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TwoStep2 aka DJ Relay and Jo Public have been known for their superlative but distinctly old skool sounds, but lead track on this three cut 12" is rather a subtle departure. The beat is a little more wonderfully wonky than you might expect and the bassline bigger and more adventurous, with pleasingly original results. 'Starlight' plays off its abrasive backspins with fluttering harps that are more Luke Vibert than Sticky or Noodles, true genius, and a bubbling beat to boot. 'Weapon of Choice' plunders ravier elements but again, it's no museum piece with its off kilter piano and slowed down, drowsy atmospherics. If you're looking for memorable tunes that stick out rather than fit in, make this your destination.

(Hardway Brothers, Break Mode, Justin Robertson, Mr BC mixes)

The Brightonian Balaeric scene is very much in the spotlight here as South Coast label Higher Love Recordings join forces with Perry Granville, aka Hotel Pellirocco's Dave Sibley, for six sizzling bits of wonky dance floor action. Tow of the tunes have been released digitally before but here they get polished up and pressed to wax alongside a couple of remixes. 'Sailing Ships' is a textural, dark and heavy chugger that Hardway Brothers flip into way more dubbed out and spacious. Then come four versions of 'New Arp' - the acid-laced Break Mode remix, an icy electro original, a mind-melting Justin Robertson Deadstock 33s remix and a biker disco bumper from Mr BC.

Blue Vinyl

2019 saw Firescope release a seminal album, The Lonely Machine by Britain’s John Shima. The world has become a very different place since then. The pandemic, economic turmoil and global crises prevail. It is amidst such uncertainty that Shima returns with a new collection to combat the savagery of our times, enter Empty Lands.

Dauby basslines and silken strings introduce “Component”, saturated snares giving ballast as Shima’s signature style immediately comes to the fore. A throbbing kick and orbiting notes are peppered with hi-hats for “Neglected”, a sonorous stratum synergising beautifully. Shima is a student of techno. His appreciation and knowledge of the sound is central to the album as he composes within the traditions of the UK and US canon while exploring new plains. The influence of “bleep” is woven into the tapestry of pieces like “Depart” and “Mettle” with the minimalism of the 90s genre reimagined through new textures. “Sayaka” flows with a different current. Rhythms are understated, lapping against undulating keys as dawn rises. Harmony and melody are cornerstones of record, the gentle ebbs and flows of key and drum merging. Inspiration arises from home as well. The steady pulse and metallic tang of “Projection” recalling the industry of Sheffield and the pioneering electronics that sprouted from that rust red earth.

Track titles, and the album name itself, suggest periods of challenge and difficulty. “Paralysis”, “Desolate”, “Empty Lands”. Words that conjure certain feelings and responses. Shima’s music is a counterbalance to these emotions. Positive compositions of subtle shifts, complementary percussion and welcoming warmth acting as a tonic to the negativity that swirls; the ten audio works on offer acting as a balm to soothe the soul in these troubled time

Tiger Stripes returns to Drumcode for his annual EP outing, crafting a pair of blue-ribbon dancefloor weapons inspired by the night.
The Swedish artist is a cherished act on the label, his involvement with DC going back to 2009. One of the most creative in his field, he typically mines influence from across the musical spectrum. Indeed, a Tiger Stripes track could employ subtle nods to everything from rock and pop, to reggae and hip hop, all seamlessly integrated into a dynamic techno palette.


For his latest outing, he's drawn on his love of classical music, specifically Chopin, for the powerful ‘Nocturne’. "I loved listening to his compositions as a toddler when my mother played her vinyls for me. I still love and listen to his piano music today and it might be where my taste for drama comes from. In my ears his music still sounds very modern and cool,” he tells. 'Nocturne' switches between driving dancefloor business and a lilting piano-laden break, the energy amplified by his peak-time arrangements.


In ‘Renegade’, his love of rock, electronica and indie is at the fore, as propulsive techno rhythms give way to an emotion-charged mid-section laden with breakbeats. When the beats kick back in, we’re lobbed back into exhilarating laser-kissed territory.

Hot on the heels of Guinu’s modern Brazilian jazz-funk opus Palago? LP, comes an exceptional remix 12’’ of four standout album tracks.

For the A1, Jose Marquez flips the title track into a percussion-heavy and hypnotic Afro-Latin house burner, a masterful future classic of a mix that feels all but destined for late night Louie Vega or Osunlade sets. Faze Action harken back to their early-2000s vibe with their loungey beat-driven reimagining of Haja Fé.

On the flip, RNT stalwart Diogo Strausz takes the angular Electromandinga into the stratosphere, with anthemic synth melodies, rousing bloco percussion and interstellar vocal treatments. Rounding out the EP, well-loved Brazilian producer Carrot Green gives Porão de Ferro an 80s boogie makeover, complete with dubbed out vocals and funky synth bass work over bouncy analog beats.

LTD 500 - My two favourite tracks from the Unreleased Raw Soul Express LP (released last month) on our format of choice, blink and they will have disappeared into collections, no repress.

Judy Pollak's late 70s LP is extremely rare and charming peace of music. Not just a Soul and Funk LP, sprinklings of folkiness in Judy's vocal make this a fairly unique and fantastic listen, no wonder it can hit $1000 when it comes up for sale. Recorded in 1977 at PAC 3 Studio, Dearborn, Michigan, where bands such as Al Hudson, Floaters, C.J. & Co and many more recorded. Judy used to hang out on the music scene and was introduced to the band via a mutual friend and Sax player Charlie Gabriel. 33 1/3 who were from Detroit got together with Judy who was living Living between Southfield, Michigan and North Carolina at the time and this LP is the result. Enjoy.

Electronic pop music superstars Röyksopp present their extraordinary ‘Profound Mysteries’ project, released through Dog Triumph. Röyksopp worked with a cast of global visual and musical collaborators to create an incredible 30 tracks, 30 artefacts, 30 visualisers and 30 films that have been revealed throughout the year.

‘Profound Mysteries’ brings together some of the most talented music artists in the world, including Alison Goldfrapp, Pixx, Susanne Sundfør, Astrid S, and Karen Harding.

Electronic pop music superstars Röyksopp present their extraordinary ‘Profound Mysteries’ project, released through Dog Triumph. Röyksopp worked with a cast of global visual and musical collaborators to create an incredible 30 tracks, 30 artefacts, 30 visualisers and 30 films that have been revealed throughout the year.

‘Profound Mysteries’ brings together some of the most talented music artists in the world, including Alison Goldfrapp, Pixx, Susanne Sundfør, Astrid S, and Karen Harding.

Another golden era hip hop classic served up with the original track it sampled

3rd release on Steve O'Sullivan's own RAWAX series comes from T.A.C. aka Chris McCormack & John Beer. "Funny Money" was originally released in 2000 on Mosaic. 22 years later it will be out on vinyl (re-mastered) again.

Many Worlds Interpretation is a collection of cosmic Americana for electronics, guitar, and percussion culled from Jon Iverson’s extensive home-studio archive. 1984, Los Osos, California. In a small cinderblock cottage, hand-painted with bright psychedelic flora, Jon Iverson created vibrant new worlds. He spent long days and nights immersed in sound, perfecting home recording on his 8-track reel-to-reel, combining his love for kosmische and Berlin School electronics with an infatuation with ethnographic sounds and expansive guitar music. In a duo with fellow sonic traveler Thomas Walters, Iverson released missives from the studio on a self-titled LP released on country legend Guthrie Thomas’ Eagle Records. That release featured
three electro-acoustic compositions (“Naningo”, “River Fen”, and “Fox Tales”) as well as a gathering of guitar duo tapestries. Many Worlds Interpretation re-imagines those interplanetary works alongside several unreleased compositions that also feature synthesizer, guitar, and percussion, creating a re-visioned album which leans into Iverson’s electronic studio wizardry.

All songs have been carefully transferred from analog tape to high resolution digital, retaining their vintage studio warmth, but mixed and mastered for modern ears and audio systems. The album is pressed at 45rpm, further enhancing the audiophile experience.

Artist Statement

I worked in a Harley Davidson parts warehouse in the summer of 1976 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal was to save enough money to buy transportation for college and a Teac 4 track 1/4" reel to reel tape machine. By September there was a rusting monkey-vomit green car in the driveway and shiny new Teac with a Sony condenser microphone in the bedroom. At this point I had been playing guitar for a dozen years and like most children of the sixties, dreamed of joining
a band.

Went to college instead to study business.

But all was not lost. 1978-1979 was spent as Weird Al Yankovic's roommate and we recorded and created enough songs to play shows around San Luis Obispo, California, where we were attending college. Many of those recordings have yet to be heard by the public, including the first performances of My Bologna and many other parodies of pop songs of the day. We sent tapes to Dr. Demento, we auditioned for The Gong Show and were barred from playing at the local college after one memorable performance. Wild times.

I, however, was more intent on working on "serious" music, with albums from Vangelis, Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre providing inspiration. DJing at the local college radio station and then public radio outlet provided exposure to an endless stream of obscure albums (Sky Records from Germany was a particular favourite). Most of them would never make it to the air, but my buddies and I would pass them around like exotic treasure.

Fast forward a couple more years and I had picked up a Mini-Moog and eventually a Prophet V synthesizer as well as starting a collection of instruments from around the world. The Teac and synths formed the basis for a growing DIY studio that had taken over a modest-size garage (pictured on the cover) that had been converted into a two room cottage in Los Osos, California.

The Teac was eventually joined by a rented Otari 1/2" 8-track and then finally a vintage MCI JH-100 2" 16-track. The compositions on this album were recorded on these three machines between 1982 and 1989. At some point an Apple II computer with Alpha Syntauri sound card and keyboard were added and then later the first personal computer sampling hardware/software kit, the Decillionix DX-1. The DX-1 forms the rhythm track for “Fox Tales” and the Alpha Syntauri was programmed to create the pulsing synth for “Naningo”. “River Fen” was tracked with both the Alpha Syntauri and the Prophet V.

I knew this music wasn't commercial, but didn't care. It was inspiring working with the first computer-based synths and semi-pro gear. Home studios were still rare in the early 80s until the Tascam Portastudio blew the DIY door wide-open. But I was more interested in sound quality so stuck with reels of tape instead of lower fidelity cassettes.

During the time these songs were recorded, I was also collaborating with my good friend and mandolinist, Tom Walters. “River Fen”, “Naningo” and “Fox Tales”, were solo recordings that also ended up on the first Iverson & Walters album, First Collection. The other four pieces on this new LP were never fully finished or released until now.

— Jon Iverson, September 2022

Berlin-based producer Rampue has not released an album in 14 (in words: fourteen) years. Between 2008 and 2020 he toured the world and worked mainly on his live sets in the meantime. So now only a worldwide pandemic had the power to prevent the traveling musician from continuing this hustle and bustle and eventually share a new record with the public. Corona was what brought this standstill and the otherwise well- traveled individual experiences cabin-fever during lockdown. Hence, the new Rampue album "Tragweite" came into existence in February 2021, which portrays the artist's desire for experimentation.
Inspired by a modular synthesizer (Buchla), Rampue has seemingly put himself into a kind of trance, in which he lets the machines work and combines randomly created sounds with airy structures such as low drums or simple grooves. Rampue accomplished to break free by using random sounds as a new impulse and a way out of a creative crisis, which stemmed both from the enforced home isolation and from the self-perceived paralysis. The result is literally unique, as many of the sound products cannot be reconstructed and are preserved in album form for the general public.
Listening to "Tragweite" one gets the impression that the dialectical relationship between chaos and order, further supported by its production, is the defining theme of the album. After an initially perceived chaos, a delicate order, which is determined by structuring drum patterns and basslines, takes over throughout the course of the album.
Later, it frays and loses itself again in sounds and tones created mechanically However, it never seems arbitrary, but willful and skillfully staged. For instance, "Furo?" begins with apparent arrhythmia. The combination of bass and subtle percussion, however, gives this arrhythmia a shape, guiding the track which gradually becomes more and more driving without losing its original playfulness.
Although one might be inclined to think of genres such as Downtempo or Ambient at the beginning in the further course of the album results in such a diverse sound and rhythmic landscape that one willingly questions one's own perception of music while listening and finally throws every type of categorization overboard joyfully. The listening experience is too intoxicating and enlightening to stick to simple genre boundaries. The musical spectrum ranges from straight arrangements that live entirely without a drum foundation ("Fu?r Dich") to almost meditative sound collages ("Regengesicht") to the four-to-the-floor banger "Kembang" which adds a grimmer note with a certain industrial appeal to the overall rather melancholic-progressive curation. "Direct Faden" on the other hand, surprises with its simple guitar-based foundation on which the omnipresent synth snippets and pads are allowed to let off steam towards the end of the record. The track that most closely combines the progressive production style with a danceable club atmosphere is probably "Phobia". Wafting, partly breaking away synthesizer sounds rise higher and higher, while the driving mixture of bass and drums consistently march forward.
Rampue breaks with his old, musical habits as "Tragweite" creates the impression of improvisation and jam character without getting lost. Rampue takes his listeners on a journey that is stirring and moving, sometimes demanding or even a bit disturbing, yet always one thing: incredibly exciting.

The meeting of Alieu and Randomized Coffee gives light to this new project, in which the Roman duo tackles a production that skillfully links Mediterranean influence to ancestral Africa in a patchwork woven of typical African ethnic elements to those of house and electronica in a "groovy" body that enhances the classical side of the African country in a modern musical mood and rhythm.

The story tells about the day before an arranged marriage ceremony.

Masanneh is a handsome and well-known man in his village of the Mandinka Tribe, born and raised in the village of Kudang, near the river that flows through the entire country; the Gambia. Many in the village believe him to be charismatic and generous, others believe him to be a venal materialist devoted to money. Masanneh decides to consult Cherno Jallow, a wise Marabout, to figure out how to deal with his future. He therefore moves westward to the village of Bondali, in Foni, where before practicing his work as a skilled trader he talks to Landing Sawo, the district chief, from there he hears the sound of a Kora played by Jali, while across the road he sees a beautiful woman Mariama Gomez passing by.

"Soutien Gorge" make a much welcome return to release their latest album "Tarskapcsolatodban" on "Touched Music". I'm not as familiar with their backcatalogue as I would like to be but intend to remedy that ASAP! The double CD compilation "Meseerdö" on Touched Music is a great place to do that... Soutien Gorge are two guys from Hungary who make interesting experimental electro-acoustic music. Their first release was around 2002, making this release their 20th anniversary release ! This latest release Tarskapcsolatodban by Soutien Gorge makes me think fondly of a lot artists on labels like City Centre Offices, Morr Music, and some outlyers on Warp Records. Musically coming in somewhere between, ISAN, B. Fleischmann, and Plone. The melodies have simple, often nursery rhyme like appeal. Arrangement wise there are acoustic and electronic instruments, with some field recording elements, and and sampling of speech in to me what is just a foreign language and difficult to understand. Good use of guitars to create additional layers at times remind ne of Duo-505, the B. Fleischmann side project. The field recordings and reserved electronics reminds me of the 2018 "Wanderwelle" album "Gathering Of The Ancient Spirits" on "Silent Season (Canada)".

Bassbins at the ready - BeeDeeBeeBee returns to the fold once again, with two more murky cuts designed for the grottiest of dance floors.

The A-Side: Flipsyde, delivers a 606-fueled electro workout in the vein of their first outing, whilst the AA side: Ulrikaka, features a rolling tech house-y cut that’s been in the hands of those lucky few for sometime now.

Recorded in the summer of 2020 whilst the world was in flux, the album is drenched with a feeling of freedom as Garwood and drummer Paul May sheltered from the world outside. It was, Garwood explains, “a heat soaked fever dream of our soul nectar in sonic form”. Recalling the past, gathering the elements from the present, the two artists – whose knowledge of one another’s playing is apparent throughout – work together with exquisite tones and percussive detail in this intimate recording. Garwood expands, “In the deep summer heat wave of ‘20, when everything was closed and people were hiding, I hit the road West to join my brother in music in his place, bungalow magic. We knew we had to play - for our souls, for the soul of humanity, to bring down the machine and tyranny, to invite the angels in, to save ourselves from insanity. Play we did, the guitars detuned until bee’s wings would make the strings sing. We began with the drum, and the things that shake and rattle, the drones of the heat, we sweated and we worked it until the night calmed us.This is not a lock down album, for we were free in our spirits when this was created, free from any desires to conquer and fill our pockets with the booty of success.”

In 1998 The Wave Pictures started carving out their own path in search of the lost essence of British Indie, since their acclaimed “Instant Coffee Baby” -nominated for The Guardian New Album Award and present in many lists of the best albums of the last 15 years– , until the most recent “When The Purple Emperor Spreads His Wings”, always giving their best in countless electrifying performances. Now The Wave Pictures are once again allied with Acuarela to release an exclusive double 7” with five songs (one, “French Cricket” included on their new album and the other four totally exclusive) and show that they are still an indie rock band without indie rock influences, a trio with its own style that doesn't want to be a blues group, but with blues –and soul, and country, and folk-, as the invisible core of everything they do. The Wave Pictures began their career in 1998. Since then the British trio hasn't stopped: at the frenetic pace of their concert schedule, they add a stakhanovist record production, which advances at the rate of almost one album per year. Example: “Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon”, which came out in February 2015, was already their thirteenth official LP (without forgetting that they have also released a large number of singles, EPs, rarities and unofficial material). But it is that in February 2016 the fourteenth album, “A Season In Hull” was released -which they recorded with a single microphone and only released on vinyl-, and in November of that same year its successor, “Bamboo Diner In The Rain” came out. In June 2018 they returned to the fray with another LP, “Brushes With Happiness”, and that November also dropped “Look Inside Your Heart”. The pandemic has made them slow down a little bit until May 2022 when they finally returned with "When The Purple Emperor Spreads His Wings". “When The Purple Emperor Spreads His Wings” is a double album dedicated to the cycle of life and in which each of its four sides (in the old fashioned way) is focused on one of the seasons of the year. The title refers to spring and its splendor. The result is pop in the style of The Wave Pictures, with all the essence of the band: those intense guitar solos by Dave, his acoustic plucking, the solid writing… in addition to the mandolin, the bluesy harmonica...you name it! All the band members, David Tattersall (vocals, guitar), Franic Rozycki (bass) and Jonny “Huddersfield” Helm (drums), are avid fans of rock'n'roll, classic country, 70s rock, soul and folk, and this album celebrates with joy all those musical loves of them, some rediscovered in recent times. Moreover, they have pointed out that Guided By Voices have also been a great source of inspiration on this recording, as well as re-listening to Sun Records’ rockabilly, African guitar records, the more country side of Neil Young, the crazy fun of The Who and some moments from The Yardbirds. The Wave Pictures are still playing what Modern Lovers did back in the day -and then Herman Dune or Hefner-, only they play it as if Rory Gallagher was their lead guitar. With the lo-fi pop-rock label as an amicable stigma, they never deny the maxim that places attitude before technique and they are always vaccinated against fashion. Years go by and they are still the same sly alley-cats, only sounding more and more classic. Tracklist: 1. French Cricket/ 2. From A Buick 6/ 3. Porcupines/ 4. Rufus Thomas/ 5. Cincinatti Flow Rag

Formed approximately three years ago, before the world changed (temporarily?), Odd Men Out are something of a garage-psych international super-group, with members originally hailing from Italy, Spain and the UK, brought together in the sprawling megalopolis of London in the sticky heat of summer 2019. Lois (drums) and Alessandro (guitar, organ, vocals) had already been playing together in legendary freakbeat trio The Embrooks since '96 (with a 10-year hiatus between 2005 and '15), while bassman Bruno had served time with moody-psych-turned-spiky-British-Beat exponents The Liquorice Experiment and Looking Glass Alice. The untried 'x' factor in this equation is frontman, guitarist, songwriter Nicolino whose love of moody 12-string folk rock and florid psychedelia shapes the overall sound of the band. Late in 2019, the quartet gathered at North Down Sound Studios in south east Kent to record the material presented here. Engineer and State Records mogul Mole was at the controls, manipulating the analogue 8-track recorder to capture the best and most exciting vibes they could offer, in a swirling sea of reverb and audio compression. Tracked predominantly live with a bare minimum of overdubs, this is classic 60s-inspired garage-psych, with elements of The Lemon Drops, Basement Wall and The Baroques to name but a few, yet the four never let their influences get in the way of producing quality original material. The pandemic caused many cancellations and postponements, but Dirty Water Records and Odd Men Out are finally ready to unleash this almighty beast!

Track list:
1. Summer 2. Magic Fudge 3. Mary B 4. Can’t Get Over 5. Big Worries (Big Troubles) 6. Look At Her 7. No 8. Knock On My Door

Im September und Oktober 2021 begaben sich Steve Hackett und seine Band auf ihre erste Tour seit fast zwei Jahren. Dieses Mal brachten sie das legendäre Genesis-Live-Album 'Seconds Out' in vollem Umfang zum Leben, neben einer Reihe von Solo-Favoriten und Titeln aus Steve Hacketts jüngstem Studioalbum 'Surrender of Silence'. Aufgenommen und gefilmt in Manchester am 24. September 2021, zeigte sich die Band in unglaublicher Form, als sie Tracks wie 'Squonk', 'Supper's Ready' & 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway', sowie Solostücke wie 'Every Day' & 'The Devil's Cathedral' zum Besten gaben. 'Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More' ist ein brillantes Dokument der triumphalen Rückkehr der Band auf die Bühne. Erhältlich als Ltd. 2CD + Blu-ray sowie als Ltd. 2CD + 2DVD im Digipak, jeweils mit Bonusmaterial und 5.1 Surround Sound. Auch erhältlich als Ltd. Gatefold black 180g 4LP+2CD & LP-Booklet.

»Hallway Waverider« is Mikko Singh’s second album for Morr Music under his Haleiwa moniker. Blending the washed-out aesthetics of dream pop with a lo-fi take on modern psychedelia, it is a fuzzy record in more than one sense. The ten songs see the multi-instrumentalist explore the sonic idiosyncrasies of analogue recording equipment while also expressing a self-assured statement by a musician who has carved out a niche for himself and feels perfectly at home in it. “This record is like me telling my teenage self that I am OK,” says Singh. “Back then, I was recording my song ideas on cassette players but held the belief that music should be recorded in an expensive studio with expensive gear in order to be real.” As it turns out however, Singh had been right from the start, having come full circle as an established artist some twenty years later.

After exploring the affordances of vintage equipment for 2019’s »Cloud Formations« LP, Singh worked with a Tascam 244 4-track cassette recorder and Tascam 388 8-track reel-to-reel recorder to transform the sounds of his vintage synthesizers, bass, the occasional guitar part, and drums supplied by Svante Karlsson for »Hallway Waverider«. By experimenting extensively with the machines’ unique sonic qualities and constantly reworking the pieces in regards to their sound signature over the course of two years, Singh has found the perfect equilibrium of electronic music and lo-fi aesthetics while navigating with ease through styles like driving surf rock, gritty garage punk and ethereal dream pop. On his new record, he seamlessly integrates these influences into anthemic yet soothing songs.

The title of the album refers to Singh’s halcyon days as a teenager spent listening to punk music and—in wintertime—skateboarding in his own bedroom. The lyrics refer to surfing as a nod to both his own experiences with riding the waves and the music genre that has provided him with inspiration throughout his career as a prolific recording artist with three solo albums under his belt. However, surfing primarily serves as a metaphor for something bigger. “It’s about things in life that are important to me; things that make me feel good and soothe the mind,” he explains. It comes as no surprise then that »Hallway Waverider« is also dedicated to a key figure in his life. “The album is an ode to my mother who passed away in 2015,” says the artist. “She made it possible for me to have a good childhood and to be able to do what I love.”

This sense of closure and being at peace with himself is also expressed in lyrics like "A sea stroll. Going slower. Feeling featherlight,” expressing a calm that perfectly mirrors the music’s steady grooves and welcoming overall feeling. Starting with the upbeat »River Park/ Sleeping Pill«; to the almost ambient, synthesizer-heavy »A Bottomless Pit«; or short, punk-inspired and bassline-driven outbursts like »Watered Down« or »Halulu Lake«; to the blissful title track that closes the album, Singh opens up a whole panorama of different moods across a broad variety of musical styles. They are connected by that rare thing: a unique musical vision expressed by an instantly recognisable sonic signature.

Debut single for NEW label set up by Savage Pencil (Art), Al From Hell (Printer) and Agitated Records.. primarily to release tasty limited 7” records by awesome new musics.. first release is by Pensylvanian guitar manglers Laurel Canyon, evoking strains of the Stooges via a distinct Pacific Northwest pop filter.. Fluid, Tad, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney etc..are easy points of reference.. but these songs have fire and melody in equal measure and burn their own path, recorded earlier this year with Steve Albini. Punk rock band Laurel Canyon – Nicholas Gillespie, Serg Cereja, and Dylan Loccarini – formed in 2019 when Nick and Serg met through a mutual friend in their hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania. After connecting over a shared interest in both Arthur Rimbaud and The Stooges, the two began to rehearse together in Serg’s garage. By October 2020, Serg and Nick began composing original songs together as Laurel Canyon. Following their first release, “Two Times Emptiness” b/w “Enemy Lines,” in May 2021, Nick and Serg traded in their characteristic jangle for fuzz pedals and established a relationship with veteran producer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, The Lemonheads) at Trout Recording in Brooklyn. They released their 5-track EP “Victim” digitally on January 14, 2022, rounding out the line-up with bassist Dylan Loccarini. The artist Savage Pencil, who has created artwork for Big Black and Sonic Youth, drew the EP cover. Singles “Daddy’s Honey” and “Eczema” created a buzz online and were featured in Spotify playlists “All New Rock” and “Smells Like Stream Spirit.” Their debut LP, recorded by Bryce Goggin and Steve Albini, will be released in early 2023. More news on that real soon!

BeNeLux Streetpunk Outfit Bent Out Of Shape sind zurück mit ihrem ersten Full-Length-Album. Bent Out Of Shape ist eine im Oktober 2019 gegründete Streetpunk/Oi-Band aus Fryslân (Niederlande) mit (ehemaligen) Mitgliedern von Icepick, Spirit 84, DSS, No Denial, Dead Horse Running, de Hûnekop. Anfang des Jahres veröffentlichten sie ihre CD "Demo 2020" mit 7 Songs. Ende 2020 wurde die EP von Who Laughs veröffentlicht. Im Jahr 2021 veröffentlichten sie eine Split 7" mit Boldness aus Indonesien und im Mai 2022 veröffentlichten sie eine Split Picture Disc 7" mit ihren Freunden Skroetbalg.

Thirty-five years since the release of their landmark debut album This Is The Story, and 34 since the release of Sunshine On Leith, the second album that made them international stars, The Proclaimers are back with their 12th studio album. And, at the ripe young age of 60, the fire and ire of Craig and Charlie Reid remain righteously undimmed. Dentures Out is a record of the times, for the times, the twins at their political, observational, satirical and fist-punchingly tuneful best.
Dentures Out is 13 songs clocking in at a lean, tight, focused 34 minutes. Only one number, the closing What The Audience Knew, busts the 180-second mark. The rest are sub-three-minute miniatures of polemical pop perfection, recorded at Rockfield in Wales in three quick weeks in spring 2022, lent six-string wings by guest guitarist James Dean Bradfield and produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers), his third consecutive album with the Scotsmen.

Hailing out of Marl, Germany, this four piece Post-Hardcore group really
hits you deep in your emotions
From the ambient music to the emotional lyrics that really strike a nerve, Our
Mirage offers a vast variety of elements that many of us can relate to. This young
group is becoming known for the emotion that they pour into their music and
their latest release Unseen Relations takes that line even deeper. The group
largely focuses on the problems that our youth deal with internally but their music
doesn't just speak to them, it is very intuitive of the problems and struggles that
we all deal with on a common basis.

"Her voice is a mesmerizing thing, deep and plummy enough to shake
trees and stir hearts" " PitchforkThis wildly acclaimed Istanbul-based
artist, delivers an unforgettable 4th album Anadolu Ejderi (Anatolian
Dragon)
Building upon her mellange of Turkish psychedelia, empowered commentary and
retro-futurist sonics, her vision is more personal and uncompromising than ever
before.Courage. Bravery. Daring. Those are the watch words that guided Turkey's
Gaye Su Akyol when she was making Anadolu Ejderi, her first full-length release in
four years. Already lauded for her startling, innovative mix of Turkish psychedelia
and folk song, surf music and E 90s Western rock, a global sweet spot where
Anatolian music heroine Selda Ba can rubbed shoulders with Kurt Cobain, Akyol
was ready to expand her vision after a relentless period on the road.
ONLINE. LondonJazz News - Album review due PRINT
Mojo magazine - Album review due (should be a half-page) + Album included with
a photo in the "Coming Next Month …" section at the end of their reviews pages
(December 2022) / Uncut magazine Album review due (January 2023 issue) +
Album mentioned in 'Coming next month' box in review section (December 2022)
+ pitched her for a 'I'm New Here' feature, is being considered / The Wire
magazine - Want her to do the 'Inner Sleeve' column + still considering her for a
feature at a later stage + might be included in a possible Istanbul feature + is
being considered for an album review / Songlines magazine - 'Spotlight' (1 page)
feature due (issue out December 2022) + album review due (issue out December
2022) / New Internationalist magazine - Considering her for a 'Spotlight' feature +
Might review the album / Hi-Fi Choice magazine Album review due (January 2023
issue, out 1 December 2022))

Songs that inspired Flicker by Yoko Ono, Pentangle, The Kinks and Arthur Russell. “The idea was that I would be covering songs which helped in some way to colour in the edges of the picture of the influences that make up Flicker,” explains Andy. "The song ‘Jenny Holzer B. Goode’ on the album refers to a few of the female artists from the music and art worlds who I find inspiring, including Yoko Ono, so it felt right to include a cover of ‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’, my favourite Yoko Ono song. “Pentangle’s ‘Light Flight’ came out in 1970, the year I was born, and I’ve loved it ever since I heard it on the 1997 folk compilation Transatlantic Ticket. “Nat Cramp, the head honcho of Sonic Cathedral, requested that I cover ‘The Way Love Used To Be’. I’d never heard this song despite being a big fan of The Kinks, but it’s lovely and it felt very natural to do a version of. All hail Ray Davies! “Arthur Russell has been a big reference point for all my music away from ‘band world’. There is something impressionistic and open-ended about his records. I guess you could describe the production style I’m trying for on ‘Our Last Night Together’ as ‘World Of Echo meets This Mortal Coil doing Skip Spence’.” A1 Listen, The Snow Is Falling A2 Light Flight B1 The Way Love Used To Be B2 Our Last Night Together

“Arguably his generation’s best lyricist” – Mojo // “The year’s stand-out album for me” – Stewart Lee // “A sort of modern-day pastoral” – Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate // The follow-up to last year’s first volume, English Primitive II continues the themes introduced previously in a harder, more electric and psychedelic style. The songs were mostly recorded during the same sessions but, if EPII showcased the ‘songs of innocence’, this new set comprises ‘songs of experience’. Callahan's lyrical themes here are frequently the sleaze and corruption of our ‘betters’, the intentional and unintentional brutality meted out on those weaker and the sometimes perverse ways in which this happens. There are moments of reflection among the broken mirrors, but they allow scant solace or reassurance. Dressed in another of Scottish artist Pinkie McClure’s witty and detailed stained glass creations and recorded at home and under a railway arch, EPII rises above its origins and invades the wider world, in all its colour, gritand glory. Each song serves as a monument to its internal tale – in fact, the whole LP is as much a collection of musical short stories as it is an album of songs. Opening with Invisible Man, the impression of a regular person with hidden grievances, biding his time and waiting to lash out is given. Waves of distant samples ebb and fall as the warped guitars swell and crash behind the main themes. We don’t know when this explosion will happen – we only know it will. A sleazy celebration of Britain’s position as the laundering capital of the world follows in the form of Beautiful Launderette. It’s good that we keep everything nice and clean for the whole planet, isn’t it? Business as usual, keeping the globe turning – that’s our role and we love it. The Parrot rocks like only a prolonged evisceration of governmental mouthpieces and their court stenographers can. It’s a thankless task making sure that the powers that be retain their authority in all things and patrolling the borders of what is allowed to be said and believed, but somebody’s got to do it. If you’re providing a service, you’ll need to present a united front against the grievances of the public, so you’ll need The Scapegoat. Mistakes and accidents can’t be the company’s fault, so you’ll need to pay someone to be publicly and repeatedly sacked to make it appear as if you’re solving problems and getting better. Lessons will be learned, going forward. The disturbing tale of Bear Factory begins side two and is the real-life story of the murder of one of the singer’s primary-school classmates in the 1970s, and true in every detail. The victim’s body was never found but the killer justifiably imprisoned for life. A more ancient scent of death pervades The Burnet Rose. This ground-hugging plant covers the graves of the victims in a seventeenth-century plague village on the Yorkshire coast to this day, commemorating their sacrifices when all around have forgotten. It’s this particular songwriter’s favourite flower. Orgy of the Ancients describes the intimate intricacies of ageing politicians and the press as they decide whether to go to war. In grotesque scenarios worthy of Caligula, they decide the fates of our children. And it’s not even half the truth. To finish, the songwriter looks back to an admired predecessor, when he sets William Blake’s famous poem London in a groovier setting than we’re used to – in the form of London by Blakelight. If London swings, it’s from the Tyburn tree. Tracks: Invisible Man / Beautiful Launderette / The Parrot / The Scapegoat / Bear Factory / The Burnet Rose / Orgy Of The Ancients / London By Blakelight

Genre : Indie / Pop-folk The New Yorker Adam Green’s 11th and latest solo album, That Fucking Feeling, continues his musical explorations with longtime collaborators Loren Humphrey, James Richardson (MGMT), and Jesse Kotansky. The album places large-scale 'Wall of Sound' style productions alongside home-recordings done during COVID quarantine. Adam Green was touring in Europe in 2022 spring, and will tour in USA in November. When talking about the title track, Adam says: “I wanted to release something home-recorded. Back in the Moldy Peaches days I used to record everything on my parent’s kitchen table, but it’s been 20 years since I put out something like that. I wrote a few songs in quarantine singing into my laptop, and I like how direct it feels. Not every song has to be big, this is just a little song that felt like a sweet moment captured. I think of myself as a singing man, maybe that’s how I’m most comfortable in life” Tracklist : 1. Black Out / 2. That Fucking Feeling / 3. Red Copper Room / 4.Bitter Hearts / 5. All Hell Breaks Loose / 6. What's her face / 7. Dreidels of Fire / 8. Black Out (accoustic) / 9. What's her Face (accoustic) / 10. Little Failure

nother all time DEAD MOON classic. The band really hit their stride on this one! The best rock band of the '90s and 2000s kicks out some of their finest rockers and ballads. Features all time greats like "Diamonds in the Rough," "Say It Isn't So," "Running out of Time," "Somewhere Far Away" and "Windows of Time." A must have for any fan of the band and rock music in general. A1 Diamonds In The Rough A2 Say It Isn't So A3 I Won't Be The One A4 Can't Let Go A5 Running Out Of Time B1 Psychodelic Nightmare B2 Area 51 B3 Somewhere Far Away B4 I'm Not Afraid B5 Windows Of Time

2022 Repress

After a few nice but largely unnoticed 12"s for lower-profile labels, Dürerstuben is ready to make a serious maneuver, and Pampa is pleased to provide them with the proper platform. The Sheets of Rane EP is the Berliner duo's most sophisticated statement yet, imbuing cold programmed sounds with a glowing human touch and a penchant for melody. A1 'Gscheids Planet' unfolds with a deceptive intro, click-clackety downtempo stomps and crunchy snares beneath a tender vocoder coo, just when some muted guitar plucks crescendo into a burst of robo-synths. Although three minutes have passed, only now does the song reveal its true nature, a summery tune with rich synths that billow in the wind. Then, as its title indicates, 'Haeckles Kosmos' further explores Dürerstuben's fascination with the unlimits of outer space. This star system in particular has a very tropical flair, punctuated with bouncy parallel fifths straight out of the Italo Orient. In between movements, the duo makes some brief non sequiturs into piano balladry, the kind that force a smile (and a record deal) out of DJ Koze. Finally, venturing even further into jacking territory, 'Freiherr in der Wall' hinges upon syncopated, sometimes faltering beatbox rhythms, a swaggering bassline and fluttering arpeggiation. Coupled with hand-played chords, this is a prime example of how Dürerstuben can tame the beast machine and let irregularities be strengths. If you can get down with Metro Area, Zapp, Tensnake, and yes, even Survivor, then pick this one up.

'Gulliver', the latest Condor Gruppe album, is a nod to yet another spiritual journey in the band's ever-evolving saga. Released 23rd September via the groove-obsessed Sdban Ultra, the Antwerp-based nine-piece ensemble take you on a hypnotic trip, paying tribute to obscure Italian 70s film soundtracks, krautrock and psychedelic grooves. Fuse the melancholy of Pink Floyd, the heroism of Ennio Morricone and the world grooves of GOAT and you get an idea of what Condor Gruppe is.

Always looking to push musical boundaries, Condor Gruppe rely on the adventurous use of their instruments and their intriguing musical patter. Melancholic, exotic, surreal, the band's sound is enriched by instruments including the handpan, Jew's harp, darbouka and tanpura. Diverse sounds, rhythms and melodies build, exciting the listener whilst always remaining familiar. From the thunderous, spacious prog rock sounds of 'What Could Have Been', to the loose, laidback grooves of the mystical 'Farid' and groovy 'Rhymes On Our Mind', 'Gulliver' is a soundtrack for visits to far-flung places and a mesmerizing trip through the band's own record shelves.

Condor Gruppe released their debut album 'Latituds del Cavall' in 2014 with nine exotica fuelled songs that echo the sound of an intoxicated ride through the desert. This was followed up in 2016 with 'FROG BOG - A Tribute to Moondog' - an adaptation of the work of the legendary composer and outsider. Containing six Moondog interpertations, trumpet player Dirk Timmermans, saxophonist Matti Willems and baritone saxophonist Hanne De Backer joined the five original members of Condor Gruppe, with the results a spectacular mix between Moondog's jazzy compositions and Condor Gruppe's dreamy instrumental sound.

Second album proper 'Interplanetary Travels' (2018) - a nostalgic, melancholic soundtrack - saw the introduction of the Anoushka Shankar-trained Nicolas Mortelmans on sitar. The title hinting at Sun Ra is no coincidence. Condor Gruppe recorded 8 songs that give you the creepy feel of a horror scene, the heroism of the best film scores and the hypnotizing grooves of jungle tribes.

At this year's Ghent Film Festival, Condor Gruppe performed a live version of the score for the dark, hypnotic, surreal, erotic vampire film 'Daughters of Darkness' (1971), directed by Belgian cult director Harry Kümel. The score was originally recorded by François de Roubaix, a self-taught musician and jazz enthusiast, and he composed almost a hundred soundtracks, mostly for French films. In 1976, he won a César for best soundtrack with his work on 'Le Vieux Fusil' - awarded posthumously as de Roubaix had passed away just the year before. De Roubaix has always been a great source of inspiration for Condor Gruppe, so they were only too happy to sink their teeth into his scintillating score.

grey marbled vinyl

Two young British producers share their skills for this thoughtfully constructed futuristic two-tracker. Jasper Tygner, who has been championed by Radio 1's Jamz Supernova, Jaguar and Sian Eleri, is a rising star crafting blissed out electronica. Meanwhile fellow Londoner Joe Hertz has also skyrocketed to success, especially since last year's soulful jazz-inflected Current Blues EP.

These two collaborative tracks are delicate soundscapes that borrow and reimagine club sounds. 'Equals' forms a slowly swelling early hours pulse with futuristic melodies, at once gentle and danceable. 'Second Thought' has a hazier beat, with swooping post-rave synths to ease you from the clubnight out into the morning light.

Sarathy Korwar returns with new album KALAK. The follow up to the politically charged, award-winning More Arriving is an Indo-futurist manifesto - in rhythmic step with the past and the present, it sets out to describe a route forward. It celebrates a rich South Asian culture of music and literature, which resonates with spirituality and community, while envisaging a better future from those building blocks. Recorded at Real World studios with meticulous production by New York electronic musician, DJ and producer Photay, who translates these communal rhythms and practices into a timeless and groundbreaking electronic record. There"s a spirituality and warmth at play in the polyrhythms, group vocals and melodic flourishes. The KALAK rhythm is the fulcrum upon which the 11-track project balances. After an intense lockdown induced period of reflection and meticulous note-making, Korwar boiled this down to the circular KALAK symbol which he then presented to his band before recording began. With the symbol projected on the walls in order to de-code and improvise around, Korwar had utter faith in the musicians he"d assembled and conviction in the concept.

Clear Vinyl

"Monstas brings out our street and theatrical sides to a fiasco, combining Grime/Dub MC's and tunes to make a Soundtrack-like experience. The release also marks an end of a Trilogy - which allows us to wrap up our sonic architect skills, and to start from scratch, to dive deep in the unknown - audio and visually."
- TRAKA

Repressed! Illmatic, the 1994 studio debut of Nasir "Nas" Jones, was more than just a critical success for the Queensbridge-based rapper. At a time when East Coast hip-hop was increasingly being taken less seriously than their West Coast counterparts, Illmatic's raw jazz and soul-based production, dire atmosphere and lyrics, coupled with Nas' uncompromising flow was integral in restoring interest in the East Coast as a hotbed of hip-hop artistry. Along with key releases from Wu-Tang Clan and Notorious B.I.G.,it shifted attention away from the funky, dayglo synth-based G-funk coming out of California and back to the grimy streets of New York. After such an unprecedented debut record, expectations were understandably high for Nas' follow-up. What came next threw critics and fans for a loop, but was no less influential than Illmatic, and would become the most commercially successful album in the entirety of Nas' discography. The 1996 sophomore follow-up was titled It Was Written, and in contrast to the urban bleakness of his debut, had Nas dipping his toes into the world of mafioso rap. Amidst production from heavy hitters like Trackmasters, Dr. Dre, L.E.S., Havoc of Mobb Deep, and Illmatic-collaborator DJ Premier, among others, Nas weaves evocative narratives of gang warfare, downtrodden neighborhoods, drug deals gone awry, and gangsta triumph, against a backdrop of samples from Sam Cooke, Etta James, the Isley Brothers, and even Chuck Mangione. It Was Written was not hard up for top-tier guests either, featuring major guest turns from Lauryn Hill and Joel "JoJo" Hailey of K-Ci & JoJo. It also introduced the world to The Firm, the brief Nas-led supergroup featuring rappers AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. It even managed to cause some minor controversy in the hip-hop community for its collaboration with West Coast producer Dr. Dre, at a time when the East Coast/West Coast rap feud was reaching a fever pitch, briefly attracting the ire of one Tupac Shakur. Not only was It Was Written received warmly by critics, but became a major commercial success, reaching the top of the Billboard 200 charts, reaching platinum sales status four times, and alongside albums like Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, helped usher in the era of mafioso rap in the mainstream. It rendered chart hits out of singles like the Eurhythmics-mimicking "Street Dreams", and the Grammy-nominated "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)", and proved to be a major influence on artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, and many more.