quête:pia

For fans of Deep Purple, Whitesnake, and Glenn Hughes! Trapeze was formed in 1969, the band originally featured former The Montanas members John Jones (trumpet, vocals) and Terry Rowley (keyboards), and former Finders Keepers members Glenn Hughes (bass, vocals, piano), Mel Galley (guitar, vocals) and Dave Holland (drums). Jones and Rowley left the band following the release of their self-titled debut album in 1970, with the lineup of Hughes, Galley and Holland continuing as a trio. Originally released in 1970, Medusa was recorded at Morgan Studios, and was produced by The Moody Blues bassist John Lodge. The line-up of Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Mel Galley (Whitesnake), and Dave Holland (Judas Priest) recorded this album and the follow up You Are the Music... We're Just the Band in 1972 before that line-up disbanded when Hughes left in 1973 to join Deep Purple. Medusa has not been released on vinyl since 1979 and now has been fully remastered and comes on amber vinyl with purple, green and black splatter - 180-gram vinyl and a beautiful gatefold sleeve (limited to 250 copies pressed).

Originally released in 1972, You Are the Music... We're Just the Band was recorded with producer Neil Slaven. The line-up of Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Mel Galley (Whitesnake), and Dave Holland (Judas Priest) recorded this album before disbanding later that year when Hughes left in 1973 to join Deep Purple. You Are the Music... We're Just the Band also featured a wide range of guest performers, including guitarist B. J. Cole, pianist Rod Argent and saxophonist Jimmy Hastings. You Are the Music... We're Just the Band has not been released on vinyl since 1978 and now has been fully remastered and comes on white, red and black twist 180-gram vinyl and beautifully repackaged (limited to 250 copies pressed – gatefold sleeve).

When Paul Murphy released his critically acclaimed debut solo album, Claremont 56, in 2006, many thought it would be the first of many. In a way, it was, as in the years since he’s released a string of collaborative sets alongside Benjamin J Smith (as Smith & Mudd), and as part of underground ‘supergroups’ Paqua, Bison and Hillside. But that second solo album? Well, it just had to wait. In early 2023, Murphy finally decided to scratch that itch, roping in some of his most trusted collaborators (keyboardist and bassist Michele Chiavarini, percussionist Patrick Dawes, guitarist Dave Noble and HF International’s Kashif included) to lay down a sumptuous set of tracks that not only showcases his now familiar (bit hard to pigeonhole) neo-Balearic sound, but also proves how much he has matured as a writer and producer since 2006.

In The Garden of Mindfulness is richly musically detailed, expertly arranged and full to bursting with fluid instrumental solos, with Murphy and his collaborators serving up tracks that brilliantly blur the boundaries between languid jazz-funk, downtempo, vintage synth-laden krautrock, dubby grooves and sun-splashed soundscapes. It simply sparkles from the moment that opener ‘Eighty Three’ slowly rises like the morning sun, with gentle, undulating synth sounds ushering in a slow-motion jazz-funk excursion rich in twinkling electronics, spacey pads and warming bass. Recent single ‘Katanaboy’, a lusciously layered dub disco-infused dancefloor excursion in Murphy’s familiar style, raises the temperature a touch, before ‘Bonne Anse’ and the sublime ‘Unka Paw’ (whose combination of evocative fretless bass, extended electric piano solos, Clavinet licks and acoustic guitars is genuinely spellbinding) invite a combination of wavy shuffling and flat-on-the-back, eyes-closed appreciation.

And so it continues, with gorgeous title track ‘In The Garden of Mindfulness’ making way for the boogie-influenced, Japanese-British brilliance of ‘Hangsang’ (check the jaunty pianos, yearning breakdown and exotic melodies). Murphy’s long held love of warm, weighty bass, hypnotic disco grooves, colourful analogue synth sounds and jazzy guitars once again comes to the fore on ‘Way Of The Hollow’ before the album reaches a fittingly triumphant conclusion with ‘Late In March’.

A neat sonic summary of all that makes the set such a rewarding and entertaining experience, repeat listens reveals a wealth of musical details, from off-kilter triple-time drums and surprise bass guitar solos, to impeccable piano solos (provided by the immensely talented Chiavarini), fizzing jazz-funk synth doodles and stirring synth-strings. It’s a breathlessly brilliant way to end an album that was genuinely worth waiting for.

Sylvain Chauveau has been releasing quiet and minimal compositions on various labels for more than two decades. ultra-minimal marks his debut for Sonic Pieces and takes the minimal approach even further, centring on reduction and limitation.

The album was recorded live at Café Oto, London in March 2022 - one of Sylvain’s rare solo concerts and the first time he performed publicly with only acoustic instruments; no machines, no recorded sounds have been used, only piano, guitar, harmonium and melodica, played one at the time. While some of the compositions are completely new, others are live versions of previously released pieces which have either been performed close to their original or stripped-down, reduced to a single instrument and partly rearranged. This reveals a predilection for repetitions and variations that Sylvain shares with Jim Jarmusch, and at the same time it is a personal attempt to avoid electronic devices as a tool for live music.

The artwork and track titles follow this reductionist idea and an aesthetic of miniaturization that Sylvain has developed for many years. They refer to the minimalist, concrete poetry that he writes regularly. In this context rewriting some of the original titles was a consistent implication to achieve a complete work, an album that perfectly represents Sonic Pieces’ aesthetics, both musically and visually.

New release in our limited vinyl series! Andy Vaz has been dedicated to his own label Yore Records and deep house releases for years. He is a reliable hub of good vibes and musical taste in Cologne. This can be heard internationally not only as a DJ and shop owner, but also on our limited vinyl release. 'A Collection Of Trax Vol. 1' includes new and previously released material: Let's start the release with classic deep house and a nice piano and vocals on 'Only'. Followed by a brand new track and a musical look back into the background imprint days. A well-balanced atmospheric piece - it doesn't get more minimal than this. On the flip it starts with 'Deutz Motorcity (From The D)' and a touching German intro followed by deep chords. Funky bassline, heavy drums - the final track must be an acid piece in true style.

Die Sterne veröffentlichen ein Compilation-Album voller Sterne Hits aus 30 Jahren Bandgeschichte!
Es handelt sich um die ultimative Zusammenstellung auf Doppel Vinyl und CD. Die Singles einer Band, die vielen immer als höflich und bescheiden galt. Damit ist es jetzt vorbei. Und warum sollte man auch bescheiden sein, angesichts dieser Sammlung von Song aus über dreißig Jahren Bandgeschichte, wenn man über jeden einzelnen von ihnen sagen kann: Ja, verdammt: Die Sterne sind zwar auf den deutschsprachigen Raum limitiert, haben sich aber nie damit zufrieden gegeben. Nie haben sie gesagt: Ja, ok, die Qualität ist ausreichend für den lokalen Markt. Nein- das ist alles internationales Niveau. Und warum? Weil sie euch, liebe Hörer:innen, so sehr schätzen, dass sie euch nichts anderes zumuten möchten. Auch nicht auf Deutsch. Hier kommen 19 Hits, darunter auch ein bisher unveröffentlichter Bonustrack. Einschläge in eure Herzen. Nehmt hin und esst.

Usher hat die Musik, die Kultur und unzählige Leben verändert. Der mehrfach mit dem GRAMMY Award ausgezeichnete internationale Megastar, Schauspieler, Tänzer, Unternehmer und Philanthrop wird auch im Jahr 2023 und darüber hinaus für Veränderungen sorgen. Er hat weltweit mehr als 80 Millionen Platten verkauft und Dutzende von Auszeichnungen erhalten. Gleichzeitig hat er auf dem kleinen Bildschirm in NBCs The Voice und auf der großen Leinwand in Blockbustern wie Hustlers brilliert. Darüber hinaus hat er sich unermüdlich als engagierter Menschenfreund hervorgetan, indem er zig Millionen Dollar für verschiedene Zwecke sammelte und mit seiner New Look Foundation die Jugend förderte. Seit 1999 bietet er jungen Menschen in unterversorgten Gemeinden Chancen und ermöglicht ihnen, sich zu entfalten und scheinbar unmögliche Träume zu verwirklichen. Als echter Ausreißer ist er auf der Bühne seiner ausverkauften My Way Las Vegas Residency ebenso zu Hause wie auf einer Kulturmission der Regierung 2016 nach Kuba als Teil des Presidential Committee for Arts and Humanities von Präsident Barack Obama. Dieses Album stellt die kreative Wiedervereinigung von Usher und L.A. Reid dar, die seit dem 2004 erschienenen Album Confessions mit Diamant-Zertifikat nicht mehr zusammen gearbeitet haben. Das Album wurde hauptsächlich in Atlanta, GA mit vielen der angesagtesten Produzenten Atlantas aufgenommen, darunter Sean Garrett, Lil John, The Avila Brothers, Mel & Mus, Tricky Stewart, Rico Love, The-Dream, Jermaine Dupri, D Mile und viele andere. Es gibt Features von Summer Walker, 21 Savage und Latto.

Das aktuelle Album von Beatmaker und Grammy Gewinner Knxwledge jetzt erhältlich auf Orchid Black Colour Vinyl.
Feat. R&B-Star und NxWorries-Kollaborateur Anderson .Paak.
'1988' ist der Nachfolger von Knxwledges hochgelobtem Album 'Hud Dreems' aus dem Jahr 2015.
Für Fans von Madlib, J Dilla, Mndsgn, Flying Lotus, Teebs.


















[q] 17. itkanbe[sonice] feat. NxWorries

One of his best albums from the mid-Sixties, Yusef Lateef's 1984 is a truly experimental work. With bassist Reggie Workman, pianist Mike Nock, and drummer James Black, it goes from the eight-minute title track that opens the album to the two-minute, angular modal ballad "Try Love." Reviewer Thom Jurek gave it four out of five stars in AllMusic, stating that "1984 certainly seems to be shaping up into one weird record.

The title is an experimental, noodling improv with Lateef moaning as if in mourning. But then with 'Soul Sister,' featuring Lateef's deep, bluesy, tenor blowing around a gorgeous lyric figure, and Mike Nock's stunningly beautiful soloing on 'Love Waltz,' the entire album moves in another direction, even if it isn't terribly focused. In all, a complex yet emotionally and musically rewarding effort by a master.”

Repress!

Our next Toolroom 4-track vinyl sampler offers some of our biggest recent releases including none other, than the boss man himself, Mark Knight who is joined by James Hurr & Cari Golden with their club focused record, 'You Are A God'. In demand Italian DJ & Producer Qubiko also returns to the label with 'Talking To Myself', whilst key members of the Toolroom family, Leftwing : Kody go back to their clubbier roots on 'Mallet'.

Last but not least fast-rising, star-in-the-making, ESSEL who is set to drop a slice of Summer with 'Try', a Piano House focused record in the classiest of fashions, akin to a classic Dusky sound. Four killer cuts that you will not want to miss this summer season!

Bristolian producer Claude Cooper returns with hot new single ‘Stay A While’, inspired by the vinyl discoveries made from months of digging and cataloguing the bulging inventory of Bedminster’s Friendly Records record shop.

‘Stay A While’ introduces some delightful twists to Cooper’s psychedelic-funk sound. Blurring the lines between sampling and performance, lush string flourishes are sliced with 6Ts girl-group vocals and rollicking piano chords resulting in a dreamy, end of night, lights up anthem in-the-making. The track is backed with the insistent ‘Dance Tonight’, a ragged bass-boogie surf-rocker that doesn’t take no for an answer.

Cooper’s irrepressible debut album ‘Myriad Sounds' (Jan ‘22) caught the attention of the UK's press and radio alike. Mojo's four star review described it as “Bristol’s beat scene backdrops late night jams”, Uncut enjoyed the "rugged psych-funk romp" and Louder than War declared "it’s vital and vibrant and exactly what we need to kick start the year”. BBC radio DJs including Cerys Matthews, Gideon Coe, Huw Stephens, Jamie Cullum, Lauren Laverne, Stuart Maconie, Tom Ravenscroft rinsed the singles, with Huey Morgan inviting Cooper to contribute a Block Party Mix for his show.

Bonus round 'More Myriad Sounds' (Apr ‘23) added Brooklyn vocalist Brain Fog to the melange with a bounty of pyretic vocal performances. DJ Mag called it “A fierce, kaleidoscopic trip” while Bandcamp Daily said “This album of cross-genre influences is as likely to get it included in any number of best-of columns, with the theme of serious fun as their common element”.

Behind the release is Friendly Records, the best little record shop in Bristol and now a burgeoning record label. Opened by Tom Friend on North Street in 2016, it’s gone on to become a hub of the local musical community. As well as Claude Cooper, the label has reissued two of Alison Cotton’s albums, 'The Twenty-Three Views' by outernational ambient jazz project Floating World Pictures, and Christian Madden & The Enemy Chorus’s organ heavy ‘The Extra Weight’.

Claude Cooper will return with a new album on Friendly Recordings this year.

Released in 1973, Lord of Lords was Alice Coltrane's final album for the Impulse! label, as well as the last instalment of a trilogy that began with Universal Consciousness and World Galaxy. Like its two predecessors, Lord of Lords features a 16-piece string orchestra that the leader arranged and conducted, fronted by a trio in which she plays piano, Wurlitzer organ, harp, and timpani accompanied by bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Ben Riley.

The original producer, Ed Michel, later stated that Coltrane worked with the top-rank classically-trained studio musicians of the string section and "opened them up so they could do absolutely astonishing things. Afterwards, the string players couldn't believe that they had done what they had done." According to AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek, "The interplay between the three principals is lively and engaging, based on droning blues chords, and her soloing - even amid flurries of notes - comes right back to the root. Haden's bass is a beautiful anchor here, and the strings offer a lovely response to her organ and harp. Riley's cymbals are shimmering shards of light throughout, ending Lord of Lords on a very high note. She succeeds here, in ending her Impulse! period with elegance, grace, and soul."

Side A / Double A / Iko (Never Felt This Way)
Back once again with his signature big breaks sound, Double A dips into a multitude of sample genres for this party sure-shot.

A building intro pays off with a drop of bangin’ drums and funky
horns, and features a nod to his D&B / hardcore breaks origins with a sneaky vocal sample throwback around the halfway mark. If you’re looking for a sure-fire set-starter, you found it!

Side AA / Jim Sharp / Tell Me What To Do
The man who needs absolutely no introduction in the 45s world returns for his second release with Mountain 45s.

Jim takes a classic funk sample and with his usual polished touch, pays his respects to its earliest iteration as a New York party breaks mainstay.

Piano stabs, funky guitars and horns, mixed with call and response vocals alongside the originals make this one yet
another can’t miss from the maestro. Don’t sleep!

The man of many bands seems perpetually on the lookout for theunbalancedorthesurprising.Likealoveroffirstdates,Nick Wheeldon never tires of adding new formations with an ease that borders on the supernatural. After a highly acclaimed debut solo album in 2021, Communication Problems, followed by Gift in 2022, Nick Wheeldon, the Parisian Englishman from Sheffield, returns with a third opus, Waiting For The Piano To Fall. Nick Wheeldon has recorded nearly 20 albums with countless bands, including Nick Wheeldon's Demon Hosts, Os Noctàmbulos, 39th & the Nortons and Sex Sux, each of them offering him a new opportunity to refine a sound inspired by Gene Clark and Alex Chilton, at once majestic and fragile, delicate and flayed. Waiting For The Piano To Fall is the third LP in a triptych for which Nick Wheeldon has tried to capture a moment, an acoustic photograph. The band, The Living Paintings, had never playedtogether before this album and had no rehearsals before arrivingat the studio. It lends an amazing color, shape, confidence andexperiencetoNick'shypersensitiveanti-folksongs.Moreelaborate arrangements take shape around subtle country soulgroovesinwhicheventhe softestballadsswing.

Skydaddy, the moniker of London based musician and bandleader Rachid Fakhre, has announced his debut EP, Pilot, releasing on the 2 February 2024. Alongside this announcement, Skydaddy has shared a new single ‘His Masterpiece’

Having spent the last few years writing and producing as one half of the acclaimed musical duo Spang Sisters, Skydaddy’s debut EP Pilot promises to be a ray of light bursting out from an increasingly busy London indie scene. Combining cello, violin, flute, piano and intricate vocal harmonies, Skydaddy cuts an utterly compelling figure, leading a fluid and interchangeable band, at its largest 7 people strong, they delicately glide through intricate passages of chamber-folk-rock, into swelling orchestral crescendos.

Released today is new single ‘His Masterpiece’ a piano driven track bristling with both a sense of hope and of melancholy. Skydaddy’s vocals sit alongside ear worm hooks from violins and flute. Following on from debut single ‘That Morning’ (also on upcoming EP Pilot) Skydaddy manages to capture a sound of yearning and nostalgia, whilst still sounding completely fresh and incredibly exciting. Offering insight on the inspiration on the track, he offers:

“Inspired by the story of Claude Lantier from Emilie Zola’s L'Œuvre (Commonly translated to ‘His Masterpiece’), the song charts the plight of an early impressionist painter in Paris whose works are unappreciated and gawked at by the Parisian artistic elite who are still tethered to the Romantic trend in painting. Lantier (whose character is based on Paul Cézanne) becomes madly obsessed in a painting which he believes to be his masterpiece and the ultimate demonstration of his talent and genius; an obsession which leads to his eventual, self-inflicted demise. The song is ultimately about alienation, bitterness and the struggle of creativity.”

What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. This is obviously not a very aggressive release schedule, but when you figure in the live albums, guest spots, and records done with his various other bands (Dinosaur Jr., The Fog, Heavy Blanket, Witch, Sweet Apple, and so on), well, to paraphrase Lou Reed, "J's week beats your year." What Do We Do Now began to come together during the waning days of the Pandemic. Utilizing his own Bisquiteen Studio, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. "When I'm writing for the band," he says, "I'm always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. For myself, I'm thinking more about what I can do with just an acoustic guitar, even for the leads. Of course, this time, I added full drums and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic. Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record. I dunno why I did that exactly, but it's just what happened." Two guest musicians are playing this time out; Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of the B52s) plays piano on several tracks. Since J himself has some experience with keys, when asked why he needed a hired gun, he says, "Ken is great, and he plays all the keys. I tried playing some keyboards on the first Fog album, but I'm really only comfortable playing the white notes, so it's kind of limiting. laughs Nowadays, I could just turn the pitch on a mini Mellotron to play different sounds, but black keys just seem hard. For whatever reason, I just like banging on the white ones. Seems like it's harder to figure out how to stretch your fingers around the other ones." Mauri has no such qualms and plays all the keys very damn well. He sounds especially great on "I Can't Find You," where he is Jack Nitzsche to J's Neil Young, creating one of the album's loveliest tunes. The other guest musician, Matthew "Doc" Dunn, is also prominent on this track. Dunn's steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile. Dunn is an Ontario-based polymath who J met through Matt Valentine. After J played on Doc's great 2022 Sub Pop single, "Your Feel," he figured it was time for payback. Both Dunn and Mauri add beautifully to the songs here, helping to transform them from acoustic sketches into full-blown post-core power ballads. What Do We Do Now is the finest set of solo tunes J has yet penned, and the way they're presented is just about perfect. Asked if he would be touring to support the album, J says he'll be doing some weekend dates, but he probably won't be putting a band together. And I'm sure these songs will sound great solo and acoustic, but the arrangements on this album are truly great and put a cool, different spin on Mascis' instantly Recognizable approach to making music. So, what do we do now? Not sure. But apparently, what J does is to make one of his most killer records ever. Hats off to him. - Byron Coley

What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. This is obviously not a very aggressive release schedule, but when you figure in the live albums, guest spots, and records done with his various other bands (Dinosaur Jr., The Fog, Heavy Blanket, Witch, Sweet Apple, and so on), well, to paraphrase Lou Reed, "J's week beats your year." What Do We Do Now began to come together during the waning days of the Pandemic. Utilizing his own Bisquiteen Studio, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. "When I'm writing for the band," he says, "I'm always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. For myself, I'm thinking more about what I can do with just an acoustic guitar, even for the leads. Of course, this time, I added full drums and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic. Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record. I dunno why I did that exactly, but it's just what happened." Two guest musicians are playing this time out; Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of the B52s) plays piano on several tracks. Since J himself has some experience with keys, when asked why he needed a hired gun, he says, "Ken is great, and he plays all the keys. I tried playing some keyboards on the first Fog album, but I'm really only comfortable playing the white notes, so it's kind of limiting. laughs Nowadays, I could just turn the pitch on a mini Mellotron to play different sounds, but black keys just seem hard. For whatever reason, I just like banging on the white ones. Seems like it's harder to figure out how to stretch your fingers around the other ones." Mauri has no such qualms and plays all the keys very damn well. He sounds especially great on "I Can't Find You," where he is Jack Nitzsche to J's Neil Young, creating one of the album's loveliest tunes. The other guest musician, Matthew "Doc" Dunn, is also prominent on this track. Dunn's steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile. Dunn is an Ontario-based polymath who J met through Matt Valentine. After J played on Doc's great 2022 Sub Pop single, "Your Feel," he figured it was time for payback. Both Dunn and Mauri add beautifully to the songs here, helping to transform them from acoustic sketches into full-blown post-core power ballads. What Do We Do Now is the finest set of solo tunes J has yet penned, and the way they're presented is just about perfect. Asked if he would be touring to support the album, J says he'll be doing some weekend dates, but he probably won't be putting a band together. And I'm sure these songs will sound great solo and acoustic, but the arrangements on this album are truly great and put a cool, different spin on Mascis' instantly Recognizable approach to making music. So, what do we do now? Not sure. But apparently, what J does is to make one of his most killer records ever. Hats off to him. - Byron Coley