Buscar:on spec

DIEMAJIN is the duo of Berlin-based producer DJ DIE SOON (Daisuke Imamura) and Tokyo-based vocalist MA. Their self-titled debut is equal parts scrambled hip-hop, simmering noise and spectral Tokusatsu soundtrack. A set of cursed beats and possessed raps inspired by Japanese sci-fi and supernatural-horror films from the 1960s.
The pair, both originally from Japan, first collaborated live at an event in Berlin organised by Morphine Records in 2019. But the eleven tracks on their self-titled debut were made by swapping beats, sounds and acapellas across the internet. Editing, arranging and degrading them into the collection presented here.

Originally released on seven-inch by the tiny PRM label in 1986, ‘Witches’ was the product of a sister-brother song writing team whose music was mostly recorded in the front room of a terraced house in Nanpean, a small industrial village in Cornwall, England’s most south-westerly county. While the single was infectious and dancefloor-ready, it sold in limited quantities at the time.

Zenana’s story can be traced back to the early 1980s, when singer-songwriter Anita Tedder founded the all-female trio as a vehicle for her socially conscious and politically charged songs, with a burning desire to put strong depictions of women front and centre. To bring Zenana to life, she joined forces with her brother Mike, an early adopter of electronic music who had built a small studio in his Cornish home, and recruited two fellow bandmembers, Penny Griffiths and Ruth Elder.

This specific release is a limited reissue that the band created in 2023 and holds three more songs ; The Final Winter, The Touch Of Woman & When The Comet Comes. This issue comes with an 8 page booklet including background stories as well as historical photographs.

A l’occasion des 20 ans de cet album devenu culte, Record Makers réédite une version spéciale anniversaire limitée (vinyles transparents – 500 exemplaires) qui ravivera la flamme des fans de la première heure, des nouveaux fans et des collectionneurs. "Vive la Vie" est aujourd’hui un album référent pour les amateurs de rap, reconnu par ses pairs lyricistes, c’est un de ses albums qui marquent à jamais une époque, celle des années 2000 et de son rap aux rimes fines et puissantes.



Le 15 novembre 2004 sortait "Vive la Vie" le premier album du Klub des Loosers.



On ne présente plus le Klub des Loosers et son unique membre Fuzati. Pourquoi ? parce qu'on en a un peu honte quand même. Imaginez un jeune versaillais que tout prédestinait à devenir écrivain maudit ou chanteur d'un groupe de pop répétant dans le garage parental le dimanche de 16h à 20h. Le genre de type qui passait ses samedis après-midi à la bibliothèque municipale, ses samedi soir à boire de la bière dans les squats de jeunes où on recense une fille pour dix mecs et où la phrase qui revient le plus souvent est "qui roule un joint ?"

Imaginez maintenant que ce type ait une illumination, au milieu de ces jeunes que tout prédestine à la réussite (HEC, science-po) et qui lorsqu'ils se retrouvent ensemble ne savent pas faire autre chose que de se défoncer. "Nous sommes un klub de loosers".



Comme il n'aime pas trop les gens, Fuzati fondera un klub dont il sera le seul membre. Comme il n'a pas de guitare que le hip hop est son seul ami il se dit qu'il fera ça comme musique. Bah oui c'est sympa le hip hop. Comme on lui a dit qu'il n'avait pas une tête de rappeur et que les casquettes à l'envers lui vont mal il ne montrera jamais son visage et portera un chapeau. S'en suivra un parcours classique de MC underground qui rappe pour la rue (mais aussi les avenues) et représente ses refrés illégalement enfermés derrière les murs des prépas t'as vu. Mixtapes, nombreux freestyles dans l'émission Greckfrite diffusée sur la chaine internet Canalweb, concert à la MJC de Versailles mais aussi dans un entrepôt désinfecté à Dunkerque.



En 2003 Il signe sur le label parisien Record Makers parce qu'on lui a appris qu'il ne fallait pas trop se mélanger avec les gens d'autres milieux. Sortiront deux EP, "Baise les Gens" et "La Femme de Fer" qui sont déjà des classiques pour au moins 32 personnes. La même année sort également l'album de l'atelier "Buffet des Anciens Elèves" auquel il participe avec Tékilatex du groupe TTC, James Delleck, Cyanure et deux producteurs de talent, Tacteel (Lex Records) et ParaOne (Institubes). En juillet 2004 sort le maxi du Klub des Loosers où collaborent MF DOOM, légende hip hop, et Jean-Benoit Dunckel, moitié du groupe AIR.

OVERVIEW: DUB TREES is one of Youth’s most revered dub projects, it helped define the Liquid Sound Design sound that fans around the world hold dear. This project is the third in a triptych of albums Youth has made with a specific Celtic / Hindu fusion. Starting out with the classic Celtic Cross ‘Hicksville’ 20 years ago, featuring the mythical Simon Posford (Shpongle) through to ‘East of the River Ganges’ (ft Klaus Shultz / Tangerine Dream amongst many others) in 2004 followed by the last piece of this mystical puzzle ‘Celtic Vedic’ ,released on compact disc only in 2016 , which charts the journey of the Celt from Northern India to Snowdonia. The idea stems from Youth’s firm belief that there is a strong correlation between Celtic and Vedic cultures and their Northern Indian roots. Youth has assembled a host of collaborators to weave their labrynthine magic on ‘Celtic Vedic’: Jah Wobble (PiL) on bass, Matt Black/Coldcut (Ninja Tunes) on warped soundscaping duties, Galician Celtic pipe and flute player Daniel Romar, Bollywood contemporary Indian singer Shridevi Keshavan and Elfic Circle. It features many field recordings made by Youth on his various Indian odysseys and is all harnessed together with cutting-edge electronica that the Liquid Sound Design team pioneered 20 years ago. The team today are still pioneering new directions within ‘Downtempo Electronica Music’ and beats that create 3 dimensional landscapes for the helioscopic imagination to explore and psychoactive maps for the inner astronaut in all of us. ‘Celtic Vedic’ promises unchartered bass annihilation and heliotropic soundscapes, pounding basslines overlayed on 3D holographic beats and wrestles with serpentine melodies and psychedelic textures.

Khadim is a stunning reconfiguration of the Ndagga Rhythm Force sound. The instrumentation is radically pared down. The guitar is gone; the concatenation of sabars; the drum-kit. Each of the four tracks hones in on just one or two drummers; otherwise the sole recorded element is the singing; everything else is programmed. Synths are dialogically locked into the drumming. Tellingly, Ernestus has reached for his beloved Prophet-5, a signature go-to since Basic Channel days, thirty years ago. Texturally, the sound is more dubwise; prickling with effects. There is a new spaciousness, announced at the start by the ambient sounds of Dakar street-life. At the microphone, Mbene Diatta Seck revels in this new openness: mbalax diva, she feelingly turns each of the four songs into a discrete dramatic episode, using different sets of rhetorical techniques. The music throughout is taut, grooving, complex, like before; but more volatile, intuitive and reaching, with turbulent emotional and spiritual expressivity.

Not that Khadim represents any kind of break. Its transformativeness is rooted in the hundreds upon hundreds of hours the Rhythm Force has played together. Nearly a decade has passed since Yermande, the unit's previous album. Every year throughout that period — barring lockdowns — the group has toured extensively, in Europe, the US, and Japan. With improvisation at the core of its music-making, each performance has been evolutionary, as it turns out heading towards Khadim. “I didn’t want to simply continue with the same formula," says Ernestus. “I preferred to wait for a new approach. Playing live so many times, I wanted to capture some of the energy and freedom of those performances.” Though several members of the touring ensemble sit out this recording — sabar drummers, kit-drummer, synth-player — their presence abides in the structure and swing of the music here.

Lamp Fall is a homage to Cheikh Ibra Fall, founder of the Baye Fall spiritual community. The mosque in the city of Touba is known as Lamp Fall, because the main tower resembles a lantern. Soy duggu Touba, moom guey séen / When you enter Touba, he is the one who greets you. After a swift, incantatory start Mbene sings with reflective seriousness. Her voice swirls with reverb, over a tight, funky, propulsive interplay between synth and drums, threaded with one-two jabs of bass. Cheikh Ibra Fall mi may way, mo diayndiou ré, la mu jëndé ko taalibe... Cheikh Ibra Fall amo morome, aboridial / Cheikh Ibra Fall shows the way forward, he gives us strength, he gathers his disciples... Overflowing with grace, Cheikh Ibra Fall has no equal.

Interwoven with Wolof proverbs, Dieuw Bakhul is a recriminatory song about treachery, lies, and back-biting. Over moody, roiling synths and ominous, lean bass, Mbene throws out fluttering scraps of vocal, as if re-running old conversations in her head. The music shadows her despair to the verge of breakdown, at one moment seemingly so lost in thought and memories, that it threatens to disintegrate. Bayilene di wor seen xarit ak seen an da ndo... Dieuw bakhul, dieuw ñaw na / Stop judging your friends and companions... A lie is no good, a lie is ugly.

Khadim is a show-stopper; currently the centrepiece of Ndagga Rhythm Force live performances. The song is dedicated to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, aka Khadim, founder of the Mouride Sufi order. Serigne Bamba mi may wayeu / Serigne Bamba is the one who makes me sing. The verses name-check revered members of his family and brotherhood, like Sokhna Diarra, Mame Thierno, and Serigne Bara. Though Islam has been practised in Senegal for a millennium, it wasn’t until the start of the twentieth century that it began to thoroughly permeate ordinary Senegalese society, hand-in-hand with anti-colonialism. The verses here recall Bamba’s banishment by the French to Gabon, and later to Mauritania, in those foundational times. During exile, his captors once introduced a lion to his cell: gaïnde gua waf, dieba lu ci Cheikhoul Khadim / the lion doesn’t budge, it gives itself over to Cheikh Khadim. Deep, surging bass, steady kick-drum, and simple, reverbed chords on the off-beat lend the feel and impetus of steppers reggae. A reed plays snatches of a traditional Baye Fall melody; the dazzling polyrhythmic drumming is by Serigne Mamoune Seck. Mbene compellingly blends percussive vocalese, narrative suspense, exultant praise, introspection, and grievance.

Nimzat is a devotional tribute to Cheikh Sadbou, a contemporary of Bamba, buried in a mausoleum in Nizmat, in southern Mauritania. Way nala, kagne nala... souma danana fata dale / I call upon you and wonder about you... If I am overwhelmed, come to my aid. The town holds special significance for Khadr Sufism. An annual pilgrimage there is conducted to this day. The rhythm is buoyantly funky; the mood is sombre, reined-in, foreboding. Punctuated by peals of thunder, Mbene sings with restrained, intense reverence; huskily confidential, steadfast. Nanu dem ba Nimzat, dé ba sali khina / Let us go to Nimzat, to seal our devotion.

Mbene Diatta Seck: vocals.
Bada Seck: bougarabou, thiol, mbeung mbeung bal, tungune.
Serigne Mamoune Seck: bougarabou, khine, mbeung mbeung, tungune.
Text by Mark Ainley (Honest Jons).
Mastered by Rashad Becker.
Everything else by Mark Ernestus.

Madrid-based ensemble Sinouj fuses the deep-rooted traditions of the Mediterranean with the driving force of contemporary jazz, funk, rock and West African grooves. Their open-door vision draws in musicians from across the spectrum – from flamenco and Iranian classical music to soul and cutting-edge jazz – creating a dynamic, ever-evolving sound that is both global and unmistakably their own.

Their latest release shines a spotlight on 'Hak Dellali', a traditional North African tune that first rose to fame in the 1980s thanks to Tunisian star Hedi Habbouba and later Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi. In Sinouj's hands, this classic song becomes a transformative ritual, pulsing with the festive sway of Moroccan chaabi rhythm, Tuareg rock grit and the spontaneous spark of jazz. Over the years, it has consistently ignited the band's concerts into ecstatic celebration.

Backed with a psych-tinged and club-oriented remix by Berlin's Voodoocuts, with 'Hak Dellali' Sinouj continue to blur lines between genres and geographies, offering a fresh take on tradition.

Cyphon is excited to announce the release of an amazing new EP from Domenic Cappello. Titled Galactic Praise, this four-track masterpiece pays homage to the rich heritage of Detroit Techno while seamlessly incorporating Cappello's innovative sound design, displaying his golden ear for what makes a discerning dance floor tick.

A key figure in the electronic music scene through his long-standing residency at Glasgow's legendary Sub Club, Domenic captivates audiences globally with his unique blend of tough, pulsating beats, heartfelt melodies, and deeply immersive soundscapes. His position as booker and resident (alongside Harri) at Sub Club has allowed him to hone his craft and connect with some of the finest talents in House and Techno, influencing his distinctive style. With Galactic Praise, he takes listeners on an exhilarating journey through the heart of techno, inspired by the pioneering music that emerged from the golden era of Motor City sounds.

Dat Thing sets the tone. A driving house track that encapsulates the raw energy and spirit of Detroit, featuring hypnotic synth lines and robust bassline that give a hint of melancholy whilst maintaining a stripped back groove for maximum club impact.

Niamh’s Song is a deeper exploration of melody and rhythm, showcasing Cappello's masterful ability to weave complex harmonies into an intoxicating, otherworldly groove.

Flip over for Galactic Praise, a tribute to the roots of Techno, this track combines classic 909 and 303 elements with ethereal pads creating a heavier, timeless sound that will resonate with both longtime fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

Closing out this special EP we have Neon Skyline, a pumping yet reflective piece that captures the essence of late-night drives through urban landscapes blending chiming arpeggios, a driving synth bassline and tough beats making for an immersive experience.

As Domenic puts it: 'This EP is a tribute to the roots of techno that have inspired me since my formative years. My experiences at the Sub Club have been crucial in shaping my sound and approach to my own productions, inspiring me to create something that captures the energy and emotion of that packed dance floor and incredible sound system. I can’t wait to share it with everyone!'

First ever release of pioneering radiophonic / experimental / electronic / soundtrack composer you may never have heard of but really should have by now. 26 tracks in all.
As we began the mammoth task of whittling down material for this album Elizabeth recalled the time she met Delia Derbyshire. It was during a party for existing and former Radiophonic Workshop composers at BBC Maida Vale in the early 1980s. Delia introduced herself with typical energy and exuberance proclaiming "It's up to you now - I'm passing the baton. Show these men how we get things done". That must have been quite an honour and responsibility for a young, female composer establishing herself within the male-dominated environs at Delaware Road.
Looking back over a musical career spanning almost five decades, it's clear Elizabeth rose to the challenge and made her mark. She was consistently in demand with television and radio producers, composing for an array of ground-breaking, critically acclaimed and popular BBC projects. Whilst Delia's legacy has achieved mythical status with her position as an innovator and feminist icon secured, the majority of Elizabeth's recorded work remains unavailable so her contribution to the output of the Workshop and evolution of British electronic music is somewhat under-appreciated.
Perhaps this record will help start to remedy the situation. Included are early tape experiments, home demos and non-BBC commissions from the early 1970's to the late 2000s. Having listened to 260+ digital audio tapes from Elizabeth's personal archive we have barely scratched the surface but hope to provide an indication of the breadth of her compositional and sound design skills.
Classically trained in cello and piano, Elizabeth graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Music in 1973. She was mentored by Tristram Cary who helped her to become UEA's first recipient of a Masters in Electronic Music and later awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Staffordshire University. Joining the BBC as a studio manager in 1975, Elizabeth transferred to the Radiophonic Workshop in 1978. One of her first tasks was to create special sound effects for Blake's 7 using tape loops, the EMS 100 and trusted VCS3.
Her celebrated score for The Living Planet in 1982 featured early use of the PPG synthesizer and earned an Emmy nomination. Over the following years studio technology evolved rapidly, but Elizabeth transitioned from analogue recording techniques to newer digital platforms with relative ease, using samplers, midi sequencing and computer controlled workstations.
With an incredible 1,400 commissions to her name, she created special sound for The Day Of The Triffids, Lord Of The Rings, countless radio dramas including Iris Murdoch's The Sea, The Sea, Harold Pinter's Moonlight, all of Howard Barker's plays, productions of King Lear, Wordsworth's Prelude and The Pallisers. The success of The Living Planet led to further work for the BBC Natural History Unit followed by numerous commissions for The Natural World. At one point in the late 1980's at least five of her signature tunes were being broadcast every week including Points Of View, Horizon, Doctors To Be and Everyman.
After the closure of the Workshop in 1996 Elizabeth became freelance, arranging Faure's Pavane for the BBC World Cup '98 coverage (reaching no. 9 in the UK singles chart). She wrote additional music for Monty Python's Holy Grail DVD, scored Michael Palin's Full Circle and Sahara TV series, The Lost Gardens Of Heligan and The Human Body with Robert Winston.
Retiring from the music industry in the late 2000's, Elizabeth recently returned to her East Anglian roots and now lives near the coast. She walks daily, listening to all kinds of music, new and old, on her beloved air-pods.

Pain Management welcomes London cult favourite DJ ojo, who arrives on the label with a hazy three tracker of trademark nether zone system music. On his most dubbed out full length to date, ojo span’s the full emotive spectrum of dub sonics with a range of both the eerie and more tender expansions of low end atmospherics, the resulting 12” equally suited for the club and the journey home alike.

‘Tongue Tied’ opens the record, a lysergic offering from the darker edges of dub music. A slippery fugue-state hit of narco-ambience built around a crooning, intelligible vocal refrain and chest shot sub weight. A real nightfall system pusher built to simmer in the early hours. It kicks off the EP on an amorphous, hypnotic note that sustains throughout.‘Oil Dub’ sinks deeper into the fog, melodic kinesis and expansive delays upholding an underworld of feedbacked percussion and tongue in cheek sub motion; a seven minute sound bath of ambiguous dub ASMR.

The B-side balances out the darker strains found on its counterpart with an overtly tender digidub closer. Clocking in at almost ten minutes long ‘Cloud Suck’ is a nebulous bliss of perpetually ascending late-summer warmth. The kind of liminal dream-state embrace that you wish would never end. True to the name, it evokes tender, dusk and dawn hued moments, a quiet ride-home flash of introspection on the way to or from some pursuit of meaning. Pain Management essential right here.

Limited run of 200 hand-stamped 12” records available now.

Editions Mego reissue the 2001 release Asuma by Finnish artist Ilpo Väisänen. Originally released on CD this is the first ever vinyl issue, remastered by Rashad Becker. 2001 is a landmark year for the artist following a wave of success from the notable outfit Väisänen formed alongside Mika Vanio, Pan Sonic (as they were now known then). Following a string of highly acclaimed and influential releases such as “Vakio”, “Kulma”, “A’ and “Aaltopiiri” Pan Sonic had toured the globe extensively leaving a trail of blown expectations and rumours of all manner of objects in venues cracking or falling apart due to the immense sound the duo concocted with their unique instruments.

Taking a break from the ecstatic cacophony of Pan Sonic, Väisänen retreated to work on a solo release which conjured the spirits of the former outfit whilst simultaneously carving out a more personal take on these new electronic forms.

Asuma is a precise study of drones, rhythms, clicks, ambience and gentle confusion. Whilst inhabiting a zone of abstraction the results also move in a natural field as Väisänen’s native Finland permeates these recordings as much as the idea of experimentation itself.

Autioitu 1 opens the album as delicate pinball rhythms bounce across the spectrum as a hairy drone hovers underneath. The mood is both intriguing and unsettling. Tukahduttaja is a delightfully disorientating sound sculpture that is hard to pinpoint what it actually is. Klikki is comparable to a microscopic version of Pink Floyd’s “Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict”. Asumaton is a foreboding miniature acting like a segway to Vallitseva which embraces the icy clicks that punctuates much of the Pan Sonic output. Arvioimaton Ongelma is an audio riddle whilst Jaettu jitters around a dancefloor crawl. Autioitu closes proceedings as a gentle ambient thumper. Asuma is awash with contradiction and mystery. This is time wrapped in twisted turns and rewards a neat payoff for those interested in the absolute fringes of electronic ‘dance’ music.

Epitomising the very best of their hometown’s unparalleled musical heritage, Dames Brown are fully-fledged members of the extended Defected family following the release of slick, funk-filled record ‘What Would You Do?’ in 2021 and features on a number of the label’s vocal house hits. The Detroit trio continuously impress with their exquisite releases, striking lyricism and a hefty dose of house authenticity across their outputs. Now Athena Johnson, Teresa Marbury and LaRae Starr step out to properly introduce themselves to the wax lovers, with Detroit musical icon Amp Fiddler on production duties. Releasing ‘Introducing Dames Brown’ on 7”, this package also includes the Instrumental, as Detroit’s finest deliver a taste of what’s to come on their forthcoming album, capturing funk, house and soul from across the spectrum.

Robsoul Recordings launches its 2025 campaign in style with the release of the ‘Make Love' EP, an impressive label debut from Italian producer and MPC virtuoso, Bress Underground.Following a strong 2024, which saw him release on GLB Dom, SNATCH!, Jackies Music, Special Grooves, and Slothboogie, as well as delivering unforgettable sets at iconic venues such as Sisyphos and NYC Downlow (Glastonbury), Bress Underground rolls out a sumptuous four-track selection of impeccable House music.“The EP was created by mixing a variety of production techniques, including the MPC, sampling, and Ableton Live,” explains Bress Underground, real name Andrea. “These were all projects I'd started and, for whatever reason, remained incomplete for some time. Each track started with a specific mood but evolved into something new as I finished them.”A love for all shades of House is evident throughout the EP, from the bumping horns and infectious shuffle of opener ‘Chick House' to the smooth, chiming keys and soulful tones of fellow A-side cut ‘Keep On'. On the flip ‘I Don't Pray' delivers a powerful, sermon-like groove whilst title track, ‘Make Love,' closes the release with its timeless 303 energy and undeniable dancefloor appeal. As Bress Underground himself puts it, this EP is “the perfect musical omelette,” blending textures, moods, and influences into a flavorful collection of House tracks.

This is what you get when an emcee/producer is fed on a diet of abstract hip-hop, Southeast Asian samples, and Taoist folklore. Together with the Clementi Sound Appreciation Club (a five-piece band of up-and-coming musicians schooled in jazz from the local scene in Singapore), Mary Sue melts samples with live instrumentation on 'Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword.' At the core of the album is the tale of a time-traveling oracle, struggling to find meaning in the modern world-where ancient wisdom feels fragile, and truth is ever-shifting. A reinterpretation of idioms shapes its journey, where spiritual pursuits feel performative, and where the weight of the past clashes with an uncertain future. The music mirrors this tension: phrases of Gamelan music dissolve into smoky brass, spectral melodies unravel over off-kilter drums, and time bends through layered textures. 'Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword' is both a reckoning and a dream, where echoes of the past find new life in the chaos of now. A porcelain shield shatters on impact; a paper sword folds before it cuts. It's about the constant, fragile push-and-pull between aesthetics and money, tradition and progress, meaning and spectacle. "Like the oracle, we're all stuck in a world where spiritual longing gets tangled up with consumerism, where authenticity is blurred by performance, and where finding real meaning feels shakier than ever," rapper and producer Mary Sue explains. "'Porcelain Shield, Paper Sword' lives in that field of tension. The album drifts between beauty and collapse, truth and illusion, and past and present, without ever landing on solid ground."

Karma Sutra had already been a band for five years when they released their elusive one and only album ,released on their own Paradoxical Records label in 1987. The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker came towards the end of the bands life span and all they had to show prior was a few demos and some tracks on compilations on Mortarhate. By the time the band entered the studio KARMA SUTRA was spreading their musical wings, moving from a straight ahead anarcho sound to a more dense and thoughtful place, adding flourishes of post punk and moody atmospheres to their agit-prop political stance thus creating one of the most idiosyncratic concept albums of their time, where situationist politics meet the most ambitious anarcho punk sound.
The album was recorded in Sheffield at Vibrasound Studio and co-produced by Spon of UK DECAY, which added yet another layer to the already complex album.
When released The Daydreams Of A Production Line Worker had little fanfare due to the rigid approach to punk of the time. But as time passed, so did this albums importance. It would sit perfectly in your collection next to bands who had ambition, tunes and thought provoking lyrics like CHUMBAWAMBA, THE MOB or THATCHER ON ACID.
The Daydreams Of A Production Line Worker reissue comes with a reproduction of the originally included 28 page booklet, which the band viewed as an inseparable part of the album to understand the concept. Dense at times and intended to be thought provoking it covers class oppression, gender, culture brainwashing, prison struggle et all the capitalism society illnesses written from an anarchist perspective and aligned with the situationism theory of revolution of every day life.

Polar Bear's groundbreaking debut 'Dim Lit' (2004) is being released on vinyl for the first time, marking over two decades since its arrival reshaped the UK jazz landscape

Led by drummer and composer Seb Rochford, the album introduced a band whose fearless approach to improvisation, rhythm, and texture would go on to influence a generation. Blending raw energy with intricate composition, 'Dim Lit' set the blueprint for Polar Bear's signature sound - expansive, unpredictable, and entirely their own.

From the outset, 'Dim Lit' positioned Polar Bear as one of the most forward-thinking groups of their time. The album bridged jazz, electronic elements, and avant- garde sensibilities, carving out a new space in the contemporary music scene. The interplay between Rochford, saxophonists Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart, bassist Tom Herbert, and electronics specialist Leafcutter John created a dynamic, shape-shifting sound that blurred genre boundaries. With its hypnotic grooves, explosive improvisation, and unexpected sonic detours, 'Dim Lit' remains a vital document of a band redefining what jazz could be.

This first- ever vinyl release offers a new perspective on 'Dim Lit's deep, layered soundscapes, giving longtime fans and new listeners alike the chance to experience the album in a fresh, immersive format. Edition Records now represents all digital rights to the Polar Bear catalogue, ensuring the band's visionary work continues to reach audiences worldwide.

HEXVESSEL erkunden auf ihrem epischen siebten Album "Nocturne" liminale Räume, z.B. zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit sowie Natur und Einsamkeit. Die sich kontinuierlich wandelnde finnische Band besinnt sich wieder auf ihre Wurzeln im Folk und im psychedelischen Rock, indem sie akustische Zwischenspiele, kosmische Synthesizer und geisterhafte Pianoklänge kunstvoll mit den frostgesponnenen Fäden ihres Black Metal Geflechts verwebt. "Nocturne" klingt sowohl vertraut als auch unverhohlen progressiv, da HEXVESSEL ihre eigene Tradition mit einer frischen Neuerfindung ihres charakteristischen Sounds vermischen. Der Keim für dieses Meisterwerk wurde durch die Aufführung eines Auftragswerks beim Roadburn Festival 2024 gesetzt, das ursprünglich den Titel "Music for Gloaming: A Nocturne" trug. Mit diesem Album nimmt das Projekt eine ausgearbeitete physische Gestalt an. Dieses opus magnum verbindet den rauen Geist von Quorthons Black Metal mit dem komplexen Minimalismus zeitgenössischer Komponisten wie Philip Glass, György Ligeti und Avro Pärt. Den eklektischen Charakter von "Nocturne" unterstreichen ausgewählte Gastauftritte wie der ätherische Gesang von Saara Nevalainen oder die harschen Stimmen der Avantgarde Black Metal Vorreiter Yusaf Vicotnik Parvez (DHG/DØDHEIMSGARD) und ORANSSI PAZUZUs Juho Vanhanen. HEXVESSEL stammen zwar aus dem finnischen Tampere, die Band wurde aber vom englischen Sänger und Songwriter Kvohst alias Mat McNerney gegründet, nachdem er im Jahr 2009 in das nordische Land gezogen war. In vielerlei Hinsicht spiegeln HEXVESSEL die Natur ihres Gründers wider. Der Sänger und Songwriter war schon in vielen erfolgreichen Gruppen und Projekten aktiv, deren Spektrum von der britischen Black Metal Band CODE über einen Abstecher bei den norwegischen Legenden DHG bis hin zu den Rock-Shootingstars BEASTMILK reicht, die er später mit GRAVE PLEASURES fortsetzte. Mit "Nocturne" laden HEXVESSEL alle dunklen Seelen der Erde zu einem transzendentalen Nachtritual ein, das unter anderem die Klangvisionen von DARKTHRONE, TANGERINE DREAM und Philip Glass aus der toten Vergangenheit erweckt und mit neuem Leben erfüllt.

With their seventh full-length "Nocturne", HEXVESSEL explore the liminal spaces between light and darkness, nature and solitude on an epic album. The ever evolving and shifting Finnish band has reawakened their treasured roots in folk music and psychedelic rock as they artfully weave acoustic interludes, cosmic synths, and spectral piano into the frost-spun threads on their black metal loom. "Nocturne" sounds both familiar and fearlessly progressive as echoes of tradition entwine with a fresh reinvention of their characteristic sound. The seed of this masterpiece was sown by the performance of a commissioned work at Roadburn Festival 2024 that was originally entitled: "Music for Gloaming: A Nocturne". With this album, it arrives fully fleshed in recorded form. This opus magnum blends the raw spirit of Quorthon's black metal with the intricate minimalism of contemporary composers such as Philip Glass, György Ligeti, and Avro Pärt. Its eclectic nature is elevated and underlined by select guest performances, including the vocals of Saara Nevalainen, as well as the avant-garde black metal luminaries Yusaf Vicotnik Parvez (DHG/DØDHEIMSGARD), and ORANSSI PAZUZU's Juho Vanhanen. While HEXVESSEL are based in Tampere, Finland, they were founded by English singer & songwriter Kvohst aka Mat McNerney after he moved to the country in 2009. In many ways, HEXVESSEL reflect their founder. The vocalist and songwriter has instigated and been involved in various bands ranging from UK black metal act CODE, a stint in Norwegian legends DØDHEIMSGARD, and to rock shooting stars BEASTMILK – later 'continued' with GRAVE PLEASURES to name but a few of his success stories. With "Nocturne", HEXVESSEL invite all souls on earth to a transcendental night ritual that is imbued with DARKTHRONE, TANGERINE DREAM, Philip Glass, and sounds unearthed from the dead past, now instilled with new life.

PHASE SHIFTING INDEX is a time capsule record of Jeremy Shaw's vast original artwork that includes audio excerpts, voiceover passages and music composed by There in Spirit and Konrad Black. Shaw's seven-channel video, sound and light installation-that premiered at Centre Pompidou in 2020-uses science fiction, documentary, visual effects and synchronisation to induce an ecstatic experience in narrative temporality. Each video details the belief systems of one of seven fictional subcultural groups spread across time that aspire to induce parallel realities that could redirect the evolution of the human species through embodied forms of ritual, ideology and movement. The vinyl release serves as a gathering of the piece's key audio elements, focussing on their importance to the engineering of the artwork and their stand-alone listening qualities. Side A of the record follows the dramaturgy of the artwork in full-swing, including audio segments from four of its five distinct chapters. Written by long time collaborators Konrad Black and Jeremy Shaw together as There in Spirit, "Cross- Temporal Sync" soundtracks the strobing peak of the installation at the moment when all seven disparate videos fall into a unified choreography in which every person on every screen performs the same ecstatic series of slow-motion movements. The pulsing, hypnotic dirge aligns with the locked choreography in mood and action, caught somewhere between ecstatic trance and somatic takeover. A steady sub line, clipped stabs and a swooping choral gasp harmonise with the dancers movements onscreen while restrained filters open slowly to reveal a submerged melody that builds in intensity towards the chaotic rupture of Black's "Mosh". Here the score breaks into digital shards as heard through analog bodies colliding and pixelating into each other. The dancers eventual dissolution into "Particles" sounds like the field recording of a disembodied neural cosmos. The B-side of the record contains a narrative outline edit of the artwork comprised of music, excerpts and pieces of narration from each video. Listeners can follow along in an accompanying thirty-six page booklet of full-bleed film stills documenting each of the seven groups as they move through the five chapter dramaturgy. Composer Konrad Black's authentically backwards-glancing production and sound design is as disparate as the groups represented on screen. From the bespoke-16mm-tribal-techno of "The Cyclical Culture" and retro-cyber-funk of the "Zero-Ones," to the VHSdark- wave of "The Violet Lux" and skewed vocal/piano minimalism of the "Quantum Modern," each group exists in its own custom-made world out-of-time. The record ends where it began, with the full sequence of "Ramping" playing out as each subcultural world begins to lose control, galvanise, sync, rupture, atomise and scatter throughout the universe, only to loop back into another inevitable beginning. Phase Shifting Index premiered at Centre Pompidou, Paris, in 2020 and has since been exhibited in nine international venues including ARoS, Denmark, MONA, Tasmania, MAC, Montreal and Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin

Neo Gibson, born in Virginia and based in New York City, records, performs, and produces as 7038634357. This numerical alias, under which Gibson has been releasing work since 2016, offers a window into the careful ambivalences of the musical project. It conjures the impersonal_the opacity and randomness of data, a number that is hard to remember or even say out loud_while also suggesting a direct line of communication with the artist, down to an area code indexing their biography. 7038634357 uses a restricted palette to achieve music that is formally precise and emotionally direct. Their digital-native approach to production, in which frank melodies cross paths with heavy distortion, contains traces of both trance's maximalist arcs and a songwriterly intimacy. Expressive details may appear submerged or abraded, subjected to a canny sense of dynamics and textural specificity. Waterfall Horizon, Gibson's second vinyl record with Blank Forms Editions under the moniker 7038634357, was written for live performance and workshopped over successive shows during their 2022 European tour. Here, hallmarks of their earlier, studio-crafted recordings_digital distortion that obfuscates their lyrics and a slow-burning ambience_are noticeably pared back. Instead, Waterfall Horizon takes on a pop inflection, adopting more traditional lyric scaffolds so that the interstices from verse to chorus or track to track can flourish within their limited tonal range.Across recordings and performances, Gibson activates wide-ranging mechanisms of audience connection: from the relative anonymity of internet platforms to live experiments with the spatial effects of amplification. They have a particular interest in site-specific performances in non-musical spaces, and have performed in a variety of contexts, including the mezzanine of the West 4th Street subway station in New York City and INA GRM/Radio France's Présences électronique festival. Under their own name, Gibson has maintained a longstanding collaboration with the artist Charles Stobbs, working primarily with FM transmission and techniques derived from the early-seventeenth-century English tradition of change-ringing bells. The first 7038634357 vinyl record, Neo Seven, was released on Blank Forms Editions in 2023; previous releases include self-released cassettes and CD-Rs, as well as a pair of EPs on Genome 6.66 Mbp (2018, 2019).