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Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 1991 gehören Nightfall neben Rotting Christ und Septicflesh zu den Pionieren des griechischen Metal. Die legendäre Death-Metal-Band aus Athen klingt so rachsüchtig wie eh und je. Doch unterstützt von einer monumentalen Produktion und einer kraftvollen Botschaft ist ihr elftes Studioalbum ihr bisher düsterstes und epischstes Werk.
Wie ihre Zeitgenossen verweben Nightfall Gothic-Melodien mit geschwärztem Death Metal. Children of Eve enthält die infektiöseste Sammlung von Hooks, die die Band je geschaffen hat, dank des Mixings und Masterings von Jacob Hansen. Der maskierte Frontmann Efthimis Karadimas, bewaffnet mit Mantel und Dolch, befehligt die Leadsingle "I Hate" hinter Blastbeats, die wie ein Schwarm Pfeile fliegen.

Aber Children of Eve wäre nicht Nightfall, wenn sie nicht auch eine tiefere Botschaft hätten. Während "The Cannibal" vor göttlichem Tremolo-Picking nur so strotzt, geht es im Text darum, wie religiöse Strukturen und Fanatismus einen verschlingen können. "I hold the power / to explain your screams", heult Efthimis mit abschreckender Intensität.

FFO: Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, Behemoth, Paradise Lost, Amorphis, Moonspell

Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 1991 gehören Nightfall neben Rotting Christ und Septicflesh zu den Pionieren des griechischen Metal. Die legendäre Death-Metal-Band aus Athen klingt so rachsüchtig wie eh und je. Doch unterstützt von einer monumentalen Produktion und einer kraftvollen Botschaft ist ihr elftes Studioalbum ihr bisher düsterstes und epischstes Werk.
Wie ihre Zeitgenossen verweben Nightfall Gothic-Melodien mit geschwärztem Death Metal. Children of Eve enthält die infektiöseste Sammlung von Hooks, die die Band je geschaffen hat, dank des Mixings und Masterings von Jacob Hansen. Der maskierte Frontmann Efthimis Karadimas, bewaffnet mit Mantel und Dolch, befehligt die Leadsingle "I Hate" hinter Blastbeats, die wie ein Schwarm Pfeile fliegen.

Aber Children of Eve wäre nicht Nightfall, wenn sie nicht auch eine tiefere Botschaft hätten. Während "The Cannibal" vor göttlichem Tremolo-Picking nur so strotzt, geht es im Text darum, wie religiöse Strukturen und Fanatismus einen verschlingen können. "I hold the power / to explain your screams", heult Efthimis mit abschreckender Intensität.

FFO: Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, Behemoth, Paradise Lost, Amorphis, Moonspell

Oi Va Voi verbinden Dance-Grooves, Singer/Songwriter-Sensibilitäten und kosmopolitische Rhythmen aus Osteuropa und Nahost. Trotz (oder gerade wegen) der zerrissenen Zeiten strahlt ihr neues Album "The Water's Edge" Optimismus aus und weckt Erinnerungen an ihr bahnbrechendes Debüt "Laughter Through Tears" (BBC World Music Award, NYT Top 10 Alben 2003). Oi Va Voi sind bekannt für prominente Kollaborationen wie mit KT Tunstall, Bridgette Amofah (Rudimental) oder der Violinistin Anna Phoebe. "The Water's Edge" wurde zum Teil von Mike Spencer (Rudimental, Tom Walker, Ellie Goulding) produziert und erscheint auf dem eigenen Label Parallel Skies. Es ignoriert Kategorisierungen zugunsten dauerhafter musikalischer und sozialer Werte und ist ein Ausdruck der Notwendigkeit, Spaltungen hinter sich zu lassen und eine gemeinsame Menschlichkeit zu finden.

Oi Va Voi fuse dance grooves, singer-songwriter sensitivity and a rock’n’roll sensibility with the group’s Jewish cultural heritage and a cosmopolitan rhythmic inspiration drawn from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Despite the fractured times we are living in, a theme of optimism through pain is there throughout Oi Va Voi’s new album ‘The Waters Edge’.

We’re reminded of the title of the breakthrough first album, Laughter Through Tears. The Bacon & Quarmby-produced debut won a BBC World Music Award, was listed as a New York Times Top Ten Album Of The Year, and launched the career of a young KT Tunstall. The tradition of world-class musicianship continued with Bridgette Amofah (Rudimental) as the featured vocalist on Travelling the Face of The Globe, and noted violinist Anna Phoebe, who recorded and performed with the band for over a decade.

Every member evolves the Oi Va Voi sound; but through each change, the core themes and vision have remained constant. 2018’s album, Memory Drop, introduced the unique voice of Zohara Niddam, and it’s Zohara who returns here on The Water’s Edge, featuring on ‘Shine A Light’, ‘Lay Your Head’ and ‘Wave’. Also featuring across the new album is composer, violinist and singer Sarah Anderson, who co-wrote seven tracks on the album, with her emotionally poignant lyrics, evocative layered vocals and uplifting violin parts. Guitarist John Matts and Trumpeter David Orchant also return, with Orchant bringing deep colour and expression to the stirring waltz ‘Oceans’.

The album opener ‘Sad Dance’ was written after the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in early 2023 impacting many of the band’s friends, fans and colleagues. Finding themselves in the studio the day after the tragedy, the band searched for ways to respond. Sarah’’s mournful, pulsating violins create an ever evolving soundscape on top of which her own vocal, and Steve’s earthy clarinet express sorrow and hope. Says Sarah - “It’s about human connection - a metaphorical hand held through trauma, and the preservation of ‘old worlds’ through relics, reminding us of where we came from”.

‘Shine a Light’ was also a chance to welcome back producer Mike Spencer (Rudimental, Tom Walker, Ellie Goulding), who produced their second album. Here his Pop experience can be felt in the hooky dance loop, which you can hear becoming one of Oi Va Voi’s trademark live encores. Along with the melodic pop sheen of ‘Lay Your Head’, this song shows the band in an uplifting mood, pointing at the years of high-energy tours which have become their signature. These tracks, and the poignant ‘Josephine’, offer a release - a more escapist mood and a sign of the hope underneath everything.

Oi Va Voi have never been easy to categorise, and they’ve made a point of ignoring genre in favour of more enduring musical and social values. The Water’s Edge is the first album to be released on the band’s own Parallel Skies label, which will sign artists from a diversity of cultures, nations and musics in the coming years. The album title refers to an old custom from the Jewish New Year of going down to the waterside - casting off the baggage of the past, and letting it wash away on the tide. As the first release on this label it’s an expression of the need to put divisions behind us, and find a shared humanity.

Vinylpostcard

Buenoventura is the alter ego of the Viennese musician Bernhard Hammer (Elektro Guzzi, Monochord, Maraskino), with whom he implements his musical ideas as a solo artist.
The fictional character Buenoventura is an ex-sailor* born in the Bahamas, punk, raver and music lover who performs in a colorful one-man show. As Buenoventura, Bernhard Hammer can switch between genres with ease and intuitively let his ideas run free.
Bernhard Hammer has found a companion in Buenoventura with whom he can break through stylistic conventions and redefine genre boundaries for himself.
Saft is a foretaste of Buenoventura´s debut album Gelb. He chose the electric guitar as the central means of expression and used it to combine abstract sound patterns, hypnotic guitar melodies, with repetitive (poly)rhythms. The music is organic, minimalist and ritualistic.

2025 Repress

The Colombian producer whose name is on everyone's lips, figure of the underground in his native land, Felipe Gordon makes a sensational debut on our beloved label SKYLAX RECORDS ! His fabulous Django Mango EP mixes his house music obssessions with his love for Latin & jazz music. Adept of analog equipment and eminent musician, he gives us a real work of art to store alongside Nuyorican souls legends (master at work in mind). Kicking off the release, the title song django mango takes us through the swirls of the alleys of bogota, a bit as if moodymann had paid for a first class round trip in bogota , a laid-back title that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. a clever mix of funky bassline & a light piano that almost reminds us of the masters of the buena vista social club (without the vocals!) in house mode. A masterpiece in itself. on A2, we can hear this mixture again the perfect fusion between the golden-age house aesthetics and the cultural sounds of South America all complemented by a superb vocal during the break "our names are nick names wich won't reflect where we came from" a statement in itself ! The b-side from the outset gives us perhaps one of the best songs of the ep, the brilliant dakar, a subtle mix of rhodes, swaying bass and African children's chants. And to end, D, Fuck Off All Your Trouble, is an ode to the resilience of the motor city in the purest style of the 313. A brillant debut !Skylax 4 Ever

Coming from a diverse background of equal amounts hip hop and rock, the producer behind the alias of nrl:ndr got into dance music late in his musical career. After playing in kraut-oriented bands like So Many Mammals, parts of that group reformed into the live techno outfit Tren Né, with the goal of fusing techno elements with live drums. Playing for illegal raves with a punk-like energy, nrl:ndr has cemented his relationship with his machines in service of the dance floor.

But his solo debut on blundar is quite far removed from that scene. To understand this music, one should be aware of the conditions under which it was manufactured. Reluctant to consider himself an artist in the traditional sense, nrl:ndr makes his music free of anticipation and without apparent goals. To glean into this outré musical space is like putting one's ear to the boarded up windows of the photograph that adorn the front sleeve.

The album makes extensive use of the Roland JV-2080, a sample-based synth rack from 1996 with a distinctly clean sound. Our producer dives deep into the expansion cards (labeled after genres like “Hip Hop” and “World”) for curious and sometimes cheesy samples. But he also forces the JV-2080 to do things which are not its forte, like the arduous task of programming decent kick drums.

Another technique that is testament to his experimental view on music making, is the idea of using sketches of unfinished tracks with different time signatures, and mash them together into something new - of which the results of one of these experiments can be heard on the closing track and its bilingual conversation between ambient and tribal.

Full of stunted rhythms and eerie melodies, the unclassifiable nature of the music of nrl:ndr lies somewhere in the vicinity of IDM, classical avant garde and private press synth. From the epic opening track - echoing the post-kraut drumming style of Michael Shrieve - to juggling with chopped up vocal samples and treading into almost trap-like territories on A4, he crosses into a multitude of genres without getting his hands too dirty with nostalgia.

David Janeway’s 1986 independent release Entry Point is a gathered and stylish offering of fusion jazz, flitting between Latin, modal and spiritual themes. Featuring desirable cameos from the likes of Bob Berg, Steve Berrios and Marcus Belgrave, the album comprises seven tracks, six of which are original Janeway compositions.

Self-released in 1986, Entry Point didn’t initially make a splash and fell into relative obscurity, only to be discovered by rare jazz collectors and dealers many years later. Upon contacting David with a view to potentially reissue Entry Point, he revealed that he had original sealed copies of the release in his possession – a record which has commanded high prices in jazz dealer circles. We have exclusively imported the last of the original stock: what you’ll get here are original, sealed copies from 1986, pressed up on David’s New Direction label. They are all in mint condition, sealed in their original shrink wrapping, and extremely limited in quantity, with only forty copies in stock.

Entry Point is a beautiful album full of outstanding musicianship, dedication, craft and audible passion, informed by the many diverse musical stylings of its time and gathered by the overarching sonic maturity and discipline of jazz. A true classic of its ilk, and a one-of-a-kind album that is an absolute must for any discerning jazz collector, a newly discovered gem that is long overdue recognition for the outstanding piece of work that it truly is.

David Janeway is an extraordinary pianist with a great facility and wealth of ideas. He exhibits maturity and depth in his playing. He has most definitely “ARRIVED”. ~ Eddie Henderson

**Gangster Music Vol.3: The Most Gangster Music Trilogy of All Time Comes to a Triumphant Close**

Imagine curating a dream lineup of MCs and producers from every corner of the rap world—sounds impossible, right? Not for artist and illustrator Gangster Doodles, who has been bringing this vision to life for the past decade. Now, with “Gangster Music Vol.3”, the trilogy reaches its grand finale, and it’s bigger, bolder, and more unpredictable than ever before.

Gangster Doodles himself puts it best:
"It’s hard to believe that I’ve been actively working on this Gangster Music series for the past 10 years. The most gangster music trilogy of ALL TIME is almost complete!! And in my humble opinion Vol.3 is the most exciting out of the 3, both from a music standpoint (special shout-out to all my music heroes on Vol.3) and artistically speaking this is the most fun I’ve had in years”

Since launching Volume 1 in 2019 and following up with the second volume in 2022, Gangster Doodles has been shaping the Gangster Music series into a one-of-a-kind sonic universe—an unfiltered mix of underground titans, unsung legends, and rising stars. Volume 3 is the biggest installment yet, boasting a staggering 30 tracks that traverse the entire spectrum of rap and beat culture.

This time around, the lineup is as eclectic as ever. From legendary pioneers like Lee Perry and Tommy Wright III, to veteran producers such as Mr. Scruff and Peanut Butter Wolf, the album pays homage to hip-hop’s roots while pushing forward into fresh territory. The roster also includes established up-and-comers like Devin Morrison, Low Leaf, DJ Harrison, Quelle Chris, Homeboy Sandman, and Suzi Analogue, ensuring a mix of classic flavors and new-school innovation. The bubbling underground is well represented too, with artists like Raz Fresco, Atlanta’s 645AR, and Pro Era’s Chuck Strangers bringing their own distinct heat.

From pioneering SoundCloud rappers like Pouya to genre-bending composer John Carroll Kirby, from Birmingham’s Romderful to Chile’s RVYO, the album encapsulates a truly global soundscape, proving once again that Gangster Doodles’ ear for cutting-edge talent is second to none.

As always, the cover art is a vital piece of the puzzle. This time, Bootleg Garfield & Friends take center stage, bringing the same playful irreverence that has defined Gangster Doodles’ artwork for years. Fans are encouraged to engage, remix, and make the cover their own, staying true to the spirit of interactive creativity that has always fueled the series.

After years of meticulous curation, countless DMs, emails, and behind-the-scenes wrangling, Gangster Music Vol.3 is here to complete the trilogy in legendary fashion. Expect boundary-pushing beats, next-level lyricism, and a lineup that celebrates hip-hop in all its many forms.

“Thanks to everyone who’s actively supported and continues to tap-in. Believe & trust when I say I've got more dope stuff cookin’. STAY TUNED!! GANGSTER DOODLES 4EVER. 1LUV."

Gangster Music Vol.3 is out April 7th on All City. Stay tuned, stay tapped in, and get ready for the most gangster music experience yet.

For their 21st release, Not An Animal Records welcomes the Northeast-of-England's Tom Rankin, aka Frequencies Of Love to the fold for his first-ever release. A half-step away from their usual low-slung sound, the EP is a bright and sepia-tinted affair bringing prime-time energy to the label. It is rooted squarely on the dancefloor and steeped with glimmering synthesizers and lashings of keys. Despite this stylistic departure, the ever-present driving grooves make it feel right at home.

The EP begins with Tucan, delicately shifting and changing synthesizer arps flow throughout, weaving a delightful tapestry of past and present.

The record glides smoothly into round 2 with Bpsyde pulling no punches; it has a distinct atmosphere of the old-school about it. A one-two of percussive breaks on the one hand and progressive bass on the other with LFO Arps, keys and nineties vocal chops completing the combo.

Pegasus is a shimmering whirlpool off the Adriatic coast. An antiphonal of choral chanting and female spoken word endlessly circle the groove, occasionally combining in a viscous duetto of wacky, Italo-flavored deliciousness.

For the remix, groove deconstruction connoisseur Fantastic Man gives Pegasus the Midas treatment. Riding a throbbing and reprogrammed bassline, key elements from the original mix cameo throughout the track, rounded off by piano chord progressions to complete the pensive sound that constitutes the glue throughout the EP.

Der Soundtrack von Carlos Rafael Rivera erhielt 2024 zwei von insgesamt 10 prestigeträchtigen Emmy-Nominierungen, die Apples Miniserie "Lessons In Chemistry" (2023) einheimsen konnte, nämlich für "Outstanding Music Composition" und "Outstanding Main Title Theme Music". Rivera schrieb eine optimistische, subtile und vorsichtige Grundlage, die durch starke Leistungen der Besetzung getragen wird und eine ernsthafte, emotionale Reflexion des Kampfes der weiblichen Hauptfigur darstellt, in die Grenzen der gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen zu passen.

"Lessons in Chemistry" spielt in den frühen 1950er Jahren und handelt von Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson), deren Traum, Wissenschaftlerin zu werden, in einer patriarchalischen Gesellschaft auf Eis gelegt wird. Als Elizabeth aus ihrem Labor gefeuert wird, nimmt sie einen Job als Moderatorin einer Kochshow im Fernsehen an und macht sich daran, einer Nation übersehener Hausfrauen – und den Männern, die plötzlich zuhören – viel mehr als nur Rezepte beizubringen.

The Rough Trade Singles collects The Fall's four singles recorded for this influential label in 1980 and 1983 – How I Wrote 'Elastic Man' / City Hobgoblins, Totally Wired / Putta Block, The Man Whose Head Expanded / Ludd Gang and Kicker Conspiracy – none of which appeared on any of the band's studio LPs. With 7-inches being the era's vehicle for buzzing communiqués, The Fall would use the format for short-form, standalone works rather than as mere promotional devices for forthcoming albums.

"Totally Wired" is often cited (and rightfully so) as The Fall's most infectious tune – an amphetamine-fueled anthem with stuttering nods to forebears, yet too incisive to have been made by anyone else. "How I Wrote 'Elastic Man'" is another mad hoedown, one reimagined for the post-punk age. While the playful rhythm machine on "The Man Whose Head Expanded" almost suggests danceability, Mark E. Smith's idiosyncratic shriek on "Kicker Conspiracy" pierces through the twin drumming of Paul Hanley and Karl Burns and the group's unpredictable / unmistakable racket. Together these songs remain some of the absolute best material The Fall would ever release.

Superior Viaduct's edition is the first time that The Rough Trade Singles has been available on vinyl domestically. Liner notes by Brian Turner.

Selador’s Magic Black Plastic series returns with our seventh instalment and this one is all about one of our most treasured artists here at Selador, the one and only Danny Howells.

Long time friend of the label, DJ extraordinaire and one of the nicest guys in the business, Danny has been flexing his production muscle again much more frequently over the last 12 months and we’re delighted to be hosting two brand new tracks from him on this vinyl release.

The lead track ‘Powershow’ features here as a ‘vinyl only’ version, a 12+ minute extravaganza of authentic house vibes. Oozing class and quality from every groove. Just beautiful.

Following in its considerable slipstream like a season wingman, for the first time on vinyl, comes Danny’s first release for the label from 2018, one of our best selling digital releases, the classic ‘Earthlings X’, still sounding as fresh as the day it was made.

And finally, another fresh for 2025 Production, the majestic ‘Stereodrama’ picks up the pace for a driving, rumbunctious workout, that once again has Danny’s stamp written all over it.

Three absolute pearlers then from a man who can.

Get’ em down ya!

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.

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!

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!

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!

One of the UK’s most exciting breakout stars of the past decade, Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA Self Esteem emerged from cult favourite status to mainstream hero following the huge success of her empowering, truth-telling 2021 single ‘I Do This All The Time’. The song resonated intensely as a perfect example of Taylor’s affectionately termed ‘trojan horse’ or ‘salad and chips’ approach, fearlessly packing important, emotive messages into witty, resonant pop music.

Self Esteem’s wildly acclaimed second album Prioritise Pleasure quickly followed, tackling the hypocrisies and joys found in her experiences of modern day womanhood across dating, friendship, comparison culture, self love, women’s safety and sexual assault and much more. Prioritise Pleasure received Mercury Prize, BRIT Award, Sky Arts and NME Award nominations, was crowned The Guardian and Sunday Times Culture’s Album of the Year, and ‘I Do This All The Time’ was also named The Guardian’s #1 song of 2021.

Quite the opposite of an overnight success, Taylor spent a decade as one half of indie duo Slow Club before adopting the pop star persona she’d always dreamed of. She released her first Self Esteem album Compliments Please in 2019, featuring fan favourite singles ‘The Best’, ‘Girl Crush’ and more.

Gathering a passionate and vast legion of fans ever since, Taylor has appeared on The Graham Norton Show, Celebrity Gogglebox, Friday Night Live & Taskmaster, performed three times on Jools Holland including the NYE Hootenanny, graced the covers of magazines from Grazia to NME to Sunday Times Style, and is one of a handful of artists to have been playlisted across BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music simultaneously.

Having reached new heights of acclaim, Taylor continued to grow, diversify, and create in 2024. Branching out into the world of acting, Taylor starred in a regular role in the Sky series SMOTHERED before completing a run playing Sally Bowles in the multiple Olivier Award-winning production of 'Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club' in London's West End. Starring alongside Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters) as Emcee, the pair’s time on stage was extended due to popular demand and showcased the sheer range of talent in Taylor’s repertoire. Last year’s releases ‘Big Man’ and ‘Love Second Music First’ followed a collaboration with Becky Hill on her song ‘True Colours’.

Norman Westberg (guitar), Giridhar Udupa (ghatam, konnakol, khanjira, percussion) and Jacek Mazurkiewicz (double bass, electronics)An extraordinary meeting of three artists from three different musical worlds and three different continents. Norman Westberg (ex-Swans) and Jacek Mazurkiewicz have already released one album together "First Man In The Moon" in 2021 (published by the Swiss label Hallow Ground).In the new project, they are accompanied by Giridhar Udupa, an Indian master of ghatam (a clay percussion instrument that looks like a jug). The album will feature 3 long trance compositions, referring to ambient, krautrock, free jazz and Indian music.Jacek Mazurkiewicz describes the creation of this album as follows:"I met Norman Westberg while supporting the Swans tour in Poland as 3FoNIA. A few years later, during Norman's tour with Gira, we recorded a duet.The trio session took place similarly to the previous duet session during Norman's solo concert in Warsaw on the Swans tour.Recorded with Adam Toczko, a quick meeting on a day off from work.I invited Giridhar Udupa to the trio, whom I had met earlier during the period when I co-founded the band Limboski. I once invited Wacek Zimpel to play a few concerts with Giridhar. Wacek later created Saagara and I was wondering about some unusual musical context in which I would find myself with Giridhar. I was looking for an interesting sound configuration, but also a cultural one, with a different approach to creating music. I got the impression that for both Norman and Giridhar it was a fairly fresh meeting, not obvious. And on the other hand, ordinary - everyone did their own thing."Detroit guitarist Norman Westberg moved to New York in 1980 and became a part of the experimental music scene that was experiencing its golden age. Westberg himself became a permanent fixture when he joined the iconic avant-rock band Swans in 1983, and was the only member other than frontman Michael Gira to play with them for most of the band's run, both until their 1997 disbandment and his return in 2010. Westberg has also been involved with other legendary New York noise-rock acts, including Jim Thirlwell's Foetus and the post-Swans Heroine Sheiks, in which he played with Cows frontman Shannon Selberg; and in 2014, he joined the noise-rock supergroup Hidden Rifles, whose members included Mike Watt of Minutemen and Mark Shippy of U.S. Maple. Westberg's solo compositions, most often for solo guitar and a set of effects, draw on drone and post-minimalism, bringing to mind dark ambient passages from Swans albums.Giridhar Udupa is an extremely valued teacher and world-renowned artist, an Indian master of ghatam (a clay percussion instrument that looks like a jug). He was born into a family with long musical traditions. He began learning to play at the age of four, guided by his father. At the age of twelve, he already had his first performances behind him. He currently gives concerts alongside the greatest masters. He has received many prestigious awards. He performs in the USA, Spain, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, Oman and Kuwait. Giridhar Udupa is a member of the band of the Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri, nominated for an Oscar for the best song for the film Life of Pi. He is one of the founders of the Layatharanga band. He also plays virtuoso other traditional instruments of South India, such as mridangam and kanjira, and is excellent at using the konnakol technique (a type of rhythmic vocalization).For three decades, the artist has been a global ambassador and icon of Carnatic music. He is the founder of The Udupa Foundation, a charity organization established in 2015 to promote Indian music, performing arts and culture. He has participated in recording dozens of albums. He is also well-known in our country thanks to his cooperation with Polish performers, which resulted in excellent artistic effects, such as the famous Indialucia - Michał Czachowski's group / project or the Saagara formation, led by Wacław Zimpel. Udupa also played on the album Lechoechoplexita, released by Leszek Hefi Wiśniewski, and on the album of the band Layatharanga, released in our country.Jacek Mazurkiewicz is interested in music in the broad sense. He puts his sounds together based on emotional impressions and pulse. Combining acoustics with electronics, he is constantly looking for a new sound. Solo as 3FoNIA, in a duet with Mikołaj Trzaska or Tomek Dąbrowski, the JMB trio with Wojtek Jachna and Jacek Buhl, in the Modular String Trio quartet, the Afrobeat quintet Faso Tamala are just some of his musical incarnations. With Patryk Zakrocki, as part of an audio mission, he massaged hundreds of pairs of ears in the Inner Ear Massage Office. He also deals with sound design, composing and producing music for films and theatre performances. He collaborated with many Polish and foreign artists.

Compiled by Bob Stanley to document the acid folk scene, “Gather In The Mushrooms” was first issued in 2004 on Sanctuary as a CD-only release; it proved popular enough for a sequel entitled “Early Morning Hush” two years later.

This new edition of “Gather In The Mushrooms” contains the cream of both long-deleted compilations with a few additions – COB, Roy Harper, Fotheringay – that weren’t available to Sanctuary at the time. Though they aren’t traditional, these songs have an authenticity of their own, an autumnal atmosphere and a naivety which proved influential in the 00s neo-folk boom (Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Alasdair Roberts, Tuung et al) but impossible to replicate. For many of these acts at the end of the 60s, folk music and the hippy world that surrounded them was a way of life, a way of opting out from the Vietnam war, Angry Brigade and three-day-week early 70s. Anne Briggs lived in a caravan in Suffolk, Shelagh McDonald lived in a tent, Vashti Bunyan eschewed electricity; they weren’t part-timers. Listening to “Gather In The Mushrooms”, we are transported to a time when no one used the term post-modernist.

It may not have resonated with dyed-in-the wool political folkies, but over five decades later this music sounds very evocative of an England of yore – not necessarily one of poachers and pedlars, but one of long-haired youths in tie-dye T-shirts, bikers and hippies, acoustic guitars played in white stone cottages. Groups such as Stone Angel, Midwinter and Oberon made primitive, privately recorded folk albums; today they sound as distant and mystical as the field recordings of Alan Lomax. The sincerity and folk knowledge of a group like Forest becomes irrelevant once you hear something as eerie and evocative as ‘Graveyard’. Home-made, homely, warm as soup or chilling as a hoar frost, this is music of innocence and rare beauty.

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.

One of the UK’s most exciting breakout stars of the past decade, Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA Self Esteem emerged from cult favourite status to mainstream hero following the huge success of her empowering, truth-telling 2021 single ‘I Do This All The Time’. The song resonated intensely as a perfect example of Taylor’s affectionately termed ‘trojan horse’ or ‘salad and chips’ approach, fearlessly packing important, emotive messages into witty, resonant pop music.

Self Esteem’s wildly acclaimed second album Prioritise Pleasure quickly followed, tackling the hypocrisies and joys found in her experiences of modern day womanhood across dating, friendship, comparison culture, self love, women’s safety and sexual assault and much more. Prioritise Pleasure received Mercury Prize, BRIT Award, Sky Arts and NME Award nominations, was crowned The Guardian and Sunday Times Culture’s Album of the Year, and ‘I Do This All The Time’ was also named The Guardian’s #1 song of 2021.

Quite the opposite of an overnight success, Taylor spent a decade as one half of indie duo Slow Club before adopting the pop star persona she’d always dreamed of. She released her first Self Esteem album Compliments Please in 2019, featuring fan favourite singles ‘The Best’, ‘Girl Crush’ and more.

Gathering a passionate and vast legion of fans ever since, Taylor has appeared on The Graham Norton Show, Celebrity Gogglebox, Friday Night Live & Taskmaster, performed three times on Jools Holland including the NYE Hootenanny, graced the covers of magazines from Grazia to NME to Sunday Times Style, and is one of a handful of artists to have been playlisted across BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music simultaneously.

Having reached new heights of acclaim, Taylor continued to grow, diversify, and create in 2024. Branching out into the world of acting, Taylor starred in a regular role in the Sky series SMOTHERED before completing a run playing Sally Bowles in the multiple Olivier Award-winning production of 'Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club' in London's West End. Starring alongside Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters) as Emcee, the pair’s time on stage was extended due to popular demand and showcased the sheer range of talent in Taylor’s repertoire. Last year’s releases ‘Big Man’ and ‘Love Second Music First’ followed a collaboration with Becky Hill on her song ‘True Colours’.

Die Emo-Rocker Heart Attack Man aus Cleveland, Ohio, präsentieren ihr viertes Album "Joyride The Pale Horse". Die Band befindet sich derzeit auf einem Höhenflug nach ihrer bisher erfolgreichsten Veröffentlichung, dem Vorgängeralbum "Freak of Nature" aus dem Jahr 2023, dessen Titeltrack bislang über 2.2 Millionen Mal auf Spotify gestreamt wurde.

Luke Titus is a Chicago-born drummer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his remarkable versatility and genre-spanning artistry. With deep roots in jazz and a knack for blending it seamlessly with experimental music, drum & bass, and beyond, Titus has earned a reputation as a world-class drummer and a dynamic force across the national musical landscape. Growing up in Chicago's vibrant music scene, Titus flourished alongside fellow young artists in the early 2010s. His work quickly positioned him as a key figure in the city's jazz, hip-hop, and R&B communities, leading to collaborations that propelled him to national recognition. Continue to follow the thread of Luke Titus' many contributions to jazz and alternative scenes across America, and what emerges is a singular weave between his roots in Chicago, LA and New York communities. From What Was Will Grow A Flower is the second LP from the prolific young songwriter and producer, codifying his many musical leanings into an emergent, nearly clairvoyant statement of musical intent. Blooming and innovative songwriting, effervescent vocal hooks, virtuosic instrumental passages, and meticulously studied production techniques abound. About the album, Titus says "This album is about spirituality and connectivity, both with the universe and the self, as told through my personal journey. It questions reality as a way to deepen one's connection to it. I dedicate this album not only to anyone who has been through hard times, but to anyone who relates to the cyclical nature of the human experience. And more than that, I dedicate this album to my mom." As a producer and songwriter, Titus' fingerprints can be found on numerous acclaimed projects, including Noname's Room 25, Luke Titus & Cisco Swank's Some Things Take Time, Orion Sun's Orion, and Ravyn Lenae's Hypnos. His co-production credits span across a roster of innovative talents like Steve Lacy, Monte Booker, Brian Sanborn, Teo Halm, Phoelix, Cisco Swank, Saba, Kiefer, Elijah Fox, and Itai Shapira. Titus has taken his talents to the global stage, performing at high-profile festivals and venues such as Lollapalooza, Coachella, Pitchfork, Blue Note NYC, North Sea Jazz Fest, Smoking Grooves, Fuji Rock Festival, Blue Note Tokyo, and NYC Winter Jazz Fest, amongst many others.

Luke Titus is a Chicago-born drummer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his remarkable versatility and genre-spanning artistry. With deep roots in jazz and a knack for blending it seamlessly with experimental music, drum & bass, and beyond, Titus has earned a reputation as a world-class drummer and a dynamic force across the national musical landscape. Growing up in Chicago's vibrant music scene, Titus flourished alongside fellow young artists in the early 2010s. His work quickly positioned him as a key figure in the city's jazz, hip-hop, and R&B communities, leading to collaborations that propelled him to national recognition. Continue to follow the thread of Luke Titus' many contributions to jazz and alternative scenes across America, and what emerges is a singular weave between his roots in Chicago, LA and New York communities. From What Was Will Grow A Flower is the second LP from the prolific young songwriter and producer, codifying his many musical leanings into an emergent, nearly clairvoyant statement of musical intent. Blooming and innovative songwriting, effervescent vocal hooks, virtuosic instrumental passages, and meticulously studied production techniques abound. About the album, Titus says "This album is about spirituality and connectivity, both with the universe and the self, as told through my personal journey. It questions reality as a way to deepen one's connection to it. I dedicate this album not only to anyone who has been through hard times, but to anyone who relates to the cyclical nature of the human experience. And more than that, I dedicate this album to my mom." As a producer and songwriter, Titus' fingerprints can be found on numerous acclaimed projects, including Noname's Room 25, Luke Titus & Cisco Swank's Some Things Take Time, Orion Sun's Orion, and Ravyn Lenae's Hypnos. His co-production credits span across a roster of innovative talents like Steve Lacy, Monte Booker, Brian Sanborn, Teo Halm, Phoelix, Cisco Swank, Saba, Kiefer, Elijah Fox, and Itai Shapira. Titus has taken his talents to the global stage, performing at high-profile festivals and venues such as Lollapalooza, Coachella, Pitchfork, Blue Note NYC, North Sea Jazz Fest, Smoking Grooves, Fuji Rock Festival, Blue Note Tokyo, and NYC Winter Jazz Fest, amongst many others.

Luke Titus is a Chicago-born drummer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his remarkable versatility and genre-spanning artistry. With deep roots in jazz and a knack for blending it seamlessly with experimental music, drum & bass, and beyond, Titus has earned a reputation as a world-class drummer and a dynamic force across the national musical landscape. Growing up in Chicago's vibrant music scene, Titus flourished alongside fellow young artists in the early 2010s. His work quickly positioned him as a key figure in the city's jazz, hip-hop, and R&B communities, leading to collaborations that propelled him to national recognition. Continue to follow the thread of Luke Titus' many contributions to jazz and alternative scenes across America, and what emerges is a singular weave between his roots in Chicago, LA and New York communities. From What Was Will Grow A Flower is the second LP from the prolific young songwriter and producer, codifying his many musical leanings into an emergent, nearly clairvoyant statement of musical intent. Blooming and innovative songwriting, effervescent vocal hooks, virtuosic instrumental passages, and meticulously studied production techniques abound. About the album, Titus says "This album is about spirituality and connectivity, both with the universe and the self, as told through my personal journey. It questions reality as a way to deepen one's connection to it. I dedicate this album not only to anyone who has been through hard times, but to anyone who relates to the cyclical nature of the human experience. And more than that, I dedicate this album to my mom." As a producer and songwriter, Titus' fingerprints can be found on numerous acclaimed projects, including Noname's Room 25, Luke Titus & Cisco Swank's Some Things Take Time, Orion Sun's Orion, and Ravyn Lenae's Hypnos. His co-production credits span across a roster of innovative talents like Steve Lacy, Monte Booker, Brian Sanborn, Teo Halm, Phoelix, Cisco Swank, Saba, Kiefer, Elijah Fox, and Itai Shapira. Titus has taken his talents to the global stage, performing at high-profile festivals and venues such as Lollapalooza, Coachella, Pitchfork, Blue Note NYC, North Sea Jazz Fest, Smoking Grooves, Fuji Rock Festival, Blue Note Tokyo, and NYC Winter Jazz Fest, amongst many others.

Cincinnatian blues stalwart Albert Washington was a prolific recording artist from the 60s to the 90s. His ‘I’m The Man’ has become a New Breed R&B classic, which despite several US and UK releases, including our Kent one in 2003, is still eagerly sought out by people willing to pay whatever it takes.

‘Case Of The Blues’ is a similarly hip R&B dancer that was first issued on the Rye label in 1971. This slightly earlier Fraternity version is very similar.

"""Disguise In Love"" released in 1978, is the debut album of British punk poet John Cooper Clarke. Renowned for his quick-witted delivery and sharp humor, Clarke fuses punk rock with spoken word, resulting in a one-of-a-kind sonic experience. The album includes tracks such as ""I Don't Want To Be Nice,"" ""Valley of the Lost Women,"" and ""(I Married a) Monster from Outer Space,"" highlighting Clarke's talent for social commentary and dark comedy. Produced by Martin Hannett, known as (one of) the creator(s) of the ‘Manchester sound’, the album captures the unrefined energy of the late '70s punk scene. Other notable artists produced by Hannett include Joy Division, Magazine, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Happy Mondays. ""Disguise In Love"" stands out not only for its incisive, observational poetry but also for its stripped-down and edgy musical accompaniment, solidifying its status as a pivotal work in Clarke's career and a significant contribution to the punk genre. The album comes as a limited edition of 500 copies on translucent blue coloured vinyl."

Originally released by VDSQ, all rights reverted to Chuck Johnson and this is the remaining stock from that original pressing. Elegantly pressed and transporting, perfect for every mood. Feels like one missed by many folks who were over the moon by his "Balsams" title and happy to give this one another life...

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?

Placenta is the fourth collection of broadly imaginative and highly collaborative Carlos Niño & Friends music released on International Anthem since 2021. But perhaps more notably for the zeitgeist of today, it is the first new music to be released by Carlos Niño & Friends following the November 2023 release of André 3000’s New Blue Sun – an album which Carlos produced alongside André, while co-writing, performing, and co-mixing every song. The announcement of Placenta also comes while Carlos is in the middle of tours with André to support New Blue Sun, where Carlos wields an immense presence as music director, bandleader, and percussionist, and performs alongside many of the same musicians that are present on his recent & Friends albums, including this new one.

Placenta is announced on the 1st solar return of Moss Niño, of whom Carlos and his partner Annelise are Earth parents. Their experience of pregnancy, labor and delivery were all profoundly impactful for Carlos. Becoming a father again (a whole 25 years after the birth of Azul Niño, who has become a regular artistic collaborator for Carlos) he felt total Inspiration for this set of recordings, and hence it is perhaps the most conceptually-grounded Carlos Niño & Friends album we've yet to present–fully connected to the spirit of family, birth, and "how we get here."

In Niño’s words, Placenta is “dedicated to Mothers, Children, Babies, Aunties, Doulas, Midwives, Birthworkers...,” and a short list of track titles includes: "Love to all Doulas!," "Some Rest for the Midwives," "Real Vital Organs," and "Generous Pelvis." The centerpiece of the album, the sprawling "Placenta, Nourishment, New Home, The Galaxy," is an unbelievably vivid immersion in the sonic architecture of Niño's memory-scape...like being present in his energy field...or being present in a birthing room, or maybe even being born yourself. And it just might be the most powerful, unique piece of music Niño has ever created.

Featured artists on Placenta, in order of their entry on the album, include: Nate Mercereau, Jamire Williams, Sam Gendel, Jamael Dean, Dexter Story, Brandon Eugene Owens, Maia, André 3000, Jesse Peterson, Ariel Kalma, Surya Botofasina, Annelise, Haize Hawke, Aaron Shaw, Devin Daniels, Tiffany de Leon, Michael Bolger, Michael Alvidrez, Moss, Iasos, Photay, Deantoni Parks, Adam Rudolph, Andres Renteria, and Cavana Lee.

This April, Jessie Wagner releases her long awaited second solo album, “War Within”
on Little Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. Jessie is a true multi-talent. She is a vocalist, songwriter, actor, model and dancer who possesses a unique worldview which she shares via her very personal songs.
Many of Jessie’s current fans know her best as a featured vocalist with some of the best known and most loved names in music. She launched her career within a year of moving to New York when she became a member of the world renowned disco group Chic, with Nile Rodgers. Jessie played to sold out crowds at London’s famed O2 Arena with Chic and then later on, with Kid Rock, with whom she also performed at the Grammys. Jessie then got to tour with her personal rock idol Lenny Kravitz and is featured in his tour documentary, “Just Let Go”. She performed with Stevie Nicks and Robert Plant at the Montreux Jazz Festival and sang on the platinum selling album “Rock and Roll Jesus”.

" Pickled Eggs and Sherbet is the sole album by English electronic group All Seeing I - the production trio of Dean Honer, Jason Buckle and Richard Barrett (aka DJ Parrot).

" Part of the late nineties big beat / trip hop scene, it brought together many disparate threads of the Sheffield's music scene past (and then) present including contributions from the likes of cabaret crooner Tony Christie, Human League frontman Phil Oakey and Pulp's Jarvis Cocker.

" Lead single "The Beat Goes On" which had a huge viral moment on TikTok and social media in 2022, becoming one of the most widely used 'Sounds' in recent years accruing 2.4 billion views and 162k creations.

" The follow up 'Walk Like A Panther' peaked at #10 in the UK Singles Chart. Featuring vocals from Tony Christie, it became his first hit single in 25 years.

" London Records have remastered & re-issued the cult-classic album :
1. for the very first time on vinyl ! As collector Red & Yellow Double LP.
2. with an expanded and remastered 2CD edition to boot, including rare b-sides from lost CD singles, new mixes from DJ Parrot and more.

DESERTED FEAR haben sowohl ihr Songwriting als auch den Sound und das musikalische Können mit "Veins of Fire" erneut auf eine neue Stufe gehoben. Die Ostdeutschen sind ihrer Marke zwar wie gewohnt treu geblieben, aber sie haben ihren ausgefeilten Melodien und dem Schlagzeugspiel ein hörbares Upgrade verpasst. Obendrein konnte Frontmann Manuel "Mahne" Glatter seine stimmliche Spannweite noch einmal vergrößern. In den Texten von "Veins of Fire" reflektieren DESERTED FEAR über die aktuellen Themen unserer Gesellschaft, doch ohne jegliche Predigt oder Forderung nach Konformität. In ihren Songs spiegelt sich eine Welt voller Unsicherheit, Ungerechtigkeit und wachsenden Spaltungen. Der Aufstieg von DESERTED FEAR ist ebenso bemerkenswert wie spannend. Als sich das Death Metal Trio im thüringischen Eisenberg gründete, konnten Gitarrist und Vocalist Mahne, Gitarrist, Hauptsongwriter und Produzent Fabian Hildebrandt sowie Schlagzeuger Simon Mengs kaum ahnen, dass sie an der Spitze der deutschen Szene landen würden. Bereits das Debütalbum "My Empire", das die schwedische Legende Dan Swanö produzierte, schlug im Jahr 2012 beim Death Metal Publikum wie eine Bombe ein. DESERTED FEAR brachten neben brachialer Kraft, donnernden Riffs, einem hämmernden Schlagzeug und heftigem Gesang von Anfang an auch ein intensives Gespür für packende Melodien mit. Daher war es nur folgerichtig, dass sich das Gewicht mit jedem folgenden Album weiter auf die melodische Seite verlagerte - ohne dass dabei der nötige Biss verloren ging. Sämtliche Studioalben, "Kingdom of Worms" (2014), "Dead Shores Rising" (2017), "Drowned by Humanity' (2019) und "Doomsday" (2022), erwiesen sich als beeindruckende Meilensteine einer steilen Karriere.

DESERTED FEAR haben sowohl ihr Songwriting als auch den Sound und das musikalische Können mit "Veins of Fire" erneut auf eine neue Stufe gehoben. Die Ostdeutschen sind ihrer Marke zwar wie gewohnt treu geblieben, aber sie haben ihren ausgefeilten Melodien und dem Schlagzeugspiel ein hörbares Upgrade verpasst. Obendrein konnte Frontmann Manuel "Mahne" Glatter seine stimmliche Spannweite noch einmal vergrößern. In den Texten von "Veins of Fire" reflektieren DESERTED FEAR über die aktuellen Themen unserer Gesellschaft, doch ohne jegliche Predigt oder Forderung nach Konformität. In ihren Songs spiegelt sich eine Welt voller Unsicherheit, Ungerechtigkeit und wachsenden Spaltungen. Der Aufstieg von DESERTED FEAR ist ebenso bemerkenswert wie spannend. Als sich das Death Metal Trio im thüringischen Eisenberg gründete, konnten Gitarrist und Vocalist Mahne, Gitarrist, Hauptsongwriter und Produzent Fabian Hildebrandt sowie Schlagzeuger Simon Mengs kaum ahnen, dass sie an der Spitze der deutschen Szene landen würden. Bereits das Debütalbum "My Empire", das die schwedische Legende Dan Swanö produzierte, schlug im Jahr 2012 beim Death Metal Publikum wie eine Bombe ein. DESERTED FEAR brachten neben brachialer Kraft, donnernden Riffs, einem hämmernden Schlagzeug und heftigem Gesang von Anfang an auch ein intensives Gespür für packende Melodien mit. Daher war es nur folgerichtig, dass sich das Gewicht mit jedem folgenden Album weiter auf die melodische Seite verlagerte - ohne dass dabei der nötige Biss verloren ging. Sämtliche Studioalben, "Kingdom of Worms" (2014), "Dead Shores Rising" (2017), "Drowned by Humanity' (2019) und "Doomsday" (2022), erwiesen sich als beeindruckende Meilensteine einer steilen Karriere.

Few albums evoke a sense of place as vividly as Desire!, the third offering from Friend of a Friend. The duo—Claire Molek and Jason Savsani—craft music that feels cinematic and immersive, threading themes of yearning, transformation, and resilience through a palette of lush synths, tactile rhythms, and haunting vocals. Recorded in a sprawling Victorian mansion in rural Illinois, with a history steeped in spiritualism and the paranormal, Desire! not only embodies the environment where it was created but also reflects the duo’s evolution as musicians and sonic architects.

Producer Jordan Lawler (M83), who also worked with the duo on FACILITIES, played a pivotal role in shaping the album’s sound. His approach seamlessly integrates analog and electronic elements, from shimmering synth pads to deep, tactile rhythms. The result is a record that feels both vast and grounded, inviting careful listening to its intricate details.

With Desire!, Friend of a Friend captures their evolution as musicians and storytellers, offering a record that lingers in the spaces between tension and beauty. The result is an immersive and deliberate work, one that showcases their musical innovation and their ability to create a vivid, otherworldly sense of place—haunting and cinematic, like stepping into a film where every sound carries a story.

The band has been named an artist to watch by Rolling Stone, an “American visionary” group by Mesmerized, an “indie rock band taking the scene by storm" by Wonderland Magazine, a "cultural phenomenon" by Extravafrench, "sonic visionaries" by Plastic Magazine, "the next huge thing in indie rock" by Each Measure, and "seamlessly intriguing" by Obscure Sound.

Die irische Musikerin Maria Somerville kündigt ihr zweites Album "Luster" für den 25. April an. Es ist zugleich ihr Debüt bei 4AD. Mit dem Announcement erscheint die Single "Garden". Der Track taucht ihre sirenenhaften Vocals in einen Sound aus schwirrendem Feedback, luftiger Percussion und nostalgischen Gitarren, der Erinnerungen an die klassische 4AD-Phase heraufbeschwört. Bereits im letzten Jahr war der hypnotische Shoegaze-Track "Projections" erschienen, mit dem Somerville eine erste Spur in Richtung des Sounds ihres kommenden Albums gelegt hatte. Somerville wuchs im ländlichen County Galway an der bergigen und rauen irischen Westküste auf. Sie zog später nach Dublin, wo sie an ihrem Signature-Sound arbeitete: atmosphärischem Dreampop, der von der Landschaft ihrer Jugend geprägt bleibt. Die ätherischen Gitarrenklänge, spärlichen Rhythmen und elektronischen Ambient-Sounds hielt sie erstmals auf dem 2019 selbst veröffentlichten Album "All My People" fest, einem Werk, das knietief in Nostalgie und Sehnsucht watet. Erst als sie nach Connemara zurückkehrte, in ein Haus nicht weit von dem, in dem sie aufwuchs - und von wo aus man einen der größten Seen des Landes, den Lough Corrib, überblicken konnte - begann Somerville mit der Arbeit an Musik, die schließlich zum neuen Album "Luster" werden sollte. Während ihr DIY-Debüt Erinnerungen und Melancholie in nebligen Slowcore hüllte, zeigen die zwölf neuen Tracks eine Künstlerin, die sich des Weges, den sie eingeschlagen hat, viel sicherer ist. "I can see more clearly than I could before. I know now what"s true for me", singt sie passend in "Trip". Gestärkt durch die neue, alte Umgebung und ermutigt durch ihre Community, entwickelte Somerville wieder kreative Energien. Der Boden erwies sich im wahrsten Sinne als fruchtbar, als sie in lockeren Wohnzimmer-Sessions erste Demos aufnahm, die später u. a. mit J. Colleran und Ian Lynch (Lankum) ausgearbeitet und schließlich vom New Yorker Engineer Gabriel Schuman (Oneohtrix Point Never, Princess Nokia, David Byrne) gemixt wurden. Eine gewisse Popularität erreichte Somerville auch durch ihre "Early Bird Show" auf NTS Radio, wo sie seit 2021 zwei Mal die Woche ein Morgenprogramm hostet, in dem sie Musik zwischen Shoegaze und traditionellem irischen Folk vorstellt. Im selben Jahr unterschrieb sie ihren Vertrag bei 4AD, wo sie bislang zwei Compilation-Beiträge veröffentlichte und mit ihren Labelmates Dry Cleaning auf Tour ging. 2025 wird sie mit Band Shows auf der ganzen Welt spielen, darunter auch Konzerte in Deutschland.

Very few bands manage to last decades, and for the ones that do, it's often easy to settle down and get a little too comfortable. But there's nothing comfortable about Devourer, the explosive new album from Cursive. The iconic Omaha group is known for their intensity, ambition, and execution, and has spent 30 years creating a bold discography that's defined as much by its cathartic sound as its weighty, challenging lyrical themes. And Devourer is as daring as ever. Full of intense and incisive songs, the album proves exactly why Cursive have been so influential and enduring-and why they remain so vital today.In the years since their 1995 formation, Cursive developed into one of the most important groups to emerge from the late-'90s/early `00s moment when the lines between indie rock and post-hardcore began blurring into something altogether new. Albums like Domestica (2000) and The Ugly Organ (2003) became essential touchstones whose echoes can still be heard in new bands today. Devourer, as an expansive new double-album, examines humanity's bottomless capacity for consumption through a series of songs that act like vignettes, driven by frontman Tim Kasher's never-ending appetite for both taking in and creating art."I am obsessive about consuming the arts," he explains. "Music, film, literature. I've come to recognize that I devour all of these art forms then, in turn, create my own versions of these things and spew them out onto the world. It's positive; you're part of an ecosystem. But I quickly recognized that the term, `Devourer,' may also embody something gnarly, sinister." Fans have come to expect such heady topics from Cursive, but Devourer sets a new standard.While Cursive's music hasn't gotten any more comfortable, perhaps its being released into a world that's at least a little more shaped in their image. Devourer sounds urgent and fresh, the work of a band still experimenting, still hungering to find new creative heights. On album highlight "Consumers," the protagonist bemoans, "I saw our future and I want to go back." But Cursive are only moving forward.

Northern soul is in the news again, as once more this most resilient of dance floor cults is discovered by a new generation. For four decades now Ace Records has been a natural home for the music and using that experience we are bringing you our first ever all classics collection of some of the scene's greatest hits. All on one LP.

The recordings featured on this release are tried and tested, often in the hot forge of the scene's earliest day, when new discoveries were coming thick and fast, and only the strong survived. These did.

So we have 14 tracks which filled floors in Wigan, Blackpool, Cleethorpes, London's 100 Club and many other legendary venues. From West Coast Mirwood and Kent/ Modern label classics by Jackie Lee, Bobby Garrett, Mary Love and Danny Monday, to the big City Chicago soul of Darrow Fletcher via the super rare recordings by Rita & The Tiaras and Little Ann, which are now accepted standards of the scene.

This is an album for the beginner, those who want to know what all the fuss is about, or those older hands who just want to relive some exceptional memories.