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Winterstorm - Everfrost LP
AFM7481
AFM Records GmbH
12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

PopHeavy-Metal

Nach mittlerweile zwölf Jahren Bandgeschichte ist es Zeit, die neue Power Metal Hoffnung WINTERSTORM auf ein neues Level zu heben. Ihr fünftes Album "Everfrost" ist ihr Debut auf AFM Records und zeigt zurecht, dass die deutsche Band mit Gruppen wie Blind Guardian und Rhapsody Of Fire verglichen wird.
Dies liegt vor allem an der Melodie, welche bei WINTERSTORM ganz klar im Vordergrund steht und sich in ohrwurmlastigen Refrains und vielen mehrstimmigen Gesängen widerspiegelt. Dabei verschmelzen markante Elemente verschiedener Metalstile miteinander und erhalten so eine ganz neue Anmutung. "Winter" steht für nordischen Viking und Folk-Metal, "Storm" für schnellen Powermetal, welche zusammen mit epischem und orchestralem Metal in einem neuen Glanz erstrahlen. "Everfrost" ist ein vielseitiges und kraftvolles Album, welches sich hinter gestandenen Genrekollegen nicht verstecken muss.
Alles in allem eine explosive Mischung, welche auf WINTERSTORMS neuestem Werk ein weiteres Highlight findet.

pre-order now22 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 22 Sep 2023

31,51 €
Ryuichi Sakamoto - async 2x12"
19658821711
Milan Records
2x12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

PopKlassic

Quand mon travail de compositeur fut terminé et qu'il ne me restait plus qu'à mixer et mastériser mon nouvel album, une pensée m'est apparue : Je l'aime trop et ne souhaite le partager avec personne. » - Ryuichi Sakamoto Membre fondateur du Yellow Magic Orchestra, lauréat de l'Oscar de la meilleure musique de film pour Le Dernier Empereur, l'innovateur synth pop Ryuichi Sakamoto est l'un des artistes les plus révolutionnaires depuis la fin des années 70. Acclamé et respecté par la critique comme par le public et par les musiciens, Ryuichi Sakamoto a créé de fascinantes unions musicales avec des artistes tels que David Sylvian, Iggy Pop, Tony Williams, Bootsy Collins, Jacques Morelenbaum et bien d'autres. async est le premier album de Ryuichi Sakamoto en huit ans. C'est son travail le plus personnel car il succède à un long combat contre le cancer, duquel Ryuichi Sakamoto émergeait avec une énergie créative renouvelée et passionnée. « Quel genre de « sons/musique » ai-je envie d'entendre ? » async est la réponse à cette question que Ryuichi Sakamoto s'est posé ces dernières années. C'est l'album dont il est le plus fier, et qui synthétise le mieux ses intérêts sonores et musicaux. C'est un voyage à travers le synthétiseur analogique, les sons des choses et des endroits, la bande originale imaginaire d'un film d'Andrei Tarkovsky, et bien d'autres surprises musicales...

out of Stock

Last delivered 21 days ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

27,27 €
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto & Bryce Dessner - The Revenant (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 2LP
 
24
19658821741
Milan Records
2x12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

PopSoundtrackKlassic

Après le succès de Birdman (quatre Oscars dont ceux du meilleur film et du meilleur réalisateur), le réalisateur Alejandro G. Inarritu repousse les limites de l'art cinématographique avec ce western épique : The Revenant. Avec Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, Le Loup de Wall Street) et Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises), tourné dans un Canada sauvage et glacé, à la lumière naturelle, The Revenant est une histoire de vengeance, de survie et de ténacité face à la fureur de l'homme et de la nature. Le film est en passe de devenir un grand favori de la critique, à l'aube de la saison des récompenses... Inarritu a choisi de sacrifier presque tout dialogue à un paysage sonore splendide et à une musique majestueuse. Un film de cette ampleur méritait un compositeur compréhensif de la création artistique pure et des passions déchaînées. Le Maître japonais Ryuichi Sakamoto (Furyo, Le Dernier Empereur - Oscar de la meilleure musique de film) a rempli le contrat haut la main. Avec son collaborateur Alva Noto (notamment au sein du Yellow Magic Orchestra), Sakamoto a créé une bande originale captivante qui sera assurément la bonne surprise de l'hiver. L'album contient également la musique additionnelle de Bryce Dessner (compositeur pour le Kronos Quartet et le LA Phil).

out of Stock

Last delivered 6 months ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

29,37 €
KENNY COX - MULTIDIRECTION LP
also available

Clear Vinyl[52,90 €]


TMR853
Third Man Records
12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

PopJazz

**AVAILABLE ON BLACK VINYL AND COKE CLEAR INDIE EXCLUSIVE**Detroit has a long tradition of being the farm team for the Big Apple jazz big leagues, but just as important is the acknowledgement of local legends who left their mark on the city by staying put and releasing amazing music right in Detroit. Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet is one such group that could have and definitely should have had a wider audience in their day, but their recorded legacy continues to grow in estimation. Truly a comprehensive group with no weak links, the compositions and playing on this record show the incredible talent and innovation that was brewing in Detroit before, during and after Motown locked its doors in the Motor City. Of note is group member Charles Moore, an important figure in the jazz and arts scene in Detroit and founding member of an underground art and music co-operative called the Detroit Artist Workshop. A talented musician and composer in his own right, Moore and group leader Cox composed all the material on Multidirection. Cox described it as “more of an orchestral-type effort than just a combo per se.” in the original release liner notes by Nat Hentoff. Both were integral in the future DIY jazz universe by co-founding the highly influential Strata Records. But before embarking on that journey, his group recorded two timeless classics for Blue Note Records. Like many of the greatest musical albums, this work shines brightest as a whole with new dimensions to discover with each listen. This new and exciting re-issue is certain to provide the listening experience with the best possible platform.

pre-order now22 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 22 Sep 2023

49,54 €
KENNY COX - MULTIDIRECTION LP
also available

Black Vinyl[49,54 €]


TME853
Third Man Records
12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

PopJazz

**AVAILABLE ON BLACK VINYL AND COKE CLEAR INDIE EXCLUSIVE**Detroit has a long tradition of being the farm team for the Big Apple jazz big leagues, but just as important is the acknowledgement of local legends who left their mark on the city by staying put and releasing amazing music right in Detroit. Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet is one such group that could have and definitely should have had a wider audience in their day, but their recorded legacy continues to grow in estimation. Truly a comprehensive group with no weak links, the compositions and playing on this record show the incredible talent and innovation that was brewing in Detroit before, during and after Motown locked its doors in the Motor City. Of note is group member Charles Moore, an important figure in the jazz and arts scene in Detroit and founding member of an underground art and music co-operative called the Detroit Artist Workshop. A talented musician and composer in his own right, Moore and group leader Cox composed all the material on Multidirection. Cox described it as “more of an orchestral-type effort than just a combo per se.” in the original release liner notes by Nat Hentoff. Both were integral in the future DIY jazz universe by co-founding the highly influential Strata Records. But before embarking on that journey, his group recorded two timeless classics for Blue Note Records. Like many of the greatest musical albums, this work shines brightest as a whole with new dimensions to discover with each listen. This new and exciting re-issue is certain to provide the listening experience with the best possible platform.

pre-order now22 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 22 Sep 2023

52,90 €
Something Weird - Hey Folks! It's Intermission Time! LP
LPMH8281C
Modern Harmonic
12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

PopRock

Welcome to the sweet-but-savory, suspiciously sticky, and slightly sinful world of old-school movie theater intermission messages

It's where big- band jazz, psychedelic rock, sequin- bedecked disco, virgin vanilla orchestrated pop, and more are pressed into service, with your satisfaction as the solitary goal! Features CD only bonus tracks!

pre-order now22 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 22 Sep 2023

32,56 €
Sarah Vaughan - Great Women of Song: Sarah Vaughan LP
 
6
5588538
Verve By Request
12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

Hip-HopSoulPopWorld Music

The unforgettable sound of Sarah Vaughan is captured in this collection of essential recordings. From the swinging hits, "Lullaby Of Birdland" and "It’s Crazy", to her best-loved recordings, including “Misty" and “Broken-Hearted Melody”, this album highlights Vaughan's impeccable phrasing, emotional depth and remarkable range. Whether backed by a trio or a full orchestra, singing hits of the day or jazz standards, every track serves to remind us why Sarah Vaughan is still known as ‘The Divine One’.

pre-order now22 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 22 Sep 2023

28,19 €
Vumbi Dekula - Congo Guitar LP
HMRLP025
Hive Mind Records
12inch22.09.202322.SEP.23

PopWorld Music

Hive Mind and Sing A Song Fighter are delighted to present to you their first collaborative release, the amazing solo guitar album from legendary Congolese guitarist Kahanga Dekula aka ”Vumbi”.

Swedish producer Karl-Jonas Winqvist (founder of Sing-A-Song Fighter and member of Senegalese/Swedish act Wau Wau Collectif) has been a longtime fan of Vumbi Dekula’s artistry which led to him releasing The Dekula Band's debut album ”Opika” in 2019 with the Dekula Band.

While watching the band perform was always a blast, says Karl Jonas, his desire to hear Vumbi play on his own, without the thunderous drums, wailing saxophones and chanting vocals grew in his mind, “Because, in a way, Vumbi’s guitar playing is like an orchestra on its own. And the idea of just concentrating on all the amazing riffs and beautiful, uplifting melodies was just so appealing”. Karl-Jonas proposed the idea of producing a solo album to Vumbi, and within a week the production process began

Recorded in two days during lockdown at the Helter Skelter Studios in Stockholm, Karl and Vumbi allowed the music to guide them. Vumbi was inspired to play 2nd guitar adding some harmonies and melodies here and there, and on the final track (”UN Forces Get Out of the DR of Congo”) he introduced a banjo into the world of ”Congo guitar”. Karl Jonas started up his old rhythm box machine to some of the songs to see how Vumbi and his playing would react to it. Elsewhere, wordless backing vocals from Karl-Jonas and Emma Nordenstam were added to Maamajacy, bass melodica by Karl-Jonas appears on Weekend, and a little piano tinkering from Emma adds some sparkle to Zuku. But clearly, Vumbi's virtuoso playing remains the star of Congo Guitar.'

pre-order now22 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 22 Sep 2023

21,64 €
Urban Art Orchestra - Live in Detroit Vol. 1
KNMDK002
KNMDK Records
12inch21.09.202321.SEP.23

PopJazz

KNMDK records proudly presents Urban Art Orchestra, a powerful and lush sonic experience that celebrates the music and culture of Detroit the Renaissance City. This project represents the legacy of Detroit while pointing towards the future of what is to come. This project was composed arranged and conducted by 2x Grammy nominated composer De’Sean Jones.

out of Stock

Last delivered 3 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

19,29 €
Various - Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku - The Aesthetics of Japanese Electronic Music Vol 1 LP 2x12"
CMSR010
Cosmocities Records
2x12inch18.09.202318.SEP.23

HouseDeepSlowBeatsAmbientSynth

Still on and about after years of the most intense crate digging, gem mining, desperate head-scratching and avid schooling, thirsty as ever for the next musical thrill to wrap our ears and brains around, here comes the fruit of our life-long love story with Japanese electronics, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 1 and Vol.2. From the soul-fulfilling first crush felt upon hearing the iconic soundtrack of ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto onto our release of Inner Science ‘Cosmo Tracks’, through the life-affirming sets of Laurent Garnier at Dijon’s seminal club, l’An-fer, which have at all times nurtured and expanded our taste for Easternmost delicacies, the influence of Japanese music on our vision and endeavours was paramount to the development of our catalogue, whether directly or indirectly.

This first volume gets the ball rolling with a fine assortment of mostly ambient, electronica and deep house-focussed joints. Draped in organic membranes and ASMR-like synth tapestries, K. Inoue’s nu-agey opener ‘Em Paz’ takes us on a ride across the most serene dreamscapes. Jazzing up these lush and oneiric coastal vibes, Gabby & Lopez ‘Drive form the Miracle’ merges a sense of Californian psychedelia with a straight out hard-bop swing. No stranger to our catalogue, Inner Science returns to serve up a crystalline slice of laid-back house on a mystique-imbued tip he holds the secret to. Flip it over and here comes Aquarium with the splendidly immersive ‘Rainy Night in Shibuya’, which very much feels like wandering amidst its neon-upholstered streets and swarming hallways in a bubble of your own.

Naohito Uchiyama treats us to a synth-drenched nocturnal ballad with the ‘80s-inflected vibes of ’Shugetsu’, whereas Keta Ra cuts a path of ethereal sublimation via the mischievously fun and bouncy balearic lounge of ‘equals’. Masterly crafted by Yuu Udagawa, ‘Infinite Possibility’ eases us in a realm where weightless pop and low-slung abstract hip-hop combine to further exhilarating effect. All in harp-driven brittleness and velveteen sub-bass stealth, Noah ‘Gemini - Mysterious Lot’ has us drifting to a lavishly orchestrated headspace, laying down an impressive work on textures and arrangements. All in on the sedated drip-tease flex, Sauce81 ’Sign of Secret Love’ is a blast of freaky hedonism, just as ready to cast its hypnotic spell down the sweatbox as it was upon its original release ten years ago.

Languid jacking house tune ’Tai+Dai’ from Keita Sano blows the winds of discoid luvin’ across the room with its impeccable balance of sharp, glimmering synthwork and driving bass onslaughts from the depths. An odd slice of reshuffled folk music, Waltz ‘Folkesta’ makes for some eerie invitation of sorts, enchanting and spookily haunting in equal measure. Back to a fevered, hip-swaying mindset, Kuniyuki hi-NRG jazz number ‘Free’ is an absolute wonder of piano and drums-driven boogie, cut from the same cloth as some of Blue Note’s finest Cuban jazz classics. Rounding off the package, Japanese legend Ken Ishii’s version of Larry Heard’s house Hall-of-Famer ‘Can You Feel It’ is pure bliss in a can, tailored to turn any crowd into a shapeless cloud of balmy euphoria and universal love, whatever the place or time.

out of Stock

Last delivered 2 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

28,53 €
Various - Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku - The Aesthetics of Japanese Electronic Music Vol 2 LP 2x12"
CMSR011
Cosmocities Records
2x12inch18.09.202318.SEP.23

HouseDeepElectronicaTechHip-HopFunk

Still on and about after years of the most intense crate digging, gem mining, desperate head-scratching and avid schooling, thirsty as ever for the next musical thrill to wrap our ears and brains around, here comes the fruit of our life-long love story with Japanese electronics, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 1 and Vol.2. From the soul-fulfilling first crush felt upon hearing the iconic soundtrack of ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto onto our release of Inner Science ‘Cosmo Tracks’, through the life-affirming sets of Laurent Garnier at Dijon’s seminal club, l’An-fer, which have at all times nurtured and expanded our taste for Easternmost delicacies, the influence of Japanese music on our vision and endeavours was paramount to the development of our catalogue, whether directly or indirectly.

This first volume gets the ball rolling with a fine assortment of mostly ambient, electronica and deep house-focussed joints. Draped in organic membranes and ASMR-like synth tapestries, K. Inoue’s nu-agey opener ‘Em Paz’ takes us on a ride across the most serene dreamscapes. Jazzing up these lush and oneiric coastal vibes, Gabby & Lopez ‘Drive form the Miracle’ merges a sense of Californian psychedelia with a straight out hard-bop swing. No stranger to our catalogue, Inner Science returns to serve up a crystalline slice of laid-back house on a mystique-imbued tip he holds the secret to. Flip it over and here comes Aquarium with the splendidly immersive ‘Rainy Night in Shibuya’, which very much feels like wandering amidst its neon-upholstered streets and swarming hallways in a bubble of your own.

Naohito Uchiyama treats us to a synth-drenched nocturnal ballad with the ‘80s-inflected vibes of ’Shugetsu’, whereas Keta Ra cuts a path of ethereal sublimation via the mischievously fun and bouncy balearic lounge of ‘equals’. Masterly crafted by Yuu Udagawa, ‘Infinite Possibility’ eases us in a realm where weightless pop and low-slung abstract hip-hop combine to further exhilarating effect. All in harp-driven brittleness and velveteen sub-bass stealth, Noah ‘Gemini - Mysterious Lot’ has us drifting to a lavishly orchestrated headspace, laying down an impressive work on textures and arrangements. All in on the sedated drip-tease flex, Sauce81 ’Sign of Secret Love’ is a blast of freaky hedonism, just as ready to cast its hypnotic spell down the sweatbox as it was upon its original release ten years ago.

Languid jacking house tune ’Tai+Dai’ from Keita Sano blows the winds of discoid luvin’ across the room with its impeccable balance of sharp, glimmering synthwork and driving bass onslaughts from the depths. An odd slice of reshuffled folk music, Waltz ‘Folkesta’ makes for some eerie invitation of sorts, enchanting and spookily haunting in equal measure. Back to a fevered, hip-swaying mindset, Kuniyuki hi-NRG jazz number ‘Free’ is an absolute wonder of piano and drums-driven boogie, cut from the same cloth as some of Blue Note’s finest Cuban jazz classics. Rounding off the package, Japanese legend Ken Ishii’s version of Larry Heard’s house Hall-of-Famer ‘Can You Feel It’ is pure bliss in a can, tailored to turn any crowd into a shapeless cloud of balmy euphoria and universal love, whatever the place or time.

out of Stock

Last delivered 19 months ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

29,20 €
Speaker Music - Techxodus LP 2x12"
ZIQ457
Planet Mu Records
2x12inch18.09.202318.SEP.23

TechnoElectroDrone

DeForrest Brown Jr., the writer and producer behind Speaker Music, describes Techxodus as "abstracting Blackness through information overload". On the album he explores the intersection of tech, Blackness and resistance via music taken from his archived live shows, which are then edited, ordered and reassembled in the studio. The main line of inquiry that feeds into Techxodus is Drexciya, whose myths have informed much recent afrofuturist creativity. DeForrest researches and reimagines the artifacts and stories of Drexciya with new maps, ideas and music, particularly reflecting on the 'Seven Storms', seven albums that came out in quick succession around the death of Drexciya member James Stinson, which seemed to herald Drexciyans in the attack mode. The artwork by Abu Qadim Haqq, who also created artwork for Drexciya, links the work too, with Deforrest re-orienting charts and timelines familiar from Drexciyan mythology, working up clues to all possible environments where Drexciyans could survive, from the depths of the Atlantic, to oceanic islands or even outer space. Like Sun-Ra, another touchstone of Afrofuturist music, it might be that the Drexciyans wanted to leave the planet they hated. With these elements, DeForrest creates a soundtrack for an alternate history, a sort of sci-fi sonic fiction which threads together the sonic warfare and mythos of the Drexciyan records with ideas and references to Ishmael Reed's 'Mumbo Jumbo', which tracks the story of 'Jes Grew', an audio virus, back to the coastal black cities of Alabama and the American South. Musically the album is as intense as its inspirations. DeForrest skilfully hand-plays rhythms which amalgamate trap and jazz drumming, but feel at times like orca-song as they pulse through the thick waves of digital sound. Equally the music evokes the ocean, with deep cold drones, or as if it's floating through time like in 'Holosonic Rebellion' which mixes in recordings of African Warriors. Sometimes there is an energetic turbulence as on 'Jes Grew', where punched-in passages of jazz brass bounce against DeForrest's drums to create a weird disassembled jazz. Towards the end the album begins to feel like a spaceship taking off, the rushes of ascending noise and distortion, distant Southern Gospel Vocals feel like music that's leaving earth. Listen to it without the references or feed your imagination; this is a powerful and immersive original work from one of electronic music's most unique creators.

out of Stock

Last delivered 3 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

28,36 €
GARD NILSSEN'S SUPERSONIC ORCHESTRA - FAMILY 2x12"
WJLP55
WE JAZZ
2x12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopJazz

Norwegian drummer/composer Gard Nilssen debuts on We Jazz Records with his major new album "Family" with the 17-piece Supersonic Orchestra. A veritable who"s who of Scandinavian jazz (and beyond), the Supersonic Orchestra is one of the most exciting large groups in the current international jazz circuit. Captured at Mondriaan Jazz Festival in Den Haag, Netherlands, "Family" presents the ensemble in top form across the 8 tracks, all of which are original compositions by Gard Nilssen and André Roligheten.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

35,25 €
Adolf Stern - More... I Like It
BST-X017
Best Record Italy
12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

HouseDiscoNu Disco

2023 Repress
The most obscure and sought after italian electronic release, but also another extraordinary 70s output from the legendary Regson Studio of Milan (remembering in 1976 "Funky Bump" and a year later "Disco Shitan", both produced by Pino Presti). The eclectic brother of Vangelis (chit> he was playing keyboards like him), helped by Yorgos Pentzikis for the "vocoder" vocals, reached the right sound for one of the craziest electronic disco song now available for for the first time on 12, containing also the unreleased instrumental version. Nikos Papathanassiou in 1976 achieving success with the disco-hit "U" by Chrisma, but Maurizio Arcieri (cousin of Pino Presti and Chrisma's leader), moved towards new-wave and punk. So for the orchestral conducting of a new cosmic-disco project titled MoreI Like It he involved Rodolfo Grieco who later produced in the emerging genre of Italo-Disco great classics like "Going Crazy" by Lily Ann."

out of Stock

Last delivered 13 months ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

15,34 €
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Hidari Ude No Yume LP 2x12"
WWSLP33
WeWantSounds
2x12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

HouseElectroTechno

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO'S LANDMARK 1981 ALBUM REISSUED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES OUTSIDE OF JAPAN. THE ALBUM WILL BE REISSUED IN ITS RARE JAPANESE EDITION TOGETHER WITH A 2-LP LIMITED EDITION FEATURING THE ALBUM PLUS A 2ND LP FEATURING ITS NEVER-RELEASED FULL INSTRUMENTAL MIX, ALL REMASTERED BY BERNIE GRUNDMAN.

Wewantsounds is proud to announce the reissue of Ryuichi Sakamoto's third solo album "Hidari Ude No Yume" (Left Handed Dream), originally released in 1981 on the Alfa label. Save for a small-scale Dutch vinyl release in 1981, it is the first time the album's original Japanese edition is released outside of Japan (the European release on Epic Records included significantly different tracks and mixes). Newly remastered from the original tapes by renowned engineer Bernie Grundman, this LP edition comes with original artwork featuring a striking cover shot by famous photographer Masayoshi Sukita (sourced from the original negative), OBI strip and 4-page insert with new introduction by journalist Anton Spice. The album will also be released as a 2-LP limited edition gatefold including the album's full instrumental mix.
Ryuichi Sakamoto's third album, "Hidari Ude No Yume" was recorded at the legendary Alfa Studio 'A' in Tokyo during the Summer of 1981. it came after "B-2 Unit" in 1980 and his debut album "Thousand Knives Of" in 1978, the very year Sakamoto was invited by Haruomi Hosono to join Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside Yukihiro Takahashi. In the process, they became global stars as the group rewrote the rules of electronic pop and toured around the world, yet Sakamoto was keen to remain active as a solo artist.
?In 1981, the musician decided to record an album rooted in Pop, following "B-2 Unit" which had a more of an experimental edge and his landmark electro debut from 1978. For this new album entitled "Hidari Ude No Yume," Sakamoto invited British producer Robin Scott, who had had huge hit with 'Pop Muzik,' to co-produce. They entered the Alfa studio in July 1981, accompanied by a handful of musicians. These included his fellow YMO musicians Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, keyboard programmer extraordinaire Hideki Matsutake who'd been on Sakamoto's first two albums and became YMO's unofficial fourth member, violinist Kaoru Sato, saxophonist Satoshi Nakamura and American guitarist Adrian Belew who'd played with David Bowie, The Talking Heads' "Remain In Light" and more recently, Tom Tom Club’s debut (co-writing 'Genius Of Love').
?Together, they created a fascinating mix of pop, ambient and electronic music with elements of avant garde and traditional Japanese music, the whole firmly rooted in a solid groove. Sakamoto wanted to give the album a spontaneous feel and decided to let ideas flow and evolve organically during the sessions as musicians would develop them together. From the funk of 'Relâché' to the new wave feel of 'Venezia' and the ambient minimalism of 'Slat Dance,' the album is remarkably consistent while displaying a wealth of global influences as shown by the diversity of instruments featured on the credits: Marimba, didgeridu, traditional Japanese instruments such as the Sho and Hichiriki flutes.
?The album was released in Japan in 1981 and Epic Records picked it up for Europe a year later but decided to release it in a significantly altered version. The sequencing was completely reshuffled and two tracks, 'Saru No Ie' and 'Living In The Dark' were completely dropped while three others, ‘Relâché’, ‘Tell 'em To Me’, ‘Venezia’ were heavily remodelled with english lyrics and became 'Just About Enough', 'Once In A Lifetime' and 'The Left Bank'. Last but not least, a new English-sung track, 'The Arrangement,' was added, making the album nine tracks instead of ten for the Japanese edition.
Altogether this International version called "Left-Handed Dream" was a very different album from the Japanese one and although both were successful at the time and further established Ryuichi Sakamoto as a global solo artist, the Japanese edition of "Hidari Ude No Yume" remains largely unknown to international ears.
Wewantsounds is now delighted to release this original Japanese edition for the first time in decades as a single LP together with a 2-LP limited-edition set adding, as a bonus, its fascinating instrumental mix, discovered in the label's vaults a few years ago (Note that 'The Garden Of Poppies', 'Slat Dance' and 'Saru No Ie' are instrumentals but for the consistency of the album we kept them on the Instrumental Mix). "Hidari Ude No Yume" is an essential album in Ryuichi Sakamoto's rich discography. It is now available in its purest original Japanese form.

out of Stock

Last delivered 4 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

36,09 €
Margo Cilker - Valley Of Heart's Delight LP
VJLP278
LOOSE MUSIC
12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopWorld Music

Margo Cilker's sophomore album, Valley of Heart’s Delight, refers to a place she can't return: California’s Santa Clara Valley, as it was known before the orchards were paved over and became more famous for Silicon than apricots. In this 11-song follow-up to 2021's critically acclaimed Pohorylle, family and nature intertwine as guiding motifs, at once precious and endangered, beautiful and exhausting. Cilker and Pohorylle producer Sera Cahoone brought most of that record's highly-acclaimed crew (studio players for The Decemberists, Band Of Horses, and Beirut) back to the studio with additional contributions from acclaimed Northwest traditionalist Caleb Klauder. Valley of Heart's Delight, Cilker's second record on Portland, Oregon label Fluff & Gravy Records, follows a year busily reaping the fruits of Pohorylle's success, with festival appearances at Pickathon, Treefort, and End Of The Road, and tours supporting American Aquarium, Hayes Carll, Drive-By Truckers, and Joshua Ray Walker. Margo Cilker lives near the Columbia River in Goldendale, Washington with her husband, songwriter and working cowboy Forrest VanTuyl, as well as their dog and some horses.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

22,48 €
Cassandra Miller - Traveller Song / Thanksong
BT107
Black Truffle
12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

BeatsAmbient

Black Truffle is pleased to announce its first release from celebrated London-based Canadian composer Cassandra Miller. Though her body of mature work stretches back almost twenty years, many listeners were introduced to Miller through the success of her astonishing 2015 Duet for Cello and Orchestra, which sets an imperturbable two-note cello part against a series of increasingly dense orchestrations of an Italian folk melody; in 2019, it was selected by The Guardian as one of the ‘best classical music works of the 21st century’. Traveller Song / Thanksong, the first release of her music on vinyl, presents a pair of compositions for voice and ensemble that exemplify Miller’s gently absurd, strikingly beautiful, and utterly unique work.

Like many of Miller’s compositions, these pieces originate in existing music. Traveller Song (2016/2018) begins from a 1950s song of an anonymous Sicilian cart driver recorded by Alan Lomax and Diego Carpitella, which Miller recorded herself singing along to, going on to then record herself singing to her own layered voices. Miller’s untutored voice is an unsteady, wavering wail that has, in her words, ‘more in common with a quasi-shamanistic keening than anything Sicilian’. Heard sometimes alone, sometimes layered, her pre-recorded voice is accompanied by a chamber sextet drawn from London’s Plus-Minus Ensemble. In the first section, Miller’s exposed warble is set to a spare piano accompaniment, somehow both faintly preposterous and magisterial. Following the voice note for note, the piano part often makes use of almost mechanical sequences of parallel chords, reminiscent both of Satie’s Rosicrucian period and the abrupt harmonic movements of a chord organ. The orchestration then opens up to guitar, clarinet, and sliding strings, a delicate environment for Miller’s voice, which, especially when it begins to be layered, generates a powerful sense of intimacy. In its concluding minutes, the folk roots of the original melody return in the form of a glorious full ensemble setting dominated by accordion, clarinet, and strummed guitar. Thanksong begins from recordings of Miller singing along to the third movement of Beethoven’s late quartet in A minor (Op. 132), the ‘holy song of thanks’ the composer wrote to express his gratitude for (temporarily) recovering from illness. Recording herself singing along repeatedly to each of the individual parts of the quartet, Miller created an aural score where each member of the string quartet listens to their own part on headphones, playing by ear. Performed on this recording by Montreal's Quatuor Bozzini, with whom Miller has a decades-long relationship, they are joined by the British soprano Juliet Fraser, who sings material from the Beethoven quartet ‘as slowly and quietly as possible’. The atmosphere of the opening of Beethoven’s Dankgesang, of hushed reawakening and thoughtful reflection, is sustained throughout the fourteen minutes of Miller’s piece, building at points almost to sentimentality before the five individual parts again fall back into a gentle burble of unsynchronised melodic gestures. Like Traveller Song, here the use of the voice is a long way from the mannered performance of much contemporary music, reaching for a human and bodily presence more connected to the reality of the everyday, albeit suffused with wonder. Presented in a stylish sleeve adorned with photography by Lasse Marhaug and liner notes by Cassandra Miller, this is a key release from a major contemporary composer whose work challenges and dazzles in equal measure. .

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Last delivered 3 years ago
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20,97 €
Jonas Kaufmann - The Sound of Movies 2x12"
19658787781
SONY CLASSICAL
2x12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopKlassic

Das neue Album "The Sound of Movies" von Klassik-Superstar Jonas Kaufmann erscheint am 15. September 2023 bei Sony Classical. Großartige Songs aus klassischen Filmen waren schon immer eine Leidenschaft von Jonas Kaufmann, und sein neues Album feiert dies mit unvergesslichen Filmsongs aus fast einem Jahrhundert - Musik, die weltweit das Publikum begeistert hat."The Sound of Movies" enthält Hits aus großen Filmklassikern wie West Side Story, Gladiator, Cinema Paradiso, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables, The Mission, The Great Caruso, Singin' in the Rain, Once upon a Time in America, Breakfast at Tiffany's und vielen mehr! Das Album wurde mit dem auf Filmmusik spezialisierten Czech National Symphony Orchester und Chor unter der Leitung von Jochen Rieder aufgenommen, ein spekatuläres Sounderlebnis ist garantiert. Bei drei Titeln wird Jonas Kaufmann vom bekannten Gitarristen Miloš Karadaglić begleitet. Auch eine Weltpremiere ist auf dem Album zu hören, das Thema aus dem Film "The Cider House Rules" der Oscar®-gekrönten Komponistin Rachel Portman. "Für ein paar Stunden in diese Welt einzutauchen und alles um sich herum zu vergessen, ist unglaublich faszinierend - ähnlich wie im Theater oder in der Oper", sagt Kaufmann über klassische Filmmusik. "Ich bin über viele Jahre viel gereist, oft allein für Wochen und Monate in fremden Städten am anderen Ende der Welt. Neben den Museen war es das Kino - diese großartige Möglichkeit, sich zu unterhalten, wenn man allein ist - das meine Fantasie beflügelte.""The Sound of Movies" erscheint als CD, Vinyl und digital.Die limitierte 2-LP-Gatefold-Edition auf 180 Gramm Vinyl enthält eine persönliche Einführung von Jonas Kaufmann und ein ausführliches Booklet.Das Standard-Jewelcase enthält eine persönliche Einführung von Jonas Kaufmann und ein ausführliches Booklet in Englisch, Deutsch und Französisch.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

33,40 €
Michel Gonet - Phasing News Volume 1 LP
BEWITH148LP
Be With Records
12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

Hip-HopFunkBeatsAmbient

European funk fusion of the highest order, Michel Gonet's Phasing News Volume 1 is the essential companion piece to the venerated Volume 2. It's truly a library treasure that every home must own. As Tele Music themselves said, it contains "tense and mysterious underscores in a range of styles"; whilst we don't disagree, we'd add swaggering, orchestral drama-funk-jazz-breaks. Vital.

Opener "Moon To Light (Number II) - A" is a total wonder. It's incredible, and what a way to begin a record. The percussion is electrifying, complimenting the dark, heavy piano, eerie organ work, electric guitar soling and rhythm section brilliance. Part B is virtually identical but without the electric guitar. The slow "Soul Cathedral (Number II) - A" is an ambient spacey synth gem which is both beatless and drenched in phased organ. Pretty captivating. Part B plays it rather straighter, a church organ continuing the same melody and tempo but with less of the swirling synthy effects.

"Light In The Rains (Number II) - A" sounds like something Diamond D would've sampled in the mid-to-late 90s, conjuring as it does that peculiar, creeping Axelrod-funk, all eerie electric guitar and organ, bass and spacey effects. Part B loses the electric guitar and adds brass.

The swirling, dramatic "Mondial Scoop (Number II)" has that urgent News At Ten feel with its prominent timpani drums whilst "Mecanic Bird Song" is a frenetic, abstract track with disorientating keyboard interplay.

*Total highlight* "Mephisto Jet (Number II) - A" rides a slick, proto-hip-hop beat with melodic, warm Rhodes yet, thrillingly, casually ups the drama with strings and timpanis. It then returns to its more mellow state. Ace. Part B adds acidy, phased percussion to create a more hypnotic, tripped out feel to proceedings. Part C is half as long but, pared back to just drums and Rhodes, it's arguably twice-as-nice.

To close, the shuffling, bell-laced urgent jazz of "Phasing News - A" is another highlight, riding a great bassline and augmented by ace drums, organ and electric guitar. Part B is also great, removing the guitar and doubling down on the head-nod funk.

The audio for Phasing News Volume 1 has been remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the original, iconic Tele Music house sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

out of Stock

Last delivered 3 years ago
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23,49 €
Claude Bolling - Le Magnifique
PCR060
LE POP CLUB RECORDS
12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopSoundtrack

Le Magnifique is a cult film. Many a viewer has memorized the lines of this character, whose role was tailor-made for Jean-Paul Belmondo. In the year of our Lord 1973, Belmondo reunited with director Philippe de Broca, a pair who, decades before the Jean Dujardin version of OSS 117, were unknowingly making meta cinema. The film's soundtrack, by Claude Bolling, successfully navigates between the first and second degree, without ever sinking into the clumsiness of "fantasy music". For the record, Claude Bolling is none other than the chief composer of the all-female group Les Parisiennes and of some 100 film scores, including Borsalino, which is certainly the best-known. Above all, he is a genius of French jazz, whose talent makes his music sound relaxed and familiar, even when you're listening to it for the first Tme. From the very first track on the album, "TaQana", postcard images of Mexico spring to mind. Claude Bolling plays with the codes of film music without ever losing a certain communicaTve jubilaTon. With the soundtrack to Le Magnifique, Claude Bolling equals the Anglo-Saxon masters of the easy-jazz pop genre, such as Henri Mancini. Fans of jerks to dance to at the ambassador's parTes will be delighted by the composiTon "Pop Mod". Even today, those who invented the term "lounge core" would go out of their way to own an original Claude Bolling vinyl. Thanks to Claude Bolling and his original French Touch, before thedays of Dimitri From Paris and Bob Sinclar who, if they hadn't been able to take advantage of this musical and cinema to graphic heritage, wouldn't have had anything to sample.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

33,57 €
New Model Army - Sinfonia LP 3x12" + DVD
0218388EMU
Edel Records
3x12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopRock

New Model Army, wie du sie noch nie gehört hast: 21-Songstarke Live Performance erstmals mit großem Orchester!

Ihre Musik eignet sich perfekt für diese neue, frische Interpretation, ohne ihre Identität zu verlieren. Experimentieren ohne Kompromisse ist das Markenzeichen von New Model Army und einer der Hauptgründe, warum sie auch nach über 40 Jahren von Fans und Kritikern gleichermaßen gefeiert werden.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

43,49 €
J Mahon - Everything Has A Life
TGR039
Taxi Gauche
12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopIndie

"If you can imagine a love child between MAC DEMARCO and SPAR-KLEHORSE, then this would be what you're left with." - SO YOUNG MAGA-ZINE
Raised in North Queensland, Australia, Jarrod Mahon is not one to shy away from bold new endeavors. Once parting ways with his previous record label in 2019, Mahon chose to go fully independent, relocating to Berlin in 2019 (where he still resides), despite having no contacts at all in the country. What’s more, having recorded/performed under the pseudonym Emerson Snowe for over a decade - during which time he home-recorded five albums and 13 EP’s, toured with the likes of King Krule or Ariel Pink, played showcases SXSW and the Great Escape, the works - Mahon took that brave, most uncommercial decision to release under his own name and start almost totally anew.
“There was never really a concept to that name Emerson Snowe other than having some kind of separation from who I was as a person,” Mahon explains, “using a moniker gave me that confidence to push myself further mentally and to give myself some kind of a freedom”. And through the process of creating what would become his debut album, Mahon saw that he had outgrown the need for this protective persona. ‘Everything Has A Life’ was meant to be the debut Snowe album”, he admits, “but after I finished mixing it with Syd Kemp, co-producer I realized that I had actually grown a lot and was much more comfort-able with who I am and what my personal beliefs are.”
The choice of ‘Everything Has A Life’ as the album title, pulled from beauteous opening track ‘All I Know’, neatly summarizes this new outlook: moving on from ‘self-pity’ of the past-self by becoming present for the loved ones around you, improving understanding of one’s own self, via the wider world at large.
That track marks the first written during a lockdown stint in LA where Mahon wrote and recorded every day for 2 months, produced nigh on 250 demos and birthed the bulk of the record. It also brought Mahon back to his all-time favorite, Sufjan Stevens’ Ilinois and its blend of widescreen orchestral landscapes and more candid, naked acoustic-leaning variations - an important influence for the album's stylistic contrasts. Another key inspiration for the record too brought Mahon back to his roots - those full-bloom strains of his Mum’s Beloved Neil Diamond, an annual Christmas irritant to Mahon as a child, yet an artist he’s come to respect in adulthood. “Whatever the reason, with age I came to love the big show band sounds,” he says, “the idea of a performer on stage with a mas-sive orchestra with strings was amazing to me.”
With the help of producer Syd Kemp (Ulrika Spacek, Vanishing Twin), such grand designs could be met. - “When we first met, he asked me if I would like real strings on it. I said of course.” Enter Magda Mclean on violin (Caroline/the Umlauts), and Gamaliel Rendle Traynor on Cello (Sweat, Fat White Family), whose strings helped lift the record to romantic new heights.
He continues: “I said to Syd that the only thing I wanted to achieve with this rec-ord was that I wanted it to make me cry at one point. And we got there eventual-ly.” The final culmination of all these strands, ’Everything Has A Life’ is indeed a treasure trove of emotive riches. Locking into that bittersweet, quintessentially ‘pop’ combination of triumphant rhythms and confessional, stream-of-consciousness lyrics plucked straight from the heart, Mahon faces up to years of substance abuse with a series of gorgeous, blushing melodies: “I was using, I was drinking, I was lying to my friends, I was messing up again, I was hiding from myself”, he joyously chants on ‘The Growing’.
A banquet fit for an indie king, Everything Has A Life is loaded with psych-pop lusciousness (‘All I Know’) and anthemic glam fuzz (‘Death Of The Ladies Man’, ‘Deadstar’, or ‘Sonny is my Best Friend’); recalling that foundational Sufjan Ste-vens influence too with shambling flecks of country (‘Charly (Romantic Heart)’). There’s also those lo-fi crepitations of ‘My Man’ and ‘I can’t’ harking back home-recorded demos that lie at the core of Mahon’s creative process.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

17,23 €
Luigi Attademo - J.S. Bach: Guitar Music LP 2x12"
1090013BRC
Edel Records
2x12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopKlassic

Bachs Musik wird oft als unzerstörbar beschrieben, in dem Sinne, dass ihr essentieller Geist immer erhalten bleibt, ganz gleich, wie oder in welchem Arrangement sie aufgeführt wird. Daher sind Transkriptionen der Werke des Meisters heute ebenso üblich wie zu Bachs Zeiten – und auch Bach (1685-1750) selbst war ein leidenschaftlicher Transkribent seiner eigenen Musik und der anderer Komponisten. Diese neue Aufnahme präsentiert Instrumentalwerke von Bach, die für die moderne Gitarre transkribiert und auf ihr gespielt werden, darunter viele berühmte und beliebte Kompositionen: „Air" (aus der Orchestersuite Nr. 3), „Chaconne" (für Violine solo), „Jesu", „Meine Freude", „Sicilienne" (Original für Flöte und Cembalo), „Aria" (aus den GoldbergVariationen) und viele weitere.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

33,57 €
JÓHAN JÓHANNSSON - A PRAYER TO THE DYNAMO: SUITES FROM SICARIO AND THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING LP 2x12"
4861571
Deutsche Grammophon
2x12inch15.09.202315.SEP.23

PopSoundtrack

'The double Oscar-nominated and multi-award-winning Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (1969-2018), known for his film scores for "Arrival", "Sicario", or "The Theory of Everything", was renowned for his innovative and unique blend of classical and electronic elements. With his original, profound, and moving works for film and stage, he achieved worldwide fame and is considered one of the most celebrated film composers of the last decade.“Jóhannsson’s music gives the impression of having arrived in a time capsule from a distant planet that is a mirror image of our own. His own absence now adds further mystery and magic to his music’s unique sound world.” - Gramophone.The monumental orchestral work "A Prayer to the Dynamo," reminiscent of a lost symphony, was inspired by Jóhannsson's great fascination with technology. In particular, he drew inspiration from recordings of electrical installations and generators that he had made at the Elliðaár Power Station in Iceland, which are deeply intertwined with the orchestral sound. Furthermore, he was also captivated by the works of Edison, Tesla, and especially a chapter in the memoirs of American historian Henry Adams (1838-1918). In that chapter, Adams described his impressions of the 1900 Paris World Exhibition and the hidden power of the enormous machines he had seen there. Deutsche Grammophon now releases the world premiere recording of this outstanding orchestral work performed by the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daníel Bjarnason. The album also includes two suites from Jóhannsson's soundtracks for "The Theory of Everything" and "Sicario", both of which were nominated for Oscars and various other awards, with the former winning the Golden Globe for Best Original Score.

pre-order now15 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 15 Sep 2023

42,82 €
Pharoah Sanders - PHAROAH LP 2x12"
LPLBOP8008
LUAKA BOP
2x12inch14.09.202314.SEP.23

PopJazzClassics

This record"s origin story is as elusive as Pharoah was about everything Pharoah. It was born out of a misunderstanding between him and the India Navigation producer Bob Cummins, and was recorded at a crossroads in his career with a group of musicians so unlikely that they were never all in the same room again. There was a guitarist who was also a spiritual guru, an organist who would go on to co-write and produce "The Message", and a classically trained pianist - his wife at the time, Bedria Sanders - who played the harmonium despite never having seen one. At times ambient and serene, at others funky and modal, PHAROAH radically departed from his earlier work. It would become one of the artist"s most beloved records and one of the great works of the 20th century. With Pharoah Sanders" blessing, the limited edition embossed version of this 2 LP box set presents the definitive, remastered version of PHAROAH, his seminal record from 1977, along with two previously unreleased live performances of his masterpiece "Harvest Time". This is the first official rerelease of PHAROAH, which has been bootlegged often since its original release in 1977. These exceptional live versions of "Harvest Time" - which Pharoah performed during an intense European tour in the summer of "77 and which are included here for the first time - turn the original, beloved composition on its head. PHAROAH will be released a year after the legendary tenor saxophonists" untimely passing, and two years after the release of what was to become his final album, the widely acclaimed PROMISES, a collaboration between the composer Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra. The first pressing of this limited edition box set comes with an embossed cover and is accompanied by never-before-shared photographs and ephemera, as well as a 24-page booklet featuring rarely seen photographs, interviews with many of the participants, and a conversation with Pharoah himself.

out of Stock

Last delivered 2 years ago
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47,27 €
DON KAPOT - I LOVE TEMPO LP
WERF213LP
DE W.E.R.F.
12inch14.09.202314.SEP.23

PopJazz

Brussels-based power trio Don Kapot are set to release their rousing new album 'I Love Tempo' on the 15th of September via W.E.R.F. Records - NEWS distribution.

A lifeboat of free jazz, afrobeat and krautpunk sailed by Giotis Damianidis (bass), Viktor Perdieus (baritone saxophone) and Jakob Warmenbol (drums), the album follows the release of their critically acclaimed 2022 album 'Un Peu Live' recorded with Dutch multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Fulco Ottervanger, and described by Bandcamp Daily as a 'very fun mix of modern jazz and krautrock.'

Don Kapot strike hard with their fourth album, mixed and co-produced by Greg Saunier (Deerhoof). Using a wide range of instruments, they evolve their sound into a solid complex rhythmic wave, shaken by demented samples and punk attitude.

From the vibrant, pounding rhythms of opening track 'Me Pig' to the off-kilter, whimsical beats of 'Macarona' and 'Terryble,' Don Kapot integrate new instruments and sounds into their repertoire, including keyboards and sampling. The groove remains a central element to the sound as the trio deliver a palpable blend of high tension and joyous energy where genres are demolished.

Elsewhere, the funk-heavy 'Bernadette' allows the magical, freestyle sax work of Perdieus take centre stage while 'Don Be No' is an urgent, flippant blast of vigour and zest before the album title track 'I Love Tempo' is an exhilarating and hypnotic journey that combines the freedom and verve of free jazz with the trance-like zeal of artists such as Tony Allen, Fela Kuti and Kologbo

Releasing their self-titled debut album in 2018 via Mr. Nakayasi Records, in 2021 they signed to Flemish record label W.E.R.F. Records and have released three albums under the label and have performed sold-out shows across Belgium and the Netherlands.

The players in Don Kapot also extend their musical adventures to other projects. Damianidis leads Punk Kong and has performed with Akira Sakata, Sakis Papadimitriou, Oghene Kologbo, Tony Allen, Baba Ani, Balasz Pandi and Gonzalo Almeida among others. Warmenbol was a member of The Unrevealed Society, Robbing Millions and M(h)ysteria. He also performs with Ruth Tafebe & the Afrosoul Messengers (with Giotis), Under The Reefs Orchestra and Monolithe Noir. Perdieus performs in Punk Kong and with Pompelmoes and The Milk Factory and took part in Ifa y Xango, Laia Arkestra, Bolhaerd, Nest and VVolk. He has also recorded and played with Andrew Cyrille (Bambi Pang Pang).

out of Stock

Last delivered 3 years ago
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23,49 €
Various - Fortunea Cookies Vol. 4
FORTUNEA027
fortunea
12inch12.09.202312.SEP.23

HouseDeepDisco

Fortunea Records continues its release schedule of 2023 with the 4th edition of their VA-series ‚Fortunea Cookies‘ to highlight the status quo in Austrian house music.

A band that is generating buzz in this country right now is Spitting Ibex. Their music is a mixture of funk and heavy rock, in the style of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince and Rage Against The Machine. Currently they are touring with their brand-new album ‚E.G.O.‘ through Europe and Peletronic had the honor to remix the title-track of their
previous record ‚Love Hate Fear Fate‘. In this ‚Disko Miks’ he transforms the song into a driving house weapon.

In 2021 Nick Hanzo released his ‚Candy Places‘ EP. And on this record was a memorable abstract lo-fi house track called ‚Saturn Nate’ that gets on FC4 a treatment by Klaus Benedek. In this new version he accelerates the speed and focuses even more on the aspect of space travel with the addition of sound fx, pads, pianos and a Italo disco-inspired baseline.

Of course this release has not only remixes of previous tracks, but also 2 originals!

The B-side features Dzc. again with her ‚Expressions‘ of night culture. Caution! This will catapult the crowd up to new heights. An energetic peak-time tune that delves deep into 90s house and trance sonic images.

And finally Markus Quittner returns from Linz and brought his ‚Game‘ to the table. A board full of bouncing dices, strong drum patterns and funky orchestrations. A pleasure for the ears.
Fortunea Cookies Vol. 4 will come out this summer on white limited vinyl. Don’t sleep on this!

out of Stock

Last delivered 18 months ago
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9,20 €
HEART - LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL LP 2x12"
0214897EMX
Edel Records
2x12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopRock

This concert from 2016 marks the first time Heart played at London’s famous Royal Albert Hall.

To make the sold-out night even more special, the band was accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, who added further depth and an epic scale to Heart’s songs.

The set included hits, fan favourites and both new and reinterpreted tracks from their most recent album at that time: “Beautiful Broken”. The chemistry between the band and orchestra added a truly magical quality to a concert that will live long in the memory of those Heart fans lucky enough to have been present.

pre-order now08 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 08 Sep 2023

31,51 €
YES - MAGNIFICATION LP 2x12"
0214316EMX
Edel Records
2x12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopRock

Formed in 1968, British band Yes belongs to the giants of progressive
rock/artrock. “Magnification” is their 2nd album with a full symphony orchestra. Recorded without a keyboardist, the album features a 60-piece orchestra conducted by Larry Group . Furthermore, it is the only album in the band’s history involving only four members. Now available via earMUSIC as heavyweight double vinyl gatefold edition.

pre-order now08 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 08 Sep 2023

31,51 €
Pink Martini - Non Ouais! The French Songs Of Pink Martini LP
BLV8202LP
Naive
12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopAlternative

Zusammengebracht wurden die Musiker 1994 von Thomas M. Lauderdale. 1997 wurde ihr erstes Album auf ihrem eigenen Label Heinz Records veröffentlicht. Über 650.000 Einheiten wurden weltweit verkauft. Diverse Songs wurden ausgekoppelt und fanden ihren Platz auf verschiedenen Compilations wie zum Beispiel der legendären 'Buddha Bar'. Pink-Martini-Stücke sind auch in Filmen und Serien zu hören, darunter 'Die Sopranos' oder 'Sherlock'.
Alle französischen Songs von Pink Martini aus der gesamten Diskografie sind in dieser Compilation zusammengefasst, erhältlich auch als dreifarbiges Deluxe-Vinyl. Das perfekte Geschenk für alle frankophilen, Frankreich-Studierenden oder Paris-Reisende. 'Non Ouais' enthält einige der größten internationalen Hits dieses "kleinen Orchesters", darunter natürlich auch 'Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler)', welches in Frankreich für den 'Song des Jahres' nominiert wurde. Inkl. der französischen Stars Georges Moustaki und Philippe Katerine als musikalische Gäste!

pre-order now08 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 08 Sep 2023

22,90 €
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING - THIS NEW NOISE 2x12"
TCRVA05
Test Card Recordings
2x12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopIndie

Public Service Broadcasting kündigt This New Noise an, den neu abgemischten und neu gemasterten Live-Mitschnitt ihrer gefeierten BBC Proms-Show 2022 in der Londoner Royal Albert Hall, der am 8. September 2023 über Test Card Recordings veröffentlicht wird. Bei This New Noise, einer Feier der Macht des Radios, die anlässlich des hundertjährigen Bestehens der BBC geschrieben wurde, tat sich die Band mit dem 88-köpfigen BBC Symphony Orchestra unter der Leitung von Jules Buckley zusammen. Es war eine herausragende Aufführung bei den BBC Proms 2022 und wurde von The Telegraph mit 5* bewertet, der es als "eine klangvolle, zeitgemäße und letztlich berührende Show" bezeichnete. Gründungsmitglied J. Willgoose, Esq. hat das Konzert von Grund auf neu abgemischt, um der vielschichtigen Aufführung noch mehr Tiefe und Textur zu verleihen und sie in einem neuen Licht zu zeigen. This New Noise ist das zweite Mal, dass Public Service Broadcasting einen Auftrag für die BBC Proms erhalten hat. Im Jahr 2019 spielte die Band ein Orchesterarrangement ihres 2015er Studioalbums The Race for Space mit dem Multi-Story Orchestra anlässlich des 50. Jahrestages der ersten bemannten Mondmission. Public Service Broadcasting lehrt seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt "die Lektionen der Vergangenheit durch die Musik der Zukunft". Das Debütalbum Inform - Educate - Entertain aus dem Jahr 2013 nutzte Archivsamples des British Film Institute als Audioportale zur Battle Of Britain, dem Gipfel des Everest und darüber hinaus. Zwei Jahre später nutzte The Race For Space ähnliche Methoden, um die Rivalität und den Heroismus der Supermächte im Orbit und auf dem Mond zu loben. Als Indie-DIY-Phänomen hat das Album mit über 100.000 verkauften Exemplaren allein im Vereinigten Königreich inzwischen Goldstatus erreicht. Im Jahr 2017 erforschten sie gemeinsam mit Stimmen wie James Dean Bradfield von den Manic Street Preachers in Every Valley auf bewegende Weise die Gemeinschaft und die Erinnerung an den Aufstieg und Fall der britischen Kohleindustrie. Ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes Projekt, Bright Magic, bringt den Hörer in das Herz und die de facto Hauptstadt Europas, die kulturelle und politische Metropole, die die "Hauptstadt" der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist - Berlin. Das Ende 2021 erschienene vierte Album der Band, das auf Platz 2 der britischen Albumcharts einstieg, wurde von Electronic Sound als "ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes, unkonventionellstes und majestätischstes Werk, ihr glorreicher kreativer Höhepunkt, ihr Magnum Opus" beschrieben, DIY meinte, "es blühte am ruhigsten auf und brach am glühendsten aus" und Clash meinte, es "zementierte den Ruf von PSB als vitaler Act an der Spitze ihres Spiels". Das Album enthielt auch mehrere BBC Radio 6 Music A-Listed Singles, darunter "People, Let's Dance" ft. EERA und "Blue Heaven" ft. Andreya Casablanca.






d 1.4A CELLO SINGS IN DAVENTRY FT. SETH LAKEMAN

pre-order now08 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 08 Sep 2023

39,08 €
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING - THIS NEW NOISE
TCRVAX5
Test Card Recordings
12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopIndie

Public Service Broadcasting kündigt This New Noise an, den neu abgemischten und neu gemasterten Live-Mitschnitt ihrer gefeierten BBC Proms-Show 2022 in der Londoner Royal Albert Hall, der am 8. September 2023 über Test Card Recordings veröffentlicht wird. Bei This New Noise, einer Feier der Macht des Radios, die anlässlich des hundertjährigen Bestehens der BBC geschrieben wurde, tat sich die Band mit dem 88-köpfigen BBC Symphony Orchestra unter der Leitung von Jules Buckley zusammen. Es war eine herausragende Aufführung bei den BBC Proms 2022 und wurde von The Telegraph mit 5* bewertet, der es als "eine klangvolle, zeitgemäße und letztlich berührende Show" bezeichnete. Gründungsmitglied J. Willgoose, Esq. hat das Konzert von Grund auf neu abgemischt, um der vielschichtigen Aufführung noch mehr Tiefe und Textur zu verleihen und sie in einem neuen Licht zu zeigen. This New Noise ist das zweite Mal, dass Public Service Broadcasting einen Auftrag für die BBC Proms erhalten hat. Im Jahr 2019 spielte die Band ein Orchesterarrangement ihres 2015er Studioalbums The Race for Space mit dem Multi-Story Orchestra anlässlich des 50. Jahrestages der ersten bemannten Mondmission. Public Service Broadcasting lehrt seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt "die Lektionen der Vergangenheit durch die Musik der Zukunft". Das Debütalbum Inform - Educate - Entertain aus dem Jahr 2013 nutzte Archivsamples des British Film Institute als Audioportale zur Battle Of Britain, dem Gipfel des Everest und darüber hinaus. Zwei Jahre später nutzte The Race For Space ähnliche Methoden, um die Rivalität und den Heroismus der Supermächte im Orbit und auf dem Mond zu loben. Als Indie-DIY-Phänomen hat das Album mit über 100.000 verkauften Exemplaren allein im Vereinigten Königreich inzwischen Goldstatus erreicht. Im Jahr 2017 erforschten sie gemeinsam mit Stimmen wie James Dean Bradfield von den Manic Street Preachers in Every Valley auf bewegende Weise die Gemeinschaft und die Erinnerung an den Aufstieg und Fall der britischen Kohleindustrie. Ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes Projekt, Bright Magic, bringt den Hörer in das Herz und die de facto Hauptstadt Europas, die kulturelle und politische Metropole, die die "Hauptstadt" der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist - Berlin. Das Ende 2021 erschienene vierte Album der Band, das auf Platz 2 der britischen Albumcharts einstieg, wurde von Electronic Sound als "ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes, unkonventionellstes und majestätischstes Werk, ihr glorreicher kreativer Höhepunkt, ihr Magnum Opus" beschrieben, DIY meinte, "es blühte am ruhigsten auf und brach am glühendsten aus" und Clash meinte, es "zementierte den Ruf von PSB als vitaler Act an der Spitze ihres Spiels". Das Album enthielt auch mehrere BBC Radio 6 Music A-Listed Singles, darunter "People, Let's Dance" ft. EERA und "Blue Heaven" ft. Andreya Casablanca.






[d] 1.4A CELLO SINGS IN DAVENTRY [FT. SETH LAKEMAN]




[d] 1.4A CELLO SINGS IN DAVENTRY [FT. SETH LAKEMAN]

pre-order now08 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 08 Sep 2023

42,82 €
The Sorcerers & The Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble - Exit Athens
ATA030
ATA Records
7"-Vinyl08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopJazz

ATA Records are proud to announce this new double A-side from The Sorcerers featuring, on the flip, the first release by The Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble.

Exit Athens marks the start of a new era for The Sorcerers. Continuing their investigations of Ethio-Jazz and 60s and 70s European library music, the group is now formed around Joost Hendrickx (Kefaya, Shatner's Bassoon, Abstract Orchestra), Richard Ormrod (saxes, flute & keys) and ATA label head, bassist Neil Innes. Exit Athens features a driving funk engine room with exotic percussion, vintage keyboards, and the classic Addis Ababa combination of vibes, flute and horns. The aim is to double-down on previous album successes The Sorcerers and In Search of The Lost City of The Monkey God, expanding their tonal palette whilst tightening their focus, with the intention of producing multiple albums of solid analog cuts, every one of which will appeal equally to DJs and audiophiles alike.

On the AA side, Beg, Borrow, Play marks the debut of The Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. The first in an ongoing series of 45s and LP issues, each Outer Worlds release will feature the immaculate grooves of the hard-working, unsung sidemen of the Leeds Funk, Latin and Ethio/Afrobeat scenes. The Outer Worlds series was conceived to feature visiting soloists who have made a beeline to ATA in search of a specific setting for their material, and represents ATA's ambition to encompass the very best in contemporary jazz/club/rare groove/exotica sounds.

Beg, Borrow, Play kicks this off with ATA veteran Chip Wickham on baritone sax, and a slice of jazz exotica that owes as much to New Orleans Street Beat as to the Eastern moods of artists like Yusef Lateef and Ahmed Abdul-Malik. The result is loose and limber, with horns reminiscent of classic Art Ensemble of Chicago, and will appeal to fans of contemporary Afro-Futurist fusions

out of Stock

Last delivered 3 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

10,88 €
Rampue - Bubblebath Trance LP
ATCK042LP
A Tribe Called Kotori
12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

HouseElectronicaSlowBreaksTranceTrance

A long-in-the-works project of ours, here comes A Tribe Called Kotori's first foray into full-length territories, as the immensely talented Rampue takes us on a melancholy-riddled ride across his phantasmatic mindscapes. A true sound explorer, deftly steering his ship down the junction of electronica, abstract and balearic-infused prog house, the Berlin-based vibist has us transfixed and elevated throughout the twelve cuts that form the backbone to this lushly textured promenade in sound - at times understatedly euphoric, at others rivetingly exotic.

Of the creative process that lead to 'Bubblebath Trance', Rampue explains "It all started and ended in the same moment: my cherished feline companion, my laptop awash with an unintended bath, and alas, a dearth of backups. The resultant calamity, an echo of chaotic tranquility." Under the generous layer of irony lies some unaltered truth about Rampue's debut long-player for A Tribe Called Kotori: this sense of serenity that goes with stepping into this warm and bubbling primitive chaos of sorts infuses the listening experience far and wide. Distantly emulating the "euphonious strains" of iconic PS1 video games soundtracks from his youth days, the album has us surfing a constant paradox of emotions, wistful but not abandoning itself to sorrow, dynamic yet suspended in some sort of mind-expanding stasis. As if you were looking at the world beneath you in exploded view, conscious of all thing, slowly moving up the many layers of our atmosphere towards uncharted skies.

A paragon of Rampue's most poignant take on classic electronica tropes, 'Harmonie' blazes with a poetic fire that engulfs about everything in its wake. Just figure yourself riding a chocobo across the sand-covered expanse of North Corel (toasting to the FFVII nerds here) as this blasts out in the distance. From this trancey bubblebath emerge lots of musical shades and nuances, from the nicely dubbed-out, brass-heavy coastal jazz of 'Schattenschranz' to the choppy, trip-hop-adjacent future electronics of 'Inside', via the exuberantly joyous mess of faux-organic number 'Tripomatic' and cinematic charisma of 'Ich hasse Sonne' high-flying orchestrations.

Connecting the dots between that trance-indebted ebullience and further downtempo-friendly attraction, 'Verfahren' perhaps encompasses best what 'Bubblebath Trance' is about: gracefully walking the tightrope in-limbo nostalgia-soaked inner movements and a powerful outward thrust, burning to let the feelings ooze out from the shell that holds them.Clad in purely 90s-compatible breaksy motion, 'Salz' is another attempt to reconcile emotional and physical dissonance, like kneading all states - solid, liquid and vaporous - into an impossible mega-vibe of its own; malleable, strong and enveloping in equal measure. Borrowing from two-step and UK garage, 'Take Away' is a definite high in Rampue's master unfolding of musical twists and turns, summoning a Boarder Community-esque atmosphere and clashing it alongside floor-ready footwork motifs to fascinating effect.

An ode to his studio companion, 'Buchla Trip' finds Rampue's exploring his machinic friend's quirky yet soulful array of electronic potentialities - making it sound like a conversation you'd have with R2-D2 in the heart of a Sandcrawler, whereas 'Kajal' beams us up to a fragmented headspace, halfway altered PC-Pop and arps-loaded electronica on amphetamines. Effusive and transporting, the title-track 'Bubblebath Trance' could well figure as the album's no.1 medley in essence: a bountiful lucid dream of dancing forms, colours and sentiments to wrap your head around, confidently drifting from a liminal state of consciousness down the rapids of one's troubled inner workings.

Rounding off the package, the languid ambient finale of 'Die Leiden des hungrigen Fruehstuecks' rubber-stamps the feeling that 'Bubblebath Trance' belongs to that rare category of albums. The ones that mint their own alphabet aside from typical norms and expectations, teaching you the ropes of their new language as it unreels between your ears - real and unreal, elusive to any other meaning than the one your guts and brains will be inclined to give it to, in real time. A crystal-pure object if you will, that shall not reveal its secrets, even after a thousand listens and just as many wowing moments.

out of Stock

Last delivered 2 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

18,45 €
Allegra Krieger - I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane LP
LPDDW092
DOUBLE DOUBLE WHAMMY
12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopAlternativeIndie

It contains all the signatures of her best lyricism: delicate and precise phrasings, moments that flicker between beauty and banality, meaning that forms through the accretion of observations, memories, and unexpected adages. This is an album that is at once post-theistic and devoted to a relationship with the divine, each song blinking in and out of "the fragile plane," a place Krieger describes as "a middle ground in the universe," both abstract and peaceful, where time, bodies, and names don't exist.

Krieger initially collaborated with Luke Temple and Jeremy Harris to record her vocals and guitar to tape at Panoramic Studios in West Marin, CA. As the album continued to form, Krieger envisioned instruments - like the French and English horn (Nancy Ranger and Priscilla Reinhart), electric guitar (Jacob Drab), and pedal steel (Kevin Copeland) - as characters which would walk in and out of the soundscape. What emerged from conversations with composer Sammy Weissberg, are brass parts that have a dark, almost surreal logic: horns arise to emphasize a word or phrase, fall out completely, only to rush back with dissonant orchestrations that gesture simultaneously toward deterioration and generation.

While Krieger takes inspiration from Elliot Smith's honesty, Judee Sill's cosmic reaching, and Joni Mitchell's sharp noticing, the dream-like association, harmonic dissonance, and angular melodic ascensions in each song are singularly and delightfully Krieger's.

"I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane" is a daring collection of songs by an artist who scries with both the cold glass eye of truth and the beating heart of empathy; who portrays life in all its twisted complexities.

pre-order now08 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 08 Sep 2023

31,89 €
Parannoul - After the Magic
LPTSR262C
TOPSHELF RECORDS
12inch08.09.202308.SEP.23

PopRock

Expanding on the shoegaze-shaded emo that made Parannoul's To See the Next Part of the Dream so beloved by lo-fi and indie rock fans alike, After the Magic sees the anonymous auteur striving to write a follow-up as worthy of acclaim as the last.

Across the album's ten songs, Parannoul plunges yet deeper into his diverse pool of influences, coming back to the surface with a record that captures and extends the magic of its predecessor. Unexpected flashes of orchestral ambient and glitched-out electronica meld seamlessly with Parannoul's signature passages of noisy, distortion-laden shoegaze, offering a real time glimpse into the maturation
of one of indie rock's most exciting artists.

In the artist's own words, "This album is not what you expected, but what I always wanted."

pre-order now08 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 08 Sep 2023

37,77 €
Kara-Lis Coverdale and LXV - Sirens LP
UR078LP-RE
Umor-Rex
12inch07.09.202307.SEP.23

BeatsAmbientPopKlassicElectronica

Eight years after its original release in 2015, and sold out upon release, Umor Rex finally presents a vinyl repress of Sirens, by Kara-Lis Coverdale and LXV. This new edition is limited to 500 copies and comes with revised artwork.

Inspired by the link between seduction and violence, Sirens comprises a series of timbrally vast anamorphic pieces that poise the voice as a newly imagined tool of multiplicity. Processes of sample manipulation, signal processing, routing, and source design inform instrumental writing and performance in feedback until intertwined, flickering between states of conflict and consonance. Apparitions of the schizophrenic voice are at one moment fractured and cold and at the next full of warmth and vivaciousness, embodying velvet rituals of romanticism in the digital age.

Ultimately, Sirens is music for ambitious dreamers: surreal sound portraits sound like the warmth of the world laid over an ice cold virtual altar. LXV’s vocal truncations and fleshy sound palettes depict the archivation of the breath and aural fantasies of the flesh which Coverdale sets amongst a vast and unconfined landscape of deeper and unknown force. Harmonically active and dynamic orchestrations underpin post-sacred tonalities while brooding pipe organs, sphinx flutes, and hailstorms of metallic percussion characterize uniquely disjointed discussions between disparate compositional ontologies. At times violent and at others serenely peaceful and seductive, these pieces, at their most powerful moments illuminate a felt space between cybernetic energy and the body.

Composed and recorded by Kara-Lis Coverdale and David Sutton. Mastered by John Tejada. Cover photograph by Cody Cobb. Layout by Daniel Castrejón.

out of Stock

Last delivered 3 years ago
available to reorder, subject to availability

25,00 €
Hammock - Love in the Void
HMK088LPC1
HAMMOCK Music
2x12inch03.09.202303.SEP.23

PopRock

RIYL: Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Bark Psychosis, Caspian, Mogwai, This Will Destroy You. Exclusive vinyl colour (Opaque Mix Hellfire), limited to 1000 copies, and features a gatefold jacket, printed two-sided Euro sleeves, four art prints, and download code. Breaking from the strange monotony and abnormal norms that took hold during two years of pandemic life, Hammock returns with Love in the Void, an album that looks to the future, seizes the present, and unabashedly relishes the experiences and bonds that bring meaning to our days. Known for crafting orchestral works of stirring cinematic ambience, on Love in the Void the Nashville-based duo of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson bring guitar-forward, heart-pounding urgency to songs that shout through and shatter the static of complacency. Since forming as Hammock in 2003, Byrd and Thompson have released 14 critically-acclaimed albums and are renowned for their unique talent for bringing inexpressible emotion to life. The Covid-19 pandemic followed closely after one of Hammock’s career-defining works, the Mysterium, Universalis, and Silencia trilogy that chronicled the incomprehensible loss of Byrd’s 20-year old nephew. At their homes and apart, Byrd and Thompson then recorded Elsewhere, an album of shimmering ambience that channelled alienated longing and displacement into avenues that gave way to worlds and possibilities yet realized. Shaken awake and needing to break free of frustrations and longings, Love in the Void pulses with an unbridled spirit for action and experience and a burning desire for connection. Across songs that hammer home the keenly felt emotions of life’s highs and lows, Byrd and Thompson crest soaring crescendos awash in reverb and delve to keenly felt moments of quiet introspection, with unflinching lyrics on tracks like “Undoing” and “Denial of Endings’’ that weigh choices made and circumstances that can’t be changed. Lush and dramatic string orchestration from Matt Kidd (Slow Meadow) and emphatic drumming from Jake Finch heighten the stakes in play, and Christine Byrd’s (Lumenette) ethereal vocals leave mysteries lingering in the haze. Love in the Void is Hammock’s loudest album to date, embracing daring and vulnerability with palpable vitality at its core, and moving into an unknown future without fear.

pre-order now03 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 03 Sep 2023

44,08 €
A Giant Dog - Bite LP
MRG829LP
Merge Records
12inch03.09.202303.SEP.23

PopWorld Music

Indies Only LP is opaque green vinyl. Both LPs come with a download. The moment the needle drops on Bite, the new A Giant Dog record, one’s conception of what an A Giant Dog record sounds like bends like space and time around a starship running at lightspeed. The biggest point of departure is that Bite is a concept album, concerning characters who find themselves moving in and out of a virtual reality called Avalonia. A Giant Dog’s first album of original songs since 2017’s Toy, Bite finds the band Sabrina Ellis, Andrew Cashen, Danny Blanchard, Graham Low, and Andy Bauer at their peak as musicians, challenging themselves with more complex arrangements and subject matter that forced them out of their heads and into those of the characters who occupy this supposed paradise. “We had to find ourselves within, or project ourselves into, the principal characters. We developed them, got to know their minds, emotions, and motivations, and then expressed those in nine songs,” Ellis explains. Themes of addiction, gender fluidity, living ethically in a capitalist society, physical autonomy, avarice, grief, and consent bubble beneath the promised happiness of Avalonia. This is evident in songs like “Different Than,” where Ellis sings, “My body can’t explain the things my mind don’t comprehend” as if societal gender pressure is squeezing its protagonist out of their skin. The songs on Bite are full of bombast, at turns calling to mind the spacefaring operatic rock of Electric Light Orchestra and the high drama of an Ennio Morricone film score. The album’s narrative sweep is epic in scope, its characters facing impossible odds and certain doom, existing as comfortably with the sci-fi grandiosity of Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak as it does with the high fantasy of Dio and Iron Maiden. Appropriately, A Giant Dog came to this narrative armed to the teeth with new ideas, unleashing synthesizers and string sections to create what Ellis describes as orchestral, symphonic, futuristic punk. To achieve this, they left their home turf of Austin, Texas, for La Cuve Studio, just outside of Angers, France. Living in the French countryside, A Giant Dog laid down their vision of the future against a decidedly pastoral backdrop. On walks from Angers to La Cuve, Ellis says that they “would see many things, and also nothing at all. Swans on the river. Romani people living in little trailers, with a side hut built for their dog. A juggler on a unicycle—not fucking with you.” “We thought we wouldn’t be allowed back in France after this trip, to be honest,” they continued. “Five loud, stomping, clapping, rowdy Americans who ran through the streets of Angers for three weeks in November 2022.” The experience capped two years of planning and writing, fleshing out the universe of Avalonia beyond the bounds of most concept albums. The resulting nine songs do not merely occupy this space: They’ve lived in it, and they want out.

pre-order now03 Sep 2023

expected to be published on 03 Sep 2023

26,85 €

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