Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack music (remember the heavy chords which beat through “Planet of the Apes»).

With these two sides, and in under 45m, Baikida Carroll and his musicians show just what they can do, from cerebral to charnel without ever simplifying things. This is an essential album if you are a fan of free-wheeling avant-garde music from the Art Ensemble of Chicago to Sonic Youth and including Shabaka Hutchings and Rob Mazurek. For those with good taste, in other words.'

Kraut synth funk explosion from the sci-fi, library & soundtrack specialists.

DIY funksters break into museum, steal modular moog and record proto-electro-punk with dusty live drums, wild percussion and out-of-control analog synth sequencing onto Tascam 8-track tape.

Following their debut 'Space Voyage' for Warner Chappell's music library and the outernational soundtrack LP 'Occhio Occhio', the U.K. based trio return with a darker, heavier edge on their new full-length 'Synchronization'.

The soundtrack to a strange and mysterious dystopian future Immersed in the sounds of arpeggiated vintage synths, full fat drum breaks and fuzz guitars. At times the album is reminiscent of post punk with hints of boom bap hip hop and as the album progresses the listener is transported to the dance floors of Berlin's underground raves. In an age that sees AI increasingly omnipresent, Eleven76 take control of the technology, creating a hybrid, genre spanning, production style that could only come from their hive mind.

The trio surrounded themselves with an enviable array of vintage synths and modern classic studio toys, with Paul Elliott and Anthony Donje at the helm of patching, connecting and bringing these analog beasts to life, while Timmy Rickard continued to lay down the grooves as the heart of the rhythm section. The result is SYNCHRONIZATION, of synth and drums, pictures and sounds, man and machine – and of your heart and brain if you're ready to get synchronized.

Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings, proudly presents Disco Reggae Vol. 5, pursuing the highly acclaimed series started 10 years ago.

Birth land of the Reggae music, Jamaica has also always been fed by Soul, Funk, R&B and Pop music from the US scene, delivering some of the best covers anyone could think of. With it’s Disco Reggae series, Stix Records therefore simply carried on this tradition, offering new versions of classic songs from a wide spectrum of musical styles.

On this 5th edition, the list extend to famous name such as The Undertones, Bobby Caldwell, Cerrone, Patti LaBelle, or Ray Parker Jr. to name a few. At the control to tailor these hits with new and exclusive Reggae suits, you’ll find the best producers from the Stix’ roster like Soul Sugar aka Booker Gee, Taggy Matcher, Simon Nyabinghi, or Mato.

Together they signed again a perfect soundtrack to extend your summer and fill your playlists, whether to light the dancefloors or just sip a nice cocktail facing the Negril’s sunset!

Originally released on the Sprüngkartellwachs label (and highly sought after) now comes as a rerelease on Mat Carter’s own Varial label.

A four track track ep striding electro, techno, down beat and new wave flavours. ‘Raspmutal’ kicks things of with spaced out techno flair, offering a mutating analogue mover, constructed with large systems in mind. Driving dancefloor fodder laden with spiralling dub-wise effects. ‘Downturn’ follows with a finely tuned piece of liquid electro. Stripped down and turbo-charged this twists and turns through fragmented beats and lush melodies, creating a sublime and fluid mix.

‘Fullow Street’ is a bundle of down tempo leftfield beatism inspired by hot humid nights in huge cities. A blissed out journey through hazy hip-hop beats and lush, glistening electronics. ‘Process’ completes the ep with dancefloor delight that has more than a nod towards the timeless, analogue sounds of experimental new wave and electrodisco. Beats build into a shimmering eighties-tinged workout, with wave upon wave of gorgeous keys.

Capra made a name for themselves with the adrenaline jolt that is In Transmission, and return with their riveting sophomore effort Errors. Maintaining all the elements that made their 2021 debut so compelling--raucous energy, frantic riffs, the from-the-gut lyrics and soul-searing delivery of vocalist Crow Lotus—they’ve stepped things up, with stronger songwriting and a determination reach the next level. “We wanted to create something authentic, something real and honest. Nothing more and nothing less,” says Lotus. Adds guitarist Tyler Harper, “I knew that I wanted it to pick up where the first album left off, but that it needed to have an entirely new attitude. If you listen to the last song from In Transmission into the first song on Errors, it’s a continuation. From there the album steers off into a direction that still feels similar, but is new.” Coming primarily from a hardcore background but incorporating elements of metal that complement the overall tone, everything the band do on Errors resonates with emotion; nothing is forced. Kicking off with the vicious “CHSF,” which is pure sonic bile and pounds the listener, they work their way through “Silana,” with its grinding, punishing riff, and the thrashy “Kingslayer.” The LP culminates with the frankly gorgeous “Nora,” showing yet another dimension to their sound. “My main goals going in were to structure the songs to let the vocals shine more often, more breakdowns, and to keep the raw attitude of the first album alive,” says Harper. “This album is a party. A heavy, fast, fun, loud party. The first album was definitely more chaotic but this one brings something to the table for everyone to enjoy.”

Auf "Off The Grid" verschmelzt traditionelle Rhythmen mit elektronischer Musik.

"Off the Grid" ist eine Reise, die die Entstehungsgeschichte von Tanzrhythmen aus Afrika mit der elektronischen Tanzmusik der heutigen Clubs und Festivals verbindet und afrikanische Folklore und Geschichten mit Rap, Jazz und Hip-Hop verknüpft. Die beiden kreativen Köpfe hinter Onipa - Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist) und Kweku Sackey (K.O.G. & the Zongo Brigade) - haben zusammen mit Finn Booth am Schlagzeug und Dwayne Kilvington (alias Wonky Logic) an den Synthesizern eine lebensbejahende und höchst originelle Klangwelt geschaffen

• Latin Freestyle was a dizzying, passionate, ultra-modern music. It was the aural equivalent of a can of thirst-quenching Quatro or a Spanish Harlem dance-off, and it became the electronically constructed bridge between disco and house.

• Freestyle grew out of the electro sound of the early 80s, combined clean staccato rhythms with morse code synth hooks, and topped them off with emotive, usually female, frequently Latina vocals. There was plenty more going on besides: proto-house piano lines, Cuban percussion, high emotion and synth hooks to die for.

• Put together and annotated by Bob Stanley (who also compiled the acclaimed “The Daisy Age” and “Fell From The Sun”), “Latin Freestyle” is the first compilation to cover the whole gamut of Freestyle from its early 80s breakthrough to its early 90s revival. So many classics… Lisa Lisa made the UK top ten with the 808 joy of ‘I Wonder If I Take You Home’. Stacey Q’s cosmically great ‘Two Of Hearts’ came out in 1986, while 1987 saw the likes of Company B’s ‘Fascinated’ and Exposé’s ‘Point Of No Return’ become huge UK club hits.

• Today, Freestyle is a scene with a solid collector’s market, and rarities like Janelle’s ‘Don’t Be Shy’ sell for hundreds of dollars. It’s a classic summer soundtrack, finally condensed in one Ace Records compilation – “Latin Freestyle”.

For his debut solo release on Not An Animal, label co-pilot Andy Bainbridge serves up a raw, late-night house dub, accompanied by sizzling remixes from Donald’s House & Komodo for good measure.

Up Too Much starts simply, evoking house classics of old. Dubby percussion sets the genre but don’t be fooled, the Buchla synth wobbles that form the track’s melody, delicately placed acid sprinkles and a vocal garnish A-typical to the host label bring the track squarely into the modern day to form a tough yet gentle roller.

Next off the pass is the Donald’s House remix, finely weaving the essence of the original mix into a proggy sidewinder, highlighting the acid arps previously lurking in the background and slowly melting the track into a delicious trancey mess.

Meanwhile Komodo kicks things off in a classic Chicago style; claps, stabs and all, with vocal samples adding that extra texture for the knockout punch.