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Dr. John Chowning (b. 1934) is a pioneering computer musician, composer and professor who, in 1967, discovered the FM synthesis algorithm. This breakthrough in electronic music allowed for simple, yet rich timbres described as sounding "real." With this discovery, Chowning composed singular, dramatic electronic music and changed the timbre of music forever.

Chowning utilized the potential of computers to synthesize sounds according to programmed instructions. The composer's use of his own FM algorithms, digital synthesis with computers and the new compositional concepts offered by a programmable musical structure combine to create some of the most original and unique electronic music ever created.

The compositions on this LP were realized between 1966 and 1981 and the music on this LP, with the exception of Stria, was originally released on CD in Germany (Wergo, 1988). The version of Stria included here contains a section not included on the Wergo CD. Thus, this version of Stria is complete. This is the first time these purely digital recordings have been released on an analog medium. The original dynamics of these groundbreaking compositions have been preserved on this LP. As a result, listeners are advised to increase volume with caution.

In 1975, John Chowning founded the CCRMA - Center For Computer Research In Music and Acoustics at Stanford University. Through Stanford, Chowning licensed his groundbreaking algorithms to Yamaha resulting in numerous new instruments including the iconic DX series of keyboards. In 1972, his composition Tureens which is included on this LP, was the first to create the illusion of continuous 360-degree space using four speakers.

Technical Notes:

All pieces on this LP are originally quadrophonic. The illusion of moving sound sources is thus projected from the surrounding environment given by four loud-speakers on the stereo-basis.

STRIA was composed using Chowning’s own program to compile the musical structure into note-lists and MUSIC 10 (by D. Poole/Tovar) to generate the sounds in software-synthesis. The original quadrophonic version utilized 12 bits, two different sampling rates being used to accommodate the enormous amount of data on the magnetic disc-packs available at that time. The original sound-data was processed by sampling-rate conversion and digital mixes to achieve the stereo version presented on this LP.

SABELITH and TURENAS were synthesized originally using Smiths’ SCORE and MUSIC 10. However, their format was changed from direct sound-samples to a command stream for a special purpose computer, the System Concepts Digital Synthesizer, designed by Peter Samson, one of the first large-scale digital synthesizers for real-time sound processing - one was designed for CCRMA in the late seventies. For this recording the sounds were recorded directly from the synthesizer computing the samples in real-time.

PHONÈ was realized with the System Concepts Digital Synthesizer using again Chowning’s own program to create the note list.

The master tape of this LP was made directly from the computer system at CCRMA which generated and stored the sound data in digital format. No analog recording was involved at any stage of the production and editing process.

With Motions, Black Flower presents a unique EP, a compact collection of musical organisms that simply insisted on coming into the world. During the creation of their latest LP Kinetic, an abundance of ideas emerged, far more than could fit on the album. Among these half-formed sketches were a few striking pieces with such a strong character that they refused to be left behind, and some even grew into band favourites.

Diagonal Walk, for instance, has long opened the Kinetic live set while on tour in Europe, despite not appearing on the record itself. The band loved playing it so much that they decided to bring it to its full potential: mixing it, mastering it, and ultimately giving it a physical release. The result is a track where energy swells and breaks in waves, offering groove, colour and deft counterpoint.

That momentum also elevated Out of One, Many, a meditation on polyrhythm and shimmering harmony, as well as Trip to the Store. Both pieces were further developed and now complete this new collection of tracks. The time between full studio albums has proved creatively rich for Black Flower. Motions stands as a vibrant statement of kinetic energy, and the band is thrilled to finally share it with the world.

Steeped in nocturnal, death rock adventurism, riven with a post-punk anxiety that feels increasingly like the twitching heart of our modern age, and driven by hardcore punk intensity, the second studio album from Boston’s FINAL GASP, titled New Day Symptoms, does what all great rock records do - not only does it place itself within a lineage, summoning up and amplifying a spectrum of powers from Rock n' Roll lore, it makes them resonate in the here and now. It gives voice to those fears and frustrations lurking just under the surface of waking consciousness and turns them into a rallying cry. Throughout New Day Symptoms, FINAL GASP create a potent reaction from the furious and the forlorn, frontman Jake Murphy’s vocalizes both a supercharged howl into the void and a remorseful echo back. But where the band’s 2023 debut, Mourning Moon, was a concentrated shot of acrid, underground death rock, its propulsion tanks largely filled with references to Samhain and Killing Joke, New Day Symptoms keeps all the core urgent energy while vastly broadening its scope. Through the anthemic, acid-corroded vistas of "Look Away" and gothic tub-thumping beat of "Gifted Shame" to "No Hand To Lead" channelling "Don’t Fear The Reaper" and its loping groove, New Day Symptoms takes the familiar into uncharted territory and makes the unfamiliar instantly, internally recognisable. With new space to explore, this is an album that feels a mapping of personal trials and dark recesses. Short: Boston's FINAL GASP return with New Day Symptoms - the new album steeped in nocturnal, death rock adventurism, riven with a post-punk anxiety that feels increasingly like the twitching heart of our modern age, and driven by hardcore punk intensity! FFO: Danzig, Killing Joke, TSOL, Lathe of Heaven, Poison Ruin, Gouge Away, Tribulation

Mal Devisa is the songwriting, liberation, and poetry project of multifarious artist Deja Carr. Starting in 2014 and breaking through with 2016's Kiid, Mal Devisa's work spans a selfmade spectrum of sound from gravitic, soulful rock to soliloquy to unabashed hip hop. Although known for her unmistakable, smoldering voice and loop-based, bass-forward compositions, Carr's talents also extend to reaches of spoken word and production, paralleled by aspirations to start both a youth foundation and Afrobeat orchestra. Such boundless inspiration is a central facet of Mal Devisa's work, whose sonically and narratively unrestrained passages teem with empathy and liberatory visions for a better world.

repress!

Seasoned musical maestro Argy unleashes his long-player, New World. Argy’s varied back catalogue showcases his versatility and deep knowledge of electronic music. An experienced producer and DJ, he channels a lifetime of skill and natural talent into his LP New World. Across 14 tracks, we enter ‘Dreamstates’, utilising ‘Mental Powers’ to explore the ‘Wilderness’ and connect with a ‘Higher Power’. Rooted in an underground sound with an array of impassioned vocals, highly emotive arrangement and potent rhythms, the album demonstrates Argy’s artistic maturity. Join him as he leads us on a voyage into a New World…

Originally released in 1988 on the compilation Acid Tracks Vol. 3 via Needle Records, "The Other Side" has long been recognised as a potent example of early Chicago acid house. Now, more than three decades later, the track receives its first official 12" release - and, crucially, its first release with the original artists correctly credited. While historically attributed to Maurice Joshua, "The Other Side" was in fact produced by Da Posse (Hula Mahone), with vocals by Martell. This forthcoming release marks the first time that the original production has been properly acknowledged and presented in its intended standalone 12" format, restoring authorship to the artists responsible for the record's creation. The release is issued by Island Life Records, a Bali-based label with a growing reputation for carefully curated projects that bridge foundational dance music history and contemporary club culture. By formally reintroducing "The Other Side" with accurate credits, Island Life Records contributes an important corrective to the historical record of Chicago house and acid house music. Musically, "The Other Side" remains a striking artefact of its era: minimal, hypnotic, and emotionally charged, balancing raw machine-driven groove with an atmospheric vocal presence. It exemplifies the experimental, DJ-led ethos of late-1980s Chicago, where tracks were built for function, feeling, and longevity on the dancefloor rather than commercial visibility. The release is accompanied by a set of new remixes that respectfully extend the track's legacy into the present day. Remix duties come from Island Life Records founder Garry Todd under his Clouds Of Kouros alias, Johnny Aux (one half of Paranoid London), and Age Of Hyperion, with the digital including a remix from Garry Todd, each offering a distinct contemporary interpretation while retaining the spirit and tension of the original recording. This release stands not only as a long-overdue physical edition, but as a historically significant moment: the first time the original production has been released on 12", and the first time the correct creative contributors have been formally recognised.

Rhythms Of Prescott debuts on Potency with the highly-anticipated Run Of Deluxe EP. This has been getting rinsed by esteemed selectors such as Ben UFO at Houghton Festival through to Shanti Celeste at Dekmantel. The music speaks for itself on this one, listen for yourself. Limited copies!

Stonie Blue and Stephen Carmona come from house music's true school and combine here for a set of timeless, tough, but emotive jams steeped in Midwest magic. 'Joyful Noise' is a playful tease that rides mid-tempo kicks but is buzzing with little synth details that want you to go faster. 'Embrace The Night' is moody, smoky late-night house swing, 'Max Potential' has analogue drums coated in dust with plenty of room left for the sparse chords to make an impact way beyond their minimal design. 'Stone' ramps up a gear with more dense grooves and 'About Time' is all about pinging kicks and fuzzy pads as conscious spoken words bring the mental heat.

Peter Tosh war ein Reggae-Multi-Instrumentalist aus Jamaika, der zusammen mit Bunny Wailer und natürlich Bob Marley zu den Gründern der legendären Band The Wailers gehörte. »Equal Rights« ist sein zweites Studioalbum und dasjenige, das ihn an die Spitze des Reggae katapultierte und ihn als potenziellen Rivalen von Marley etablierte. Das ist zwar nicht ganz gelungen, aber »Equal Rights« ist immer noch eines der einflussreichsten Reggae-Alben aller Zeiten.

Tosh war ein großer Verfechter der Menschenrechte und das spiegelt sich auch in der Tracklist wider. Natürlich gibt es eine Version von »Get Up, Stand Up«, die zusammen mit Bob Marley geschrieben wurde, aber »I Am That I Am«, »Downpressor Man« (eine Version von Sinnerman, die durch Nina Simone berühmt wurde), »Stepping Razor« und »Apartheid« wurden alle zu eigenständigen Menschenrechtshymnen. 1987 wurde Tosh bei einem Raubüberfall getötet und ließ Reggae-Fans auf der ganzen Welt mit der Frage zurück, was hätte sein können.

»Equal Rights« ist als erweiterte 2LP-Edition mit einer Bonus-Disc erhältlich, die seltene und unveröffentlichte Songs enthält, die bisher nur auf »Dubplates« erhältlich waren. Diese definitive Version eines Reggae-Evergreens ist in einer Deluxe-Hülle mit Leinenfinish und einem 4-seitigen Booklet verpackt und in einer limitierten Auflage von 3000 einzeln nummerierten Exemplaren auf orangefarbenem Vinyl erhältlich.

One of the last projects undertaken by the NETWORK label was the
60th Anniversary Blu-ray set for STINGRAY which was released in two versions - the Deluxe and Super Deluxe.

Each version was packed with extras but the Super Deluxe had a music item as part of the set – a 7” single of
Themes From Stingray containing cues for the original soundtrack as performed by Barry Gray.

But the 7” single was not included in the set, but to be posted separately to customers who had pre-ordered the Super Deluxe set.
When the single was manufactured, it was housed in a card envelope with a sticker placed on it with the title, catalogue number
and barcode so that all that needed adding was the address label before posting.

Although the Super Deluxe set sold out, there was some stock of the 7” single, still housed in its card envelope left
in the warehouse, NETWORK are no longer trading, and these singles have now been rescued from potential destruction!

Peter Tosh war ein Reggae-Multi-Instrumentalist aus Jamaika, der zusammen mit Bunny Wailer und natürlich Bob Marley zu den Gründern der legendären Band The Wailers gehörte. »Equal Rights« ist sein zweites Studioalbum und dasjenige, das ihn an die Spitze des Reggae katapultierte und ihn als potenziellen Rivalen von Marley etablierte. Das ist zwar nicht ganz gelungen, aber »Equal Rights« ist immer noch eines der einflussreichsten Reggae-Alben aller Zeiten.

Tosh war ein großer Verfechter der Menschenrechte und das spiegelt sich auch in der Tracklist wider. Natürlich gibt es eine Version von »Get Up, Stand Up«, die zusammen mit Bob Marley geschrieben wurde, aber »I Am That I Am«, »Downpressor Man« (eine Version von Sinnerman, die durch Nina Simone berühmt wurde), »Stepping Razor« und »Apartheid« wurden alle zu eigenständigen Menschenrechtshymnen. 1987 wurde Tosh bei einem Raubüberfall getötet und ließ Reggae-Fans auf der ganzen Welt mit der Frage zurück, was hätte sein können.

»Equal Rights« ist als erweiterte 2LP-Edition mit einer Bonus-Disc erhältlich, die seltene und unveröffentlichte Songs enthält, die bisher nur auf »Dubplates« erhältlich waren. Diese definitive Version eines Reggae-Evergreens ist in einer Deluxe-Hülle mit Leinenfinish und einem 4-seitigen Booklet verpackt und in einer limitierten Auflage von 3000 einzeln nummerierten Exemplaren auf orangefarbenem Vinyl erhältlich.

Forever at Last - the debut EP by Melbourne’s HighSchool - is finally back in print on vinyl. Six brilliant tracks that introduced the world to an exciting new band, it’s been out of print long enough and is being reissued ahead of their 35-date World tour. Produced by Archie Shannon (Floodlights), the band’s ingenuity shines with them effortlessly mining myriad influences. Where first singles ‘Frosting’ and ‘New York, Paris and London’ delighted with their potent mix of sun-dappled indie pop and industrial post-punk, their next two ‘De Facto’ and ‘Sirens’ pointed to the dancefloor with the band infusing DFA / New Order / Future Islands sounds while the final pair saw ‘Jerry’ taking a darker turn, playing on the band’s gothic image before closer and title track ‘Forever at Last’ pushed the synth to the fore. A perfect record.

Eco-vinyl pressing

Intricate structures with an intertwining of spontaneity and randomness, meeting the diverse genre influences of the band members from mediaeval music to shoegaze to noise. That is Unravel, the new album, and first in six years, from Czech band Manon Meurt.
"Unravel reflects the different stages of dissociation, a person's thoughts, observations - whether of the environment or of oneself - and admiration for the beauty and cruelty that nature mirrors," multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Kateřina Elznicová says of the album.
Produced by Eddie Stevens (Freakpower, Zero 7, Moloko, Roisin Murphy) the album was pieced together from recorded fragments, meticulously pieced together. The title Unravel refers to the development of the band, unravelling what they are to find the full potential of their music as well as uncovering the layered nature of the songs and emotions.
"Eddie Stevens’ approach to recording was a big surprise. We understood that there was no one right version of the songs. Each of our themes carries a certain energy that can manifest and blossom in many ways. Compared to previous records, the vision of each member was much more evident, while we learned not to cling to our individual ideas of a signifying break or a nu-metal bounce at the end of an ambient song. The main thing was a common concept," adds keyboardist David Tichý on creating the seven songs on the record.
Abum producer Eddie Stevens describes the collaboration, “Each album is an adventure. You do some preparation, check the route over and over, prepare for any eventuality that your packing space and imagination will allow, plan some places to stop and rest en route, places to eat, sleep, then consider the challenges - the ice wall, the summit, even just finding your way in foreign land. But despite all that planning, you can never really say for sure what’s going to happen, what unexpected path you might take, what strangers might invite you in for a cup of tea and to what ends. So it was making Unravel with Manon Meurt and engineer and studio owner Lukas Martinek at Svárov studios and of course back home in the relative safety of my studio. Musicians who quickly became friends showed me more than I showed them, people with ideas, with creativity seeping from their pores. Music making the right way: no blinkers, no walls, no preconceptions, no barriers, no rules. What a pleasure, and what a magical, technicoloured,
kaleidoscopic album we’ve made together, “
The combination of industrial material with plant motifs in the work Untitled_1 by Ukrainian artist Liza Libenko, which adorns the cover of Unravel, strongly attracted the band. After all, floral motifs have always been close to Manon Meurt's music. Libenko, a student of the Academy of Fine Arts and a finalist of the prestigious Austrian Strabag Artaward International Prize, has recently been working on overcoming the narrative boundaries of the canvas, the paintings "attack"the viewer. Sunflowers are a powerful symbol of life and the sun; in Libenko's paintings they are black and burnt, serving as an allegory for contemporary conditions. The work was photographed by photographer and artist Marcel Rozhoň, and the final processing of the Unravel album was done by graphic artist Zuzana Malá.

VBX Records hits double digits with the Stutter Rolling NRG EP, a slow-burning four-tracker from Bangkok native DOTT.

Across this release, he delivers a kaleidoscope of intricate sound design, firmly rooted on the deeper end of the spectrum. Tension and release are woven through every bar, as shimmering textures meet tightly wound grooves with a warm, introspective edge.

A subtle yet potent entry in the VBX catalogue, this tenth installment balances movement with mystery, designed as much for the floor as for the heads.

A year and a half has passed since Slovak-Hungarian artist Adela Mede self-released her debut album ‘Szabadság’. Its liner notes described it as “a navigation”, a search through “the personal, familial, cultural, folkloric and geographic of her past and present.” Her second album, ‘Ne Lépj a Virágra’ no longer searches; here, she puts down roots and delves deeper into the earthy reality of her home, Central Europe. Mede sings in three languages with newfound conviction and grace – this is an album of profound faith and confidence in the potential of this fertile soil.

Composed and recorded during the last 18 months in Bratislava, Slovakia – a city where three countries meet, where the East and the West collide – 'Ne Lépj a Virárga' translates to “don't step on the flower”. Its themes – budding potential, recognizing the beauty in the ordinary, solidarity, turning despair into hope – emerged through Mede's wholehearted involvement with her community, teaching singing to both children and adults, and various grassroots volunteering initiatives. It features collaborations with local artists, Mede's singing students, as well as fellow Eastern European contemporary artists Martyna Basta and Wojciech Rusin.

Adela Mede embellishes carefully crafted songs with minimalist and folklore influences, but also embraces more experimental approaches. The result is a collection of quite varied yet consistent pieces which highlight Mede's proficiency as a singer, arranger, producer and improviser. It is a grounded, confident next step for the Bratislava-based artist. Whether her vocals are naked, heavily processed, warped and reversed, or looped and layered; whether the production is sparse and minimalist or overwhelming and swampy; none of that changes the fact that the gentle tentativeness of her debut is gone. This is “Central European music”, at its most striking and meaningful: patient, determined, embracing both complexity and possibility.

In 1999, on December 23 to be precise, the electronic music landscape changed forever. On that day, the now legendary Icelandic band múm released their debut album “Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK”. The thing is though, back in the day, hardly anybody realized. It was Christmas after all, people were busy with potentially more important things and didn’t pay attention to some kids selling records on Reykjavík’s high street. Little did those shoppers know.

Thankfully, those 10 tracks weren’t overlooked for long. On the contrary: the album went on to become one of the most influential building blocks of what back then was called electronica and today is considered an art form playing a crucial and important role in shaping and defining the rich electronic music culture of the 21st century. Now, 20 years after the record dropped onto planet Earth, Morr Music is re-issuing the remastered album with its original artwork, adding newly commissioned re-works: A note-for-note representation of “Smell Memory“ by Kronos Quartet (with additional drums by múm’s Samuli Kosminen), a gentle reinterpretation of “Random Summer” by acclaimed pianist and composer Hauschka and an otherworldly new version of “Ballad Of The Broken String” recorded by label mate Sóley. Additionally, four remixes produced in the early 2000s are made available for the first time ever on vinyl here.

In 1999, electronic music was in full bloom. The dance floors were thriving worldwide.Yet the concept of using electronic sounds in acoustic-based productions (or vice versa) was still in its infancy. Many producers were trying, most of them failed. The results felt often forced, fabricated, unimaginative, random and forgettable. New ideas require new mindsets after all. With “Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK”, múm established a new approach in music production. Instead of setting a fixed agenda and working with a distinct hierarchy for their sonic palette, Gyða Valtýsdóttir, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Smárason let each instrument and sound source be true to itself, creating an ever-evolving universe of sonic bliss. Listening to the album in 2019 still makes every music lover’s heart jump. Combining Drill-and-Bass-inspired beat-chopping, future-informed DSP-programming, ethereal vocal work, indie rock’s boominess, folk music’s soulful brittleness and a lofty feeling for melody and arrangement, the album is a rare example of musical transcendence and remains impossible to categorize.

Many of the ideas formulated and recorded for the album quickly became an integral part of the canonical self-conception musicians around the world were and still are aspiring to. How these ideas really came about, though, is not known – the dynamics, the struggles, the qualms, the sudden realization of having achieved something which might actually stick. Maybe that is a good thing. Örvar Smárason remembers that most of the album “was recorded in a tiny, sweaty room in the summer of 1999 with carpenters banging nails around us, but sometimes we put on headphones so we couldn’t hear them.” It is a good thing they did. As is often the case with classics, all one can do is listen closely and let the magic sink in – again and again.

If there is a year zero for the introduction of reggae music to Japan, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was 1979 when Bob Marley and the Wailers toured the country, trailed by an entourage of journalists, photographers and fans ready to spread the message of the music into all corners of Japanese society.

But the story of Japanese reggae is not a linear one, and the music that is collected on Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 captures the moment J-reggae entered the broader public consciousness, merging commercial city pop style with an infectious backbeat, that has drawn comparisons with the emergence of Lovers Rock in the UK.

Rather than look directly to Jamaica, many producers and artists in Japan were inspired instead by the more approachable sounds of The Police and UB40, their reggae fix arriving pre-filtered through the lens of new wave pop from the UK. Playful and groovy, these album deep cuts have been overlooked for too long.

Among them are Miki Hirayama, the idol singer who borrowed the bassline from Bob Marley’s Natural Mystic on ‘Denshi Lenzi’, Chu Kosaka, who headed to Hawaii to cut the Jimmy Cliff-inspired ‘Music’ and Marlene, the Philippine songstress whose cover of Roberta Flack’s ‘Hittin’ Me Wear It Hurts’ owed much to her producer’s obsession with Sly & Robbie’s Compass Point sound.

Then there was Izumi “Mimi” Kobayashi, who enlisted the Babylon Warriors to perform on a dubbed-out version of her own track ‘Lazy Love’, the city pop-meets-new wave reggae sound of Miharu Koshi’s ‘Coffee Break’, Junko Yagami’s anti-apartheid deep cut ‘Johannesburg’ and Lily, whose ‘Tenkini Naare’ was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and closes out the compilation with a flourish.

While these stories may not always conform to neat narratives, they do provide a more accurate reflection of the indirect ways in which styles infiltrate one another and, in their naivety, have the potential to create something beautifully strange and entirely new. Previously only available in Japan, the tracks on this compilation are a testament to that curious alchemy.

Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 is released on vinyl and as a full album download (no streaming), featuring original artwork by Japanese Fukuoka-based artist Noncheleee, whose cover pays homage to the iconic dancehall album art of Wilfred Limonious.

Released on 1st September, Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 is part of Time Capsule's Nippon Series, a loose series of compilations exploring different musical scenes from Japan between the 1960s and 2010s.

Mutable Ground is an album created through an exchange of recordings between Anna and Yannis. The project is rooted in the idea of sudden shifts in current events and the ever-growing emotions tied to loss, change, and tension. Each track title is inspired by unstable phenomena and objects, reflecting the potential for unexpected movement and the transitions of both nature and humanity. Repetitive, chaotic drum patterns, vocals that echo sounds of wounded or lost animals, hollow soundscapes reveal a sonic world where creation and destruction coexist—where people dance around fires, caught between fragility and resilience.

Conjuring a faithful following, quite rare in these days of ADHD, by sheer force of their celebratory and fiery live shows, Montijo's most celebrated outfit reflects these past couple years of camaraderie and life on the road on their debut album, after a self-released EP and a 4 way split on Zegema Beach Records. Sublimating all the inherent potential of post-hardcore at its most sweeping into a forceful and focused delivery, 'Acetate' captures all their urgency through 13 memorable and sharpened tracks. Recorded patiently and mastered by the gifted know how of Jack Shirley - Deafheaven, Joyce Manor or Gouge Away -, the songs on 'Acetate' open sprawling vistas upon the band's recognizable sound between chaos and order, cutting back on everything that might be redundant or overly technical. Alex Domingos' vocals reach new means of expressiveness through harrowing screams and hints of melody, João Pires' sinewy guitar pulling out riffs and skewed lines that echo for posterity and the rhythmic section of Simão Simões - bass - and João Portalegre - drums - driving all this turmoil with kinetic precision and flexibility. Never before did Hetta sound as relentless, chill and melodic, tracking down life at its own pulse.

Portland, Oregon dark rock trio HOAXED return with their stunning new album Death Knocks. Three years in the making, the group—featuring vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, drummer Kim Coffel, and new bassist/vocalist April Dimmick—have honed their stygian craft to perfection. "We've added another element to the writing and collaboration process," says the band. "April comes from a classic heavy metal background, and her influence is in these songs. We've also had experiences on tour that have helped shape these songs. You can hear influence from the bands we toured with and learned from. We played together for three years as we wrote this album, and we learned a lot about our styles, and our sound evolved naturally together on stage. So, when we sat down to write this album, it didn't feel like a departure or a change." Anchored by the witchy spell of opener "Where the Seas Fall Silent," the rock-hardened groove of "Kill Switch," and the dimly lit power pop of "The Family," HOAXED upped the tempo, sawed the edges (Dimmick's raspy menace intimidates), and strengthened their ties to the golden gods of heavy metal. Indeed, cyclical riffs, dynamic rhythms, and bottom-heavy bass propel Death Knocks through its filmic, hard-nosed gloom, but Keo's sorcerous vocal hooks seal the deal. Often smartly paired with Dimmick's angels' n' demons, her performance effuses fragility and potency across the album's alluring expanse. HOAXED recorded Death Knocks at Falcon Recording Studios with producer/engineer Gabe Johnston (Unto Others, Vintersea) and enlisted Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Kreator, and more,) for mixing and mastering. In total, the group spent eight days in February and March tracking Death Knocks. While most bands spend months ironing their metallic mettle, Hoaxed's expeditious time at Falcon engendered a polished, big-sounding force befitting their larger-than-life songs. Short: Portland, Oregon dark rock trio HOAXED return with their stunning new album Death Knocks. Three years in the making, the group—featuring vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, drummer Kim Coffel, and new bassist/vocalist April Dimmick—have honed their stygian craft to perfection. FFO: Ghost, Tribulation, Bloody Hammers, Khemmis, Unto Others, GGGOLDDD, Katatonia. Pallbearer