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Audio alchemist Damian Lazarus continues to redefine the boundaries of electronic music with his fifth studio album, ‘Magickal’.

Renowned for his unparalleled ability to craft transformative sonic journeys, Damian Lazarus is a master of rhythm, melody, and vibration—a true pioneer among his generation’s visionary artists. Damian’s broad depth of experience encompasses a variety of disciplines: tastemaker, selector, label owner, A&R and a Grammy-nominated artist in his own right - each informed by his unique ear for sound. He is chief wizard of the hugely influential and culture-defining Crosstown Rebels label, a globally renowned DJ with a penchant for exotic outdoor locations and a highly regarded recording artist with four albums and a plethora of solo cuts, collaborations and remixes in his sprawling discography.

With his fifth album, ‘Magickal’, Damian steps into his next evolutionary phase, combining his newly found sobriety with a more mature outlook while still pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable moments. At the root of it all is the magical power of togetherness and human connection that only music can facilitate. Driven by this core ethos, Damian continues on his mission to share his heartfelt music, taking the dance floor into unexplored realms of experience, facilitating moments of transcendence, bliss and pure, unadulterated magic.

Damian Lazarus, the avant-garde architect of spiritually nourishing sounds, is joined by a stellar lineup of collaborators on his latest excursion. It’s imaginative and mystical, rhythmically captivating and daring in its own way, as is typical of Damian’s approach. Taking consideration of his past, the album references his previous work to create a tapestry of compositions that tap into the energy of key moments from his discography. Drawing on his existing catalogue creates cohesive through lines and thematically serves as a continuation of previous stories. November’s single, ‘Sunrise Generation’, for instance, works as a companion to ‘Vermillion’, which was recorded by Damian with his band The Ancient Moons and vocalist Moses Sumney back in 2015. ‘Sunrise Generation’, featuring the beautiful vocals of Fink, was Damian’s first major release since his Grammy-nominated 2021 collaboration ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ with Diplo and Jungle, and continues to take inspiration from global gatherings at solstice and those moments of collective awe at sunrise.

Indeed, the album’s themes of mental elevation and psychedelic sonic journeys are evident throughout. Damian channels this energy through tracks like the soulful ‘So Low’, featuring the incredible Zoe Kypri, and the luminous ‘Searchin’, with Jem Cooke, whose collaboration with Damian dates back to ‘Flourish’ (2020) and lead single ‘Into The Sun’. Uplifting is the operative word here, as Damian aims straight for our hearts and inner selves, stripping away the layers to take us on a trip inwards, and out into the ether all at once. There’s a clear nod to Damian’s appreciation of amapiano when he teams up with Ghanaian interdisciplinary healer Jojo Abot on ‘Warrior Dance’. Old friend and inspirer Mathew Jonson brings his virtuoso touch to ‘Are You Dreaming?’, while TEED and A-Trak form an awesome alliance for ‘Falling Down’ with its heartrending vocals. ‘Alive’ features the Bloom Twins, and also additional production from acclaimed producer Mark Ralph, who incidentally worked on Damian’s debut album ‘Smoke The Monster Out’ in 2009 and forms another throughline to the past. ‘Alive’ blends pop sensibilities and song structure with Damian’s inimitable sound - and could become one of Damian’s biggest moments to date. ‘La Hija De Juan Simon’ delves into the Latin energy synonymous with vibrancy and self-expression as Damian teams up with acclaimed Spanish flamenco-influenced duo Mëstiza. On a solo tip, he rolls out with the eight-minute-plus soulful funk flex ‘Why Don’t U’.

In a suitably aligned instance of serendipity, the arrival of ‘Magickal’ comes at a pivotal period in Damian’s life, just as it has been with previous album concepts. Albums made and released during big shifts in his life speak to the correlation between growth, personal evolution, creativity, catharsis and sharing that process musically. The last album ‘Flourish’, for instance, was recorded and released in the space of a few months during the first summer of the global pandemic. As a result, there’s a kind of vulnerability in the music, a subtle story that’s being told with emotional touchpoints that will be relevant to anyone listening. The universal human experience and spectrum of emotions are things almost everyone can relate to. With the enhanced clarity of his sobriety, Damian’s compositions embody the uplifting nature of simply being alive, connected and unified in our love for music and one another.

Day Zero, Damian’s iconic annual festival, is intrinsically linked to ‘Magickal’. It’s the setting for his imagination when producing the music, it’s the launchpad for each year’s kaleidoscopic adventures around the world, and this year’s edition will be the backdrop to the release of ‘Magickal’. As the pinnacle of Damian’s annual experiences, Day Zero marks a vital milestone for his artistry, an extension of his inner realm, carefully curated and created for his global family of lovers and dancers to revel in the awe-inspiring beauty of Mother Nature. Central to the ethos of Day Zero is its sustainability practices and deep consideration for the locality within which it is held. Connections with local elders embolden its depth, cultivating a strongly aligned purpose with the ritual, customs and energy of the land and its people.

‘Magickal’ will be released in the same week as Day Zero, tying the two projects together in a neat dovetail. 12 years since it started, Day Zero continues to play a significant role in the music Damian makes, curates and plays. For him, it’s the epitome of his vision: a stunning natural setting, the very best party people from around the world, an unparalleled lineup of friends and family, high production values, eco-centric policies and music from another dimension. With these interdimensional transmissions, Damian channels his inner alchemist, which, in turn, permeates into the vibrational framework of ‘Magickal’.

Never one to adhere to convention, Damian has opted for a disruptive album release. ‘Magickal’ is to be kept under wraps and then announced and released on Crosstown Rebels on 8th January 2025, bypassing the modern trend of prolonged single drops and ‘tombstone’ album releases. ‘Magickal’ is the embodiment of Damian and his intentional, against-the-grain approach and reinforces the album as a complete artistic statement, offering listeners the full cohesive experience from the very beginning. This is a return to the album as the pinnacle moment and not the afterthought. Singles, edits and remixes will follow the ‘Magickal album’ release, and, of course, there will be a world tour to promote the album (including Glastonbury and Coachella) and a chance to present the album in exciting, innovative and unique ways.

Forever dreaming, a sincere student of magic, new and old, social sorcerer, lover of nature and master of musical wizardry, Damian Lazarus is a potent force. With ‘Magickal’, he reaffirms his place as one of electronic music’s most influential figures, taking listeners on a profound journey into sound, spirit, and connection.

ICON ALERT! Boy George is back, and back in full force for RSD via this exclusive and limited coloured vinyl 12 inch. The track was originally made in the 90’s, with a dancefloor hit following in 2007 but there was no physical release barring a CD which will set you back £450+. Wow! Now tastefully reimagined for a new generation courtesy of the original producer, Kinky Roland and complete with a collection of impeccably curated reworks including a Vocal & Dub version from iconic & much respected producer Eric Kupper and a Grammy nominated, genre straddling remix from high in demand UK artist Paris Cesvette.

On its 40-year anniversary, this crossover dancefloor gem gets a re-issue AND a brand-new remix from Scandinavian superstar OPOLOPO courtesy of the musical melittologists over at A's & Bee's. His remix drops a bassline of all basslines over the Philadelphia quartets rare 1985 mid-tempo groover, giving it a fresh lease of life for the dancefloors of 2025. This is a charity release, and the label will, as ever, donate proceeds to BBKA, who will use the funds to help educate people about the importance of our flying friends, and how to help in their well-being. Limited edition press in a Dylan Kendle designed A's & Bee's sleeve.

A dancehall anthem is being released on an official 7-inch vinyl for the very first time. It has been 15 years since Serani's 'No Games' was originally released. The song quickly became a part of pop culture, thanks in part to artists like Sean Paul, who helped pave the way for dancehall’s crossover success. To date, it has garnered over 166 million streams on Spotify, along with 50 million views on the video on YouTube and remains a popular sing-along track at parties. This special 7-inch vinyl will be produced in ruby red to commemorate the anniversary year.

Already having made his presence known with releases, 'Iron Fist', 'Retaliation', and his collaborations with Aba Ariginal on 'Ariginal Militant Steppa' and the 'Ariginal Bubbla E.P.'; Mali takes things to another level and steps into 2025 with his debut album 'Ruff & Ready – Dub Opus 1'.
This Album is an amalgamation of heavy basslines, intricate and unique melodies, striking drum patterns; mixed down with wild phasers, intense delays and expansive reverbs. It contains a selection of tracks with varying moods and styles, with 'Spiritual Trance' and 'Judgement Hall' that are mystical and otherworldly in nature, to upfront steppers tracks like 'Nebula', 'Ruff & Ready', and the album exclusive mix 'Rebellion (Unamenable Mix); even 'Know Thyself (Blak Nile Sym- phony I)' pushing the boundaries of what typically fits into dub and reggae.
This debut album offering from Mali Blakamix is sure to please fans of his previous releases, let alone all dub aficionados and reggae & dub music lovers out there. Presented to the world in the authentic 'Blak Nile Style'; be sure to listen to music and feel the vibes of Ruff & Ready – Blak Nile Dub Opus 1.

A deeper dive into the production archives of Alex "Landy" Hill (Timex Social Club) reveals an unreleased 90s bay area demo project with vocalist Jordana and songwriter John Pruitt. Nine tracks total, written and recorded in Alex's makeshift apartment recording studio. Tape restoration by PPU.

Peter Matson is a Brooklyn, NY based musician, producer, DJ, and founder and leader of the seminal NYC post-punk dance outfit Underground System.

Hotel PMis the debut LP from Matson and third release with Bastard Jazz having released two EPs Short Trips in 2019 and The Right Way in 2022.

Album features a who's who of artists collaborating with Matson including Toribio, Kendra Morris, Pahua, The Phenomenal Hand Clap Band, and core members of The Rapture, Ibibio Sound Machine, Poolside, and Sly5thAve.

Including Bastard Jazz, Matson has released music with Soul Clap, planet e, Razor N Tape, Heist Recordings, Heavenly Sweetness, and Hell Yeah.

Recording, production and mixing by Ross Orton (M.I.A., Arctic Monkeys) and Ewan Pearson (Depeche Mode, Confidence Man) between London, Sheffield, UK, Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico and Peter's home of New York City.

Press, Radio, and Sync support include Apple Music's WWDC22 Keynote Speech, Rolling Stone, DJ Mag, NTS, Worldwide FM, BBC Radio 6, KCRW, Ibiza Global Radio and more.

j.o.y.s. is both the moniker of and the debut self-titled LP by the Los Angeles based artist Ramon Narvaez. j.o.y.s. is an acronym for “jump out of your skin”. While the phrase can conjure moments of shock and surprise, Narvaez, however uses the phrase as a foot lamp illuminating a path towards momentary transcendence through creating beautifully conjured ambient music that recalls work by Daniel Lanois, suss, Dean Hurley and Tim Hecker. While the pedal steel is prominent, j.o.y.s., as a project, is more in conversation with shoegaze and noise than what has recently been deemed ambient country. Heavy brutalist slabs of noise, swirling feedback create the sound bed of these songs. Collaborator Justin Gaynor’s pedal steel on this album operates as important connective tissue as both the road and the traveler between the light and shadow zones. Drones are wrapped in distortion, processed just below the threshold where we’d throw the word “harsh” around. Rather, there is a delicate dance between Gaynor’s top-rope pedal steel lines - always sweet and always just a bit mournful - with Narvaez’s ringing bass notes and noise chatter. j.o.y.s. revels in intransigence. Nothing can last. As Matt Colquhoun puts in the introduction to Mark Fisher’s heartbreaking Ghosts of My Life - our identity and relationship to the past are “portals in perpetual collapse”. Depression, friendship, longing are all briefly satiated while in the peak experience of creating something as a response to them. But even that is impermanent. These sounds - improvised, exploratory, ecstatic - are eventually edited, whittled down and pressed to wax - not tombs but portals to the past.

Wie Hip-Hop nach Hamburg kam
Die Compilation ist als Zeitreise zu den Anfängen der Hamburger Hip-Hop-Kultur konzipiert und umfasst über 100 weitgehend unveröffentlichte Songs und Skits. Begleitet wird das Triple-Vinyl von einem 96-seitigen Booklet, das von den frühen Jahren von Hip-Hop, Rap und DJing in Hamburg erzählt. Präsentiert wird das Werk von den Herausgebern des Buchs und den Kuratoren der Museumsausstellung EINE STADT WIRD BUNT.

Kennt eigentlich noch jemand Easy Business? Was wie ein Ratgeber Video auf YouTube klingt, ist der Name einer der ersten Hamburger Rap-Gruppen. Die vierköpfige Formation aus Steilshoop gründete sich schon in den späten 1980er Jahren und begann bald erste englischsprachige Texte zu schreiben. 1989 nahmen sie gemeinsam mit Mario von Hacht den Song „Money“ in einem Jenfelder Jugendzentrum auf.
Als House-Produzent verfügte Von Hacht über ein vergleichsweise schon recht ansehnliches Produktions-Equipment. Selbst die legendäre Roland TR-808, analoger Drumcomputer und Allzweckwaffe von Hip-Hop-Produzenten, war bereits 1989 Teil seines Maschinenparks. Nur hatte er sie eben nicht für Rap genutzt – bis Easy Business anklopften. Und so öffnete ein Musik-Nerd und Technik-Freak dem Hip-Hop eine Tür in Hamburg. Von Hachts Offenheit für den neuen Musikstil sollte sich auszahlen: 1995 produzierte er mit „Nordisch by Nature“ den ersten Chartstürmer von Fettes Brot.

Es sind Geschichten wie diese aus der Gründerzeit des Rap in Hamburg, um die sich die 3-Vinyl-Compilation EINE STADT WIRD BUNT dreht. Unter den über 100 Songs und Skits aus den frühen Jahren des Rap in Hamburg finden sich neben dem Song „Money“ von Easy Business auch ein Mitschnitt eines Auftritts der Gruppe in der Fabrik im Mai 1991.
Von frühen Aufnahmen von MC Africa True, der später unter dem Namen Nana einige Hits landen würde, bis zu den Britcore-Veteranen von Readykill, von 2 Ruff, deren Mitglied Simple Simon zu den ersten Hip-Hop-Produzenten der Stadt gehörte, bis zu den Reim Banditen, die als eine der ersten hiesigen Bands mit einem Majorlabel-Vertrag als Hamburger Antwort auf die Fantastischen Vier positioniert werden sollten, vereint das Triple-Vinyl eine einzigartige Sammlung musikhistorischer Zeitdokumente. In Kombination mit dem begleitenden Booklet vermitteln sie ein authentisches – und überaus unterhaltsames – Bild von den Anfängen des Rap in Hamburg.

Nach dem preisgekrönten, 2021 erschienenen Buch „EINE STADT WIRD BUNT. Hamburg Graffiti History 1980-1999“ und der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, die bis Anfang Januar 2024, als eine der erfolgreichsten aller Zeiten, im Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte gezeigt wurde, folgt mit der Compilation nun also eine weitere Dokumentation Hamburger Subkultur Geschichte der 1980er und 1990er Jahre. Im Fokus diesmal: die Pioniere des Rap in der Hansestadt.
Zum Team hinter dem Triple-Vinyl gehören neben den vier Herausgebern von EINE STADT WIRD BUNT. Oliver Nebel, Frank Petering, Mirko Reisser und Andreas Timm drei ausgewiesene Kenner der deutschen Hip-Hop-Szene. Oliver Herbst, einst DJ der Hip-Hop-Band City Nord, betreibt heute ein Musiklabel, auf dem die Platte erscheint, und konnte im Zuge der Recherche an viele alte Kontakte anknüpfen. Ebenfalls mit an Bord: der langjährige Chefredakteur des Hip-Hop-Magazins Backspin Dennis Kraus und der Musikjournalist und Moderator Falk Schacht.
Über einen Zeitraum von über zwei Jahren hinweg hat sich das Team auf Recherche begeben. Sie nahmen Kontakt zu Bands, Rapper*innen, DJs und Produzenten auf, die in den 1980er und 1990er Jahren in und um Hamburg aktiv waren. Sie sichteten und archivierten unzählige Stunden von Radio-Shows, Tapes, Demo-DATs und Live-Mitschnitten und führten Interviews mit Hip-Hop-Pionieren aus der Hansestadt. „Unser Ziel war es, ein kaum beleuchtetes Kapitel Hamburger Subkulturgeschichte zu erzählen“, sagt Mirko Reisser.
Begleitet werden die Platten deshalb von einem rund 80-seitigen, reich bebilderten Booklet im Vinyl-Format, das in aufwändig recherchierten Texten nachzeichnet, wie der neue Musikstil ab Mitte der 1980er Jahre in Hamburg langsam heimisch wurde. Zu den zentralen Themen dieser Erzählung gehört die Abwesenheit von technischem Equipment – und der Umgang der jungen Szene mit diesem Mangel.
Ein Vierspur Kassettenrekorder musste für die ersten Aufnahmen im Kinderzimmer reichen. Und wer DJ werden wollte, übte Scratchen mit dem Plattenspieler der Eltern. Anders als heute, wo man mit einem Smartphone in der Hand theoretisch ein Millionenpublikum erreichen kann, stellte die Aufnahmetechnik damals eine große Hürde dar. Wer jedoch über die technischen Voraussetzungen verfügte, Songs aufzunehmen, wurde schnell zur Anlaufstelle für die junge Rap-Szene.
Parallel zu dieser Ära der Technik-Autodidakten, öffneten die Rapper*innen der frühen 1990er Jahre ebenfalls ein Fenster in eine neue Welt: Indem sie anfingen, auf Deutsch zu rappen, grenzten sie sich bewusst von den amerikanischen Vorbildern ab und schufen ein ganz neues Selbstbewusstsein der jungen Subkultur. Und ganz nebenbei auch ein ganz neues Bewusstsein für die Möglichkeiten der deutschen Sprache. „Hier wurde etwas gänzlich Neues erschaffen“, sagt Oliver Herbst.

Viele Künstler, die auf der Compilation vertreten sind, dürften heute nur noch echten Hip-Hop-Nerds bekannt sein. Doch es finden sich auch bekannte Namen auf der Tracklist. Jan Eißfeldt etwa, der heute solo als Jan Delay oder als Teil der Beginner Konzerthallen füllt. Oder Fettes Brot, die von einem Hip-Hop-Trio aus dem Hamburger Umland zu einer der erfolgreichsten deutschen Popbands der Gegenwart heranwuchsen. Oder Deichkind, die zu einem massentauglichen Universal Kunstprojekt avanciert sind.

Wie schon das gleichnamige Buch und die Museumsausstellung, so blickt auch die Compilation EINE STADT WIRD BUNT. hinter die Kulissen einer jungen Subkultur – und erzählt parallel spannende Kapitel Musik-, Technik- und Stadtgeschichte aus der Hip-Hop-Hochburg an der Elbe.

INTERPRETEN
Fettes Brot, Absolute Beginner, Deichkind, Das Bo, Ferris MC, Mr. Schnabel, Sleepwalker, Kastrierte Philosophen, Mellow Mark, David Fascher, Easy Business, Reim Banditen, Readykill, TobiTob, I.L.L. Will, City Nord, MK Cram (Poets of Peeze), Dialektik, 2 Ruff, Nina, Flashmaster Ray, Dennis Deutschland, 2BIAS, MC Africa True alias Nana, Vers Chaoten, Die Erstausgabe, THC (Ter Hartchor), R.A.F. (Reimende Antifaschisten), Direkt Aktion, Fogmoor, Syren, Mental Disorda (Crime Code Barets), Dennis the Menace, Selma, 08/15, Hamburg Royal, Skunk Funk, B-Low, Gizmo, AJ, SMG, Phantom Black, Leon Le Pro alias EL’OMC, Paolo 77, Monti, Hanseknaller, Schlechta Umgang u.v.a.

ZITATE VON
André Luth, Jan Eißfeldt, Mathias Arfmann, Ale Dumbsky, David Fascher, Fatih Akin, Carsten Bohn, Schiffmeister (Björn Beton), Pasha Kamber (DJ MPK), Boris Ekambi, Sleepwalker, Mr. Schnabel, Nana Abrokwa, Simon Vegas u.a.

PRODUCER
Mario von Hacht (Super Mario), Sleepwalker, B-Base, Bubblez, TobiTob, X-Ray, Simple Simon

Anika kanalisiert ihre Frustration, Wut und Verwirrung über die Welt in ihrem dritten Album "Abyss". Das Album wurde live in den legendären Hansa Studios in Berlin aufgenommen und fängt die rohe Energie mit minimalen Overdubs ein. Das Ergebnis ist eine eindringliche und dringende 10-Track-Reise, die von intensiven Emotionen angetrieben wird. Der Aufnahmeprozess, der in nur wenigen Tagen mit einer Live-Band stattfand, unterstreicht die Unmittelbarkeit und bietet einen Sound, der sowohl physisch als auch direkt ist. "Abyss" spiegelt Anikas Wunsch wider, einen Raum zu schaffen, in dem sich Menschen vereinen und frei fühlen können, um sich inmitten des Chaos der Welt auszudrücken. Mit Einflüssen, die von 90er Grunge und Courtney Love bis hin zu Patti Smith und Genesis P-Orridge reichen, wird das Album von einem rebellischen Geist getragen. Tracks wie "One Way Ticket" kritisieren den Aufstieg des Faschismus, während "Hearsay" sich mit der Spaltung durch Fake News auseinandersetzt und Anikas Entschlossenheit offenbart, sich mit den komplexen Gegebenheiten unserer Zeit auseinanderzusetzen. Die rohe, emotionale Kraft des Albums wird durch seine Körperlichkeit ergänzt. Anikas Ziel ist es, die Hörer aus ihren Köpfen heraus und zurück in ihre Körper zu holen und ihnen durch die Musik und die Live-Performances eine Befreiung zu bieten. Dies ist ein Raum, um die Verbindung zwischen Geist und Körper wiederherzustellen - etwas, das ihrer Meinung nach in der heutigen Welt zunehmend verloren geht. Ihr Wunsch, diese Energie auf der Bühne zu erzeugen, spiegelt sich in den dichten, stampfenden Rhythmen von "Abyss" wider, die auf der Energie des Alt-Rock der 90er Jahre aufbauen. "Abyss" befasst sich auch mit den intensiven Spannungen zwischen der Linken und der Rechten in der heutigen Gesellschaft und erforscht die Komplexität menschlicher Unvollkommenheit und gesunder Debatten. Von der stürmischen Intensität von "Oxygen" bis zum melancholischen "Buttercups" weigert sich das Album, vor unbequemen Wahrheiten zurückzuschrecken. Anika stellt sich mutig ihren eigenen rohen Emotionen, wie in den offenen Texten von "Walk Away", wo sie über ihre Unzufriedenheit mit sich selbst und der Welt nachdenkt. Mit "Abyss" lädt Anika die Hörer in einen Raum der Befreiung, der Rebellion und der Ehrlichkeit ein und schafft ein Album, das den Aufruhr unserer Zeit anspricht und gleichzeitig ein emotionales Ventil bietet. Wie sie es ausdrückt: "Dies ist ein Raum für dich".

Anika kanalisiert ihre Frustration, Wut und Verwirrung über die Welt in ihrem dritten Album "Abyss". Das Album wurde live in den legendären Hansa Studios in Berlin aufgenommen und fängt die rohe Energie mit minimalen Overdubs ein. Das Ergebnis ist eine eindringliche und dringende 10-Track-Reise, die von intensiven Emotionen angetrieben wird. Der Aufnahmeprozess, der in nur wenigen Tagen mit einer Live-Band stattfand, unterstreicht die Unmittelbarkeit und bietet einen Sound, der sowohl physisch als auch direkt ist. "Abyss" spiegelt Anikas Wunsch wider, einen Raum zu schaffen, in dem sich Menschen vereinen und frei fühlen können, um sich inmitten des Chaos der Welt auszudrücken. Mit Einflüssen, die von 90er Grunge und Courtney Love bis hin zu Patti Smith und Genesis P-Orridge reichen, wird das Album von einem rebellischen Geist getragen. Tracks wie "One Way Ticket" kritisieren den Aufstieg des Faschismus, während "Hearsay" sich mit der Spaltung durch Fake News auseinandersetzt und Anikas Entschlossenheit offenbart, sich mit den komplexen Gegebenheiten unserer Zeit auseinanderzusetzen. Die rohe, emotionale Kraft des Albums wird durch seine Körperlichkeit ergänzt. Anikas Ziel ist es, die Hörer aus ihren Köpfen heraus und zurück in ihre Körper zu holen und ihnen durch die Musik und die Live-Performances eine Befreiung zu bieten. Dies ist ein Raum, um die Verbindung zwischen Geist und Körper wiederherzustellen - etwas, das ihrer Meinung nach in der heutigen Welt zunehmend verloren geht. Ihr Wunsch, diese Energie auf der Bühne zu erzeugen, spiegelt sich in den dichten, stampfenden Rhythmen von "Abyss" wider, die auf der Energie des Alt-Rock der 90er Jahre aufbauen. "Abyss" befasst sich auch mit den intensiven Spannungen zwischen der Linken und der Rechten in der heutigen Gesellschaft und erforscht die Komplexität menschlicher Unvollkommenheit und gesunder Debatten. Von der stürmischen Intensität von "Oxygen" bis zum melancholischen "Buttercups" weigert sich das Album, vor unbequemen Wahrheiten zurückzuschrecken. Anika stellt sich mutig ihren eigenen rohen Emotionen, wie in den offenen Texten von "Walk Away", wo sie über ihre Unzufriedenheit mit sich selbst und der Welt nachdenkt. Mit "Abyss" lädt Anika die Hörer in einen Raum der Befreiung, der Rebellion und der Ehrlichkeit ein und schafft ein Album, das den Aufruhr unserer Zeit anspricht und gleichzeitig ein emotionales Ventil bietet. Wie sie es ausdrückt: "Dies ist ein Raum für dich".

“Limbs of a Lion” arrives in a dazzling array of shimmering psychedelia, the newest offering on fleet.dreams’ own Vinezza records. Following “Echoes of Ego” his acclaimed inaugural 12”, “Limbs of a Lion” sees fleet.dreams’ artistry and form blossoming into realms of kaleidoscopic cadence & textural buoyancy. The production flows through a classically dubwise live analog mixing setup, new spheres of delays & echoes evolving fleet.dreams’ process to embody a unique & fully realized intersection of live instrumentation & dynamic synthesis.

Each track takes on its own entrancing sway, opening the listener towards beguiling spaciousness, experiences in rhythm, and a healthy dose of surrealist dreaming. “Masked in Porcelain” gleams with mystique, tinged with flanger in a firmly driving dancefloor mode, guiding us deeper into mysteries held by skylines and moonlight. “Secret of the Golden Flower” brings forth photosynthetic gated vocals built for eyes closed body movement, evolving from a cosmic conga groove confidently manifesting in ensnaring kinetic activation.

“iLL Enargeia” brings a touch of depth, stepping into tomorrow with a confident saunter, perfect for the blissful delirium of new beginnings or a space of breadth and reflection in the midst of astral metronomes. The closing title track “Limbs of a Lion” sees us out on a hopeful note, awash in bold luminescence & inviting us to go deeper and deeper within ourselves amidst the grounding embrace of bassline pressure.

Embodying a dance of intangibility towards new unknowns, “Limbs of a Lion” aspires to manifest the grace of movement through our beings - magnetizing and enhancing our danceable forms, frolicking beyond words together. Each track boldly stands on it’s own while orbiting a cohesive whole, perfect for all set and settings, a staple for the DJ crates, and a sign of a musicmaker with even more exciting creations on the horizon.

*words by Kiernan Laveaux
Early support from: Kiernan Laveaux, Daniel Rincón (NAP), 2Lanes & Amelia Holt

Every so often an album of such deceptive genius, of such aesthetic clarity, comes across our desk and transfixes us. Thought Leadership's III Of Pentacles is one such work of art. It's an instant classic and glides into the pantheon of timeless guitar-soul totems. Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.

Thought Leadership has already garnered big support from such tastemakers as Ruf Dug, Jason Boardman, Nathan Gregory Wilkins, J Walk, Evan Woodward, Justin Robertson and Heavenly's Jeff Barrett. The first time we heard III Of Pentacles, we nearly wept at the thought that something so beautiful, so bursting with real hope, could even exist in this brutal world. To quote the Quietus, "imagine if Stockport was situated somewhere along the Pacific Coast Highway rather than the M60, and you’ll have some idea of the coordinates to the post-industrial, sunburnt dream space opened up here."

So, who is Thought Leadership? What do we know about them? They reside in Stockport and are obsessed with ethereal guitar records. That’s about it. That and these X ideas shared with you, the listener.

Captured on a multitrack recorder in a terraced house in Stockport, this is as DIY as it gets. Glaringly obvious is a love for classic Factory and early 4AD. Perhaps it is the proximity to the River Mersey where the ideas arrived, and there being but three miles between where this and the Durutti Column’s classic “LC” was recorded, as the two operate across a familiar aural plain. Be it geographic or otherwise, limited by a true economy of means, namely guitar, pedals and drum machine, the fruit borne from these humble tools has been indelibly shaped by the perma-gloom that hangs low over the Manchester and Stockport environs.

Ushered in on 808 kicks, “I” opens the record as a beautiful Sketch for Stockport; a chiming maj7 chord dripping in chorus and delay sets us on our way. The Vini Reilly comparisons are unavoidable. “II” is all John McGeoch, with its trippy goth-psyche arpeggiated pattern cascading across the stereo image. Do those drums swing? But goths don’t swing?! They do here. We’re treated to a bit of crunch on the lead guitar part and some really lush reverb. We even step forth into shoegaze territory, albeit briefly, for the middle eight. “III”, a firm Be With favourite, continues the dreamy psyche leanings of the previous track, with an even bigger melody this time. We’re hearing The Teardrop Explodes on quaaludes here. A proto-dream pop cut soaked in melancholy. But watch out! The coda finds Johnny Marr has gotten into the ‘ludes and gatecrashed the final bars with some incredibly ignorant B minor pentatonic noodling.

“IV” ditches the drum machine for the first in a suite of three beatless electric guitar duets. The first of these semi-improvised rubato ideas is a striking departure from the earlier playful pieces, coming over emo and moody. Greyscale sulking for Stratocaster. Sign us up. “V” contains some really lyrical phrasing; a gorgeous conversation between two guitars. Real Stopfordian Primitive; meditative, crude, rain-soaked. We cycle through the same feels, then end on an alluring chord that breaks the pattern. Sometimes thoughts are like this. “VI” creeps in all plaintive, then a huge reverberating descending guitar line comes tumbling in like something off those classic Dif Juz 12”s. There’s some Maurice Deebank in there too, for sure, and the coda nods to early Meat Puppets.

“VII” rounds out the A Side, and succinctly presents a summary of all ideas explored thus far on our journey. The drum machine is back, this time with some wispy delay, before both guitars enter together playing interlocking lines. As we start, we end, with the delayed 808 guiding us out.

Opening Side B, “VIII” sees us embark on the other side of our journey as we slow down and space out. The drum machine is here, but the guitars are different now. Think Sensations Fix or Göttsching at his most peeled out. Drones, ambient drifts of broken chords and distorted lead lines all swirl round the mix. Side B is one for headphones for sure. “IX” is almost too exquisite for words. A New Age Mixolydian voyage through the cosmos. If you’re unmoved by the end you’ve probably got no pulse. We were left blunted ineffable by this one, such is the smudged elegance radiating from this idea. All hail the Thought Leader.

“X” is a full circle moment, and a fitting end. If you’ve not already elsewhere across the platter, you will be getting heavy Robin Guthrie vibes from this piece. Like the rest of Side B, this improvised jam sticks within a framework of related chords but the celestial energies channelled might invite us to wander “outside”, especially when the Tubescreamer is engaged.

RIYL Durutti Coulmn, Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Sensations Fix, Spike and adjacent guitar musicks – but, ultimately, this is just its own thing; such is the strength of ideas presented. "It’s good music to chill out to." (??)

Be With is honoured to present the first ever vinyl release of III Of Pentacles, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francisco to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With. Its stark presentation befits the music contained within. They inform us that they shuffled their tarot deck to ask what the album should be called and the card you see on the cover popped out. The III Of Pentacles tarot card represents teamwork, shared vision and the ability to achieve goals through collaboration. We like to think Thought Leadership and Be With have nailed this one.

Transparent Orange Vinyl)

Black Vinyl

“Sometimes They Come Back” is not just the title of a horror movie based on a macabre tale by Stephen King, it is also a summary of what happened to UK death etal veterans BENEDICTION, yet you might ke to add a “better than ever before”. While never officially disbanded, 2020’s Scriptures, the group’s eighth studio album achieved what is usually not an easy feat. It connected well with classics like Transcend the Rubicon (1993) and its immediate and memorable songwriting, the heavy-as-a-brick Grind Bastard (1998), and also saw legendary vocalist Dave Ingram return with his merciless roar and knack for morbid, twisted lyrics. After two albums with Dave Hunt on vocals, Scriptures was BENEDICTION’s first record in over a decade impressing with aggressive up-tempo attacks like ‘Iterations of I’ and ‘Rabid Carnality’ or the neck-breaking mid-tempo barrage of ‘Stormcrow’, songs that became live staples alongside ‘evergreens’ such as ‘I Bow to None’, ‘Magnificat’, ‘Subconscious Terror’ or ‘Vision in the Shroud’ in no time. With Scriptures, BENEDICTION even almost cracked Germany’s top ten by entering at a phenomenal #11 of the Official German Charts showing that the death metal veterans founded 1989 in Birmingham, England, offered an extremely well received sonic catharsis when due to the pandemic, people were locked down and pissed off.
When the shroud of Covid-19 lifted, the quintet finally could start to promote the album onstage with numerous festival gigs including Summer Breeze (DE), Copenhell (DK), Mystic Festival (PL), UK Deathfest, Alcatraz (BE), Party.San (DE), Obscene Extreme (CZ), Eindhoven Metal Meeting (NL) and Rock Hard (DE) to name but a few, played triumphant shows in South and Middle America as well as in their home country and all over Europe.
Kicking in the door without further warning, fast paced opener ‘A Carrion Harvest’ that mounts in a vicious Slayer-style break, starts with Ingram growling ‘Brace for impact, go!’ giving an unmistakable hint at what to expect during the following 47 minutes and 11 songs. With tremolo riffs and hammering grooves in spades, tracks like ‘Engines of War’, ‘Genesis Chamber’, ‘Crawling over Corpses’, ‘In the Dread of the Night’, and ‘Psychosister’ show a remarkable consistency and Scott Atkins, who produced the record at Grindstone Studio once again, ensures with a crisp and massive sound that the aforementioned impact leaves no bone unshattered. Garnered with artwork by Wolven Claws Artist, Ravage Of Empires continues BENEDICTION’s flawless discography on Premier League level and promises to become one of 2025’s undisputable old school death metal highlights!
With their brilliant new record in tow, founding members and guitarists Darren Brookes and Peter Rew, longtime vocalist Dave Ingram, drummer Giovanni Durst, and Nik Sampson (bass) will travel far and wide once more. Already confirmed are the Tales of the Triple Death Tour with Jungle Rot and Master kicking off on album release date as well as confirmed appearances at Wacken Open Air and Maryland Deathfest. More to be announced soon!

Petrol Green Vinyl

“Sometimes They Come Back” is not just the title of a horror movie based on a macabre tale by Stephen King, it is also a summary of what happened to UK death etal veterans BENEDICTION, yet you might ke to add a “better than ever before”. While never officially disbanded, 2020’s Scriptures, the group’s eighth studio album achieved what is usually not an easy feat. It connected well with classics like Transcend the Rubicon (1993) and its immediate and memorable songwriting, the heavy-as-a-brick Grind Bastard (1998), and also saw legendary vocalist Dave Ingram return with his merciless roar and knack for morbid, twisted lyrics. After two albums with Dave Hunt on vocals, Scriptures was BENEDICTION’s first record in over a decade impressing with aggressive up-tempo attacks like ‘Iterations of I’ and ‘Rabid Carnality’ or the neck-breaking mid-tempo barrage of ‘Stormcrow’, songs that became live staples alongside ‘evergreens’ such as ‘I Bow to None’, ‘Magnificat’, ‘Subconscious Terror’ or ‘Vision in the Shroud’ in no time. With Scriptures, BENEDICTION even almost cracked Germany’s top ten by entering at a phenomenal #11 of the Official German Charts showing that the death metal veterans founded 1989 in Birmingham, England, offered an extremely well received sonic catharsis when due to the pandemic, people were locked down and pissed off.
When the shroud of Covid-19 lifted, the quintet finally could start to promote the album onstage with numerous festival gigs including Summer Breeze (DE), Copenhell (DK), Mystic Festival (PL), UK Deathfest, Alcatraz (BE), Party.San (DE), Obscene Extreme (CZ), Eindhoven Metal Meeting (NL) and Rock Hard (DE) to name but a few, played triumphant shows in South and Middle America as well as in their home country and all over Europe.
Kicking in the door without further warning, fast paced opener ‘A Carrion Harvest’ that mounts in a vicious Slayer-style break, starts with Ingram growling ‘Brace for impact, go!’ giving an unmistakable hint at what to expect during the following 47 minutes and 11 songs. With tremolo riffs and hammering grooves in spades, tracks like ‘Engines of War’, ‘Genesis Chamber’, ‘Crawling over Corpses’, ‘In the Dread of the Night’, and ‘Psychosister’ show a remarkable consistency and Scott Atkins, who produced the record at Grindstone Studio once again, ensures with a crisp and massive sound that the aforementioned impact leaves no bone unshattered. Garnered with artwork by Wolven Claws Artist, Ravage Of Empires continues BENEDICTION’s flawless discography on Premier League level and promises to become one of 2025’s undisputable old school death metal highlights!
With their brilliant new record in tow, founding members and guitarists Darren Brookes and Peter Rew, longtime vocalist Dave Ingram, drummer Giovanni Durst, and Nik Sampson (bass) will travel far and wide once more. Already confirmed are the Tales of the Triple Death Tour with Jungle Rot and Master kicking off on album release date as well as confirmed appearances at Wacken Open Air and Maryland Deathfest. More to be announced soon!

Much sought after “Everyone Has Got To Go”, a militant 1976 roots stepper by Jamaican/Canadian singer Prince Robinson, aka R. Man Prince.

Born in Rockfort, East Kingston, Robinson auditioned, like many other hopefuls at Studio One, in his early teens, but it was not his time and he would not record in Kingston until a decade later.

After migrating to New York and then Canada, Robinson returned to Kingston in 1976 to record two incredible roots anthems at Joe Gibbs studio “Everyone Has Got to Go” and the impossibly rare “Funny Dream”. He was joined by The Soul Foundation, a vocal trio who laid the track's beautiful harmonies plus some of Jamaica’s greatest session musicians, including Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, who were not yet superstars.

The track was mixed at Channel One and the explosive “Super Bionic Version!” Dub by Ernest Hookim and Barnabas enters truly apocalyptic territory.

Luckily for all of us, inside a now battered briefcase that he took to Jamaica in 1976, Prince has kept his mastertapes and promo photos in pristine condition, knowing that his music had value and biding his time.

Barker's debutalbum Utility (on Berghain's Ostgut Ton label) was something of a sensation in the world of electronic music when it was released. Utility made numerous Best of 2019 year's end lists, including Pitchfork (8,2 review), The Quietus, DJ Mag, Resident Advisor (Recommends) and others. It also earned title of Mixmag's Album of The Year 2019. Now its finally time for the follow-up Stochastic Drift on Smalltown Supersound. And where Barker on Utility was "using ambient materials to remake techno" as Pitchfork's Philip Sherburne wrote, he takes this approach even further here creating - as the title suggests - a dreamy stochastic drift and beautiful freeform float.

Barker's debutalbum Utility (on Berghain's Ostgut Ton label) was something of a sensation in the world of electronic music when it was released. Utility made numerous Best of 2019 year's end lists, including Pitchfork (8,2 review), The Quietus, DJ Mag, Resident Advisor (Recommends) and others. It also earned title of Mixmag's Album of The Year 2019. Now its finally time for the follow-up Stochastic Drift on Smalltown Supersound. And where Barker on Utility was "using ambient materials to remake techno" as Pitchfork's Philip Sherburne wrote, he takes this approach even further here creating - as the title suggests - a dreamy stochastic drift and beautiful freeform float.

Long and intermittent running duo of Discrepant head honcho Gonçalo F Cardoso and Angela Valid's Alex Jones, with sometime collaborator Phil Laney aka Kenny Hosepipe joining in somewhere along the way, Hair & Treasure crossover from Sucata Tapes to Discrepant wax via 'Disc Rot'. Described by the duo, in their cryptic and scatological fashion, as "a fetid spread from the buttery catacombs of Hair & Treasure", one can only speculate on the mindset, if not for the scenario, for these file swap recording sessions. As if decaying throughout this back & forth process, the synthscapes, field recordings, voices from who knows where? and subliminal pulses assembled in these 11 pieces all coalesce into this out-there murk where invocations of "a" real are mangled into unhinged, squinting eyes moments of near- consciousness.

Compared to previous Hair & Treasure ventures like 'Two Fucking Tapes' or 'Forked Piss Blues', 'Disc Rot' forgoes side-long tapestries by focusing on shorter and clearer transmissions from the netherworld. Still, the feeling of pieces of discarded hardware and sound hubris lying around and turned music of the duo remains unscathed, filtered through a newfound precision. After the opening feverish threat of 'Warm Night', the suspended synth pads and working machinery of 'Byzantine Turd Skirt' actually comes as a relief, pulling away (a bit) of the dread to resurface with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre OST ambience of 'Amateur Depravity' and 2004-ish Midwest noise stylings of 'Busy Hubby's Flight to Gstaad' and 'Tit Ale'. 'Roads Gonad Today' and 'Just Jerkers' are not that far removed from a lower fidelity take on Black Dice circa 'Creature Comforts', while -'Professional Babies' goes back a couple of years to their collabs with Wolf Eyes, bust mostly, all of this sounds like nothing but Hair & Treasure themselves. If you know, you know.

Martin had been a surprise choice for the commission.

It was the Spring of 1977 and two Interstellar Mariners were to be sent hurtling into deep space. Glass was to provide weekly "sonologues" of their progress, audio diarist for a pair of mute mechanical adventurers.

Delivered with a near fanatical diligence over the course of nearly three decades, these stuttering musical biographies would soon bewilder those who had first asked for them.

Martin's work, they judged, had begun to plot its own eccentric orbit, charting more than just the ships' material progress, but rather their imagined psychogeography ("What will they say about me?" "I will never conserve my instruments" "Nobody has gone further").

With his sonic dispatches increasingly ignored and unheard, all funding for the project swiftly fell to dust.

The very best of these scores, chosen from a vast compendium of source material, are now assembled here for the first time. Their muses, two arthritic spacecrafts now nearly half a century old, limp on through deep space, forever onwards and onwards forever...

If the jazz of François Tusques is “free”, his spirit is even more so: having recorded Free Jazz with other like-minded Frenchmen (Michel Portal, François Jeanneau, Bernard Vitet, Beb Guérin and Charles Saudrais), the pianist had covered a lot of ground, with Barney Wilen (Le Nouveau Jazz) or even solo (Piano Dazibao and Dazibao N°2), so as not to repeat himself…

In 1971 he founded the Inter Communal Free Dance Music Orchestra which, as the notes the this album stated, “is an interpretation of a music which synthesizes the different communities living and working in France.” In 1976, on the first album (L’Inter Communal) we can already hear Tusques playing without borders in the company of Carlos Andreu (vocals), Michel Marre (trumpet and saxophone), Jo Maka (saxophone) and Ramadolf (trombone). It is a meeting between jazz and music from Catalonia, Occitanie and Africa. So far so good, but what about Brittany, that, Tusques knows “by heart”? Having lived for a long time in Nantes, he would expand his ‘brittanitude’ on the canal linking the city to Brest by playing with, for example the Diaouled-Ar-Menez. With these “devils from the mountain” who, under the baton of Yann Goasdoué, worked throughout the 1970s on the renewal of music from Brittany, Tusques met, notably, Tanguy Ledoré and invited him one day, with trois bombards and some bagpipes (Jean-Louis Le Vallegant, Gaby Kerdoncuff and Philippe Lestrat), to join the ranks of the Intercommunal. And so they set of towards a new music from Brittany, as the title states; Vers une Musique bretonne nouvelle!

With percussion from Samuel Ateba and Kilikus, the association launches the ‘bombardier’: the repetitions and dissonance of the different members all serve a common cause however: the dance, which is always the reason for the party. This sets a whole universe spinning, which can bring to mind Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath (“La rencontre”) when not taking on board waltz, swing, blues and gavotta or even revealing mysteries like those of Gurdjieff (“Les racines de la montagne” or “Le cheval” sung by Andreu). Only one thing to say to this Brotherhood Of Breizh: Mersi!

When considering the jazz vibraphone giants of the 20th century, seven stand out: Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo, Milt Jackson, Terry Gibbs, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, and Bobby Hutcherson. Bobby Hutcherson (1941-2016), originally inspired by Milt Jackson, emerged from Los Angeles in the late 1950s. After a stint with the Billy Mitchell-Al Grey sextet in 1962, Hutcherson moved to New York, becoming the house vibraphonist for the Blue Note label. His foundation in hard bop did not limit him, as he also played in avant-garde sessions with artists like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean. On December 11, 1983, the 42-year-old Hutcherson performed seven standards with a stellar group. Pianist George Cables, consistently excellent throughout his career, had been working with Hutcherson since 1977. Bassist Herbie Lewis, a versatile musician, had collaborated with Hutcherson since 1966. Drummer Philly Joe Jones, known for his work with Miles Davis, also contributed to the session. The recording of the Four Seasons album features seven standards, starting with Thelonious Monk’s “I Mean You,” which showcases each musician. Hutcherson’s solo on Cole Porter’s “All Of You” is particularly adventurous. “Spring Is Here” receives a beautiful interpretation, and “Star Eyes” is taken uptempo. Hutcherson’s introduction on “If I Were A Bell” is notable, as is Jones’s solo. The session spotlights Cables on “Summertime” and concludes with a vibrant version of “Autumn Leaves.” Decades later, the music remains a timeless classic. Four Seasons is available on black vinyl, celebrates its 40th Anniversary, and includes an insert with newly written liner-notes by Scott Yanow

With Leaving It All to Chance, Roomer don't quite leave everything up to fate. The Berlin outfit's debut album hums with guitar-driven heartbreak, pairing mind-splitting noise with seductive melodies. Capturing the gritty yet emotive energy of their live performances, the album welcomes in the occasional ear-candy, staying true to the raw physicality of a hazy club show all while sharpening its edges-crafted in true DIY spirit and released by Munich's Squama Recordings.
Roomer is the meeting point of four distinct creative forces in the European music scene, united through long-standing friendships and years of collaboration across projects ranging from avant-garde free improv to ethereal folk and ambient electronica. Inevitably-if surprisingly late-the question arose: why not start a band? In their hands, the rock band format became a canvas for their many musical worlds to collide.

Nicolás Melmann (born in Buenos Aires and now based in Barcelona) explores sound's social and poetic dimensions through transdisciplinary projects. Drawing inspiration from Erik Satie's concept of "furniture music," Melmann's compositions transform the listening experience into havens of calm and contemplation.

Música Aperta is a fusion of acoustic and electronic sounds, rich in beautiful harmonies, where carefully soft elements interplay with delicate raspiness. Made up of three parts, the music unfolds slowly, immersing the listener in time. Música Aperta resonates with echoes of Satie, the meditative minimalism of Arvo Pärt, the roughness of Phill Niblock, and the nostalgic reflections of Richard Skelton.

Another way of listening to Música Aperta is through its digital encore – an extension of the album experience that brings the concept of open music to life – "a work that remains unfinished and open to transformation." The website features a reactive audiovisual interface where images dynamically respond to the music's behavior, translating electroacoustic frequencies into real-time cinematic landscapes. The album blends instrumental and electronic textures while allowing listeners to interact with different layers through a virtual mixer, enabling them to create unique sound combinations and personal sonic experiences.

All songs written and performed by Nicolás Melmann in Château Éphémère.
Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, NY.
Artwork by Daniel Castrejón.

2025 Repress in Arctic Pearl Vinyl
Alles fließt, nichts bleibt wie es ist. Diese philosophische Erkenntnis gilt auch für das dritte Studioalbum der aufstrebenden niederländischen Rockband DOOL. Der treffende Titel "The Shape of Fluidity" zielt keineswegs nur auf die musikalische Innovation. Sondern das Album dreht sich um Themen wie persönlicher Wandel, physische Veränderung, psychologische Weiterentwicklung und die sich erneuernde Welt um uns herum. DOOL und insbesondere Sänger/in und Gitarrist/in Raven van Dorst stellen Fragen: Wie wirkt sich der Wandel auf uns aus? Wie bleiben wir uns selbst in einer Welt treu, die so unglaublich herausfordernd und aggressiv gegenüber dem Individuum ist? Wir müssen so fließend wie Wasser sein, um in diesem Ozean von Möglichkeiten und Ungewissheiten erfolgreich zu navigieren - und Frieden mit Chaos und Unbeständigkeit zu schließen. Musikalisch setzen DOOL den auf den beiden vorangegangenen Studioalben eingeschlagenen Weg fort, der emotionale Rockmusik mit Elementen aus dem Metal kombiniert. Dabei demonstrieren die Niederländer eine auffällige Reife und Kontrolle im Songwriting, die aus Jahren der Erfahrung gewachsen sind. "The Shape of Fluidity" zeigt eine eklektische, aber nahtlose Verschmelzung von Progressive und Post-Rock sowie Doom und Heavy Metal, die mit einer stets präsenten Eingängigkeit und hintergründigen Dynamik kombiniert sind. Es ist offenkundig, dass sich das Album thematisch mit dem Konzept der Identität vor dem Hintergrund einer sich ständig verändernden Welt befasst. Die Texte des Albums sind eng mit der Biografie von Leadsänger/in Raven verknüpft. Von Geburt an intersexuell, entschieden die Ärzte chirurgisch, dass der Säugling als Mädchen durchs Leben gehen solle. Dies führte zu einer Existenz auf der Suche nach der eigenen Seele, dem Kampf gegen Tabus und die Überschreitung von Grenzen, bis Raven vor kurzem beschloss, das zurückzufordern, was andere versuchten hatten, ihnen wegzunehmen - und ihre hermaphroditische Natur zu akzeptieren. Der Bandname DOOL leitet sich vom niederländischen Wort für "Wandern" ab. Bereits das im Jahr 2017 erschienene Debütalbum "Here Now, There Then" landete einen sofortigen Volltreffer. Der frisch-wilde Rock- und Metalsound aus den Niederlanden wurde von den renommierten deutschen Magazinen Metal Hammer und Rock Hard zum "Album des Monats" gekürt. Auch Vice (US), Aardschok (NL) und De Volkskrant (NL) überschütteten die junge Band mit Lob. Mit ihrem zweiten Album "Summerland", das 2020 erschien, übertrafen DOOL die ohnehin schon hochgesteckten Erwartungen. Es gab weitere "Album des Monats"-Auszeichnungen in den deutschen Magazinen Rock Hard (10/10) und Sonic Seducer sowie eine #2 Soundcheck-Position in Metal Hammer (DE) und Metal.de, und eine weitere #1 im polnischen Metal Hammer - mit einem Berg herausragender Kritiken auf beiden Seiten des Atlantiks. Mit "The Shape of Fluidity" bieten DOOL sehr viel mehr als nur verdammt coole Musik. Die zusätzlichen Dimensionen von Tiefe und Bedeutung sind Teil ihres einzigartigen Reizes und kommen auf dem neuen Album deutlich zum Vorschein. Mögen sich alle, die wandern, unter der fluiden Flagge von DOOL versammeln!

Electronic music at its best offers a tantalising glimpse of the future, capturing the moment of conception where new worlds and genres are brought into being. Amsterdam-via-Berlin label Q1E2 (standing for “quality first, ego second”) embodies this expansive promise on their new various-artists compilation, a thrilling speed-run through the cosmic outer-reaches of contemporary club sounds that highlights the work of essential emerging producers from around the globe.

Milan producer Jack Bags opens the proceedings with “Natural Thing”, an astral deep-dance immersion with zero-gravity synthesizer pads and skeletal dub percussion that echo out through the void, sensuous vocal samples arriving like scattered transmissions from the stereo of some long-lost spacecraft. datSIM’s “Influx” races through kaleidoscopic sci-fi spacescapes, presenting a futuristic reimagining of UK bass sounds with dextrous organ melodics and widescreen atmospherics. Mike Riviera and Marco Ohboy bring us back down for a more earthly kind of ecstatic experience, cranking up the humidity and coaxing out the endorphins with the appropriately-titled “Euphoria” - a rugged, rave-adjacent heater that cleverly rearranges elements of classic house and garage into a decidedly modern club workout.

Elsewhere there’s a distinctive undercurrent of jazz flowing through the compilation, mapping out thrilling new evolutions of the music on and off the dancefloor. Dr Sud’s mesmeric rhythm excursion “Zaffiro” unfurls like the coils of a cosmic serpent, tessellating percussion and slinking subs tracing intricate beat geometries. A Soft Mist Production’s “Upside Down Rainbows” settles in for the afters with smoked-out soulful atmospherics, syrupy vocals curling and turning in the air like smoke vapors from the last vestiges of a still-lit cigarette. The Rabbit Hole’s “Tail Groove” closes out the proceedings with a surprising bait-and-switch - opening on lustrous lounge piano that could have been comped straight from a Bill Evans record, the track quickly gives way to interstellar bass ‘n’ breaks. The producer’s canny use of cello licks adds a grounded, organic feel, jazz futurism that recalls Photek or LTJ Bukem’s sampling experiments.

Taken together, the label’s new compilation provides a snapshot of a scene in constant evolution, taking the temperature of the modern electronic scene and finding it to be in rude health.

Written by Matthew Fidler

Second volume of tributes from Kutmah.
A beat tape for the brotha from anotha planet, the most high Ras G & the Afrikan Space Program
All beats by Kutmah / Cover Photos By Kevin Ramos

PITCHFORK “This ‘Director’s Cut’ is the way it was always intended to be heard” - Patterson Hood In 2004 the Drive-By Truckers released what would become the best selling album in their illustrious catalog. The Dirty South is a concept album that examines the state of the South, and unveils the hypocrisy, irony, and tragedy that continues to exist. The album features live show staples like, “Tornadoes”, “Where The Devil Don’t Stay” and “Puttin’ People On The Moon” as well as rarities like “Goode’s Field Road” and “Daddy’s Cup.” The Complete Dirty South is a band-led rework of the original album. Principal member, Patterson Hood, took the reins and reimagined this record as it was originally intended. The complete version features resequenced audio, three additional tracks, four remixes along with updated vocals. The packaging comes with a perfect bound book featuring liner notes from Patterson Hood, track by track descriptions from Mike Cooley and Jason Isbell as well as never before seen photos along with updated artwork from the late Wes Freed.

With a growing international reputation for championing forward-thinking artists in the contemporary jazz space, Denmark"s April Records proudly presents the third album from instrumental collective Andorra. Their most ambitious undertaking yet, the audio-visual release invites audiences to fully immerse themselves in the energetic grooves, lyrical melodies, and colorful modern production that define their sound. Andorra"s eponymous 2021 debut reunited five friends who met at the Funen Music Conservatory and went on to work across a range of disciplines, from film music and orchestral work to large ensembles and chamber jazz. Realising their long-held desire to explore their collective creative potential, the ensemble describes their sound as "modern vintage", bringing together the nostalgic warmth of analog synthesis, present-day digital audio manipulation techniques, and jazz musicianship steeped in tradition. Taking a decisive step to perfect the production of their music, the quintet recorded at Lundgaard Studios - one of Denmark"s most prestigious studios - and placed the responsibility of mixing in the hands of their own synth-guru Peter Moller, whose deep understanding of the band"s sound made him best suited for the role. Taking a step back from the dark, brooding music often associated with the Nordic countries, "III" is a playful, high-energy, deep pocket collection of seven original pieces that are unapologetic in their grooving, in-your-face attitude. Driving complex drum parts, shimmering guitar textures, squelching synth pads, thick old-school bass tones, and lush timbres from Mads La Cour"s horns deliver catchy and danceable hooks as easily as they do spacious explorations of texture and vivid harmony. The entire album has been shaped into a concert film directed by photographer Jesper Van, set to premiere at select cinemas across Denmark - soon to be available online - offering global listeners a comprehensive experience of Andorra"s creative vision.

Aguaturbia's second LP "Volumen 2" (1970) is an essential album to understand the construction of what we know today as Chilean rock. Aguaturbia's debut album was originally released in 1970 and showcases one of South America's most significant psychedelic bands from the late 60s and early 70s. Their influence in their native Chile -and beyond- was groundbreaking. In July that same year the band recorded "Volumen 2" that, just as raw and dynamic as the debut,delivers even heavier intensity than their debut LP. As expected, this album is raw and dynamic, featuring heavy rhythms, distortion, and exceptional phased female vocals reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane. Comparisons with the Grateful Dead, Country Joe and the Fish and Led Zeppelin can be drawn. Splendid heavy psych and proto-stoner tracks make this album a pioneer recording in the history of South American rock. The LP showcases breathtaking moments, like the psych-blues 'Heartbreaker' or 'I Wonder Who' where guitarist Carlos Corales shines. When he played solos at the gigs, the effect on the audience was silence and euphoria at the same time. In fact, Carlos Corales (guitar) and Willy Cavada (drums) were both professional musicians who had made a previous career in rock and roll bands. Other outstanding songs are 'Blues On The Westside', 'Waterfall' and the magnificent 'Well All Right'. Controversy accompanies the release of the album once again. In this case the cover artwork, a tribute to Salvador Dalí, scandalizes the most conservative sector of Chilean society. This outstanding album is now available again on vinylafter many years out of stock.

Scowl is a band that sounds exactly like their name implies. Venomous, fierce, antagonistic. A sneer not to be crossed. Over the last five years, the Santa Cruz, California, band has firmly planted their flag in the hardcore scene with their vicious sound and ripping live show, sharing stages around the world with Circle Jerks, Touché Amoré, and Limp Bizkit, and filling slots at prominent festivals like Coachella, Sick New World, and Reading and Leeds. But with their new album, Are We All Angels (Dead Oceans), Scowl is aiming to funnel all that aggression through a more expansive version of themselves. Much of Are We All Angels grapples with Scowl’s newfound place in the hardcore scene, a community which has both embraced the band and made them something of a lightning rod over the past few years. Standout single “Not Hell, Not Heaven” outright rejects the narratives cast onto them by outsiders. “It’s about feeling victimized and being a victim, but not wanting to identify with being a victim,” explains vocalist Kat Moss. “It’s trying to find grace in the fact that I have my power. I live in my reality. You have to deal with whatever you're dealing with, and it ain’t working for me.” The band breaks from a sense of disassociation to seek deeper connections on “Fantasy.” “It’s incredibly challenging to try to balance my love for the scene while also feeling, in some spaces, extremely alienated and hated,” Moss says. “‘Fantasy’ is about feeling like I don't know how to connect with these people anymore, because I have shelled myself away so hard.” The album ends in a philosophical place on the closing, titular track, “Are We All Angels,” asking questions like, “Is this all there is?” and ultimately putting it on the listener to decide. “It’s about the personal struggle between good and evil. It doesn’t matter how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ you are, there are systems that will try to rewrite your narrative no matter what you actually do,” explains Moss, noting that punctuation on “Are We All Angels” has been deliberately omitted in an attempt to leave the statement open-ended. Are We All Angels is the highly anticipated follow-up to Scowl’s debut, 2021’s How Flowers Grow, a 16-minute primal scream over punishing riffs. But amidst the pounding chaos, it was the record’s sonic outlier, a cleaner interlude called “Seeds to Sow,” that, true to its name, planted the seed for what was to come for the band. “It kind of laid out this destiny for us, and I feel like now we’re fulfilling that,” says drummer Cole Gilbert. The band continued to expand their sound on 2023’s widely acclaimed Psychic Dance Routine EP, incorporating more pop hooks and favoring gentler singing over heavy screaming, paving the way for what would come next. Scowl’s growth got a huge boost from producer Will Yip (Turnstile, Title Fight, Code Orange, Balance and Composure), who broadened the band’s scope. “Will would say, ‘Everything you have here is correct, but it’s in the wrong place,’” says Gilbert. Moss adds: “Will really helped restructure a lot of the material. Some songs he tore apart to make more space for the really good hooks and choruses.” But even through this more eclectic approach, Scowl loses none of their edge, and still manages to convey the anger and frustration that lies underneath. They are deeply committed to carrying the ethos of punk and its sense of community. “Hardcore and punk have sculpted how we operate, what we want to do as a band, and how we participate,” says guitarist Malachi Greene. “At our core, we are a punk and a hardcore band, regardless of how the song shifts and changes.

Scowl is a band that sounds exactly like their name implies. Venomous, fierce, antagonistic. A sneer not to be crossed. Over the last five years, the Santa Cruz, California, band has firmly planted their flag in the hardcore scene with their vicious sound and ripping live show, sharing stages around the world with Circle Jerks, Touché Amoré, and Limp Bizkit, and filling slots at prominent festivals like Coachella, Sick New World, and Reading and Leeds. But with their new album, Are We All Angels (Dead Oceans), Scowl is aiming to funnel all that aggression through a more expansive version of themselves. Much of Are We All Angels grapples with Scowl’s newfound place in the hardcore scene, a community which has both embraced the band and made them something of a lightning rod over the past few years. Standout single “Not Hell, Not Heaven” outright rejects the narratives cast onto them by outsiders. “It’s about feeling victimized and being a victim, but not wanting to identify with being a victim,” explains vocalist Kat Moss. “It’s trying to find grace in the fact that I have my power. I live in my reality. You have to deal with whatever you're dealing with, and it ain’t working for me.” The band breaks from a sense of disassociation to seek deeper connections on “Fantasy.” “It’s incredibly challenging to try to balance my love for the scene while also feeling, in some spaces, extremely alienated and hated,” Moss says. “‘Fantasy’ is about feeling like I don't know how to connect with these people anymore, because I have shelled myself away so hard.” The album ends in a philosophical place on the closing, titular track, “Are We All Angels,” asking questions like, “Is this all there is?” and ultimately putting it on the listener to decide. “It’s about the personal struggle between good and evil. It doesn’t matter how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ you are, there are systems that will try to rewrite your narrative no matter what you actually do,” explains Moss, noting that punctuation on “Are We All Angels” has been deliberately omitted in an attempt to leave the statement open-ended. Are We All Angels is the highly anticipated follow-up to Scowl’s debut, 2021’s How Flowers Grow, a 16-minute primal scream over punishing riffs. But amidst the pounding chaos, it was the record’s sonic outlier, a cleaner interlude called “Seeds to Sow,” that, true to its name, planted the seed for what was to come for the band. “It kind of laid out this destiny for us, and I feel like now we’re fulfilling that,” says drummer Cole Gilbert. The band continued to expand their sound on 2023’s widely acclaimed Psychic Dance Routine EP, incorporating more pop hooks and favoring gentler singing over heavy screaming, paving the way for what would come next. Scowl’s growth got a huge boost from producer Will Yip (Turnstile, Title Fight, Code Orange, Balance and Composure), who broadened the band’s scope. “Will would say, ‘Everything you have here is correct, but it’s in the wrong place,’” says Gilbert. Moss adds: “Will really helped restructure a lot of the material. Some songs he tore apart to make more space for the really good hooks and choruses.” But even through this more eclectic approach, Scowl loses none of their edge, and still manages to convey the anger and frustration that lies underneath. They are deeply committed to carrying the ethos of punk and its sense of community. “Hardcore and punk have sculpted how we operate, what we want to do as a band, and how we participate,” says guitarist Malachi Greene. “At our core, we are a punk and a hardcore band, regardless of how the song shifts and changes.

Almost as soon as Σtella Chronopoulou began writing Adagio, her fifth album as Σtella, she knew the time had finally come to sing in Greek, her native tongue. It would be a first. She started the record almost by accident in 2019, during an 11-hour boat ride to the island of Anafi. Σtella had recently gone through a patch of personal turmoil and needed a break from home. On the ferry, she pulled out her cell phone as the boat clipped through the Mediterranean and began with a simple melody, steadily piecing together a rough instrumental. As psychedelic keyboards twinkled and swayed above staccato drums, the track suggested some deep exhalation, as if Σtella were letting go of long-unnecessary baggage. For a spell, she set the instrumental aside. She wasn’t ready yet, or in a rush. Σtella, after all, grew up in a slow place. During her youth in a relatively rural suburb of Athens, Greece, she and her friends played unfettered in empty streets, not worried about cars or permission, and living felt easy. But in the last decade life has steadily become busier for Σtella, now based in the heart of Athens. She has become one of modern Greece’s most popular musical exports, with three sophisticated, playful pop albums rendered with international élan. After her Sub Pop debut, Up and Away, in 2022, she catapulted beyond three million monthly Spotify listeners. That success was a blessing, but Σtella sometimes found herself pining for the slower pace of her youth. That longing is the thread that loosely binds together her fifth album, the entrancing Adagio. Borrowing its name from the term for music that’s meant to be played slowly, Adagio is a pop record that feels like a very warm blanket, its nylon-string guitars and featherlight percussion swaddling its listeners for three minutes at a time. Written and recorded over the span of five years, with a consortium of international collaborators including !!!’s Rafael Cohen and British songwriter Gabriel Stebbing, Adagio is a 27-minute meditation on love and desire, rest and time. Though the bulk of it is sung in English, Σtella delivers her first two songs in Greek here—“Omorfo Mou,” the one that began on the boat, and a cover of a 1969 cult classic of the Greek New Wave, Litsa Sakelariou’s “Ta Vimata.” It is a sign of the self-assurance that radiates throughout these tender and smitten little tunes. Start to finish, Σtella sounds more at ease and comfortable than she’s ever been on Adagio. These fetching songs will not slow her career or grant her that title track’s wish. But, for half an hour, Adagio adds a measure of warmth to the world, with time loosening its grip even if it doesn’t slow down.● Athens, Greece-based Σtella’s new album Adagio is a pop record that feels like a very warm blanket, its nylon-string guitars and featherlight percussion swaddling its listeners for three minutes at a time.● Features Rafael Cohen and British songwriter Gabriel Stebbing.• Σtella’s breakout hit “Charmed” from her 2022 album Up and Away has nearly 100 million streams, and was recently featured in the hit Max show Industry.• On Spotify, Σtella has 3.4 million followers, 66k monthly listeners.

LORCO aims to evoke an ancient Naturalism, like a relic brought back to light from the depths of the sea, a buried simulacrum rescued from the pyre that sought to erase the philosophical legacy of Giordano Bruno.
"Stories are battle axes to be unearthed" (Wu Ming).

In Giordano Bruno Will Have His Revenge on Rome, the human presence is sparse. Voices are rare, words remain in listening.
It’s industrial music played “as forests think” (Eduardo Kohn), speaking the language of waterfalls, hurricanes, and serene lakes Far from the factories, it listens to something we still belong to.