Search:paul v

Es ist August 2021... Paula Hartmanns erste Single »Nie verliebt« erscheint und bildet den Auftakt für das gleichnamige, im Folgejahr erscheinende Album-Debüt. Fast forward 2023 und in der Rückschau wird klar: Paula Hartmann trat leise, aber mit Nachdruck ins Scheinwerferlicht der Musikwelt. Die Musik der 22-jährigen Berlinerin in ihrer Essenz zu erfassen, bedeutet, sie zu hören; zu vielschichtig und dicht erscheint das gewebte Netz von Geschichten aus der Großstadt. Und es ist diese Qualität, mit der sich ihre Musik Beschreibungen entzieht: Jedes Wort wohl überlegt, kein Ton zu viel, lässt man sich bereitwillig in das fein gesponnene Geflecht fallen und begleitet Paula Hartmann auf ihrer Odyssee durch den dunklen Westen von Berlin - denn wo noch Licht brennt, da tritt Paula Hartmann die Laternen aus. Mit »kleine Feuer« kündigt die Berlinerin nun ihr zweites Album an und bereits die ersten Singleauskopplungen lassen auf Großes hoffen im März des kommenden Jahres.

There is a pivotal scene in “August in the Water” (dir. Sōgo Ishii, 1995) where the surface of a pool turns into a stone wall. The water that gave the protagonist's life its meaning becomes a threat. As you fall through this stone wall, you appear in a set of underwater coral-reef corridors, and one of the most beautiful musical themes begins to play: Aquatic Ambience, composed by David Wise for Donkey Kong Country (1994). It's a theme that represents the weightless vibe of your new deep-sea life, where you go about your mundane errands, collecting bananas while driving on a swordfish, or, as HerzMayhem put it: "Poor monkey... always swimming, never going anywhere..."

Synthetic Water Music is the second of three compilations, following Synthetic Bird Music and timed to mappa's 10th anniversary. As with the birds, it gathers friends of the label, artists who have released with mappa or played our shows. Most of the music is new, made to measure for this compilation, much of it from Central and Eastern European hands. Birds and water mix well, so please feel invited to play them together, creating your own environments.

Where the birds were in one flock, water is dispersed across four chapters. You live your life as a droppity drop: vapour in the heavens, condensing in clouds, falling into a swamp, trickling into the deepest sea.

Tlālōcān (Cassette 1, Side A)
A place of eternal spring, of aquatic energy that nourishes everything and allows all things to bloom. Bubbly and splishy-sploshy, it is full of dripping sounds and moist caverns (“Emerald Pool” by Pauline Anna Strom), a landscape filled with living fountains (“Oh, to be a Fountain” by Eva Sajanová) and winding streams that flow through the area, forming part of its organic architecture. It is also a paradise reserved for those whose deaths were water-related, where the aquatic and terrestrial beings live in symbiosis and perspectives shift rapidly, from observing a single droplet (Shakali, Lau Nau) to dew (Feronia Wennborg & Lucy Duncombe) and on to flowing currents (Visible Cloaks) that gradually transform into river music (Ursula K. Le Guin & Todd Barton).

Nephelora (Cassette 1, Side B)
A celestial anti-gravity sound world made of evaporation, steam and the formation of clouds, as if looking at “The Sky At The Bottom of the Well” (by Natalia Beylis) or at “The Cloud That Never Rains” (by Henrique Vaz).

If a cloud never rains,
it is not a cloud at all, but a veil that parches the earth with its gaze.
It generates only its own shadow —
a looming mass of suspended longing,
a sky that hoards but never yields,
a reservoir that swallows every river and returns nothing but echoes.

The water in this world is often invisible but sometimes all the more present, as Bint Mbareh describes it: “Recently been obsessed with invisible waters because I come from a place where you have to imagine the water is there even though you cannot see a river, a sea, usually no rain, so water is in the air, the voice and the imaginal realm, drought is imagined to be negotiable.”

Žaboglach Zha-bo-glahch (Cassette 2, Side A)
A fusion of Scottish lochs and Slovak ponds: a misty, foul-smelling, swampy realm, the kind of place that swallowed Artax from The NeverEnding Story. Stagnant waters full of decay become a blooming habitat for sirens (“thereby losing the weightless delight of being swept along with it” by Adam Badí Donoval) and beings straddling the line between fauna and flora, inventing their own communication systems (“Water-lily phase” by Action Pyramid).

R'lyeh (Cassette 2, Side B)
A brooding sunken city at the bottom of the ocean. It’s a journey to get there. Let this chapter guide you, from the shore down to the depths, to the gates of an unexplored world that is inherently dark, unfathomable, and beyond the limits of human perception: starting with seasickness ("Seasick" by Nikolaienko), passing through a classic Poe-esque maelstrom ("Flurry at the Whirl-pull" by Atte Elias Kantonen), a gateway into the darkness and emptiness of the ocean floor, and finally traversing the city itself (“last waves of 2025” by Jules Reidy).
But what is pulling you to a place like this that only a few explore and even fewer leave? Maybe “the darkness that water can contain, the expanse of things we don't know and that can trigger fear instincts even as we try to rationalise them and think we are in control of the rest of nature” (“supercritical fluids” by Diane Barbé).

Dive in and surface wherever you like. Always swimming, never going anywhere. Just don’t forget to take water breaks.

P.S. Birds, then water, can you guess what comes next? Synthetic Soil Music, an elegy for insects and worms? Synthetic Glaciers, or maybe Pollinators? Which sounds would you miss the most if they disappeared? Or what if the third one never comes at all, and somebody, or something, makes Synthetic mappa Music instead. Don't you worry, with the right training data, it can all be replicated, better than the real thing.

Brighton’s Moon Attendant team up with Go! Team's leader and drummer Ian Parton for new LP ‘Dum Evol’. Following their debut ‘One Last Summer’ with this incendiary, heart-pounding, drum-led masterwork full of untutored surf-guitar, Scarlet Rivera style fiddle, psychedelic orchestration and sharp-playful lyrics, all within just over 30 thrilling minutes.Since their debut, Paul Blewett and Nick Holton had been knee-deep in experimental music and needed something or someone to smash the shit out of the new songs. Instead of making heavier music, the result left lofty but wobbly structures teetering on fractured Giacometti-like frames, exposed, more arresting. Paring back the Musical palette from previous wash of synths and reverb to surf guitars, Moog, and violin, leaving Blewett's vocal (often compared to Colin Bunstone) leaning into an unvarnished, direct sound like Jimmy Campbell. Thematically, Dum Evol turns inward. Where their debut asked questions, this record sits with the answers, exploring love, conflict, and growth as experiences that must be lived first hand - “It’s such dumb evolution, you still have to learn the hard way”. Their lyrics get under the skin and under The Establishment in a wistful worm like way. Nudging at the truths. Smiling but always ready to bare some fangs.The fantastic instinctive violinist, Roger Proctor, joined as fourth member, bringing raw fragile beauty to ‘Look The Other Way’ & ‘Difficult Ifficult’, blending swooping string lines with the monster-surfing-Sonic Youth racket elsewhere. They explain - “We kept to a first take policy generally as it keeps everything just fresh and daisy like.” Dum Evol’s restraint allows the band’s more experimental instincts to land with greater weight. Musically, the record occupies a space somewhere between the slacker-rock nonchalance of Pavement and the gypsy swagger of Dylan - 'Desire' through a lens that is consciously, almost defiantly, English. It’s a sound that channels the 60's pastoral folk tradition alongside the sharp-edge of The Auteurs, an honest version of England, one to be proud of, existing in stark contrast to the hollow jingoistic nationalism of flag-shaggers climbing lamp posts. Jagged, lived-in, and entirely vital, Dum Evol is a record that feels fully realised, yet remains dangerously built to unravel in a hair's breadth.“Psychelelic grungy synth-pop - Moon Attendant marry analogue electronics to a lovely burbling pop sound, like Felt exploring the recesses of krautrock. Trippy, ramshackle and a cult in waiting.” Shindig!

Brighton’s Moon Attendant team up with Go! Team's leader and drummer Ian Parton for new LP ‘Dum Evol’. Following their debut ‘One Last Summer’ with this incendiary, heart-pounding, drum-led masterwork full of untutored surf-guitar, Scarlet Rivera style fiddle, psychedelic orchestration and sharp-playful lyrics, all within just over 30 thrilling minutes.Since their debut, Paul Blewett and Nick Holton had been knee-deep in experimental music and needed something or someone to smash the shit out of the new songs. Instead of making heavier music, the result left lofty but wobbly structures teetering on fractured Giacometti-like frames, exposed, more arresting. Paring back the Musical palette from previous wash of synths and reverb to surf guitars, Moog, and violin, leaving Blewett's vocal (often compared to Colin Bunstone) leaning into an unvarnished, direct sound like Jimmy Campbell. Thematically, Dum Evol turns inward. Where their debut asked questions, this record sits with the answers, exploring love, conflict, and growth as experiences that must be lived first hand - “It’s such dumb evolution, you still have to learn the hard way”. Their lyrics get under the skin and under The Establishment in a wistful worm like way. Nudging at the truths. Smiling but always ready to bare some fangs.The fantastic instinctive violinist, Roger Proctor, joined as fourth member, bringing raw fragile beauty to ‘Look The Other Way’ & ‘Difficult Ifficult’, blending swooping string lines with the monster-surfing-Sonic Youth racket elsewhere. They explain - “We kept to a first take policy generally as it keeps everything just fresh and daisy like.” Dum Evol’s restraint allows the band’s more experimental instincts to land with greater weight. Musically, the record occupies a space somewhere between the slacker-rock nonchalance of Pavement and the gypsy swagger of Dylan - 'Desire' through a lens that is consciously, almost defiantly, English. It’s a sound that channels the 60's pastoral folk tradition alongside the sharp-edge of The Auteurs, an honest version of England, one to be proud of, existing in stark contrast to the hollow jingoistic nationalism of flag-shaggers climbing lamp posts. Jagged, lived-in, and entirely vital, Dum Evol is a record that feels fully realised, yet remains dangerously built to unravel in a hair's breadth.“Psychelelic grungy synth-pop - Moon Attendant marry analogue electronics to a lovely burbling pop sound, like Felt exploring the recesses of krautrock. Trippy, ramshackle and a cult in waiting.” Shindig!

Strut presents Nigeria 80, the next essential chapter in the legendary Nigeria 70 series, diving deep into the explosive sound world of 1980s Nigeria.

Following the global impact of 2001's Nigeria 70, which helped introduce rare Nigerian recordings to international audiences, Nigeria 80 continues the journey, unearthing a rich, restless, and wildly creative decade of music from Lagos to Enugu. Despite economic instability and restrictive political conditions in the 1980's, Nigeria’s music industry flourished, driven by a growing network of independent labels such as Tabansi and Phonodisk, which championed local artists and expanded creative freedom. The 1980s also marked a significant rise in visibility for female artists, with trailblazers like Onyeka Onwenu helping to reshape the landscape and open doors for a new generation of performers, writers, and producers.

Nigeria 80 showcases the extraordinary breadth of this era, with all tracks reissued here for the first time. The compilation brings together essential recordings from across Nigeria’s musical spectrum: highlife greats Victor Uwaifo and Nico Mbarga appear alongside Paulson Kalu, whose personal favourite “Akugbue Nwa Ewu” stands out as a prime example of the style. Prince David Bull’s “Soko Soko” (later reinterpreted in Starboy’s Afrobeats hit “Soco”) features as a key touchpoint between eras. Segun Adewale delivers a driving juju workout, while Lekan Animashaun, longtime bandleader of Africa 70, contributes a late-era Afrobeat classic produced in collaboration with Fela Kuti.

The compilation also highlights more experimental and hybrid sounds, from I.C. Rock’s proto–hip hop gem “Advice” to Evi-Edna Ogholi’s self-produced reggae statement “The World”. The set closes with “Apama” by Ibealaoke Chukwukeziri, the “Apama Boy” from Achi in eastern Nigeria, featuring hypnotic vocals and percussion from his Anaedeonu band.

Nigeria 80 is available as a black vinyl 2LP housed in a gatefold sleeve or CD digipak, which includes a 16-page booklet with artist photos and liner notes by Francis Gooding. Compiled by Duncan Brooker. Audio restoration by See Why Audio. Mastered by The Carvery.

Scotland's incomparable and influential Arab Strap are back with their ninth studio album Half-Told Tales, due for release via Rock Action Records on 4th September 2026: almost exactly 30 years since the beloved duo’s first ever single, The First Big Weekend, was released. The follow-up to 2024's acclaimed I'm totally fine with it (y) don't give a fuck anymore (y) , Half-Told Tales is rich with Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton’s trademark wit and dark humour, whilst creating moments from quiet brooding to a self-described “disco-metal incantation that might make you dance” . Including the single You You You, the album was recorded with long-time collaborator Paul Savage (Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand) . Vinyl is released as a double LP in a gatefold sleeve.

Scotland's incomparable and influential Arab Strap are back with their ninth studio album Half-Told Tales, due for release via Rock Action Records on 4th September 2026: almost exactly 30 years since the beloved duo’s first ever single, The First Big Weekend, was released. The follow-up to 2024's acclaimed I'm totally fine with it (y) don't give a fuck anymore (y) , Half-Told Tales is rich with Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton’s trademark wit and dark humour, whilst creating moments from quiet brooding to a self-described “disco-metal incantation that might make you dance” . Including the single You You You, the album was recorded with long-time collaborator Paul Savage (Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand) . Vinyl is released as a double LP in a gatefold sleeve.

The deluxe 10th anniversary edition of case/lang/veirs features the new track "Accidental Tattoo" and twelve never-before-released live recordings alongside the original studio album from supergroup of singer-songwriters Neko Case, kd lang and Laura Veirs. Released in 2016, case/lang/veirs is a true collaboration between three phenomenal, self-driven artists: "the strongest voices in their field - lang the full-voiced seductress, Case the hurricane, and Veirs the wry storyteller" (Pitchfork). The women wrote all 14 songs and shared lead vocals equally, sometimes even within the same track. Full of stunning harmonies and spellbinding rhythms, case/lang/veirs travels through aches and eras, torch songs and tributes to the undersung. "There"s a generosity of spirit to case/lang/veirs," NPR praised upon the album"s release, "a worthy extension of three tremendous catalogs, in which three great singer-songwriters sound enhanced and invigorated by the challenge of living up to each other"s legacies." They worked over two and a half years in Portland, Oregon, where lang and Veirs both live, sometimes in lang"s loft with a view of Mount St. Helens, others in Veirs" dining room or backyard studio. The album was written from the ground up without any real plan beyond a desire to make music together and a faith that it would reveal itself. They produced the album with Tucker Martine, at his Portland studio in November 2015.

The deluxe 10th anniversary edition of case/lang/veirs features the new track "Accidental Tattoo" and twelve never-before-released live recordings alongside the original studio album from supergroup of singer-songwriters Neko Case, kd lang and Laura Veirs. Released in 2016, case/lang/veirs is a true collaboration between three phenomenal, self-driven artists: "the strongest voices in their field - lang the full-voiced seductress, Case the hurricane, and Veirs the wry storyteller" (Pitchfork). The women wrote all 14 songs and shared lead vocals equally, sometimes even within the same track. Full of stunning harmonies and spellbinding rhythms, case/lang/veirs travels through aches and eras, torch songs and tributes to the undersung. "There"s a generosity of spirit to case/lang/veirs," NPR praised upon the album"s release, "a worthy extension of three tremendous catalogs, in which three great singer-songwriters sound enhanced and invigorated by the challenge of living up to each other"s legacies." They worked over two and a half years in Portland, Oregon, where lang and Veirs both live, sometimes in lang"s loft with a view of Mount St. Helens, others in Veirs" dining room or backyard studio. The album was written from the ground up without any real plan beyond a desire to make music together and a faith that it would reveal itself. They produced the album with Tucker Martine, at his Portland studio in November 2015.

Mit "Strange Horses" präsentiert Downpilot-Mastermind Paul Hiraga sein achtes Album und zugleich eine seiner persönlichsten und vielschichtigsten Arbeiten. Zwischen atmosphärischem Guitar-Pop, feinsinniger Americana und introspektivem Songwriting reflektiert Hiraga die Herausforderungen einer Welt im rasanten Wandel. Die Songs erzählen von menschlichen Beziehungen, inneren Konflikten, sich verändernden Landschaften und den Kräften der Natur. Dabei vereint Strange Horses eingängige Melodien mit emotionaler Tiefe und klanglicher Vielfalt. Von intimen Balladen bis zu weitläufigen, traumhaften Arrangements entfaltet sich ein Album voller Wärme, Nachdenklichkeit und musikalischer Eleganz. Ein zeitloses Werk für Hörerinnen und Hörer, die anspruchsvolles Songwriting und atmosphärische Klangwelten schätzen.

The second volume of this (already) cult series of British proto-metal compilation albums. Every artist on here was a regional band in their local underground scene of the late 1960s/early 1970s. The main thing that differentiates this series to any other, is the fact that none of the artists included had any kind of commercial release during their existence (apart from Fusion Farm, who self-released an extremely rare private press LP titled 'Rush Job' in 1971). All the artists were discovered after extremely lengthy searches of old music magazines, local newspapers, concert posters, government agencies.... By any means possible! It was a lot of work, but the results speak for themselves. The one thing that joins all these bands together (apart from being exclusively British), was their desire to play as loud and heavy as possible. This was a magical era in rock music, where Black Sabbath were the undisputed kings, but the industry simply didn't want to recognise the countless other band that existed in their gloomy wake. All of the recordings on Yeah Man, It's Bloody Heavy! are taken from demos, whether originating from crusty old 1/4 inch tapes, dusty acetate discs or third generation cassette tapes. Basically, whatever format was available. As a result, sound quality varies, though we did our utmost to get these precious artefacts sounding as killer as possible. For instance, Bonehead were close friends of Led Zeppelin. Their guitarist/vocalist Paul Lockey had previously played with Robert Plant and John Bonham in the Band Of Joy. Their track, 'Free To Escape', was actually an audition tape for Atlantic Records, which had been instigated by Robert himself. Unfortunately, the band broke up not long after the recording. So, their recording is top notch, whereas others were taken from rehearsal tapes (such as Fusion Farms' - Keys To Hell). But the main thing is, there's a spirit that unites them all. Sit back, roll up a fat one and let your mind be blown by the obnoxious sounds and sheer weight of vintage gravity that is: 'Yeah Man, It's Bloody Heavy! Vol 2'.

When Drop Nineteens disbanded in the mid-'90s, singer Greg Ackell decided he would never make music again. He wouldn't noodle around on a guitar in his basement. He wouldn't get a group of friends together just to jam. He was done with music entirely. Following the release of the shoegaze masterpiece Delaware in 1992, and the intricate experimentations on National Coma in 1993, the group disbanded. They shared stages with Radiohead, Hole, Blur, PJ Harvey and Smashing Pumpkins. They went from being teenagers in Boston to mid-twenty-somethings with a few MTV videos, a couple BBC sessions and numerous festival appearances under their belt. So when Drop Nineteens ceased to be, Ackell felt content. He had the rest of his life in front of him to figure out what he wanted to do. Music was a closed chapter.That was until 2021, when a friend from the band's early days got Greg on the phone to suggest making some music together, just to see how it felt. Instead of shutting it down like he had been doing over the years, he decided to entertain the prospect. For the first time in nearly 30 years, he picked up a guitar with intent. He immediately called up Steve Zimmerman, the band's bassist and fellow guitarist, and the two got writing. It felt effortless for Ackell, like he never stopped writing music. "We were off to the races," he says, "But also the question came up: what does a Drop Nineteens song sound like today?" Enter Hard Light, the band's stunning third record. It's the band's proverbial follow up to Delaware, a modern Drop Nineteens record that is completely singular in its sound and vision. The first task making Hard Light was, of course, getting the rest of the band back together. Drop Nineteens is an inherently collaborative project. Ackell writes the lyrics, and he works with band members Steve Zimmerman, Paula Kelley, Motohiro Yasue, and Peter Koeplin to create the sonic world. The record came together over the course of a year, recording at a patchwork of studios all around the country: Boston, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Los Angeles. When Kelley and Ackell first heard their vocals recorded together on the opus album closer "T", the chemistry was undeniable. Making music together felt natural, fluid, exciting.Hard Light is a romantic record in the literary sense. Beauty from longing; longing from beauty. You put the album on and want to be clad in a velvet dress sprawled across a fainting couch. You want to be holding someone's hand while you sit back in the tall grass. The guitars are expansive and expressive as ever. Ackell and Kelley's vocals are cool, crystalline, and luminous. "Gal" comes on like a dream. The vocals pour in when you least expect them, once in the middle, where Ackell delivers one of the strangest (and best) lyrics on the record, "And there were snakes/with cats at the wheel." Hard Light's first single, "Scapa Flow" is triumphant and an excellent example of what a modern day Drop Nineteens song sounds like. The guitars glide cloud-like, floor toms shuffle and rumble in the background, searching. Ackell and Kelley's vocals are as toned as they are bound. Hard Light is every bit the ride that Delaware was, diverse in its sounds, with surprises at every turn. Drop Nineteens have brought clarity and cool in 2023 to the genre they helped create. A portrait of a band 30 years later, as talented and dedicated to their craft as ever. To put it more bluntly, they're at the top of their game.

Cat-O-Log Records gibt in Zusammenarbeit mit Universal Music Enterprises stolz die Neuauflage von Cat
Stevens’ sechster LP bei Island Records, „Buddha and the Chocolate Box“, bekannt.
„Buddha and the Chocolate Box“ erschien ursprünglich am 19. März 1974 und markierte die Rückkehr
sowohl von Paul Samwell-Smith als Produzent als auch von Alun Davies an der Gitarre, die beide auf dem
Vorgängeralbum „Foreigner“ nicht mitgewirkt hatten.
Klanglich fühlt sich „Buddha and the Chocolate Box“ zweifellos wie eine Rückkehr zum Stil der Ära
von „Tea for the Tillerman“ und „Teaser and the Firecat“ an, wenn auch mit musikalischen Arrangements
und einer Produktion, die ein neues Maß an Finesse und Raffnesse erreicht haben.
Der faszinierende Titel des Albums entstand während einer Flugreise, bei der Cat feststellte, dass er in
der einen Hand eine kleine Buddha-Statue und in der anderen eine Schachtel Pralinen hielt. Er dachte
darüber nach, dass man ihn im Falle eines Flugzeugabsturzes zwischen diesen beiden Gegenständen finden
würde, die das Spirituelle und das Materielle symbolisierten.
Anknüpfend an die Neuauflage des klassischen Live-Albums „Saturnight“ (Cat Stevens: Live In Tokyo)
aus dem Jahr 2024 und die Veröffentlichung von „On The Road To Findout: Greatest Hits“ im Jahr 2025
wurde „Buddha and the Chocolate Box“ sorgfältig anhand der originalen Produktionsbänder von Island UK
remastert und mit einem neu gestalteten Cover präsentiert.
„Buddha and the Chocolate Box“ wird auf 180 g schwarzem Vinyl, als CD erhältlich sein.

A Collision of Worlds. A Convergence of Sound.

Czarface opens another portal. On Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer, the boundary between comic book canon and hip-hop reality dissolves. Frankie Pulitzer, also known in certain dimensions as FacePuller, is no ordinary collaborator, character, or catalyst. He is a hybrid entity: part human, part alien force, fully embedded in the expanding Czarface universe.

Following landmark team-ups with MF DOOM and Ghostface Killah, Czarface continues its “Meets” saga with a full-scale crossover event that pushes deeper into story and sound. Frankie’s presence is both lyrical and mythological, bringing a chaotic, shape-shifting energy that challenges and complements Czarface’s razor-sharp precision. Dusty drums, cinematic soundscapes, and razor-edged bars bring the classic Czarface sound, yet mutated.

The universe widens with appearances from Busta Rhymes, Method Man, and El-P (of Run the Jewels), each adding their own gravitational pull to the project, thus grounding it in hip-hop legacy while amplifying its larger-than-life scope.

Colorize presents Higher Note, the highly anticipated new album from Sound Quelle, a defining sound in modern melodic electronic music.
Across the album, Sound Quelle showcases his signature blend of beautiful harmonies, atmospheric melodies and driving basslines, crafting a richly detailed body of work that balances emotional depth with dancefloor energy. Building on a campaign already supported strongly by SiriusXM Chill, Vintage Culture, Diplo and Nora En Pure, Valery Lebedev continues to affirm his place as a leading voice in melodic electronic music. With over 50 million streams across DSPs, releases on Armada Music, Black Hole Recordings and Enhanced Music, and long-standing support from Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz and Paul van Dyk, Higher Note stands as a refined and deeply musical statement from an artist at the height of his creative powers.

Manonmars’ 3rd album sees him at his most amorphous and psychedelic, at points sharper and laser focused, and at others more blurred and impressionistic than his previous records. Many of the core players remain the same, all of the production is once again handled by O$VMV$M (the duo of Neek and Amos Childs of Jabu) while Paulina Korobkiewicz (also of Young Echo) makes a return handling both the album’s cover artwork and contributing a series of diaristic field recordings and voice notes.

‘The project references movies, cartoons, fictional characters and video games, among other things. The album title is open to interpretation but all of these elements are forms of visual entertainment which have their own unique ability to transcend things like language barriers and cultural divides. The visual element is key because those details bridge the gap on a communicative level.’ - Manonmars

The album blends abstract, blurred braggadocio with more immediate personal details such as on ‘Volcanic Shield’ a posse cut of sorts featuring Bristol improv luminary Dali de Saint Paul and Franco Franco (½ of cyborg rap duo Kinlaw & Franco Franco) - where Mars recalls;

‘Memories of brighter days, happy meal hit the spot
Mum was spinning vinyl playing Super Ape or Pressure Drop
I would spend the weekend with the Turkish mandem on the block
single parent household, mum was studying or on the job
money came and went always was an on and off
made it back from school time to see what’s on the box’


The beat fades away to leave one of Korobkiewicz’s recordings of Mars’ mum talking about her life in London in the 80s, spending her money on reggae records as an ambient chord fades in like an echo of a jungle intro – stretching out as a link between generations of UK music.

The production by and large is brighter and more kinetic than earlier Manonmars records – with O$VMV$M drawing on everything from modern underground rap and drill through to jazz and acid ambient passages.

London is also a central character here, bustling and constantly shifting, either when bleeding in through field recordings, or as an ever-present backdrop in the lyrics;

‘I’m a fusion of Tippa Irie and Topper Harley
Hit the target like the black Atari
I dropped a tab now shit’s A Scanner Darkly
Got the munchies, Imma yam a sarnie
Pour the Wray and Ting like man at Carni
Exit Peckham Rye and turn left, walk past Hannah Barry
Get your (w)raps up like its January’

‘I've always considered London my home, despite spending some time in the South West of England too. My mum had been living in London for 25 years (...) That was a pretty big deal in some ways because it removed us from multicultural society during the period which overlapped with my teenage years. (...) I never got used to how quiet it was in the countryside (...) Bristol was the closest city to where we lived and it was through travelling there and making connections that I became involved in making music and playing gigs.’ - Manonmars

Mars’ practice as a painter (under his given name Jack Martyn Richardson) and photographer also loom heavy over the album, he cites Paul Verhoeven, Abdul Mati Klariwein and H.R Giger as influences – as well as Miles Davis, Drakeo the Ruler and DJ Rashad.

As with much of Richardson’s work the raps at times feel blurred to a point of almost inscrutability, creating a distance between the audience and himself. A process that ties into his visual work and the way he experiences the world as mainly abstract colour without his glasses. He explores this further in an ongoing visual collaboration with Korobkiewicz, ‘Fun and Games’ which serves as a visual archive of one of London's largest and oldest travelling fairgrounds.

‘I was diagnosed with very severe short-sightedness at the age of seven. I remember my early formative years as visually blurred. Some of my photography reflects this experience of partial vision and uncertainty, referencing memory and perception rather than fixed representation.’

Manonmars’ first public outing as a rapper was at a Young Echo radio event, broadcast shambolically from a practice room just off Jamaica street, Bristol in 2011, as much as things have moved on both stylistically and in terms of focus - strong links back to the city remain a key foundation throughout the collaborations and guest appearances.

‘I have no problem with being an outsider looking in. One of the things I enjoy about London is the anonymity (...) it's easy to be a stranger here when so much is happening. I feel like thats more valuable than people may realise.’

This Mirror Weighs a Ton, Interpol’s first album in four years and debut for Partisan Records, finds the band turning inward while continuing to move forward. Across the record, reflection, distortion and perception become a lens through which familiar shapes are refracted into something slightly alien, as if seen through a different kind of light.

Produced with Grammy- and Oscar-winning Andrew Wyatt (ROSALÍA, Charli xcx) and mixed by Dave Fridmann, the album introduces vibrant new textures into Interpol’s world. Synthesizers, strings, acoustic guitars and percussion are integrated into the fabric of the songs, expanding the palette while revealing colors already latent within it. Nothing feels imposed. Instead, the additions deepen the band’s language of restraint, atmosphere and tension. At its center remains the creative relationship between Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler and Sam Fogarino, a partnership now approaching three decades and defined by intuitive alignment and momentum that continues to generate new possibilities. The result is an album that feels expansive, uncanny and alive with forward motion, not a reinvention but an evolution that allows Interpol to continue transforming without losing their identity.

“This Mirror Weighs A Ton” / “See Out Loud” is a study in duality, with Interpol moving fluidly between familiarity and departure. The title track unfolds from a skeletal progression into something vast and textural, built from warped bass, a wordless female voice and a sense of motion that feels tidal, bending the band’s familiar language into somewhere more expansive and unfamiliar. By contrast, “See Out Loud” carries the DNA of Interpol’s earliest work, sharp, propulsive and direct, while complicating it through layered vocals, shifting perspectives and a rare lead vocal turn from Kessler. Both tracks reflect the interplay between structure and spontaneity that defines This Mirror Weighs a Ton, expanding Interpol’s world through fresh textures while keeping the instinctive chemistry between Banks, Kessler and Fogarino at the center.

The double single is accompanied by two visualizers directed by Nick Steinhardt.

This Mirror Weighs a Ton, Interpol’s first album in four years and debut for Partisan Records, finds the band turning inward while continuing to move forward. Across the record, reflection, distortion and perception become a lens through which familiar shapes are refracted into something slightly alien, as if seen through a different kind of light.

Produced with Grammy- and Oscar-winning Andrew Wyatt (ROSALÍA, Charli xcx) and mixed by Dave Fridmann, the album introduces vibrant new textures into Interpol’s world. Synthesizers, strings, acoustic guitars and percussion are integrated into the fabric of the songs, expanding the palette while revealing colors already latent within it. Nothing feels imposed. Instead, the additions deepen the band’s language of restraint, atmosphere and tension. At its center remains the creative relationship between Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler and Sam Fogarino, a partnership now approaching three decades and defined by intuitive alignment and momentum that continues to generate new possibilities. The result is an album that feels expansive, uncanny and alive with forward motion, not a reinvention but an evolution that allows Interpol to continue transforming without losing their identity.

“This Mirror Weighs A Ton” / “See Out Loud” is a study in duality, with Interpol moving fluidly between familiarity and departure. The title track unfolds from a skeletal progression into something vast and textural, built from warped bass, a wordless female voice and a sense of motion that feels tidal, bending the band’s familiar language into somewhere more expansive and unfamiliar. By contrast, “See Out Loud” carries the DNA of Interpol’s earliest work, sharp, propulsive and direct, while complicating it through layered vocals, shifting perspectives and a rare lead vocal turn from Kessler. Both tracks reflect the interplay between structure and spontaneity that defines This Mirror Weighs a Ton, expanding Interpol’s world through fresh textures while keeping the instinctive chemistry between Banks, Kessler and Fogarino at the center.

The double single is accompanied by two visualizers directed by Nick Steinhardt.

Some people change your life in every way that a life can be changed. David Lynch is one of those people. When Alicia Witt first worked with him at age 7 in his classic Dune (1984) she had no idea what he meant to anyone as a filmmaker, nor that she would work with him 3 more times over the course of his life and that he would become one of her greatest influences. She only knew that she had found a kindred spirit and that she loved him. Between Heaven & Earth is a tribute to his energy, his legacy, and most of all, his love. When Alicia attended his memorial gathering shortly after his passing in 2025, she was struck by the depth of the relationships in that space. The knowing that if you were loved by David, you stayed loved. As those in the room spoke of their shared experience that David was still among them - directing from beyond - Alicia became ever more aware that she was being encouraged to create an album from this space of eternal unconditional love. ‘Use my name,’ David whispered. And so it was. Produced by renowned producer and singer-songwriter Joe Henry (Emmylou Harris; Milk Carton Kids; Bonnie Raitt; Rodney Crowell), this album was recorded live in studio in 5 days in New York City in January 2026. Alicia Witt on piano and vocals, accompanied by a band of 5 musicians, take you on a sonic journey that could never be recreated, channeling the energy that was brought together in this moment to honor the immeasurable effect that David Lynch had and still has on the world. He was palpably present in every moment of the making of this album. The 13 songs that were chosen reflect everything Alicia feels she learned about love from David - the acceptance, the insistent optimism, the curiosity, and the permanence. The final song, The Director, recounts messages he has sent to her from beyond over the year since he passed away.

Mit „Everything’s Falling“ zeigen The Warning eindrucksvoll, warum sie zu den spannendsten Stimmen im
modernen Rock zählen. Das Latin-Grammy-nominierte Schwestertrio aus Monterrey, Mexiko, verbindet
Alternative Rock, Hard Rock und Metal zu einem kraftvollen Sound, der von starken Riffs und eingängigen
Melodien geprägt ist. Bekannt geworden durch ihr virales „Enter Sandman“-Cover, haben sich Daniela,
Paulina und Alejandra längst als eigenständige Künstlerinnen, mit einer internationalen Fanbase, in der
Rockszene etabliert.
Auf ihrem fünften Studioalbum „Everything’s Falling“ setzen sich The Warning mit inneren Konflikten,
Ängsten und Selbstzweifeln auseinander und verwandeln diese Themen in energiegeladene Songs mit ungefilterter Ehrlichkeit.

In 2023 we began our hugely successful 80s 12” series on CD – a year-by-year journey through the greatest 12” singles from the decade, and in 2024 we presented a selection of tracks from 1980-1982 as the first volume in our collectible vinyl boxset series, followed by Volume Two celebrating 1983-1984 in 2025.

This year, Now Music is proud to announce the third instalment in this essential collection, NOW Presents…12" 80s: Volume Three: 1985-1986, as a stunning 5-LP boxset. A limited edition and numbered set with each of the 5-LPs pressed on a different colour vinyl – red, yellow, blue, hot pink and lime green – to be released on July 17th, 2026, and for many of these tracks this marks the first time back on vinyl since their original 12” release!

Opening with one of the decade’s most powerful rock anthems, Queen’s ‘One Vision’ appears in its Extended Version, ahead of Eurythmics’ euphoric ‘There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)’ in the Special Dance Mix and Dead Or Alive’s irresistible ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’. Side A closes with Frankie Goes To Hollywood and the epic ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome (An Alternative To Reality)’. Flip the LP over for more iconic 12” versions from 1985, beginning with Tears For Fears and the UK Extended Version of ‘Shout’, alongside Go West’s ‘We Close Our Eyes (The Total Overhang Mix)’, the massive soundtrack hit ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ from Simple Minds and Arcadia’s sophisticated ‘Election Day (Consensus Mix)’.

LP2 opens with four defining tracks that perfectly capture the electronic and cinematic sound of the mid-80s. Paul Hardcastle’s groundbreaking hit ‘19 (The Destruction Mix)’ leads into two instrumental classics: Harold Faltermeyer’s ‘Axel F’ and Jan Hammer’s ‘Miami Vice Theme’, both featured in their Extended Versions, before Propaganda’s peerless ‘Duel (Bitter-Sweet)’ closes the side. Side B showcases some of the era’s biggest dancefloor favourites, from Mel & Kim’s ‘Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)’ and Gwen Guthrie’s enduring club anthem ‘Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent’, to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who?’ in its Dance Mix and the soul-pop brilliance of Loose Ends’ ‘Hangin’ On A String (Extended Dance Mix)’.

LP3 brings together some of the decade’s most beloved pop and rock crossover hits. Side A opens with the powerhouse pairing of Philip Bailey and Phil Collins on ‘Easy Lover (Extended Dance Remix)’, followed by Bonnie Tyler’s dramatic ‘Holding Out For A Hero (Club Mix)’ and Pat Benatar’s classic ‘Love Is A Battlefield (Extended Version)’. Stephen Duffy’s infectious ‘Kiss Me (Mixe Plural)’ precedes The Human League’s U.S. #1 ‘Human (Extended Version)’. Over on Side B, Duran Duran lead with the ‘Extended Mix’ of ‘Notorious’ before a run of timeless dance-pop including Sly Fox’s ‘Let’s Go All The Way’, Jellybean’s ‘Sidewalk Talk’ and Maria Vidal’s ‘Body Rock’, culminating with Ashford & Simpson’s club classic ear-worm ‘Solid (Special Club Mix)’.

LP4 opens with huge examples of sophisticated synth-pop and dance-floor innovation from 1986. Pet Shop Boys’ era-defining ‘West End Girls (Dance Mix)’ is joined by New Order’s influential ‘Bizarre Love Triangle (Extended Dance Mix)’. Up next, Red Box’s pure-pop of ‘For America (Bazooka Mix)’ and Nick Kamen’s breakthrough hit ‘Each Time You Break My Heart (Extended Version)’. The reverse side celebrates some of the biggest floor-fillers of 1986 – all in their 12” Versions, beginning with The Communards with Sarah Jane Morris and their unforgettable #1 version of ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’, alongside Bronski Beat’s ‘Hit That Perfect Beat’, Bananarama’s global smash ‘Venus’ and Five Star’s ‘Can’t Wait Another Minute’ in its ‘M&M New York Remix’ form.

The final LP opens with a side packed with some of the most enduring dance-pop and of the era. Whitney Houston’s ‘How Will I Know (Dance Remix)’ is followed by Steve Winwood’s uplifting ‘Remix’ of his massive hit ‘Higher Love’, the celebrated ‘Shep Pettibone Remix’ of Level 42’s ‘Lessons In Love’ and Bryan Ferry’s elegant and atmospheric ‘Slave To Love (12" Remix)’, whilst over on the final side some of the years’ most distinctive and innovative sounds are showcased: Big Audio Dynamite’s genre-blending ‘E=MC2 (12 Inch Remix)’ and Furniture’s cult classic ‘Brilliant Mind (12" Mix)’ feature alongside Talk Talk’s majestic ‘Extended Mix’ of ‘Life’s What You Make It’, and to close this superb collection, the full ‘Extended Version’ of Spandau Ballet’s powerful ‘Through The Barricades’ provides a fitting finale, bringing together 42 essential 12” versions from 1985 and 1986 across five superb LPs.

5 x LP
60-page hardback book
Black vinyl
Printed labels
Printed inners
Slipcase
A2 poster
Slipmat

Originally released in 1990 by Happy Mondays, Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches captured the chaotic, euphoric spirit of the Madchester movement, blending indie rock, acid house rhythms and funk grooves into a sound that helped reshape British alternative music. Featuring era-defining tracks such as “Step On” and “Kinky Afro,” the record became both a commercial breakthrough and a cultural snapshot of a generation fuelled by dance culture and Northern nightlife.

More than three decades later, its grooves, attitude and genre-blurring production still resonate strongly with contemporary audiences, influencing modern indie and electronic artists alike.

5LP Edition. All original audio remastered from Factory Records master tapes. Includes original album, Hallelujah + Madchester Rave On, Baby Big Head Bootleg Album (Live at Elland Road, 1991), classic and new remixes, 60-page hardback book with brand new essays from James Brown and Central Station designers, fold-out A2 tour poster and Madchester slipmat.

From São Paulo, Brazil comes CSS, the first South American band Sub Pop has foisted upon the global marketplace. Cansei de Ser Sexy, Portuguese for “Tired of Being Sexy,” is improbably, unbelievably and nearly eponymously their debut. It is a thick, pulsating thing full of haphazard synths (“Alala”) and a come-on of call and response that tears down any attempt at posturing (“Art Bitch,” “Patins”). It is equal parts rock mantra and throwback into something new, transcending boundaries of genre and geography.

It careers full speed into dance territory, into the unknown and untouched, to emerge all hot and bothered with wild electro-rock. Pretension? Absent. Friction? Probable. They are the un-pretension: unfinished, exposed, and throwing all they have right at you. It is quick, tightly-wound, unfastened and supreme. Not a sneer but a giggle. To paraphrase from the Portuguese: “Not only music, but a new way to live with it. An unfinished group that, unlike preserving itself until getting ‘to the point,’ was bravely showing off, turning everything into style.” Fashion. Art. Design. Cinema. Panties thrown and received. Micro shorts and dirty legs. How does it happen? It happens like this…

There is an ecstatic melancholy in Dent May’s music. The bedroom pop auteur’s songs are both bittersweet and exuberant, breaking your heart while you can’t help but sing along.

Over six albums, May has built a wildly diverse discography spanning 17 years. He has typically worked alone, assembling perfect pop gems on his laptop, playing nearly every instrument himself. But when he began preparations for his new album, May’s tried and true process suddenly felt stale.

The Big One brings together both the scrappy DIY ethos of Elephant 6 Collective and early The Magnetic Fields with May’s lifelong affinity for the great ’70s singer-songwriters like Harry Nilsson and Ram-era Paul McCartney. The songs balance a clear-eyed view of the world with a cautious optimism, looking at the everyday experiences of disappointment and heartbreak with a sense of possibility for the good that may still come. Things might seem bleak, May tells us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful for our brief time here on Planet Earth.

The title track is the beating heart of the record. Over a steady drumbeat, piano, and accordion, a melancholy May sings, “The big one’s coming, the big one’s on its way,” promising disaster. But May won’t wallow in the misery: “Thank the Lord for all my friends/We can make it ’til the end/No we can’t stop now/Who knows? Tomorrow it all could turn around.” For May, hope comes in the form of others.

It’s with this joyful melancholy Dent May draws in the world. Everything might be ending, the planet could be careening off into chaos, but tonight there’s a party down the block and you’re invited. Be sure and bring your friends.

Original Jazz Classics celebrates Miles Davis’ centennial with the release of Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. Originally released on Prestige in 1957 and one of four albums recorded during sessions at Van Gelder studios, Cookin’ features Davis alongside John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones. This new edition of the album is released on 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI with all-analog mastering from the original tapes at Cohearent Audio and a Stoughton Tip-On Jacket.

Original Jazz Classics celebrates John Coltrane’s centennial with this release of the mono edition of Coltrane. Originally released on Prestige in 1957 the album features Coltrane alongside Johnnie Splawn, Sahib Shihab, Red Garland, Mal Waldron, Paul Chambers, and Albert “Tootie” Heath. This new edition of the album is released on 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI with all-analog mastering from the original tapes at Cohearent Audio and a Stoughton Tip-On Jacket.

Born at the turning point between apartheid and democratic South Africa, the Xitsonga bubblegum-disco duo Chibuku embodies the energy of a time of change,as Nelson Mandela was released from prison and kwaito began to emerge. Althoughthey did not achieve the fame of figures such as Paul Ndlovu or Penny Penny, their only album Maxambe (1992) is now considered a precious time capsule, a raw disco treasure rediscovered by lovers of forgotten music. Behind the project is Dr Joe Shirimani, a guitarist, singer, composer and producer of genius from Tzaneen and Soshanguve, recognised as one of the major architects of South African disco and bubblegum. Long overlooked, Maxambe nevertheless bears witnessto an era and a social perspective: migration ("Lekomfere"), debt and economics ("Xikweleti"), and family relationships ("Mhamazala"). The music is festive in appearance, but deeply rooted in the reality of its time. Released on Tusk/Diamond Music, an iconic label of the 1980s and 1990s bought out by Gallo Record Company, Chibuku is now emerging as a diamond rediscovered from the archives of South African disco. Its name, borrowed from a millet beer popular in several southern African countries, sums up the spirit of the group: popular, sincere and deeply rooted in local culture.

The Dresden Dolls announce the re-recorded release of Yes, Virginia... (Tailor"s Version). Guest vocalists include Jinkx Monsoon and Veronica Swift. The pioneering punk cabaret duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione enter a new chapter with a full re-recording of their 2006 album Yes, Virginia..., tracked in Boston. The title nods to Taylor Swift"s reclamation of master recordings. After a 20-year contract with Roadrunner Records, the band regained the right to re-record their catalog. The announcement comes nearly 20 years after the original release. The track list remains unchanged (with a bonus track on vinyl and CD), while performances reflect two decades of artistic and personal evolution. Known for Viglione"s orchestral drumming and Palmer"s percussive piano and songwriting-exploring sexuality, identity, addiction, capitalism, and social isolation-this version brings new depth. Songs including "My Alcoholic Friends," "Sex Changes," and "Backstabber" return with renewed intensity. Recorded in late 2025 at Mad Oak Studios, the album was tracked mostly live with Benny Grotto and mixed by Paul Kolderie. It also features artwork by Niki McQueen.

The Dresden Dolls announce the re-recorded release of Yes, Virginia... (Tailor"s Version). Guest vocalists include Jinkx Monsoon and Veronica Swift. The pioneering punk cabaret duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione enter a new chapter with a full re-recording of their 2006 album Yes, Virginia..., tracked in Boston. The title nods to Taylor Swift"s reclamation of master recordings. After a 20-year contract with Roadrunner Records, the band regained the right to re-record their catalog. The announcement comes nearly 20 years after the original release. The track list remains unchanged (with a bonus track on vinyl and CD), while performances reflect two decades of artistic and personal evolution. Known for Viglione"s orchestral drumming and Palmer"s percussive piano and songwriting-exploring sexuality, identity, addiction, capitalism, and social isolation-this version brings new depth. Songs including "My Alcoholic Friends," "Sex Changes," and "Backstabber" return with renewed intensity. Recorded in late 2025 at Mad Oak Studios, the album was tracked mostly live with Benny Grotto and mixed by Paul Kolderie. It also features artwork by Niki McQueen.

In the early 1960s, beat groups from the Dutch Randstad dominated the national charts. Yet far from the big cities, in the clubs of Drenthe, one band was already being billed as “Beatgroup Number One”: Cuby + Blizzards. But frontman Harry Muskee never embraced that label. Raised on broadcasts from The Voice of America, he possessed a deeper understanding of the blues than most of his contemporaries. Muskee didn’t want to sing ‘songs,’ as he called them, he wanted to sing the blues, raw and unfiltered, in the tradition of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters.

Their debut single “Stumble & Fall” was recorded in the Bavohuis, a simple gym hall in Amsterdam, with Addy Kleingeld as producer. But the debut album Desolation marked a turning point, recorded at the Phonogram Studios in Hilversum with renowned blues producer Tony Vos, it captured the band exactly as Muskee intended.

The resulting album became a jewel of Dutch music history. Never before had the Netherlands heard a blues singer who poured his emotions into a recording with such conviction and authenticity. Muskee even outshone his British peers. Eric Burdon (The Animals), Paul Jones (Manfred Mann), Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) and Van Morrison (Them).

At the 1968 Grand Gala du Disque (the Dutch equivalent of the Grammys), Muskee received an Edison Award for Desolation, handed to him by cabaret artist Wim Sonneveld, whose lukewarm speech couldn’t diminish the significance of the moment.

Sixty years later, the legacy of this groundbreaking album still resonates, an essential document of European blues and a defining moment in the story of Cuby + Blizzards.

This 60th anniversary edition of Desolation is now available as an expanded 2LP-set including the original 1966 album plus fifteen bonus tracks. The gatefold version features songs “Things I Remember”, “Stumble & Fall”, “L.S.D. (Got A Million Dollars)”, is a limited edition on blue vinyl and includes new liner notes by Dutch Blues authority Johan Derksen.

A new collaborative project between Neil Jones (lead singer of Stone Foundation) and Nick Corbin (founder of New Street Adventure), bringing together two of the UK soul scene’s most distinctive voices and songwriters. The project also features legendary keyboardist Mick Talbot (The Style Council) and bassist Ernie McKone (Galliano / The Brand New Heavies), creating a band rooted deeply in British soul tradition while pushing the sound somewhere fresh.

The seeds of the collaboration were sown during the Covid-19 lockdown, when Jones and Corbin joined forces for a marathon live-stream performance that quickly gathered momentum online. The result is Silent Stream — an album steeped in soulful songwriting, rich musicianship and understated groove. The lead single captures that spirit perfectly: warm, reflective and melodic, built around classic soul textures, Hammond organ, and a rhythm section that breathes with the ease of seasoned players. For fans of contemporary British soul with classic influences, the track sits comfortably alongside artists like Paul Weller, Michael Kiwanuka and the wider Acid Jazz / modern soul movement.

It’s a meeting of kindred musical spirits — born in lockdown, but very much built for the long road ahead.

There’s something quietly defiant about Melody Boy. Written and recorded in a tiny beach hut studio on the English coast, and notably know for his previous work with Paul Weller and The Moons, Andy Crofts’ debut solo album arrives without compromise or concession to trend. It’s a record built on melody above all else, songs that feel unearthed rather than manufactured, guided by instinct, memory, and a lifelong obsession with the craft of songwriting.

Crofts, long established as a songwriter and musician, steps forward here with a voice that feels both seasoned and strangely elusive. There’s no rush to explain, no attempt to overstate. Instead, Melody Boy unfolds with a natural confidence, hook laden, harmonically rich, and emotionally direct without ever losing its sense of mystery.
Drawing from a lineage of classic songwriting while remaining firmly his own, the album leans into warmth, analogue textures, and a sense of timelessness that resists the churn of the modern music cycle. It’s not chasing a moment, it’s creating its own space.
Lead single “Blue” introduced that world: melodic, reflective, quietly anthemic. Across the album, that same thread runs deep, songs that reveal themselves slowly, rewarding repeat listens rather than demanding immediate attention.
There’s a deliberate sense of distance in Melody Boy. Not coldness, but clarity. A refusal to overexplain. The result is a body of work that feels personal without being confessional, detailed without being crowded.

In a landscape built on constant output and fleeting attention, Andy Crofts offers something else entirely: a record that trusts the listener to meet it halfway.
"Blue is another song that I can't get enough of at the moment" - Gary Crowley (BBC London)

There’s something quietly defiant about Melody Boy. Written and recorded in a tiny beach hut studio on the English coast, and notably know for his previous work with Paul Weller and The Moons, Andy Crofts’ debut solo album arrives without compromise or concession to trend. It’s a record built on melody above all else, songs that feel unearthed rather than manufactured, guided by instinct, memory, and a lifelong obsession with the craft of songwriting.

Crofts, long established as a songwriter and musician, steps forward here with a voice that feels both seasoned and strangely elusive. There’s no rush to explain, no attempt to overstate. Instead, Melody Boy unfolds with a natural confidence, hook laden, harmonically rich, and emotionally direct without ever losing its sense of mystery.
Drawing from a lineage of classic songwriting while remaining firmly his own, the album leans into warmth, analogue textures, and a sense of timelessness that resists the churn of the modern music cycle. It’s not chasing a moment, it’s creating its own space.
Lead single “Blue” introduced that world: melodic, reflective, quietly anthemic. Across the album, that same thread runs deep, songs that reveal themselves slowly, rewarding repeat listens rather than demanding immediate attention.
There’s a deliberate sense of distance in Melody Boy. Not coldness, but clarity. A refusal to overexplain. The result is a body of work that feels personal without being confessional, detailed without being crowded.

In a landscape built on constant output and fleeting attention, Andy Crofts offers something else entirely: a record that trusts the listener to meet it halfway.
"Blue is another song that I can't get enough of at the moment" - Gary Crowley (BBC London)

ionnalee | iamamiwhoami – BLUE IN CONCERT (live versions) is a limited edition double LP documenting the 2026 anniversary tour celebrating ten years of the audiovisual album BLUE. The release presents newly produced live studio versions of the complete concert set, capturing the atmosphere and emotional intensity of the performances while reinterpreting the original material in a more immediate and organic form.

Originally released in 2014 as the third audiovisual chapter in the iamamiwhoami series, BLUE became one of the project’s most defining works — merging electronic pop, Nordic melancholy, and immersive visual storytelling into a singular world. A decade later, BLUE IN CONCERT revisits the album through expanded arrangements, live instrumentation, and the raw energy developed on stage throughout the anniversary tour.

The BLUE IN CONCERT tour was performed in:
Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, New York, Mexico City, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Berlin, Warsaw, and Stockholm.

Pressed as a deluxe double LP in a strictly limited edition of 500 copies, BLUE IN CONCERT (live versions) stands as both a commemorative release and a reimagining of one of ionnalee and iamamiwhoami’s most celebrated works, bridging past and present through performance, reinvention, and physical format.

Leo Mas is a true icon, who was there at the start of the Ibiza revolution in the 80s, he is the protagonist and witness of the birth of Ibiza as the World Capital of Clubbing alongside Dj Alfredo Fiorito at Amnesia (Ibiza) during the years of 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990, thanks to his unique sound and innovative set he is as one of the Pioneers of House and Techno music and one of the Balearic Beat Originators.

Leo Mas - The Dark Side (Irreverent Mix)

Amnesia was the club that changed the European and later the global club scene in 1987, thanks in part to the support of London DJs Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling, Nicky Holloway, Johnny Walker, and Nancy Noise, who came to Amnesia for the first time that year. At the time, Amnesia was still an open-air club, and the group was amazed by the unique, eclectic, and irreverent style of Alfredo and Leo, who played the new House Music imported from the United States along with a genre-blending sound that would later become known as Balearic Beat. When he returned to London, Paul Oakenfold bought all the records that were being played at Amnesia, with the help of Nancy Noise, and together with his friend Ian St. Paul opened the one-night event Future, “The Original and Only Balearic Club.” This later became Spectrum on Mondays, and eventually evolved into Land of Oz, where in the VIP chillout room, the White Room, the DJ was Alex Paterson, later known as The Orb. Danny Rampling and his wife Jenny wanted to recreate their Ibiza experience by opening Shoom, while Nicky Holloway would go on to open The Trip. All of these clubs transformed the London club scene and, in turn, had a worldwide influence. During the second half of the 1980s, Amnesia was also the favorite club of Sven Väth, who was a regular customer there.

This one-hour long recording is an essential snapshot of a pivotal point in dance music history. The records’ selection was, deliberately a mix of Indie Rock, Gothic Synth-Pop, Subversive Electro, Industrial, Belgium New Beat, Techno with Poetry, EBM. A magical moment in time that could never truly be repeated, yet lives on through this tape, now finally available to music lovers everywhere, including those who only ever dreamed of experiencing it firsthand.

The release comes with liner notes by Robert Harris (Dr. Rob), DJ, music writer and author of the well-known book, IBIZA DJ 1976 - 1988, released in 2019, during his collaboration with Paul Byrne (Test Pressing)

Ri-tape & ELSI Berlin produced a very limited run of 50 tapes, be quick!

Soul Music legend Candi Staton returns to her down-home Alabama roots on her 32nd album, Back to My Roots. The twelve-track Americana set features an array of Staton-penned originals and some well-chosen covers.

"These songs represent my roots," Staton adds as she reflects on her many trials and triumphs. "Even the new songs on some level represent something I've experienced and that's what real soul music is about." Back to My Roots was produced by Staton with her second eldest son, Marcus Williams, a professional drummer who has toured with the likes of Peabo Bryson, Isaac Hayes, and Tyler Perry. They brought in Mark Nevers of Lambchop fame, who produced three of Staton’s prior Americana albums for Honest Jon’s and Thirty Tigers, to sweeten certain tracks. “Some of the first songs I ever heard were songs like `Peace in the Valley’ and `It’s Gonna Rain,’” says Staton. “The new songs or cover songs are tracks that remind me of that era when I was growing up as a child and evolving as a young woman. That’s why I named the album Back to My Roots because I’m going back to the roots that made me who I am.”

Staton received the Americana Music Association UK’s highest honour, the International Lifetime Achievement Award, at the UK Americana Music Awards ceremony at Hackney Church in London last year for her southern soul work that stretches from her 1969 Muscle Shoals hits to her more recent collaborations with the likes of Americana kings Jason Isbell and John Paul White.
The album opens with a mid-tempo Bonnie Raitt-styled contemporary blues “I Missed the Target Again” that finds Harry Connick Jr.’s longtime guitarist Jonathan DuBose Jr. (aka the Prophesying Guitarist) showing off his skills that set the tone for the song and the album.

Staton’s older sister, Maggie Staton Peebles (who alongside Staton was a member of the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s), joins her for two duets. The first, “It’s Gonna Rain,” features just a drum, steel guitar and vocals. “My mother used to sing that song to us all the time when I was a child,” Staton recalls. “It’s a really soulful kind of song I wanted to revisit.” They then take turns leading Thomas Dorsey 1939 gem “There Will Be Peace in the Valley” that Elvis Presley popularized in the 1950s.

“Hang on in There” is a new, mid-tempo song that has an old school gospel flavour and features vocals from veteran bluesman, Larry McCray.
While in Europe in 2023 for her farewell concert tour that took her to the Glastonbury Festival and Love Supreme, Staton and her British band, PUSH, went into a London studio to record a new version of The Rolling Stones’ 1972 gem, “Shine A Light.” “I love the way that came out,” Staton says. “We put a big choir on it and put our own twist on it.”
From there, Staton revives another Thomas Dorsey classic, “The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow,” with a bluesy vibe. When Al Green started recording gospel in the early 1980s, he re-introduced this song into the culture.

“God’s Gonna Use Me Anyway” is a new mid-tempo blues with subtle Caribbean influences.

The mood takes a turn on “1963.” It’s a poignant, spoken-word reflection on September 15, 1963, when four black girls were killed in the Birmingham Church bombing. “I was in the city that day and I remember the chaos and horror after the bombing,” Staton recalls. “Just thinking of how racism and hatred caused those men to kill those girls was so emotional for me that I could only do it in one take.”

It's a perfect segue into "Reach Down and Touch Heaven," a haunting, plea for divine intervention into the affairs of mankind. "That's straight Baptist," she says. "I used to be a church pianist back in the 1960s. I've never played piano on one of my records before so that's a unique song for me because I’m finally playing on one of my records. The message of that song is about the homeless. It came to me when a homeless person on the street asked me for $5. When God touches your heart to help somebody else that’s heaven to God’s hears. So, when we reach into our purse or wallet to help someone, we’re touching heaven."

Staton offers love as an antidote to hate on the bouncy, Motown-styled, “Love Breakthrough.”

Her publicist brought Aaron Frazer & the Flying Stars of Brooklyn NY’s 2017 cut “My God Has a Telephone” to Staton’s attention. She shifts the track from a retro 1960s groove to more of a 1980s Malaco Records arrangement, a subtle but distinct variation. Staton brought in her longtime friend and STAX Records legend, William Bell (“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” and “Trying to Love Two”), to add raspy seasoning to the track.

The album closes with the wistful, “In God’s Hands We Rest Untroubled,” that was originally written and recorded by the late country star, Lari White, who died in 2017 at the age of 52. “Lari sent me that song to consider at least ten years ago and I always loved it,” Staton says. “The record label didn’t want it on the album or something, so I just held it.”
Staton says, “I grew up hearing a lot of these old songs when they were new songs. I toured with the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s and we got to know people like Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke and others who sang these types of songs. So, I’m sort of paying tribute to them and the influence they had on me by refreshing these songs and making new songs in the old style.”’

Das Originalalbum "Genesis Revisited" des legendären Gitarristen Steve Hackett erscheint zum ersten Mal seit zehn Jahren wieder auf Vinyl. Es enthält Genesis-Klassiker wie "Watcher of the Skies", "Dance on a Volcano" und weitere Titel, die von einer Besetzung aus einigen der besten Musiker neu interpretiert wurden, darunter John Wetton, Paul Carrack, Bill Bruford, Tony Levin, Chester Thompson, Colin Blunstone und viele mehr. Erhältlich als Gatefold-Ausgabe mit 180 g 2LP + LP-Booklet.

Boy George's single "Generations of Love" has become a dance anthem. The single has been digitally released 12 times, with over 70 remixes. Mixes were created by Paul Oakenfold, Ramp, Phunk Investigation, Scream, De-Phazz, and The Scumfrog. So, like it or not, it's sure to be a hit whenever it's played on dance floors around the world.
Described as exuding joie de vivre (joy of life) and full of joy.
Suitable for clubs and house music: Praised for its laid-back, house-inspired grooves, perfect for clubs and living rooms.
One editor called it "full, smooth, and richly satisfying."
Considered a potential club hit, with critics urging people to buy it.
Smash Hits called it a "glossy, understated dance track."
Ultimately, reviews describe it as a feel-good dance track that successfully blends Boy George's iconic vocals with JL & Afterman's disco-house production, creating a joyful and very catchy remix.
This vinyl also includes The Scumfrog's fabulous version.

"Paired Works is a double EP by Justine Perry and Paula Koski, developed in parallel within the same time and environment. Evolving through years of shared surroundings and creative exchange, the record emerges as a natural extension of that connection.
Produced separately, the tracks document two distinct inner worlds shaped through proximity. Justine Perry leans into deep, hypnotic forms, while Paula Koski moves through dubby and spacious structures driven by texture.
Across four sides, the record shifts between focused, forward-moving passages and more atmospheric moments, creating a subtle push and pull. Rather than settling into one singular moment on the dancefloor, it stretches across the shifting phases of a long club night.
Timeless and elegant in its approach, Paired Works marks the debut release on Ostgut Ton for both artists.“

Ras Michael's Dadawah. The Singing Drummer, a devout Rastafarian musician. Dadawah brought Ras Michael together with veteran studio hands: bassist Lloyd Parks, drummer Paul Williams, guitarist Willie Lindo, and last but not least pianist/organist Lloyd Charmers, who also produced.

The resulting album Peace & Love is a work of faith. Although not a concept album in the strict sense of the term, it thematically evokes the Biblical final days. "Run Come Rally" calls together the world's righteous in preparation for the upcoming battle with evil. Having gathered together the brethren from "Seventy Two Nations," all bow before Jah in a celebration of His greatness, then give voice to their desire to return to "Zion Land." The set concludes with "Know How You Stand"'s call for freedom, and with it the ability to fulfill Jah's plan.

The extraordinary power of the set's themes is echoed by the equally phenomenal backings, all conjuring up the most haunting of atmospheres. While the hand drums give the album a grounation feel, Parks and Williams simultaneously ground the numbers deep in roots. Intriguingly, though, there's no reggae guitar, just Lindo's sublime riffs and licks that flick into the rock realm, while constantly sliding back into blues. Charmers' piano and organ occasionally take over the reggae guitar role, but mostly his keys intertwine around Lindo's leads, accentuating melodies, scattering elegant flourishes here and there, and subtly building up the atmospheres. Charmers' production is superb, the musicians inspired, and Ras Michael's power undeniable. An astounding album that's lost none of its potency over the years.

Chicken Shack are a British blues rock band founded in 1965 by Stan Webb, Andy Silvester, and Alan Morley, who were later joined by Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, then still known as Christine Perfect. She would leave the band somewhere in 1969 to join Fleetwood Mac, and was replaced by Paul Raymond of UFO and Michael Schenker Group fame. They signed to the legendary British blues label Blue Horizon in 1967.

100 Ton Chicken is the band's third studio album from 1969 and offers a nice balance of blues standards and originals penned by the band's only constant member Stan Webb, who is still active to this day. It features the single "Tears In The Wind" and a cover of Davey Graham’s folk masterpiece "Anji".

100 Ton Chicken is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on green vinyl.

Lorelle Meets The Obsolete return with their seventh album. It's the Mexican duo's finest, most ferocious work to date which sees them turbo-charge their psychedelic post-punk with a new electronic engine. Mixed by Antoine Goulet (live sound engineer for SUUNS) and mastered by Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring), the most obvious comparison in terms of mood and mode is Primal Scream's classic XTRMNTR, another record that processed personal and political conflicts and spat them out as distorted dance music. It shows the influence of the duo's DJ sets and last year's radical Remezcla remix collection on their way of thinking and why they are now namechecking the likes of Moor Mother, MF DOOM, Patrick Cowley, The Bug, Paula Garcés, Phil Kieran, Coby Sey, Run the Jewels and Anadol."Playing other artists' music is different," says Lorena Quintanilla about the change of direction towards the dancefloor. "You're not just listening, you're watching how energy flows and how it affects other people. It gives you the chance to witness what moves other bodies." And Corporal, as the title suggests, is all about the body. "The body is what carries the weight of stress, exhaustion, sadness. It's the body that the system breaks first," explains Lorena. "Unintentionally, while composing the album, our bodies were seeking joy in the songs. Reconnecting with pleasure became a way to open new dimensions - a way to escape, yet remain present." The theme is carried over into the lyrics which, according to Lorena, variously refer to "the bodies that disappear, the abused bodies, the bodies we miss, the bodies that march together in protest, the bodies that are being controlled".

Simsara Records is proud to announce Syrr, the new album by Egyptian artist Maryam Saleh, arriving 27 March 2026. A mythic and introspective work, Syrr transforms memory, loss, and lived experience into a shifting world of sound, voice, and embodied emotion. Written and composed by Saleh, the album traces a three-part journey—Origin & Image, Vessel, and Intuition & Echo—in which the self is fractured, questioned, reassembled, and ultimately expanded. Blending raw expression with subtle dramatics, Saleh crafts an immersive sonic autobiography rooted in intuition, embodiment, and human becoming.
Co-produced by Maryam Saleh, Maurice Louca, and Kamilya Jubran—who also perform keys, oud and backing vocals throughout—the album’s songs are set to or inspired by existing Egyptian and Arabic song forms (including mawwal, lullaby, madih, muwashshah, taqtuqa and more). The project underwent a rigorous three-year journey of songwriting and composition by Saleh with Kamilya Jubran as mentor before recording.
“Syrr” is mixed by Mokhtar El Sayeh and mastered by Heba Kadry, with artwork by Pauline Gouablin (photography), Omar Mostafa (image editing, treatment and inserts design), and Maged El Sokkary (typography and illustration). Lyrics translation by Nariman Youssef. Produced by Simsara Music with support from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).

2026 Repress

Ron Trent's masterpiece from 1993 "I Feel The Rhythm" in the rebound! For the first time together on one record with the remixes by Paul Johnson & Inner Experience which came out 1999 on Prescription Records - a must have!

One of the finest singing brother duos of all time, The Everly Brothers ' close harmonies became one of the most identifiable sounds of the early rock & roll era of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Presented here are the very best of The Everly Brothers' pop charting-singles from the peak of their career. "There have been some wonderful harmony pairings in popular music: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell, everyone will pick their own; but there is something very special about family and especially sibling harmony. A modern group like The Proclaimers took their inspiration directly from the Everleys, who borrowed something in turn from The Louvin Brothers and other acts of the time. The voices were not just in tune but shared a very particular timbre. The brothers fell out in time, as brothers do, but when they sang - and there's no need to list the songs; they're stitched into the history of rock'n'roll - they didn't sound like two men, but like one." - Brian Morton "Phil and Don were the most beautiful sounding duo I ever heard. Both voices pristine and soulful." - Paul Simon

Wenn Kinder verrückt spielen, ist das bei DEINE FREUNDE kein Grund zur Panik, sondern das Qualitätsmerkmal schlechthin. Genau dort, wo der Familienalltag kippt, beginnt seit nunmehr 14 Jahren das
musikalische Spielfeld von Florian Sump, Markus Pauli und Lukas Nimscheck.
Mit „Die Kinder spielen verrückt“ veröffentlicht das Trio sein achtes Studioalbum – und bringt erneut
ehrlich-tanzbare Songs in die Kinderzimmer. Die Band ist dabei gemeinsam mit ihrem Publikum gewachsen: Aus Kita-Geheimtipps wurden ausverkaufte Hallen-Shows, aus Albumsongs feste Familienrituale. So
manche DEINE-FREUNDE-CD hat den Weg bis in die Pubertät überlebt. Was geblieben ist: Musik, die
Kinder ernst nimmt und Eltern auffängt. Am 17.07.2026 erscheint das Album nun auch als Vinyl

Grandeza, the debut album by Sao Paulo’s Sessa, points to new, subtle directions for modern Brazilian music – a deep, minimalist, almost insinuated use of the rich textures that define the songwriting history of Brazil, one which Sessa now joins among its most promising new voices. His songs are sung in Portuguese, with visceral, sensual lyrics in the vein of Caetano Veloso, and the melodic flourishes of Tom Jobim and Arthur Verocai.

However, the music gets a deliberate minimalist treatment rarely found in contemporary Brazilian music, more reminiscent of the bareness of Leonard Cohen, with touches of tropicalia, psychedelia, and the mystic jazz of Moondog and Pharoah Sanders. Recorded in various locations between São Paulo and New York City.

Nach der Veröffentlichung von „idea 1“, kündigt Kelela ihr neues, drittes Album an, das am 10. Juli bei Warp Records erscheint – und veröffentlicht die zweite Single „linknb“, produziert von Oscar Scheller.

Der Track entstand in einer Phase der Schreibblockade und begann als Mantra, das Kelela schrieb, um sich wieder an die Arbeit zu bringen. Angeführt von einem labyrinthischen Gitarrenriff über treibenden Metal-Drums ist „linknb“ ein Song über Selbstvertrauen, das man sich durch Schwierigkeiten erarbeitet hat, darüber, sich nicht klein machen zu lassen. „Es ist nicht schwer, mutig zu sein / Es ist leichter, zu viel preiszugeben / Ich weiß nur, dass ich den Weg geebnet habe, unterbezahlt.“

Das von Mischa Notcutt inszenierte Video versetzt Kelela in die Mitte einer urbanen Traumlandschaft. Als enger Freund und Kelelas ehemaliger Kreativdirektor war Notcutt die naheliegende Wahl. Das Video lässt Realismus und Abstraktion ineinanderfließen und verwandelt eine einsame Reise in eine Meditation über Selbstfindung und Erneuerung.

Mit „new avatar“ rückt alles, worauf Kelela hingearbeitet hat, in den Fokus. Sie begann ihre ersten Songs in der Indie-Szene von Washington, D.C. zu schreiben, bevor die Clubmusik und die elektronische Produktion, die ihre frühe Karriere prägten, die Oberhand gewannen. Mit „new avatar“ schließt sie den Kreis: R&B, unterlegt mit verzerrten Gitarrenklängen, trifft auf neue Schnittstellen in der Tanzmusik und gipfelt in einem Sound, der aus all den musikalischen Einflüssen schöpft, die sie je geprägt haben. Das Album enthält zudem Kollaborationen mit PinkPantheress, A. K. Paul und Fousheé.

„Dieses Album findet Trost in der Konfrontation“, sagt Kelela. „Ich möchte nicht, dass die Musik von dem ablenkt, was wirklich in der Welt vor sich geht; ich möchte, dass sie in dieser verrückten Zeit Sinn ergibt und den Menschen gleichzeitig hilft, mit der Schönheit und Freude in Kontakt zu kommen, die sie ebenfalls erleben.“

Das Album setzt sich mit einer Welt auseinander, die aus allen Nähten auseinanderfällt, und mit der Klarheit, die das Überleben erfordert.

„Die Leute sollten auch wissen, dass meine Freunde und ich ständig lachen und dass Humor kein Abwehrmechanismus ist; er ist Ausdruck dafür, wie scharfsinnig wir die Dinge einschätzen und wie klar wir die Welt sehen.“

Im Kern schildert „new avatar“ eine vielschichtige Erfahrung, und obwohl die Außenwelt präsent ist, schwächt sie Kelelas Entschlossenheit zu keinem Zeitpunkt.

About Kelela: Throughout her globally revered, boundary-pushing career, Kelela has established a lane of her own in R&B and electronic music. On her long-awaited third album, new avatar, the singer/songwriter (through the versatility of the guitar) challenges perceptions of these genres, while weaving together fragments of lived experiences to shape a world of connection and resilience during times of unrest.

The songs journey through Black femme rage, joy as resistance, Gotham City-esque dystopia, misogynoir, romantic tension, and more. It’s anchored by production that demands a broader rethink about alternative, rock and indie music.

Kelela’s defiant nature has propelled her so far already — from her hometown of Washington, D.C to world stages. In 2013, she released her debut mixtape, Cut 4 Me. She continued solidifying her revolutionary R&B sound with 2015’s Hallucinogen EP, with The New York Times naming its single, “Rewind,” one of the “25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going”. By 2017, she released her electric debut album Take Me Apart (which was followed by 2018’s TAKE ME A_PART, THE REMIXES), building upon her intimate storytelling.

After a nearly five-year hiatus, she returned in 2023 with her groundbreaking second album, Raven, and its critically-acclaimed counterpart, RAVE:N, The Remixes in 2024. Raven has been hailed as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2023’ by Pitchfork, Billboard, Vulture, Variety, and more, while the remixes solidified her as a leader in the dance music space.

In 2025, Kelela showcased yet another innovative side of her artistry with her live album In The Blue Light, which hit #5 on the Contemporary Jazz chart and #20 on the Jazz Albums chart. Now, with new avatar, Kelela displays the masterful intention she puts into forming new sonic cityscapes. But don’t confuse it with escapism: “I don't want the music to be a distraction from what's really going on in the world; I want it to help you get into it.”

Nach der Veröffentlichung von „idea 1“, kündigt Kelela ihr neues, drittes Album an, das am 10. Juli bei Warp Records erscheint – und veröffentlicht die zweite Single „linknb“, produziert von Oscar Scheller.

Der Track entstand in einer Phase der Schreibblockade und begann als Mantra, das Kelela schrieb, um sich wieder an die Arbeit zu bringen. Angeführt von einem labyrinthischen Gitarrenriff über treibenden Metal-Drums ist „linknb“ ein Song über Selbstvertrauen, das man sich durch Schwierigkeiten erarbeitet hat, darüber, sich nicht klein machen zu lassen. „Es ist nicht schwer, mutig zu sein / Es ist leichter, zu viel preiszugeben / Ich weiß nur, dass ich den Weg geebnet habe, unterbezahlt.“

Das von Mischa Notcutt inszenierte Video versetzt Kelela in die Mitte einer urbanen Traumlandschaft. Als enger Freund und Kelelas ehemaliger Kreativdirektor war Notcutt die naheliegende Wahl. Das Video lässt Realismus und Abstraktion ineinanderfließen und verwandelt eine einsame Reise in eine Meditation über Selbstfindung und Erneuerung.

Mit „new avatar“ rückt alles, worauf Kelela hingearbeitet hat, in den Fokus. Sie begann ihre ersten Songs in der Indie-Szene von Washington, D.C. zu schreiben, bevor die Clubmusik und die elektronische Produktion, die ihre frühe Karriere prägten, die Oberhand gewannen. Mit „new avatar“ schließt sie den Kreis: R&B, unterlegt mit verzerrten Gitarrenklängen, trifft auf neue Schnittstellen in der Tanzmusik und gipfelt in einem Sound, der aus all den musikalischen Einflüssen schöpft, die sie je geprägt haben. Das Album enthält zudem Kollaborationen mit PinkPantheress, A. K. Paul und Fousheé.

„Dieses Album findet Trost in der Konfrontation“, sagt Kelela. „Ich möchte nicht, dass die Musik von dem ablenkt, was wirklich in der Welt vor sich geht; ich möchte, dass sie in dieser verrückten Zeit Sinn ergibt und den Menschen gleichzeitig hilft, mit der Schönheit und Freude in Kontakt zu kommen, die sie ebenfalls erleben.“

Das Album setzt sich mit einer Welt auseinander, die aus allen Nähten auseinanderfällt, und mit der Klarheit, die das Überleben erfordert.

„Die Leute sollten auch wissen, dass meine Freunde und ich ständig lachen und dass Humor kein Abwehrmechanismus ist; er ist Ausdruck dafür, wie scharfsinnig wir die Dinge einschätzen und wie klar wir die Welt sehen.“

Im Kern schildert „new avatar“ eine vielschichtige Erfahrung, und obwohl die Außenwelt präsent ist, schwächt sie Kelelas Entschlossenheit zu keinem Zeitpunkt.

About Kelela: Throughout her globally revered, boundary-pushing career, Kelela has established a lane of her own in R&B and electronic music. On her long-awaited third album, new avatar, the singer/songwriter (through the versatility of the guitar) challenges perceptions of these genres, while weaving together fragments of lived experiences to shape a world of connection and resilience during times of unrest.

The songs journey through Black femme rage, joy as resistance, Gotham City-esque dystopia, misogynoir, romantic tension, and more. It’s anchored by production that demands a broader rethink about alternative, rock and indie music.

Kelela’s defiant nature has propelled her so far already — from her hometown of Washington, D.C to world stages. In 2013, she released her debut mixtape, Cut 4 Me. She continued solidifying her revolutionary R&B sound with 2015’s Hallucinogen EP, with The New York Times naming its single, “Rewind,” one of the “25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going”. By 2017, she released her electric debut album Take Me Apart (which was followed by 2018’s TAKE ME A_PART, THE REMIXES), building upon her intimate storytelling.

After a nearly five-year hiatus, she returned in 2023 with her groundbreaking second album, Raven, and its critically-acclaimed counterpart, RAVE:N, The Remixes in 2024. Raven has been hailed as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2023’ by Pitchfork, Billboard, Vulture, Variety, and more, while the remixes solidified her as a leader in the dance music space.

In 2025, Kelela showcased yet another innovative side of her artistry with her live album In The Blue Light, which hit #5 on the Contemporary Jazz chart and #20 on the Jazz Albums chart. Now, with new avatar, Kelela displays the masterful intention she puts into forming new sonic cityscapes. But don’t confuse it with escapism: “I don't want the music to be a distraction from what's really going on in the world; I want it to help you get into it.”

Foreign Tongues, das neue Studioalbum der Rolling Stones, umfasst 14 Songs und folgt weniger als drei Jahre nach dem vielfach ausgezeichneten Vorgänger Hackney Diamonds, der weltweit Spitzenpositionen in den Charts erreichte und mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnet wurde. Eingeleitet wird das Album von der beschwingten und eingängigen Lead-Single „In The Stars“. Foreign Tongues entstand innerhalb eines Monats in den Metropolis Studios in West-London, wo Mick Jagger, Keith Richards und Ronnie Wood erneut mit dem Grammy-prämierten Produzenten Andrew Watt zusammenarbeiteten. Das Ergebnis ist ein dynamisches, zeitgemäßes Album, das den charakteristischen Sound der Band aufgreift und zugleich neue klangliche und inhaltliche Akzente setzt.

Neben den zentralen Beiträgen von Jagger, Richards und Wood sind auch langjährige musikalische Wegbegleiter wie Darryl Jones, Matt Clifford und Steve Jordan auf dem Album vertreten. Darüber hinaus enthält das Album einen besonderen Beitrag von Charlie Watts, der während einer seiner letzten Aufnahmesessions vor seinem Tod im Jahr 2021 entstand. Ergänzt wird das Projekt durch Gastauftritte unter anderem von Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith und Chad Smith.

,Enigma" ist das zweite Studioalbum von Kira Roessler (Black Flag, dos). Nach ihrem Solo-Debüt von 2021 baut das Album ihren minimalistischen, bassbetonten Sound weiter aus und verbindet karge Arrangements mit einer zurückhaltenden emotionalen Intensität. Co-produziert mit ihrem Bruder Paul (Screamers) und mit Backing-Vocals von Petra Haden entfaltet sich ,Enigma" mit einer ruhigen Präzision, die Kiras einzigartige Stimme und ihre kompositorische Zurückhaltung hervorhebt.

The second full-length album from Simon Herody - French born, Berlin based multi-instrumentalist and composer. Featuring the visual universe of Paul Waak.

Water from Mars retraces the imaginary odyssey of a near-future conquest of space - a sonic journey conceived as a soundtrack for the imagination. Blending acoustic and electronic instruments, Herody navigates between sci-fi jazz, left-field ambient dub, space lounge, and 4th world music, crafting a world where melancholy and forward-thinking curiosity coexist in weightless suspension.

Indulgent, textured, and uncompromising - for fans of glitchy synthesizer textures, cinematic atmospheres, and music that refuses easy categorization.

1969 salsa gem originally released on Mary Lou Records, one of the labels in the right place at the right time, just before Fania smashed almost all the competition. The album is mostly comprised of guaguancós, boleros, and improvised-space-filling descargas (jam sessions). We are now happy to reissue this rare and in-demand album after decades unavailable! It includes an insert with liner notes. "Soogie" (1969) was Willie Rodríguez's first album for Mary Lou Records. Mary Lou Records, at that time, was also one of the labels in the right place at the right time, just before Fania smashed almost all the competition. The album is mostly comprised of guaguancós, boleros, and improvised-space-filling descargas (jam sessions). This is remarkable, as it hardly includes boogaloo, which was still prevalent during those years, yet already on the way out. According to Bobby Marín, its musical director "we didn't call it salsa at the time; it had no name. It was mambo or música movida, they used to call it on the radio." The first tune, 'My Dog Soogie,' which provides the title for the recording, is a playful guaracha about a dog The following track is the wildly popular 'La Puerta del Dolor.' 'El Chivo' (the goat) is a spicy guaracha, which changes into a son montuno-guajira. 'Grande' is a guaguancó, followed by 'Los Callos de Dolores,' also a delightful guaguancó. Then comes the ballad 'Porque yo te Amo,' a monster hit of the sixties by popular Argentine singer Sandro. Next we have 'Al Compás del Güiro,' a guaguancó, with the delicious chorus that goes "cómo va, cómo va, cómo va, mi güiro cómo va." 'Paul's Thing' is an instrumental guaguancó, with engrossing sax solos. Finally, we have the smashing, extended descarga 'Salsa con Willie Rodríguez.' We are now happy to reissue this rare and in-demand 1969 salsa gem after decades unavailable!

Across landscapes of electronica, ambient textures and jazz improvisation, Be Quiet unfolds as an intimate, spatial set of recordings - built on proximity and contrast, where different cultures, disciplines and sonic identities meeting Moalvaer's unmistakable trumpet voice. The album is accompanied by a documentary film directed by celebrated Norwegian filmmaker Per Manning, capturing the process, environments and relationships behind the music, and informing the project's visual world. Be Quiet unfolds as Molvaer steps into each collaborator's space, responding in real time and shaping a body of work that remains fluid, intimate and constantly in motion.

Foreign Tongues, the new album from The Rolling Stones, is an incredibly vibrant 14-track collection arriving less than three years after the band’s universally acclaimed, GRAMMY-winning album Hackney Diamonds, which topped charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum status. The new album is introduced by the upbeat and infectious lead single In The Stars.

Leading up to the announcement, the band subtly built anticipation around the project, including the limited white label release of the track Rough and Twisted, issued exclusively on vinyl under the name The Cockroaches. Circulating among fans and collectors, the release has already sparked excitement and speculation about the sound and direction of Foreign Tongues, offering an early glimpse into the album’s raw and experimental energy. Recorded during an exceptionally creative period, Foreign Tongues was brought to life in under a month at Metropolis Studios in West London, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood reuniting with GRAMMY-winning producer Andrew Watt, who also helmed Hackney Diamonds. The result is a dynamic and forward-looking record that captures the band’s unmistakable sound while venturing into new sonic and lyrical territory—further cementing their unmatched legacy.

The album showcases standout performances from Jagger, Richards and Wood, alongside their long-time collaborators, including Darryl Jones, Matt Clifford and Steve Jordan. It also features a special guest appearance from Charlie Watts, recorded during one of his final studio sessions before his passing in 2021. Additional contributions come from an impressive lineup of guest artists, including Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith of The Cure, and Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Speaking about the recording process, Mick Jagger said: “I love doing these recording sessions in London at Metropolis. It was a very intense few weeks recording Foreign Tongues. We had 14 great tracks, and we worked as quickly as we could. I like the room there because it’s not too big, so you can really feel the passion in the room from everyone.”

Keith Richards added: “The album Foreign Tongues has a connection to Hackney Diamonds, and it was great to be working in London again and to have that London vibe around us. It was a month of concentrated punch. For me, it’s all about the joy of it. I’m blessed to be able to do this—may it continue for a long time.”

Ronnie Wood commented: “The atmosphere in the room was so creative, and the whole band was in top form throughout the process. Very often, we nailed it on the first take. I hope everyone will love it.”

The album’s striking cover artwork is a painting created by the acclaimed American artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn

cooler sampler !