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Einst waren Rialto unverletzlich ("Untouchable"), sind aber bereits Ende der 90er erst morgens nach fünf heimgekommen ("Monday Morning 5.19"), nun kündigen die britischen Kult-Britpopper ihr erstes neues Album seit 24 Jahren an: "Neon & Ghost Signs" wird im April 2025 über Fierce Panda Records veröffentlicht. Es ist eine Reunion, die nicht so sehr von der Sehnsucht nach der Vergangenheit angetrieben wird, sondern vielmehr von der Dringlichkeit, das Beste aus dem Jetzt zu genießen. Vor sechs Jahren wurde Sänger und Songschreiber Louis Eliot während eines Spanienurlaubs für eine Notoperation ins Krankenhaus gebracht und ist dabei kurz dem Tode nah gewesen. Seine vollständige Genesung war eine Epiphanie. "Man könnte meinen, wenn man dem Tod sehr nahe ist, sollte man anfangen, sich um sich selbst zu kümmern", sagt er. ,Aber ich bin einfach mit Vollgas meiner Jugend hinterhergejagt. Ich dachte mir nur: Egal, vielleicht bin ich nächste Woche nicht mehr da, ich stürze mich einfach rein." Ein Teil von Eliots Wiedergeburt bestand darin, dass er eine langjährige Beziehung hinter sich ließ, um erneut in die Londoner Club-Szene einzutauchen. Ein bedeutender Teil davon waren die Romantik und die Verwundbarkeit, die er dort fand. Ein anderer Teil davon war die Erkenntnis, dass die Songs, die in dieser Zeit entstanden - Lieder über Liebe und Verlust, Hedonismus und Reue, die in wehmütigen Geisterstunden spielen - ein Ruf aus der (eigenen) Vergangenheit waren. Neon and Ghost Signs eröffnet in gewollt simpler und eingängiger Dancefloor-Ästhetik mit der ersten Single "No One Leaves This Discoteque Alive". Eliot, mit einem lasziven Brel-Knurren, vergießt Tränen in der Discotheque, ist "der Hund der Londoner Stadt", wo "die Laken mit Gold befleckt sind", der darauf aus ist, "seinen Kopf zu verlieren" und Liebe als perfekten Sturm zu erleben. Es ist der Auftakt zu einem "Durch die Nacht mit...", den das gesamte Album mit der von Rialto bekannten Widescreen-Pop Leidenschaft verfolgt. Rialto waren in Südostasien Superstars mit Doppel-Platin und in Großbritannien immer ein hochgelobter Kult, aber zweifellos eine Band, die ihrer ästhetischen Zeit voraus war. Nach dem zweiten Album Night on Earth im Jahr 2001 löste sich die Band auf und Eliot arbeitete regelmäßig mit Grace Jones und Danny Goffey von Supergrass zusammen; als Songwriter schrieb er u. a. das mit dem Ivor Novello ausgezeichnete "Leave Right Now" für Will Young; er veröffentlichte 2004 ein Soloalbum und 2010 eine sehr ländlich klingende Platte als Louis Eliot And The Embers und veranstaltet das Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall mit 8.000 Besuchern. Als col. LP, CD oder MC!

The Modbirds kombinieren souligen Ska und mitreißenden Punk. Obwohl sie erst 2023 gegründet wurden, bringen sie mit Mitgliedern von Los Placebos und The Porters einen reichen Schatz an Bühnenerfahrung mit. Ihr Live-Debüt bei "Ska im Westend" in Dortmund hat sofort gezeigt, dass sie gekommen sind, um zu bleiben. Jeden Frühling kehren die Zugvögel aus ihren Winterquartieren zurück! Also aufgepasst, denn auch die Modbirds sind im Anflug mit ihrer ersten Mini-LP "Spin it to win it". (Release Date 25.04.25) Mit ihrem musikalischen Mix aus Ska, Reggae und Punk feiert die Band in fünf Songs verteilt auf zwei Seiten ihre Liebe zum Vinyl, lässt vergangene Jugendlieben aufleben und schwelgt in den Erinnerungen an unbeschwerte Zeiten. Getrieben von druckvollen Bläsern, eingängigen Melodien und dem tanzbaren Offbeat werden aber auch gesellschaftliche Missstände oder das Thema mentale Gesundheit besungen. Also nicht den Arm am einarmigen Banditen ziehen, sondern den Tonarm auf den Plattenteller legen mit 45RPM im 12-Inch Format für den bestmöglichen Vinyl-Sound:, eben "Spin it to win it" - hier sind The Modbirds! Ska, Reaggae, Soulpunk, klassisch schwarzes oder farbige 12"-Vinyl erhältlich.

Virginia Beach's Turnover has never been a band afraid of telling the truth. The emotional honesty poured out over a number of anthemic releases has been a proven formula of success for the band, but on their sophomore LP Peripheral Vision, the band treads into deeper water. Working again with Magnolia producer Will Yip (Title Fight, Circa Survive), Turnover's latest record shows a band maturing to create their best effort: an ethereal, reverb-drenched soundscape blending elements of hazy dream pop and the delicate emo rock of yesteryear. Songs like "Hello Euphoria" and "Like Slow Disappearing" highlight the new calmer, more subdued approach to songwriting, matched by Austin Getz's somber, confessional lyrics that echo throughout songs as if his words were haunting every measure. Peripheral Vision solidifies the idea that Turnover is a band with its finger on the pulse of its generation: growing and learning with every release, but never failing to provide a relatable, cathartic experience for anyone listening.

Einst waren Rialto unverletzlich ("Untouchable"), sind aber bereits Ende der 90er erst morgens nach fünf heimgekommen ("Monday Morning 5.19"), nun kündigen die britischen Kult-Britpopper ihr erstes neues Album seit 24 Jahren an: "Neon & Ghost Signs" wird im April 2025 über Fierce Panda Records veröffentlicht. Es ist eine Reunion, die nicht so sehr von der Sehnsucht nach der Vergangenheit angetrieben wird, sondern vielmehr von der Dringlichkeit, das Beste aus dem Jetzt zu genießen. Vor sechs Jahren wurde Sänger und Songschreiber Louis Eliot während eines Spanienurlaubs für eine Notoperation ins Krankenhaus gebracht und ist dabei kurz dem Tode nah gewesen. Seine vollständige Genesung war eine Epiphanie. "Man könnte meinen, wenn man dem Tod sehr nahe ist, sollte man anfangen, sich um sich selbst zu kümmern", sagt er. ,Aber ich bin einfach mit Vollgas meiner Jugend hinterhergejagt. Ich dachte mir nur: Egal, vielleicht bin ich nächste Woche nicht mehr da, ich stürze mich einfach rein." Ein Teil von Eliots Wiedergeburt bestand darin, dass er eine langjährige Beziehung hinter sich ließ, um erneut in die Londoner Club-Szene einzutauchen. Ein bedeutender Teil davon waren die Romantik und die Verwundbarkeit, die er dort fand. Ein anderer Teil davon war die Erkenntnis, dass die Songs, die in dieser Zeit entstanden - Lieder über Liebe und Verlust, Hedonismus und Reue, die in wehmütigen Geisterstunden spielen - ein Ruf aus der (eigenen) Vergangenheit waren. Neon and Ghost Signs eröffnet in gewollt simpeler und eingängiger Dancefloor-Ästhetik mit der ersten Single "No One Leaves This Discoteque Alive". Eliot, mit einem lasziven Brel-Knurren, vergießt Tränen in der Discotheque, ist "der Hund der Londoner Stadt", wo "die Laken mit Gold befleckt sind", der darauf aus ist, "seinen Kopf zu verlieren" und Liebe als perfekten Sturm zu erleben. Es ist der Auftakt zu einem "Durch die Nacht mit...", den das gesamte Album mit der von Rialto bekannten Widescreen-Pop Leidenschaft verfolgt. Rialto waren in Südostasien Superstars mit Doppel-Platin und in Großbritannien immer ein hochgelobter Kult, aber zweifellos eine Band, die ihrer ästhetischen Zeit voraus war. Nach dem zweiten Album Night on Earth im Jahr 2001 löste sich die Band auf und Eliot arbeitete regelmäßig mit Grace Jones und Danny Goffey von Supergrass zusammen; als Songwriter schrieb er u. a. das mit dem Ivor Novello ausgezeichnete "Leave Right Now" für Will Young; er veröffentlichte 2004 ein Soloalbum und 2010 eine sehr ländlich klingende Platte als Louis Eliot And The Embers und veranstaltet das Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall mit 8.000 Besuchern. Als col. LP, CD oder MC!

The wonderfully favourable response to our first CD and double vinyl volume of the original A and B sides of the singles of the late great Isaac Hayes – as originally released on Stax’ Enterprise subsidiary between 1969 and 1972 – has forced us to bring forward, this month, the release of “Hot Buttered Singles 2” to cater for what Ace is sure will be just as great a level of popular demand.

This volume picks up where “Hot Buttered Singles Vol 1” left off with Hayes’ final 45 of 1972, and carries his seven inch story through to 1976 – by which time Stax was defunct, and Hayes’ was on his own Hot Buttered Soul label via ABC Records. It features eight US R&B chart hits including the much sampled ‘Hung Up On My Baby’ and ‘Chocolate Chip’, Hayes’ biggest hit of this period ‘Joy’ and the ever-popular 1976 instrumental ‘Disco Connection’, which finally gave Hayes’ his second UK Top 20 hit after ‘Shaft’.

All tracks match the original single edits, and wherever possible are taken from digital transfers of the original Enterprise singles masters. Where the original 45s came in two parts, they also do so here. And where original singles masters no longer exist, as was the case for two tracks, Ace’s engineers have re-created them beat for beat from the longer album versions. (Have fun guessing which two they were…)

New album from Rialto, the bands first album in over 20 years

Belgium’s most ferocious metal band BARK returns to the spotlight with their highly anticipated fifth studio album, The Time Has Come, set to be released on Insert Release Date. This marks the band’s second collaboration with renowned French Metal label Listenable Records, solidifying their presence in the global scene. The Time Has Come encapsulates BARK’s relentless energy and raw power, delivering an unapologetic onslaught of heavy riffs, thunderous drums, and guttural vocals. The album showcases the band’s evolution while staying true to the no-holds-barred sound that has earned them a devoted following. With a mix of blistering anthems and dark, groove-laden tracks, The Time Has Come cements Bark’s reputation as one of Europe’s most formidable forces in modern metal. “This album is a statement,” says singer Ron Bruynseels. “We’ve poured all our passion into these songs. It’s about living the moment, confronting challenges head-on. We are telling stories that resonate with the listener because we have lived them first hand. We’re excited to unleash this beast with Listenable Records by our side again.” Recorded at their own studio Jurassic Recordings, under the guidance of guitarist Martin Furia (producer for Destruction, Nervosa, Toxik, Chemicide…) the album boasts a production that amplifies BARK’s signature sound while pushing their sonic boundaries even more to achieve their most brutal album to date. Standout tracks such as “Negativist”, “Shaman” and “On No One’s Word” offer a glimpse into the diverse yet cohesive journey that awaits listeners. BARK will be hitting the road shortly after the release, bringing their explosive live performances to fans across Europe. Tour dates will be announced soon.

Spawned on the day the earth stood still, COFFIN FEEDER is an unholy alliance between veterans in the Belgian metal and hardcore scene. A delirious and furious combo featuring members of Aborted, Leng Tch’e, When Plagues Collide and Fleddy Melculy spew forth a high energy blend of groove laden death metal, grind and hardcore. Though all members are from Belgium, they are from three different regions within Belgium and speak three different dialects, so the members have to convene in plain English in order to be able to understand each other. Now if that's not heavy, you don't know what is. Since its inception in 2021, COFFIN FEEDER unleashed 2 EP’s (‘Stereo Homicide’, ‘Over the top’) and played a ton of club shows through Europe. With already some a list festivals in Europe under their belt such as Brutal Assault & Summer Breeze, the band is continuing to take names and kick ass worldwide. The band didn’t sit still and as soon as they put the finishing hands on their debut full length album, they immediatly twent on tour with Benighted & Baest throughout Europe in November 2024 and already scheduled on several European festivals next year: Alcatraz, Summer Breeze, Deathfeast, … In comes BIG TROUBLE, the first full length album by these miscreants was mixed and mastered by none less than Dave Otero (Aborted, Archspire, Cattle Decapitation,...) and features blistering cinematic soundscapes provided by Spencer Creaghan (Aborted, Carnifex). 35 minutes of pummelling, devastating and action packed groovy death metal that will make your ears bleed for more. The artwork has been provided by Dan Goldsworthy (Heathen, Xentrix, Corpsegrinder, Aborted, Chimaira, Sepultura,...) and contains more 80’s action movie references than your now defunct Blockbuster video. If you thought that was enough to flatten everything in their path, the album features some very exclusive guests: Mark Hunter of Chimaira, Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent and Julien Truchan of Benighted. Ready to curb stomp everyone in their town, COFFIN FEEDER inked a deal with Listenable Records to dominate. You’ve been warned. BIG TROUBLE is coming!

Hailed by Pitchfork for his “ambient, intimate…songs that blossom gently with intricate musical details and enigmatic lyrics,” Conner Youngblood gained early acclaim with a series of self-released singles and EPs before breaking out internationally with his 2018 full-length debut, Cheyenne, which fused electronic and analog elements into a lush mix of bedroom pop and chamber folk. Youngblood toured the record heavily until 2020, when the pandemic forced him off the road and, hungry for fresh inspiration, he began enrolling in Russian, Danish, Spanish, and Japanese language lessons. He didn’t realize it at the time, but those classes weren’t just expanding his vocabulary, they were laying the groundwork for his most ambitious, experimental album yet: Cascades, Cascading, Cascadingly.
 
Written and recorded at home in Nashville, the collection is a dreamy series of meditations steeped in desire and yearning, loneliness and loss, exhilaration and escape. The lyrics blur the lines between fact and fiction, toying with magical realism and outright abstraction in various languages, and the arrangements are surreal and cinematic to match, hinting at everything from Cocteau Twins to Atoms For Peace. In addition to producing and engineering, Youngblood played every instrument on the album himself, and the result is a pure, unfiltered journey deep into the subconscious of a relentlessly curious artist, one with a boundless imagination and an insatiable appetite for sonic exploration. 

A1 - Planet Genesis

Chronicle makes his Spatial debut in style with Planet Genesis, opening with a beautifully crisp 2-step break over light atmospheric padwork, quickly accompanied by Hot Pants snares and dancing strings. Graceful hi-hats and insanely subtle vocal usage ebb and flow in the mix while soothing melodies enter and depart at will. The breakdown offers an intense change of tone before the breaks resume and continue the journey to a destination unknown.

A2 - Crystal Clear

Very much living up to its title, Crystal Clear sees Chronicle deliver a finely tuned assortment of beats with a remarkable clarity that truly shines in the "old school brand new" sensibilities of throwback atmospheric drum & bass. Snippets of various classic breaks can be heard in the mix with a superb attention to detail, taking you back with a style quite reminiscent of the golden era of late 90's Logical Progression.

B1 - Libra

Airy pads and a rousing yet subtle melody delicately introduce Libra, as Chronicle gradually builds towards a thrilling yet thoughtful amen workout set to blissful atmospherics. With a plethora of exquisite production techniques on show, the track showcases the versatility of Chronicle, offering something new to enjoy on each listen - the layers of detail are truly impressive.

B2 - Higher Limits

Echoing whirs and clicks dance playfully around light pads in the unique DJ-friendly intro to Higher Limits, a detailed, joyful track which celebrates a bygone era with sharp, expertly edited breaks and a smooth 808 bassline to die for. Micro melodies and long waves of delicious synths add texture and depth to the mix, resulting in the perfect closing track to a superbly varied and elegantly produced debut EP.

Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

Nach ihrem letzten Album GERMAN ENGINEERING ZWEI – auf dem Future, Mariah the Scientist,
Hunxho, Fridayy, Anycia und viele mehr zu hören waren – erobern sie mit ihrem neuesten Projekt LONDON’S CALLING, zusammen mit Dré Six, britischen Boden. Mit Kollaborationen mit 163Margs, Unknown
T und Morrisson festigt das Projekt ihre Verbindung zur britischen Szene.
Wenn man sich ”London’s Calling” anhört, das Album in voller Länge dieser Künstler ausBerlin und London,
ist es ein wirklich offensichtliches Team-up, wenn man darüber nachdenkt. Sie mögen beide Schwarz-Weiß,
sie stehen beide auf Minimalismus und sie sind beide verdammt einzigartig. Das 11-Track-Album klingt,
als wäre es so gedacht. Wunderschöne Melodien treffen auf Trap-Geschichten auf einigen der bisher progressivsten Produktionen von KitschKrieg. Die Leereder Musik lässt viel Raum für den ruhigen und intimen
Gesang einer der originellsten Stimmen Großbritanniens.
Dré Six singt über das Leben, das er kennt und hinter sich lassen will, ohne Filter, ohne Fake News. Eine
Welt der Zombies, die immer wieder das Produkt kaufen, das sie in Zombies verwandelt hat. Eine Welt, in
der man beim Schlafen weder Trainingsanzug noch Schuhe auszieht. Eine Welt, die süchtig macht, nicht
nur für die Nutzer.

Als Künstlerin, Sängerin, Songwriterin und Gitarristin hat Samantha Fish zahlreiche Auszeichnungen für
ihren einzigartigen Selbstausdruck erhalten (u. a. mehrere Blues Music Awards und eine GRAMMYNominierung), den sie durch explosive Riffs, eindringliche Rhythmen und mitreißenden Gesang vermittelt.
Ihr Talent wurde von keinem Geringeren als Eric Clapton erkannt, der sie einlud, bei seinem Crossroads
2023 in Los Angeles aufzutreten. Sie ist eine Festival-Headlinerin, die das Cover von Gitarrenmagazinen
ziert und international vor ausverkauften Häusern tourt. Fish beherrscht ihre kathartischen Shows mit ihrer
kantigen Stimme und ihrer unverblümten Slide-Gitarre.
Für ihr neues Album Paper Doll hat sich Fish mit dem legendären Produzenten Bobby Harlow zusammengetan. Mit der Hilfe der Co-Autoren Kate Pearlman, Jim McCormick, Anders Osborne und Harlow
hat sie ihre bisher stärksten Songs geschrieben. Ihre eklektische Sensibilität wurde in eine Reihe von Songs
kanalisiert, die sowohl emotional stark als auch wild entflammbar sind und dazu beitragen, ihre langjährige
Mission zu erfüllen, das Blues-Genre für ein völlig neues Publikum zu öffnen.

Die Musik von Prima Queen ist offen, mitreissend, charismatisch und eine Welt für sich. Wenn man sich ihr grossartiges Debütalbum "The Prize" auf Submarine Cat anhört, möchte man in all seinen überschwänglichen, einfühlsamen Melodien eintauchen und in der Wärme der beneidenswerten Verbindung zwischen den beiden Musikerinnen baden, die den Kern der Platte bildet. Die 12 Songs von Louise Macphail und Kristin McFadden greifen auf das schillernde Pop-Gefühl von HAIM und Jenny Lewis zurück und sind von der Offenheit des Geistes geprägt. Sie sind von der Euphorie inspiriert, die Prima Queen im vergangenen Jahr auf der Bühne erlebte, als sie mit Olivia Dean, Dream Wife und Swim Deep tourten. Die beiden Frauen etablieren sich als scharfsinnige, erfrischend offene Songwriterinnen, die übergrosse Gefühle mit Anmut und Witz zum Ausdruck bringen.

The 20th installment of Saddle Creek’s Document series features Dean Johnson, the Seattle-based singer/songwriter whose heartfelt storytelling and undeniable charm have been quietly building a devoted fanbase across the globe.

For years regulars at Al’s Tavern might murmur to each other about Dean Johnson behind the bar. There were nudges and whispers that he might just be the best songwriter in town. They spoke of his talent like a family secret –Seattle folklore. How many times, and for how many years, did Dean elusively reply to some variation of the question, “When will there be a record?”

In May of 2023, there finally was. Nothing For Me, Please, Dean Johnson’s debut album, was released on his 50th birthday.

Calling him a “hidden gem” doesn’t quite fit, because there’s nothing hidden about him—he shines in plain sight. It was only a matter of time before people stopped to take notice.

Dean’s music feels like a conversation with an old friend—warm, honest, and deeply human. His songs bridge the past and present, weaving modern sensibilities with a timeless appeal. With razor-sharp wit and an uncanny ability to make you laugh and cry in the same breath, Dean’s songwriting reminds us why music matters, offering proof that a song can be more than the sum of it’s parts. Hear just a phrase of his melody, catch even a moment of the sobering depth in his voice, and you’ll feel it—like a letter written, signed, sealed, and delivered just for you.

Go see him live, and you’ll understand. That’s how he won us over—one song, one story, one unforgettable moment at a time.

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

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

For a project which made its debut in 2024 with next to no fanfare nor hype, rush2theUnknown managed to capture the attention and the imagination of a number of notable DJs across genres, tempos and timezones in their debut year. From legendary chillers Kruder & Dorfmeister picking up on the more Japanese VGM influenced side of their music, techno DJs like Courtesy, Anastassia Kristensen and Nastia drawn towards their more celestial-tinged breakbeat offerings and key support coming in from many trailblazers past and present of the genres that shaped the duo thirty years back. Support from artists and DJs around the world saw rush2theUnknown's music aired across Kool FM, Rinse FM, NTS, BBC Radio One, and thanks to impassioned support from punky-reggae icon Don Letts, multiple spins on the Rebel Dreads legendary BBC Radio 6 show.

With the foundation laid rush2theUnknown return to Diskotopia with the "Yugawara" EP.

Early support for the Yugawara EP has already seen responses from and tracks from the EP played by DJs like Machinedrum, DJ Flight, Addison Groove, dBridge, Gyrofield, Joakim, I:Cube, Courtesy, Cici, Sakura Tsuruta and more in clubs and on radio like NTS, Kool FM, Rinse FM and BBC Radio One, and BBC 6 Music.

Born from a journey out of Tokyo to the seaside town of Yugawara in the northeastern end of Izu Peninsula, the EP channels the energy, spirit and mathematically impossible coincidences that seem to come with each adventure the duo has in that part of Japan. Each morning the duo would leave their makeshift studio and wander across the hills of Yugawara. Be it a random encounter, a conversation or mental picture sparked by the visual scenery before them, new tracks came to life each day. As with their Diskotopia debut, each EP is a mix of the myriad influences the duo have accumulated since their teenage years living on outer ends of the Pacific Ocean.

From the technicolour aqua-jungle of "View From Fuua" which bursts with Logical Progression era Good Looking Records exo-planet optimism, through to the EPs closer, "Zuio-ji" a track that owes as much of a debt to the ancient Japanese court music of gagaku, as it does the 1960s soundtrack work of composer Toru Takemitsu and the jidaigeki infused breakbeat experiments of a mid 90s Rupert Parkes. Shades, tones and hues plucked from CD-ROM era "Visual Scenes" 80s CM Music and the techno-animism of synth-heavy anime soundtracks can be found on the EPs more VGM-leaning excursions "光のトンネル" and "夜明けの真鶴岬" whereas tracks like "Physical Reality" continue the question posed on their debut:What would a breakbeat tradition look and sound like, had it been forged a billion light years away?

Marillion steht für gefühlvolle, kraftvolle und zutiefst bewegende Musik und sind seit den 80er Jahren bekannt für ihre beeindruckenden Live-Shows und eine imposante, treue und loyale globale Fangemeinde. "This Strange Engine" ist ein bemerkenswertes Album, das sich durch akustische Finesse und Intimität auszeichnet und gleichzeitig eine atmosphärische Klanglandschaft mit tiefgründigen Texten und sanften Melodien bietet. Das Album zeigt Marillions Vielseitigkeit und Offenheit für verschiedene Einflüsse.
Erhältlich als hochwertige Deluxe Editionen mit reichlich Bonusmaterial, ist diese Neuaufl age ein Muss für alle Fans von anspruchsvoller Rockmusik.

Belgian musician and filmmaker Jef Mertens has been an active force in the experimental music and film scene for nearly two decades. Known for his documentaries on artists like Sonic Youth and Borbetomagus, as well as his work with the now-defunct Dadaist Tapes label, Mertens continues to push the boundaries of sound exploration. His previous solo works include NO MATHEMATICS, released on KRAAK/Feeding Tube Records.

With Orchid Alto, Mertens dedicates himself to the taishogoto, a Japanese stringed instrument that became a new focal point in his sonic explorations. Initially drawn to its unique tonal qualities, he approached the instrument with an open-ended curiosity, using it as a means to reshape his musical language. The transition to taishogoto marked a shift away from guitar-based compositions, offering a fresh perspective on texture and resonance. Through these explorations, Orchid Alto serves as a blueprint for new sonic possibilities.

A bold and immersive sonic journey, Orchid Alto merges traditional resonance with modern experimentalism, further shaping Mertens' artistic voice—one influenced by artists like Michael Flowers, Turner Williams Jr., and Bill Nace.

When we last heard from Southern California's rock n' roll sorcerers Death Valley Girls, band orchestrator and mastermind Bonnie Bloomgarden was summoning the element of water and celebrating its tempestuous power on the triumphant 2023 single "I Am a Wave." Surrounded by a new cast of supporting musicians, Bloomgarden returns from a brief hiatus to pay homage to the magic of celestial bodies and to honor yet another classical element on a new two-song single. On side A, Death Valley Girls cover the Fleetwood Mac track "Sisters of the Moon," harnessing the original version's witchy mystery while bolstering its thunderous chorus by beefing up its ominous riffage. Bloomgarden's channeling of Stevie Nicks is downright eerie, pulling off such s striking timbral similarity you might almost mistake this rendition as a more electrified and tripped-out alternate take from the original Tusk sessions. On the flipside, Death Valley Girls pay reverence to the element of fire by taking on the Link Wray classic "Fire and Brimstone," summoning the original's swagger while transforming its tent-revival stomp into a mash-up of Phil Spector's girl-group majesty, Motown's hip-shaking soul, and punk's bombast. Surrounded by an ensemble of like-minded celestial witches, Bloomgarden takes Death Valley Girls' sound to new heights while elevating two beloved `70s tunes into modern day religious experiences.

"Salsa con charanga" is really a feast for all salsa music lovers, a true jewel, which deserved much better when it originally came out in 1978. In addition to being a great salsa album, has the distinction that was released on Orfeon, a Mexican record label, due to the diligent work of the extraordinary producer Bobby Marin, and which miraculously received air play when powerhouse Fania label and few others ruled radio in the salsa music world. It comprises eight great, solid tracks; some, new interpretations from other albums in which Mike Guagenti participated with his handsome and captivating voice - a crooner with a salsero soul -, that, at times, could remind us of the late Tito Rodríguez, and even Ray Ramos. "The Mike Guagenti album," as indicated by Marin, "is a compilation of recordings by other artists. Originally a salsa album, I brought in Cuban Pupi Legarreta (violin and flute) and [Panamanian] Mauricio Smith (flute) to give it a charanga sound." With the exception of the cut 'Salsa con charanga,' which is an instrumental, the rest feature vocals by Guagenti. "Salsa con charanga" has developed a cult following, and finding a copy of the original could be quite expensive. Luckily, this officially licensed and restored edition will fill that void.

This 45 comprises two killer pop dancers with plenty of psych fuzz guitars, punchy horns and funky beats: the in-demand Christie Laume's mod anthem 'Rouge-Rouge' and Marta Kubisova's 'Tak Dej Se K Nám A Projdem Sv?t' a glorious LP-only song that has never available on a 45 before. Sister-in-law of Edith Piaf (who introduced her to the music business), Christie Laume became a ye-ye style singer in '60s France. Her mod anthem 'Rouge, Rouge' (1967) is a great song that never fails in making the dance floor shake, taken from a very rare and in-demand E.P. On the flipside we can find Marta Kubisová, one of the most popular singers in the Czech Republic in the '60s. Her 'Tak Dej Se K Nám A Projdem Sv?t' is a glorious LP-only song from 1969 that has never available on a 45 before. Expect heavy basslines, punchy horns and fuzzy guitars. Both songs are officially reissued here on a 45 for the first time.

In the winter of 2022, Holy Wave had a week off after a short tour that ended with a show in Los Angeles. The band found particular glee in playing those shows at that time, as they weren't sure they'd ever be doing that again just a few months prior_this batch of songs results from hanging out with some very good friends at Studio 22. "The band have fashioned themselves into mainstays in the world of gauzy psychedelia, infusing dream pop soundscapes with colorful instrumentation, lush melodies, and weighty pathos." - Under the Radar Magazine"_narcotic neo-psych with synthed-out bedroom-pop undertones." - Shindig Magazine"_lush-yet-tempered instrumentation that's undeniably pleasant, if not downright attractive." - Flood Magazine"The sound of Austin's Holy Wave has been getting progressively dreamier with each successive release, their music lush and immaculately arranged." - Post-Trash"Wonderful aural tones, meandering genteelly." - Narc Magazine

Spacemen 3 began assembling their third album, 1988's Playing With Fire, at perhaps the freest, most confident point in their career. Recording began with the band road-tested and rugged, even amidst the functional volatility that famously motivated their course. The sessions' first offering came in the form of "Revolution," a single of heroic Stooges-devotion and the most commercially successful release the group had to date. High expectations for the album were soon exceeded, as Playing With Fire would become Spacemen 3's crowning studio achievement and cement their rightful place on the vanguard of otherworldly rock 'n' roll.

An exquisite mix of stuttering tremolo guitars and wistful melodies, Playing With Fire sheds any trappings of revisionism and furnishes a nuanced grade of psychedelia. Epic entries like "Suicide" (named after the notorious NYC band) and the mesmeric "How Does It Feel?" catch Spacemen 3 at their celestial apex, the very point where their collective writing, performance and production would crest and wondrously splinter.

Includes download card and new insert with liner notes by Marc Masters.

1990's Recurring, the fourth and final studio album by Spacemen 3, is often considered the introduction of two brilliant solo projects (Spectrum and Spiritualized) rather than the work of a functioning band. While Spacemen 3's departing statement surely reveals a deep divide within the S3 camp – each side of the LP was written by Sonic Boom and Jason Pierce separately and, unlike previous releases, the two do not play on each other's songs – Recurring maintains a cohesive, dreamy feel with its chief sonic officers backed by fellow travelers Will Carruthers, Mark Refoy and Jon Mattock.

Opening saga "Big City (Everybody I Know Can Be Found Here)" marries ambient haze with narcotized indie rock, while "I Love You" manages to arrange a beautiful flute alongside a defiantly throbbing bass track. "Hypnotized," a reimagined fuzz-pop hymn, would become the group's first entry in the UK Singles Charts. Recurring lays bare the essence of Spacemen 3's persistent sound, rooted in both aural expansion and phenomenal songwriting.

Includes download card and new insert with liner notes by Marc Masters.

Mit seiner Band Santiano hat Hans-Timm „Timsen“ Hinrichsen nicht weniger als acht #1-Alben in den deutschen Charts platziert. Am 25. April erscheint das Solo-Album: „Vun Hier“
Und doch ist der Sänger ein unglaublich bodenständiger Typ. Die Gründe dafür sind vielfältig – und haben doch alle einen Ursprung: seine Herkunft. Timsen wuchs als Bauernsohn in einem kleinen Dorf auf der schleswig-holsteinischen Geest auf. Noch heute lebt er in einem Dorf in der Nähe von Schleswig.

Seine Heimatverbundenheit ist nicht nur geographisch:
Plattdeutsch ist Timsens Sprache des Herzens und ein wesentlicher Teil seiner Identität. Wenn er zählt, heißt es nicht „Zwei und Zwei ist Vier“ sondern „Twee un Twee sünd Veer“. Mit seinem Soloalbum „Vun hier“ geht Timsen neue Wege und doch zurück zu den Ursprüngen. Ein Album voller Heimatklänge, aber auch voller Offenheit. Timsen zeigt sich hier als eigenständiger Künstler, der Tradition mit neuen Einflüssen verbindet – echt, direkt und ganz vun hier.

(10x12" box set, limited to 1000 copies, with premium finishing, uniquely numbered, incl. 10 records in individually printed sleeves, a booklet detailing the club's history & exclusive stickers) Boccaccio has secured its place among legendary venueslike Paradise Garage in New York and The Hacçinda in Manchester. Its bold fusion of emerging electronic genres such as New Beat, Acid, House, and Techno was way ahead of its time, drawing music lovers and clubbers from across Belgium and beyond.



Belgian label Music Man Records presents Boccaccio Life 1987-1993, a new compilation offering a fresh perspective on the legacy of the iconic Belgian club Boccaccio - often associated with the short-lived New Beat movement. The 40-track compilation highlights the raw and futuristic early house and techno sounds that were heard in the pioneering club.

Located in rural Destelbergen (Belgium), just a stone's throw from Ghent, Boccaccio has secured its place among legendary venues like Paradise Garage in New York and The Hacçinda in Manchester. Its bold fusion of emerging electronic genres such as New Beat, Acid, House, and Techno was way ahead of its time, drawing music lovers and clubbers from across Belgium and beyond. Sundays at Boccaccio were unlike anywhere else-offering sounds you couldn't hear anywhere else.

Boccaccio Life 1987-1993 is carefully curated by resident DJ Olivier Pieters and club regular Stefaan Vandenberghe, standing as the ultimate testament to a club that was more than just a venue. For those who experienced it, it was a community - a way of life. Hence the club's full name: Boccaccio Life.

This compilation stands as a testament to an innovative time in electronic music, capturing the raw, futuristic sounds of early house and techno. It sheds light on another side of Boccaccio, one that goes far beyond the short-lived New Beat scene. A carefully curated selection of 40 tracks, resonating with those who were there by offering familiar classics, while also reaching a new generation-those who never experienced it firsthand.

With tracks from Blake Baxter, Virgo, Frankie Knuckles, Tyree, and A Guy Called Gerald, the unmistakable influence of black American pioneers is clear-the originators of the firstanalog house and techno sounds. On the other hand, UK sound innovators such as The Orb and LFO bring both sharp textures and rough breakbeats to the table.

Club staple tracks include dreamy excursions from Roger Sanchez under his Egotrip moniker, the relentless basement house of Circus Bells by Robert Armani on Dance Mania, an uplifting take on a hip-house cut from The D.O.C. (Portrait of A Masterpiece in the CJ Ed-Did-It Mix), a timeless remix of UK Formation's Age of Chance from 1994, and an alternate take on The Tape by Boccaccio club regular and Belgian producer Frank De Wulf, taken from his B-Sides project.

While not always the obvious hits, these tracks have gracefully withstood the test of time, and were exclusive to Sundays at Boccaccio. Now, they are finally available to experience together in one collection, offering a timeless snapshot of a unique era.

Destiny of Illusion is a 24-track full length debut from Pretty V (aka. Voldy Moyo, v7backin2007, #Smokesito), a prolific artist from Wakefield, UK who has been frequently performing and releasing music & videos online for the past 9 years, building notoriety for his unique sound and prolific output and gaining support from artists such as MIKE & King Krule, both of which have brought Voldy out for many shows, and for collaborations.

The album will release on the 24th April 2025, along with a release show the same day at Ormside Projects.

The album is produced entirely by aloisius, a prolific artist & producer, as well as the founder of life is beautiful records). ‘Destiny of Illusion’ is a landmark album for both Pretty V & aloisius, being their first full-run vinyl release. The album will be available exclusively on Vinyl, Cassette & CD.

This album also holds additional historical significance being that it is the first official/ full-run vinyl release for life is beatiful records.

The first pressing of ‘Destiny of Illusion’ will be limited to 397 copies.

BEATALISTICS, the soulful South-German Drum & Bass label, run by Enea and MC Fava, is celebrating its 100th release. ONEHUNDRED reflects on almost one and a half decades of label back catalogue with a 29 tunes strong 'best of' various artists digital compilation. Included are also 6 brand new tunes which are packed on a vinyl sampler In addition. Featured is orchestral DnB pioneer KEENO who puts his magic hands of 'Sarah', taken off FAVA's Destiny EP with Smote & Becca Jane Grey and rounds up the meaningful song with his cinematic trademark sound . FAVA also adds some decent chants to COMMAND STRANGE'S 'Kindness Flow, a positive and uplifting liquid roller that is going to make your soul smile for sure. Long time label friend PAUL SG, head honcho of the brilliant soul driven Austrian imprint Jazzsticks delivers one of his signature amen break soul-rollers with 'Pale White Boy'. Label boss ENEA can't be missed on here and literally delivers the 'Heat' with his contribution. Beatalistics sticks to the label philosophy and supports local talents and important label representatives DAVA and MOJOMAN.'Pictures' delivers dancefloor vibes with a deep bassline and strong vocal arrangement and proves that Dava is one to watch out for in the near future. MOJOMAN maintains a desire to dance with the hypnotizing 'Pillers of Nah', following his unmistakably melodic and hymnal style.

We wanted to celebrate the music of integral Samurai family member Last Life by revisiting his Samurai contributions with remixes from artists Mauro saw as best candidates for adding a new perception.

The second and final collection of remixes of tracks from Last Life's Samurai Music catalogue has now taken it's final form.

Label regulars Sam KDC, Ancestral Voices, Torn and Presha take their scalpels to Mauro's constructions and turn up the intensity, rebuilding them into 4 sinewy exercises in sinister force.

A1 - Ocean Breeze

Kicking off the EP we have an understated 2-step banger from label head ASC as Ocean Breeze rips into your consciousness, positively bursting at the seams with a wonderful rolling break - make no mistake this track will make you and the dancefloor move. Building continually with a trademark subtle female vocal and wavy synthwork, Ocean Breeze is the perfect livener for any discerning atmospheric set.

A2 - Blue Planet

Straight into the action with a heavy break pattern, Blue Planet sees ASC experiment with deep, thunderous kicks and tightly edited, weighted snares set to take you higher - as the classic, recognisable vocal sample urges.Throughout the track we are treated to a darkly atmosphere created by thoughtful pads and effects which elevate the mix while the breaks make the most of their headline billing to the end.

B1 - Cyclic Nature

Continuing the break focussed approach to the EP, ASC unleashes a break heard right at the start of Spatial's history in Force Majeure - in fact this piece began life as a remix of that very same track, before taking on its own identity and becoming Cyclic Nature. Intense and hot-blooded, dense analogue kicks battle echoing drums and subtle melodies to form a wonderfully constructed atmosphere we just can't get enough of.

B2 - Shapeshift

Dialling back the intensity, Shapeshift is introduced more gradually this time with a DJ-friendly cymbal driven intro, with curious clicks and sound effects jostling over a mellow synthy backdrop. Before long a relaxing old-school break enters the mix while textured pads fluctuate with inquisitive jolts of melodic energy, elevating Shapeshift to become quite the memorable EP closer indeed.

Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

A1 - Tidal Realm

Opening with the kind of finely-honed, sumptuous ambience we know and love Aural Imbalance for, Tidal Realm slowly reveals its welcoming arc with filtered breakbeats and a captivating off-beat string melody before analogue amen breaks are expertly chopped and sliced at will for our listening pleasure. Further melodic charm is added as the soothing ambient backdrops rise like a calming mist, blanketing the scene in style.

A2 - Tears Of An Angel

Subdued breaks sleepily laze during the intro to Tears Of An Angel, gently roused to movement by a sombre backdrop of delicate pads and high pitched ambient textures. Once in full swing, the old-school breakbeats nestle perfectly over a deep, earthy 808 bassline while the atmosphere develops continually through a melodic, ethereal landscape crafted with a trademark understated panache.

B1 - Surface Area

Readying for the unexpected, a suitably eerie ambient intro to Surface Area sees Aural Imbalance flex his versatility once more as a stunningly crafted break pattern suddenly takes center stage and immediately whisks the listener on a journey to lands afar. Micro melodies and inimitable pads add depth but make no mistake - these breaks are sublime, and will inspire both the listener and the dancefloor in equal measure.

B2 - Warm Embrace

Closing out the EP we have Warm Embrace, which opens with the sounds of playful fireflies in the twilight, emitting their soft glow through the washes of inexplicably radiant FX. Old school breaks soon enter the mix, constructed with aplomb over a bed of deep, classic 808 bass perfect for the occasion. The breakdown introduces a deliciously delicate melody, adding further depth to the track perfectly before the breaks and nightlife resume their frolics.

Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)

2025 Blue Vinyl Repress

WRWTFWW Records is very honored to announce the official reissue of Grauzone's essential 1981 maxi single with timeless classic "Eisbär", proto-techno beast "FILM 2", and romantic synth ballad "Ich Lieb Sie", just in time for the 40th anniversary of the Swiss band's formation. The three-track vinyl is sourced from the original reels, cut at 45rpm, and comes with its iconic artwork on a 350gsm sleeve.

Ich möchte ein Eisbär sein...Written by Martin Eicher after a nightmare in which he saw talking polar bears on the walls, and with music by the Grauzone crew consisting of Martin and his brother Stephan Eicher, Marco Repetto, Christian "GT" Trüssel, and Claudine Chirac (on saxophone), "Eisbär" is the most recognizable title from the band, a sublime mix of ingredients reflecting the transitional era it comes from - the raw energy of punk music still palpable, combined with the audacity of early electronics, the warm groove of a disco gem, beautifully fragile lyrics, and one of the best basslines ever. It became a mega hit, totally unplanned, but how could you resist such a track

"FILM 2" is the ultimate b-side monster, a menacing all-instrumental pre-techno masterpiece, slowly building to a magnetizing frenzy. An instant underground favorite, it was famously heard played at both speeds depending on the scenes and DJs you were frequenting, 45rpm as it was first intended, and 33rpm for the cosmic experience (search Daniele Baldelli's Cosmic C75 1982 mixtape online for a great example of this).

The maxi single ends with "Ich Lieb Sie", a synth-pop meets doo-wop ballad, a true love song oozing with innocence. Simple, stylish, and just right.

At the crossroads of post-punk, new wave, pop, and electronic experimentation, the Eisbär maxi offers three songs that are technically different but hold the same spirit, the perfect embodiment of Grauzone's music - wild, unpredictable, and youthful, yet sophisticated, catchy, and ingenious. The magic recipe for the good stuff.

Stephan Eicher went on to be, arguably, the most successful Swiss musician ever, with an international career extending from pop chanson to experimental escapades and collaborations with Moondog, artists Sophie Calle and John Armleder, and author Martin Suter among many other luminaries. Marco Repetto flourished as a techno and ambient producer, releasing multiple projects including releases on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label.

Grauzone and WRWTFWW will continue to collaborate on the band's 40th anniversary reissue campaign, with numerous projects planned for the year, including a vast selection of music, visuals, and literature never available before.

WRWTFWW Records is happy to announce its fourth collaboration with New York ambient / jazz / downtempo musician Danny Scott Lane with the release of his newest full-length Songs For Sex. The seductive 11-track album is available as a limited edition LP (500 copies worldwide) housed in a shiny 350gsm silver cardboard sleeve. It is also available digitally.

Danny Scott Lane returns with Songs For Sex, a sultry funk, jazz, and ambient exploration inspired by candid conversations about intimacy. Smooth yet messy, uplifting yet off-kilter, this album captures every mood. It’s sensual furniture (leather sofa) music, deep passion minimalism, hedonistic downtempo, glossy and warm soul electronica.

The velvety sonic affair features the lush sounds of Joseph Shabson, David Lackner, and Simon Herody on flutes and saxophones, making it an irresistible modern brand of smooth jazz, the ideal soundtrack for your favorite pastime.

Songs For Sex follows the release of Danny Scott Lane’s chillout masterpieces Home Decor, Shower, and Caput, all available on WRWTFWW Records. Complete the funky collection now!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big new release by Peter Van Hoesen! Continuing his exploration of intricate techno systems, their effect and direct perimeter of action, Peter van Hoesen turns in his newest four-track piece, ‘Prime Directive’: a fascinating dive into the artist’s shape-shifting headspace and inner creative chaos.

Fuelled on a furnace-hot mix of abstract-leaning immersion and hi-octane rhythmic thrust, ‘Prime Directive’ looks at contemporary techno from the angle of experimentation and intuitive abandon. The result comes in the form of four distinct movements, each carving out their own logic and associated behaviour out an endless pool of potentialities. Here comes chaology unfolding in all its unadulterated, visceral glory.

‘Definition by Absence’ breaks the trip in to the sound of a faux-random symphony: its train-like swing and fiery bass seesaw coalesce through an elliptic fluttering of sorts, iterative and not, patterns moving in and out of synchronicity as van Hoesen applies more or less pressure on both ends. All in gusty in-your-face-ness, ‘Variables Edit 1’ whirls and swirls like an ominous vengeance of nature; Its puncturing kicks and whistling menace set against stellar winds and rabid machinery on the prowl for its next victim.

An even more unsettling piece of disjointedly arrhythmic, anti-club music for the dance floor, ‘Prime Directive’ will have you zoning out like a bad dream, flush with metronome-faced monsters and molten clocks hanging from dead trees. ‘Morphology’ could be PVH’s attempt at giving his concepts a carnal carcass to hold onto. Here, rhythm becomes somewhat less erratic, offering his 360-degree vision more melodic surface and actual room for dispersion. One to keep the boundaries pushed and status-quo challenged, this is techno at its most entrancingly bold and fearless.

*This new four-track epic from Peter van Hoesen comes draped in a fine piece of artwork courtesy of Atact, and pressed according to our standards in 180g audiophile quality so you get to experience the Belgian master's chiselled sound design in all its glory.

For their second album 'The Foel Tower', Quade holed up in an old stone barn in the cradle of a Welsh mountain valley.
The valley was a stark and windswept backdrop with little daylight, as the band would huddle around crackling fires each evening. “There was very much a feeling of being on the complete fringes of society,” the band says. “The last vestiges of settlement before the unrelenting barren moors that loomed over us.”
It was an environment that would shape the band – a Bristol four piece made up of Barney Matthews, Leo Fini, Matt Griffiths and Tom Connolly – and the record they have made. It’s an album that is as dreamy as it is melancholic, and as quiet and tender as it is forceful and potent – gliding across genres like winds blowing over those wide-spanning Welsh hills – to arrive at something the band half-jokingly, yet somewhat accurately, describe as “doomer sad boy, ambient-dub, folk, experimental post-rock.”

Quade is a band but it’s also a very close-knit group that have been friends since childhood who use this musical vehicle for interpersonal explorations and connections. “We’ve individually experienced a lot of difficulty over the last several years and Quade has represented a space to shelter from these,” the band says. “This means we often communicate extensively with each other about the issues affecting us individually and collectively. These conversations and concerns are central to The Foel Tower.”

In many ways, the making of this record – or any Quade record – goes way deeper than the simple writing, construction and recording of music. It is a profoundly deep and meaningful experience. “A key theme of the album relates to why we connect with specific places in the way that we do,” the group says. “We often remove ourselves to isolated valleys, sheltered from some of the painful personal struggles that we have experienced as a band. These become spaces in which we collectively purge ourselves of some of these difficulties hoping to make Quade a physical and emotional place of solace. This album celebrates these places that we’ve been able to retreat to and recuperate.”

It is a deep, dense record that is stuffed with musical, cinematic and literary influences – from Ursula La Guin and Cormac MacCarthy through to RS Thomas and Yeats – but despite the heavy, introspective and anxious nature of some of the material, it is also a record that is remarkably deft, agile and considered.

Made with producer Jack Ogborne and mixer Larry ‘Bruce’ McCarthy, there is a pleasing duality to the final sound of the record. One that feels fragile and intimate but also powerful and forceful, as introspective as it is expansive, and a record that is as detailed and textured as it is wide open and spacious.

The album title also pays homage to the place that shaped it so greatly. Within this remote Welsh valley stands the Foel Tower, a stone structure filled with valves and cylinders that can raise and lower the level of the reservoir to draw off water. Which it can then send as far as 70 miles to Birmingham. However, in the late 1800s this land was occupied by local farmers and families in the hundreds until the British Government acquired the land, cleared the valleys, and promptly displaced them in order to begin serving the vastly expanding industrial English city. The band dug into the history and politics of this and wove it into the themes they were already thinking about, using what the Foel Tower stands for as something of a contemporary metaphor. “This tension was something that we wanted to explore without the haughty judgement of our more metropolitan lifestyles,” they say. “And to explore how this specifically relates to ourselves: how can we envisage a genuinely ecological future for ourselves – one that is accessible, affordable and in harmony with endangered rural practices.”

What makes The Foel Tower such an incredible record is that it feels born of a time, place and situation that only existed in that very moment. It’s a snapshot of those 10 days spent in rural Wales and all the feelings and anxieties the band were experiencing at that specific time, magically caught on tape. “The album very much feels tied to this valley for us and the conversations and experiences we shared there,” they say. “It brings up a great deal of poignancy for us, an emblem of some fleeting respite from the strains we all have to experience. But there’s also deep sadness knowing how transient these moments are – in fact, there’s just a great deal of sadness in this album. But it’s also a record that while personal, resigned, and emotionally burdened, is ultimately hopeful.”

Christian Kleine continues to unearth long-lost transmissions with Electronic Music From The Lost World: Vol.2 - another batch of pristine artifacts from his personal DAT archive. Much like its predecessor, this release serves as both a time capsule and a reminder of Kleine’s effortless blend of melodic warmth, intricate rhythm programming, punk influences, and a deep-rooted love for the fringes of electronica.
Where Vol.1 felt like an invitation back to the late ‘90s, a time when IDM was still an evolving conversation, this second volume extends the dialogue, revealing more of the sonic experiments and fully-formed pieces that never saw the light of day. Tracks recall specific moments from Kleine’s time living in Berlin, an era of minimal comforts but maximal creativity, where all that really mattered was that the PowerPC, sampler, and synths kept running. This period of introspection, coupled with the musical freedom afforded by cheap rent and late-night school classes, shaped the deeply personal and solitary sound of these recordings.
Visually, Vol 2 shares its origins with the first volume, as Midori Hirano’s stark Berlin photography forms the foundation, and Noah M / Keep Adding pushes the imagery into a brighter, more reflective final space. Final touches remain in familiar hands, with LOOP-O on mastering and lacquer duties, bringing new life to Christian’s OG DAT recordings. 
And much like the classic City Centre Offices era that shaped this sound and Kleine’s early career, this release nods to that legacy. A special limited 7” EP with two bonus tracks, designed in tribute to CCO’s iconic DIY aesthetic, will be available on release day direct from the label’s Bandcamp. 

Repress

Traveling time to the year 1979 we find ourselves on the Gulf Coast of Florida in a city called Sarasota. Sal Garcia leads Omni, the resident band at the Columbia, a Spanish restaurant operating in the city since the turn of the century. Sal and his band look to record a single ironically called Disco Sucks but the restaurant isn't willing to fund a record with the word 'sucks' in it, so the band changes the track title to 'Disco Socks'. The song is a disco odyssey with driving drums, ethereal flutes, playful lyrics, and a synth solo for the gods. On the b side there's a little latin number called 'Sarasota (Que Bueno Esta)'. An ode to their city, the song praises Sarasota for its beautiful women and precious beaches. Sal is still living his dream playing at piano bars in the city. Terrestrial Funk provides you with the first officially licensed reissue of this rare disco 12". Floridian Love.

On their second record as The Convenience, Like Cartoon Vampires, New Orleans multi-instrumentalists Nick Corson and Duncan Troast embrace a hypnotic physicality and collage-y, spur-of-the-moment approach to composition. The result is an avant-rock soundworld, peppered with spidery, atonal guitar work, pointy rhythms, and strident feedback, which may strike as a total reinvention following the sugary funk-pop of their 2021 debut album Accelerator. With their second LP, following their inspiration meant creating with their hands much more than buttons or switches. Sessions were characterized by gnarly, improvisational jams as they tinkered with everything from cassette loops, found sounds, and 808s. Tracks like "Target Offer" and "Fake the Feeling" quake with ear-splitting guitar feedback, while "Pray'r" and "Rats" eschew their groove worship in favor of haunting minimalism. Song after song, Accelerator's pop influences are traded in for more eccentric frontiers, with the clear common denominators of their first two records being the duo's spellbinding, funky instincts and a mastery of texture. Lyrically, Like Cartoon Vampires collects dispatches from a dying empire-characters are devoured by alienation and vanity, though society doesn't bat an eye. But make no mistake, these songs are not merely disaffected ennui-music-making and collaboration are intensely emotional practices for The Convenience, and they reflect a shrieking lust for life.