Buscar:pol on

Trailblazing outlet for forward-thinking Danish Jazz, April Records proudly presents the debut from trumpeter/composer Rolf Thofte; a vivid and personal record that blends lyrical melodies, inventive rhythms, and subtle harmonic exploration. Written while Thofte adjusted to fatherhood - the album captures moments of joy, reflection, and experimentation, brought to life by a handpicked quintet of Denmark"s most exciting young jazz talents. Martha"s Dance is set for release on September 19th, 2025 via April Records. The title track is a tribute to Thofte"s three-year-old daughter - a playful, clapping, goat-hoof-stomping tune in quirky 5/4 that channels the spirit of childhood joy and spontaneity. "It"s just a fun tune to play, and I feel like it really captures Martha"s spirit," says Thofte. "This band came together at a time when I was trying to get a foothold in a new life situation as a father, so it felt perfect to make this the title track." The album moves between moods and textures with elegance: from the rich harmonic language of "Vice Versa" - inspired by Wayne Shorter"s ability to cast simple melodies in shifting harmonic light - to the understated power of "Changing Tides," a piece about imperceptible gradual changes in our lives, nature, and politics. "Bendico," written in 15 minutes as a conservatory assignment, showcases Thofte"s gift for strong melodic statements, while "Dunkelflaute" evokes melancholic Nordic greyness through sparse, emotive phrasing. From the swaggering second-line feel of "The Big 5" to the hypnotic pulse of "All...", the album explores rhythm as both a driving force and a canvas for creative interplay. Throughout, Thofte"s trumpet and flugelhorn lead the ensemble with warmth and clarity. The quintet features some of Copenhagen"s top next-generation players: Andreas Toftemark (tenor saxophone), a powerhouse improviser and composer who brings NYC-honed energy and detail to the group dynamic. Rasmus Sorensen (piano), a rising star of the European scene, known for his sensitive, exploratory playing and fearless interaction. Jakob Roland (bass) and Henrik Holst (drums) - two of Thofte"s oldest musical collaborators - round out the rhythm section with deep swing, taste, and musical empathy.

Five years on from their iconic debut album, the Red Robin posse return with another epic full length LP - this time featuring the ruffneck deejay styling of their longtime friend Tippa Lee.

With ten hardcore riddims from Naram stretching the full spectrum of 80s roots, rub-a-dub, and digi - and uncompromising street level lyrics from the LA-based Jamaican veteran Tippa Lee - Musically Bad is an absolute must-have for any discerning reggae collector.

The culmination of nearly a decade of collaboration, with multiple trips to LA where they improvised studio set ups at a range of cheap motels. Tippa takes listeners on a journey through his history in reggae, lamenting the rise of slackness and gun culture, firing shots at politicians and oligarchs, and shining a spotlight on the struggles of people of all colours and creeds suffering in the ghetto.

Despite the serious messages conveyed, and the heavyweight militant riddims, the album contains plenty of moments of humour and levity thanks to Tippa's lyrical nous.

With all riddims recorded and mixed to half inch tape in Naram's analogue Whanganui studio, and crisp mastering from Downbeat Studios, the LP is fine tuned to mash up any dancehall or living room.

A genre-defying Afrofuturist manifesto from Uganda. Producer,
dancer and choreographer Faizal Mostrixx"s singular vision of
East African electronic music is a lush sonic tapestry of
polyrhythms, modern dancefloor styles, amapiano, Nile basin
ceremonial chants and Pan-African field recordings. A stalwart
of the explosive Kampala electronic music scene Mostrixx has
collaborated with the Nyege Nyege collective appearing at both
the African and European editions of their festival. Mutations is
Faizal"s second full length album, following close on the heels of
his acclaimed digital EP Transitions (May 2022 / Glitterbeat). In
their review of Transitions, The WIRE noted: "If today"s currents
in East African electronic music have a more mainstream
destiny, this might be how it starts."

As Inagaki himself said, "I did black funk" by fusing the explosiveness of jazz rock that he had cultivated up until then with the tenacity and elasticity of black music, his musicality has leapt to another dimension. Combined with the ingenious arrangements of master Hiromasa Suzuki, the groove is polished, glossy, and shining mysteriously. All the songs are worth listening to, such as the dynamism and speed of "Painted Paradise" the coexistence of funkiness and mellowness of "Breeze" and the low-centered and sharp cover of Cool & the Gang's "Funky Stuff". It is now a definitive masterpiece that is in demand all over the world.

text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

Livity Sound welcomes Joe Milli to the fold with an assured EP of crisp club workouts that land between techno's evocative depth and UK funky's offbeat, drum-focused functionality.

Over the past few years Milli has been establishing his sound across a swathe of radio shows, guest mixes and releases, and he lands on Livity with a timeless take on the label's commitment to stripped back, atmospheric soundsystem music.

There's variety across the Deep Forest EP, ranging from the balmy bassweight house of the title track to the deep-diving dub pulses and bruk drum science of 'Look Again'. 'Keep That Wire' draws nervous energy from its synth hooks and the taut, angular beat before the rolling Detroit techno pulse of 'Expressions' brings the EP home in punchy, percussion-loaded style.

In line with past releases from the likes of Bakongo, DJ Polo and Tribal Brothers, Milli's strength lies in his ability to bend the UK funky formula to different styles, all precision-tooled for the club.


Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground electronic music.

In 2022, Meral Polat released her debut album "Ez Ki Me" as a singer under the name Meral Polat Trio. "Ez Ki Me" roughly translates to "Who am I?". The album was a search by the singer for her Alevi Kurdish roots. In her lyrics, Meral incorporated many poems from her late father, Adi Ihsan Polat. The album received positive reviews and was nominated for a Music Award by Songlines.

On her new album MEYDAN, Meral primarily showcases her own voice, that of a woman exercising her right to live on her own terms, free from the oppressive interference of patriarchy. The album celebrates female strength, inspired by the philosophy of "JIN, JIYAN, AZADI" (WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM), a phrase originating from Kurdish-led women's movements. JIN, JIYAN, AZADI symbolise resistance to oppression and the fight for women's rights.

Musically, MEYDAN takes it a step further than the debut album. Meral welcomes drummer Jens Bouttery to the band, along with many inspiring guest musicians. The track "Cenek" features a determined choir of 26 women of various ages and cultural backgrounds. In "Çiya Icaro", Meral shares a duet with Bolivian artist Ibbelise Guarda Ferraguti.

On MEYDAN, Meral and her band continue their exploration of Anatolian and Mesopotamian music, particularly the Turkish psychedelic rock revolution of the 1970s and the ancient Kurdish Dengbej traditions. The band travelled to Istanbul to record with Murat Ertel from Baba Zula and trumpet player Can Omer Uygan. In addition to Anatolian music styles, influences from Mali Blues and Nigerian Afrobeat are embraced. Another notable guest is Senegalese musician Mola Sylla, who lent his voice and improvisational talent to the track "Govend".

While the drums, keyboards or guitar, and Polat's voice still form the core of the album, each track also contains its own collage of synthesisers, vocal harmonies, percussion, organ, piano, distorted guitars, and guest musicians. All tracks were mixed by the exceptional Belgian mixing engineer Pieterjan Coppejans, who added depth to their sound. All of this results in a particularly rich and uplifting album with a message.

WRWTFWW Records is boiling with excitement: Pizza Hotline is back! The UK producer and DJ is following up the already classic Level Select with another liquid drum & bass with a video game music twist beauty: the Polygon Island album, available in a limited edition double LP with a majestic 45rpm cut (for louder, bigger, bolder, deeper earth-shaking bass), packaged in a heavyweight 350gsm gatefold sleeve.

Home of eight all new slices of delicious atmospheric drum & bass, Polygon Island is the perfect artificial paradise beach for Pizza Hotline to deepen his exploration of modern jungle music liquified through the lens of 90s /Y2K video game motifs and seasoned with the soundtrack essence of PS1, PS2, N64, Sega Saturn & Dreamcast adventures.

Bewitching and larger than life, Pizza Hotline’s perfect follow-up to Level Select takes listeners (players?) on an endless summer escapade filled with immaculate vibes, crispy beats, and refashioned homages to, once again, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, the Wipeout OST, and Soichi Terada's Ape Escape. It’s bouncy, it flows, it’s dreamy – something to dance to, something to reminisce to, something to chill to. Pizza Hotline is back and it feels so good.

Press start. Again.


Points of interests

For fans of liquid DNB, video games, ambient, late night vibes, computers and clubs, Soichi Terada's Ape Escape, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Wipeout OST, Pizza Hotline’s Level Select, good music, good music on video games, playing video games all night and possibly all week. Do that again and again and again.

Super limited edition vinyl of Pizza Hotline’s Polygon Island album redefining liquid drum & bass with a Y2K video game twist again and again and again.

Human Leather have always been a ferocious live act, unbelievably loud for a 2 piece. Their gigs are often an overwhelming wall of sludge, howls and amphetamine-addled drums, with spectators flying joyously around the pit. Previous recordings did full justice to the impact of the live show; however, the second helping is something else. On Here Comes the Mind, There Goes the Body the sludge is still present, rising, and lapping at your ankles, but there's a new clarity showing off exactly how f*cking good those riffs are. There are ear worm riffs for days, shout along vocals that roar, shriek and reform into a Greek chorus, drums that thump you repeatedly in the chest and then the whole thing vanishes in just under 30 minutes, leaving you bruised, deafened and with Some Questions about your life. Squint your ears a bit and you'll hear the influences of bands like Karp, Torche and Big Business but they're thrown into a much crustier stew. The lyrics span a variety of political issues, not limited to the landed gentry, global warming and consumerist harbingers of doom. Importantly the songs are also not afraid to discuss class issues (unlike many political bands who you suspect have a much sturdier security net). While this could easily feel preachy, every line is delivered with the knowing wink of the underdog and good humour (I am going to smile every time I think of "clod damn" or "QVC Hands" staring up at me from the lyric sheet), and the vibes are as they've always been in difficult times - "we know we're fucked, tonight we mosh, tomorrow we march". And what is the point of a revolution you can't dance to? Speaking of dancing, the final track features an honest-to-god dance beat, acid squelches and disembodied vocal samples, pointing to an alternative universe in which Human Leather are a heavy electroclash band. Here comes the record of the year, bring what is left of your eardrums. You didn't need that body anyway

John Calvin Abney rises again from the Oklahoman prairies with his latest album Transparent Towns. The ten songs focus on how we remember, and ultimately accept, though he is not always certain the memories we carry adequately mark the moments that make us. "This record is wrapped around the passage of time, whether or not we can trust the memories that we swear on, how we forgive ourselves and others as seasons turn, and how we define what is important as we roll the boulder back up the hill," Abney says of Transparent Towns. "We build these routines and live our stories, we rely on our histories and our memories - spoken and recorded. Now, we're relying on copies of copies, memories of memories, all packed like sardines into our phones, and we're losing the ability to tell our own stories. I have to constantly remind myself, as well as redefine what matters at the end of a day." Transparent Towns is the seventh studio album for Abney, and his first since 2022's Tourist, which he crafted after spending the pandemic as an itinerant writer. In contrast Abney penned most of the album's 10 tracks during a period of introspection and convalescence while recovering from vocal cord surgery in 2023. The time to himself - "I didn't sing for nearly a year, and after surgery, I couldn't talk for a month, and couldn't sing for over three months," he says, left him contemplating how to trace his experiences in the silence. The album's title track is Abney's take on the inaccessible past, witnessing loss and grief through the years, damning the "days we let go left unsaid", and accepting the uncontrollable circumstances we are sometimes placed in. "The troubles and the joys exist vibrantly in your memory, but you're wondering if you remember correctly," Abney remarks. "I've sometimes had this sort of confusion between memory and dreams - you crafted this ideal in your head of how things were or might be, in order to soften the blow of a harsher reality." The places we inhabit dictate how our memories form, and for Abney, there is one place to which he is constantly drawn: Oklahoma. Although he was born in the biggest little city in America, Reno, Nevada, he grew up learning guitar and piano in Tulsa, playing bars and DIY spaces from Norman to Stillwater. His affinity for the land that raised him is evident in the production of Transparent Towns. Abney self-produced the record, tracking most of it at Cardinal Song outside of Oklahoma City, with Michael Trepagnier handling mixing and engineering. The band was comprised mostly of Sooner State musicians too, along with Lydia Loveless and John Moreland contributing harmony vocals. His signature vulnerable voice and lyrical handiwork comes through in each of the songs, along with his penchant for alternative pop melodies set against colorful chords and subtle soundscapes. Having toured for years backing up artists like Moreland, Wild Child, Ben Kweller, and S.G. Goodman, Abney embraces a lead role again, as he presses forward with the loving lament and defiant joy throughout Transparent Towns, calling us to leave behind the pressures we place on our ourselves and recognize that just because there is an ending, it doesn't mean it's the end.

Satisfaction comes in many forms. When the magical word Motown is uttered, most people are hard-wired to The Four Tops, the Temptations and The Supremes. But to reduce Motown to the effervescent sixties is only part of the label’s remarkable legacy.
By the 1970s, a different sound was gathering. America was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The Vietnam War had been a disaster, urban street crime was epidemic and the nation’s college campuses were alive with political resistance. The joyful hope that had inspired “Baby Love” now felt anachronistic and out of time.

The music industry was changing too. The vinyl pop single on 45rpm which had been the staple of Motown’s success was being challenged by concept albums.   This was the era of Edwin Starr’s anti-war album War and Peace (1970), The Temptations mind-bending Psychedelic Shack (1970) and Marvin Gaye’s state-of-the-nation classic What’s Going On (1971).
By the early 1970s Motown had a stable of male vocalists that was arguably the best in the world, among them former lead singers from The Temptations - David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards and Eddie Kendricks. Alongside them singer-producers like Leon Ware and Frank Wilson were asserting their presence.

David Ruffin’s “Crime in the Street” captured the epidemic of violence in Detroit allowing his exquisite voice to quietly rage against gun crime. Recorded a few years before his underground classic “Rode by the Place”, both sound more modern today than when they were recorded.
If there is a common thread here, it’s the mid-tempo shifting soul soon to be christened as “quiet storm” including groups on the margins of Motown such as The Originals and The Fantastic Four led by the impassioned “Sweet” James Epps.
Just to keep you satisfied, immerse yourself in the overlooked creativity of Detroit’s male voices in the early 1970s.

On his new album All Cylinders, Yves Jarvis expresses a brazen songcraft and pure musicianship. 11 tracks he played himself, without a single additional contributor, transforming his now four-time-Polaris-nominated vision into the stuff of verses and choruses, hooks and hits, vibrating like a cosmic anthropology. Whereas once he had fetishized analog tape, now Jarvis appreciated the value of working without any such preciousness: much of All Cylinders was recorded on bare-bones Audacity, sans plugins, channeling the spirit of Paul McCartney’s II.

Jarvis is an omnivore, and All Cylinders smashes together a stunning array of influences: Serge Gainsbourg, Judee Sill, Sheryl Crow, Captain Beefheart, Jackson Browne, Throbbing Gristle, Ray Charles, Brian Eno, Fleetwood Mac… All distilled into tunes that feel like taking sips from a cup, or drags from a cigarette. Vivid and self-contained songs that are just two or three minutes long. “I feel like this is the least contrived thing I’ve ever done,” Jarvis declares. Lyrics that matter. Vocals up front, where people will actually hear them. “If something’s true to you,” he explains, “it’s probably true to a million other people.”

The first run of All Cylinders on limited edition vinyl sold out, leading to this highly anticipated second pressing. This edition includes 4 bonus tracks from the forthcoming deluxe release, making it an essential piece for fans and collectors alike. Originally released via In Real Life to critical acclaim from Pitchfork, Financial Times, NPR, Aquarium Drunkard, Far Out Magazine, New Noise, Out Front, KCRW, RANGE, Atwood Magazine, The Luna Collective, Billboard Canada, The Fader, Blamo! Podcast, Stereogum, and Guitar World.

“There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things…They must be fought.” Demon Records presents, for the first time on 2LP vinyl, the complete full-cast soundtrack of this ‘lost’ classic BBC TV adventure, with linking narration by Frazer Hines. The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) is thrown into his first rematch with the Cybermen in the year 2070. Humans have colonized the Moon, and the Cybermen have identified their base as a strategic vantage point from which to invade Earth!

Can the Doctor and his companions Polly (Anneke Wills), Ben (Michael Craze) and Jamie (Frazer Hines) stop them? First broadcast in 1967, this exciting adventure was written by Kit Pedler and directed by Morris Barry, with a guest cast including Patrick Barr, Andrew Maranne, Michael Wolf and John Rolfe. Whilst only two of the four episodes are known to survive on film, thankfully all four are available as sound recordings, complete with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s familiar Doctor Who theme music. With a superb cover illustration depicting the Cybermen on the Moon, these two translucent ‘Blue Moon’ discs are housed in beautifully designed inner sleeves with vintage TV guide-style listings for each episode.

A unique sonic journey blending jazz, candombe, dub, hip-hop, and electronic music. Written, sequenced, and recorded by Ian Lampel (Uruguay), the album captures Montevideo's vibrant essence with innovative beats and deep roots. Embark on a sonic journey through the rich tapestry of Ian Lampel's multicultural heritage with his debut solo album, "The Parque Rodó Tapes." From the echoes of his grandparents' wartime exodus from Europe's tumultuous past to the rhythms of daily life in Parque Rodó, Lampel's artistic vision was shaped by a kaleidoscope of influences: Science fiction and fantasy books, graphic design annuals, comics, films, early computers and videogames as well as music; the haunting melodies of Russian and Polish classical composers hummed by his grandmother while cooking, the choir and hammond music of the synagogue, his early explorations in club music and dub or the syncopated drumming of candombe and carnaval echoing in the streets of Montevideo. The composer, producer and bass player, wrote, sequenced and recorded practically everything that is heard throughout the album. With meticulous attention to detail, he has crafted a sonic landscape that seamlessly blends elements of jazz and Uruguayan music with the innovative spirit of dub, hip-hop and electronica; from the infectious rhythms of candombe and the raw energy of murga, to breakbeats, moog's and samples. Drawing from a treasure trove of samples collected over two decades, "The Parque Rodó Tapes" weaves together a tapestry of sound that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking, from the haunting voice of Marosa Di Giorgio and the vibrant cacophony of a carnival field recording by Lauro Ayestaran, to the guest contributions from notable musicians including Lampel's wife, singer/songwriter Eco Lopez, multi-instrumentalist Luciana Giovinazzo on flute, and Ferna Nunez on repique drum. Each track is a testament to Lampel's eclectic vision. A debut album with a certain degree of melancholy that works as a soundtrack to the world in which the artist grew up, a world now gone, without cellphones or social networks, in which everything had to be proactively pursued "in the streets".

Exklusive Vinyl-Sammlung mit Demos, Skizzen und Outtakes vom neuen Album "Season Of The Peach" von Black Lips. Mit einem Feature von King Khan sowie alternativen Versionen und Mixen und exklusiven Songs aus den Sessions. Gleichzeitig mit ihrem richtigem neuen Album "Season Of The Peach" wird die Outtakes-Sammlung "Bebop Armageddon (Detours & Offcuts From Season Of The Peach)" veröffentlicht, ein wildes, limitiertes Kompendium: Demos, alternativen Versionen und klingende Missgeschicke der jüngsten Sessions zum neuen Album, für echte Fans auf Vinyl gebannt. Wenn "Season Of The Peach" eine farbenfrohe Halluzination ist - teils Garagenrock-Fantasie, teils verbranntes Americana-Land - dann ist "Bebop Armageddon" sein zerfetzter, magnetischer Schatten. Diese 14 Tracks nehmen einen orientierungslosen Weg durch dasselbe Terrain und bieten mutierte Skizzen, wunderschöne Trümmer und freakige Umwege, die vor rohem Charme und chaotischer Erfindungsgabe nur so strotzen. Es gibt alternative Mixe (,Kassandra"), Demoversionen (,Judas Pig", ,Zulu Saints") und schwindelerregende Neuinterpretationen wie ,The Illusion Pt. 1 (dream mix)". Das Exklusive ,Colt 44" (mit King Khan) rattert wie ein Güterzug, der zu entgleisen droht, während ,Satan" und ,Back To Kiev" gleichermaßen versengten Psych, Saloon-Gospel und gespenstische Front-Porch-Melodien bieten. Alle Tracks wurden auf Analogband im Sound At Manor Studio von Oakley Munson in den Catskills aufgenommen. Bebop Armageddon fängt den Geist der Sessions in roher, ungekünstelter Form ein. Keine sauberen Linien. Keine Wiederholungen. Kein Glanz. Das ist das Chaos unter der polierten Oberfläche des Mutteralbums - die Black Lips, die sich nicht benehmen wollten. Limitiertes klassisch schwarzes Vinyl (1000 Stück weltweit) mit DLC dabei.

The psychedelic supergroup, The Third Mind, returns with their third studio album, Right Now! Band members include Jesse Sykes, GRAMMY award-winning guitarist Dave Alvin, Victor Krummenacher, David Immerglück, Michael Jerome, and Willie Aron. Right Now! includes the band's mind-bending take on legendary Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten's "Shake Sugaree" and a new original by Jesse Sykes and Dave Alvin, "Before We Said Goodbye". Digital album includes bonus track "Reap What You Sow"!

"Ethio Jazz" is an album released by the Ethiopian master musician Mulatu Astatke in 1974 on his homeland Ethiopia's Amha Records.
It stands as a milestone not only in his career but also in the history of contemporary Ethiopian music, continuing to shine brightly.
With melancholic melodies played by wind instruments, a polyrhythmic rhythm section creating robust waves, sultry vibes from the vibraphone, and smoky
organ tones, the album is enveloped in the sounds of jazz inherited from the States. This work, where various musical elements are miraculously fused in
perfect balance, undoubtedly reigns at the pinnacle of Ethio Jazz, showcasing Mulatu's ambitious creativity in seeking out new sounds.

Satya welcomes one of Romania’s most respected underground talents, Mihai Pol, for a standout vinyl-only release titled "Ebb And Flow". With a sound that embodies precision, groove, and an ever-evolving sense of storytelling, Mihai has carved a unique place within the minimal tech-house landscape since his breakout moment in 2016 with Goneta on Capodopere.

His music, known for its subtle emotional depth and dancefloor functionality, continues to evolve—each release revealing a new side of his sonic palette. From the acid-laced drive of Synkop to the dreamy momentum of Tango, no two records sound alike. A regular on Telum and a fixture at iconic venues like Hoppetosse, La Java, The Block, and Sunwaves Festival, Mihai’s artistry spans both the booth and the studio.

On Ebb And Flow, Mihai delivers a refined suite of tracks created over a focused one-to-two month period, all sharing a clean, underground, club-oriented spirit. "There was no cultural reference for them," he shares. "Just me putting together sounds and playing them live." Built using an analog-heavy arsenal—MPC1000, Rytm, Digitone, Virus, Modular, Prophet6, Octatrack—and a few choice samples, the EP captures Mihai’s organic approach to groove and texture.

"I like to make people dance and feel good, but I also try to tell a story," he says. Ebb And Flow is exactly that: a dancefloor journey that hits the body and speaks to the soul.

When João released “Quem é Quem” in 1973, he had already been in the music industry for over 20 years, gaining national and international recognition. Nevertheless, the album marked the beginning of a new phase in his career: the surprising multi-instrumentalist included lyrics in his songs for the first time. It is one of his most important albums, which now returns to shelves on 180-gram vinyl as part of the “Classics on Vinyl” collection from Polysom.

The album was produced by Milton Miranda and Marcos Valle, with arrangements by João Donato, Maestro Gaya, Lan Guest, Laércio de Freitas, and Dory Caymmi. It features 12 tracks, the vast majority of which are authored by him, with collaborators such as Geraldo Carneiro, Lysias Ênio, Paulo Cesar Pinheiro, Caetano Veloso, and João Carlos Pádua. The only exception is the song “Cala Boca Menino” by Dorival Caymmi.