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This is one of Ray Pérez’s most highly sought-after albums, not only for its strong salsa dura anthems and funky boogaloo numbers but also for its brave, quirky eclecticism and youthful, rebellious spirit, all of which are reflections of “El Loco” Ray’s unique genius, making him a beloved figure in rare record collector circles everywhere.

The original is not that easy to find today and carries a hefty price. Thankfully, it has been remastered from the original tapes, fully licensed, with the original artwork, preserving and presenting the legacy of this great Venezuelan music for today’s generation.


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The late 1960s was a very busy time when Pérez was juggling several different studio bands: Los Dementes, Los Calvos and Los Kenya.

The daring experiment Pérez created with Los Calvos laid the basis for Los Kenya, an actual working band that released six albums between 1968 and 1972. Despite being titled “Los Kenya, Vol. 2” because it was the second released by Discomoda, the record actually represents Los Kenya’s third album, and is perhaps the most mature, well-rounded venture in the lot.

In February 1969, on Discomoda, came “Los Kenya, Vol. 2” focused on the upcoming carnival season and was calculated to compete with rival bands Federico Y Su Combo Latino and Sexteto Juventud for the plethora of gigs offered at that time of year.

The album, like all Ray Pérez releases of the time, is short and powerful, with five tracks per side, showcasing a variety of singers, genres, rhythms, influences and arrangements, making this one of his more eccentric and interesting efforts. 1960s California “sunshine pop” rock (often referred to as ‘surf’ on Los Kenya records), guajiras, boogaloos, descargas and even Mexican mariachi corridos are all added to the pot of salsa cooked up by “El Loco Ray” and his band.

The album has been rescued from obscurity and lovingly restored, remastered from the original tapes, fully licensed, with its original artwork intact, preserving and presenting the legacy of this great Venezuelan music for today’s generation of global salsa dura fans.

1967 setzte Nancy Sinatra ihren künstlerischen Aufstieg in die Pop-Stratosphäre fort: mit dem James-Bond-Titelsong ,You Only Live Twice", dem groovigen Farbfernsehspecial ,Movin' With Nancy", der Aufnahme eines der beliebtesten Duette aller Zeiten, ,Some Velvet Morning", und einer Pilgerreise quer durch das Land ins Zentrum der Country-Musikszene. Nancy reiste nach Nashville, um ihr fünftes Album in den RCA Studios aufzunehmen, wo viele der größten Country-Songs aller Zeiten entstanden sind. Auf ,Country, My Way" verschmilzt Nancy ihren persönlichen Stil mit der Country-Musik, was zu einem neuen hybriden Sound führt. Der Produzent Lee Hazlewood nannte es ,Hippie-Billy". Zwar wird der zeitgenössische Country-Sound vielen zugeschrieben, doch wie bei vielen Meilensteinen der 1960er Jahre war Nancy eine der Ersten. Nancy Sinatra war gleichermaßen stark, schwül und klug und war ihrer Zeit lange Zeit voraus - sowohl in ihren Entscheidungen als Künstlerin als auch als Geschäftsfrau. Unbeirrt schlug sie schon früh ihren eigenen Weg ein und ebnete den Weg für jahrzehntelang nachfolgende Künstlerinnen - und behielt dabei stets die Kontrolle über ihre Karriere, ihr Image und ihre Musik. Im Jahr 1965 veränderte Nancy Sinatra das Gesicht der Musik, der Mode und der Kultur. Die endgültige Vinyl-Neuauflage von Nancys kultigem Album von 1967 ist eine wunderschön verpackte und erweiterte Gatefold-LP mit 20-seitigem Booklet, enthält die Singles "Jackson" und "Oh Lonesome Me", wurde neu gemastert von den analogen Originalbändern vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin und kommt in dieser Auflage mit fünf Bonustracks: den Non-Album-Singles von 1967: "Love Eyes", "You Only Live Twice", "Lightning's Girl", "Until It's Time for You to Go" und "Tony Rome".

1967 setzte Nancy Sinatra ihren künstlerischen Aufstieg in die Pop-Stratosphäre fort: mit dem James-Bond-Titelsong ,You Only Live Twice", dem groovigen Farbfernsehspecial ,Movin' With Nancy", der Aufnahme eines der beliebtesten Duette aller Zeiten, ,Some Velvet Morning", und einer Pilgerreise quer durch das Land ins Zentrum der Country-Musikszene. Nancy reiste nach Nashville, um ihr fünftes Album in den RCA Studios aufzunehmen, wo viele der größten Country-Songs aller Zeiten entstanden sind. Auf ,Country, My Way" verschmilzt Nancy ihren persönlichen Stil mit der Country-Musik, was zu einem neuen hybriden Sound führt. Der Produzent Lee Hazlewood nannte es ,Hippie-Billy". Zwar wird der zeitgenössische Country-Sound vielen zugeschrieben, doch wie bei vielen Meilensteinen der 1960er Jahre war Nancy eine der Ersten. Nancy Sinatra war gleichermaßen stark, schwül und klug und war ihrer Zeit lange Zeit voraus - sowohl in ihren Entscheidungen als Künstlerin als auch als Geschäftsfrau. Unbeirrt schlug sie schon früh ihren eigenen Weg ein und ebnete den Weg für jahrzehntelang nachfolgende Künstlerinnen - und behielt dabei stets die Kontrolle über ihre Karriere, ihr Image und ihre Musik. Im Jahr 1965 veränderte Nancy Sinatra das Gesicht der Musik, der Mode und der Kultur. Die endgültige Vinyl-Neuauflage von Nancys kultigem Album von 1967 ist eine wunderschön verpackte und erweiterte Gatefold-LP mit 20-seitigem Booklet, enthält die Singles "Jackson" und "Oh Lonesome Me", wurde neu gemastert von den analogen Originalbändern vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin und kommt in dieser Auflage mit fünf Bonustracks: den Non-Album-Singles von 1967: "Love Eyes", "You Only Live Twice", "Lightning's Girl", "Until It's Time for You to Go" und "Tony Rome".

Sugar war das vierte Album, das Nancy Sinatra 1966 aufnahm - eine unheimliche Leistung, wenn man bedenkt, dass die Beatles zu dieser Zeit etwa zwei Alben pro Jahr aufnahmen. Das kultige Ron Joy-Coverfoto von Nancy im rosa Bikini (der erste auf einem Albumcover!) war 1967 ein gewagter Schachzug, der dazu beitrug, Sugar auf Platz 18 der Charts zu katapultieren (Nancys zweithöchstes Chartalbum nach Boots). Es ist ein seltsames Album, das einen von Nancys bekanntesten Songs, Sugar Town, mit Kompositionen aus den 1920er Jahren kombiniert, die in einem zeitgenössischen Dixieland-Jazz-Pop-Fusion-Stil aufgenommen wurden, der so nur von Produzent Lee Hazlewood stammen konnte. Nancy Sinatra war ihrer Zeit lange Zeit voraus - sowohl in ihren Entscheidungen als Künstlerin als auch als Geschäftsfrau - und zwar gleichermaßen stark, schwül und versiert. Unbeirrt schlug sie schon früh ihren eigenen Weg ein und ebnete den Weg für jahrzehntelang nachfolgende Künstlerinnen - und behielt dabei stets die Kontrolle über ihre Karriere, ihr Image und ihre Musik. Im Jahr 1965 veränderte Nancy Sinatra das Gesicht der Musik, der Mode und der Kultur. Die endgültige Vinyl-Neuauflage von Nancys legendärem Album von 1967 kommt alswunderschön verpackte und erweiterte Gatefold-LP mit 20-seitigem Booklet, enthält die Hits "Sugar Town", "In Our Time", und "Coastin'", wurde neu gemastert von den analogen Originalbändern vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin und enthält zwei Bonustracks: die Non-Album-Singles "In Our Time" und "Leave My Dog Alone".

Sugar war das vierte Album, das Nancy Sinatra 1966 aufnahm - eine unheimliche Leistung, wenn man bedenkt, dass die Beatles zu dieser Zeit etwa zwei Alben pro Jahr aufnahmen. Das kultige Ron Joy-Coverfoto von Nancy im rosa Bikini (der erste auf einem Albumcover!) war 1967 ein gewagter Schachzug, der dazu beitrug, Sugar auf Platz 18 der Charts zu katapultieren (Nancys zweithöchstes Chartalbum nach Boots). Es ist ein seltsames Album, das einen von Nancys bekanntesten Songs, Sugar Town, mit Kompositionen aus den 1920er Jahren kombiniert, die in einem zeitgenössischen Dixieland-Jazz-Pop-Fusion-Stil aufgenommen wurden, der so nur von Produzent Lee Hazlewood stammen konnte. Nancy Sinatra war ihrer Zeit lange Zeit voraus - sowohl in ihren Entscheidungen als Künstlerin als auch als Geschäftsfrau - und zwar gleichermaßen stark, schwül und versiert. Unbeirrt schlug sie schon früh ihren eigenen Weg ein und ebnete den Weg für jahrzehntelang nachfolgende Künstlerinnen - und behielt dabei stets die Kontrolle über ihre Karriere, ihr Image und ihre Musik. Im Jahr 1965 veränderte Nancy Sinatra das Gesicht der Musik, der Mode und der Kultur. Die endgültige Vinyl-Neuauflage von Nancys legendärem Album von 1967 kommt alswunderschön verpackte und erweiterte Gatefold-LP mit 20-seitigem Booklet, enthält die Hits "Sugar Town", "In Our Time", und "Coastin'", wurde neu gemastert von den analogen Originalbändern vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Toningenieur John Baldwin und enthält zwei Bonustracks: die Non-Album-Singles "In Our Time" und "Leave My Dog Alone".

Over three years in the making, Needle Mythology Records is delighted to announce a super deluxe, expanded remastered reissue of The Lilac Time’s 1991 masterpiece, Astronauts. Released as a triple vinyl, triple CD or single vinyl, only 1000 copies of each format will be produced, there will be no further pressings. Both the 3LP and 3CD editions will come with an extensive 11,000 word oral history of Astronauts and liner notes by Needle Mythology co-founder and longtime Stephen Duffy fan, Pete Paphides.

All three albums including a 2024 remaster, a collection of works in progress entitled‘Softened By Rain The Making Of Astronauts’ and a live compilation ‘Any Road Up The Lilac Time Live 1990/91’ have been mastered for vinyl by Miles Showell at Abbey Roadand will be housed in a triple gatefold sleeve with a colour inner sleeve and new artwork for each disc, which has been especially created by designer Mike Storey. The main sleeve for Astronauts itself will replicate the original artwork but with the four distinctive “blobs” rendered in a red “foil” texture. In addition to these three disc sets, 1000 single vinyl remastered copies of Astronauts will also be made available, in a cherry red vinyl edition to match the outer sleeve.

With the shoegaze and baggy movements at their zenith, The Lilac Time’s fourth album was released at a moment when the left-field music zeitgeist was shaped by the nascent shoegaze, baggy and grunge movements. Whilst Astronauts conformed to none of those trends, neither was it the record Stephen had in his head when he finally finished working on it. We’ll never know how that record would have sounded, but it’s hard to imagine a better version of the album he did end up making. The songwriter who brought ‘A Taste of Honey’ and ‘Hats Off, Here Comes The Girl’ into the world envisaged the sort of choruses that would jump from the single speaker of your favourite transistor and lodge themselves into the collective memory bank.

But while he really was writing some of his most beautiful melodies, Astronauts is a family of songs that demands to be kept together in the sundazed cloud of inspiration that created it. It constitutes a partial retreat from the outwardfacing utopianism of its predecessors, choosing instead to dwell on the journey taken to get to this point. That this is an audibly different band to the pastoral expeditionaries of the group’s previous releases is almost entirely down to the departure of Nick Duffy and the arrival of Sagat Guirey. Suddenly, accordions, banjos and mandolins are out; jazz guitar is in. Sagat’s filigree work on the outro of ‘A Taste for Honey’ acts as a sublime parting shot to a lyric which acts as a wiser, wistful companion piece to Stephen’s 1985 solo hit ‘Kiss Me’, something tantamount to the camera retreating to reveal the years elapsed between the time depicted and the present day. The distance between the carefree youth of pop stardom and the first intimations of mortality can be measured between the first and second verses of the quietly devastating ‘Madresfield’; from the depiction of the deserted cricket pavilion obscured by fresh snowfall to the sudden shift in perspective from subject to protagonist: ‘No one ever told me/That killing time is harmful/For time cannot recover/What soon the ground will offer.’ For all of that, however, the resulting album didn’t correspond to the vision its creator had for it. At a loss as to what to do with it, Stephen surrendered Astronauts to Creation with no plans to promote or draw attention to it. The consciousness shift of which Stephen had hoped The Lilac Time might be a precursor hadn’t happened. Or, rather, it had – but it had happened elsewhere, in the Haçienda and Shoom and in Ibiza. Not on the hills of Herefordshire. In a nod to that sea change, Stephen handed over one song, ‘Dreaming’ to Hypnotone, who

Repress! It's safe to say that hip-hop has never seen an album like Ol’ Dirty Bastard's 1995 solo debut Return to the 36 Chambers. The brief glimpses of ODB's unhinged genius provided by Wu-Tang Clan's landmark Enter the Wu-Tang album two years earlier were begging to be expanded on to a larger canvas, and, with RZA guiding production, the album promised to give Dirty the creative license to make one of the most bizarre, entertaining and original LPs in hip-hop history. With his raspy, drunken flow and dark sense of humor, Dirty fearlessly attacks from all angles, throwing himself fearlessly into punchy rhyme attacks (“Damage,” with GZA), drugged-out party jams (the monster singles “Brooklyn Zoo” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”) and bizarre, grimly hilarious fantasies of sex and violence (“Don't U Know” and the R&B-tinged “Sweet Sugar Pie”). Backed by RZA's appropriately gritty, dissonant beats and appearances from the Clan, Return became an instant hit, selling over 1 million copies and earning a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album in 1996. The album stands as a high water mark in the Wu-Tang Clan's collective creative output and was selected as one of the Best 100 Rap Albums by The Source magazine in 1998. In honoring the legacy of one of hip-hop's most innovative releases, Get On Down is proud to present this incredible and unique special edition of Ol’ Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers as a double LP which contains the complete original album, remastered for optimal sound quality.

First time 7” reissue of this mega-rare Bobby Marin produced Latin funk gem.

‘Together People (Pamoja Watu)’ sounds like a cross between James Brown’s ‘It’s A New Day’ and Manu Dibango’s ‘Soul Makossa’, while 'It's Your Thing' is a heavy Latin funk instrumental version of the Isley Brothers classic, featuring screaming Hammond organ. Both are DJ favorites and the original 45 fetches large sums, if you can find a copy.


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Generally, when discussing the first wave of Latin soul and boogaloo, it’s the bands and their leaders, the singers and the songs that get all the recognition. But what of the producers, composers, and arrangers?

One of the top old-school New York Latin music producers, Bobby Marin, was behind the scenes for some of the best independently produced boogaloo and salsa of the ‘60s and ‘70s. One of his best and most obscure productions was credited to Los Africanos, a studio project featuring Chico Mendoza and New Jersey-based band Ocho.

‘Together People (Pamoja Watu)’ sounds like a cross between James Brown’s ‘It’s A New Day’ and Manu Dibango’s ‘Soul Makossa’ and was originally released in 1974 on Tito Rodriguez’s label TR Records. On the B side, 'It's Your Thing' is a heavy Latin funk instrumental version of the Isley Brothers classic, featuring screaming Hammond organ.

Both are DJ favorites and the original 45 fetches large sums, if you can find a copy. First time 7” reissue.

CARNIVORE is an American crossover / thrash metal band from Brooklyn, New York founded by singer and bassist Peter Steele, and was formed out of the breakup of the Brooklyn metal group FALLOUT in 1982. The first CARNIVORE album was heavily influenced by the contemporary New York metal scene. It also drew inspiration from BLACK SABBATH and early JUDAS PRIEST, whereas the second album had significant crossover influences. The "post-apocalyptic" theme that dominated the first album and was carried onto parts of the second album was apparently inspired by a dream Pete Steele had and which became the basis for the lyrics of "Predator", the first song from the original album. The lyrical theme was then expanded on to describe human society ( or the lack of one ) between imaginary World Wars III, IV and possibly V (as referenced in the song "World Wars III & IV"). Other lyrical themes included nihilism, anti-religious sentiment, cynicism, and explicit but tongue-in-cheek depictions of gore and despair. Song titles such as "Jesus Hitler", "Race War", "Thermonuclear Warrior" and "God is Dead" reflect these themes. In August 2017, it was announced that CARNIVORE would officially be reformed as CARNIVORE A.D., featuring original drummer Louie Beato and guitarist Marc Piovanetti along with secondary drummer Joe Branciforte sharing drum duties and also introducing new member Baron Misuraca as the bassist/vocalist. The band then made their live festival debut at the 2018 edition of Hellfest. CARNIVORE's "Retaliation" is a legendary and authentic metal/hc crossover album and an admittedly very heavy devastating wall of music with very much tongue in cheek lyrics. It became an absolute classic in the metal genre. It has remained unreleased for too many years and has now become very much in demand, now available again in Deluxe exclusive Limited edition 2LP vinyl and Digipack with no less than 3 bonus tracks ! ESSENTIAL CLASSIC !

CARNIVORE is an American crossover / thrash metal band from Brooklyn, New York founded by singer and bassist Peter Steele, and was formed out of the breakup of the Brooklyn metal group FALLOUT in 1982. The first CARNIVORE album was heavily influenced by the contemporary New York metal scene. It also drew inspiration from BLACK SABBATH and early JUDAS PRIEST, whereas the second album had significant crossover influences. The "post-apocalyptic" theme that dominated the first album and was carried onto parts of the second album was apparently inspired by a dream Pete Steele had and which became the basis for the lyrics of "Predator", the first song from the original album. The lyrical theme was then expanded on to describe human society ( or the lack of one ) between imaginary World Wars III, IV and possibly V (as referenced in the song "World Wars III & IV"). Other lyrical themes included nihilism, anti-religious sentiment, cynicism, and explicit but tongue-in-cheek depictions of gore and despair. Song titles such as "Jesus Hitler", "Race War", "Thermonuclear Warrior" and "God is Dead" reflect these themes. In August 2017, it was announced that CARNIVORE would officially be reformed as CARNIVORE A.D., featuring original drummer Louie Beato and guitarist Marc Piovanetti along with secondary drummer Joe Branciforte sharing drum duties and also introducing new member Baron Misuraca as the bassist/vocalist. The band then made their live festival debut at the 2018 edition of Hellfest. CARNIVORE's "Retaliation" is a legendary and authentic metal/hc crossover album and an admittedly very heavy devastating wall of music with very much tongue in cheek lyrics. It became an absolute classic in the metal genre. It has remained unreleased for too many years and has now become very much in demand, now available again in Deluxe exclusive Limited edition 2LP vinyl and Digipack with no less than 3 bonus tracks ! ESSENTIAL CLASSIC !

Status Quo has endured for over 50 years and is known for worldwide hits and tours to millions of fans across the globe. This compilation collects together, for the first time, many of the band’s rare tracks from the late 1990s and early 2000s, some of which have been unavailable for over 20 years. Until now, many of these tracks have only been available on CD singles or editions of albums only available in one country. This remastered compilation is supported by the band and has been overseen by the recordings’ original producer, Mike Paxman, who has also written liner notes for the release. Mike Paxman said of the release: “Status Quo recorded many of these songs for soundtracks or non-album singles, so it’s fitting that this album is called Driving To Glory, because it’s the band striving for success. All of these songs were recorded as lead tracks and released in various different places. This collection brings them together and deserves to be thought of as an album.”

"Bora Rokovic's MPS album, Ultra Native, is one of the most elusive titles in the catalogue and, until now, remained unissued since its original release in 1971. Inzalaco's 'J.B.W.' is a hard-grooving fusion piece with dark minor chords, opening with an almighty drum break – found here in a new all-analogue mastertape edit for this 45 release. 'Soft Hands Had the Rain' features Trunk strutting his stuff on Fender bass, as well as cello overdubs, with Rokovic's brooding improvisations on electric keys."


First vinyl release since 1971 and never before released on 7” single.
AAA Transfers from analogue mastertapes.
Audiophile-grade vinyl – limited-edition pressing of 500 copies.
New artwork authentically recreated on heavyweight gloss sleeves.
Cut at Abbey Road Studios by Grammy award-winning engineer, Sean Magee.

The No End In Suffering EP is a compilation of songs that are a bit more outside the box of traditional HAGGUS material. On this record HAGGUS experiments with brand new riff territories, added previously unused tempos and left no stone unturned when it came to delivering this slab of horror-inducing sonic butchery. Production-wise the band purposely went for a more raw 90’s goregrind sound while still adhering to the downtuned, heavy theme of the Three Cadavers EP. Limited Blood Red Vinyl for retail. Haggus was formed in 2014 by guitarist / vocalist, Hambone, as an outlet to merge the traditional sound and politics of Mincecore with the sonic barbarity of old school Goregrind. Obsessed with pitch shifters but finding a lack of bands using them that were not labeled misogynistic porno-grind, Hambone set out on an unstoppable quest to put his brand of “Mincegore” on the map. Solely influenced by the mighty Agathocles, Hambone was determined to keep the spirit of true Mincecore alive (encompassing everything from their relentless release schedule to their uncompromising political agenda speaking out against misogyny, sexism and homophobia in the scene) while adding his own style of gore infused vocals into the mix. Coming from a purely crust and punk background, Hambone has taken a strictly DIY approach with Haggus since inception. With a tireless work ethic, the band dropped close to 100 songs within the first 6 months of existence followed by self-releasing over 60 splits, 10 EPs and 3 full length albums while touring over 20 countries since 2014. In traditional Mincecore fashion (just like Jan is to Agathocles), Hambone is the sole founder and only remaining original member of the band. After a decade of DIY, Hambone is proud to announce the partnership with the now legendary Bay Area label, Tankcrimes, and wants any Haggus fans to know that this is only the beginning… gore freaks and mince mongers commence - for worldwide Mincecore domination is upon us!!!

The Three Corpses EP is a heavier, fresh take on HAGGUS traditional brand of mincegore, debuting their new drummer and lowest tuning yet (drop G) to the world. Expanding on the classic HAGGUS approach, they’ve made it the heaviest and nastiest it’s ever been without straying too far from the traditional HAGGUS sound. In traditional fashion this was recorded in the HAGGUS practice space by Hambone but professionally mixed and mastered by Chris Revill of the now defunct band Shitlife. Limited Neon Green Vinyl for retail. Haggus was formed in 2014 by guitarist / vocalist, Hambone, as an outlet to merge the traditional sound and politics of Mincecore with the sonic barbarity of old school Goregrind. Obsessed with pitch shifters but finding a lack of bands using them that were not labeled misogynistic porno-grind, Hambone set out on an unstoppable quest to put his brand of “Mincegore” on the map. Solely influenced by the mighty Agathocles, Hambone was determined to keep the spirit of true Mincecore alive (encompassing everything from their relentless release schedule to their uncompromising political agenda speaking out against misogyny, sexism and homophobia in the scene) while adding his own style of gore infused vocals into the mix. Coming from a purely crust and punk background, Hambone has taken a strictly DIY approach with Haggus since inception. With a tireless work ethic, the band dropped close to 100 songs within the first 6 months of existence followed by self-releasing over 60 splits, 10 EPs and 3 full length albums while touring over 20 countries since 2014. In traditional Mincecore fashion (just like Jan is to Agathocles), Hambone is the sole founder and only remaining original member of the band. After a decade of DIY, Hambone is proud to announce the partnership with the now legendary Bay Area label, Tankcrimes, and wants any Haggus fans to know that this is only the beginning… gore freaks and mince mongers commence - for worldwide Mincecore domination is upon us!!!

Status Quo has endured for over 50 years and is known for worldwide hits and tours to millions of fans across the globe. This compilation collects together, for the first time, many of the band’s rare tracks from the late 1990s and early 2000s, some of which have been unavailable for over 20 years. Until now, many of these tracks have only been available on CD singles or editions of albums only available in one country. This remastered compilation is supported by the band and has been overseen by the recordings’ original producer, Mike Paxman, who has also written liner notes for the release. Mike Paxman said of the release: “Status Quo recorded many of these songs for soundtracks or non-album singles, so it’s fitting that this album is called Driving To Glory, because it’s the band striving for success. All of these songs were recorded as lead tracks and released in various different places. This collection brings them together and deserves to be thought of as an album.”

Fresh Selects presents the 5 year anniversary re-issue of the underground classic debut LP from one of R&B's most promising stars, SiR. Now a member of Top Dawg Entertainment (alongside Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and more) and signed to RCA, SiR's independent debut features early appearances from both Anderson. Paak and SiR's brother D Smoke (now the winner of Netflix's hit show Rhythm & Flow), as well as production from Knxwledge, Iman Omari, Chris "Daddy" Dave, Tiffany Gouché and more. Long since out-of-print, this 2020 edition of the LP includes new artwork and a fold-out poster, including the original photo that was used for the album cover.

cLOUDDEAD's debut album, compiling six 10" EPs that appeared between 2000-2001, is aurally dense and obscured. A sprawling mass of miniature beat-suites and Dadaist lyrics, this strange and beautiful 3xLP would influence a myriad of sub-genres (cloud rap, hauntology, lo-fi hip-hop, etc.) in the two decades since its initial release.

Only the three members of cLOUDDEAD – Why?, Doseone and Odd Nosdam – can speak to the group's origins, but in the context of underground hip-hop towards the end of the 20th century, their arrival makes perfect sense. Cincinnati had a vital scene; home to Scribble Jam, an annual confluence of MCs, DJs, B-boys and graffiti artists. While the trio soon relocated to the Bay Area where they co-founded the Anticon collective, their Midwestern roots – in ramshackle basements of off-campus hovels, as the "cerberus of Southern Ohio" – would remain the atomic heart of their early recordings.

As Chris Martins writes in the liner notes, "The only reason we know their names today is because of how loudly and curiously they aired their insularity. They rewrote the entire world as they knew it through their own fucked perspective, and when those mysterious 10-inches started popping up in record shops, it wasn't just a puzzle to investigate: there seemed to be a whole cosmology hidden in those grooves."

Each side of the album represents one of those elusive 10-inches, each embodying a universe unto itself. Opening salvo "Apt. A" and "And All You Can Do Is Laugh" are perhaps most emblematic of the cLOUDDEAD experience. Why? and Dose create a new language through boundless non-sequiturs, sing-song non-choruses and call-and-response hooks, while Nosdam's dexterous production shifts from crackling ambience of Flying Saucer Attack to tight Ohio Players drum breaks and oblique film samples.

Taken all together, cLOUDDEAD is an original interpretation of hip-hop in the surreal Y2K glow – a bizarre meeting point between William Basinski's Disintegration Loops and MF DOOM's Operation: Doomsday. All it took was a Dr. Sample SP-202, Tascam cassette eight-track and cheap RadioShack mic. There's truly nothing like it.

This edition has been faithfully restored by Nosdam. European exclusive version comes on clear vinyl, incl. fold-out poster and liner notes insert.

Roberto Cacciapaglia is an Italian composer and pianist who started out in the fertile Milan avant-garde scene of the 1970s, which included Franco Battiato, Giusto Pio, Lino Capra Vaccina, Francesco Messina, among others. After studying at the conservatory, he worked at RAI's Studio of Musical Phonology – an electronic music laboratory similar to NDR/WDR in Germany, GRM/IRCAM in France or BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Originally released in 1979, Sei Note In Logica (Six Notes In Logic) is Cacciapaglia's second album. While his debut, Sonanze, offers a series of ambient mini-soundtracks, Sei Note presents a singular, sinuous piece. The composition is based on a finite set of musical notes, yet this limitation is the point of departure for a grand tour of possible combinations and enthralling timbres (marimbas, strings, reeds and human voice).

Like Steve Reich's Music For 18 Musicians, the joyous experiment of Sei Note is grounded in constant variation. Often doubled by multiple instruments, non-repeating patterns are exquisitely layered, while electro-acoustic signals transform and further refract through visceral effects. Within this conceptual framework, Cacciapaglia does not so much juxtapose rigid dichotomies – acoustic vs. electronic, melodic vs. dissonant, simple vs. complex – as fuse them into an expansive whole.

What started as an inspired study in Minimalism becomes a bold feat of 20th century music. Sei Note In Logica is deeply sincere and, at the same time, quite playful. With one foot firmly planted in the past and the other steeped in technology, Cacciapaglia's influence can be heard in the work of Jim O'Rourke, Fennesz and Ben Vida.

Strut is celebrating the holiday season with an exclusive reissue of The Qualities" 1961 single, "It"s Christmas Time" b/w "Happy New Year To You!" Originally released on Sun Ra"s Saturn label, this mysterious harmony group 45 captures a unique moment in music history.

DaRand Land, who hails from the post industrial confines of Buffalo, NY was one of the leading figures of Deep4Life, a cult label known for submersible oriented, yet dancefloor-friendly productions. With ambient synth-driven tones and heavy funk basslines being at the center of his sound, DaRand Land’s music often evokes an introspective quality, without losing its groove fundamental. DaRand’s works, which span decades on deep house labels such as Downbeat, Confluence and Pulp have been described as “uncompromising” and has afforded him a passionate following of listeners who seek a more emotive, thought-provoking brand of underground music.
Teaming up once again with Scissors and Thread - the perfect fit for his sound - DaRand Land drops an album full of crafty, trippy house for the heads. Wander Being contains 10 tracks on the double vinyl release with a pair of additional tracks for the digital release. The vibe is deep and sleek, with a rough, bumping edge. The title track sets the tone, a smattering of percussion accompanying a thick, round kick drum and Rhodes chords, giving off a classic Detroit feel. Tracks like Turn to The Music ramp up the energy somewhat, but overall the tracks sit in the sweet spot between dancefloor burners and soulful, jazzy, deep cuts. Noticeable is the space given to each element across the tracks - the hi-hats sparkle, the snare snaps, and the basslines roll and rumble. Add to this the magic melodic flourishes provided by the pads and synths, reminiscent of the late Mike Huckaby in places, made this whole album a thoughtful, joyful experience.
„The genesis for the Wander Being LP”, says DaRand “was a desire to return to the essence of some of my original Deep4Life productions. How was this accomplished? Principally, through the exclusive use of hardware components, minimalist arrangement, and a minds-eye approach to source the musical elements. In particular, the single, The Nature of Reality was written to convey a sense of what it feels like to be in a state of suspended animation. There is a natural tension introduced via the organic, swirling pad progression juxtaposed against endless vocal echoes and the low-end groove of the bassline. Thematically, I wanted to carry this forward through the entirety of the album.
balancing subdued keys and strings with ethereal tones and atmospheres