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A holy grail for fans of French boogie, early hip hop, Arabic funk and Balearic bops,"Ettika" has been seriously sought after since Vidal Benjamin found it in the 1€ bin back in 2006. Teasing the ears of the underground via Vidal's 'Balearic Nightmare' mix for Noncollective, copies of the original were soon snapped up completely, and the later adopters were sated by a Blackdisco edit from Alexis Le-Tan (himself gifted Vidal's second copy), which is now also rare as hen's teeth. The fervour for the track is easy to understand. Underpinned by an endlessly buoyant bass groove, chanted female vocals dart out the speakers like a post- modern mantra while synth vamps flare in stuttering stereo.

Middle-Eastern motifs add an air of mystery, but this truly belongs in a dance floor utopia. That the track was the product of a 'back-to-work' scheme aimed at unemployed immigrant youth in Rouen only adds to the appeal. Led by teacher Bernard Guégan, a quartet of students delivered lyrics in French and Arabic inspired by their rejection letters, serving a little social commentary and a lot of funk. If you're mad on Ahmed Fakroun and Shams Dinn, or even those folks in the Bush of Ghosts, then this is a must have for you.

Archeology isn't just about excavation, there should be interpretation too, and in this case it comes from Italian duo Hear & Now and Leeds' The Veteran Delinquents. The former furnish the 12" with two radical takes, the dreamy downtempo stroll of their French Remix - all unhurried percussion, Gilmour-riffing and coastal élan - and the peaktime pump of their Arab Remix, which transports the original vocal into a land of desert new beat and Balearic trance with a little space left for some frazzled fretwork. If you've followed their work with Claremont you know the quality on show.

The Veteran Delinquents, the collaborative vehicle of Leeds stalwarts Craig Christon and Tim Hutton, condense a lifetime of club experiences into their remix, establishing the infectious groove of the original before subverting with chugging bass and winking acid, all augmented with their own slick synth work. The original was an all time classic at Craig's Joe's Bakery nights way back when, and this new interpretation is both respectful and revolutionary.

Die britische Sängerin Becky Hill, die kürzlich zum dritten Mal in Folge für den BRIT Award als bester Dance Act nominiert wurde, veröffentlicht am 31. Mai ihr mit Spannung erwartetes, zweites Album „Believe Me Now“?. Mit 2 bereits gewonnen BRIT Awards, 13 Platin Singles und über 10 Milliarden Streams gehört Becky Hill seit Jahren zu den erfolgreichsten Sängerinnen und Songwriterinnen Großbritanniens. „Believe Me Now?“ enthält den #1 UK-Airplay-Hit ”Side Effects”, ”Disconnect” featuring Chase & Status, der auf Platz 6 der UK-Charts landete und mit Gold ausgezeichnet wurde, sowie die aktuelle Single ”Never Be Alone”, die mit Sonny Fodera aufgenommen wurde. Auf dem Album arbeitete Becky mit einer Reihe von Top-Produzenten zusammen, darunter PARISI, Mark Ralph, Toddla T, Maur, Solardo, MJ Cole, Jax Jones und Franky Wah, und enthält Einflüsse aus der Welt des Drum’n’Bass, House, Techno und Trance. Nach einem fulminanten Jahr 2023, in dem Becky Hill u.a. ein großartiges Glastonbury-Set spielte, eine Sommerresidency auf Ibiza hatte und den Start der zweiten Staffel ihres Podcasts „The Art Of Rave“ mit Gast Fatboy Slim feierte, wird 2024 das Jahr sein, in dem Becky Hill endgültig ihren Status als eine der einflussreichsten Stimmen der Dance Music festigt.

Musikdeutschland erwartet ein spektakuläres Album der anderen Art. Denn Roy Bianco & Die Abbrunzati Boys bringen im Frühjahr 2024 ihr lang ersehntes drittes Studioalbum. Ihren neuen Langspieler: »Kult«. Als zeitloses Meisterwerk im schillernden Gewand des Italo-Schlagers reiht sich das Album in die begonnene Serie der vorherigen zwei Alben »Greatest Hits« und »Mille Grazie« ein und vollendet so das gesamtkünstlerische Triptychon des Projekts: Eskapismus à la bonne heur. »Kult« steht für sich und Roy Bianco & Die Abbrunzati Boys stehen für Kult – es ist ein musikalisches Denkmal, das man sich so fast nur selbst setzen kann. Und sie tun es.

"Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception" is the new full length album by The Hope Conspiracy. The album was engineered by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios. Artwork for the release was created by acclaimed artist Alexander Heir (Death/Traitors). This is true sonic violence aimed at political division, economic manipulation, war profiteering, media propaganda and other vile forms of global oppression. Air raid sirens wail as the foreboding "Those Who Gave Us Yesterday" and "The Prophets and Doom" explode forth like burning shrapnel. The hell ride continues with "A Struggle For Power" and "Live In Fear", two vicious blasts supercharged with malice and contempt. "Shock By Shock" and "Of A Dying Nation" introduce doom and gloom heaviness, grinding down the tempo to a mid-paced barrage. "Confusion/Chaos/Misery" picks up the pace, going scorched-earth policy on the sociopolitical nightmares that ensnare us all while "Broken Vessels" plows into overdrive about the opioid crisis and addiction as a whole. This leads to "The West Is Dead" a dystopian hook laden hardcore anthem, and epic closer "The Specter Looms"; An ominous soundtrack to the steady decline of our modern age. There is no question, The Hope Conspiracy is back to make a cold hard statement about existence in the end times.

Data Diamond is the sound of FOUR STROKE BARON at their most confidently unhinged. Originally conceived as two separate EPs (one purely electronic - Data, one heavy - Diamond) that would then meld together on one full length release, the idea morphed into what is now the succinct sucker punch of an album that is heading our way at speed. Heavily inspired by their own work on Data Diamond’s predecessor, Classics, Witt and Vallarino got to work in their laboratory creating the most potent, concentrated form of FOUR STROKE BARON possible. Data Diamond - a dizzying sub-40 minute dive into the deranged psyches of its creators. The tracks on Data Diamond are lithe yet still allow enough room for idiosyncratic flourishes that mark this out as a true FOUR STROKE BARON opus. If Classics was a Man vs. Food belly busting plate of indulgence, Data Diamond is an upmarket Gordon Ramsay dish, served with a side of insanity. Finding a co-conspirator in Cynic’s Paul Masvidal, the trio get somewhat psychedelic on the album’s eponymous closing - and most expansive - track, which also features Vola’s Adam Janzi on drums. Thematically, this is their most murderous anthology to date. Those who find themselves embroiled in these bloodthirsty tales include a Radio Shack CEO, an internationally acclaimed cyborg, an accidental trafficker of human body parts, and the leader of a death cult located in a convenience store. FOUR STROKE BARON’s anomalous view of the world takes a particularly dark turn across the songs on Data Diamond, yet, as ever the macabre tragedies are dressed up with catchy melodies, pop hooks for days and a big shimmering bow of positivity.

Two years in the making, 25-year-old Angelica Garcia's album Cha Cha Palace is the result of an artist's need to SAY SOMETHING. The second song on the record, "Jícama" might only be a minute and 25 seconds in its entirety, but the message spans generations and is one that resonates deeply for Garcia with her Mexican and Salvadoran roots. Singing/shouting, "I see you, but you don't see me Jímaca, Jímaca, Guava Tree_I've been trying to tell ya, but you just don't see, like you I was born in this country," Garcia tells the reality for millions of Americans unapologetically and with passion.That feeling of being between places is something Garcia knows well having been raised between multigenerational, multicultural, homes with step-parents and half-siblings. Additionally, she made the journey from the West Coast to the East Coast and back again multiple times before finally settling down in Richmond, Virginia.She fondly recalls Mexican ranchera music always playing throughout her childhood. Ranchera was ingrained within the maternal side of her family with her Mother, Grandmother, Uncle & Aunt constantly singing the traditional music throughout the home of her Grandparents.Like Mitski, Lorde, Billie Eilish, and Rosalía, Garcia isn't afraid to tear pages out of her diary and express emotions that might be difficult and oftentimes daunting to share given today's social and political environment. Like her peers, she joins a new chapter of musicians who are connecting with their audiences on a level that lives outside the reaches of technology, trends, and social media, the daily experience of feeling torn between saying something and doing something, for being a voice and speaking with your voice, of being Latina while being American. And it's humanity and honesty that audiences are looking for and will find in spades throughout each note of Cha Cha Palace.

The Scientists' 1981 wild debut bewildered Perth, Australia's punters with its charging anthems centered on themes of young love and alienation. Obvious in its rebellion yet more pop than punk, the self-titled "Pink Album" deftly embodied the tough-yet-danceable outsider aura of The Ramones, and its unheard of, feverish clip shook the shores of the geographically confined Swan Coastal Plain of down under. Recorded just as the lineup of guitarist-vocalist Kim Salmon (The Cheap Nasties), drummer James Baker (The Victims) and bassist Ian Sharples were breaking up, the album stands as a testament to the contagious chops of Perth's swelling pool of musical talent, and to the promise of Salmon's unwavering vision that would become one of the most celebrated acts of the Aussie underground.

The Scientists' 1981 wild debut bewildered Perth, Australia's punters with its charging anthems centered on themes of young love and alienation. Obvious in its rebellion yet more pop than punk, the self-titled "Pink Album" deftly embodied the tough-yet-danceable outsider aura of The Ramones, and its unheard of, feverish clip shook the shores of the geographically confined Swan Coastal Plain of down under. Recorded just as the lineup of guitarist-vocalist Kim Salmon (The Cheap Nasties), drummer James Baker (The Victims) and bassist Ian Sharples were breaking up, the album stands as a testament to the contagious chops of Perth's swelling pool of musical talent, and to the promise of Salmon's unwavering vision that would become one of the most celebrated acts of the Aussie underground.

Unhinged Aussie grunge captured just as the Scientists were imploding/attempting to explode. Recorded over three days in February 1986, Weird Love is the band''s last ditch effort to bring their bad vibes to bedrooms the world over, a colossal failure and brilliant mistake that sounds best when blasting out of 1982 Corolla's blown Alpine tweeters.

Reissued for the first time outside of Brazil, this is Tom Zé's first LP on Continental Label and the press release warned: “1972 marks the beginning of a new phase in Tom Ze´’s career. He decided to move into simpler forms of writing and released an album that is a result of that”. Tom Zé is considered the most "paulista" of all Tropicalistas. He came from Bahia, but his wry urban poetry, infused with the uncomfortable sounds of the largest metropolis of South America, is pure São Paulo.

After 10 years of activity, Regarde is releasing "Nothing, Again", a six-tracks EP produced by Maurizio Baggio at La Distilleria (Bassano Del Grappa, Italy). Working on this new EP, the band ventured into uncharted territories, exploring new sounds and pushing the boundaries of their music, adding heavy synths to their atmospheres. "Nothing, Again" is a reminder that even as we feel like strangers in this world, we are still capable of love, of connection, and of rediscovering ourselves in the ever-changing landscape of life. Illustrated cover artwork created by Paris-based artist Célestin Krier.

Long unavailable warehouse find. Double LP for £7.50 Munster Records proudly presents a collection of Patrik Fitzgerald's Small Wonder and Polydor releases. A combination of punk's outrage with a streak of optimism, rare for its time and place, collected for the very first time on a double LP package. Patrik Fitzgerald was one of the oddities that punk rock threw up in 1977. A lone singer with an acoustic guitar regaling punk audiences with lyrical songs and interspersing them with chats, stories and poems. He is the great forgotten songwriter from the Class of '77. Patrik Fitzgerald never became a household name or punk icon like Rotten, Strummer or Weller, but to his loyal followers he is just as important and as inspirational. Same goes for Mark Perry, Vic Godard and Robert Lloyd.

Yes' 90125 was a departure from their progressive style but it introduced the band to a new generation of fans, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and No. 16 on the U.K. albums chart. The 1983 album remains their best-selling album with more than 3 million copies sold in the U.S. "Cinema" earned the group a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, while "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" was the band's first and only single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Named for its Atco catalog number, 90125, the album — the band's 11th studio effort — it was born out of the band's self-reinvention. Begun as Cinema, a new band by Chris Squire and Alan White, the project grew to include the slick production of Trevor Horn, the new blood (and distinctly '80s guitar sound) of Trevor Rabin, and eventually the trademark vocals of returning founder Jon Anderson. His late entry insured that Rabin and Horn had a heavy influence on the sound. The album also marked the return of prodigal keyboardist Tony Kaye, whose crisp synth work on "Changes" marked the band's definitive break with its art rock roots.

"Owner Of A Lonely Heart" was a huge crossover hit, and its orchestral break has been relentlessly sampled by rappers ever since. The vocal harmonies of "Leave It" and the beautifully sprawling "Hearts" are additional high points,

90125 is a significant and well-regarded album in the Yes discography.

Analogue Productions is proud to offer the definitive reissue deluxe 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP of 90125. For Yes fans, this is a can't-miss addition to your album collection.

"Listen to This." As the original working title for Bitches Brew, the instruction and invitation resonates to this day as the best way to approach a record that shattered conventions, altered music history, and, more than five decades after its original release, still sounds far ahead of its time. The aural Mount Rushmore of jazz fusion, Bitches Brew is rightly ranked by virtually every significant outlet among the 100 greatest albums ever made in any genre. Sewn together with vibrant colours, voodoo textures, and ethereal moods, the 1970 landmark emerges with supreme detail on Mobile Fidelity's definitive 180g 33RPM 2LP set.

Sourced from the original master tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, this numbered-edition version of Bitches Brew joins the audiophile ranks of other essential Miles Davis sets reissued by Mobile Fidelity. Having established new possibilities for studio-recording techniques, the record can now be experienced to maximum degree by way of a pressing that widens and deepens the soundstage, opens up separation between instruments, and broadens the dynamic range. If ever a jazz album can be said to have gone to outer space and back, this is it.

Davis conceived Bitches Brew by having the musicians stand in a semi-circle, where he pointed at them with vague directions for tempo, solos, and cues. The collective improvisation and interplay spawned a galaxy of melodies and grooves later spliced together by producer Ted Macero. On this reissue, these creations take shape with utmost realism. Compositions stretch across black backgrounds and paint abstract canvasses on par with those of Axis: Bold As Love and Abraxas. Juxtaposed percussion, loose jams, and melodic segues explode with impressionistic verve.

And "verve" defines Bitches Brew. Gathering a Hall of Fame-worthy lineup of musicians and tweaking it according to his desires, Davis follows through on his idea to "put together the greatest rock and roll band you ever heard." Central to his proposition is the presence of two (and sometimes three) drummers and two bassists, a tactical move that thrusts rhythms into central focus. Akin to the futuristic album cover art, the drum-driven suites head toward distant universes and uncharted territories. At once hypnotizing and grooving, they chart maverick adventures with quixotic rock, funk, and R&B elements.

Conceptually, Davis described Bitches Brew as "a novel without words" and "an incredible journey of pain, joy, sorrow, hate, passion, and love." The vast psychedelic expanses of warped echoes, liquid reverb, and tape loops confirm such ambitious contrasts of light and dark, fear and hope. Yet the most absolute characteristic of this watershed effort lies in how it resists definitive interpretation and encourages free thought — the very principles with which Davis conceived the everlasting beauty and fascination that remain Bitches Brew.

A landmark recording and masterful symphony of performance, composition, and execution, Miles Davis' E.S.P. established the template jazz would follow for the following decade. The 1965 record splits the gap between accessible hard-bop and the cutting-edge approach Davis increasingly pursued into the 1970s. Adventurous, sophisticated, and yet altogether cohesive, E.S.P. stands out not only due to its elastic compositions but via its chemistry, interplay, and feeling attained by the instrumentalists. The first album Davis' classic second quintet made together, it's also very arguably the group's best. Never before has the effort been experienced in such transformational sound.

Pressed at RTI, this 180g 45RPM 2LP set of E.S.P. renders the music's dynamics, pitch, colors, and textures with lifelike realism and proper scale. Reference-caliber separation, wall-to-wall soundstages, and distinct images magnify the intensity and beauty of Davis and Co.'s creations. Whether it's the distinctive snap of Tony Williams' drum sticks against the snare head, air moving through Davis' trumpet, acoustic thrum of Ron Carter's bass, or upper register of Herbie Hancock's piano, the sound is better than you'd even hear in the most intimate jazz clubs. Prepare to be swayed on every level.

For many, E.S.P. looms among the decade's best albums if only because of the significance of Davis' line-up. While Hancock, Williams, and Carter are holdovers that began playing with one another on 1963's Seven Steps to Heaven, Wayne Shorter functions as the secret weapon and key addition responsible for this ensemble hitting a new peak. Indeed, the saxophonist helped pen two of the seven compositions here – notably, E.S.P. is entirely comprised originals and clocked in as one of the longest-running jazz LPs issued at the time – and, more importantly, grants Davis the confidence and leeway necessary for the eruption of enigma, steadiness, and tension.

As he did with John Coltrane year earlier, Davis hangs back and picks his moments to solo, with Shorter stepping up to supply the churn. Their bandmates respond in kind, itching to take off into new stratospheres all the while keeping their improvisations grounded and connected to the piece at hand. Guided by Davis' visions and inspired by current boundary-pushing works by the likes of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, and Coltrane, the magnificent results spark with variation, harmony, emotion, energy, and brilliant movement.

Interlocking lines drive "Little One," alternating rhythms pulse through the funky "Eighty-One," melodies soar on the balladic "Iris," the aptly titled "Mood" broods over minor-key structures, and "Agitation" – goosed by a two-minute percussive introduction by Williams – delivers on its promise. No record – and no group of musicians – have ever balanced coherent themes and exploratory playing in better fashion than Davis' quintet on E.S.P. It's the avant-garde record even jazz traditionalists love, and essential on every level.

Duke Ellington’s gorgeous 1958 release, already an audiophile stand out on Impex 33-rpm vinyl and 24k Gold CD, gets all the stops pulled out on our 65th Anniversary 45-rpm LPs! Exclusive new packaging and all-analogue mastering provides experiential and immersive musical engagement that has The Absolute Sound’s Wayne Garcia calling it “A musical masterpiece, sonic knockout. What a record!” 5/5 music – 5/5 sonics

True audiophile joy — now cut at 45 RPM 2LP for better tracking, exceptional bass!
Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original master tapes
Plated and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings!
Stoughton Printing gatefold tip-on heavyweight cardboard jacket


Praise for the 33 1/3 version of The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get:

"(Side one) ends with the appropriately titled 'Happy Ways,' a Latin-tinged guitar-fest with lovely chunky bass lines that sounds absolutely glorious on this Analogue Productions pressing. The zing of steel string guitar almost sounds dead on the CD and tired on my ancient vinyl pressing, so this is clearly not one of those remasters that's based on an umpteenth generation copy of the tapes. ... You owe it to yourself to hear this album — and it will not sound any better than this spectacular pressing." — Recording = 8/10; Music 10/10 — Jason Kenedy, Hi-Fi+, Issue 148

"An outstanding new 180gm LP reissue from Analogue Productions, with improved sound thanks to a sparkling new remaster by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, makes it clear that this 1973 release remains — with the possible exception of 1978's But Seriously, Folks . . . — the undisputed highlight of Walsh's solo career. ... Another week, another beautiful-sounding, wonderfully packaged reissue from Analogue Productions." Read the whole review here. — Robert Baird, May 2017

In between his stints with the James Gang and the Eagles, Joe Walsh tackled his second solo studio album The Smoker You Drink The Player You Get which became his most successful solo outing. The 1973 LP continued the heavy and light rock mix of tracks found on his previous release, Barnstorm.

Analogue Productions has done reissue justice to the album that AllMusic decries "features some of the most remembered Joe Walsh tracks, but it's not just these that make the album a success. Each of the nine tracks is a song to be proud of. This is a superb album by anyone's standards."

To obtain the best sound possible we turned to Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio to remaster this superb album from the original analogue tapes. Next we plated the lacquers and pressed LPs on 180-gram audiophile vinyl at the world's best LP maker, Quality Record Pressings. Top it all off with a deluxe Stoughton Printing gatefold tip-on jacket and you've got the makings for audiophile joy.

But would we stop there? Hardly. Now with our 45 RPM release, the best-sounding version of this rock music gem gives listeners an even richer sonic experience. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately.

This amazingly eclectic rock album has Joe's smash "Rocky Mountain Way," his hit "Meadows," plus "Bookends," "Wolf; Dreams" and more! Walsh's ability to swing wildly from one end of the rock scale to the other is unparalleled and makes for an album to suit many tastes.

Kingston-upon-Hull outfit The Black Delta Movement's new ‘In Acetate’ EP is a companion piece to the band’s recently released ‘Recovery Effects’ album.

Serving up eight tracks of immersive, groove-heavy psych-rock, The Black Delta Movemen’s second album ‘Recovery Effects’ was released in April 2023 and is already on its second vinyl pressing. Nearly five years in the works, it found band leader Matt Burr recruiting Little Barrie’s Barrie Cadogan, Lewis Wharton and Tony Coote to play on the record and The Heliocentrics’ Malcolm Catto on production duties.

The incoming ‘In Acetate’ EP is made up of three previously-unreleased tracks from those sessions (‘(This Is) Slow House’, ‘The Landgrab’ and ‘303’) and two remixes courtesy of UNKLE and Ill Japonia – aka Taigen Kawabe of Bo Ningen, who TBDM did a short Dutch tour with earlier this year.

This product is a Record Store Day exclusive title and is not available to pre-order.

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Manhattan Fire is a collection of demos from prolific Brooklyn outfit The Men, revealing early versions of the tracks that would go on to make up their 2023 LP New York City – described by Pitchfork as “an unpretentious garage-punk racket … summoning the snottiest ghosts of the city’s punk past.”

Recorded in mono and with a drum machine by founding members Mark Perro and Nick Chiericozzi over lockdown in late 2020 – before being shelved for the full-band, live-to-tape affair of the final LP – Manhattan Fire shows a new side to those songs that's even more primitive and rough around the edges, as well as previously unheard tracks that never made it onto the album.

The Dream Of Delphi is an ode to motherhood created in LA, Natasha’s second home, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a sonic archive of a time when Natasha birthed her daughter Delphi earth side. The record weaves together ten song poems, documenting the polarity of navigating both an exterior world that was seemingly turning upside down, whilst also experiencing theprofoundly personal and transformational early moments of mothering Delphi, named after the Greek Oracle, the ancient future teller. The music became Natasha’s sanctuary, born out of stolen trips to the studio, where each track was improvised and completed in a few hours and chronologises her diary like offerings over a period of two years; from “The Midwives Have Left”; to writing a “Letter To My Daughter”; and all the way through to “Waking up”, as well as a cover of her daughter’s favourite song, “Home”.While the storytelling behind Bat For Lashes’ previous albums have traditionally used otherworldly narratives and female lead characters (e.g. ‘Laura’, ‘Daniel’ and ‘The Bride’), for the first ti me, The Dream Of Delphi is about Natasha’s personal experience of the magical and sometimes melancholy intimacy of early motherhood. This record creates a more private form of mythology around the music than her previous work. The Dream Of Delphi touches on more of an instrumental “Bat For Lashes” world, and shows Natasha to be both a confident composer and craftswoman of intimate landscapes. While the music creates a more womb-like, ambient space for the listener, it still leaves ample room for her signature dream pop songwriting to vibrate through. Natasha has worked with Brad Oberhofer, Mary Lattimore and Jack Falby on this record.

Honeymind is Ben Platt’s anticipated third album (and debut on Interscope & Polydor Records), named for the “honeylike” state of being in love (“like all the jagged thoughts and fears and anxieties in my brain are slowly smoothed out, until my mind is coated with warmth and sweetness,”). The album was Executive Produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile), written with notable songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Natalie Hemby, and Alex Hope, and sees Ben exploring a more understated, folk leaning sound.

For fans of Duster, LSD and The Search for God, The Microphones. Double LP (NO BOOKS!) First official physical copy of fan-made compilation of alternate tracks and demos from cult phenomenon album Deathconsciousness. Freshly remastered. With the broader adoption of the internet around the turn of the century, how people would engage with and discover underground music would change forever. As a result of the new digital era, DIY was now worldwide, and no band embraced this new frontier better than Have A Nice Life. Formed in 2000 by duo Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga, the Middletown, CT-based pair would, throughout the 00s, self-release and share a number of demos and home recordings via early social media channels as well as establish its in-house label ENEMIES LIST HOME RECORDINGS. These first steps set in motion Have A Nice Life’s rise to renown as an icon of underground music in the internet age, culminating with the release of its pivotal 2008 debut album, Deathconsciousness. Through word of mouth and online discussion, Deathconsciousness became subject to viral praise thanks to its synthesis of bleak post-punk, lo-fi shoegaze, and carpets of hypnotic drone music. Eventually, this humble self-released project would attain the status of a post-internet cult classic, amassing Have A Nice Life a fervent online following that the band would interact with in kind. In an effort to thank and continue to engage with Have A Nice Life’s internet cult following, Barrett and Macuga would regularly share links to old demos, works in progress, and outtakes from the recording of Deathconsciousness. Over time, a group of fans would compile these demos into an unofficial release. Dubbed Voids, this fan-made compilation several alternate takes of tracks from Deathconsciousness, as well as a handful of early versions of songs that would appear on Have A Nice Life’s two following albums, The Unnatural World and Sea of Worry. While undeniably reminiscent of their final album version counterparts, the earlier versions of these tracks each feel distinct in a way that makes the moody, decidedly lo-fi aura of Voids an essential slice of the Have A Nice Life discography. Hungry for more from the enigmatic duo, fans swarmed around this compilation, accompanied by loud calls for it to receive a physical release. Seeing that demand and with the band’s blessing, a pair of fan-made tape pressings of Voids would be released via Music Ruins Lives, a DIY label run by Have A Nice Life superfan Thom Wasluck, also known for his band Planning for Burial. Between both instances of the tape swiftly selling out and the compilation’s long absence from streaming services, Voids has historically been an elusive release to track down, only available in the obscurest corners of the internet or physically on the secondary market at eye-wateringly high prices.
Over a decade since its initial, unofficial release in 2011, The Flenser is proud to reissue Have A Nice Life’s Voids for the first time ever in an official capacity in physical form. Originally released digitally in early 2023 and freshly remastered for the occasion, this reissue of the beloved compilation will receive its first-ever wide release on physical formats (CD/LP/Cassette). This release also marks the first time fan-favorite tracks from Voids “Sisyphus”, “I’m Doctor House”, and “Human Error” will be available on vinyl and CD. Like a symbolic passing of the torch, the physical versions of the 2023 Voids reissue come with a foreword essay written by Wasluck, the previous custodian of Voids during the Music Ruins Lives days.

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts is an American rock band from Nashville founded and fronted by former Biters leader Tuk Smith, originally from Atlanta, now living in Nashville. The band released their debut single "What Kinda Love" on January 10, 2020 and were also added as an opening act for The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe on the same day. Then came the onset of Covid 19. “When the pandemic hit, it was like hitting the reset button on my music career” recalls Tuk, “everything got taken away…album campaign, stadium tour, record deal. The world was in lockdown, and the only way to escape was to throw myself into writing. My thoughts began exploring the past, and the inspiration for the songs just came in tidal waves.”
The new collection is a rock ‘n roll silver lining that came out of the solitude and reflection of the pandemic. Ballad Of A Misspent Youth is the new single (and subsequent album of the same name) released summer of 2022 on Tuk’s new record label MRG, through Virgin Music. Tuk explains, “I decided to make a rock and roll record for me and what I like because there was no label, there was no committee involved…just me and my stories. I wanted to create a setting and an authentic feeling about everything. I reunited with long-time friend Dan Dixon and recorded these songs in his garage studio, and there is a purity to the work that came from all the circumstances of that time.” Growing up as an outsider in rural Georgia, Tuk found solace in hardcore punk acts like Black Flag and The Exploited. From there, Smith branched out into exploring seventies New York bands like The Dead Boys and New York Dolls, which lead him across the sea where he embraced first-wave British acts like The Buzzcocks and the Clash. Smith wasn’t just a casual fan of these acts, he was obsessed with them and traced their lineage with fervent dedication. “I was always into the Clash growing up and Mick Jones’ favorite band was Mott The Hoople, so through the years I ended up developing a love of the first wave of British glam, power pop and things like that,” he explains. Soon Smith was forming his own acts, touring relentlessly and building a following with his high-energy live shows, including his tour of duty as lead singer for the Biters, who he fronted for nearly a decade. He offers “Then after being on the road for years, I had a reckoning about where I was at and the future ahead. …I realized the only way to achieve something meaningful was to be a good songwriter…that clicked. I went on a musical diet where I stripped the obscure stuff away, and I really started focusing on the greats. When I started clicking that it was just about the songs, things changed. I had already put my 10,000 hours in the van to play in the dive clubs, but then I put my 10,000 hours into figuring out how to write. I also started working with other songwriters. I humbled myself… it was an education, like going to school.” Tuk elaborates, “I wanted to kind of branch out musically and do different things, and I figured to go solo would be better. My manager actually suggested I call my new band “The Restless Hearts” and that's what he would call me all the time. It was the title of a Biters song that people loved and I’d seen a few restless hearts tattoos at our shows along the way… and so Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts was born. I was in a period where I changed everything including the way I lived my daily life. I experimented with different ways to tap into positive/creative energy…it was an evolving overall process (and still is).” Tuk summarizes, “Things used to be about debauchery, and now they’re more about dedication. I mean, I was always driven, but I was sometimes focusing on the wrong things. Now I focus on the music and the craftsmanship of writing and producing and performing. “

For fans of Lettuce, The Motet, and Tauk! A power funk septet, Waiting on Mongo is an immersive experience that can only be described as a soulful journey that pushes the limits in the 4th dimension of psychedelic grooves. With strutting guitar riffs, transcendent horns, and heady organ depth, the live performances take you on a cathartic journey where you shed the weight of the world with everyone in attendance. Traversing the inner workings of the human soul, everything seems to be in its right place when the Mongo party hits full throttle. Waiting on Mongo has relentlessly displayed a level of musicianship that continues to impress both music critics and fans alike, winning awards in their hometown of Asbury Park for consecutive years. With a permeating aura of soulful energy, that illuminates every venue, the band is on a collision course for new locations to spread the love that is their music. Now they are set to release their brand-new album From The Top featuring the first single “Take Our Time” and other stand out tracks like “Do What you Want” and “Sick of the Woods”.

-Debut full-length album from Miami-based soul jazz trio Fat Produce. -Featuring musicians who played with The White Blinds, Scone Cash Players, Jungle Fire, War, The Bombillas. Featured in Relix Magazine’s April/May new artist spotlight to over 250k subscribers.
-Upcoming shows in California and Florida. F-Spot Records proudly presents the debut LP "Fresh Squeeze" from Miami-based soul jazz trio Fat Produce. Led by guitarist Addison Rifkind (The Soul Vaccinators) and drummer Michael Duffy (The White Blinds, Jungle Fire), this duo is joined by world-renowned bass player Rene Camacho (Poncho Sanchez, War) to bring you 14 all-new and original soul jazz instrumental cuts that's a guaranteed head-nodder from start to finish. When Rifkind and Duffy first met on a gig with organist Adam Scone (Scone Cash Players), both felt an instant chemistry musically, and the seeds of Fat Produce were born. In sharing their passion for classic soul jazz, in addition to funk and hip-hop, Rifkind and Duffy started to dive in, taking the idea of a guitar trio to new heights unlike anything you've heard before. After a year of playing gigs and honing their craft, both descended back to their hometown of Los Angeles, CA, to meet up with Rene Camacho and spend two days recording at The F-Spot HQ under the helm of producer and label owner David M Celia. Recording all live in one room to 1/2" tape, the resulting sessions truly captured the essence of Fat Produce's sound. Forced to be in the moment tracking live with no overdubs, "Fresh Squeeze" highlights the authentic tone and feeling from those two special days spent breathing new life into the guitar trio format. From the more straight-ahead soul jazz tunes like "Sticky Beets" and "Slick" to more outside-the-box cuts like "SON!" and the afrobeat-inspired "Afrenetic," rounded out with groove-focused compositions such as "Cadillac Converter," Grease on the Range," and "818 Don't Hate," this LP brings a variety of styles and feels, while all keeping it under the same umbrella of guitar, upright bass, and drums. Highlighting the chordal and melodic stylings of Addison Rifkind, the signature drum tone and feel of Michael Duffy, and tastefully executed playing from bassist Rene Camacho, "Fresh Squeeze" is the perfect sonic experience. From the first note on side A to the last hit on side B, it's a full sound, a timeless listen, and one slated to be on repeat for decades to come

Nestled beside the sea and a cluster of palm trees, La Malvarrosa, the neighborhood in Valencia where Cooper resides, derives its name from a fusion of "Malva," meaning mauve, and "Rosa," meaning pink. Here, La Malvarrosa serves as the primary backdrop for the recordings, symbolizing two distinct colors and artistic approaches.

These hues become the emblematic colors of a fictitious flag from an imagined island located on a forgotten expanse of ocean. From this ethereal site, melodies emerge, seeking to unravel the essence of certain insular music while intertwining with Cooper's post-everything sensibilities and Kòlar's minimalist electronics. "Mauve/Pink" navigates the delicate balance between playfulness, intricacy, and simplicity, blurring boundaries between tradition and innovation, reality and imagination, change and repetition.

The album serves as a showcase for contrasting methodologies and viewpoints, acting as a sonic document of an ongoing conversation between generations, where Cooper and Kòlar's efforts illuminate a boundless creative process and timeless aesthetics.

Nach bereits 6 veröffentlichten Soloalben erscheint nun das erste Bandalbum des amerikanischen Musikers und Songwriters (u.a. Bruce Springsteen, Sheena Easton) Tim Scott Mcconnell aka Ledfoot. Während sein ganz besonderer Gothic Blues Style weiterhin deutlich herauszuhören ist, trägt der Zusatz einer Band zu neuen Klängen auf dem Album bei, die stilistisch von Americana über Country bis Rock reichen.

Ledfoot, der seit 3 Jahrzehnten in Norwegen ansässig ist, begann seine musikalische Karriere bereits 1980 als Mitglied von The Rockats, als er noch Teenager war. Mitte der 80er Jahre nahm er zwei Soloalben auf, bevor er The Havalinas mitbegründete, die ebenfalls zwei Alben veröffentlichten und Industrielegende Bob Dylan auf seiner ´Oh Mercy´-Welttournee als Support Band begleiteten. Mcconnell, dessen Kompositionen in der Vergangenheit bereits von Rock / Pop -Größen wie Bruce Springsteen („High Hopes“) und Sheena Easton („Swear“) gecovert wurden, ist zweifacher Gewinner des Spellemann Awards (norwegischer Grammy) in der Blues-Kategorie, darunter auch für seine jüngste Aufnahme, „Coffin Nails“ aus dem Jahr 2022. Sein siebtes Album, „Outsiders“, ist eine Hommage an Ledfoots Einflüsse im Leben – sowohl musikalisch, als auch zwischenmenschlich. Es ist ein Album, das den Außenseiter thematisiert: Loser, Outcasts, Wannabes, einfache Menschen mit großen Träumen. Die neun Songs, die an Werke von Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, Bruce Springsteen und sogar Mink DeVille erinnern, wurden in nur vier Tagen im Studio Nyhagen auf dem Land nördlich von Oslo aufgenommen. Die daraus resultierende "Live-Atmosphäre" steht als Zeugnis für wirklich großartige Musikalität. Ledfoot demonstriert, einmal wieder, sein ausgeprägtes Talent fürs Songwriting und Geschichtenerzählen, welches „Outsiders“, gepaart mit seiner einzigartigen Stimme, der ikonischen 12-saitigen (Slide-) Gitarre, sowie der zusätzlichen musikalischen Untermalung der Band, zu einem phänomenalen siebten Album des Künstlers macht. Aufgenommen und gemixed von Kjartan Hesthagen, Master von Winter Lazerus.

The Dream Of Delphi is an ode to motherhood created in LA, Natasha’s second home, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a sonic archive of a time when Natasha birthed her daughter Delphi earth side. The record weaves together ten song poems, documenting the polarity of navigating both an exterior world that was seemingly turning upside down, whilst also experiencing theprofoundly personal and transformational early moments of mothering Delphi, named after the Greek Oracle, the ancient future teller. The music became Natasha’s sanctuary, born out of stolen trips to the studio, where each track was improvised and completed in a few hours and chronologises her diary like offerings over a period of two years; from “The Midwives Have Left”; to writing a “Letter To My Daughter”; and all the way through to “Waking up”, as well as a cover of her daughter’s favourite song, “Home”.While the storytelling behind Bat For Lashes’ previous albums have traditionally used otherworldly narratives and female lead characters (e.g. ‘Laura’, ‘Daniel’ and ‘The Bride’), for the first ti me, The Dream Of Delphi is about Natasha’s personal experience of the magical and sometimes melancholy intimacy of early motherhood. This record creates a more private form of mythology around the music than her previous work. The Dream Of Delphi touches on more of an instrumental “Bat For Lashes” world, and shows Natasha to be both a confident composer and craftswoman of intimate landscapes. While the music creates a more womb-like, ambient space for the listener, it still leaves ample room for her signature dream pop songwriting to vibrate through. Natasha has worked with Brad Oberhofer, Mary Lattimore and Jack Falby on this record.

The fourth Subetasch-Release is again combining 4 tracks of our residents, a juxtaposition of different influences on one record, always keeping a driving groove - and again, approaching the dancefloor with exciting, playful sounds. Four tracks with crooked sounds, catchy melodies, distorted voices, pumping beats and last but not least, elements of surprise.
Are you stuck in a rainforest and not sure if the frog you just touched is hallucinogenic? Then "raindrops" by TakaTuka is just the song for you right now! Kicking off on side A, 'the pumping bass and the delusional synth sounds' will help you with moving your body to find a way out of here or to just lay down and get one with the forest. Next up Jdis is striking up a faster pace with "Ghosts", where sharp synth stabs meet subtle acid sounds and whirling voices telling you to stay longer. On Side B, vaZdaZ dives in with delicious, freshly caught fish marinated in hazy vocals and a captivating tribal groove. Followed by Tinbred, which is the sound of beer cans being popped in the sunset on Danube Island if Vienna was flipped upside down and inverted in color. Be careful not to spill any of your Tinbred bread while jogging along to the groove of this tune.

"Trails" is a 7-track EP by Guitarist and composer Robbie Belchamber, which draws upon elements of jazz, brazilian, west african and folk music. The compositions are centered around the soft timbre of fingerstyle nylon-string guitar, with subtle arrangements incorporating voice, flute, percussion, mandolin, accordion and electric guitar filling out the texture.

"During lockdown I spent a lot of time exploring Melbourne's northern waterways, riding my bike along the Birrarung, Darebin creek and Merri creek. These opportunities to slow down, reflect, observe and spend time in nature formed the genesis of many of the compositions. "Trails" sonifies these experiences, the bubbling rhythms of water, melodic inventions of currawongs and magpie-larks, pervasive scents of the bush, all changing with the seasons."

"Trails" is the first release under Robbie Belchamber, and features collaborations Melbourne musicians such as Lucky Pereira (Glass Beams, 30/70), Hannah McKittrick, Grace Robinson (Empress), Moses Carr, Aidan Ryan (NoLess) and Erica Tuccerri.

Chrome is back again with his 5th full studio album. A new project under the guise of ChromePlus alongside Super JB, A Civilian and Tom Hanna. Chrome has amassed an incredible catalogue since 1990 as member of the mighty Def Tex and collaborating with IllInspired, Whirlwind D, DJar One, Specifik, Crease and DJ Nappa to name but a few.
This album has taken just over 3 years to complete and release but the wait is worth it. Featuring live instruments over sampled drums and turntables it has a vastly different DNA to most Hip Hop based albums, and with this the soundscape is able to stretch out in a way that would be almost impossible when staying in the realm of samples. But with the sampled drums keeping the dynamic energy of more usual Hip Hop production
Chrome’s previous single ‘Anything You Want’ achieved the prestige of ‘BBC Introducing’ single of the week which gives only a hint of the quality that can be expected here. Chrome is always trying something new and pushing his music into territory that many other artists do not attempt and with great results and with the stunning artwork it is the complete package for the decerning Hip Hop listener. There is something for each part of the Hip Hop spectrum here from Fast Rap, thoughtful and experimental guitar driven tracks, instrumentals and the almost forgotten DJ track with the tempo varying accordingly.

Kata No Wadachi is the latest album by Banetoriko, the solo noise project of Tamaki Ueda. Her first release both on An’archives and on vinyl, it follows several albums for the Neurec imprint – 2017’s Beside the Sluice and 2022’s Yorioto Hogiokuri – and several other cassettes and CD-Rs. With Kata No Wadachi, the Banetoriko world, inspired by the Yokai (“strange apparitions” – supernatural figures, ghosts, spirits) of Japanese folklore, is at its most resonant yet.

Recorded across 2022 and 2023, the three tracks on Kata No Wadachi have Ueda performing in a particularly elevated manner. Her sound is highly tactile and grittily sensuous, the better to capture the ritualistic repetitions, and hypnotic methodologies, core to Banetoriko. The scrape and scratch of Ueda’s self-made metal instrument, the Banetek, gives these improvisations a unique throb, even as their mood, of introverted focus and elaboration of minutiae, gestures towards broader histories of noise and abstract art. Kata No Wadachi evokes, to some degree, the urban ritual noise of the likes of The New Blockaders, Organum, or Ferial Confine; elsewhere, the abraded, rough-housing textures bring to mind the eighties tape works of Hands To and John Hudak.

Ueda embraces the dream evocation that’s possible when loops of blurred texture collide with the gnaw and groan of energised metal, while mantric, dissociated vocals, and the oppressive weight of deep breath, gather around these compositions like a ghost’s shroud. While she’s been making noise for some time, since the nineties, Banetoriko was formalised as a project in 2011, while Ueda lived in Los Angeles. Relocating to Osaka in 2021, she’s carved out an utterly unique space for herself in Japanese noise, and her music contains an absolutely elemental vibration. Framed beautifully with poetic liner notes by Aurélien Rossanino, Kata No Wadachi is an oppressive, yet quixotically blissful trip.

"Neutrals are a punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area, channeling a wide range of '70s and '80s punk, post-punk, and DIY indiepop influences. Their spare, angular songs don't skimp on melody or intimate storytelling and represent an appropriate intervention in these tense, atomized times. Their debut album ""Kebab Disco"" came out in 2019 on Emotional Response Records and garnered universal acclaim as ""an excellent collection of terse melodies, unique storytelling, and scraping pop. (AllMusic)"".

Following up their ace 2019 debut LP and a string of future-classic singles, Neutrals are now back with ""New Town Dream,"" a 13 song dispatch that takes on modern life and politics (both micro and macro) and situates their scrappy Jam-meets-Television Personalties sound firmly in 2024. Now featuring the sprightly bass and deadpan harmonies/backing vocals of bassist Lauren, Neutrals have turned in their catchiest, sharpest set of tunes yet."

Italian group The Gluts are today announcing their new full-length‘Bang!, out May 31st on Fuzz Club. Arriving following 2021’s ‘Ungrateful Heart’ LP, ‘Bang!’ is the fifth studio album from the
Milan-based band. “Like the sound of a single gunshot, straight to the heart”, the record is balanced between punchy, fast-paced punk songs and noisy experimentalism, perfectly distilling the strength and
energy of their notoriously wild, feedback-blasted live shows. INDIE ONLY! 180g Yellow Vinyl.

Plainly the most radical album of their career to date, Nell’ Ora Blu stands out from the sterile desert of rock ’n’ roll in 2024 like a gore-drenched beacon. What this scintillating detour tells us about the future of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats remains a mystery, but after enjoying such rich and fruitful artistic indulgence, Starrs’ notoriety as one of heavy music’s most distinctive voices can only increase. An eccentric tour-de-force, Nell’ Ora Blu is the band’s magnum opus. You will have nightmares. Trust no one. Watch your back. Let the blood flow…

Sixth studio album from this globally recognised cult institution. Nell’ ora blu is an epic tribute to Italian crime cinema from the late 60s/early 70s. It features exclusive guest appearances from top stars of the Giallo & Poliziotteschi genres, including Franco Nero and Edwige Fenech.

Plainly the most radical album of their career to date, Nell’ Ora Blu stands out from the sterile desert of rock ’n’ roll in 2024 like a gore-drenched beacon. What this scintillating detour tells us about the future of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats remains a mystery, but after enjoying such rich and fruitful artistic indulgence, Starrs’ notoriety as one of heavy music’s most distinctive voices can only increase. An eccentric tour-de-force, Nell’ Ora Blu is the band’s magnum opus. You will have nightmares. Trust no one. Watch your back. Let the blood flow…

Sixth studio album from this globally recognised cult institution. Nell’ ora blu is an epic tribute to Italian crime cinema from the late 60s/early 70s. It features exclusive guest appearances from top stars of the Giallo & Poliziotteschi genres, including Franco Nero and Edwige Fenech.

Atmosphere and gravity lean into each other. They are simultaneously expansive, and anchoring. They hold us, and lend a sense of perspective. They provide a stability and a knowingness which is essential in the absolute, and yet we can't help but find ourselves gazing upward, outward and reaching towards that which sits outside those things and ways we know. Selene is a record about that this lingering desire for that which sits beyond. It is work that seeks new perspectives snatched from familiar vistas, and it meditates on that sense of anchor and perspective. The work is also a speculative hymn to the visions of the celestial zones that spill ever outward. These visions, once merely what we could perceive with the naked eye are now so much more. Our minds eye is fed in equal parts by radio telecopy, filmic dreams and fiction renders of a place most of us will never know first-hand. This recording ties into a linage that reaches back, while stretching forward. It is just one story of so many, told across places, across cultures, across generations. It sits in the in-between of before and after, and in that moment invites us to situate ourselves and lean into it.

Eszaid imagines the sonic paranoia of discovery with Brumes, a 9 part movement for FELT that coalesces industrialised murmurs from the currents of cavernous creep.

An electronic complexion shaded dusk haunts Eszaid’s output. Previous releases on L.I.E.S., Worship and his own Collapsing Market label exemplified a shutters-closed style of rhythmic and melodic variance that teetered on techno-related realities with the lights kept firmly off. The Avignon-based artist lands at Fergus Jones's FELT stable to further the imprint’s unpredictability, coaxing some of his most perturbed oddities yet with Brumes.

The mythologized voyage of Pytheas to the island of Thule provides the abstracted blueprint for Brumes’ 9 parts. Each movement is born of soundscapes inspired by envisaged scenes of his trip to the North, an aural construction of interpretation. Eszaid unwinds tense metronomic rhythms within sparse sound environments, sprung with globular textures of motorik warbles and darkside atmospherics. Its minimalist beat complexions are buoyant by an abstracted fear of the unknown, tracks defined by bobbling industriale, Gregorian dub and atonal menace. It’s an alternative experience to the often faux-jubilance of expeditious revelation, and something that will resonate long after Nord’s beatless modulation fade out.

Strawberry Wind, produced by Richard Swift (Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, Foxygen, The Shins) not only delivers on a promise to create an honest album for kids and parents but it represents what Baylin calls the “beautiful divide,” of juggling family life with her creative life, a difficult task by any measure. “The divide in me is easy to feel because I invest 100% of myself into my family and often the creative gets put to the side,” she explained, “so when I decided to begin writing for this album it just poured out of me.” Now singer / songwriter Jessie Baylin shares that creative outpouring on her debut children’s album, ‘Strawberry Wind’. Throughout the album, Baylin doesn’t hold back on telling it like it is. Weaving through lyrical themes of dream life, supermoons and summertime vibes are some gentle doses of reality. “I don’t want to lie to my kids. Life is hard sometimes and you need to find a way to deal with it... there will always be things in life you can’t control. But, you can dream of a better world and make your own refuge,” says Baylin, who is mom to 4-year-old Violet and is expecting her second child with her husband. Baylin, who’s released four critically-acclaimed albums over the years, says the seed was planted for this album after recording a cover of Harry Nilsson’s He Needs Me from the kids’ film Popeye. “The song has a childlike sense, but the message is very deep. It’s magical, it’s dark, and it hit all the right notes. I wanted to do an album that feels like that” she says. “Since becoming a mother, I found myself being around the house a lot and I started gravitating to these wonderful albums I remembered from my own childhood - The Beatles, Harry Nilsson’s The Point!, John Lennon, Roger Miller’s Robin Hood and Carole King’s Really Rosie." The magic of those iconic 1970s records she mentions is that they’re all grounded in solid songwriting and were never dumbed down for the audience. “Those records felt very honest and that was my mission here. I also wanted it to feel magical and remind people of the child inside of all of us that is filled with a sense of wonder and pure joy and hope.”

On Unknown Road, Pennywise steps up their songwriting, maintains all their fury and intensity, and
lays out their philosophy of independence and the importance of daring to live every moment to its
fullest. This album features a number of songs that played on tons of skate, surf and snowboarding
videos, making this, and other PW records to come, the soundtrack to the exploding extreme sports
board scene. Featuring such Pennywise classics as “Homesick,” “Unknown Road,” “It’s Up To Me,” and
“You Can Demand,” Unknown Road is arguably the quintessential So Cal hardcore record of the ‘90s.
Reissued on limited edition Sunset Boulevard vinyl to celebrate the album’s 30th anniversary!

Having been based in Sussex, Philip moved to an old mill in France and never stopped writing. In 2014 he released his organic and honest solo debut album "I'm Not The Man I Used To Be". This was followed up by the critically acclaimed Mental Home Recordings is upon us. And now Philip Parfitt is set to release Dark light via Chicago/London/Paris based label Tip Top Recordings.

A significant milestone in his long accomplished career, Dark Light features 10 beautifully crafted pieces, including deep cuts 'I know I shouldn't but voices' and 'Dark light' the title track, give ample evidence of Philip's prowess as a wordsmith and musician, but also arranger and producer. Think Nick Drake and Captain Beefheart accidentally bumping into each other at a private viewing of Bright Sta
in Heaven, you won't be too far out of the crease. Philip is accompanied by a merry band of friends and luminaries including Alex Creepy Mojo, Amelie Fish, Lucie Robet (who also wrote title track Dark Light with Philip), Gilda Scouarnec, Rog Mogale (who also mastered the album), and Mark Refoy.

Dark Light is released on digital, CD, limited edition vinyl LP with 200 copies in black and 200 copies in dark purple to match the darkly beautiful artwork by Fernando Ruibal. Sleeve notes come from Matthew Spector within the included booklet with art from Joane Charlotte Senechal, photography by Sarah Baba, and design by Anna Mort.

This underground jewel now finally out on Vinyl! Including Christian
Alvestam from ex-Scar Symmetry - Mix by Plec (Soilwork, Miseration,
etc)

Back In Stock!

a special 2x12" with some funky old school house classics !! limited re-stock !!!!

Some songs are so ingrained in our consciousness that they are immediately identifiable upon hearing one or two notes. Featuring one of the most indelible riffs ever played, Foghat's air-guitar anthem "Slow Ride" is such a tune. The hit single turned the British band into stars and catapulted 1975's Fool for the City up the charts. And what a ride it is.

We hear a lot of yearning today about the good-old, glory days of rock and roll, the simple kind that just locked into a good beat, turned out a raunchy groove, and simply kicked you in the butt. The no-pretense type meant for kicking back, letting loose, and surrendering to the melody. Bare-bones music that doesn't need image or looks as a crutch.

Well, this is it, friends, classic meat-and-potatoes 70s rock that comes with killer slide-guitar solos, crunchy leads, driving rhythms, and soaring vocals. No need for any further instructions or explanations. The pact between artist and audience is understood. Here, the band trusts that you know what to do and is ready to rock out with anyone in earshot.

Pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, Mobile Fidelity's remaster of this Foghat gem bring to the surface the band's marble-solid sturdiness and bluesy structures like never before. Bass notes are thicker and richer, the dual guitars bite and snap, and Lonesome Dave Peverett's singing comes across with realistic grit. This LP invites you to hear and feel the energy Foghat brings to the boogie-infused title track, great cover of the Righteous Brothers' "My Babe," and, of course, the everlasting "Slow Ride."

Cassette!!

Waou !
First tune brings a pumpin sweet mental calmed down tribe mid-night humble sound... tribal and trancy at some points... SPLENDID !Nesh then goes twirly acid... submarine cruiser style !

The flip opens with 6ou7 and a tribal speeder, with some industrial acid threatenning sounds...
Last but not least ^^ Insane Tekno swing a tribe, monumental progression up to the nivrana !

Printed sleeve for a thick plate !

(Jam El Mar Remix) DJ Ghost and Robert Armani resurrect their hugely popular turn-of-the-millennium collaboration with the superb ‘Hit Hard Baby (WTF)



DJ Ghost and Robert Armani resurrect their hugely popular turn-of-the-millennium collaboration with the superb ‘Hit Hard Baby (WTF)’. A formidable duo when it comes to churning out mind bending techno and hard-edged grooves, these guys first got together in 2001 delivering the bouncy vibes of ‘Hard One’ followed by ‘Airport’ and ‘Funk That’, all of which got included on a raft of compilations and enjoyed by many around the world. Individually they are accomplished in their own right. Ghost is an iconic figure in Belgium and a stalwart within the Bonzai family. Robert Armani needs no introduction, ‘Circus Bells’, ‘Ambulance’, ‘Hit Hard’ anyone? Since the mid-eighties he’s been right up there with DJ greats, and in 1992 he started releasing his own brand of house, acid house and techno. Legend is an understatement when it comes to both these guys and we’re delighted to see them back at it in the studio once again.



The release opens with ‘Hit Hard Baby (WTF)’, introing with dark kick drums and raspy hi hats. Classic techno percussions weave intricate patterns as tension mounts, taking us to the break where hypnotic notes build alongside a snare roll to the drop and back to full-on dark mode for the duration. ‘The Underground’ is up next, combining sick techno grooves with massive rave stabs and murky acid lines. Powered by a solid drum arrangement that packs a punch, this one is destined for peak time greatness. The first of two versions of ‘H.O.H’ begins with the Original Mix. Keeping with darker tones of the release, this one goes straight for the jugular as chunky kicks and pulsating, mesmeric basses combine along with clangy percussions and a classic vocal hook that will destroy the dancefloor. Another legend joins us to round out the release with Jam El Mar stepping up for remix duties on ‘H.O.H’. Hailed as a pioneer of trance alongside the late great Mark Spoon, Jam El Mar remains a much-revered name on the scene and we know amazing things happen when he’s let loose in the studio. Ramping up the energy on this one Jame El Mar whips up a frenzy to get the crowd moving. Heavy hitting kicks with layers of rhythmic percussions get the toes tapping while gnarly techno basses and electrifying synths combine alongside that instantly recognisable vocal. A monster tune that is not to be missed.

Repress!

Wah Wah 45s are proud to present the full debut album from Afrobeat supergroupEparapo. Having come togetherduring the unprecedented events of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, and despite being a project born from the privations of lockdown, their music is ultimately an expression of hope, resilience & resurgence.

The word "eparapo" means "join forces" in Yoruba, the language of Afrobeat. It's also the title of a track by the late, greatTony Allen- drummer for Afrobeat legendFela Kutiand lifelong friend and mentor of our very own "Afrobeat Ambassador",Dele Sosimi. Not only did Tony help to invent Afrobeat, he always looked for ways to push the boundaries, never content with recreating what had gone before but constantly expanding and developing the genre. This project hopes to pay homage to his legacy, and that of Fela Kuti himself. Its aim is to innovate, fuse and diversify while still retaining the essence of the music.

The force behind Eparapo is bassist, composer & producerSuman Joshi.He has been a member of Dele Sosimi's Afrobeat Orchestra for nearly a decade and has performed on stage with the likes of Tony Allen, Seun Kuti, Ginger Baker & Laura Mvula. He is also bassist with UK jazz ensemble Collocutor and fusion project Cubafrobeat.

"The Eparapo project was conceived during a time of lockdowns & government scandals. The music that makes up this album was written and recorded against a backdrop of societal upheaval, culture wars and rising wealth inequality. With little scrutiny or resistance from the mainstream media, our human and democratic rights were being eroded and our institutions debased. Even our right to protest is now under threat. This is a call to action, an expression of frustration & anger at what our nation has become. It's saying that enough is enough, it's time to join forces and make our voices heard. It's time to take to the streets."Suman Joshi

The title track is an epic eleven minute musical representation of this frustration and anger, where the musicians really let loose and allow their voices to be heard. As the only instrumental track on the album it acts as a call to action that is central to this body of work. Featured vocalists on the album are Fela Kuti disciple and Wah Wah 45s artistDele Sosimi, who appears on the singlesBlack Lives Matter,From London To LagosandWho Invented Back & White?as well as a more recent recording,Follow The Money; and London based, Ghanaian born master percussionist and vocalistAfla Sackey, who takes lead vocals on the mournful yet somehow hopefulBeautiful City.

The rest of the group comprises of highly rated UK jazz vocalistSahra Gure; saxophonist, composer, producer and bandleader of the renowned forward thinking jazz outfit Collocutor,Tamar Osborn; keyboard player, producer and front man for Lokkhi Terra and Cubafrobeat,Kishon Khan; one of the UK's finest and most in demand trumpeters,Graeme Flowers, who has played with Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter and many more; trombonist for Bellowhead and mainstay of Dele's Afrobeat Orchestra,Justin Thurgur; and finally drummer for Steamdown and Sons of Kemet, as well as the man behind the Nache project,Eddie Wakili Hick.

The album will be available digitally and limited edition vinyl LP, with striking artwork by our award winning designer Animisiewasz.

Out on STY TRU BTS, ‘Sarang / 사랑’ is the latest album offering from South Africa’s multi-hyphenate star Sio. Presenting 11 heart-felt and deeply personal tracks, Sio presents ‘Sarang / 사랑’, an album packed with impeccable storytelling and soul-stirring lyricism. Unveiling a vulnerability like never before, Sio’s latest project is a joint venture between herself and long-time collaborator, producer Daev Martian. Stand out tracks include ‘Twilight’, a celebration of the journey that is life where Sio invites listeners to delve into introspection and legacy. Neo-soul erupts into Amapiano on ‘No Lymyt’, while closing track ‘Hey Lover’ is finally given the spotlight 16 years after its inception. Featuring two interludes, Sio’s spoken-word glides over soundscapes, further drawing you into her poetic magic

Straight Outta Belpaese, MORE disco – exotica – balearic- Italo-funk for the demanding digger!!!

Continuing Mr Bongo’s series exploring the wealth of material released through the record labels of Sonny Lester, 1977’s Funk Reaction finds Hammond B3 organ virtuoso Lonnie Smith at his most dancefloor-friendly. Dripping with groove and swagger, this album skates between jazz-funk, cosmic disco radiance, beat-laden slow-jams and conscious psychedelic soul.

Having played with the likes of George Benson and Lou Donaldson in the ‘60s, alongside releasing a string of albums on Columbia and Blue Note, Funk Reaction sees Smith move into late ‘70s disco-funk-tinged territory.

Originally released on Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant Records successor, Lester Radio Corporation, the album feels more like a collaborative band-orientated project as opposed to a solo artist outing. Featuring some elite session players of the time, including Steve Gadd on drums, guitarist Lance Quinn and bassist Bob Babbitt, the album is tied together expertly by songwriter, arranger and conductor Brad Baker.

It’s worth the price tag alone for the superb disco-funk nugget 'Funk Reaction’. Other highlights include the only Lonnie Smith penned track on the album 'All In My Mind', that shines with a beautiful Stevie Wonder-esque quality and the slick guitar-led floater 'When The Night Is Right’, written by and featuring guitarist Richie Hohenburger. Elsewhere, ‘For The Love Of It’ and the Brad Babbitt written ‘Babbitt's Other Song’ serve up classic jazz funk flavours, both featuring stellar tenor saxophone from Eddie Daniels.

As a whole, the album is a superb example of Lonnie Smith’s ability to merge jazz with elements of funk, soul, disco and beyond, experimenting with ideas whilst broadening the scope of both his audience and appeal. Fans of The Blackbyrds, the CTI / Kudu stable and ‘70s George Benson will dig this!

Straight Outta Soul N Palms, soulful re-edits for the more discerning ear.

DJ Support: Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche

Leading the charge with the next Toolroom Trax vinyl series is Mark Knight’s remix on a euphoric dance anthem from Dave Spoon (aka Shadowchild) & Nick Reach Up who update Elaine Mai & MuRli's track 'Ready'. An underground House work-out that's been tried & tested on the dancefloor throughout 2023 and inspired by the euphoric House sound of the 90's, Mark’s mix makes use of the original's hypnotic vocal, combined with driving bass and big euphoric synths. House heavy-weight CASSIMM lands back on our Trax vinyl series with another essential club cut 'Wanna Feel Something'. The Italian, London based hit machine rose to new heights in 2023 with a Beatport House #1 'LOVE DESIRE' on Claptone's Golden Recordings, and chart-topping releases on Toolroom, Spinnin', Myth Of NYX and more. Full of fun, funk and house goodness, CASSIMM yet again delivers another irresistible party starter! Label favourite, Crusy steps up on remix duties for this next offering and a milestone 300th release for the label with an updated mix of Superchumbo & Victoria Wilson James’ ‘The Revolution’. An influential anthem from 2001 'The Revolution' spent over two decades in clubland since icon Danny Tenaglia originally broke the record at the infamous WMC Miami, later going on to recieve support from global superstars such as Pete Tong, X-Press 2, Roger Sanchez and more. Crusy’s signature drums, percussion and grooves drive through

that Latin influenced energy throughout. Last but definitely not least, James Hurr and Electro pioneer Arthur Baker team up with their unique blend of underground house and 80's hip-hop in new club controller, 'Powder In The Nose'. This collaboration marks a triumphant return for James Hurr on Trax who has previously released successful club cuts on the label, and an exciting debut for Arthur Baker, an artist who needs no introduction. The Boston-born producer is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the Electro genre, with a career spanning over four decades. Baker's unique sound, which fuses elements of hip-hop, funk, and electronic music, has made him a household name and a highly sought-after collaborator. Together, Hurr and Baker are a powerhouse duo, with their combined expertise and passion for dance music 'Powder In The Nose' is nothing short of spectacular.

ountless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio

Dubbed out new version of a Japanese reggae classic from 1982 by UK-based Tokyo Riddim Band. Recorded and mixed by the legendary Prince Fatty in South London, it's a fusion of past and present, East and West.
Three generations of female musicians from Japan come together, blending reggae drums, funky bass, and the smooth City Pop guitar, all magically dubbed-out live on stage. Tokyo Riddim Band is a culture clash phenomenon unlike anything else.

Championed by Gilles Peterson, and featured on NTS, Pitchfork and Bandcamp Daily, the group was born out of Time Capsule’s wildly popular compilation “Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985”. In just a matter of months they have sold out headline shows across London and supported Kyoto Jazz Massive at Jazz Cafe, conjuring a raucous, dubby dancefloor that brings the classic Japanese reggae sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s to life for a new generation.

Led by the inimitable pianist and composer Izumi ‘Mimi’ Kobayashi who featured on the original compilation, Tokyo Riddim Band are set to release a series of 7” singles in the coming months with more live shows planned throughout the summer 2024.

The first single, 'Denshi Lenzi', reinvents the Natural Mystic riddim of the original Japanese production, infusing it with dubbed-out vocals, sirens, and electrifying e-tom sounds, delivering an authentic reggae/dub experience with a distinct UK flair.

DJ and producer David Holmes is welcomed to the Late Night Tales fraternity with an evocative collection of personal songs and music, peppered with exclusive new material and rare gems. By now, I think we all know David Holmes, right There's acid house Holmes, with bone-rattling Chicago jams and Detroit destroyers, break-digger Holmes responsible for the grittily shaking 'Let's Get Killed' and seminal Essential Mix compilation (which brought Sixto Rodriguez to people's attention, and then there's soundtrack Holmes. His most enduring and vital source of musical inspiration - cinema - plugged into David's rst solo record 'This Film's Crap, Let's Slash the Seats' and inspired 2000's 'Bow Down to the Exit Sign', created as the soundtrack to a not-yet-made movie. Ofcial soundtracks have been bountiful, including scores for Soderbergh's Out Of Sight and Ocean's trilogy, '71, Hunger and Good Vibrations. In a series of personal songs sung by himself, David's last solo album 'The Holy Pictures' explored inuences of La Düsseldorf, The Jesus and Mary Chain and early Brian Eno. His Unloved collaboration with Keefus Ciancia and Jade Vincent then took us on a musical journey full of raw 60s pop-noir, psychedelia and French Ye Ye with a contemporary twist. Somehow he's also found time to produce records by Primal Scream and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Unsurprisingly, for someone au fait with matters cinematic, this Late Night Tales conjures up its own mindmovies. It's not only packed with the judiciously selected nuggets for which his mixes are noted but also stuffed with original material, including collaborations with BP Fallon and Jon Hopkins and an amazing new reading of 10cc's 'I'm Not In Love' by Holmes-produced Song Sung. In fact, there's a Celtic thread running through the whole journey with Stephen Rea's reading of an extract from Seamus Heaney's AENEID BOOK VI - Elsewhere Anchises. Among the other gems included here are David Crosby's lush 'Orleans', Buddy Holly's celestial 'Love Is Strange' and the Children Of Sunshine's 'It's A Long Way To Heaven'. David Holmes loves music. It's a way of expressing the sometimes inexpressible or the inconsolable, a questing desire to nd out just what is over the next hill. It's no surprise to learn he's a keen walker. Always on the move, headphones on, lost in some reverie or piece of music, the soundtrack to his life, the stuff that feeds his imagination. I walk a lot. It's amazing for listening to music: your phone or your emails aren't going and you're just in the forest listening to music. It's so intimate. Anyway, I was listening to the KLF's Chill Out album, which still sounds amazing, but it triggered an idea with concrete sounds through travelling and movement. And one of the things I was trying to do was to use this idea not just break up the moods but also as a metaphor for moving through life and arriving in different destinations or arriving at different stages in different parts of your life. Memory, Love, Living, Family, Friendship, Healing, Death and The Afterworld are some of the themes I wanted to explore within this record. Although these strong themes and tracks are personal to me, I also wanted it to be a great listen that was unpredictable yet had a seamless ow - a journey that was personal to me yet to the listener a great compilation of music that they may or may not have heard before. I hope I've succeeded in the later.' David Holmes 2016

In a flurry of madcap sampling pitched towards the heat of the night, Pedro Zopelar builds on the premise of his 2022 electro- funk love letter Charme, shifting his approach towards a particular

90s flair and a method with a specific end result. Ritmo Freak took root in studio experiments for a momentous — and rare — live set at São Paulo festival Não Existe in 2023, where Zopelar was caught up in one of those right-place, right- time moments we carry with us through life. As he explains himself: “This album is dedicated to freaky club culture. While I was playing at the festival there was a crazy tropical storm outside and the room was packed with the freakiest crowd. I’ve tried hard to immortalize that feeling on this record.” With the intended energy in mind, Zopelar focused on a particular mode of production centred around 12-bit sampling from his ample record collection. Considering his background as a trained pianist, here his musical instincts are forced to work within the limitations of short, snappy cuts from dusty 12”s. The lo-fi sound sources and the resourceful ways Zopelar works them gives the record an unmistakable old-skool flavour which he applies to forthright house, techno and electro funk rhythms, always taking care to draw out the soul of the music.

The stylistic touchstones flow past thick and fast on Ritmo Freak. From the amped up fierceness of the title track with its gaudy, cut n’ paste, vintage techno flavour to the effervescent electro funk of ‘Gabriellinha’s Boogie’ on to the surreal Balearic inversion of ‘Distraction’, this is a high-velocity, endlessly charming record bursting with the musicality Zopelar has made his name on. As the driving force behind many warehouse parties in São Paulo,

Zopelar has been immersed in club culture for a long time, and his distinctive catalogue of jazz, funk, acid and techno has graced highly respected labels like Apron, Selva Discos and Mother Tongue. Throughout, he’s displayed an affinity for the tangled roots of the groove with an open-eared, big-hearted sound. That’s what comes through on Ritmo Freak

ora’s most innovative modern exponent bathes in communion with a re-imagined classical guitar, unveiling a new and previously unsuspected musical universe. In a meeting between instruments, not traditions, these maestros emerge from quite different and distant musical worlds. Ballaké Sissoko’s kora tradition and lineage traverse the once powerful West African empire known as Kaabu. South African Derek Gripper’s roots are in European classical guitar but infused with a unique jeli music mastery that takes guitar’s modern history in a captivating new direction.

But we are not hearing these traditions in dialogue: these masters meet on the sonic groundings of the kora, instrument of the griots, resonant vessel of the sacred and profane, sound carrier of history and wisdom. Through two decades of commitment and study, it is to this terrain that Gripper brings his guitar to meet its multi-stringed cousin.

The two men do not share a spoken language, but if it is true that music speaks universally, then they were already involved in profound dialogue long before they met for the series of London concerts which yielded this recording session – a session which matches deep communion with sparkling improvisation, which pushes a living tradition into brand new sonic spaces, and opens a live and direct channel of communication between kora and guitar. In the complex web of theme and variations spun by Sissoko’s twenty-two strings and Gripper’s six, a new African string theory is elaborated.

“Musically we tested each other,” says Sissoko, explaining that the most magical aspect of their encounters are spontaneity. “We have the mastery of our instruments, the technique and a good ear. Derek is very curious, that’s very important.”

“He’s just such a good listener,” says Gripper about Sissoko. “It’s not what he plays, it’s how he plays it. He’s an amazing interpreter, the prime master of timbre.”

Recording by Taylor Pollock at Platoon Studios, London.
Mixed, edited and produced by Derek Gripper.
Mastered by Murray Anderson at Milestone Studios, Cape Town.
Produced for vinyl by Chris Albertyn and Matt Temple at Matsuli Music.
Mastered for vinyl and lacquers cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, London.
Vinyl pressed at Pallas GmbH, Germany.
Sleeve notes by Francis Gooding, French translation by Paulo Goncalves.
Cover design by Toby Attwell at Twoshoes, Cape Town.

“It’s just too easy to make a standard dance track,” Aphex Twin said of his mindset back in 1992. “You’ve got to put a bit of thought into it to get something a bit different.”

‘Didgeridoo’ was released on the Belgian R&S Records label in 1992, and originally peaked at #55 in the UK singles chart in May of that year. Over the last 32 years the track has become one of the essential Aphex Twin tracks in a gargantuan catalogue that continues to amaze and inspire.

“I wanted to have some tracks to play to finish the raves I used to play in Cornwall, to really kill everybody off so they couldn’t dance,” Richard D James, AKA Aphex, told Select magazine back in the 90s. “Digeridoo came out of that.”

Released as a 4 track EP that also included early Aphex productions (now classics) including the industrial, acidic clang of ‘Flap Head’ and hyperbolic futurism of ‘Isopropanol’, the release cemented a relationship with the R&S label that went on to release the ‘Xylem Tube’ EP and the pivotal album ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’ in the same year. The label’s owner & A&R Renaat Vandepapeliere reflected “When I first heard Aphex Twin’s music I said, ‘This is it!’, and everybody else said, ‘You’re crazy!’ …a lot of the hardcore R&S fans dropped us. To them it wasn’t music.”

‘Didgeridoo’ (Expanded Edition) is the first time the EP has been re-issued with extra material. Whilst digging in his DAT archive (allegedly stored in an airtight military ammo box), Richard James revisited the recordings, encoding them through a Nakamichi CR7e cassette deck, using the customised deck with vari-speed to encode at speeds “felt right at the time”. Alongside these CR7e versions, the original mixes have been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, offering a dilated insight into one of electronic music’s most endearing releases.

‘Digeridoo’ (Expanded Edition) by Aphex Twin is available on R&S Records from 31st May 2024.

ohann Wolfgang von Goethe is always a reliable source for a good quote: "We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden." Sure as death, there is an excerpt of his that states the opposite. In the case of Robert Dietz, it holds true. Since his first appearance on Running Back in 2009 (Forward Snipping), he did a marvelous job staying on his toes as a producer and DJ.
Rejuve-Nation showcases his talent in various alleys of electronic (dance) music with Crane Song being the prime cut here. You will get exposed to proggy house with an intelligent brush in two slightly different mixes. Imagine if Euro dance went to get a college degree or a bumper car floor and you are almost there: an almost irresistible sing a long without lyrics.
If you need help afterwards, Deranged Self Therapy is exactly what you need. IDM meets new wave drums, poignant synths mix with an upbeat hook to create a ballet piece for lovesick robots.
Centro Di Gravita reconnects those qualities with the aforementioned Crane Song ones, while giving it an acid spin, before the ambient salts of Any Plan(t)s This Weekend closes the EP off like a confident sketch for the end of a beautiful summer. A bouquet of bangers for different needs.

Short: One Rejuve-Nation EP under a groove with Robert Dietz' return on Running Back. Proggy meets acid house, IDM leanings mix with stylistic devices of new wave and extra special ambient aerobatics round out the EP. Special attention goes to Crane Song and its peak time perfection. A bouquet of bangers for different needs.

Metropolis; a powerful song addressing city inequalities and their impact on youth. It's a call for freedom, criticizing large corporations. The lyrics remind us of our basic human needs, while the smooth music eases the despair about environmental issues. Despite being recorded over forty years ago, the message feels relevant today, as we continue to struggle with harmful capitalism.

Originally part of a 1975 charity compilation LP raising money for environmental charities in California, which later became a collectors artifact changing has for silly money (which didn’t fit well with the Déjà vu kid team), so this Balearic nugget, the crown jewel of this album, was released on 7”…There is no better way to share it again than on it’s own 45 inch release at a fair price.

Moonboots, Danny Psychemagik, Spruzzi Monorecords, Micky Browne, Paul Hillery are just a selection of names who have championed this track from this great album and now we can reshare it with you in this first time format.

Artwork redesigned by GNB Studios.

The Samosa label gets its Re-Funk Head on once again with Part 2 of the exciting sonic laboratory project.

Opening this outrageously good EP are Samosa alumni Dirty Elements & Drunk Drivers feat E.M.E and their all-powerful and energy blasting ‘Disco Ball’ – a track that never even attempts to hide its sassiness. The brass ensemble fanfare (which is truly one of the best disco riffs in the known universe) acts as a victory parade through Samosa City – all tickertape and confetti raining down on smiling faces. A serious, serious groove which has featured in sets by Art of Tones on his Ultimate Mix Show for Glitterbox Ibiza and by Folamour in his Amsterdam gigs in March 2024.

Track 2 is respected Italian Maestro, Moplen and the wonderful ‘Ain’t No Doubt About It’. There’s an immediate dance floor lure to the disco beats and bongo rhythms here. Take a good helping of ‘pew-pew’ laser bolts, cow bells and hand claps; add a masterful bassline and you have some serious, serious disco business. You could be sipping evening cocktails in Club Coco Bongo or taking in a beach at sunrise - this track would make you want to dance regardless.

On the B-side the disco theme continues with the most aptly titled ‘Sexy Thing’ by Jazzyfunk. At 122bpm, this heads quickly into soaring, heavenly strings and punchy bassline territory, enveloping your ears like a warm duvet. The melody is a dance floor dream – it demands that you join the hands-in-the-air crowd and there really is no point in resisting. ‘Sexy Thing’ is one of those rare ‘moment in time’ tunes that could either kick a night off or act as the grandest of grand finales. Pure, unadulterated disco pleasure.

Closing the EP with Track 4 is DeGama himself and ‘Feel The Groove’. Make no mistake, this is a powerful, brooding beast of a tune that bursts out of the traps in no time at all. At a very deceptive 120bpm, ‘Feel The Groove’ starts with a warm, housey vibe that quickly breaks into a jumping, blues inspirerd guitar battle. The solid beat bounces gorgeously in tandem with the filthy rhythm guitar riffs and sultry saxophone in a knee-slapping, somersaulting, backsliding explosion. A seriously filthy tune from DeGama.

Re-Funk Head Part 2 acts as a perfect companion to its predecessor – featuring an all-star cast of some of the best talents to grace Samosa. A must for all serious record collectors.

Die BMX Bandits veröffentlichen seit Jahrzehnten in unregelmäßigen Abständen großartige und kompromisslose Alben. Mit ihrem zwölften Album "Dreamers on the Run" haben die Indie-Pop-Ikonen nun, man kann es nicht anders sagen, ein brillantes, ambitioniertes Meisterwerk aufgenommen. Fast scheint es, als hätten sich Duglas T. Stewart und seine rechte Hand Andrew Pattie in Schottland ein Brill Building selbstgebaut um die elf neuen Songs zu schreiben, zu arrangieren und zu produzieren. Das Ergebnis ist ultra-romantischer POP und der Beweis, dass Duglas und die Bandits zum illustren Kreis der großen Pop-Außenseiter wie Jonathan Richman, Martin Newell oder Curt Boettcher gehören. Außenseitertum hat bei allen Nachteilen auch gute Seiten, denn erstaunlich oft haben Aussenseiter*innen die besten Songs!

Bloom is the 1997 album by Crustation, who were formed by Ian Dark, Stig Manley and Mark Tayler. All three were quiet connected in the fertile Bristol trip hop community - they played in bands with Portishead's Adrian Utley during the Eighties and regularly hung out with Massive Attack and Smith & Mighty. With just one album, their debut full-length record Bloom, Crustation became a legendary secret in the galaxy of trip hop music. The charming female voice of Bronagh Slevin, spacey, dreamy atmospheres, sleepy beats: all we love in downtempo music. The album features artwork co-designed by Stanley Donwood, who has created all the artwork designs for Radiohead with Tom Yorke. For the first time since its original release, Bloom is being reissued and is available as a limited edition of 750 copies on translucent purple coloured vinyl. The vinyl package includes an insert.

The Lovely Eggs will release Nothing/Everything - the lead single from their forthcoming album “Eggsistentialism” on Friday April 26th on Egg Records. Their third collaboration with Grammy Award winning producer Dave Fridmann, “Nothing/Everything” will be released on ltd edition bright yellow 7” vinyl with more out of this world art-work by illustrator Casey Raymond. Nothing/Everything is a wistful, stark, magnificent seven minute psychedelic epic. It’s The Lovely Eggs as you’ve never heard them before. “Nothing/Everything is the Yin/Yang of life,” explains Holly. “There’s hope and despair, patience and frustration, birth and death, the mundane and the extraordinary. It’s the magnificence of “Being” walking hand in hand alongside life’s daily grind. This song is simply what is. It’s not looking forward or back. It’s us now. It’s uplifting and it’s tragic. It is probably the longest and most meaningful song we’ve ever written and recorded. It’s our magnum opus about life.” With the full 7 minute and two second version on the A side, the B gives you the radio edit.

Born from a will to connect with people and get out in to the world again, 'Out of the Rain' will be Blair's first studio album since his 2018 release. Produced by Jim Moray (Jackie Oates, Wheeler Street, James Raynard) the record is more positive than his previous work. A celebration of spring, newness, and freedom. Songs of metamorphosis and widescreen road trips prevail. "It's been 5 years since my last record, comfortably my longest gap between releases, so it feels really good to be able to put this out in the world.

Auch im deutschsprachigen Raum spätestens seit dem massiven ESC-Hit "Calm After The Storm" (mit The Common Linnets) vor exakt 10 Jahren eine feste Größe, verbindet die niederländische Singer-Songwriterin Ilse DeLange ihre Country-Wurzeln fürs neue Kapitel mit einer massiven Dosis zeitgenössischem Pop und druckvollem Rock , um zwischendurch auch Eighties-, Indie- und Electro-Elemente aufblitzen zu lassen.

Created with her accomplice Matthis Pascaud (guitars and production), her new opus Oizel , gives pride of place to her folk and pop influences. With her voice poised, naked and quivering, in subtly kneaded French - her language of sunken hearts, she calls on the inspiring birds, mocking blackbirds or wild geese, funny birds, libertarians and marginal people of all feathers. Between poignant laments and cheeky refrains, it resonates like a vibrant declaration of independence, and gives voice to the gentle yet fierce, tender yet unruly song of an artist and a woman who, more than ever, from the impregnable heights to which her music lifts her, tells us: "No, you're not going to put me in a box like that."

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Jogo Duro, a collaboration between Ilhan Ersahin and some outstanding São Paulo musicians Guizado, Ze Nigro, Samuel Fraga, Chicao & Tony Gordin who also happen to be great friends. These are players who will be familiar to those following the careers of Céu, Otto, Curumin, Tulipa Ruiz and the late, great Gal Costa. This record is the result of the amount of time Ilhan has spent in São Paulo over the last decade due to putting on the Nublu Jazz Fest there every year. With all the contacts, connections and friendships formed over the course of making an annual music festival happen, musical cross-pollination (usually simply referred to as "jams") was inevitable but this time it was decided to do it in a studio with tape rolling rather than on stage, which is certainly a more productive approach than merely talking about it over beers at a local bar! Everything happened fairly spontaneously over three days in the studio, everybody brought songs, ideas and creative energy and before you know it an album was born

"Recorded and produced by friend and frequent collaborator Mo Troper, Who’s A Good Boy is equal parts scrappy and starry-eyed in its sonic makeup. Album opener “The Flake” sets the stage with fuzzy guitars crashing in and Ramirez’s relaxed vocals placed front and center, as a result, the track feels like throwing on a warm blanket. And look no further than the album’s charming lead single “We Both Won,” a jangly earworm with the hypnotic refrain of “Don’t worry about me” lingering long after the track ends, serving as further proof that Bory has found the recipe for the perfect pop song and knows how to deliver it in two minutes flat. At every twist and turn of Who’s A Good Boy there’s something new to be discovered, making it one of the most exciting debuts you're likely to hear in a long time.

"Warm but guarded, intricate and muted, reminiscent of the Shins and David Bazan and especially Elliott Smith." -Pitchfork
"Whether it's the pastoral "Feel The Burn" or the splendid, reverb-drenched "Five-Course Meal", Who's A Good Boy debut full-length project shows some major potential for Bory to earn the title of Next Big Thing in the genre." - UPROXX

BLOODORN, eine neue Power-Metal-Band des Lead-Gitarristen von SIRENIA, Nils Courbaron. Die Band wurde im Jahr 2020 während der Pandemie gegründet. SILENT WINTER-Sänger Mike Livas, FREEDOM CALL-Bassist Francesco Saverio Ferraro und SIRENIA-Schlagzeuger Michael Brush traten der Band bei, nachdem sie die ersten Demos des Albums gehört hatten. Beeinflusst von Bands wie GAMMA RAY, ANGRA und BEAST IN BLACK, greift die Band auch auf einige Elemente aus der extremen Metalszene zurück. Die Musik von BLOODORN ist sehr schnell und technisch, manchmal sogar brutal, aber auch sehr melodisch und eingängig: Extreme Power Metal! Der Name BLOODORN ist ein Wortspiel aus der Wikinger-Foltermethode "Blôdörn" (besser bekannt als "Blutadler") und "Blut". Im Universum der Band ist der BLOODORN wie ein REAPER - ein Monster, das bereit ist, alles zu töten und zu zerstören, was sich ihm in den Weg stellt. BLOODORN handelt vom Kampf gegen Unterdrückung, Autorität und Tyrannei, aber auch von düsterer Gothic-Fantasy, Schattenkulten, Krieg, innerer Stärke, Ehre, nordischer Mythologie und sogar einigen Videospiel-Referenzen. All diese Konzepte werden durch das Erscheinungsbild und die Kleidung von BLOODORN noch verstärkt.

DIIV - Andrew Bailey, Colin Caulfield, Ben Newman und Zachary Cole Smith - kündigen ihr viertes Album "Frog in Boiling Water" an. "Frog In Boiling Water", das von Chris Coady produziert wurde und über Fantasy Records erscheinen wird, war ein vierjähriger Prozess, der die Band fast zum Scheitern gebracht hätte, bevor das Album fertiggestellt war.

Mit dem Ziel, ihren Sound voranzutreiben & eine Platte zu machen, die sie herausfordert, und die Band zum ersten Mal demokratisch behandelt, begaben sich DIIV auf eine neue Reise, sowohl individuell als auch kollektiv. Das Ergebnis sind 10 Songs, die eine neue lyrische und musikalische Tiefe ausschöpfen, wobei sich diese beiden Hälften in einem reflektierenden und eindringlichen Ganzen spiegeln. Es ist ein hypnotisches Zeugnis des Durchhaltens und der Vorstellung, dass es auf der anderen Seite etwas anderes gibt, während man hier, in dem sich langsam erhitzenden Wasser des Hier und Jetzt bleibt.

DIIV - Andrew Bailey, Colin Caulfield, Ben Newman und Zachary Cole Smith - kündigen ihr viertes Album "Frog in Boiling Water" an. "Frog In Boiling Water", das von Chris Coady produziert wurde und über Fantasy Records erscheinen wird, war ein vierjähriger Prozess, der die Band fast zum Scheitern gebracht hätte, bevor das Album fertiggestellt war.

Mit dem Ziel, ihren Sound voranzutreiben & eine Platte zu machen, die sie herausfordert, und die Band zum ersten Mal demokratisch behandelt, begaben sich DIIV auf eine neue Reise, sowohl individuell als auch kollektiv. Das Ergebnis sind 10 Songs, die eine neue lyrische und musikalische Tiefe ausschöpfen, wobei sich diese beiden Hälften in einem reflektierenden und eindringlichen Ganzen spiegeln. Es ist ein hypnotisches Zeugnis des Durchhaltens und der Vorstellung, dass es auf der anderen Seite etwas anderes gibt, während man hier, in dem sich langsam erhitzenden Wasser des Hier und Jetzt bleibt.

DIIV - Andrew Bailey, Colin Caulfield, Ben Newman und Zachary Cole Smith - kündigen ihr viertes Album "Frog in Boiling Water" an. "Frog In Boiling Water", das von Chris Coady produziert wurde und über Fantasy Records erscheinen wird, war ein vierjähriger Prozess, der die Band fast zum Scheitern gebracht hätte, bevor das Album fertiggestellt war.

Mit dem Ziel, ihren Sound voranzutreiben & eine Platte zu machen, die sie herausfordert, und die Band zum ersten Mal demokratisch behandelt, begaben sich DIIV auf eine neue Reise, sowohl individuell als auch kollektiv. Das Ergebnis sind 10 Songs, die eine neue lyrische und musikalische Tiefe ausschöpfen, wobei sich diese beiden Hälften in einem reflektierenden und eindringlichen Ganzen spiegeln. Es ist ein hypnotisches Zeugnis des Durchhaltens und der Vorstellung, dass es auf der anderen Seite etwas anderes gibt, während man hier, in dem sich langsam erhitzenden Wasser des Hier und Jetzt bleibt.

White City (A Novel) wurde 1985 veröffentlicht und war das 5. Soloalbum von Pete Townshend. Das Album erzählt eine Geschichte von kulturellen Konflikten, sozio-kulturellen Spannungen und jugendlichen Hoffnungen und Träumen in den 1960er Jahren. Produziert wurde das Album von Chris Thomas und enthält Gastauftritte von David Gilmour, Clem Burke und John ’Rabbit’ Brunswick. Das Album, das die Single Face the Face and Give Blood enthält, erschien auch als Video im Langformat Diese schwarze Vinyl-Version wurde von Miles Showell in den Abbey Road Studios mit einem Half-SpeedMastering-Verfahren bearbeitet, das einen hervorragenden Vinylschnitt ergibt

Zeal & Ardor ist nicht nur eine Band, sondern ein lebendes und atmendes Wesen. Wie jedes andere empfindungsfähige Wesen verzehrt es sich, entwickelt sich weiter und verwandelt sich von einer Jahreszeit zur nächsten. Ihre Form mag sich ändern, aber ihr Geist bleibt derselbe. Gegründet und geleitet von Manuel Gagneux, hat sie im Laufe der Jahre nur ihre Krallen geschärft, ihre Zähne verlängert und ihre Nerven gestählt und ist dabei immer unbestreitbarer und unberechenbarer geworden.

Nach zig Millionen von Streams und weitreichendem Kritikerlob erweist sich dieses Biest auf seinem vierten Album GREIF als dynamisch und gefährlich wie eh und je

Xciot EP is the first release by Pyramid Of Nahash (Pyramid Of Knowledge and Nahash), who in this project for Asphalt Records, tag team to merge breakbeat science and bass experiments with classic analogue Trance and early Ambient-Techno melodies. The result is a cinematic, sci-fi safari through outer space in a futuristic hardcore vessel.

Remixing duties have been handed to a second collaborative effort: RVSHES (Logos and DB1), who in their Recombination Mix, carve, bend and reshape the original material into a rugged, angular, yet melancholic techno artefact.

Aided by her producer, the Osaka- born saxophonist Hisatsugu Suzuki, and his band, Wong has created a stylish jazz album brimming with her trademark soulful vocals drizzled over syncopated grooves. Taking well- known songs from the repertoires of pop music acts as diverse as Phil Collins ("Against All Odds"), Pet Shop Boys ("It's A Sin"), Dead Or Alive ("You Spin Me Round") and Toploader ("Dancing In The Moonlight"), Wong refashions her source material to reflect the cool jazz-flavored sophistication that is at the heart of her unique artistry. From emotive ballads to buoyant uptempo material, Susan Wong reveals her outstanding interpretative skills, revealing that she is a song stylist supreme.

'Matriarchy' is a rebirth for the celebrated, multi- faceted artist, as girli further explores her sound and takes the reins with full creative control, truly cementing her place as a cult figure and ambassador for the next gen of LGBTQIA+ music.

girli's passions have always migrated beyond music and she continues to use her platform to ignite conversations around feminism, sexuality, identity and mental health, opening up topics that most have always shied away from. Representation matters more so now than ever, and girli is ready to rewrite the rules.

Around this time, he watched singer Robert Soeterboek perform live with Bodine, his former early- eighties heavy metal band. "His vocals truly impressed me, a rarity!" Lucassen recalls. "He had the charisma and power of singers like David Coverdale and Robert Plant. Discovering that we really got along personally, we decided to collaborate on some songs, just for fun." "We started writing songs together and found a natural flow, leading to a wealth of ideas," remembers Soeterboek.

"Our friendship grew as we spent more time together, and I remember that there were lots of shenanigans and laughter." The album encapsulates a glorious treasure trove of 11 original songs with a loving 70s and 80s nod. It's a blistering romp through the good time rolling rocker of "Let It Ride", the Beatles- esque "Doctor Robert's Medicine Show," the bluesy groove of "Annie Moore," the chugging glam stomp of "High-Speed Chase" to the 80s metal of "Ice on Fire", whilst "The Preacher" would fit on a number of Arjen's back catalogue records. The bonus disc features all the demos and some more newly recorded tracks.

Influences from heavy bands of the time, such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Steppenwolf are noticeable, with proto-doom and psych/funk undercurrents.

Do you like fuzz guitar? You're going to hear it screaming and wailing and building to epic tidal waves and crashes, the kinds of astonishing guitar cascades not heard since you cued up the best of all available live Jimi Hendrix recordings. Talking about a track known online as 'Bufo Gutturalis,' a poster's assessment: "I gotta say this is one of the most shocking songs from 60s, it's impressive how the sound can be heavy and dark -- it is also one of the earliest released songs most closely to call proto-doom."

Sophie Lloyd is one of the most prolific guitarists on the world wide web, a trailblazer who is redefining the concept of a "bedroom" guitarist. A talented composer and accomplished musician, Sophie graduated from the prestigious BIMM in 2018 with a First Class Honours BMus in Popular Music Performance, honing and refining a talent she has nurtured since childhood. Since then, she has amassed the kind of following that even the guitar gods she grew up idolizing would be envious of, with a reach surpassing 3 million followers across her social channels, built through a steady stream of sharing her talent via guitar "shredleys", covers and her own original material. In addition to her own content, Sophie's talent and popularity has led to collaborations with brands such as Amazon Prime, Hard Rock Cafe, LiveNation and Harley Davidson, her own Guitar course on Truefire and a stunning performance at Paris Fashion Week for Redemption Brand Clothing. She has also released her own signature guitar, becoming the first female artist to do so for exclusive Californian Guitar maker KIESEL.

Most recently, Sophie could be seen shredding on stage as guitarist for multi-platinum recording artist Machine Gun Kelly on his recent Mainstream Sellout World Tour, which included sold out shows at legendary venues such Madison Square Garden in New York and Wembley Arena in London.

At 27 Years Old, Sophie Lloyd is just getting started, with the upcoming release of her debut solo album. The first few songs have already been released to rapturous reception, including "Fall Of Man (Feat. Matthew K Heafy)", "Do Or Die (Feat. Nathan James)", "Lost (Feat. Cole Rolland)" and "Runaway (Feat. Michael Starr)" with some more exciting names including Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Chris Robertson (Black Stone Cherry), Tyler Connolly (Theory Of A Deadman) and Brandon Saller (Atreyu) all appearing.

Bogus Blimp. The Spectacular Rock Orchestra. Like the vaudeville acts of old they offer tuneful melodrama to the masses. Each song is another act in a play venturing from dark, exotic, and bombastic monuments to stumbling and naked moments of beauty. Bogus Blimp combine the dark 30's of Europe with the avantgardism of our times' rock 'n roll into a genre of its own making: Cabaret Core, Silent Movie Punk, or Horror Pop.

Bogus Blimp. The Spectacular Rock Orchestra. Like the vaudeville acts of old they offer tuneful melodrama to the masses. Each song is another act in a play venturing from dark, exotic, and bombastic monuments to stumbling and naked moments of beauty. Bogus Blimp combine the dark 30's of Europe with the avantgardism of our times' rock 'n roll into a genre of its own making: Cabaret Core, Silent Movie Punk, or Horror Pop

Bogus Blimp. The Spectacular Rock Orchestra. Like the vaudeville acts of old they offer tuneful melodrama to the masses. Each song is another act in a play venturing from dark, exotic, and bombastic monuments to stumbling and naked moments of beauty. Bogus Blimp combine the dark 30's of Europe with the avantgardism of our times' rock 'n roll into a genre of its own making: Cabaret Core, Silent Movie Punk, or Horror Pop

For accomplices, Kinsey chose his ace rhythm section from WSL - bassist Hadrien Feraud and drummer Gergo Borlai - and a bold newcomer named Patrick Bartley Jr. on alto saxophone. Kinsey speaks of his group: "Gergo and Hadrien are one of the finest, most indemand rhythm sections playing today. They also have a deep understanding of this music since they both grew up with it - Gergo since he was just five! Patrick is a brilliant improviser who has a deep knowledge and love of straight-ahead jazz but is just as into Japanese video game music. He's what it means to be a musician in 2023 - taking everything you like and allowing it all to unabashedly flow out."

The new album addresses issues that have felt all too close to home in recent years; fragility of existence, what family means to him and striking out on his own to make his mark under his own steam.

Popol Ace is a progressive rock band from Norway which had its heyday in the 1970s. The band formed in 1972 as Popol Vuh, but changed their name in 1975 to avoid the confusion with the German group of the same name, which practiced more experimental and cosmic music. Stolen From Time is an ambitious and varied album, which testifies to the richness of progressive rock of the time. The group mixes various influences, such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, or Supertramp. The nine tracks on the album are all musical nuggets, ranging from symphonic rock to folk via jazz- rock or hard- rock. The group demonstrates great instrumental and vocal mastery, with neat arrangements and catchy melodies. Singer Jahn Teigen stands out for his powerful and expressive voice, able to move from low register to high register with ease

Taking our inspiration from this long out of print album, we asked Ian Gomm to dig deep into his archive to see what other gems he might have. 'Last Orders!' is the result of his search. The album contains some of the earliest recordings the band made for radio and album outtakes.