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California’s beloved Brainstory returns with a new EP celebrating the end of an era. Shoebox Days is an homage to the time spent and the recordings made at their now defunct Long Beach studio, aptly named Shoebox. As the name suggests, the space was tiny and stuffed with gear. While charming, it was riddled with constraints. But, as has been proven time and time again, great art often comes from difficult circumstances, and this new 7 song EP is further proof. The first track, “The Watchers,” opens with an earworm horn melody that immediately pulls you in. The crunchy drums and G Funk bass tones put a bop on it, lush orchestration weaves in and out and sets a mellow vibe. “Blend,” one of only two vocal tracks on the EP, is a California sunshine soaked love song walking the lines of psych rock ballad and B side soul. ”Twin Kitchen” leans you right back into your seat, with Eric Hagstrom’s in-the-pocket drumming carrying the tune.

“Home Alone” is singer Kevin Martin’s ever so relatable tribute to time by himself, time by today’s standards as “disconnected,” but in reality, much more connected… The fellas let some of the jazz background take front stage on “Lone Traveler,” starting out with an air tight groove, and letting loose over it as the track progresses. “Gravity Hill” named after the famed California oddity begins the ending of the EP as Brainstory takes it deep and brings us with them. “Necessary Loss” serves as the closer to this gorgeous journey.

California’s beloved Brainstory returns with a new EP celebrating the end of an era. Shoebox Days is an homage to the time spent and the recordings made at their now defunct Long Beach studio, aptly named Shoebox. As the name suggests, the space was tiny and stuffed with gear. While charming, it was riddled with constraints. But, as has been proven time and time again, great art often comes from difficult circumstances, and this new 7 song EP is further proof. The first track, “The Watchers,” opens with an earworm horn melody that immediately pulls you in.

The crunchy drums and G Funk bass tones put a bop on it, lush orchestration weaves in and out and sets a mellow vibe. “Blend,” one of only two vocal tracks on the EP, is a California sunshine soaked love song walking the lines of psych rock ballad and B side soul. ”Twin Kitchen” leans you right back into your seat, with Eric Hagstrom’s in-the-pocket drumming carrying the tune. “Home Alone” is singer Kevin Martin’s ever so relatable tribute to time by himself, time by today’s standards as “disconnected,” but in reality, much more connected… The fellas let some of the jazz background take front stage on “Lone Traveler,” starting out with an air tight groove, and letting loose over it as the track progresses. “Gravity Hill” named after the famed California oddity begins the ending of the EP as Brainstory takes it deep and brings us with them. “Necessary Loss” serves as the closer to this gorgeous journey.

Die in Kalifornien beliebte Band Brainstory kehrt mit einer neuen EP zurück, die das Ende einer Ära feiert. ,Shoebox Days" ist eine Hommage an die Zeit und die Aufnahmen, die in ihrem inzwischen geschlossenen Studio in Long Beach entstanden sind, das treffend den Namen ,Shoebox" trug. Wie der Name schon andeutet, war der Raum winzig und mit Equipment vollgestopft. Das hatte zwar seinen Reiz, war jedoch mit zahlreichen Einschränkungen verbunden. Doch wie sich immer wieder gezeigt hat, entsteht großartige Kunst oft aus schwierigen Umständen, und diese neue EP mit sieben Titeln ist ein weiterer Beweis dafür. Der . Titel, ,The Watchers", beginnt mit einer eingängigen Bläsermelodie , die einen sofort in ihren Bann zieht. Die knackigen Drums und die G-Funk-Basstöne sorgen für Schwung, während sich üppige Orchestrierungen hin und her schlängeln und eine sanfte Atmosphäre schaffen. ,Blend", einer von nur zwei Gesangstiteln auf der EP, ist ein von kalifornischer Sonne durchtränktes Liebeslied , das die Grenze zwischen Psych-Rock-Ballade und B-Seite-Soul beschreitet. ,Twin Kitchen" drückt einen regelrecht in den Sitz zurück, wobei Eric Hagstroms präzises Schlagzeugspiel den Song trägt. ,Home Alone" ist Sänger Kevin Martins überaus nachvollziehbare Hommage an die Zeit, die er allein verbringt - Zeit, die nach heutigen Maßstäben als ,abgekoppelt" gilt, in Wirklichkeit aber viel verbundener ist _ Die Jungs lassen bei ,Lone Traveler" einen Teil ihres Jazz-Hintergrunds in den Vordergrund treten, beginnen mit einem wasserdichten Groove und lassen sich im Verlauf des Stücks darüber hinweg gehen. ,Gravity Hill", benannt nach der berühmten kalifornischen Kuriosität, leitet den Ausklang der EP ein, während Brainstory tief in die Materie eintaucht und uns mitnimmt. ,Necessary Loss" bildet den Abschluss dieser herrlichen Reise.

Three Stripe Records, the original ‘Bristol Sound’ label release their first vinyl in 30 years.
Founded in 1988 by Smith & Mighty, the label was set up to release music from local talent as well as the pair’s own recordings, and in the late eighties released a string of underground hits.
The label’s first venture in ’88, a cover of Dionne Warwick’s ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’, featured local singer Jackie Jackson alongside rappers M.C. Kelz and Krissy Kriss and stayed at the top of the indie charts for several weeks.
Now after a long hiatus, a new three-track 12” vinyl featuring Tammy Payne performing a cover of the ’60s Mandel & Webster classic, ‘The Shadow Of Your Smile’ is due to be released on 13th November 2026.
The vinyl’s three tracks capture different variations of breakbeat, dub and soul.

The A side is a break driven, dynamic bond-esque version with orchestral drops and rises, over a tough hiphop rhythm.
AA1 is a head nodding, rolling breakbeat affair with a digi dub style bassline, while Tammy’s vocal floats in and out on a sea of echo.
AA2 is the original mello mix with sparse beat machine style patterns and 303 bass line. Tammy’s full vocal carrying the flow in contrast to the urgent backbeat, occasionally joined by keys, guitar melodies and fx.
Each version having it’s own identity while all remaining very ’Smith & Mighty’

This November, Brownswood Recordings will release Mek Do & Mend, the debut album from self-taught producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and artist Wonky Logic. Although his name may not yet be familiar to everyone, Wonky Logic (AKA Dwayne Kilvington) has spent the past two decades quietly becoming one of the UK's most respected musical collaborators. His career has moved comfortably between London's jazz, electronic and contemporary music scenes, performing and recording with artists including Nala Sinephro, Yussef Dayes, Nightmares On Wax, Shabaka Hutchings and Emma-Jean Thackray. Alongside his work as a producer and composer, he's been musical director for projects with Eddie Chacon, John Carroll Kirby and I.G Culture's LCSM, scored the feature documentary Zandra With A Zed, contributed music to A24's The Smashing Machine, and continues to lead music workshops with young people, refugees and people experiencing incarceration.

Far more than a collection of compositions, Mek Do & Mend is a deeply personal reflection on the people, places and experiences that have shaped Kilvington throughout his life. It's the story of growing up on a Leeds council estate, where music became both a creative outlet and a way of understanding the world. Making music often meant working with whatever was available: a second-hand keyboard, a makeshift studio desk or ageing equipment that simply had to last a little longer. The title itself came from a conversation with his mother, capturing the resourcefulness that defined his upbringing and continued into the making of the album itself, which was written and produced to a tight deadline around touring, family life and Kilvington's work as a musician and educator.

Built from material spanning more than fifteen years, Mek Do & Mend brings together some of Wonky Logic's earliest compositions alongside brand new pieces written during the making of the record itself. Childhood ideas sit alongside music conceived only months before recording, creating an album that draws together a lifetime of writing rather than documenting a single moment. Running throughout are voice notes from family members, teachers, friends, mentors and collaborators—not simply as interludes, but as a reminder that no creative life is ever self-made. Rather than telling his own story outright, Kilvington invites listeners to discover him through the people who've shaped him: an aunt remembering him playing in church as a child, lifelong friends recalling early experiments making beats together, fellow musicians from different stages of his career and his mother describing him in her own words. Together they reveal the invisible network of relationships, philosophies, communities and experiences behind the music. "The album exists somewhere between being a biography and an autobiography," says Dwayne. "The biography is in the voice notes and how other people see me. The autobiography is in the music."

That same philosophy extends to the musicians who appear on the record. Every contributor has played a meaningful role in Wonky Logic's life beyond the studio. Long-time collaborator Luke Wynter, Steam Down drummer Benji Appiah, partner Vanessa Rani, Jonathan Enser, Joe Bristow, Brother Portrait and Nubiya Imani all feature not simply because of their musicianship, but because they form part of the album's story.

Across its fourteen tracks, Mek Do & Mend moves effortlessly between dynamic jazz arrangements, pulsating broken rhythms, delicate, twinkling piano passages, interstellar synth textures and elegant brass lines. Album opener and first single 'Strange Attractor' begins with a shimmering introduction before unfolding into an exhilarating surge of rhythm and momentum. Named after the mathematical concept of the same name, it serves as the conceptual point of origin for the album. Written when Kilvington was just seventeen, the composition reflects the idea that even the most unpredictable lives are guided by hidden patterns that often only become visible with time. Second single 'A Thousand Hands' features the unmistakable vocal tones of Brother Portrait, whose cerebral lyricism drifts over a low-slung, constantly shifting groove as woozy synth lines ebb and flow overhead. At its heart, the track celebrates the family, friends, mentors and collaborators whose often unseen influence shapes who we become, echoing the album's belief that every achievement is, in some way, a collective one. LP focus track 'BAME (Beyond All Marginalised Expectations)' is a lush, spiralling composition, brimming with both emotion and resolve. Reclaiming an acronym long imposed on racialised communities in the UK, the piece transforms it into a statement of possibility rather than limitation: a defiant rejection of stereotypes and a refusal to let identity be defined by other people's expectations.

The album itself only exists because other people believed in it. Isabel Gracefield made the RAK sessions possible, Rick David brought the record together with his characteristically thoughtful mix, and Gilles Peterson committed to releasing it on Brownswood before hearing any of the music. Away from the stage, Kilvington works with the charity Finding Rhythms, writing and producing original records with people experiencing incarceration, while also leading workshops with Arts Train and Dovetail Orchestra.

Recorded live in a single day in Studio One at RAK, Mek Do & Mend was mixed by Rick David through an analogue Cadac console before being mastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis. The aim wasn't nostalgia or audiophile perfection, but to create a record people could return to throughout their lives, discovering something new with each listen.

As Dwayne puts it: "I don't want this body of work to be reduced to a jazz record. It's more like a novel about life told through music."

On his sweeping sophomore solo effort, James Felice squares up against cosmic indifference with expansive orchestral production and a depth of writing that makes even visceral Biblical imagery feel effortless. Recorded in Omaha with Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes) at the helm, Homeworld Blue pairs lush horns, intricate strings and pounding piano with Felice's authoritative, plainspoken voice — grand in scope, but never far from the small, everyday moments it's really about. Drawing on twenty years as keyboardist and accordionist of The Felice Brothers, and following his 2025 solo debut The Little Ones, Felice trades the intimacy of home recording for a maximalist, cinematic scope that sits comfortably alongside audacious songwriters like Joanna Newsom, Fiona Apple and Randy Newman — and closes, fittingly, back in the family kitchen.

On his sweeping sophomore solo effort, James Felice squares up against cosmic indifference with expansive orchestral production and a depth of writing that makes even visceral Biblical imagery feel effortless. Recorded in Omaha with Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes) at the helm, Homeworld Blue pairs lush horns, intricate strings and pounding piano with Felice's authoritative, plainspoken voice — grand in scope, but never far from the small, everyday moments it's really about. Drawing on twenty years as keyboardist and accordionist of The Felice Brothers, and following his 2025 solo debut The Little Ones, Felice trades the intimacy of home recording for a maximalist, cinematic scope that sits comfortably alongside audacious songwriters like Joanna Newsom, Fiona Apple and Randy Newman — and closes, fittingly, back in the family kitchen.

When Index moves, it’s in lockstep, as a single, indivisible unit. Alan Creedon and Alex Lichtenauer (both ex-Control Top) started the project in the summer of 2025, and it quickly became clear that its sound would be an outgrowth of their close friendship. Eschewing the densely orchestrated compositions of their previous band, Index would instead focus on sweaty, visceral physicality, with Creedon’s guitar intuitively latched to Lichtenauer’s drum kit, navigating corridors of tricky rhythm as one. Creedon and Lichtenauer recorded Vis Inertiae in NYC with acclaimed producer Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Show Me The Body). Despite a litany of freak injuries that befell Lichtenauer before and during the band’s studio time, they say it was the best experience they ever had in a recording session, and Creedon concurs. Rizk was brought into the process early on, when the band played him some bare-bones demos that impressed him, and he was critical in helping ferry the songs to their final forms.

Der Komponist, Produzent, Musiker und DJ Floating Points, alias Sam Shepherd, präsentiert „Mere Mortals“, seine erste Ballettpartitur in voller Länge. Das Ballett, das von Tamara Rojo, der künstlerischen
Leiterin des San Francisco Ballet, in Auftrag gegeben und inszeniert wurde, mit Choreografie von Aszure
Barton und Bühnenbild sowie visuellen Elementen von Hamill Industries, interpretiert die Geschichte von
Pandora in einer Verschmelzung von Mythos, Musik und Bewegung neu. Das mit dem San Francisco Ballet
Orchestra für die Deutsche Grammophon aufgenommene Album mit 14 Titeln ist eine kraftvolle Mischung
aus elegischen Streichern, apokalyptischen Blechbläsern und pulsierender Elektronik. Von der lyrischen
Solovioline in „Hope“ über die Dissonanzen und die hämmernden Percussions in „Rage of the Gods“ bis
hin zur exquisiten Harfenmelodie in „Her Gift“ vor der unheimlichen Atmosphäre von „Opening of the Jar“
ist die Partitur reich an Textur und Wirkung. Orchesterklänge tauchen aus einem elektronischen Dunst auf
und spiegeln die zentrale Frage des Balletts wider: Wo endet der Mensch und wo beginnt die Maschine?

Naughty Boys, originally released in 1983, was Yellow Magic Orchestra’s seventh and final album to top the Japanese Oricon Pop charts.

A remix album, Naughty Boys Instrumental was released in July 1983. It contained nearly the entire Naughty Boys album as instrumental tracks in an entirely different running order, as well as the b-side to "Kimi Ni Mune Kyun", "Chaos Panic"; and the full instrumental version of "You've Got to Help Yourself", of which the vocal track was included on Service.

Naughty Boys Instrumental featured additional synthesizers imitating the vocal lines, as well as new embellishments and mixes. Several tracks featured sonically updated percussion tracks, while "Ongaku" featured an acoustic piano soloing over the piece.

This release combines both the original and instrumental albums. Naughty Boys & Instrumental is available on black vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet.

On their fourth album BGM, originally released in 1981, YMO continued where they left off with X∞ Multiplies, by venturing further into synthesizers, drum computers and experimentation with rhythm, sequences and speeds.

This album is more focused on atmosphere and mood. Some even say this album is a turning point for YMO and the international pop music scene. They successfully merged lyrics, sound bites and their signature electrically programmed music on BGM. “1000 Knives” and “Cue” are the most famous; ‘The Hand Clap’ on “1000 Knives” is probably one of the most used samples in the ‘80s, early ‘90s.

BGM is available on black vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet.

Mit „La Forteresse“ schlägt Pomme ein neues Kapitel ihrer künstlerischen Laufbahn auf. Auf ihrem fünften Studioalbum präsentiert die heute 30-Jährige ein zutiefst persönliches Werk, das sie erstmals vollständig selbst produziert hat, unterstützt von den Musiker:innen ihrer Live-Band.

Konzipiert als Fabel in vier Kapiteln, erzählt „La Forteresse“ eine Geschichte der Emanzipation: von der Kindheit und ihren Prägungen über die Liebe und ihre Verletzungen bis hin zu den Mauern, die wir manchmal durchbrechen müssen, um uns selbst neu aufzubauen.

Entstanden über mehrere Jahre hinweg zwischen Japan, dem US-Studio von Aaron Dessner und dem Château de la Haute-Borde, schöpft das Album seine Bildsprache aus Burgen und Wäldern, mittelalterlicher Mythologie sowie den fantasievollen Welten von Hayao Miyazaki. Musikalisch entfaltet Pomme dabei ein so vielschichtiges Universum wie nie zuvor, in dem intimer Folk, Klavier und Stimme, akustische Gitarren, Synthesizer und opulente Orchestrierungen aufeinandertreffen.

Stück für Stück fällt die Rüstung, und immer mehr Licht dringt in die Festung ein. „La Forteresse“ ist ein intimes, reichhaltiges und zugleich strahlendes Album, das eine Pomme zeigt, die freier und selbstbestimmter wirkt als je zuvor und ihr künstlerisches Universum vollkommen beherrscht.

In 1990, John Williams created the compilation album John Williams Conducts John Williams – The Star Wars Trilogy, which features 13 of his most memorable tracks from the original Star Wars Trilogy. All performed by the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra, it features the iconic “Main Theme” and “Throne Room / Finale” from Episode IV – A New Hope, “The Imperial March” from Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, and “Luke And Leia”. The album brings together some of the best-known themes from the original trilogy in one collection. The result is a varied selection of music from across the three films.

John Williams Conducts John Williams – The Star Wars Trilogy is available on black vinyl. This 2LP package includes an insert with liner notes by the creator of the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas.

Die Rare Groove Collection: Ethiopian Rare Groove beleuchtet einen der faszinierendsten Schmelztiegel moderner Musikgeschichte. In den Clubs und Cabarets des vibrierenden Addis Abeba der 1960er und 1970er Jahre entstand ein einzigartiger Sound, der äthiopische Traditionen mit Soul, Funk, Jazz und Disco verschmolz. Diese Edition versammelt rare und prägende Aufnahmen einer Szene, die bis heute weltweit nachhallt. Künstler wie Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed oder Getatchew Mekurya stehen für eine Musik von hypnotischer Kraft, getragen von polyrhythmischen Grooves, markanten Bläserlinien und unverwechselbaren Melodien. Das Doppel-Vinyl ist mehr als eine Compilation: Es ist ein musikalisches Zeitdokument, das die kreative Energie einer urbanen Hochphase einfängt - rau, elegant und zeitlos zugleich.

Oscar-nominated composer Max Richter's new album While The Flood Rages, drawn from Richter's latest collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor, MaddAddam, inspired by Margaret Atwood's trilogy.

Across 15 tracks split into three acts, Richter blends orchestral writing, electronics, processed field recordings, choir and piano to create an immersive sonic journey.

Themes of ecological collapse, technological acceleration and resilience run throughout, with recurring piano motifs providing moments of reflection amid dense, cinematic soundscapes.

nesreh's third release turns to italy. mirco magnani aka t.c.o. has been active shaping his sound since the mid 80s under various guises such as minox, 4d killer and technophonic chamber orchestra to name a few. nesreh003 presents a mixed bag of mid 2000's reworks of older and more recent tracks.

Al Wahem (“The Illusion”) is the new full-length release by PRAED, the Swiss–Lebanese duo of Raed Yassin and Paed Conca. Recorded between Beirut and Berlin, the album returns to the group’s central aesthetic: a rhythm-driven weave of Egyptian shaabi, electronics, improvisation and the gritty pulse of street-level sound. Nearly twenty years into the project, PRAED have distilled their approach into four pieces that subtly shift the listener’s bearings, reordering grooves and fragments until familiar elements take on new identities.
The twenty-minute title track sets the tone. A tightly interlocking two-drum foundation from Pascal Semerdjian and Ayman Zebdawi shapes a structure that expands steadily: synth figures branch outward, clarinet and bass lines act as internal guideposts, and brief vocal calls from Yassin and guest singer Mayssa Jallad sit inside the texture rather than leading it. PRAED’s shaabi keyboard language is present, but the duo stretch it outward, building tension and movement through patient accumulation.

“Al Hathayan,” at 4:46, tightens the focus. Conca’s clarinet moves between melodic arcs and clipped rhythmic gestures, threading through electronic loops that surface and disappear. Zebdawi’s percussion adds a raw, tactile quality, placing acoustic patterns and electronics in direct conversation. The piece acts as a bridge between the album’s two long-form compositions.
Side B begins with “Al Maraya,” a thirteen-minute piece that relies on electronic, bass and clarinet interplay. The atmosphere nods to the breadth of PRAED Orchestra!, but remains anchored in the duo’s rhythmic foundations. Rather than building mass, the layering creates a sense of depth, as if new spaces were opening inside the groove.
The album closes with “Assarab,” featuring keyboardist Amr Said. Semerdjian and Zebdawi again form a dual percussive axis, while synths hover between melody and pulse, and themes recur in widening circles rather than building vertically. The porous boundary between electronic and acoustic sources — processed clarinet mistaken for a sequencer, rhythmic figures springing from live drums — is where the album’s theme of “illusion” shows itself most clearly.

Al Wahem follows a long arc: early releases on Annihaya, a key appearance on Ruptured Sessions Vol. 5 – Live at Radio Lebanon (2013), later albums on Akuphone, and the large-scale PRAED Orchestra! documented on Morphine Records. This new Ruptured/Annihaya co-release brings the duo back to a concentrated format, reorganizing their familiar materials with renewed clarity and intent.

Epicentre was an R&B/funk group formed in Seattle, Washington by keyboardist Ric Ulsky. The band developed a loyal following, playing the extensive NW club, concert and dance venues throughout the mid-to-late 1970s. Their sound was a blend of melodic R&B and powerhouse funk that dependably filled music venues throughout the Western US. Bernadette Bascom was the lead vocalist, who captivated audiences with her powerful yet velvet-smooth voice and commanding, magnetic stage presence.

In 1978, Epicentre worked with Seattle producer Don McKinney to record their music in Seattle's now legendary Kaye-Smith studios. The result was seven strong, fully -produced R&B songs, with occasional horn and string orchestrations tastefully added to the final versions.

Their music quite literally sat on a shelf for decades until McKinney decided that all the hard work and talent should no longer remain undiscovered and it needed to find its audience. He restored and digitized his copies of the master tapes and looked for an opportunity. A chance call to the former leader of the group, Kell Houston, led to a serendipitous introduction to UK boutique/funk/R&B label founder Russell Paine. The result was an agreement to release their music, starting with two songs, "When You Were In Love With Me", and "Magic Carpet."

And now the follow up single of "Searchin/Tongue Tied"

Footnotes: Lead singer Bernadette Bascom became a protegé of Stevie Wonder, and was the first artist to be signed to his label Black Bull , starting a period of collaboration between the two. Bermadette is the daughter of Reverend Dr. Marion C. Bascomb (1925-2012), one of Baltimore's major civil rights voices and pastor emeritus of Baltimore's Douglas Memorial Community Church. Ric Ulsky eventually left the group to play keyboards and tour extensively with The Association. You can also find Epicentre's music on the compilation album "Seattle Funk, Modern Soul & Boogie: Volume II 1972-1987." In addition to Bernadette, the musicians on the 1978 sessions are Kell Houston, keyboards, Michael Cox, bass, John Carmondy, guitar, and Ricky Lynn Johnson, drums and vocals. While their recorded material is primarily original, Stacy Christensen from Seattle's Gabriel contributed two of his compositions.

Ghost Funk Orchestra (GFO) kehren mit ,Yours in The Ranks of Death", ihrer bisher bodenständigsten und persönlichsten Sammlung von Songs, in unseren Orbit zurück. Nachdenklich und ätherisch - auf dem fünften Album von Ghost Funk Orchestra reduziert Komponist und Mastermind Seth Applebaum die Klänge und konzeptionellen Grundlagen und schafft so für seine typischen Grooves einen klareren Rahmen, in dem sie über den Plattenteller gleiten können. Wie die Strahlen der Sommersonne, die den Morgennebel langsam auflösen, treten nun die Konturen und kristallklaren Figuren deutlicher hervor, die Ghost Funk Orchestra seit ihrem Beitritt zum Label im Jahr 2018 zum groovigen, modernen psychedelischen Soul-Jazz-Boogaloo-Rückgrat von Karma Chief Records gemacht haben. Eine treibende, poetische und funkige Form der Selbstreflexion.

Ghost Funk Orchestra (GFO) kehren mit ,Yours in The Ranks of Death", ihrer bisher bodenständigsten und persönlichsten Sammlung von Songs, in unseren Orbit zurück. Nachdenklich und ätherisch - auf dem fünften Album von Ghost Funk Orchestra reduziert Komponist und Mastermind Seth Applebaum die Klänge und konzeptionellen Grundlagen und schafft so für seine typischen Grooves einen klareren Rahmen, in dem sie über den Plattenteller gleiten können. Wie die Strahlen der Sommersonne, die den Morgennebel langsam auflösen, treten nun die Konturen und kristallklaren Figuren deutlicher hervor, die Ghost Funk Orchestra seit ihrem Beitritt zum Label im Jahr 2018 zum groovigen, modernen psychedelischen Soul-Jazz-Boogaloo-Rückgrat von Karma Chief Records gemacht haben. Eine treibende, poetische und funkige Form der Selbstreflexion.

On June 9, 2025, Rolling Stone Magazine - Australia captured the significance of PARKWAY DRIVE's landmark performance at the Sydney Opera House with the headline: "The AC/DC of Their Generation': Parkway Drive deliver career-defining performance at Sydney Opera House." The one-night-only event brought the Byron Bay metalcore legends into the Concert Hall for an unprecedented black-tie affair, pairing their explosive live show with the grandeur of a full symphonic orchestra. Bringing PARKWAY DRIVE's music to one of the world's most recognizable venues was an ambitious move for a band already celebrated for pushing the boundaries of live performance. Yet seeing the group's signature intensity framed by a symphony orchestra revealed a new emotional dimension to songs built for arenas and festivals. The result was both intimate and monumental-a rare collision of metal, orchestration, and occasion that transformed the Concert Hall into something entirely its own. The context of the performance only heightened its impact. Marketed as a historic black-tie celebration that would never be repeated, the event became one of the most coveted PARKWAY DRIVE shows in the band's history, selling out instantly and leaving countless fans outside the room. For those unable to witness it in person, Home - Live at the Sydney Opera House finally brings this extraordinary night to a wider audience, alongside a feature film and live album documenting this career-spanning performance. At its heart, Home is also a reflection on what "home" has meant to PARKWAY DRIVE over two decades. As their reach has expanded from Byron Bay to stages around the world, their connection to the landscapes, people, and community that shaped them has remained central. Now, that journey comes full circle at one of Australia's most iconic landmarks.

On June 9, 2025, Rolling Stone Magazine - Australia captured the significance of PARKWAY DRIVE's landmark performance at the Sydney Opera House with the headline: "The AC/DC of Their Generation': Parkway Drive deliver career-defining performance at Sydney Opera House." The one-night-only event brought the Byron Bay metalcore legends into the Concert Hall for an unprecedented black-tie affair, pairing their explosive live show with the grandeur of a full symphonic orchestra. Bringing PARKWAY DRIVE's music to one of the world's most recognizable venues was an ambitious move for a band already celebrated for pushing the boundaries of live performance. Yet seeing the group's signature intensity framed by a symphony orchestra revealed a new emotional dimension to songs built for arenas and festivals. The result was both intimate and monumental-a rare collision of metal, orchestration, and occasion that transformed the Concert Hall into something entirely its own. The context of the performance only heightened its impact. Marketed as a historic black-tie celebration that would never be repeated, the event became one of the most coveted PARKWAY DRIVE shows in the band's history, selling out instantly and leaving countless fans outside the room. For those unable to witness it in person, Home - Live at the Sydney Opera House finally brings this extraordinary night to a wider audience, alongside a feature film and live album documenting this career-spanning performance. At its heart, Home is also a reflection on what "home" has meant to PARKWAY DRIVE over two decades. As their reach has expanded from Byron Bay to stages around the world, their connection to the landscapes, people, and community that shaped them has remained central. Now, that journey comes full circle at one of Australia's most iconic landmarks.

GERDie Chopi Timbila zählt zu den großen Orchestertraditionen Afrikas und ist tief in der Kultur der Chopi im mosambikanischen Distrikt Zavala verwurzelt. Ihre charakteristischen Mwenje-Holzxylophone sind in sieben gleichmäßigen Tonabständen gestimmt und erzeugen eine mikrotonale Klangwelt, die sich deutlich von westlichen Tonsystemen unterscheidet. Die Ensembles vereinen Musiker verschiedener Generationen und Erfahrungsstufen, während jährlich neue Kompositionen entstehen, die Gemeinschaft, Geschichte und das Leben der Vatxopi widerspiegeln. 2008 wurde die Tradition von der UNESCO als Immaterielles Kulturerbe anerkannt und gilt bis heute als eine der komplexesten und schönsten musikalischen Ausdrucksformen Mosambiks. Mit Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy) ehren die Brüder von Timbila Ta Venancio, allesamt Söhne des legendären Timbila-Meisters Venancio Mbande, das Lebenswerk ihres Vaters und die kulturelle Bedeutung der Chopi-Musik. Die 2026 im Studio Bom Dia in der Provinz Inhambane entstandene Aufnahme interpretiert Mbandes Erbe neu und bewahrt zugleich dessen Geist und Tradition. Die zehn Stücke folgen der überlieferten Reihenfolge einer klassischen Timbila-Aufführung und entfalten eine zusammenhängende musikalische Erzählung. Ecos Do Legado ist damit zugleich Hommage, kulturelles Dokument und eindrucksvoller Beweis für die lebendige Zukunft dieser einzigartigen Tradition.[ENG]The Chopi Timbila is one of Africa's great orchestral traditions, deeply rooted in the culture of the Chopi people of Zavala, Mozambique. Its distinctive mwenje wood xylophones are tuned in seven equidistant pitches, creating a microtonal sound world markedly different from Western musical systems. Timbila ensembles bring together performers of different ages and skill levels, with new compositions created each year to reflect community life, history, and tradition. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, the tradition remains one of Mozambique's most celebrated and sophisticated musical forms. On Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy), Timbila Ta Venancio honors the legacy of revered timbila master Venancio Mbande through the work of his sons, who perform and reinterpret his enduring musical vision. Recorded in 2026 at Studio Bom Dia in Inhambane Province, the album serves as both a tribute to Mbande and a celebration of Chopi cultural heritage. The ten pieces follow the traditional sequence of a timbila performance, unfolding as an interconnected musical narrative. Ecos Do Legado stands as a powerful testament to a living tradition whose cultural significance continues to resonate across generations.

Die Chopi Timbila zählt zu den großen Orchestertraditionen Afrikas und ist tief in der Kultur der Chopi im mosambikanischen Distrikt Zavala verwurzelt. Ihre charakteristischen Mwenje-Holzxylophone sind in sieben gleichmäßigen Tonabständen gestimmt und erzeugen eine mikrotonale Klangwelt, die sich deutlich von westlichen Tonsystemen unterscheidet. Die Ensembles vereinen Musiker verschiedener Generationen und Erfahrungsstufen, während jährlich neue Kompositionen entstehen, die Gemeinschaft, Geschichte und das Leben der Vatxopi widerspiegeln. 2008 wurde die Tradition von der UNESCO als Immaterielles Kulturerbe anerkannt und gilt bis heute als eine der komplexesten und schönsten musikalischen Ausdrucksformen Mosambiks. Mit Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy) ehren die Brüder von Timbila Ta Venancio, allesamt Söhne des legendären Timbila-Meisters Venancio Mbande, das Lebenswerk ihres Vaters und die kulturelle Bedeutung der Chopi-Musik. Die 2026 im Studio Bom Dia in der Provinz Inhambane entstandene Aufnahme interpretiert Mbandes Erbe neu und bewahrt zugleich dessen Geist und Tradition. Die zehn Stücke folgen der überlieferten Reihenfolge einer klassischen Timbila-Aufführung und entfalten eine zusammenhängende musikalische Erzählung. Ecos Do Legado ist damit zugleich Hommage, kulturelles Dokument und eindrucksvoller Beweis für die lebendige Zukunft dieser einzigartigen Tradition. ENGThe Chopi Timbila is one of Africa's great orchestral traditions, deeply rooted in the culture of the Chopi people of Zavala, Mozambique. Its distinctive mwenje wood xylophones are tuned in seven equidistant pitches, creating a microtonal sound world markedly different from Western musical systems. Timbila ensembles bring together performers of different ages and skill levels, with new compositions created each year to reflect community life, history, and tradition. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, the tradition remains one of Mozambique's most celebrated and sophisticated musical forms. On Ecos Do Legado (Echoes Of The Legacy), Timbila Ta Venancio honors the legacy of revered timbila master Venancio Mbande through the work of his sons, who perform and reinterpret his enduring musical vision. Recorded in 2026 at Studio Bom Dia in Inhambane Province, the album serves as both a tribute to Mbande and a celebration of Chopi cultural heritage. The ten pieces follow the traditional sequence of a timbila performance, unfolding as an interconnected musical narrative. Ecos Do Legado stands as a powerful testament to a living tradition whose cultural significance continues to resonate across generations.

‘veneration for the sacred action’ is the first compilation release by london-based independent record label ‘lifeis beautiful records’ released in celebration of the three-year anniversary of the label (& the gesamtkunstwerk that it exists within), the compilation brings together members of the life is beautiful septet collective, as well as various collaborators and special guests from previous life is beautiful events of the past three years. it highlights a range of the various solo, group projects, and alias’ of the septet, as well as various artists from the wider orbit of the life is beautiful constellations. the project was executively produced and curated as an album by label founder aloisius, as a selected works of the life is beautiful constellations. it stands as a comprehensive yet intentionally incomplete representation of the past three years of life is beautiful

Nippon Psychedelic Soul 1970-1979 is Time Capsule’s continuation of the deep dive into Japan’s rich history of folk and psychedelic soul music.

Vinyl LP with 4 page insert, original artwork and photos

The kaleidoscopic psychedelia of 1970s Japan captured a fragile and fertile moment as the country sought its future in funk grooves, heavy reverb and lyrical hallucinations.

The follow-up compilation to Time Capsule’s Nippon Acid Folk, Nippon Psychedelic Soul takes myriad pathways into the tripped-out undergrowth of 1970s Japan. Finding their feet at home and looking for inspiration abroad, the musicians featured here were engaged in the communal soul-searching that followed the breakdown of the 1960s protest movements. Some made it big, others drifted into oblivion. The music they left behind shimmers with intensity.

At the core was Happy End, the first project of YMO’s Haroumi Hosono, whose distortion-heavy guitar and crisp back-beat laid the foundations for Japanese lyrics that flipped the paradigm of Japanese rock music on its head. With it came a new found sonic ambition, such as in the bold Philly-soul style arrangements of producer Yuji Ohno, whose work with occult wandered Yoshiko Sai shares some of the bittersweet grandeur of Rotary Connection or David Axelrod.

Then there was Jun Fukamachi, a pioneer of Japanese synthesis, whose debut album was a carnival of orchestral funk, euphoric horn lines and rich production, complete with soaring guitar solos, psychedelic organ and a truly cinematic finale. The first and only time Fukamachi would sing on record, ‘Omae’ rips like the ultimate end-of-nighter.

Influenced by giants of the US soul scene, maverick composer Hiroshi “Monsieur” Kamayatsu (otherwise known as ‘the Brian Wilson of Japan’) went one step further, enlisting Tower of Power to play on ‘Have You Smoked Gauloises?’ The B-side to Monsieur’s biggest-selling single, it coasts with sophisticated cool - a liquid bassline and suave keys comping under a roaring trademark ToP sax solo. No surprise it found favour once more on the Acid Jazz dance floors of ‘90s London.

Such was the spirit of experimentation that big studio productions and private press releases sat side-by-side, with the likes of Momotaro Pink and Kazushi Inamura, taking their hopes of success into their own hands with the resources available to them. More reflective but no less robust, theirs was a heavy, fat-backed drum sound, soaked in dramatic, soulful psychedelia.

If some were dreamers and others space cadets, none were further out than sci-fi writer, musician, activist and self-made scientist Tadashi Goino, who transformed his own fantasy novel Messenger from the Seventh Dimension into an operatic prog odyssey with few discernible musical reference points – a majestic and completely bonkers outlier even among company as strange and brilliant as that which is collected here.

Less a compilation of a scene, as a compilation of a sentiment, Nippon Psychedelic Soul is a wild ride from start to finish, shattering the narratives of the Japanese folk and rock tradition into a million tiny pieces.

Mit englischem Charme, ausnehmendem Talent und kreativer Offenheit begeistert die junge britische Musikerin Anna Lapwood nicht nur die Kritiker*Innen, sondern ein Millionen-Publikum bei Social Media. Auf ihrem Sony Classical Debüt-Album "Luna" gibt sie einen Einblick in ihren umfassenden musikalischen Kosmos. Die fünfzehn Titel des Albums beleuchten ihre Vielseitigkeit und verbinden traditionelles Repertoire von Johann Sebastian Bach, Claude Debussy und Philip Glass mit zeitgenössischen Kompositionen von Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi und Hans Zimmer. Auf "Luna" ist Anna Lapwood in erster Linie als Organistin zu erleben, aber auch andere Facetten ihres musikalischen Lebens kommen zur Geltung, wenn sie den Pembroke College Chapel Choir bei zwei Titeln dirigiert. Anna Lapwood spielt Orgel, Geige und Harfe und ist als Dirigentin und Orchester-Leiterin aktiv. 1995 in der Grafschaft Oxfordshire geboren, erhielt sie als erste Frau in der Geschichte des Magdalen College Oxford ein Orgelstipendium. 2016 wurde sie die jüngste musikalische Direktorin in Cambridge und leitet seitdem die Chöre und Ensembles des Pembroke College. Nach Feierabend und bei Einbruch der Dunkelheit erhält sie als Associate Artist der Royal Albert Hall besonderen Zugang zu dem majestätischen Instrument in der Royal Albert Hall. Dies hat zu einigen spektakulären Kollaborationen geführt. Die berühmteste davon mit dem Elektronik-Musiker Bonobo. Auf TikTok erreicht sie mit solchen gleichermaßen lockeren wie spektakulären musikalischen Ausflügen mehr als 550.000 Follower.

5th Anniversary Edition of Pete Tong + Friends - Ibiza Classics, a 10 x track LP featuring a selection of new collaborations with Armin van Buuren, Kölsch, Poppy Baskcomb, Ewan McVicar, MNEK, Oden & Fatzo and Paige Cavell. Pressed on Ibiza sunset inspired orange splatter-effect vinyl.

No, we’re not yelling at you. That’s the answer. WHO ASKED? is the long-awaited sophomore album from the French-born Domi Louna and Texas native JD Beck. Following two GRAMMY nominations, including Best New Artist for a debut album (2022’s NOT TiGHT), WHO ASKED? is unlike anything they’ve done before. Bringing together a small sinfonietta of seasoned classical players, WHO ASKED? showcases the duo’s incredibly singular, super maximalist, and strikingly beautiful orchestral vision.

‘Signs Of The Time’ is a powerful, driving roots reggae anthem by Azizzi Romeo calling for global unity. The track features the legendary Max Romeo in what would be his final recording before his passing.

The track is fuelled by the lush, authentic arrangements of Denmark's premier 11- piece roots collective, Guiding Star Orchestra.

Blending heavy traditional rhythms with a modern conscious edge, the track boasts dynamic brass lines and an irresistible groove. Essential for modern roots, cultural reggae, and global conscious playlists celebrating the enduring legacy of a reggae icon.

The release comes with a dub version by Tippy I-Grade who weaves heavy, foundational basslines through echoed horn stabs and beautifully fragmented vocal chops that ripple seamlessly across the stereo field.

It’s an essential addition for listeners who crave the meditative depth of classic 70s dub reimagined through a modern, high-fidelity lens.

With a history of finding its place in DJ Harvey tracklists during Pikes' Mercury Rising, the Orchestra Veneta mystery continues in full throttle, with more slow chug wellness for the ear and floor. On the A-side a hypnotic gypsy/flamenco guitar and vocal sample gets re-vamped for early morning long haul endurance. Followed by a re-mix by long time visitor of the Island and historical piece of the cosmic/balearic connection -- Roberto Lodola -- giving it a more refined "Cafe Del Mar" touch. B-side explores the work of an Italian super star from a time before emails existed, slow bliss at just under 110 BPM, setting the stage for bigger things to happen on a tasteful dancefloor.

Ein echter Meilenstein der elektronischen Musik kehrt zurück:
Der Laserdance-Klassiker von 1994 ist endlich wieder als CD und Vinyl erhältlich. Fans von Spacesynth und klassischem Electronic Dance dürfen sich auf die Wiederveröffentlichung eines Albums freuen, das bis heute Kultstatus genießt. Laserdance gelten weltweit als die Pioniere des Spacesynth-Genres und prägten mit ihren futuristischen Soundlandschaften, treibenden Sequenzen und unverwechselbaren Synthesizer-Melodien eine ganze Generation elektronischer Musik. Mit ihrem einzigartigen Mix aus Italo Disco, Space-Electro und atmosphärischen Sci-FiKlängen setzten sie bereits in den 80er- und 90er-Jahren neue Maßstäbe.

Das ursprünglich 1994 veröffentlichte Album begeistert noch heute mit energiegeladenen Tracks, epischen Arrangements und dem typischen galaktischen Laserdance-Sound, der Fans rund um den Globus fasziniert. Die Neuauflage erscheint sowohl auf CD als auch auf hochwertigem Vinyl und bringt diesen elektronischen Klassiker zurück in jede gut sortierte Sammlung.

Box Set w/ Hand-stamped LP, 36 page riso-printed book, Riso-printed fold-out poster, Stickers

"Phantom Seance Ballett is a boombox orchestra, Nō mimes, Vicky’s protection spells, Detlef’s psychic shuffles, a smoke machine, a strobe light chamber, painting, Margit Carstensen’s chiffre, Susie Greene’s insults, Schleim, Ebichu’s echoes and Anna Oppermann’s limbo."

Thus we welcome Lena Willikens & Sarah Szczesny's ethereal Phantom Kino Ballett project to Utter with 'Phantom Seance Ballett', an unusually tangible manifestation of what has become an on-going series of live performances and installations that incorporate sound, video, costume, still imagery and beyond. The themes explored weave in and out of grasp, touching on the otherworldly and mysterious, on hypnotic rites and ceremonies, on the fetishisation of cultural tropes and curios.

While carefully documented, these happenings had not been distilled or presented in a cohesive format until now. Of course, an attempt to harness and package such an experience required an imaginative leap beyond the traditional 'record-in-sleeve' approach and Lena and Sarah have overseen every aspect of this remarkable collection themselves.

Working with designer Till Sperrle, Lena and Sarah have conjured up a fold-out box containing an LP, a riso-printed credits poster detailing the samples and snippets collaged into the sound, a 36 page book with imagery from various shows and an essay by Thomas Vorreyer plus sticker pack. The limited 50 copy artist edition contains an additional 10 special riso-prints within an artist stamped hand-numbered box. For all, the LP contains twenty hidden locked grooves cut into the run-out on each side presenting snippets from the artists' archive.

The first of these pieces - 'Identikit Arkaden Seance' - took place on the 2nd of October 2019 at NAK Neuer Aachener Kunstverein and is a live recording. This performance was part of their exhibition "Chambers of Phantom Kino Ballett", where they showed new video works and displayed the now infamous costumes and slippers worn by Lena, Sarah and a rotating cast of guest phantoms.

At this performance, the seven performers carried boomboxes playing individual audio tracks inside and outside the Kunstverein, while Viktoria Wehrmeister and Detlef Weinrich improvised music alongside the phantoms' moving soundtracks of sonic snippets, poetry, field recordings and soundscapes.

The second piece - 'Studio Chamber Seance' - contains diverse audio tracks of performances that were held by Willikens and Szczesny in collaboration with Wehrmeister and Weinrich. It has been deconstructed and rearranged with additional sound material from the Lena Willikens & Sarah Szczesny archive, then edited and mixed by Lena and Sarah in Amsterdam and Cologne last year. Additional music by Detlef Weinrich and Viktoria Wehrmeister features throughout, recorded live in Aachen 2019 and Frankfurt 2020.

Mastered by Gordon Pohl. Transfer, additional mastering & lacquer cut by Helmut Erler at D&M.

How enduring is the signature song from Harry Chapin’s Verities & Balderdash? So timeless that it became the subject of a 2025 documentary in which artists from multiple generations weigh in on its impact on their lives and craft. “Cat’s in the Cradle” doubtlessly remains the main event on the singer-songwriter’s 1974 album. The legendary opening track also serves as a guidepost for the bold personal and social material that follows — as well as the gorgeous folk-rock arrangements that underpin the New York native’s most commercially successful work.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, housed in a Stoughton jacket complete with a four-page insert, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM LP of Verities & Balderdash presents Chapin’s fourth full-length in audiophile quality for the first time on vinyl. Captured during a golden era for sonics and production, the Top 5 effort features remarkable tonal balance, instrumental separation, and organic naturalism. Those valued aspects come into supreme focus on this reissue, which plays with dead-quiet surfaces and a low noise floor.

The newfound clarity, openness, and imaging underscore the lasting appeal of Chapin’s tender deliveries, soulful timbre, and careful phrasing. Every word comes across with incredible realism, while his underrated guitar playing occupies its own distinctive space. Also notable: The extension of the tasteful string accents; airiness of the backing vocals; depth and shape of the spare bass lines; and width and depth of the soundstaging. When on “Six String Orchestra” Chapin calls out names of instruments, they appear like magic, the band performing feet from you. Chapin has never sounded so lifelike on record.

Certified double platinum, Verities & Balderdash resonated with the times and public. “Cat’s in the Cradle” reached No. 1 on the chart on its way to being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The romantic ballad “I Wanna Learn a Love Song” flirted with the Top 40 and wrapped listeners in the equivalent of a cozy blanket. The record’s other single, the mini-epic “What Made America Famous?,” helped establish Chapin as one of the country’s most incisive and insightful commentators.

Verities & Balderdash teems with situational devices and topical matters. Chapin observes everything from the polarization of the nation to changes in moral standards and cultural priorities. He investigates pressing themes without ever turning preachy or elevating himself above the matters at hand. On “Halfway to Heaven,” whose coda races to the finish and ranks as the most urgent moment on the record, Chapin inhabits the mind of his frustrated protagonist akin to an eagle-eyed novelist.

Conveying emotions that range from melancholic to carefree, Chapin is as much of a singer as a storyteller. He assumes the voice of multiple characters within a single narrative. During the quirky “30,000 Pounds of Bananas,” a tale based on a delivery-truck accident in 1965, Chapin alters his delivery, pronunciation, and diction to become an old man reflecting on the mishap and mess. The tempo, too, adjusts to match the speed of the vehicle Chapin describes.

Adorned with timely laugh tracks to reinforce the bittersweet humor, the stripped-down “Six String Orchestra” takes everything up another notch, with Chapin intentionally missing guitar notes or playing a broken passage to illustrate the failures of the hopeful protagonist who doesn’t have what’s required to make it as an artist.

Chapin, of course, did not have any such problem. The lynchpin of a career cut short by a tragic traffic incident, Verities & Balderdash is Exhibit A of the savvy craft, feeling, and perspective he lent to American music.

Orca is back with some serious hardcore business. Here we’ve got four mixes of his classic “4AM”: the original version, remix #2, and two never before heard remixes from back in the day!

Next up in our Cuban Classics series, one of the jewels of record label Areito’s extensive and sought-after catalogue. Ricardo Eddy Martinez’s Expreso Ritmico from 1978 is a prized album fusing funk, disco, and orchestrated influences with Afro-Cuban percussion, Latin breaks, and lush vocal harmonies.

Whilst maintaining its distinctive Cuban identity, Expreso Ritmico is one of the more American / Western-influenced Cuban titles of the time drawing inspiration from jazz funk, disco, and library music. The album was directed, written, and orchestrated by keyboardist and drummer Ricardo Eddy Martinez, who was also the mastermind behind the orchestration of the Los Reyes 73 album (that was recently reissued by Mr Bongo). Martinez would later go on to work with international musicians and singers such as Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, Chick Corea, and many more, whilst also working as a sound engineer in the US.

Produced by Adolfo Pichardo, who worked on much of Areito’s output, Expreso Ritmico is packed with gold. The opening title track carries a loose, breezy Latin-disco-funk vibe that breaks into a brilliant Afro-Cuban workout. ‘Que La Tristeza Se Fue’ was expertly sampled and looped by Jazzanova on their 2008 song ‘Look What You Are Doing To Me, featuring Phonte from the hip hop group Little Brother. Elsewhere, ‘Tambo Iya’ has an Afro-funk, Soul Makossa-esque groove, while tracks such as ‘Te Quedas’, ‘Mi Conga Es La Que Es’ and ‘La 132’ run with a heavy pulsating Latin-funk sound. Head to the sultry psych funk of ‘Este Tumbao’ for a spacey journey that blends and morphs through genres.

Pure class as always from Gal Costa! The record is her first after the immediate Tropicalia years, and it's a stunning blend of styles that seems to draw heavily from changes going on in the American rock scene at the time. The core of the music is still steeped in Brazilian elements – but there's a lot of influences coming into play on the album, like bluesy rock phrasing, showy nostalgia-heavy arrangements, psychedelic production elements, and some of the baroque orchestrations that would show up on Gal's later albums in the 70s.

Carly Simon’s quietly intense sophomore album comes across like an assertive notice nailed to a telephone pole for all to see. Bold, personal, and autobiographical, Anticipation announces the arrival of an artist who won’t back down. While Simon stands her ground on her eponymous debut, she elevates her passion and persona to heightened levels throughout this gold-certified record, dealing in private matters related to love, relationships, and desire. At times, Simon is nothing short of primal. She reflects on the difficulties of retaining your own identity while also giving yourself to a partner. Simon’s connection to her folk roots would never be stronger.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set of Anticipation lays bare the rich tapestries afforded by the spare blend of soft guitars, mellow orchestration, and dreamy melodies. Audiophiles and record collectors, take note: This is the first time Anticipation has been available on 45RPM. The wider grooves and dead-quiet surfaces prove extremely rewarding.

The rhythmic framework anchored by session pro Andy Newmark’s drumming sounds dynamic and balanced, with songs benefiting from a focused midrange and taut low-end. Simon’s attachment to and investment in each lyric is made evident by way of the intimate, hushed atmospherics and expansive responsiveness. And just as Simon’s vocals feel more transparent and direct, so, too, do the supporting choral arrangements.

Released before the singer-songwriter movement reached full bloom, Anticipation remains remarkable for the high-quality songwriting and Simon’s gutsy stance. The album cover — depicting the vocalist holding the gates at Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park and seemingly defying anyone to take her on — serves as a metaphor for the content within.

Known for having relationships with high-profile partners, Simon was heavily involved with Cat Stevens leading up to the recording of Anticipation. She draws from her experiences to craft tunes that resonate because of their honesty, realism, and strength. Few of those moments are better known than the Top 20 title track, which Simon composed in just 15 minutes as she waited for Stevens to pick her up for a date. Imbued with the nervousness, tension, and excitement that accompany the moments when a romance could go either way, the Grammy-nominated song presages the feminist-minded vulnerability and burning longing that informs a majority of the record.

On the soulful “Legend in Your Own Time,” also inspired by Stevens, Simon harnesses yearning as a conduit to feel-good paradise. Deemed by Rolling Stone an “absolute clincher, an awesome description of the psychic ravages of gone-nuts, know-nothing love,” her cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “I’ve Got to Have You” moans with no-holds-barred desire and breathtaking sensuality.

For all the wanting Simon pursues on Anticipation, her way of staying in control — vocally and personally — make the record a courageous statement of contemporary femininity. For further evidence, look to the bossa nova of “Summer’s Coming Around Again,” somber “Share the End,” soothing “Three Days,” and sincere “Julie Through the Glass,” a tribute to her young niece.

Simon would achieve international fame with her next album, No Secrets. Yet as this definitive reissue shows, Anticipation suggests the rest of the world was just a little late catching up to her.