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Harrison Whitford, LA-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter, announces his new album Afraid Of Nothing, released via Screwdriver Records, building on his previous work, his delicate vocals and signature guitar tones being joined by lush layers of instrumentation. It's both emotionally devastating and sonically impressive, an immersive record that warmly embraces the listener. He has spent the last several years lending his warm, expressive guitar skills to Phoebe Bridgers (who lends backing vocals to select tracks on the album) and even when her music started being noticed, Harrison still felt the urge to flex that creative muscle. A departure from his previous method of writing and recording quickly, Afraid of Nothing is an album that has benefitted from the time afforded to Harrison from being able to truly focus. “Recording Afraid of Nothing taught me an important lesson: don't stop until you're happy with it,” Harrison says. Recording was seen as a constantly evolving process, every single kink ironed out until he was sure every track was how he envisaged it.

"It's now time for Prince Dadju's return. Several months after the phenomenal success of ""Mon soleil"", Dadju unveiled his new single, ""KING"", the first single from the new album ""CULLINAN"". In barely 5 years, In France Dadju has accumulated 2 CERTIFIED DIAMOND ALBUMS (+ than 1.5Million albums sold) and more than 66 certified singles (10 of Diamond, 16 Platinum and 40 Gold). Reviews and Ads R2 and London Macadam

“Cullinan” released on very limited LP "

"Sound Space Variations" is a delicate and restrained sound bath. A mix of atmospheric, suspenseful drone sounds and meditative aspects. It is an album made for those moments when we just are.

zake has managed to capture the moments that lie between sounds; the unagitated murmurs and atmospheric hisses. The artist connects this in-between-world and our earthly one with calm and sonorous scores, making us think about everything and nothing.

The six pieces on the record do not seem heavy-headed or overloaded but much more airy, wide and open for interpretations. They stimulate the imagination - in a wonderfully unbiased way. In the last track. James Bernhard mixed and mastered the album, written and produced by drone artist zake, at Ambient Mountain House Studio. zake himself provided the artwork and photos himself."

Für LORNA SHORE ist das Dreigestirn von Songs im Herzen von '...And I Return to Nothingness' nichts weniger als ein Exorzismus - und ein Eintauchen in etwas Dunkleres. Von der orchestralen Passage, die den Titeltrack der EP eröffnet, geradewegs in einen Bombast aus geschwärzter Intensität und wütender Erhabenheit, sind diese aus New Jersey stammenden Extremisten zurück und erheben sich wie ein Phönix aus der Asche. Wiedergeboren und auf die Dunkelheit eingeschworen. Ein kommendes Feuer, das selbst die LORNA SHORE-Gläubigen fassungslos machen wird.Als die Welt im Jahr 2020 stillstand, tauchten LORNA SHORE tiefer in die kreativen Instinkte ein, die sie ursprünglich mit bahnbrechenden Alben zu einer festen Größe in der extremen Metal-Szene machten: 2015's 'Psalms' und 2017's 'Flesh Coffin'. Seitdem haben sie Einflüsse und Ideen miteinander verwoben, die von der symphonischen Grimmigkeit des europäischen Black Metals bis hin zu den komplexen, tödlichen Klangformeln des Death Metals und der auralen Intensität des Hardcore reichen. Was LORNA SHORE erreicht haben, ist ein neues Level an geschwärzter Technizität und der nächste Schritt auf ihrer Darkside-Reise. Verschönert mit dem Artwork des bekannten polnischen Malers Mariusz Lewnadowski (Bell Witch, Fuming Mouth) bekräftigt '...And I Return to Nothingness' den kreativen Fokus und die Intensität von LORNA SHORE. Die drei Tracks der EP: 'To the Hellfire', 'Of the Abyss' und der Titeltrack sind der Beweis, dass LORNA SHORE nicht nur ihr feuriges Vermächtnis fortsetzen. Sie entfachen es und setzen ihr eigenes Vermächtnis spektakulär in Brand.'...And I Return to Nothingness' ist nun als schwarze LP+CD mit Ätzung auf Seite B erhältlich.

We could tell you how this debut album from Lucita Octans is influenced by the full spectrum of electronica, with an unique palette of genre-busting sounds bursting forth from a singular mind. We could tell you this is raw but melodic, intense but deep, and tough yet fun.

Indeed we could tell you how Lucita Octans is a pseudonym for Melissa Speirs and how in another life she makes dancefloor destroying electro with Biochip (CPU, WeMe).

But really, perhaps it'd be better to just tell you how Melissa herself describes the world of Lucita Octans.

"Lucita Octans is floating adrift somewhere. She is looking for the perfect world.

Melodies kind of come to her by a somekind of phenomenon. She begs you not to take her too seriously. She was never here and neither are we."

The Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch noise-rap group led by rap phenomenon Rudeboy. They got together in 1986 with the original intention of creating a one-time jam-session for a festival in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Eventually, after receiving lyrical reviews, the group decided to continue and became one of the most successful Dutch bands of the Nineties, releasing five studio albums in total.

This essential Urban Dance Squad compilation showcases all of the Urban Dance Squad’s hits and noteworthy tracks from their debut Mental Floss For The Globe right up until 1999’s Artantica. This career spanning 2LP includes “Deeper Shade Of Soul”, “Fast Lane”, “Good Grief”, “Demagogue”, “Temporarily Expendable” and “Happy Go Fucked Up” amongst others.

Singles Collection by the Urban Dance Squad is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on translucent red coloured vinyl and contains printed innersleeves.

Sub Signals Vol.2 is a deep dive into underground bass, guided by artist and producer Gaudi. Featuring predominantly unreleased originals and versions by some of the biggest names in the worldwide dub collective, it intricately combines analogue elements with digital grooves to stunning effect.

Much more than just a compilation, the Sub Signals series is a celebration of the evolution of the sound of dub, from its original roots in reggae to its fusion with a much wider spectrum of sounds and influences. Gaudi curated the first volume back in 2006 for the cult Canadian label Interchill, sourcing tracks and dubs from High Tone, Zion Train, Manasseh, Almamegretta, Noiseshaper, Creation Rebel, Greg Hunter, Dubadelic and more.

15 years on, Gaudi has created the second volume, blending contributions by established reggae names Steel Pulse, Dennis Bovell and African Head Charge with next generation dub producers Alpha Steppa, Radikal Guru and Paolo Baldini Dubfiles, headline acts Groove Armada, Dub FX and The Orb with underground artists Deadbeat, Pitch Black and SUBSET, to create a seamless 75 minute mix.
“With Volume 2, I wanted to create a deep vibrational experience by shaping an aural trajectory that encompassed the many aspects of dub and its related sub-frequencies. To achieve my goal, I reached out to the artists I regularly work with to ask for contributions, in some cases digging in their archives to find what I was looking for.”

As a solo artist, Gaudi has recorded over 20 albums, while as a producer he has hundreds of productions under his belt. He has worked with legends of the reggae and electronic music worlds including Lee "Scratch" Perry, Horace Andy, Dub Pistols, Hollie Cook, Youth, Mad Professor, Prince Fatty, Lamb, Trentemøller and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Dedicated to the sound of dub in its many forms, Gaudi’s latest excursion of his Sub Signals series is pure bass therapy, designed to excite your eardrums and worry your woofers.

Recorded over the course of 4 years during late-night, afterhours sessions at RCA's Studio @ Calle Carlos Maurrás in Madrid (one of Spain's best and bigger studio around that time), it was the result of the duo's interest in unorthodox sound-sources which they manipulated in a sort proto-sampling collage technique based on random tape-loops and best heard in their original percussive studies; their dreamy, surrealist-like lyrical passages or the sort of deep primeval atmospheres first conjured by Cluster or Kraftwerk in the early 70's.The studio as an instrument: pure sound alchemy at work.



The Wah Wah edition is the first ever vinyl reissue of this legendary LP reproducing the original gimmick cover, with sound mastered from the original tapes by Eugenio Muñoz, and featuring an insert with photos and info. It is a strictly limited edition of 500 copies only.

This is a very serene, almost entracing record that seems to inhabit its very own space, between "classical" ambient music (Eno, Budd), "systems music" (Reich, Glass, Riley, Hassell), japanese kankyo ongaku (Hiroshi Yoshimura, Takashi Kokubo), even hinting at what would become 90's ambient electronica (B12, Nuron, SAWII-era Aphex Twin or the Fax +49-69/40464 label). Actually, Lech would be one of the few artists to perform at the first-ever Sonar Festival (Barcelona) back in 1994 (together with Suso Saiz, Esplendor Geometrico, Mixmaster Morris or Laurent Garnier).

A key early effort from this musician and A/V artist whose career spans well over thirty years and a miriad of works, performances and instalations: Art Futura, Sonar, ISEA, Ars Electrónica (Austria), Festival Videoformes (France), Festival de Nuevas Músicas (Madrid & Sevilla), Ciclo Experimental LEM (Barcelona), Knitting Factory (New York), The Korner (Taipei), Festival Pop Komm (Cologne-Germany), Festival Experimenta (Madrid), Festival DAFT @ Taipei (Taiwan), ART BEIJING, Festival EXIS @ Seúl (South Korea), JMAF (Tokio, Japan) or Artefact:Chernobil 33 (Kiev-Ukraine).

The Wah Wah edition has been mastered from the original tapes, reproduces the original sleeve artwork and and features an insert with photos and info.

It is a strictly limited edition of 500 copies only.

To celebrate the 3 years anniversary of Mother Tongue and remind us all the sheer quality of the Madre Lingua album project from last year, MT’s own Patrick Gibin curated this special remix double A-sider!

Patrick himself teamed up once again with Kaidi Tatham to refreak the EDB & Gary Superfly collaboration ‘Pressure’….the result is pure nasty and rude house vibes aimed at the dancefloor!

On the flipside Mark De Clive Lowe gave a spacey and beatless twist to the electronic opus ‘Apollo 3000’ another big favourite from Madre Lingua moving things into more abstract territories!
The best of both worlds on a single phat 12 inch!

After moving to California, he was introduced to the Serge Modular Synthesizer through Eliane Radigue and registered for classes in all the colleges of the Bay where there was an Electronic Music Department so that he could use their various electronic instruments. At first, he often plugged in his electric guitar into these monsters rather than use the rather rigid sequencers, but through tape recorders and the delay techniques used by Terry Riley, he was able to quickly combine these “sound producing devices” to create his own music.

He eventually released his first “official” album named simply Music by Xolotl in 1977. Originally issued only in cassette, Wah Wah offers the chance of listening to these works on vinyl format for the first time ever on an LP + bonus 7" edition to fit all the sounds from the cassette.

A strictly limited edition of only 500 and with new artwork featuring one of Xolotl's cosmic paintings and an insert with photos and liner notes.

Giacomo “Mino” di Martino started his musical career in several early 1960s Italian beat bands. By 1968 he had found enormous success with pop superstars I Giganti. After a brief split in 1970 –during which Mino formed Il Supergruppo with Ricky Gianco and other greats of the Italian scene– he came back to I Giganti in 1971. With them and with new advanced ideas that set the band pretty far away from the sophisticated pop and beat sounds they had been so successful with, they would record the amazing Terra in Bocca conceptual LP, an adventurous experimental album that explored the obscure connections between the Italian state and the mafia. A delicate topic full of political criticism which also found them having to fight censorship –it was played only once in the radio. This fact, along with the advanced new sound probably being too far ahead from the mainstream audience’s taste, turned the record into a commercial flop. Nowadays Terra in Bocca is a highly regarded album among critics, afficionados and collectors, and a pretty seminal one for the Italian scene of the seventies, since it can even be seen as a precursor to the works on the Cramps label. Gianni Sassi, producer and photographer who founded Cramps was involved in the release of Terra in Bocca –his is the amazing cover concept.

After the Terra in Bocca experience, Mino’s will was to keep exploring new musical paths and free his mind to experimentation. Along with his wife, actress and singer Edda “Terra” di Benedetto, they formed the Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale, just after the brief post-Giganti project Telaio Magnetico (with Franco Batiatto, among others) was over. The Albergo was a venue where artists from diverse disciplines, mainly musica and theatre, could meet and create works together.

On the musical side of the community, Mino and Terra explored the cosmic sonorities that were coming from Germany and mixed them with the Italian experimental scene of names like Franco Battiato, Luciano Berio or Roberto Cacciapaglia. It is from the sessions that took place in the Albergo from 1974 onwards that the Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale LP came out. Originally released in 1978 the compositions had been made during those years of exploration, the goal not being the release of an album but the aim to explore new sounds and experiment with music. Eventually it was decided to present a sample of all that work, and a few copies of the Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale LP were privately pressed.

The record sleeve and notes on the insert reivindicate the fight against nuclear power. The music is dominated by Mino’s keyboards, creating amazing space sounds reminiscent of those from 1950s and 1960s science fiction B movies brought to the most avantgardist experimentation of the moment, exploring new sounds with the newest keyboards available. This intriguing background sets the athmosphere for Terra’s voice to improvise all over.

Trees Speak are back!
Speak’s new album, “Vertigo of Flaws: Emancipation of the Dissonance and Temperaments in
Irrational Waveforms” comes as a double-vinyl edition, single CD and digital release. The limitededition first pressing only of the vinyl includes a bonus 45 enclosed in an 8-page 7”x7” booklet
insert housed within the gatefold sleeve with cover artwork created by Soviet Union propaganda
artist Lazar Markovich Lissitzky in 1911.
Trees Speak are back!
This new release is a vast leap into an ocean of space and sound, a quantum leap into cybernetics, biology, anti-gravity,
time travel, dream speech and transfiguration. A seriously next step release!
Showing no signs of slowing down their rapid creative pace – incredibly this is their fourth album in the space of just over
one year – ‘Vertigo of Flaws’ is a mighty 29 tracks, one and a half hours of music across one double album that is surely
going to be a defining point in their musical career, a giant leap into the sonic unknown, an epic exploration of intensity
and sound.
Alongside their now trademark German krautrock motoric-beat rhythms, angular New York post-punk attitude, tripped-out
60s spy soundtrack, psyche-rock, and 70s synthesizers and vocoders, here you will also hear a new cosmic spacial
awareness (both personal inner space and galactic outer space) and a truly wilful pushing of sonic boundaries - as police
sirens, static noise, alarms, radio signals, avant-garde voices, and orchestral string quartets, all collide to add beautiful
dissonance to uber-powerful, intense, addictive and propulsive rhythms - in the process creating a truly unique
soundscape that Trees Speak have made wholly their own.
If you ever wanted to hear Can, Hawkwind, Destroy All Monsters, Pere Ubu, electric eels, John Cage, Liquid Liquid,
Tangerine Dream, Suicide, Neu!, Laurie Spiegel, Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Barry, Mother Mallard’s Portable
Masterpiece Company, Sun Ra, Stockhausen, John Carpenter, Electro-Acoustic and Musique Concrete and Mars in one
band - then this is it!
Trees Speak are Daniel Martin Diaz and Damian Diaz from Tucson, Arizona and their music often draws on the cosmic nighttime magic of Arizona’s natural desert landscapes. ‘Trees Speak’ relates to the idea of future technologies storing
information and data in trees and plants - using them as hard drives - and the idea that Trees communicate collectively.
Special guests from the hyper-creative hub of the Tucson music scene on this release are Gabriel Sullivan, Ben Nisbet, Saul
Millan, Stephani Guilmette, and Davis Jones.
The album Vertigo of Flaws was recorded in Brooklyn, New York, and Tucson, Arizona during the plague of 2021.
Extract from Vertigo of Flaws sleevenotes:
‘As we travel through space and time, avoiding the discarded remains of the industrial period, the
deconstruction of social norms through the expression of art, music, and philosophy guide the human
experience towards the unknown.
All that remains are musical echoes scattered throughout the universe, like ancient vibrations that now
populate the cosmos. These waves now show signs of decay. Melody, beauty, tonality have all but fallen
away as dissonance blossoms. As John Cage wrote in 1937,
“Whereas, in the past, the point of disagreement has been between dissonance and consonance, it will be,
in the immediate future, between noise and so-called musical sounds. New methods will be discovered,
bearing a definite relation to Schoenberg’s twelve-tone system and present methods of writing percussion
music and any other methods which are
free from the concept of a fundamental tone”.
Similarly, George Van Tassel claimed the Integratron as capable of
rejuvenation, anti-gravity, and time travel. So, what remains of the
“people”? We have adopted from them our own Zeitgeber: their pulses
now guide our sun, our planets, our earths, and are the new circadian,
diurnal, and ultradian rhythms of the galaxy. Traumsprache, dream
speech, is now the internal language of trees.
Decaying metal and machines liberated the note unto nature’s table,
and we sip the delicious nectar of music once more irrational, elaborate,
violent, vast. The past is the future, musical disintegration its own rebirth.
We are nature, once more the computer of the Universe.’

A new 6-track mini album from a musician with a long list of credits including South African trumpet legend Hugh Masekela, afrobeat co-creator Tony Allen and Ethiopian jazz originator Mulatu Astatke as well as many Brit-jazz and international roots artists. "It's Time" blends spiritual Afro-jazz groove with free improv, spoken poetry and other-worldly atmosphere, with lyrics and titles hinting at unorthodox takes on reality and the times we live in.

Phil Dawson is a top London guitarist who has worked and schooled himself extensively in many different African, Latin and Brazilian music traditions together with styles that more typically cross the radar of someone with a similar British background: roots reggae, punk rock, blues, soul, R'n'B, jazz and funk. As a sideman, he's played with a host of living legends of Afro-fusion music including South African jazz trumpet giant Hugh Masekela, Nigerian afrobeat co-creator Tony Allen, Ethiojazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke, the Algerian "king of rai" Khaled, and London based Ghanaian afro-rock dons Osibisa. Heavy company for sure.

Now he's releasing a new mini 6 track album of original compositions under his own name and band - Phil Dawson ٤-tet - and he's joined by a stellar cast of London's finest players who include Rowland Sutherland (flutes - Airto Moreira, David Murray, Carla Bley), Khadijatou Doyneh (spoken word - The Heliocentrics, Danny Keane), Gaspar Sena (drums - Alfa Mist, Maria Chiara Argiro), Marius Rodrigues (drums - Oriole, Hermeto Hermeto Hermeto), Lekan Babalola (percussion - Cassandra Wilson, Ali Farka Toure) and Matheus Nova (bass - Antonio Forcione, Ed Motta, Jazzinho). Phil himself features on guitars, Fender Rhodes and piano.

'This is great' - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6 (on 'It's Time)

'Beautiful' - Kassin (producer Caetano Veloso, Sonzeira etc) (on 'It's

Time')

'Rapid-fire guitar work with variety and energy' – The Guardian, UK

'A great guitarist' – Tony Allen

'An absolute killer - irresistible' - Snowboy (on 'Gnostic Hilife')

'Phil Dawson and his (quintet) are really smoking at the mo. No wonder the London jazz young guns are ripping it up with bands

like this leading the way. Miss them at your peril' – Russ Jones (Future World Funk)

Jazzwise Review

The British guitarist Phil Dawson is a fixture of a plethora of Brit-jazz bands and international roots outfits; his nuanced stylings have graced the work of A-listers from Ethio-jazz guru Mulatu Astatke to such late African greats as Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela. Like any an in-demand session player worth his chops Dawson also fronts his own trio/quartet/quintet, all of which allow him to stretch out and do his own thing, which – with his quintet - he does to pleasing effect here.

Buoyed by flute, bass and percussion, It's Time is a six-track brew combining free improv and spoken word with Afro-spiritual groove and a far-out esotericism befitting these strangest of times. Opener 'It's Time (Radio Edit)' is a psychedelic romp through a beneficent cosmos where ringing chords and woodwind trills underpin Khaditjatou Doyneh's pathos-laden musings on love and the universe and one of three variations on a theme. Over three minutes longer at 9:34, 'It's Time (aka Ougama)' is a freewheeling instrumental made dazzling by Dawson's silver-fingered guitar work; Doyneh resumes her pronouncing on the more dissonant but equally mind expanding 'It's Time (Fully Spoken)'. Then there's 'Gnostic Hilife', whose three interpretations each juxtapose the structures of this West African lingua franca in ways tight, spacious and inventive

Gongs have played an integral role in the mythogeography of Asia. This is not music that aligns with national borders or ideas of homogenous populations, let alone racial stereotypes and exotic clichés. What connects all of these tracks is a simultaneous feeling of entrancement and social cohesion. Communal and collaborative, its form is hypnotically repetitious, melodies and rhythms spread out among the players using the technique of hocketing in which a flowing line is distributed among all the musicians. The effect is mesmerising, immediately intoxicating to anybody who loves Chicago footwork, free improvisation, Sun Ra or young hip hop producer Jetsonmade. The music is simple yet mysterious and enveloping, a sound world in which to disappear. A theory exists but this is not explained. - David Toop (extracts from the liner notes)

This project, Massif and Archipelago, is a field recording project initiated by Japanese sound artist Yasuhiro Morinaga, documenting traditional gong music by different Southeast Asian ethnic groups. The project aimed to examine the impact of the natural and social environment on the gong music culture of Southeast Asia. During the project, he visited over 50 different ethnic groups and made hundreds of recordings. This album presents a selection of the unique gong music from different ethnic minorities. The selected music has been divided into two broad sections: one focussing on the music from the Massif, i.e. mainland Southeast Asia (Central Highland of Vietnam and Northeast Cambodia), the other on music from the Archipelago, maritime Southeast Asia (the Luzon Islands of the Philippines, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the Flores Islands of Indonesia).

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this 20th anniversary edition of their classic Studio One Rockers on unique Record Store Day EXCLUSIVE coloured vinyl + download code. This new edition is a one-off pressing exclusively for Record Store Day Owned and founded by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, Studio One's output serves as a comprehensive guide to the history of Reggae music.

The music on Studio One Rockers covers all areas of Reggae such as Ska, Rocksteady, Roots and Dancehall, all areas in which Studio One led the field and has become the essential introduction to reggae fans throughout the world.


Included in this compilation are classic Ska tracks ("Phoenix City"), Rocksteady ("Feel Like Jumping"), Roots music ("Truth and Rights"), Dancehall (Freddy McGregor, Michigan and Smiley) and many more. Featured here are many of the classic tracks from Studio One. From Dawn Penn's legendary "No, No, No" to classics such as Horace Andy's "Skylarking" and Marcia Griffith's "Feel Like Jumping".

"Compilation of the year. 100% Essential” Time Out "Compilation of the year. A compilation of unbelievable quality. Awesome” DJ "A who's who of Jamaican music” The Times "An essential slice of musical history" Wire "The most credible compilation of reggae you can buy” - The Guardian.

Melody Gardots Traumstimme hat unzählige Fans längst erobert. Ihr neues Album stellt diese Stimme jetzt verführerisch in den Mittelpunkt, nur begleitet von Pianist Philippe Powell. ”Entre eux deux“ ist eine Oase der Ruhe und musikalischen Konzentration. Als würde Gardot einem direkt ins Ohr flüstern, singt sie großartige neue Songs aus eigener Feder, die einem wie halbvergessene Evergreens erscheinen.

Dass bis auf einen Titel aus Feder von Filmmusik-Legende Francis Lai und einem von Philippe Powells berühmtem Vater Baden Powell alle Songs von Gardot und Powell selbst geschrieben wurden, ist eine
weitere Überraschung dieses Albums, das mit Sinnlichkeit und Melancholie gewinnt.

2022 Repress

Third album (1981) by the Belgian band Univers Zero. The title alludes to the short story of the same name
by H.P. Lovecraft; the players read the story in studio, then proceeded to record the piece. A key release
for the band. Ceux du Dehors sometimes suggests a darker and more complex version of the motorik minimalism of classical music contemporaries Philip Glass and Steve Reich.

This album finds the group continuing to evolve and return to the more general and varied chamber music sound of their first release, except with more precision and skill. The tricky charts of percussionist Daniel Denis and new keyboardist Andy Kirk are executed with great panache. The labyrinth-like compositions are typically filled with unexpected twists and turns, and angular repetitions of jagged riffs that accelerate, decelerate and mutate in passages of acute tension or quiet but ominous dread.

Cat.no.: SR403
Format: LP

Tracklisting

Coral City return early in 2022 with an excellent release. N&W are on duty again, here with three stand-out tracks.

Rave on the A-Side does exactly what it says on the tin. It's 808 State meets Larry Heard with a touch of Inner City. Stripped down and four to floor. Classic Roland 909 drums are met with a hook that shakes any dancefloor. Expect early support on this.

Speed is a killer Nu-Disco / Boogie affair with a nod to the seedy underworld of the '80s. Picture Michelle Pfeiffer throwing shapes on the dancefloor in Scarface.

Finally, Cherry is an all-out Italo / Hi-NRG workout, the linndrums, the driving arpeggio bassline and overall melancholy feel, is reminiscent of Bobby Orlando.

DJ Feedback

Gerd Janson:
"Tip top super record!"

Jim Stanton / Horse Meat Disco:
"Great things again all three are sterling stuff x"

Justin Robertson:
"Very nice stuff cheers."

Luigi Di Venere (CockTail D'Amore/Philoxenia):
"Good times!"

Marco Passarani:
"Will def play cherry and rave. Loving it."

Vincent Neumann (Distillery / Leipzig):
"Another cute package from N&W! Thx"

AOW is a new collaborative project from Dan Ghenacia and Tolga Fidan emerging from a new period of creativity and inspiration for the Lisbon-based artists.

Long time friends and fellow lynchpins of the European house and techno scene, Ghenacia and Fidan started working closely together through 2020 and 2021 while sharing studio space at Boa Lab. They found themselves at the heart of an artistic community of musicians, designers and engineers, which took shape around Ghenacia’s experiments with alpha wave generation, inspired by Bryon Gysin’s Dream Machine.

Ghenacia and engineer Anine Kirsten developed a modern update on Gysin’s 1950s design, which has been installed at exhibitions in London, Lisbon and Paris. At its heart, the project explores the natural hallucinatory effects of alpha wave projections on the eyelids, and the therapeutic benefits of the experience. Out of this spirit of psychedelically-charged experimentation, Ghenacia and Fidan have been working beyond the confines of their typical club-oriented material, creating ambient soundtracks to artist exhibitions in Boa and auditory backdrops to Alpha Wave Experience installations.

AOW bridges the gap between this new period of creativity and Ghenacia and Fidan’s life-long passion for electronic dance music. Compared to the strictures of house and techno they’re best known for, the three tracks on Hear the Light explore a more open, inquisitive sound with roots in UK electronica and West Coast psychedelic breaks (a seminal scene when Ghenacia was in the Bay Area in the 90s). Crucially though, it’s not a pointedly retro sound, but rather a result of rich streams of inspiration meeting and passing through crisp, modernist production techniques to offer something
genuinely fresh on the ears.

Working outside of their comfort zones and guided by creative philosophies springing from research, shared experience and community, Hear the Light marks a new step forward for Ghenacia and Fidan, with many more developments promised for the future.

Generation '22: Chanson mit Seele

Wenn andere Jubiläen begehen, dann schwelgen sie in Erinnerungen. Le Pop ist anders:
Unsere Nummer 10 schaut nach vorn. Sie ist jünger, femininer und souliger als ihre
Vorgänger. Und stellt 16 neue Namen vor, die zuvor auf keiner anderen Ausgabe zu finden
waren. Die neuen Stars heißen Emma Peters, Iliona, UssaR, P.R2B, Ariane Roy und
Clou. Viele dieser Namen stehen am Anfang ihrer Karriere, haben bisher erst eine EP, ein
Album oder ein paar Singles draußen und doch ist spürbar, dass diese neue Generation das
Nouvelle Chanson prägen wird. Nicht alle sind Newcomer, aber Künstlerinnen und Künstler
wie KCIDY, Voyou, Malik Djoudi und Laura Cahen haben in den letzten 4 Jahren (so lange
ist Le Pop 9 schon draußen) eine so fulminante Entwicklung gemacht, dass wir sie diesmal
unbedingt vorstellen wollten. Dazu gesellen sich Schauspielerinnen wie Edwige, Elisa Erka
und Suzanne Lindon, die sich zum ersten Mal als Sängerinnen präsentieren. Ganz
besonders erwähnenswert: Camélia Jordana – einerseits als Musikerin in der Charts-Welt
etabliert, anderseits César-prämierte Schauspielerin, trägt sie in dieser illustren Runde sicher
den glamourösesten Namen.

Doch was macht sie aus, diese neue Generation? Zuerst einmal das Offensichtlichste: Nur
vier der hier vorgestellten Stimmen sind männlich. Das Chanson wird weiblicher und
orientiert sich damit an den Erfahrungen der letzten 20 Jahre. Denn meistens waren es die
Frauen der aktuellen Szene, die sich in der Breite auch im Ausland durchgesetzt haben (man
denke nur an Zaz, Coeur de pirate und Angèle). Le Pop 10 ist nicht nur femininer, die neue
Generation ist auch viel stärker durch die Präsenz von HipHop und R'n'B geprägt. Ein
richtiges Crossover findet zwar nicht statt, dafür merkt man, dass das heutige Chanson
grooviger geworden ist, soul-lastiger auch und punktuell tatsächlich Rap-Anklänge mitliefert.
Besonders deutlich wird das bei P.R2B, die gelegentlich in den Sprechgesang wechselt, bei
Emma Peters, die sogar ein ganzes Album mit Coverversionen von französischen Rap- und
R'n'B-Hits veröffentlichte, bevor sie eigene Songs aufnahm und bei UssaR, der als
Bühnenmusiker auch Rapper wie Kery James und Youssoupha begleitet. Vielleicht nicht
ganz so deutlich, aber wunderschön und subtil binden Iliona aus Belgien (was für eine
Entdeckung!) und Ariane Roy aus Kanada Soul-Elemente in ihre Musik mit ein. Selbst bei
Uptempo-Nummern wie "Le confort" von Voyou ist ein Hauch Motown zu spüren.
Selbstverständlich fehlt auch diesmal nicht der Einfluss von britischem Pop und Americana.
Die Band Palatine etwa ist gitarrenlastig, bringt Folk-Elemente mit und verbindet dies sehr
elegant mit Chanson-Tradition. Bei Laura Cahan finden wir Einflüsse der Cocteau Twins,
Kate Bush aber auch Anklänge an Camille oder Keren Ann. Eine erstaunliche Entwicklung
legte KCIDY hin, die nach einer längeren Phase des Experimentierens mit Elektro und Wave
auf einmal einen mit Vocal-Harmonien, Kraut- und 70ies-Elementen veredelten Gitarrenpop
aus dem Hut zaubert, der nur theoretisch aus der Zeit zu fallen scheint und sich doch ganz
harmonisch in den Gesamtklang der Compilation einfügt.

Und dann ist da auch noch Edwige, eine belgische Schauspielerin, der es nicht mehr
genügte gelegentlich auf Theaterbühnen zu singen. Sie hat ein traumhaftes, in dezenten
Gitarrenarrangements ausgekleidetes Debüt-Album aufgenommen, das im Herbst 2022
erscheinen soll. Ihren Song "Corps & Ame" hat sie uns vorab exklusiv für diese Compilation
überlassen. Den Tipp, uns mit Edwige zu beschäftigen, bekamen wir übrigens von Albin de
la Simone (seit Le Pop 2 immer wieder vorgestellt), der auch schon ein Duett mit ihr
aufgenommen hat.

Mit De La Simone, seit seiner Arbeit für Carla Bruni und das Durchbruch-Album von Pomme
(Le Pop 9) einer der meist gebuchten Produzenten der Szene, sprachen wir anlässlich
seines Konzerts bei der Kölner Reihe "Le Pop La Série" über junge Künstlerinnen wie Iliona,
Clou, Emma Peters und über deren Karrierewege. Dabei machte er uns auch auf Ariane
Roy aufmerksam. Wie sie sind viele der hier vorgestellten Namen Labelmates oder Protegés
etablierter Künstler.

Das sind nicht immer zufällige Beziehungen. In Frankreich erntet das neue Chanson zudem
immer mehr die Früchte des Casting-Show-Booms der letzten 15 Jahre. Hier bekommen
viele Teilnehmer irgendwann die Chance mit renommierten Musikern zusammenzuarbeiten.
Carla de Coignac zum Beispiel flog zwar noch vor dem Finale bei "Nouvelle Star" (2017)
aus dem Wettbewerb, trotzdem nahm Louane (die bei der Konkurrenz-Sendung "L'école des
stars" entdeckt wurde) fünf Songs in ihr Repertoire auf, die die Aussortierte für sie
geschrieben hatte. Teilnehmerin der gleichen Show war auch Camélia Jordana, allerdings
schon 2009. Jordana scheiterte damals im Halbfinale, bekam aber beim Major Sony einen
Vertrag. An ihrem Debüt-Album arbeitete sie mit Jean Felzine (Mustang, auf Le Pop 8
vorgestellt), BabX (Le Pop 8), "L" (Le Pop 7) und Mathieu Boogaerts (seit Le Pop 1 dabei)
zusammen. Inzwischen ist Jordana in der Musik- und Filmwelt etablierter Star und Celebrity.
Wir lernten sie abseits glamouröser Welten bei einer "sièste acoustique" kennen, einem
speziellen Konzertformat in Paris, bei dem das Publikum tatsächlich Siesta hält. Dort trat sie
mit Le Pop-Künstlern wie Armelle Pioline (Holden), BabX und Siesta-Gastgeber Bastien
Lallemant auf. An diesem Beispiel sieht man einmal mehr, wie durchlässig die französische
Szene geworden ist. Jordana ist heute ihre eigene Songwriterin – bei dem hier vorgestellten
Song, dem wunderbar groovenden "Jusqu'au bout des cils" stammen Musik und Text aus
ihrer Feder.

Der Mainstream zeigt sich immer wieder offen für Impulse von Indie-Acts, Kooperationen
zwischen diesen scheinbar gegensätzlichen Szenen sind inzwischen nahezu
selbstverständlich und verschaffen dem Underground zusätzliche Unabhängigkeit.
Le Pop 10 zeigt die Vielfalt dieser Welt auf authentische Weise und formt daraus eine
kohärente Einheit. Wie immer hat auch diese neue Ausgabe keinen Anspruch auf
Vollständigkeit. Wir lassen bewusst Künstler außen vor, die manche Fachleute hier erwarten
würden, die aber nicht "unsere Tasse Tee" sind. Im Vergleich zu ihren Anfängen ist die
Szene heute dynamischer und diverser. In den 50er und 60er Jahren haben Jazz und Brazil
ihre Einflüsse im Chanson der Gegenwart hinterlassen. Zu Beginn der Le-Pop-Reihe waren
es Indie, Electro und Reggae. Heute sind darüber hinaus die Einflüsse von HipHop und R'n'B
zu spüren. Das neue Chanson ist in Bewegung und wird es sicher auch in Zukunft bleiben

In November 2014 The Jesus and Mary Chain celebrated three decades of their incendiary cult-classic debut album, 'Psychocandy', with a run of tour dates in which the infamous Scottish group played the album in full for the very first time in the band's history. As part of the 'Psychocandy' tour, the Mary Chain descended on Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom - a legendary venue down the road from where the Reid brothers grew up in neighbouring East Kilbride - and tore through the songs that would propel them to worldwide acclaim upon 'Psychocandy's release in 1985. The Barrowland performance - an equal-parts deafening and blinding assault on the senses - was cut to vinyl by engineer Noel Summerville and originally released in 2015. Fast forward to 2022 and the 'Live at Barrowland' album is now being reissued by Fuzz Club Records. Due for release April 22nd, the 2022 reissue comes with new artwork and on 180g vinyl in a gatefold jacket with a booklet glued inside that features pages of photos from the tour as well as an interview with the Reid brothers and Alan McGee. The influence that 'Psychocandy' and its pioneering sonic belligerence had on popular music cannot be overstated. Taking bittersweet pop melodies and tearing them up apart through the medium of buzzsaw guitars, ear-piercing feedback and an unapologetic hostility towards their listeners, the band's breakthrough album experimented with noise in a way that had never been done before and would inspire for generations to come. The 'Live At Barrowland' LP captures 'Psychocandy's complete 14 tracks in a live setting and in all their boundary-pushing and feedback-ridden glory. The CD and digital versions of the reissue - including the download card that comes with the vinyl - also feature seven bonus tracks taken from the prelude set on the night, including such fan-favourites as 'April Skies', 'Head On' and 'Reverence'.

AN ISLE ATE HER don’t have the typical story that most bands in metal music do. They were an artistic mathematical monster that took over Atlanta, Georgia in the early 2000’s, but it’s members had taken some very unexpected turns in artistic direction as solo artists after they disbanded.
Absolutely manic breakneck tech grindcore that was as mind-bending to listen to as it was to see live. Formed initially in July 2007, Vocalist Chaz Bell, guitarist Collin Hutchinson, drummer Matt Cooper, and various other members performed under various names, playing countless shows and tours while constantly building their musical skills.
500 PRESSED WORLDWIDE . For Fans of: Daughters, Dillinger Escape Plan, The Red Chord, PIg Destryer

Sadat X (Brand Nubian) and A.G. (D.I.T.C.) collab for this superhero single, “Adventures of X-Man & Andre the Giant” with production supplied by Grant Parks (KRS-One, Pharoahe Monch, Rhymefest). The legendary emcees take the persona of superheroes coming to a neighborhood near you, saving those who fall victim to evil villains.

This standout will be available on 7” vinyl in a splatter configuration as part of a bundle that includes a 24 page comic along w/ an 11” x 17” poster, edited and illustrated by Wayne Sutphin of Xero Hour Studios and Jabaar Brown of Underground Comixxx.

The release date for this collector’s treasure is set for May 20th, where the single will also be available through all major digital retailers and streaming platforms. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased via FatBeats courtesy of Coal Mine Music.

-This eye catching bundle is limited to just 500 copies worldwide and is a must-have for both vinyl and comic collectors.
-The 7” is pressed in a green with red splatter/color-in-color configuration, equipped with an illustrated jacket.
-Both artists will be actively promoting this release through their social media profiles.

Food For Thought will be shipping in a random split between the photo and the illustrated cover art shown here.

The Shea Butter Queen is back! It’s been more than a year since her
last release, After 12, but Che has returned with a body of work that
she clearly spent her time on. She not only serves up a barrage of bars
on Food For Thought, but also produces 6 of 12 tracks. The other 6
cuts are handled by TrickyTrippz, JR Swiftz & Motif Alumni, Chup, and
a couple up-n-comers. Guests include 38 Spesh, Ransom, Rome
Streetz, Armani Caesar, 7xvethegenius, and more.

 Born into a musical family, as a child Charlie Hickey would obsessively
watch videos of his parents on tour in their old band Uma, learning all the
lyrics that he loved but didn’t understand. This introduction to music sowed a
seed and Hickey was soon writing songs of his own, playing on the guitars
that lay around him and singing about the little details of his school days. He
continued throughout his teen years, his songs becoming an outlet for the
growing anxieties that Hickey now understands to be Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder.
 This journey has led to ‘Nervous At Night’, Hickey’s debut album which is
released via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records. Where 2021’s
‘Count The Stairs’ EP was an attempt to capture the rawness of his
performance, ‘Nervous At Night’ comes alive within its production, Hickey
and producer Marshall Vore leaning into their perfectionist tendencies to find
the best version of each track. “He’s always interested in how you can push
things further but also reigns them in when necessary,” Hickey says. “I think
that’s the true hallmark of a good producer.”
 Hickey calls it a pop record but admits that sonically it moves in many
directions, an amalgamation of his love for the folk singers of yesteryear and
more contemporary peers, from Taylor Swift and The 1975 to the Californian
songwriter and producer Blake Mills. This shifting of styles - from the album’s
quiet heavy-hearted ballads to its more gleaming, hook-led tracks - mirrors
its overarching theme: life’s graceless passage between teenage years and
adulthood.
 And so we have ‘Planet With Water’, a plaintive love song that bristles with
nostalgia, Hickey singing of phone calls after school, of hearing a neighbour’s
TV through the wall. Elsewhere, ‘Mid Air’ holds a similar weight, Hickey
singing of “spinning in mid-air, waiting for somewhere to land, or some face
to show up” as the song flourishes around his voice, delicately accompanied
by guest turns from fellow LA musicians Harrison Whitford, Christian Lee
Hutson and Mason Stoops.
 ‘Nervous At Night’ comes alive in its juxtapositions, chronicling the constant
push and pull of life, both its stagnancy and motion. Chiefly though, this is an
album about connection, how even through those struggles we rely on the
people around us to keep moving forwards. “I’d like to write songs that are
for everyone, that let people into my inner world while also hopefully making
people feel less alone on their own. I hope that these songs can be there for
somebody the way my favorite songs have been for me.”
 Collaborated with MUNA on track ‘Seeing Things’.
 2022 live shows include The Great Escape and SXSW, as well as shows in
London, NY and LA’s Troubadour. Recent US tour with Samia.
 LP available on opaque yellow vinyl.

 Born into a musical family, as a child Charlie Hickey would obsessively
watch videos of his parents on tour in their old band Uma, learning all the
lyrics that he loved but didn’t understand. This introduction to music sowed a
seed and Hickey was soon writing songs of his own, playing on the guitars
that lay around him and singing about the little details of his school days. He
continued throughout his teen years, his songs becoming an outlet for the
growing anxieties that Hickey now understands to be Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder.
 This journey has led to ‘Nervous At Night’, Hickey’s debut album which is
released via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records. Where 2021’s
‘Count The Stairs’ EP was an attempt to capture the rawness of his
performance, ‘Nervous At Night’ comes alive within its production, Hickey
and producer Marshall Vore leaning into their perfectionist tendencies to find
the best version of each track. “He’s always interested in how you can push
things further but also reigns them in when necessary,” Hickey says. “I think
that’s the true hallmark of a good producer.”
 Hickey calls it a pop record but admits that sonically it moves in many
directions, an amalgamation of his love for the folk singers of yesteryear and
more contemporary peers, from Taylor Swift and The 1975 to the Californian
songwriter and producer Blake Mills. This shifting of styles - from the album’s
quiet heavy-hearted ballads to its more gleaming, hook-led tracks - mirrors
its overarching theme: life’s graceless passage between teenage years and
adulthood.
 And so we have ‘Planet With Water’, a plaintive love song that bristles with
nostalgia, Hickey singing of phone calls after school, of hearing a neighbour’s
TV through the wall. Elsewhere, ‘Mid Air’ holds a similar weight, Hickey
singing of “spinning in mid-air, waiting for somewhere to land, or some face
to show up” as the song flourishes around his voice, delicately accompanied
by guest turns from fellow LA musicians Harrison Whitford, Christian Lee
Hutson and Mason Stoops.
 ‘Nervous At Night’ comes alive in its juxtapositions, chronicling the constant
push and pull of life, both its stagnancy and motion. Chiefly though, this is an
album about connection, how even through those struggles we rely on the
people around us to keep moving forwards. “I’d like to write songs that are
for everyone, that let people into my inner world while also hopefully making
people feel less alone on their own. I hope that these songs can be there for
somebody the way my favorite songs have been for me.”
 Collaborated with MUNA on track ‘Seeing Things’.
 2022 live shows include The Great Escape and SXSW, as well as shows in
London, NY and LA’s Troubadour. Recent US tour with Samia.
 LP available on opaque yellow vinyl.

 “As a human being it’s really important to feel and express
emotions whether happy or sad,” says Hiro Amamiya, the
Teleman drummer whose solo guise is Hiro Ama. “I sometimes
struggle to and so these are a collection of songs that explore
different emotions. I want people to feel something through my
music so I called this EP ‘Animal Emotions’.”
 Amamiya follows up on swiftly on 2020’s field recording-heavy
EP ‘Uncertainty’ with a record made in his bedroom and during
a time of introspection to create something even more personal.
“On ‘Uncertainty’ I was using sounds from everywhere and
whatever sounded good,” he says. “But for ‘Animal Emotions’ I
stuck with fewer instruments so the EP feels much more united.
I also used more acoustic instruments as I sometimes feel
electronic music in general lacks some organic and human
elements so I tried to make this EP as organic as possible.”
 However, buried beneath the warm electronics, gently pulsing
grooves, infectious melodies and immersive soundscapes - that
veer from disco strut to IDM via jazz-laced ambient - you’ll still
find some field recordings. “You might not hear them as
obviously as on my previous EP but field recordings are there,”
he says. “I like them because it's very spontaneous and gives
some human feel. It also adds some air to a recording which I
quite like.” On the opener ‘Free Soul’ - which marries funk bass
with subtle electronics and squelchy grooves - you can hear a
voice sample of a woman from Southeast Asia singing a lullaby.
 “I wanted to make an up-tempo and danceable song so I can
dance in my room during the lockdown. I got lost in Jazz music
the last couple of years and it really changed and opened up
the way I make music.” The moods, tones and emotions on the
EP shift as seamlessly as the genres, never quite settling into
one single place and constantly exploring and expanding into
new musical terrain. A process mirrored by Amamiya’s own
varied influences and tastes that were funnelled into the record,
from film soundtracks to IDM to spiritual jazz such as
‘November Cotton Flower’ by Marion Brown and ‘Harvest’ by
Pharoah Sanders.

 With their new album, If I Never Know You Like This Again, SOAK has
finally shaken the hangover of their starry debut ‘Before We Forgot How
To Dream’, and the pressures that came with it, hiding in the wings of
their ambitious follow up album, ‘Grim Town’.
 Having come up through BBC Introducing at the tender age of 15, before
signing to Rough Trade Records, as well as winning the RTE Choice
Music Prize and The Northern Irish Music Prize, in addition to being the
youngest ever Mercury Prize nominee, SOAK has again and again been
described as “the voice of a generation.”
 Showing, from a young age, an intensely artistic awareness of the poetry
of memory, Bridie Monds-Watson, aka SOAK, would incessantly
photograph and video everything, documenting and organising the
material so it was always there for them to revisit. “I always want to
remember exactly how I felt at a certain moment.” Now, at 25, SOAK’s
third album, ‘If I Never Know You Like This Again', is naturally made up
of what Bridie intimately calls ‘song-memories’.
 Working closely with Tommy McLaughlin (Villagers), with whom Bridie
has been collaborating with since the age of 15, and armed with
influences from Pavement to Radiohead to Broken Social Scene, they
wrote most of the album together before recording it with the rest of the
band in Attica Studios, Donegal.
 Throughout the album SOAK pushes and pulls at melodies, but never
milks their brilliance. Bridie masterfully glides their vocal melody slightly
off-kilter above excitable compressed high hats and flourishing guitar
lines. With the new direction of a grungier, more lo-fi production, the
swooning guitars are given a contemporary pop edge, reflected in the
rich and robust musicality of songs like ‘Bleach’, ‘Last July’ and ‘Pretzel’.
 There’s a constant pulsating beat at the album’s centre, propelling it
towards a kind of dewy happiness, like the end credits of a 90s comingof-age film. Bridie’s lyrics move through the songs almost as effortlessly
and they sing them, and the songs when read, read like poetry.
 With this album Bridie is, as the title suggests, freezing time in the
pursuit of truth: capturing their life into existence. In the world of ‘If I
Never Know You Like This Again’, a life is lived only because it's
remembered.

Released in 1961, My Favorite Things made John Coltrane a star with box-office pulling power previously preserved for the likes of Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, the MJQ, and Miles Davis. The dazzling quartet treatment of the Richard Rodgers hit song, features Coltrane on soprano saxophone for the first time on record, exercised a hypnotic effect on all sorts of music lovers and trend-spotters. The title track was a hit single, and the album became a major commercial success. In 1998, the album received the Grammy Hall of Fame award. It attained gold record status in 2018, having sold 500,000 copies. The mono version of this album, believed lost, was recently found, and is included in this deluxe package, as well as the stereo version, both mastered from the original tapes.

The packaging includes liner notes by award-winning writer Ben Ratliff, as well as photos and Atlantic Records ephemera.

“Modern Primitive” is the new album by SEPTICFLESH who present a stunning combination of symphonic and cinematic music with aggressive yet catchy Death Metal. Picking up on the group’s sonic evolution in the past decades, “Modern Primitive” proves to be more emotional, epic and heavy than ever.

SEPTICFLESH was formed as “Septic Flesh” in Greece in the early '90s by Spyridon Antoniou (a.k.a. Seth Siro Anton): vocals/bass, Christos Antoniou: guitar and Sotirios Vagenas (a.k.a. Sotiris Anunnaki V.): guitar/ clean vocals. A debut Ep was released in 1991, entitled "Temple of The Lost Race". Their first full-length album "Mystic Places of Dawn" was released in 1994, followed by "EΣΟΠΤΡΟΝ" that was released in 1995. With the release of "Ophidian Wheel" in 1997, a female soprano vocalist (Natalie Rassoulis) was introduced, as the band moved towards a more symphonic style. "A Fallen Temple" (1998) continued in the same musical direction. In 1999, "Revolution DNA" was released, followed by “Sumerian Daemons” in 2003, both albums produced by Fredrik Nordström (At The Gates, Opeth, In Flames). Although the band's popularity was growing, the band members decided to disband, in order to focus on other personal projects and goals. But that was not the end of the story... After a reunion, the band returned with the album "Communion" in 2008, again with Fredrik Nordström at the helm of production. From that point onwards, the symphonic element (composed by Christos Antoniou, that has a Master Degree in Concert Music) was fully implemented in the structure of the songs, with the collaboration of Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague. “The Great Mass” (2011) followed with Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain) producing, "Titan" (2014) with Logan Mader (ex-Machine Head) as producer and "Codex Omega" (2017) which started the group’s collaboration with Jens Bogren that continues to the very day. In 2020, the recording of the epic and fully orchestrated Live in Mexico entitled "Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX", was released on CD/LP/DVD/Blu-Ray.

Now, SEPTICFLESH has joined forces with Nuclear Blast Records and initiates the next phase in the band’s history, with a new album to be released in May 2022. Once again Jens Bogren is responsible for the bombastic mix and sound whereas Seth Siro Anton - who is also in charge for the visual aesthetics of the band and worked for artists like Nile, Paradise Lost or Moonspell - has crafted a really intense cover and over-the-top artwork for this release. The new songs impress with many layers, gloomy and empowering atmosphere while being heavy and memorable. Besides the continuous collaboration with the Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague, the band used a full adult choir, a full children choir and a variety of ethnic instruments.

Repossessed by the past, bitten once again and forced to relive drama, history, memories, tradition and roots. A past that needs exorcizing, bending and re-imagining in order to move forward and depend on. This is ‘Rimorso’, Mai Mai Mai’s colossal mediterranean gothic album.

Known for his incredible blend of Southern Italian Folklore, industrial drone, proto-techno & punishing miasmic electronic music, Toni Cutrone aka Mai Mai Mai approached ‘Rimorso’ with a clean slate. Following ‘Nel Sud’ (La Tempesta International, 2019) and his mediterranean trilogy ‘Theta’ (Boring Machines, 2013), ‘Δέλτα’ (Delta) (Yerevan Tapes, 2014) and ‘Φ’ (Phi) (Not Not Fun Records / Boring Machines, 2017) the Roma based noise artist recreated his spirits of the past by collaborating with musicians and ethnomusicologists that work on the present, on traditions that are still passed on and morphing continuously, healing our nostalgia for a lost future. ‘Rimorso’ sheds the past heavy use of samples and sound manipulation in lieu of a human element: voices, percussion, lap steel guitar all embedded in a rich cultural heritage.

Following a decorated career with Philly rock group Superheaven, singer and guitarist Taylor Madison meanders into newly-refined songwriter territory with the inception of Webbed Wing in 2018. Joined by Jake Clarke (drums) and Mike Paulshock (bass), the band fully realizes their innate genre-blending musicality.

Webbed Wing’s somewhat simplistic approach to songwriting explores what it means to birth a sad song without fully killing a mood, paired with a soundscape laden with nostalgia and a tasteful pop-rock resurgence. Taking notes from the likes of The Lemonheads and Teenage Fanclub, Webbed Wing encapsulates everything lyrically gripping about indie and everything vibrant about modern pop. While also expertly intertwining the heaviness of metal and the earnesty of country, the band blends all these different aspects of their craft into something highly palatable and new.

Jon Porras draws a staggering array of atmospheres out of even the simplest instrumentation. Across his work as one-half of psych-drone duo Barn Owl and his solo releases, Porras welds monoliths and ether into propulsive music that is deeply felt. Arroyo, named for the Spanish word for "stream" in a nod to Porras' heritage as a first generation Colombian?Japanese American, drifts gently from one tributary to the next in unhurried contemplation and euphoria. The portentous weight and abrasive textures of Porras' previous work give way to the trickle of richly detailed acoustic instruments slipping in and out of the fold. On Arroyo, Jon Porras evokes a distinct sense of resplendent anticipation and calm with a fathomless flow and softly gorgeous colors. For Porras, Arroyo became a rumination on simplicity and simple truths, a work of complete immersion and continuous motion where separate elements coalesce into an ever-changing whole. Porras spent the year leading up to 2020 living nomadically across Europe where he was able to soak in a deep appreciation for the effortless beauty of overgrown gardens, the basic principles of classical architecture and a more transient sensibility. The album was written and recorded in a time of even more change for Porras: after the birth of his daughter. Like a stream's steady glide across bedrock that waxes and wanes with each gradual turn, the music of Arroyo exhibits a transportive stillness. The compositions take on a light, gaseous buoyancy as discreet drones swell with measured fluctuations and ripples of piano rest atop the surface. Arroyo borrows harmonic concepts from modal jazz to create a unique sense of ease and endlessness. Each of the four pieces on the album centers around a single suspended chord, a chord most commonly associated with devotional music which embodies a space between harmonic tension and resolution. Porras embellishes that liminality with arrangements that feel less like distinguishable layers of instruments and more like one undulating nebula of sound. In the past decade of Porras' solo work, his music has grown increasingly engaged with elaborate synth textures and detailed processing. With Arroyo, Porras consciously takes a step back from those more intricate compositions and focuses on more organic, unadorned textures and places each sound with the same precision. Stark piano and guitar patiently hover over modest currents of Hammond organ and Yamaha DX7 with the sustain of each chord and phrase acting as a natural guide to the album's subtle rhythm. The four pieces that comprise Arroyo each encompass their own idyllic channel, slowly weaving their way in and out of the album's elegant stir. Porras' reflections on simplified elements take shape in gorgeous arrangements that impart clarity amidst a tranquil mist. Arroyo is an album that unearths splendor in a unified feeling of space, serenity in perpetual renewal

Consequence and more. Emma Ruth Rundle's second instalment in her Electric Guitar series, EG2: Dowsing Voice, is almost like the soundtrack to a film that hasn't been made. The mostly instrumental record follows her on a trip to the Welsh coast and down a magical well into the waters of nature, myth and the Old Golds - by way of her improvised music. The 40 plus minute album was sewn together from recordings channeled during her month-long solo journey in the early days of 2020 and completed before 2021's critically lauded album Engine of Hell was even written. Unlike Electric Guitar One, EG2: Dowsing Voice features vocal improvisation, unconventional singing and extended vocal techniques free from lyrics - like the throat singing on "In the Cave_" which is meant to be the voices of crones gathering in a rhythmic and physical ritual. Rundle was led to these voices by unseen forces along with the immense impact of the Welsh water: ocean, rivers springs and wells that gave the album its extended title Dowsing Voice. While there is some focus on vocal and story here, her textural and even bombastic guitar improvisations are featured throughout the album. For Rundle, the Electric Guitar series will always be about inspired, unplanned moments like this at its core.

RIYL: Beach House, Cocteau Twins, Cigarettes After Sex, Slowdive. Isolated from any kind of music scene and enveloped by the cold Brutalism of Preston, White Flowers are a young, enigmatic band developing their own eccentricities away from the influence of big cities. New EP ‘Are You’ is a sonic and aesthetic collage drawing deeply from their environmental and social surroundings. The songs on the EP may at first seem delicate and beautiful, but closer listening reveals dark undertones and dry humour fuelled by the frustration of feeling trapped with no way out. Driven by this sense of claustrophobia, the duo have sought to create a form of escapism outside of their physical and geographical limitations. Recorded late 2021 between Preston and Bristol, ‘Are You’ weaves together a mixture of intuitive home recordings and refined studio production aided by producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Portishead, Perfume Genius). The four songs on the EP are an intentional collection of contrasts and paradoxes - beauty and repulsion, calmness and mania, anxiety and stasis - all combined to form a balanced whole. Whilst influenced in part by the writings of the late Mark Fisher and his idea that we are haunted by futures that failed to happen, that what might have been may yet be the dream that saves us, White Flowers have also found inspiration in the Brutalist architecture that adorns their hometown - futuristic yet dated buildings that serve as an appropriate visual metaphor for Fisher’s theories. Bleakly imposing yet comfortingly familiar, the monochromatic starkness of these structures has fed into the imagery for the record, as well as the sounds found within. Not intending to wallow in cynicism, however, White Flowers’ art ultimately aims to provide a way out of these dystopian fever dreams and spiralling thoughts into a forward facing place.

This is the second Haress album, a five piece from Shropshire. They channel the sounds of Fairport Convention, Lungfish, Papa M, Earth, Robert Wyatt, John Fahey, and Talk Talk. Taking influence and making it their own. The first vinyl press comes with a bonus flexi disc telling the story of the week the band spent recording the album, the weirdness, the positively supernatural happenings. On this album the core duo of Elizabeth Still and David Hand are joined by David Smyth (Mind Mountain, Kling Klang) on drums, Chris Summerlin (Hey Colossus, Kogumaza) on guitar, Thomas House (Sweet Williams, Charlottefield) on vocals and Nathan Bell (Lungfish, Human Bell) on trumpet. In early 2020 the group travelled to a disused water mill in North Wales for a week to record with engineer Phil Booth (JT Soar) and his mobile studio. The stories of what occurred are told on the flexi disc that accompanies the LP but the group’s plans for a relaxing break in the country were scuppered by events that were either highly unusual, or positively supernatural (depending on your own beliefs in such things). Well-made plans were abandoned and the recording was forced to develop according to the location it was being made in. Chance and accident were welcomed as a collaborator rather than a saboteur and the group exited the sessions extremely freaked-out but with the makings of an album. Ghosts is an incredible piece of work and posits Haress on their own when it comes to developing new approaches to traditional musical forms. The music contains many moments of immediate joy - the relative pop of House’s vocals on White Over, the wild horns of I Think I Think, the rush of warmth as Time To Drink morphs into focus. But it also stretches the sound Haress have carefully developed almost to breaking point with sections of music that feel like somebody - something - else is steering the ship. The 2 final songs – Litres Into Metres and Sussurus – are joined together by a collage of site-specific sound. It was decided to add the output from a detuned long wave radio to this section on the final night of recording. Static hissed from the device but as soon as the record light illuminated, a rich male baritone voice sang loud and clear from the radio, taking a solo right where it was needed and then disappearing into space forever like the Ghosts of the title.

Out of print for almost 30 years. Includes rare never-before-seen vacation photos by Anna Lee Van Cleef who shot the original album cover. 1987's High Priest was the first full length solo record for legendary frontman Alex Chilton (Big Star/ Box Tops) since 1979's ground shaking Like Flies on Sherbert. It shows Chilton in full control of his faculties as both a musician and a musicologist. He leads a solid band of Memphis/ New Orleans studio heavyweights through 4 newly penned originals and a well curated list of covers. What it lacks in polish, it more than makes up in charm, verve and just plain ol’ soul. This could be what rock’n’roll is all about.” Trouser Press

Single includes download. “Virginia Wing are not from the sedate school of dream-pop escapism…a hazy subversion of the traditional monochrome evocations of post-punk, a photo negative of an established form.” - The Quietus // “South London three-piece ally buzz and drone with sweetness and light” Guardian – New Band Of The Week // "A piece of noir-pop majesty that consistently pushes its own boundaries and frequently shatters the listeners’ sense of expectation" Loud and Quiet // "They possess a rare ability to dive deep beneath the skin.. a ghostly mix that flirts hard and fast with the avant garde while retaining a sly pop lustre" Mojo 4* // Following the 2015 release of their acclaimed debut album ‘Measures Of Joy’ on Fire Records, Camberwell based outfit Virginia Wing return with a striking new single. ‘Rhonda’, released for Record Store Day on 12” vinyl with a disco cut sleeve featuring artwork from longtime collaborator Florian Brooks. Recorded at Hackney-based Holy Mountain Studios with Misha Hering, ‘Rhonda’ sees the band expand the deep and varied sonic palette displayed on their debut ‘Measures Of Joy’. Featuring guest musician Koichi Yamanoha of Grimm Grimm, the single unfolds slowly as meditative incantations give way to a sprawling piece of experimental pop for the dance floor. The ambitious A-side flirts with disco beats and draws influence from a variety of schools of contemporary dance music whilst still remaining, at heart, a pop song. This is pop music with texture, depth and nuance; a daring and progressive piece. The B-side includes two new tracks: ‘Sisterly Love’ and ‘Daughter Of The Mind’ which further hint at the deviations we can expect on their second LP. Field recordings, ambient mediations and rhythmic experimentation abound; the new material sees Virginia Wing refining and reworking the sound conjured on their debut, a masterful workout.

I don’t want to blow, I want to grow! The first Dis-clone? We don't know about that, but these are some early rumblings of Dis-mania, direct from the Merseyside in 1986. For every man, woman or child there is no escape from the dark war horse of This Attack! Disattack. 6 raw bursts of sonic bloodbath that will leave your ears bleeding in a ditch. The fear of doom dawning when the whole world will be bathed in Blood! The 4 song demo is complemented by 2 additional rehearsal songs and a 28 page booklet of archival material, hand-outs and photos. For those who worship Discharge, Anti Cimex and Sacrilege!

Precious Metals are excited to announce "Chaos Butterfly", the debut album from the Vietnamese-Canadian electronic music producer, vocalist and filmmaker, x/o. “Chaos Butterfly” is an epic tale of catharsis and self-actualization explored through metamorphosis. It is a free-falling kaleidoscopic journey into a beautiful nightmare, both cataclysmic and tender. Expanding on the themes present in their first EP “Cocoon Egg”, the album builds a parallel world from a different perspective. “Chaos Butterfly” tells a loose narrative about an anti-hero navigating trauma through whirlwinds of grief and anger; a vengeful spirit who finds true strength in inner healing and forgiveness. An allegory for transcending societal concepts of gender, “Chaos Butterfly” is a journey of self-acceptance and reflection of x/o’s own path towards their non-binary identity. Throughout the voyage, x/o pulls apart and collides masculine and feminine tropes both theoretically and musically by utilising contrasts between soft and hard, internal and external, calmness and anger, loud and quiet. This system of symbolism and influences reveal a pattern that is the overarching theme of duality. Colliding disparate but interconnected influences, x/o references Playstation 2’s Final Fantasy X world-building, Fight Club, the half-yoma warriors in the anime Claymore, as well as the real legends of the Vietnamese Trưng Sisters. Musically, “Chaos Butterfly” resists easy categorisation, playfully fusing moments of reversed breakbeat, with elements of solemn ambience, distorted metal, and trip-hop catharsis, with inspiration from artists such as Yoko Kanno, to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as well as Deftones, Massive Attack, Orbital, and Aaliyah. The album journey begins with opener “Chrysalis Wrath”, a prologue to the story, and emblematic of the metamorphosis of the album. A soft and unassuming exterior to the hard shell and bone that lies beneath. Delicately cascading melodies and disembodied vocals are torn asunder by a brooding, ominous synth, punctuated by blasts of percussion, like dark clouds forming on the horizon, the egg cracks; a foretelling of what is to come and a reference to what has been. This is followed by “Red Alert,” the first single from the release, which blends airy melancholic vocals with a flurry of drum breaks and synths plucks, an ambitious and cinematic exploration of intuition against recurring trauma. Melodies drifting and out of focus under the swirling vocal, like the blur of neon street lights reflecting in a rain-soaked cityscape. It’s a liminal poem about listening to your inner voice to protect you from harm. Duality is never more apparent than on “Promise : Armour” delicate piano melodies drift and settle like snowfall before crushing blows of hardstyle kicks blast through the ether, as their soulful, but anguished vocal harmony is overcome by a demonic refrain “Cross your heart, don’t cross me”. x/o is a founding member of s.M.i.L.e, a trail-blazing collective of like-minded artists in Vancouver pushing the boundaries of club experimentation, showcasing artists such as Actress, Hitmakerchinx, Mechatok, Nídia, and Shygirl. This is an album that reaches dizzying heights, and in 2022 we expect x/o to do the exact same.

The Chicago-based, multicultural duo of vocalist Via Rosa and producer Na’el Shehade are pleased to share their inaugural effort, Gallows, on vinyl for the first time.

In early jam sessions the chemistry was clear; Rosa’s soulful delivery interlocked with Shehade’s chic Chicago house-infused production style. A lovesick sound emerged with their debut EP, Gallows in November of 2016. In celebration of its five year anniversary, Gallows will be physically released for the first time exclusively on violet vinyl.

The eight track effort has succeeded in breathing life into the resurgence of ’80s iconic synth, resulting in a sound that blends R&B with dance music that’s sprinkled with funk and bursting with emotion. Named after “Gallows Humor,” the album reflects on the pain of heartbreak, while also giving a nod to the comedy of that same experience. Self-described as “happy-sad music,” DRAMA presents a collection of songs on Gallows that bring you up when you are feeling down.

Recorded back in 1999, 'Half a Dove in New York, Half a Dove in Buenos Aires' is the recorded debut of a NetCast improv between deep listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros and Argentinian free music trio Reynols >> a fascinating early example of the internet’s capacity to foster remote creativity in-the-moment that deploys the slowest electronics, accordion, voice, trombone and computer sounds on a next level ritual drone incantation recorded in another era, but made for our time.

As the story goes, Oliveros first met Reynols in the mid ‘90s at a Deep Listening workshop she held in their home city, Buenos Aires, where they impressed her with an improvised brass serenade. Years later, in 1999, they met again via NetCast - a series of very early online live improvisations - to explore the Internet’s potential for collaborations between artists thousands of miles apart. Finally mixed down in 2021 and mastered by Helge Sten (aka Deathprod) after marinating in the archive for 22 years, the album resonates with the late, great Oliveros’ legendary work in exploring alternate tunings, spatial dynamics and methods of intuitive performance - a remarkable slab of omnidirectional drone bearing traces of Miguel Tomasin's vox and Oliveros’ just-intoned accordion embedded in its cosmic roil.

Broadcasting from fabled record shop The Thing in NYC, with Oliveros (Accordion) joined by Jennifer McCoy (ICR), Kevin McCoy (Computer processing), and Monique Buzzarté (Trombone), and Reynols revolving Miguel Tomasin (Electronics, subliminal voice & Alclorse drums), Rob Conlazo electronics, leather gloves & e-gtr), and Anla Courtis (electronics, rubber foot & e-gtr) and dialling-in from Florida 943 in Buenos Aires, the results are an incredibly absorbing and consistently surprising testament to vanguard, experimental spirits prizing the internet’s nascent, unprecedented ability to connect minds and art across continents, language barriers, and modalities.

The album's first side, titled 'Micro Macro Wind Dance', puts Oliveros' accordion under a microscope, enhancing it with lower case rumble and noise from Reynolds' arsenal. Shifting glacially over 22-minutes, Oliveros plays subtly and slowly at first, letting the accordion breathe in-and-out like a sleeping mythical beast, before she transitions to fluttering bird-like phrases by the end of the side.

'Astral Netcast Pigeon' expands the dissonant drones to widescreen, submerging Oliveros' trills and drones beneath layers of dirt and grit. It's time-altering music that dissasembles yr head before you've completely worked out what's happening >> basically the perfect mid-point between Oliveros' deep listening practices and Reynols' wildly inspirational free-noise-drone freakouts.

Sdban Records is delighted to announce the reissue of this genre-defying jazz album originally released on library label Selection Records in 1972.

Delving into the story of the American pianist and composer Phil Raphaël reveals more questions than answers. He was born in New York where he played with Charlie Parker, Jon Eardley and Howard McGhee, but a 1951 recording with Red Rodney for Prestige Records is the single remaining trace of his bebop days. Raphaël appeared under unknown circumstances in Belgium in the 1960s, playing among others at the 1966 Jazz Bilzen festival, and he eventually settled in Brussels. A multifaceted musician, he did not limit himself to jazz and also worked in pop groups, directed the music for the spectacle Hair, and even had a brief residency at Pol's Jazz Club where he played the music of Johann Sebastian Bach four nights per week.

His album 'Stop, Look, Listen', which was recorded with the rhythm section of Babs Robert's group, consists of four long genre-defying tracks colored by the dreamlike vocals of opera singer Rose Thompson. A surreal blend of genres, hard to pin down. It's highly imaginative jazz, that much is sure. Raphaël shifts from serene late night piano jazz to more free or even spiritual passages, magnificently paired with the otherworldly vocals of Rose Thompson. The LP was put out by Selection Records, a label that primarily issued library music at the time, and thus went largely unnoticed upon release. The recording makes clear that Phil Raphaël was a highly gifted artist whose talent will forever remain undervalued, since it was his only effort as a leader. Raphaël's passage through the Belgian nightlife was just as mysterious as his music, and few people seem to remember him. Drummer Bruno Castellucci describes him as remarkable, both as a musician and as a person: "He was a hippie before there were hippies. He wasn't part of the system but he had a system of his own."

Uun returns to his imprint Ego Death for its 6th release, and its first full length album.

“For nearly two years our cities, which were once teeming with life, have become liminal spaces. Even Detroit, a place physically shaped by human departure, feels increasingly empty.

I can’t help being reminded of all the other liminal spaces that frame my early memories - the dusty hallways at school, an empty pool drained during a long winter, the doctor’s office waiting rooms that always smelled like anxiety. There’s a nauseating sense of the past echoing into the present, of the nostalgia and dread of childhood re-entering into the vacuum of our current lives.

This is a difficult feeling to turn into a “techno album”, as it has few obvious connotations. In my approach to the piece, I knew I couldn’t rely on melody, because the emotions it provokes are often too obvious to accurately capture this concept. The experience of liminality is intangible; there’s a sense of vague familiarity that is slightly out of reach. Instead, I incorporated field recordings and mangled sounds from the real world. It’s an album that relies on a sense of physical space, but a space you can’t quite put a name to. A space that feels familiar, but you’re not sure why.

The project is made whole by the evocative artwork of Ryote, who brings the themes together in a unique visual style. The beautifully printed vinyl sleeve represents the three aspects of liminality; physical, mental, and digital, and ties them together with the music contained within.”

Luzifer wurden im Jahre 2009 von L. Steeler (Bass) und S. Castevet (Gesang, Gitarre, Schlagzeug) in Hamm/Westfalen als Nebenprojekt der im Underground gefeierten Vulture gegründet. 2015 erschien die "Rise"-EP, 2018 gefolgt von der "Black Knight" 7" Single auf High Roller Records.

Mittlerweile ergänzt Vulture-Drummer Gereon Deceiver die Besetzung von Luzifer, der auch auf den sieben Songs des ersten vollständigen Albums "Iron Shackles" zu hören ist. Stefan Castevet erklärt: "Mit Gereons Einstieg bei Vulture hat sich das im Laufe der Jahre so ergeben. Gereon übernimmt so auch bei Luzifer die Drums, macht bei den Background-Chören mit und hat sich am Songwriting beteiligt. In die finale Phase der Vorbereitung hat er viel Energie mit reingebracht, und da ich eh seit vielen Jahren nicht mehr richtig hinterm Schlagzeug gesessen habe, ist er ein echter Segen für die Band (lacht)."

"Soundmäßig wollten wir auf dem Album so klingen wie Quartz bei 'Satan's Serenade' und da zusätzlich so 'ne Sommer-Note reinkriegen wie in Rockers 'Mighty Thor'", umreißt Stefan das stilistische Koordinatensystem von "Iron Shackles". "Ob uns das gelungen ist, weiß ich gar nicht unbedingt. Vieles hat sich im Aufnahme- und Mixing-Prozess dann verselbständigt. Große gezielte musikalische Einflüsse besitzen wir in dieser Form gar nicht. Zumindest nicht bewusst. Viel 70er-Kram und dazu dann sowas in Richtung Heavy Load trifft's vielleicht am ehesten."

Neben "Der goldene Reiter", eine in Eisen gegossene Coverversion des NDW-Hits von Joachim Witt, ist auf dem Album noch eine weitere Nummer mit deutschen Texten zu finden, nämlich "Hexer (In drei Teufels Namen)", von dem Stefan Castevet zu berichten weiß: "Wir hatten auch schon auf unserem ersten Release einen Track auf Deutsch. Wir finden das einfach sehr charmant. Damals war's DDR-Heavy-Metal, den wir abgefeiert haben, diesmal hatten wir schlicht Lust drauf. Machen halt nicht so viele. Der Text stammt übrigens von unserem Freund Ela von Iron Kobra. Der kann sowas einfach besser als wir!"

Luzifer wurden im Jahre 2009 von L. Steeler (Bass) und S. Castevet (Gesang, Gitarre, Schlagzeug) in Hamm/Westfalen als Nebenprojekt der im Underground gefeierten Vulture gegründet. 2015 erschien die "Rise"-EP, 2018 gefolgt von der "Black Knight" 7" Single auf High Roller Records.

Mittlerweile ergänzt Vulture-Drummer Gereon Deceiver die Besetzung von Luzifer, der auch auf den sieben Songs des ersten vollständigen Albums "Iron Shackles" zu hören ist. Stefan Castevet erklärt: "Mit Gereons Einstieg bei Vulture hat sich das im Laufe der Jahre so ergeben. Gereon übernimmt so auch bei Luzifer die Drums, macht bei den Background-Chören mit und hat sich am Songwriting beteiligt. In die finale Phase der Vorbereitung hat er viel Energie mit reingebracht, und da ich eh seit vielen Jahren nicht mehr richtig hinterm Schlagzeug gesessen habe, ist er ein echter Segen für die Band (lacht)."

"Soundmäßig wollten wir auf dem Album so klingen wie Quartz bei 'Satan's Serenade' und da zusätzlich so 'ne Sommer-Note reinkriegen wie in Rockers 'Mighty Thor'", umreißt Stefan das stilistische Koordinatensystem von "Iron Shackles". "Ob uns das gelungen ist, weiß ich gar nicht unbedingt. Vieles hat sich im Aufnahme- und Mixing-Prozess dann verselbständigt. Große gezielte musikalische Einflüsse besitzen wir in dieser Form gar nicht. Zumindest nicht bewusst. Viel 70er-Kram und dazu dann sowas in Richtung Heavy Load trifft's vielleicht am ehesten."

Neben "Der goldene Reiter", eine in Eisen gegossene Coverversion des NDW-Hits von Joachim Witt, ist auf dem Album noch eine weitere Nummer mit deutschen Texten zu finden, nämlich "Hexer (In drei Teufels Namen)", von dem Stefan Castevet zu berichten weiß: "Wir hatten auch schon auf unserem ersten Release einen Track auf Deutsch. Wir finden das einfach sehr charmant. Damals war's DDR-Heavy-Metal, den wir abgefeiert haben, diesmal hatten wir schlicht Lust drauf. Machen halt nicht so viele. Der Text stammt übrigens von unserem Freund Ela von Iron Kobra. Der kann sowas einfach besser als wir!"

"The focus of this project and presentation examines the art of mental persuasion and how the mind can control as well as fall vulnerable to subservient ways. It allows the means to look creatively and more in-depth to a subject that applies to every person and at every stage of life because how we perceive or sense something is part of our evolutionary survival pattern. " -Jeff Mills

Mind Power Mind Control

The focus of this project and presentation examines the art of mental persuasion and how the mind can control as well as fall vulnerable to subservient ways. It allows the means to look creatively and more in-depth to a subject that applies to every person and at every stage of life because how we perceive or sense something is part of our evolutionary survival pattern. Because there is no exact mental compatibility between any of us, speculation and misconceptions are not exemplary so, an emphasis on "the presentation of facts, ideas and methods and what we knew as true by example" are the major points that drives the overall purpose of this album project.

Mainly artistic but scientifically as well, the album will explore various techniques used to control minds, physicality of people and inanimate objects. The objective of this project is to examine, reveal and demonstrate how humans have created metaphysical and mind-bending techniques to control people, they're minds, societies and our outlook on reality and life.

-Jeff Mills

Fortuna reissues an incredible Greek belly dance scorcher by little known artist Koko. Following the Israeli Greek-craze of the '60s and '70s, Moroccan singer Koko learned how to sing in Greek and delivered this tavern-style party masterpiece. Organs seer through hard drums and pounding bass while Koko's deep voice guides through the evocative world of Greek Tsifteteli. For lovers of Aris San and Levitros.

2020 erschien mit "KiCk i" der Grammy nominierte Auftakt zur Serie; auch nominiert bei den Latin Grammy Awards als "Best Alternative Music Album". 2021 setzt Arca mit "KICK ii" bis "IIIII" nun die "KiCk"-Serie auf XL Recordings fort. Jetzt erscheinen diese auch physisch auf CD und Vinyl! Als Künstlerin war Arca schon immer eine Gestaltenwandlerin - äußerlich wie musikalisch. Sie produzierte Musik für Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean, Björk, Kanye West und FKA twigs, komponierte Musik für das MoMA, trat 2020 mit den Labèque Schwestern, zwei fantastischen Pianistinnen, bei der Burberry Fashion-Show auf, schrieb einen Soundtrack-Beitrag für die HBO-Serie "Euphoria", erschuf gewaltige Noise-Skulpturen oder gab sich auf Partys als exaltierte Diva. Arca wurde für einen GLAAD Media Award nominiert und ist die erste nicht-binäre Künstlerin, die schließlich für einen GRAMMY nominiert wurde. Sie hat ihr eigenes Album-Artwork entworfen und gemalt, für Bottega Venetta, Calvin Klein und Loewe gemodelt, Musikinstrumente der nächsten Generation mitentwickelt und auch mit KI experimentiert. Alejandra Ghersi Rodriguez, wie Arca eigentlich heißt, wurde erst vor kurzem von Publikationen wie dem Time Magazine, Guardian, DAZED, Billboard, Pitchfork, Stereogum und der Los Angeles Times zur einer der innovativsten Künstlerinnen des 21. Jahrhundert ernannt. Als nonbinäre Latinx-Transfrau will Doña Arca die Rolle des Popstars für kommende Generation neu definieren - mit "KICK ii bis IIIII" entführt sie uns in diese Zukunft und öffnet die Tür in eine neue und nonbinäre Soundwelt.

2020 erschien mit "KiCk i" der Grammy nominierte Auftakt zur Serie; auch nominiert bei den Latin Grammy Awards als "Best Alternative Music Album". 2021 setzt Arca mit "KICK ii" bis "IIIII" nun die "KiCk"-Serie auf XL Recordings fort. Jetzt erscheinen diese auch physisch auf CD und Vinyl! Als Künstlerin war Arca schon immer eine Gestaltenwandlerin - äußerlich wie musikalisch. Sie produzierte Musik für Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean, Björk, Kanye West und FKA twigs, komponierte Musik für das MoMA, trat 2020 mit den Labèque Schwestern, zwei fantastischen Pianistinnen, bei der Burberry Fashion-Show auf, schrieb einen Soundtrack-Beitrag für die HBO-Serie "Euphoria", erschuf gewaltige Noise-Skulpturen oder gab sich auf Partys als exaltierte Diva. Arca wurde für einen GLAAD Media Award nominiert und ist die erste nicht-binäre Künstlerin, die schließlich für einen GRAMMY nominiert wurde. Sie hat ihr eigenes Album-Artwork entworfen und gemalt, für Bottega Venetta, Calvin Klein und Loewe gemodelt, Musikinstrumente der nächsten Generation mitentwickelt und auch mit KI experimentiert. Alejandra Ghersi Rodriguez, wie Arca eigentlich heißt, wurde erst vor kurzem von Publikationen wie dem Time Magazine, Guardian, DAZED, Billboard, Pitchfork, Stereogum und der Los Angeles Times zur einer der innovativsten Künstlerinnen des 21. Jahrhundert ernannt. Als nonbinäre Latinx-Transfrau will Doña Arca die Rolle des Popstars für kommende Generation neu definieren - mit "KICK ii bis IIIII" entführt sie uns in diese Zukunft und öffnet die Tür in eine neue und nonbinäre Soundwelt.

2020 erschien mit "KiCk i" der Grammy nominierte Auftakt zur Serie; auch nominiert bei den Latin Grammy Awards als "Best Alternative Music Album". 2021 setzt Arca mit "KICK ii" bis "IIIII" nun die "KiCk"-Serie auf XL Recordings fort. Jetzt erscheinen diese auch physisch auf CD und Vinyl! Als Künstlerin war Arca schon immer eine Gestaltenwandlerin - äußerlich wie musikalisch. Sie produzierte Musik für Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean, Björk, Kanye West und FKA twigs, komponierte Musik für das MoMA, trat 2020 mit den Labèque Schwestern, zwei fantastischen Pianistinnen, bei der Burberry Fashion-Show auf, schrieb einen Soundtrack-Beitrag für die HBO-Serie "Euphoria", erschuf gewaltige Noise-Skulpturen oder gab sich auf Partys als exaltierte Diva. Arca wurde für einen GLAAD Media Award nominiert und ist die erste nicht-binäre Künstlerin, die schließlich für einen GRAMMY nominiert wurde. Sie hat ihr eigenes Album-Artwork entworfen und gemalt, für Bottega Venetta, Calvin Klein und Loewe gemodelt, Musikinstrumente der nächsten Generation mitentwickelt und auch mit KI experimentiert. Alejandra Ghersi Rodriguez, wie Arca eigentlich heißt, wurde erst vor kurzem von Publikationen wie dem Time Magazine, Guardian, DAZED, Billboard, Pitchfork, Stereogum und der Los Angeles Times zur einer der innovativsten Künstlerinnen des 21. Jahrhundert ernannt. Als nonbinäre Latinx-Transfrau will Doña Arca die Rolle des Popstars für kommende Generation neu definieren - mit "KICK ii bis IIIII" entführt sie uns in diese Zukunft und öffnet die Tür in eine neue und nonbinäre Soundwelt.

Touch Sensitive is honoured to dig into the vaults of legendary cult French group Vox Populi! with a collection primarily pulling from their creative highpoint of 1986-1990. The vast majority of the works are unreleased and all make their first appearance on vinyl. The recordings have been licensed from the group's extensive archive, mastered by Rupert Clervaux and cut by Andreas Kauffelt at Schnitstelle. The release is completed by liner notes focusing on Vox Populi!'s creative process and prolific output. Springing from the rip it up restart of post-punk in 1980 and primarily active throughout that decade, Vox Populi!'s discography is a perfect showcase of an almost unclassifiable group. The often-used 'ethno-industrial' tag - even if not approved by the group - goes some way to describing a melting pot of primarily self-taught techniques and vast cultural influences. Founding member Axel Kyrou's parents were avant-garde musicians and filmmakers resulting in a heavy cultural immersion from a young age. His partner and bandmate Mitra moved from Iran to Paris in 1978 - followed a few years later by her virtuoso brother Arash who joined the group at the age of 14. Based in their 14th arronidissement studio - previously Axel and his brother's family playroom - Vox Populi! quickly became a lynchpin in the Parisian experimental scene and beyond through the burgeoning mail-art scene. The group contributed work to a huge number of independent labels. Their music and approach quickly progressed from rudimentary experiments to harness transcendental spiritual qualities and moments of intense beauty. In this collection, we can feel the vibrations of Don Cherry's Organic Music Society, Faust's communal explorations and King Tubby's forward-thinking studio experimentation. "We recorded everything - every idea. We would always have a cassette or a reel running. We made such different styles - freaky, alternative, experimental, industrial etc. We had no rules and no plans - our main motives were play and pleasure. I think that many people can feel that in the music." Three tracks recorded in 2017 by a reconfigured Vox Populi! sit perfectly with music from 30 years previous - "We were never defined by fashion or the zeitgeist. So we remained ourselves. Our sound is still natural. We had to be turned on by our own music and we wanted the music to have an impact on consciousness. We were the subjects of our own experiments and there was also a kind of mystery - even for us." The Psyko Tropix collection is another magical and mysterious addition to the open-hearted and open-eared world of Vox Populi! "The music of Vox Populi! found me several years ago and it was one of my record digging highlights. Their stark contrast of dark and light paints a beautiful picture of the physical and mental world we all live in. This new album doesn't miss a step in exploring further in both directions" Cut Chemist

The cosmic journey continues! Finally the fourth volume of the Cosmic Disco Machine series is out. As always pressed in limited number of copies , this volume is served in marbled white vinyl.The musical selection includes classic songs like "Time Actor" by Richard Wanhfried, as long as more underground and exclusive tracks such as "La Edad Del Broce" by Mecanica Popular, "Polaroid / Roman / Photo" By Ruth just to mention two from the rich traclkist.

The selection of these tunes is, as always, treated in any detail, artistic and musical, all tracks being gently mastered keeping the original and characteristic mood of each song. Just get it and you will discover the rest by listening to this new unmissable volume.Have a good listening and stay tuned for the next chapter of our cosmic journey.

Well-loved vocal starlets of the drum and bass scene, Riya and Collette Warren have teamed up to create the stunning vocalist lead LP, ‘Two Sides of Everything’. Both originally hailing from Birmingham the women have been friends for more decade, making this a powerfully personal project. This groundbreaking album is the first time two female vocalists have teamed up in the world of 170, and the release enlists some of the scenes best-known producers from all corners of DNB’s eclectic spectrum.

With tracks from seasoned veterans such as Technimatic and Mercury Prize Award Winner Roni Size and leaders of the new school like Whiney and Monrroe and the pair have ensured all musical areas of the scene are represented. Making sure to include some more female talent, the album also includes Kyrist, and vocal support from Sofi Mari and the legendary Tali who was a huge formative influence on this duo growing up. Separately both artists have carved out significant notches within drum and bass, with their vocals on tracks being heard on timeless classics such as the forever beautiful ‘Kismet’ by Hybrid Minds and the haunting ‘One Exception’ with DJ Marky and Tyler Daley.

After more than two decades flexing his muscles on the local underground scene and gaining a legendary cult status on his Tenerife home turf, the island’s most famous postman, as he’s affectionately known by his consorts, Tomás de la Rosa aka Postman breaks radio silence to bulldoze his way through the canyons surrounding his hometown of Santa Cruz into an unknown and unsuspecting world. We present thus, Postman’s first ever album of original bangers, micro chopped two steppers and rage induced breakbeat anthems.

Constructed over the course of global confinement, Seeds of Light marks a return to creative activity from the man who regularly delivers your post (its not just a random artist name). Postman aka Tomás de la Rosa has taken his time, compiling sketches and unfinished songs, rummaging through the deep ends of his hardrive, stitching early production sketches with recent compositions, revising, reediting and rebuilding with a more mature and concise attitude, eventually completing, almost unintentionally, the perfect self referential retrospective album. Far from being just a compilation album, Tomás managed to create an explosive document, suspended in time, in which styles are intertwined regardless of fashions and fads – letting go of the ‘modern’ or ‘up to date’ burden - so common these days in electronic music.

It is not an easy album, like many of his previous work it demands extra attention to experience the full crystallization of his complex sound structures. We find ourselves in front of a truly surgically precise work of art whose result comes as a waterproof war machine, refined and incisive, resonating deep with soul and groove.

Postman develops his sound palette throughout the album from very basic sound snippets into a concrete dance world of synthetic sounds eventually creating a parallel reality where J. Dilla could be living in Chemnitz instead of Detroit and releasing records for a label called Raster-Throw. Glitch sampladelics!

Incursions into Grime are also abundant with nods to the ineffable East Man, reunions with his beloved Funkstörung or many other stimulating revisions of lifelong genres and breaks populate this multidimensional sound space, see soul, dancehall, breakbeat, two step and the UK hardcore continuum.

Special mention to the magnificent fluid artwork by the very talented Catalan visual artist Alba de Corral. A still photo from one of her kinetic AI systems programmed directly in code, which matches perfectly the essence of Postman's brutalist alien sound.

Vinyl limited to 200 copies

Pachakuti is a musician and producer with family roots in Colombia. He plays keys, tenor saxophone and clarinet. While living and working in Berlin, he draws inspiration from the natural world, investigative travels, and ancestral traditions of Latin America and beyond. His expressive and rhythmical playing and his instantaneous compositions are directed at the human core, arousing subtle experiences. While not being conformed to one style, it always invokes a sense of liveliness and depth to be delved in. young.vishnu is a producer and DJ. He has studied philosophy and music in Hildesheim, Germany, which heavily influenced his views on meaning and mythology in music. In his DJ sets he selects and plays classic and contemporary Funk, Soul and Afrobeat. His practice as a DJ informs his work behind the boards directly, adding also more organic grooves and broader spectrum of musical styles to his in Hip-Hop based production. If you had to put one single tag on their forthcoming album Dédalo, the best choice would be Jazz. That being said, Pachakuti and young.vishnu's sound worlds might be better described in their own words: "We just make music and try to incorporate what we love about it". They are musical freethinkers with shared interests in eastern philosophy and botany who interweave Hip-Hop, Latin and Funk with musical storytelling and world mythology. Undoubtedly, their most ambitious work to date, Dédalo (Spanish synonym for labyrinth), recorded and produced over the course of a year, shows Pachakuti & young.vishnu's ambitions and growth. Where their debut work Semilla (2020) centered around the image of the seed, Dédalo takes on the entire garden. Besides playing multiple instruments by themselves, Pachakuti & young.vishnu invited a growing group of befriended musicians into the studio, including percussionist maestro Eric Owusu (Pat Thomas, Ebo Taylor, Jembaa Groove) and drummer Leon Raum (Bokoya, Wyl), as well as Brazilian newcomer vocalist Laíz, and members of their former band project Soularkestra. The 16 recorded songs, ranging from 1:19 to 14:58 minutes, take you on an emotionally honest, metaphoric journey through the maze of human existence, of modern society and mythic poetry. The mostly instrumental tracks build on expressive melodies, layered rhythms, and a wide range of musical instruments, merging the sounds of Jazz with the classical word of orchestras and choirs, and urban soundscapes with traditional instruments such as the Andean Kena and Charango, the Colombian Gaita and Marimba de Chonta, and an Indian harmonium. The Album thus weaves together past and future, and diverse cultural threads, sounds and ideas in an act of cultural appreciation and global conscience. Mixed and mastered by Roe Beardie at The Brewery Studios, Berlin. The album artwork itself merges the visionary art of Mexican painter Sergio Chávez Hollar with an original artwork-inlay of Brazilian artist Laíz and the work of Carsten Pölking of the Nima Compositions Archive.

Dédalo will be available digitally and on double-vinyl with inside-out print cover and colored inlay with credits and painting by Laís De Mello Barbero.

The British composer, musician and audio engineer Daphne Oram was a pioneering figure in the use of electronic music. Coming to prominence through her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which she co-founded, Oram was one of the first British composers to feature electronic instruments in her work and has been rightly hailed as helping musique concrete to become accepted in Britain. Born in 1925 and raised in rural Wiltshire, close to Stonehenge and the ancient stone circle at Avebury, Oram eschewed a place at the prestigious Royal College of Music to take a junior engineering role at the BBC in 1942, she was often tasked with creating sound effects, leading to cut-up experiments with tape recorders and the development of synthetic sound; her composition Still Point, involving two orchestras, two turntables and five microphones, was deemed too radical by the BBC, though she was promoted to studio manager in 1950, leading to the gradual introduction of electronic music and musique concrete techniques on BBC soundtracks. In 1957, she composed the music for the play Amphitryon 38, using a sine wave oscillator and homemade filters, and this and other subsequent works led to the establishment of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop the following year, but Oram soon tired of the conservative constraints of the BBC, leading to her resignation in 1959 to pursue her own vision at the Oramics Studios for Electronic Composition, located in Tower Folly, a former hop kiln located at Fairseat, near the village of Wrotham in rural Kent. Oramics was a radical sound composition technique that sought to transform images to music, enacted by drawing onto 35mm film, which would then be read by photo-electric cells; in addition to its use in Radiophonic Workshop material, Oramics was also employed for sound installations, theatre productions and feature films, such as The Innocents, though financial pressures forced Oram to seek a range of commercial engagements in addition to creating her own artistic works. The Listen Move And Dance series of BBC programmes were devised as a radical new technique to help British schoolchildren learn how to dance; on the LP releases, Vera Gray arranged short adaptations of classical pieces by Bartok, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and others, designed for “stamping, punching, kicking and jumping” movements, as well as “running lightly, dancing on toes” and “shaking all about,” which contrasted sharply with Oram’s electronic abstractions, which seemed to have been beamed in from outer space.

Polarity, the first album from percussionist and multi-instrumentalist James Larter is a cross-genre Psychedelic journey with driving rhythms at its core.

Larter has always been obsessed with rhythm; whether it be the roaring sound of Brazilian Samba or the intricate and hypnotic drums from the African diaspora, music that makes people move is a passion. He is an in demand musician that has played with a staggering variety of groups and artists

from Sampha to the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hailing from the UK and studying in London and New York, his soundscape crosses genres and styles all with a psychedelic twist. Marimba and vibraphone feature heavily with echoes of electronic music played out by an all-star accompanying 10 piece band.

A core group coming out of the Philadelphia soul sound of the 70s, this 7 inch release takes two tracks from The O'Jays 1971 LP "Super Bad", the last made before altering their four member line-up. P-VINE are releasing Crossroads of Life and Gotta Get My Broom Out for the first time together on this one-time press 7 Inch format.

Nat ‘King’ Cole was born in Alabama in 1917. He began his musical
career in the 1940s with his own Jazz trio, but his skills as an innovative Jazz Pianist soon became overshadowed by his skills as a ballad singer. Cole’s phrasing, his uncanny ability at interpreting a song and his sheer style made the whole business seem natural and effortless. Smoother than Sinatra, cooler than Crosby, when it came to crooners, Nat Cole truly was the King. His mellow approach influenced not only other ballad singers, but a whole generation of 1960s soul singers. This 16-track ‘greatest hits’ collection is a superb selection.

Daniele Ippolito compose songs of Ambient, Synthwave, New Age, Dark-wave, Progressive and Soundtrack styles. He dislike to define himself under a specific style cause his influences goes from Italo-Disco to classic music and from SoundTracks to Dark-Wave. He already collaborated for some artists of Pop and Techno music. But his foundations will stay on the 80’s style sound called also 80s revival, one of his phylosophy is to work with only vintage synthesizers hardwares who will give to his songs a warm and unique.

Philadelphia, US, noisemakers The Mary Veils return with new album Esoteric Hex, their first full-length as a band. Mixed by Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs etc) and Cory Hanson (Wand, Ty Segall etc), Esoteric Hex is a scintillating ten-track exercise in punk-inflected garage rock rooted deeply in the intersection between riffery and melody, taking its cues the classic punk of New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders and The Dickies, as well as more contemporary influences like Osees and Hot Snakes. The record is out on Sweden's PNKSLM Recordings (ShitKid, Les Big Byrd, Holy etc.)

24 Songs. A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings. Explaining 24 Songs, David Gedge said: “In 1991, The Wedding Present were rehearsing in a studio in Yorkshire when we hit upon an idea that immediately thrilled us all. Our bass player Keith Gregory had been a member of the ‘Sub Pop Singles Club’ - a service that allowed subscribers to receive 7”s released by that Seattle label on a monthly basis. Keith wondered if we, as a band, could attempt a similar thing. In that instant, The Wedding Present’s Hit Parade series was born and, during 1992, we managed to release a brand new 7” single each and every month. “The Hit Parade went on to become something of a significant milestone in the history of the band and it’s a project about which I’m often asked. As its thirtieth anniversary approached, I began to wonder if we should celebrate it in some way. A ‘Hit Parade Part 2’ didn’t feel quite right, though. Then, someone said to me: “Other bands have released music in similar ways but there has been nothing like the Hit Parade.” And they were right! A 7” single a month seems, somehow, very ‘Wedding Present’. So, inspired by that little idea from three decades ago, we’ve embarked on this new project, 24 Songs. “Even though The Wedding Present have never been known for taking the easy route, the idea of recording 24 tracks and releasing them in this way could seem daunting to any band. However, I’ve been inspired by the music that has been written since Jon and Melanie joined the group. The thought of celebrating this exciting new line-up with an exciting new series has motivated us all… and I suppose we also didn’t want any of these songs to be hidden away in the middle of an album!”

Astrel K is Rhys Edwards of Ulrika Spacek. Astrel K's debut single ‘You Could If You Can’ was released via Duophonic Super 45s - a label which has a history of releasing limited edition abstract releases from Stereolab, Broadcast & Yo La Tengo. 500 copies of the 7” were made, hand stamped and numbered, quickly selling out in selected record shops. Following the loss of KEN, a shared house in which Ulrika Spacek band members lived and worked from, Edwards relocated to Stockholm, Sweden where he began making music on his own: “At this time, I didn’t really know anyone in Stockholm so kinda retreated into making music just by myself. The album title definitely reflects this period; I was on my own making music and sometimes nothing would be happening and sometimes there would be little sparks of ideas that could keep me going” Edwards would spend nights writing and recording in a shared rehearsal space producing music rich with layers and texture, synonymous with the work of Ulrika Spacek but with perhaps a greater focus on the art of ‘song writing’. Tracks with verse’s and chorus’s are surrounded by instrumental interludes; inspired by old library music and compositions for film as well as being reminiscent of bands such as Broadcast. The album doesn’t sound like one made in either London or Stockholm, rather somewhere in the nether region. Written pre pandemic but mixed in the past year, the music led Edwards to finding like minded musicians from the Stockholm music scene: “Though I’m now glad I can say I wrote an album by myself, I was definitely confronted with my own musical strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes when you have an A/B decision you want some perspective and you’d be in the studio, turn around and no one is there. It really made me curious to bring in more people into the fold, not to compromise any original vision or anything, but to have other energy in the room, to exorcise out any lazy tricks I may fall into”. Stockholm musicians (including Lili Holényi, Milton Öhrström, Niklas Mellberg, Tomas Hellberg) played on the album and join Edwards in the live version of the project. UK and European live dates to follow.

Red Vinyl

Time has come for Futurepast to release a long format album: Alarm Phase Red - catalogue number FPLP01 - will be the first full-length work from Futurepast founder Davy Vandegaer, appearing here under a new name: Brainwashed Today.

Rooted in a conceptual approach of electronic music, this double LP ranges from industrial ambient to experimental techno. Like an antidote to a twisted reality of controlled screens and mental isolation, Alarm Phase Red uses the raw language of electricity
to reach the core of the machine and sabotage it, reverse its effects by mirroring them. Fighting fire with fire, deflecting the pressure and strain of a world driven by fear and anger, the music of Brainwashed Today acts like a cathartic escape from technological enslavement.

With the purchase of the vinyl comes a batch of three digital bonus tracks pursuing further the sound research of the album.

"This Is A Photograph", MORBYs siebtes Album, ist ein Loblied auf die Americana, das Leben und Tod und Blut auf der Leinwand zum Ausdruck bringt. Der kreativ gestärkte Songwriter hat es geschafft, seine besten Songs, seine besten Gesangsleistungen, seine prägnantesten Texte und seine üppigsten Arrangements auf "This Is A Photograph" zu vereinen. Dies ist zweifellos sein bisheriges Hauptwerk. Die Geschichte beginnt im Januar 2020, als MORBY im Keller seines Elternhauses in Kansas City geistesabwesend in einer Kiste mit alten Familienfotos blättert. Nur Stunden zuvor war sein Vater bei einem Familienessen vor seinen Augen zusammengebrochen und musste ins Krankenhaus gebracht werden. In dieser Nacht spürte MORBY noch immer den Schock und die Angst, die ihm in den Knochen steckten. Also sah er sich die Bilder an, bis ihm eines davon ins Auge sprang: sein Vater als junger Mann, stolz und stark und voller Selbstvertrauen, der mit freiem Oberkörper auf einer Wiese posiert. "In the photo he looks young and full of confidence, puffing his chest out at the camera as if he were looking for a fight," erklärt MORBY. "It was not lost on me that this was the same chest, just hours before, I had seen the ambulance put a stethoscope against as he lay on the kitchen floor of my sisters house." Während sein Vater wieder zu Kräften kam, grübelte er über diese Gedanken nach. Und dann machte er sich auf den Weg nach Memphis. Er zog in das Peabody Hotel und verbrachte seine Tage damit, den Träumern, die er bewunderte, Tribut zu zollen und sich vor ihnen zu verneigen; er ging hinunter zum Ufer des Mississippi, zu der Stelle, an der JEFF BUCKLEY sein Ende fand. Er schlenderte durch das Viertel, in dem JAY REATARD seinen letzten Tag verbrachte, und fuhr dann am Stax-Zelt vorbei, um seine Stimmung kurz aufzuheitern. Dann fuhr er an Graceland vorbei, bevor er den Highway 61 überquerte und die Geister zu sich rufen ließ, um seine eigenen Träume zu gestalten. Abends kehrte er in sein Zimmer zurück und hielt seine Ideen auf einem behelfsmäßigen Aufnahmegerät fest, das nur aus seiner Gitarre und einem Mikrofon bestand. Die schwermütigen Songs, die zu all dem passen, was er gesehen hatte, sprudelten nur so aus ihm heraus. Wiederum leitete Sam Cohen (der "Singing Saw" und "Oh My God" produziert hatte) das Projekt. Sie begannen in Cohens Studio im Bundesstaat New York, das sich noch im Bau befand, zusammen mit dem Schlagzeuger Nick Kinsey, und arbeiteten langsam an den Songs, da die Reise der Aufnahme der Start-Stopp-Qualität von 2021 selbst entsprach, mit magischen Momenten, die in die prekären Navigationen eingestreut waren. Mit der Zeit füllte sich die Besetzung. Der ehemalige Tournee-Pianist Oliver Hill sowie seine Mutter Meg und seine Schwester Charlotte sorgten für die Streicher. Die Tourneeleute Cochemea Gastelum (Saxophon), Jared Samuel (Orgel) und Alecia Chakour (Gesang, Tamburin) stießen zu den Sessions hinzu, ebenso wie Eric Johnson (Banjo). Und neue Mitstreiter*innen wie Schlagzeuger Josh Jaeger (Schlagzeug, Perkussion), Brandee Younger (Harfe), Makaya McCraven (Schlagzeug), Cassandra Jenkins (Gesang) und sogar Tim Heidecker und Alia Shawkat (die schrägen Lacher auf "Rock Bottom") fügten sich in das entstehende Bild ein. Und passenderweise fanden die letzten Sessions live in Memphis in Sam Philips Recording Co. statt, das von seinem Sohn Jerry Philips geleitet wird und das Erbe des ursprünglichen Sun Records Studios fortführt.

"This Is A Photograph", MORBYs siebtes Album, ist ein Loblied auf die Americana, das Leben und Tod und Blut auf der Leinwand zum Ausdruck bringt. Der kreativ gestärkte Songwriter hat es geschafft, seine besten Songs, seine besten Gesangsleistungen, seine prägnantesten Texte und seine üppigsten Arrangements auf "This Is A Photograph" zu vereinen. Dies ist zweifellos sein bisheriges Hauptwerk. Die Geschichte beginnt im Januar 2020, als MORBY im Keller seines Elternhauses in Kansas City geistesabwesend in einer Kiste mit alten Familienfotos blättert. Nur Stunden zuvor war sein Vater bei einem Familienessen vor seinen Augen zusammengebrochen und musste ins Krankenhaus gebracht werden. In dieser Nacht spürte MORBY noch immer den Schock und die Angst, die ihm in den Knochen steckten. Also sah er sich die Bilder an, bis ihm eines davon ins Auge sprang: sein Vater als junger Mann, stolz und stark und voller Selbstvertrauen, der mit freiem Oberkörper auf einer Wiese posiert. "In the photo he looks young and full of confidence, puffing his chest out at the camera as if he were looking for a fight," erklärt MORBY. "It was not lost on me that this was the same chest, just hours before, I had seen the ambulance put a stethoscope against as he lay on the kitchen floor of my sisters house." Während sein Vater wieder zu Kräften kam, grübelte er über diese Gedanken nach. Und dann machte er sich auf den Weg nach Memphis. Er zog in das Peabody Hotel und verbrachte seine Tage damit, den Träumern, die er bewunderte, Tribut zu zollen und sich vor ihnen zu verneigen; er ging hinunter zum Ufer des Mississippi, zu der Stelle, an der JEFF BUCKLEY sein Ende fand. Er schlenderte durch das Viertel, in dem JAY REATARD seinen letzten Tag verbrachte, und fuhr dann am Stax-Zelt vorbei, um seine Stimmung kurz aufzuheitern. Dann fuhr er an Graceland vorbei, bevor er den Highway 61 überquerte und die Geister zu sich rufen ließ, um seine eigenen Träume zu gestalten. Abends kehrte er in sein Zimmer zurück und hielt seine Ideen auf einem behelfsmäßigen Aufnahmegerät fest, das nur aus seiner Gitarre und einem Mikrofon bestand. Die schwermütigen Songs, die zu all dem passen, was er gesehen hatte, sprudelten nur so aus ihm heraus. Wiederum leitete Sam Cohen (der "Singing Saw" und "Oh My God" produziert hatte) das Projekt. Sie begannen in Cohens Studio im Bundesstaat New York, das sich noch im Bau befand, zusammen mit dem Schlagzeuger Nick Kinsey, und arbeiteten langsam an den Songs, da die Reise der Aufnahme der Start-Stopp-Qualität von 2021 selbst entsprach, mit magischen Momenten, die in die prekären Navigationen eingestreut waren. Mit der Zeit füllte sich die Besetzung. Der ehemalige Tournee-Pianist Oliver Hill sowie seine Mutter Meg und seine Schwester Charlotte sorgten für die Streicher. Die Tourneeleute Cochemea Gastelum (Saxophon), Jared Samuel (Orgel) und Alecia Chakour (Gesang, Tamburin) stießen zu den Sessions hinzu, ebenso wie Eric Johnson (Banjo). Und neue Mitstreiter*innen wie Schlagzeuger Josh Jaeger (Schlagzeug, Perkussion), Brandee Younger (Harfe), Makaya McCraven (Schlagzeug), Cassandra Jenkins (Gesang) und sogar Tim Heidecker und Alia Shawkat (die schrägen Lacher auf "Rock Bottom") fügten sich in das entstehende Bild ein. Und passenderweise fanden die letzten Sessions live in Memphis in Sam Philips Recording Co. statt, das von seinem Sohn Jerry Philips geleitet wird und das Erbe des ursprünglichen Sun Records Studios fortführt.

At the tender age of twenty-five, while he was working part-time at an Italian restaurant in Tokyo's Kamata district, Kazuki Tomokawa released his debut record, fittingly titled Finally, His First Album. While he had already penned hundreds of songs, including his first single "Try Saying You're Alive!," written on a long train ride past fields and rice paddies, it was this recording that introduced Japan to one of its most unique musicians of the postwar era. Each track, as record label exec Kiichi Takahara writes in the LP's liner notes (here translated for the first time), is not a song but a "flesh-and-blood human being," birthed by the singer-songwriter and the raw, guttural cries that would become a hallmark of his incomparable sound. 1970s Japan was a time and place marked by a profound desire for authenticity amidst the onset of television and media saturation. Tomokawa arrived on the scene as a musician with "the personality of a hydrogen bomb," to borrow a phrase from his frequent collaborator Toshi Ishizuka. In an unwieldy interview included here, members of the notorious leftist band Zun? Keisatsu (Brain Police) put it bluntly: here was a man surrounded by the "disingenuous," the "wishy-washy," and the "superficial," who was delivering "real life, unvarnished." These songs are lullabies for the lost, staring not into the void but-as the fourth track declares-from inside it. Finally, His First Album is the first of three Tomokawa records to be reissued by Blank Forms Editions in conjunction with the US release of Tomokawa's memoir, Try Saying You're Alive!, the first-ever English translation of his writing. This debut captures the self-assured trademarks that Tomokawa would hone over the course of decades. Multiple tracks are performed in his native Akita dialect, a distinct and highly regional vernacular of northern Japan seldom heard outside the prefecture-and even more rarely heard in music. Tomokawa's lyrics locate profound interiority in the rituals of everyday life, and are sung against sparse folk arrangements of tender, lilting chords-a prelude to the rock and electronic stylings to come in later years. A self-proclaimed "living corpse," Tomokawa wallows, whispers, shouts, and cries, yet still, through his existential doubt, asks to be heard.

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of iconic Dutch jazz label Timeless Records, Music On Vinyl is releasing a series that features albums that are part of the Timeless Records legacy and will be released mainly throughout 2022.

Part of this series is Pharoah Sanders’ Moon Child from 1990, which bookended a decade of musical soul searching for Sanders. The acclaimed free jazz player is known to have a raw and abrasive sound, but reinvented himself on this album as a more traditional improviser capable of thoughtful deliberations. Moon Child is a grand old time throughout, and Sanders has never been more eminently sing-along-able as he is on its title track. The record was co-written with Horace Silver, George Gershwin and Abdullah Ibrahim and recorded with William Henderson, Stafford James, Eddie Moore and Cheikh Tidiane Fal

RARE RECORDINGS BY SEMINAL HIP_HOP GROUP TUFF CREW - This record is a double album vinyl set w/ unreleased bonus material/tracks. - Tuff Crew is known throughout the world as Philly's first Rap super group. They've toured extensively with some of the biggest names in Rap music such as Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Rob Base and LL Cool J. The response to Tuff Crew's music has been nothing short of stellar. On a national level, their single "My Parta Town" peaked at #23 on the Billboard Rap charts, while their album Back to Wreck Shop reached #74 on the Billboard R&B album charts. Estimates of Tuff Crew's global sales are in excess of three million units. Tuff Crew's body of work has resulted in a dedicated legion of fans across the world and their DJ Too Tuff has been the recipient of various accolades throughout his career. DJ Z-Trip advised that the technique of DJ Too Tuff inspired him to be a scratch DJ. Three time global DMC scratch champion DJ Q-Bert also notes Too Tuff as one of his inspirations. And A-Trak, Kanye West's DJ, has also voiced his adoration of the turntable techniques of DJ Too Tuff. Although Tuff Crew made an incredible mark on the musical landscape, they unfortunately fell victim to bad management and infighting. It was during this time period that DJ Too Tuff, the man behind legendary Tuff Crew sound, gathered the finest of Philly's underground MC's and began work on a solo project. The new Tuff Crew album, containing the finest of DJ Too Tuff's solo work, is entitled DJ Too Tuff's Lost Archives. DJ Too Tuff's Lost Archives will be highly sought after, and is destined to become an instant collector's item. For fans of of Eric B and Rakim, Public Enemy, Ultramagnetic MC's, Run DMC and Wu-Tang Clan, this record is not to be missed.

Created in the middle of the pandemic this album celebrates the magic that happens when 4 very uniquely gifted, but very complementary, instrumentalists come together for a jam session. From hazy guitars & warm keys over to funky beats & psychedelic grooves to ease you into an album that circumnavigates 360 degrees of soulful music.
Adding some garnish to this rhythmic stew are an impressive
collection of special guests: Olivier St. Louis, Nneka, Lui Hill,
J.Lamotta, Bowie & Flo Mega.

The KBCS represent the musical coming together of four very uniquely gifted, but very complementary, instrumentalists from Hamburg, Germany. Color Box, their sophomore LP, happened almost by accident, born as it was out of a series of freestyle jams.
The album kicks off with three instrumental openers - the first of which, Popsicles, is best described by the band them- selves as “a late summer teenage adventure”. Hazy guitars and warm keys playfully amuse each other over a solid, funky beat on what is an evocative and vivid introduction to this talented foursome. It’s followed by Whistleblowers, a sweet and somewhat whimsical piece where another sturdy bottom end allows keys and strings to enjoy some lively interplay, and Jolly Tumbleweed which, with its optimistic yet melancholic feel, completes the trio of warm, hazy psychedelic grooves to ease you into an album that circumnavigates 360
degrees of soulful music.
Adding some garnish to this rhythmic stew are an impressive collection of special guests. Berlin based, and internationally adored vocalist Olivier St.
Louis sprinkles a little Cali sweetness with the head nodding Pockets - one of the most immediate and soulful cuts on the album. A guaranteed ear worm, bringing a little sunshine to the winter months to come.
Elsewhere, multi-talented Nigerian singer Nneka lends her distinctive voice to the very succinct but powerful Afro-soul of Ndidi; the enigmatic Lui Hill lays his soul bare with honesty and candor on the alluring Albatross; Tel Aviv born J. Lamotta gives The Center a somewhat delicate and fragile dimension that plays perfectly alongside graceful guitars and contrasts with a sturdy backbeat of bass and drum; and Viviane Ann, AKA Bowie, smooths out the rough edges on the very radio friendly Wasting All Your Lovin’.
This is indeed music from the heart; a document of their coming together; and music that needs to be heard live!

Dena Miller grew up on a diet of folk before spending 6 years writing and exploring projects through Philly's punk scene, Oberlin's conservatory experimentalist and NY's DIY history before arriving at her debut album 'Woodpecker' . Think Waxahatchee, Told Slant & Moldy Peaches...
Black vinyl with inner sleeve lyrics & download.

Deer Scout’s debut full length Woodpecker is a record about memory and the subconscious. And like an unforgettable dream that keeps you puzzling over its riddles for days, it’s as packed with direct symbols as it is with ruminative haze. “I approach songwriting as a process of boxing things up, or putting away a time capsule,” explains front person Dena Miller, who wrote the album over a period of six years. It’s a culminating collection of the project’s many sounds and influences to date, from Philly’s punk cooperatives to Oberlin’s conservatory experimentalism to New York’s DIY history. At the center is Miller’s assured guitar fingerpicking and boldly clear voice, firmly grounded even as it gently probes uncertain emotional and musical terrain.

Raised by two folk musicians in Yonkers, Miller began recording songs as Deer Scout her freshman year of college in Philadelphia. There, she wrote Woodpecker’s earliest song “Synesthesia” about a train ride home from a basement show: “Night in the city / Big house on the corner / Her voice has the timbre of summers ago,” recalls Miller resonantly. After Miller’s transfer to Oberlin College, Deer Scout began touring DIY venues around the country and sharing stages with favorite artists including Waxahatchee and Told Slant. The twinned intimacy and intricacy of those two influences is reflected in the carefully adventurous arrangements on Woodpecker, which features, among other contributors, bass from close collaborator Ko Takasugi-Czernowin, cello from Zuzia Weyman, drums from Madel Rafter, and guitar from Miller’s father Mark—who also wrote the song “Peace with the Damage” and originally released it with his band Spuyten Duyvil in 2011.

Many of the songs on Woodpecker were written during periods of grief or change. “I used to sing myself to sleep as a baby and I think music still plays the same role in my life—it’s a way of self-soothing or seeking comfort,” explains Miller. “But there’s also part of it that comes from wanting to connect with people." Recorded and mixed primarily by Heather Jones at So Big Auditory in Philly with overdubs by Miller at home, Woodpecker is an exercise in portraying the incommunicable. “Cup”—about a relational psychology test called “a walk in the woods” that turns encounters with symbols into meaning—uses watery arpeggios, wintry strings, and roving bass to create a liminal sonic space, optimistic but tense. “Cowboy,” with airy layers of acoustic guitar riffs and Miller’s charmingly double tracked voice, takes its little fish, big pond inspiration from the character Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy. And “Afterthought,” with its unexpectedly bright resolutions, is about God, love, and the complexity of empathy; “Heaven isn’t watching us,” sings Miller candidly over pedal steel.

Though Woodpecker is a record about uncertainty and the unknown, it’s also about compassion and connection—as Miller was able to find over the course of writing and recording this next chapter for Deer Scout and first release for Carpark, which she’s excited to at last share with the world.

In a generation of musicians that came of age in postwar Japan, Kazuki Tomokawa stands as a pioneer of radical individualism, with a sound marked by shocking intimacy and blistering honesty. In his third album, A String of Paper Cranes Clenched between My Teeth, released by Harvest Records in 1977, Tomokawa creeps "ever more inward," as Kiichi Takahara writes in the record's original introductory text-embracing an attitude pervasive amongst musicians of the time who interrogated the prosaic and the profound alike, eschewing politics and society in favor of an "attitude of total self-containment." Tomokawa recorded the album over the course of a month-from August 24 to September 25, 1977-at Tokyo's famed Onkio Haus studio in the bustling Ginza district. The arrangements, accordingly, are amped up: paired with the Black Panther Orchestra, Tomokawa's "screaming philosopher" vocals find their match with the orchestra's electric guitar, bass, piano, tuba, and ground-thumping drums played by the Brain Police's Toshi Ishizuka-who appears on Tomokawa's first three records and remains his collaborator to this day. "This is Kazuki Tomokawa in the flesh," concludes Takahara. A String of Paper Cranes Clenched between My Teeth is, in Tomokawa's uncanny way, able to cut through facade and artifice in pursuit of truth. "You call that life?" he heckles, exhausted by the melodrama and nihilism of youth counterculture, "try saying you're alive!"