Search:previous

"Den Bildschirm zur Verbrechensbekämpfung einzusetzen, das, meine Damen und Herren, ist der Sinn unserer neuen Sendereihe Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst, die ich Ihnen heute vorstellen möchte." Mit diesen Worten begrüßte Eduard Zimmermann am 20. Oktober 1967 die Zuschauer des Zweiten Deutschen Fernsehens. Es war die erste Ausgabe eines neuen Sendeformats das, so weiß man heute, (Fernseh-)Geschichte schreiben sollte.

Die Idee zu diesem Projekt kam der Tramp Mannschaft, wie so oft, eher zufällig in den Sinn. Es war Ende der 1980er Jahre, als wir zum ersten Mal Eduard Zimmermann am Bildschirm bestaunten. Damals war offensichtlich nicht die Musik ausschlaggebend, sondern das Gesamtpaket XY. Zum einen der sachliche Moderationsstil des Protagonisten, zum anderen die spannenden, jedoch immer behutsam produzierten Filmbeiträge von Kurt Grimm. Die XY Fan-Gemeinde ist sich einig, dass durch seine außergewöhnliche Regiearbeit der filmischen Rekonstruktion der Fälle maßgeblich zum Erfolg von XY beigetragen hat. Des Weiteren waren es die Sprecher der Filmbeiträge, allen voran Wolfgang Grönebaum, der zwischen 1967-1989 mit seiner markanten Stimme des öfteren für Gänsehautmomente bei den Zuschauern sorgte. All das würde aber ohne die passende Begleitmusik nicht funktionieren. Und so ist das letzte Puzzlestück welches XY den Kultstatus einbrachte die Kompositionen die für die Filmbeiträge benutzt wurden.

Nun fndet sich auf dieser (Bio*-)Schallplatte aber keineswegs Musik von XY aus den 1980er Jahren. Wie ihr wisst schlägt das Tramp Herz, bis auf wenige Ausnahmen, für die Musik der '60er und '70er. Als wir vor einigen Jahren auf XY-Folgen der Anfangszeit stießen war schnell klar: da muss eine Schallplatte her! Und genau diese kann man nun als Resultat unserer Leidenschaft in den Händen halten. Längst überfällig möchte man meinen. Ein besonderer Dank geht hierbei an den Komponisten Ernst-August Quelle aus dessen Hand alle Titel auf diesem Album stammen.

Eduard Zimmermann hat mit Aktenzeichen XY... Ungelöst Fernsehgeschichte geschrieben. Wir, die Tramp Crew, ist mehr als stolz ihm und seinen Fans mit dieser Schallplatte ein Denkmal gesetzt zu haben. Gern geschehen.

*Die LP stellt die erstmalige Veröffentlichung aller Titel auf Tonträger dar und erscheint in einer limitierten, handnummerierten Auflage von 500 Stück, gepresst auf BIO-VINYL (Ersatz von Erdöl in S-PVC durch Recycling von u.a. Altspeiseöl =>100% CO2-Einsparung), mit einem Text von Peter Hohl, der zwischen 1967 und 1979 engster Mitarbeiter Eduard Zimmermanns war.

The 6th Full Length studio album from South African Death Metal Bulldozers VULVODYNIA is upon us! As the first album featuring Lwandile Prusent on vocals (previously on guitar), 'ENTABENI' harks back to the band's earlier brutal roots, with lyrical concepts themed on African folklore, with a huge production from Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, Ingested, Despised Icon) and artwork by Shindy Reehal (Viscera, The Zenith Passage, Bound in Fear).

Midi Mode Records, a new chapter begins for the label formerly known as Mini Man Records.
A home for the unmistakable energy of electro and techno grooves.

The decision to rebrand to Midi Mode as a name came after the previously known label title was unexpectedly caught up in a weird trademark dispute.
The label has adapted to survive and will provide tracks for true believers, made by true believers into the future.

As the label unveils its upcoming releases, it starts with the "Fake Reality EP", a 5 tracker with Electro & Techno Funk, housing a collaboration with Human Rebellion & Power.

Electro heads should already be very familiar with the unmistakable electro sonic sounds of Human Rebellion.
Furthermore to this, a fusion with the stripped back Detroit electro sounds of Power means the senses are pushed to move in dark rooms with the fierce Techno cut of "I'm a Freak".
All of this is combined with a haunting and unhinged remix from Nite Fleit that's mesmerising.

To say that The Sinseers play oldies would be a misnomer. Fronted by bandleader and son of East Los Angeles Joey Quiniones, the group has quietly chipped away at the sounds of R&B and soul for the last half-decade. Quinones and his crew have continuously created a distinctive vibe that explores all aspects of a timeless genre, bringing together their interpretation of music through an unmistakable modern lens.With their most recent effort, the aptly titled Sinseerly Yours (Colemine 2023), the band recorded most of the album live in the studio. With Quinones on vocals and keys, vocalist Adriana Flores, Christopher Manjarrez on bass, Francisco Floreson on guitar, Bryan Ponce on guitar and vocals, Luis Carpio on drums and vocals, saxophonists Eric Johnson and Steve Surman, and Jose Luis Jimenez on trombone, The Sinseers achieves their most fully realized sound to date.All of the album's stunning tracks were recorded in a converted studio space in Rialto, California, known as Second Hand Sounds. The converted studio space, which used to be a dentist's office, allowed the group to experiment with their sound like never before - this time, the group managed to take a series of big swings, only to emerge with a fuller, more pronounced version of themselves. Despite those new strides, the band remains wholly committed to its sonic aesthetic while injecting its brand of vibrant 21st-century cool.Of course, the group has never been the type to shy away from their influences as they expertly toggle between 60s pop vis-à-vie early Beatles records to obscure dancehall Jamaican tunes - all fully extrapolated and reinterpreted through modern Chicano soul sound that the group has built their everlasting repertoire on.Quinones and bandmates have continued to apply what they've learned from their previous releases and their relentless touring schedule throughout the country. It's clear here that the work is paying off, putting to practice their musical chops thoroughly with all members expertly honing their sound. The melting pot of ideas is showcased with incredibly lush orchestrations and arrangements, married with pitch-perfect harmonies, allowing the group to further solidify themselves in the pantheon of the Southern Californian songbook.

"Ogives Big Band is a riff powerhouse hailing from Bristol, UK. Initially forming as an instrumental trio with a view to expand the existing Øgïvęš solo material. The addition of an established and furious rhythm section warped the compositions and song writing process into a new beast entirely. Featuring polyrhythmic soundscapes crashing into brutal breakdowns, blistering riffs melting into luscious ethereal drones, & an all encompassing sense of drive & menace. 2020 saw the addition of a new vocalist which has transformed a previously instrumental setup into a much fiercer prospect. Replete with furiously yelled vocals, serene croons & abstract lyricism and wordplay. 2023 will see the quartet appear at Portals and ArcTanGent festivals as well as tours in support of their new album, set to be released late 2023/early 2024. The new album – entitled ‘Boisterous Love’ - will showcase a move into whole new musical territories of savage, angular, doom laden sludge, progressive metal and psychedelic stoner rock."

Ten of the selections on this set are compiled from two separate performances. None of the performances on the album have previously been available. The A-side consists of tracks recorded in
1970. The B-side collects a couple from 1965 and is rounded out with four tracks from 1971. The 40- minute live collection LP will be pressed on black vinyl with rare photos and liner notes

First career spanning compilation on vinyl, covering studio albums, singles and unreleased tracks (2009-2023) by the acclaimed Peruvian instro band, Los Protones. A collection of intense recordings - mostly originals - which combine surf music, psych, garage, and tropical & Andean flavors. DESCRIPTION The Protones began their strange journey in Lima, Peru, in early 2007. The band's roots were as a side project for several members of Manganzoides, a well-remembered Peruvian garage rock band, but they quickly consolidated their own instrumental style that, to this day, combines musical genres from the 60s such as psychedelia, surf music and garage rock, sometimes paying tribute to Peruvian rhythms such as chicha and Amazonian cumbia. They are surely the only band in the world that has shared stages with Los Shapis and the New York Dolls, although not on the same night... Over the course of two decades they have played countless concerts, including visits to Europe and other Latin American countries. The music on this compilation comes from their four, full-length studio albums: "Los Protones", "Hijas del Diablo", "Maravilla!" and "Misión: OA4", in addition to the previous CD compilation "20 Monstruos! 2007-2015" and "Double Feature", a split CD with the Brazilian band Os Brutus. The group's current lineup includes Gonzaleo (guitar), Tito (drums), Jimi (keyboards), Andrés (bass) and Lucía (violin). Dance floor oriented tropical music at its best!

This is part of an ongoing 45 series that also features Westside Gunn, Raekwon, Blu, Conway The Machine, DJ Babu, Curren$y, and others. This 7" single will set the table for Rude One's official follow-up, Upper Space, which will release physically and digitally on October 11th. The album contains a new single with Roc Marciano as well as songs with Valee, RXK Nephew, Pink Siifu, Stove God Cooks, The Twilite Tone, and more. DJ Rude One's ONEderful LP was released in 2016 and earned praise from Pitchfork (6.9), HipHopDX, XXL, Noisey, Fakeshoredrive, and others. It featured Conway, Your Old Droog, Westside Gunn, and Roc Marciano, all of whom are at the top of the Underground Hip Hop food chain. "His rasping voice is suited for Rude One’s gritty sound. Almost everything here is sonically consistent, with rapper and producer perfectly in sync." - Pitchfork. Full color jacket 7". Roc Marciano is hailed as a leader in Hip Hop's current underground renaissance. The smooth rapper and producer has his fingerprints all over the scene, and regularly receives praise from critics and his established peers. In 2016, Roc lent his services to DJ Rude One's ahead of its time LP, ONEderful. Together, the two crafted stand out cuts such as "Triple Black Benz" and "Murder Paragraphs", the latter of which is the latest installment of Closed Sessions limited 7" series. "Murder Paragraphs" is Roc Marciano at his finest and showcases DJ Rude One's signature less-is-more, grimy sound. This 7" contains the original and instrumental version, new artwork by Spectacular Diagnostics, and follows previous entries from Raekwon, Blu, WestSide Gunn, Conway, Open Mike Eagle, and more. This pressing is limited to 500 copies, and will also set the table for DJ Rude One's forthcoming LP, Upper Space, which will feature Stove God Cooks, Valee, RXK Nephew, and of course a new collaboration with Roc Marciano.

Originally released in 2013 and previously unreleased on vinyl, we are proud to present the 3rd volume in the Piece Maker series by legendary DJ Tony Touch. Featuring an incredible line up of MC's that includes Busta Rhymes, Reek da Villain, Roc Marciano, Lil' Fame, Too Short, Xzibit, Kurupt, B-Real, Papoose, Uncle Murda, Black Thought, Styles P, Sheek Louch, Jadakiss, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, RZA, Eminem, Twista, Bun B, Action Bronson, Prodigy, Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5'9", KRS-One, Crooked I, Redman, Method Man, N.O.R.E. and Erick Sermon among others.

"Trauma and the shock effect of it - the leftover residue of harsh reality so impactful that it shapes the way you imagine, envision and calculate your position in regard to everything and everyone around you.
A new type of psychological radius evolves. Boundaries are reinforced. Relationships are recessed. A damaged brief system float aimlessly. Vulnerable to and for anything reminiscent of a worthy cause. The truth about facts became satirical monologue, dead end expressions that have no critical arrangement. We all know someone that either has been or will be"

- Jeff Mills


The Eyewitness reveals a habitual pattern in the way it symbolizes a mirror reflection of mankind in our most vulnerable moments. It is the forthcoming album of Jeff Mills and it is composed from the perspective of an unknowingly complicit bystander and it is at the very least, psychologically pathological in nature. What this release is essentially proposing is an admission to the diagnosis that no one is immune to shock and trauma. Not the accuser or the accused. And this abnormality s culturally and generally transmittable - handed down and passed over to one another disguised as righteous theatre.

As an artist, what Mills is notoriously known for is the perspectives and paths he chooses to approach hefty, complex, and sometimes, awkward subjects. The best way to recognize the narratives of his mostrecent album works such as "The Clairvoyant", an eerie transcending album that plays through like a Seance for creating a bridge to reach another dimension or "Mind Power Mind Control", a cautionary warning about the consequences of supporting deceit, mind control and mass mental persuasion is to start by first taking a moment to look at yourself in a mirror. He's suggesting sound as a reflection and what we might be able to see in ourselves. Proposing that we might be the problem and a solution. In the same vicinity of his recent solo albums, the direction, scope or target of The Eyewitness is first about us, then about it.

More than the few previous albums he's released lately, this one has a unique relationship in terms of imagery and visual treatments that represent the concept. The front cover shows Mills, neatly dressed in a black suit that appears to be caught in the act of doing something methodically as he cohorts to supportwith a bright white type of surgical light towards the viewer. Stark and in the act of.......something offensive - it could be some type of hypnotic machine at work. Other photos show him in darkened spaces. Remote and deep in thought.

Other clues are the titles of the tracks such as "Sacred Iridescent Mirror (The Pledge)": this refers to the act of installing value and credit to something ambiguous and "Menticide" which means the systematic effort to undermine and destroy a person's values and beliefs. In the opening track, "in A Traumatized World" we hear the narration spoken by Mills. In a language he specifically created for this album. It's a dialect that is designed to be undistinguishable, but spoken with a compassion that it could be sympathized with. In the latter part of the track, it reaches a climatic point. Meaning, "it" has happened. And the album is the evidence.

On extra note:

In this day and age,it's comforting to see a musician like Jeff Mills administer music conceptually without any conditions attached. The artistry and craft of using sound and rhythm to bring forth a concern, a warning or the result of a diagnosis to the listener.

Island Boogie arrives four years after Meecham’s previous full-length, Music Not Safari, and sees the veteran producer deliver his most ‘personal’ set yet – a collection of kaleidoscopic, cosmic-leaning, dub disco-influenced neo-boogie excursions inspired by his love of the custom-built soundsystem at Rotation Garden Party, an annual micro-festival founded by a group of friends including his former Chicken Lips production partner Dean Meredith. It's fitting, then, that the EP begins with a superb interpretation of ‘'Dévoilez-Vous’ by T-Kutt, AKA Meredith and long-term studio partner Ben Shenton. The pair’s ‘AM FM Club Mix’ sits somewhere between classic Prelude-style electrofunk, NYC proto-house and early British interpretations of American house music. Séverine Mouletin’s chopped-up improvised vocals weave in and out of sun-bright keyboard riffs, colourful synthesiser motifs, heady synth-strings, D-Train style synth-bass and delay-laden machine drums. It’s a superb re-imagination of one of the album’s most stellar moments.

The EP’s other headline-grabbing remix comes courtesy of Leng co-founder Paul Murphy AKA Mudd. He reworks title track ‘Island Boogie’, teasing out the spacey synths and languid jazz-funk grooves of Meecham’s original mix and dialling them up to the max. The resultant revision sparkles with crunchy clavinet licks, mazy synth and electric piano solos, and spacey chords rising above a mid-tempo dancefloor groove. To complete a strong package, Meecham adds two dubs in his distinctively stripped-back, tape echo-heavy style. He first takes on EP title track ‘Dévoilez-Vous’, wrapping vintage drum machine hits in oodles of space echo and dub delay while devoting more time and space to the killer bassline, Rupert Brown’s infectious hand percussion, and Mouletin’s vocalisations.

To round off the EP, he dubs out album epic ‘La Cassette’, another collaboration with Mouletin that also features additional percussion by Brown. Like the original synth-powered dancefloor dubs of the early-to-mid-80s that have long been an inspiration, Meecham’s ‘La Cassette’ dub features key musical elements – many drenched in trippy effects – popping in and out of the mix, while his sturdy drums and memorable bassline spar with Brown’s percussion below.

* A solid double A-sider from Partial Records with Everton Chambers and S'Kaya sharing the bill.
* On the A-side we have Everton Chambers, a long-time Jamaican singer whose work stretches back the 80's where he cut several memorable digital thrillers. Here he does his thing over a cut Paul Fox's `Wolf in Sheep Clothing' rhythm.
* Flip to the AA side for bass-rumbling boom shot from S'Kaya, a young promising vocalist/deejay who already has two previous releases for Partial under his belt (`Police' and `Eyes of Jah'). On this track he ride the same rhythm as Jah Marnyah's `Nah Partial' which was released last year.
* Both tunes come with dub-wise versions mixed by Dougie Wardrop.

Foundation ska from the cradle of Jamaican music...

Federal Recording Studios nurtured the talents of innumerable Jamaican artists in the early sixties... this set showcases seriously sought after rarities and previously un-released tracks from Don Drummond, The Maytals , Lynn Taitt and many more

* Another portion of dub plate pressure from Partial Records from UK dub stalwart’s Centry and Manasseh.
* `Foot Pedal Dub’ and `Basement Dub’ are both in-demand previously unreleased raw instrumental dub tunes from 1991 which gained sound system play from the likes of Aba Shanti.
* `Old King Cole’ from 1992 is a blazing horns instrumental followed by the dub cut `Old King Dub’, both of which appear here on vinyl for the first time.
* 300 copies only

"Androids may not yet dream of electric sheep, but maybe computers do sing sad songs."

In 2013, Tzoukmanis released ‘Hope Is The Sister Of Despair’, issued here for the first time on vinyl with 4 previously unreleased tracks.
The album was made following the end of a relationship and the happy/sad feeling is everywhere in this music. Sequences twinkle and nag, soft pads pour balm on tired ears and when drums do appear they provide an intimate framework rather than a call to the dance floor. The album taps into a rich vein of sequencer romanticism, from Tangerine Dream-obsessed-‘Berlin School’ daydreamers to the whole nebula of music inspired by Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series. It also looks forward, prefiguring the return today, in troubled times, to the comforting inner space of ‘90s-worshipping ambient techno.

The German word ‘weltschmerz’, roughly translating as ‘world sadness’, fits this music well. The melancholy it inspires feels collective, almost heartening. Sorrow might be said to infuse the technology’s basic building blocks – Leibniz’s binary ‘one’ bereft of its ‘zero’, its presence twinned with absence. But there is hope, too, in the network of actions and decisions that have been fashioned here into melody and rhythm.

Triple edition, packaged in thick PVC cover with a foldable double sided poster and download card.

Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of highly revered Jazz collective, Build An Ark from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2003 and releasing albums between 2004 and 2010, the Carlos Niño co-ordinated project included contributions from luminaries such Phil Ranelin, Big Black, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Adam Rudolph, Derf Reklaw (R.I.P.), Dexter Story, Dwight Trible, Gaby Hernandez, Mia Doi Todd, Munyungo Jackson, Nate Morgan (R.I.P.) Waberi Jordan, Avotcja & many more.

This set was compiled by band leader Carlos Niño with recordings from 2001 to 2008 that have previously been released on Kindred Spirits.

Gilles Peterson says "It's a beauty!"

Multifaceted San Francisco psyche-delic band It’s A Beautiful Day drew on aspects of folk, classical, jazz and world music, their outstanding differences driven by the lead vocalist and violinist David LaFlamme, his keyboardist wife Linda, and harmony singer Patti Santos. This engaging compilation joins the anthem ‘White Bird’ and the spirited ‘Hot Summer Day’ with ‘Don And Dewey’ (based on ‘Wring That Neck’ by Deep Purple, who nicked one of their musical themes for the intro to ‘Child In Time’), plus the previously unreleased ‘Summer Blues’ and ‘You Are The Sun’ – this stunner’s a must for all It’s A Beautiful Day fans!

Dando Shaft’s third LP continued their explorations into the progressive and psychedelic strands of folk, now with shifting time signatures evidencing an increasing sophistication, as well as an ongoing commitment to experimentation; more varied in theme than their previous releases, there were shades of blues in places and an array of new instruments in the mix, including harpsichord, accordion, and slide guitar, yet the progressive folk that was always at the core of the group is still intact. With original copies costing in the hundreds, this is another worthy exploration for Dando Shaft fans, and all lovers of progressive folk music.

In the 1971 counterculture comedy You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It, Zalman King tries to find the meaning of life, with Richard Pryor and Robert Downey Jr among the cameos; who better to cut the soundtrack than Steely Dan? Except that the Dan had not officially formed yet! With typical tongue-in-cheek touches, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker rise to the challenge, with fellow Dan guitarist Denny Diaz and drummer John Discepolo of previous vehicle, Jay & the Americans; if you’re a Steely Dan fan, you really need to check out this one-off soundtrack, cut just before they upset the rock applecart with Can’t Buy A Thrill.

Team Sleep features Chino Moreno from Deftones, plus Todd Wilkinson and CrookOne. This self-titled release is their only album, originally released in 2005 and includes the single "Ever (Foreign Flag)." This expanded version of the album is now being released on black vinyl. Previously released on gold vinyl for RSD 2024.

1982, Brussels: The former au pair for Rick Wakeman of Yes and two of her teenage friends are at the doorstep of Les Disques Du Crepuscule, ready to cut an album with Gilles Martin. Living on busking wages and next door to Tuxedomoon, their work results in a contemporary bossanova record that would provide a missing link between Antonio Carlos Jobim and Kraftwerk. Camino Del Sol was issued and promptly forgotten, with Isabelle Antena moving toward jazz in Asia and the others returning to France. Twenty years later, it was findable only as a VG+ LP with a sticker price of $4.99. Intrigued by the striking cover's sunlit patio furniture emptiness basking in the south of France, we scooped up Camino Del Sol and grouped the extant Antena recordings from that exceptional period by session. Numero Group's definitive 2LP reissue of the original five-song mini-LP adds the group's first 12" (a cover of Jobim's "Girl From Ipanema," naturally), the Seaside Weekend 12", compilation tracks, and two previously unissued cuts, recasting this short-lived combo's forward-thinking milemarker as a modern-day masterstroke. 2x150g LP in a 2-pocket gatefold tip-on jacket with 2 printed inner sleeves.

January 2023, Dorset. Snow is piled at the door, icy roads are closed, and Emily Cross is in a coffin. Not a setting typical for a rebirth. But for Loma, this is where they bring their band back from the brink. "It's like a demon enters the room, whenever we get together", writer, singer and instrumentalist Cross says of the struggle to bring new Loma music into the world. Following the release of their 2020 second album Don't Shy Away, Loma's three members were cast around the globe and the band-not for the first time-entered a deep sleep. Multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer Dan Duszynski remained in his studio in Don't Shy Away's central Texas heart, but Cross, a UK citizen, moved to Dorset, and writer and instrumentalist Jonathan Meiburg left the US for Germany to research a book. In the pandemic years, even being in the same room was impossible, and attempts to start a new record faltered. The following winter, in an attempt to salvage the record and the band, Cross suggested they regroup in the UK, in the tiny stone house-once a coffin-maker's workshop-where she works as an end-of-life doula. With minimal recording gear and few instruments, Loma turned two whitewashed rooms into a makeshift studio, using a padded coffin as a vocal booth. It was a turning point. They scrapped much of what they'd made, letting a new place set a new course. The one-lane roads, hedgerows and dark skies of Dorset gave the new songs an ineffable but unmistakable Englishness. The band used the ruin of a 12th-century chapel as a reverb chamber-surprising hillwalkers who peeked in to find them singing to no one-and the sounds of Cross's chilly workshop wormed their way into the recording: a leaky pipe, a drummer's brushes on a metal lampshade, the voices left on an ancient answering machine. What emerged was How Will I Live Without A Body?: a gorgeous, unique, and oddly comforting album about partnership, loss, regeneration, and fighting the feeling that we're all in this alone. Many of its songs have a feeling of restless motion; faceless characters drift through meetings and partings, tangling together and slipping away. "I Swallowed A Stone" is like a nightmare with a happy ending; "How It Starts" and "Broken Doorbell" reflect on the challenge (and necessity) of wrestling with agoraphobia. Though the record nods to the trio's separate lives- a German percussion ensemble, a pair of Texan owls, and the surf at Chesil Beach make guest appearances-the core of Loma's sound remains intact: earthy, organic and deeply human, anchored by Cross's cool, clear voice. Loma's previous album, Don't Shy Away, was galvanized by the unexpected encouragement and contributions of Brian Eno. This time, they found inspiration in another hero, Laurie Anderson, who offered a chance to work with an AI trained on her entire body of work. Meiburg sent her a photo from his book-in-progress about the once and future life of Antarctica; Anderson's AI responded with two haunting poems. "We used parts of them in a few songs," he says. "And then Dan noticed that one of its lines, 'How will I live without a body?' would be a perfect name for the album, since we nearly lost sight of each other in the recording process." In the end, Loma's efforts to reconnect with one another are the album's central focus: what do you owe a shared past, when everyone and everything has changed? "Making this record tested us all," says Duszynski. "I think that feeling was alchemized through the music." Alchemized, because How Will I Live Without A Body? is by no means a stressed-out record: an undercurrent of deep calm runs through it. But maybe 'relaxed' isn't the right word. It's more like a feeling of relief, of making it through a tough journey together.

The new album from Lebanese-American musician Solpara, Melancholy Sabotage, marks his full length debut and return to Nicolas Jaar's Other People label. While it was recorded over Covid lockdowns, Jaar had been talking about wanting to back a Solpara full-length since he put out Swing. The album came to life while Solpara was living alone in a Brooklyn loft, collecting unemployment checks and viewing ample free time as the artist residency he'd dreamed of; he'd previously been forced to make music in odd windows between numerous jobs and the unmerciful pace of city life. Free from obligations, he would wake up early to take Arabic lessons online, read Tracey Thorn's autobiography, and skateboard the deserted streets, then come home and design sounds until he had a track that felt like it needed to be released. While this easy going lifestyle was peaceful in many ways, Solpara found more complex inspiration in the emotion that stemmed from participation in Black Lives Matter protests and the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, which rocked all of his extended family members in Lebanon.

Melancholy Sabotage explores the theme of sabotaging melancholy. Echoing sounds from the post-punk, trip-hop, and ambient genres, it is about sabotaging the cycle of melancholy and looking at this process without ignoring the sources that put it into motion. It may be compared to a rattling breaking free from retention, reaching states of dreamy euphoria while simultaneously acknowledging the sources of retention, viewed from above. The sources can be personal, political, or socio-economic. They are to be apprehended post-melancholy, after the sabotaging of the initial cycle of melancholy. In other words, it is about transcending melancholy and understanding where it came from with some distance. It may be beautiful and healthy to feel for a while, but how may one sabotage this cycle when it becomes paralyzing? Ultimately, this album is about feeling melancholy but also resisting it and naming the sources that initiated it.

"Time To Hold Better" points to neglect on both personal and group levels. "This Time Last Year" is a personal time capsule. "We Keep Us Safe" is about solidarity, autonomy, and care witnessed within protest groups. "Melancholy Sabotage" is a sonic exploration of the album concept illustrating anger and sadness, but finally, resistance and liberation from these feelings. "Measures" is a more fluid exploration of the latter after the initial storm has passed. "We Don't Owe" points to bigger bodies inflicting harm on populations that we owe nothing to. "Breaking Points" harkens the times that we may lose focus while pushing to transcend melancholy. "Eviction" is about being pushed out of a space unwillingly while simultaneously being forced to move forward.

Melancholy Sabotage pulls from a range of genres, uniting electronic sounds under the same post-punky glow. It pulls from complex, heavy themes including damage and injustice, presenting Solpara's most moving body of work to date. It highlights the poignance that has always been at the heart of his fluid sound, which caters to dancefloors and avant-garde spaces in equal measure. Working with a mix of dissonant guitars, distorted drum machines, and distant, reverb-washed vocals, Melancholy Sabotage is Solpara's uneasiest outing to date. The record pinpoints the duality at the heart of Solpara's sound, which is as plaintive as it is searing.

Mika Miko were a band from Los Angeles from 2003-2010 playing a mix of danceable, post punk and late 70's style power pop and street punk. Formed by sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin (who would later form Bleached) with high school friends Michelle Suarez, Jenna Thornhill and drummer Jon Erik Edrosa. After a 7" EP in 2004 (PPM) they signed to Kill Rock Stars in 2006 with new drummer Kate Hall to release "C.Y.S.L.A.B.F." which would see them tour throughout the US, Europe and Japan. Returning to PPM in 2007 to release their "666" EP, and their second and final LP (with another new drummer, Seth Densham) "We Be XUXA" in 2009, they disbanded in 2010. Mika Miko were highly influential and integral to the LA scene in the early and mid aughts surrounding the all ages club The Smell. This limited edition of 300, silk screened cover + poster LP is a "Best Of" compilation of their previous work compiled by the band.

Like an unsent love letter to a psychedelic London where everyone is trying to find their way to a secret Television Personalities gig, Cuneiform Tabs emerge with an astounding debut of lo-fi pop and DIY experimentation. A hazy collage of joyful heartaches, twisted children's TV themes and sing-song melodies, the album echoes the sounds of '60s AM radio from a dozen narrow alleyways to the North.

Over 18 months, the Tabs' Matt Bieyle and Sterling Mackinnon traded 4-track tapes between the Bay Area and the UK. While they previously played together in indie band Violent Change, the duo's physical distance and their songwriting process of building, blurring and distorting across the Atlantic would create something no one saw coming. Grabbing any instruments at their disposal and splitting vocal duties, Bieyle and Mackinnon pushed their Tascam to its limit to make glittering, odd-shaped gems.

There is an insular feel to Cuneiform Tabs, suited for late nights after the entire city has stumbled into dreamtime or lazy afternoons when you can't quite recall where you need to be, but you know you won't make it there on time. It's like a pirate radio show where Bob Pollard alternates Swell Maps and Cleaners From Venus records while randomly unplugging various bits of gear and reading passages from a book on R.D. Laing.

Originally released in a hyper-limited artist edition, W.25TH / Superior Viaduct is thrilled to bring this kaleidoscopic LP to a wider audience.

These two Leon Thomas cuts have become increasingly sought after by DJs in recent years. So, we’re delighted to pair both full-length versions on this 33rpm 7”.

For his 1973 Flying Dutchman LP “Full Circle” Thomas teamed up with top New York session players like Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Farrell and Neal Creque. The latter composed the apocalyptic funky jazz of ‘It’s My Life I’m Fighting For’. Running for ten minutes it’s a classic.

Thomas and Creque also wrote the dramatic five minute long ‘Shape Your Mind To Die’ which, fuelled by Pee Wee Ellis’ amazing soprano saxophone, appeared on Thomas’ previous album “Blues And The Soulful Truth” in 1972.

Following a 21-year hiatus since their last album release, UK-industrial-metal pioneers KILL II THIS return with a new album, Variant. KILL II THIS guitarist Mark Mynett spoke about the album title and artwork: "We originally had a much more complicated title for the album but the Variant title came about during the Covid lockdown period. It also echoes previous KILL II THIS album titles, especially 'Deviate,' and the roman numeral V signifies that this is the fifth album. The artwork was created by Andy Pilkington at Very Metal Art and we are delighted with what he has come up with. There are some really clever touches and the detail is incredible. We've recorded a very strong album with Variant and it needed powerful artwork to match."

An exercise in control of auditory limitations and possibilities, GAEL redefines techno production with their comprehension of cold atmospherics and meticulous world building. Exemplified in their first solo EP ‘Frozen White Horse’ released on BITE Records, fervent, hurtling drums are underpinned by hopeful euphorics and circulating, breathy cybernetics. A culmination of sophisticated sonic dialects reared from the intersections of soundscaping and electronic music, the berlin-based DJ/Producer from Dagestan (by-way-of Kyiv and Odesa) commits their practice to the inclusivity of borderless, capricious and emotive dance- floor synergy. This energy was previously captured on BITE last year with their appearances on the Shedding Skin VA and The Soft Moon’s Exister Remixed. GAEL’s harmonic and organic approach to techno production echoes the heartbeat of dancefloor resistance,captivating audiences across venues from Berlin’s Berghain to Kyiv’s ∄ as a resident at the queer event series XITb. Delivering thunderous feeling through experimental sounds and masterful pacing, the 4-track-EP blurs the margins of moody techno exploration with remarkable attitude and a foreboding sense of uphill struggle. For the opening title track, a procession of stacked chords,synths and snares are met with a cyclone of galloping percussion building to maximum intensity until dispersing into echoey chimes. As the listener is able to catch their breath, the second track ‘prpttcxsstnc’ reignites - this time with trepidatious yet ethereal vibration, as the track continues to inject GAEL’s post-punk style of galvanised energy, rich layered drums maintain the undercurrent of resolute chaos into the following track ‘there is nothing left’. Sombre track titles are off-set by triumphant vigour for the third instalment, pushing through gale force drums and the clanging zaps and bleeps of electronic debris. Concluding with the final cacophony of collaged beats and drums, bellowing siren-like cold wails meld with GAEL’s calamity crescendo of crashing cymbals, the procession of rapturous drums slipping into a distant echo of warped hollow gleams.

Fourteen new and previously unreleased tracks from some of the most exciting current bands from Seattle, Washington's vibrant alternative-rock underworld.
Continuing in the spirit of regional compilation albums like 1988's Sub Pop 200, "From Far It All Seems Small" serves as a snapshot of the contemporary Seattle scene.

"From Far It All Seems Small" jumps off the speakers with an onslaught of fuzz and an abundance of hooks. You might find yourself flipping the sleeve over, expecting to see a release date from the 1990's, but no, these are Seattle's finest here and now! - Jackson Long (KEXP, HMS Studio)

A wonderful document of the current moment of Seattle indie. - Ole Johnson (Painter Man Records)

A collection of songs that will get stuck in your head by Seattle's best alt-rockers. - Ellen Rumel (PNW music photographer)"

Lenticular Sleeve / White Vinyl. When Jack Tatum began work on Life of Pause, his third full-length to date, he had lofty ambitions: Don't just write another album; create another world. One with enough detail and texture and dimension that a listener could step inside, explore, and inhabit it as they see fit. "I desperately wanted for this to be the kind of record that would displace me," he says. "I'm terrified by the idea of being any one thing, or being of any one genre. And whether or not I accomplish that, I know that my only hope of getting there is to constantly reinvent. That reinvention doesn't need to be drastic, but every new record has to have its own identity, and it has to have a separate set of goals from what came before." What came before: a rightfully acclaimed, much beloved display of singular pop craftsmanship. Tatum's dreamy, unexpected 2010 debut, Gemini, was written while he was still a student at Virginia Tech University. Its equally disarming follow-up, 2012's Nocturne, marked the first time he'd been able to bring his bedroom recordings into a studio, to be performed and fully realized with the help of other musicians. There has been a set of wonderfully expansive EPs in between_each hinting at new directions and punctuating previous ideas_but with Life of Pause, Tatum delivers what he describes as his most "honest" and "mature" work yet, an exquisitely arranged and beautifully recorded collection of songs that marry the immediate with the indefinable. "I allowed myself to go down every route I could imagine even if it ended up not working for me," he says. "I owe it to myself to take as many risks as possible. Songs are songs and you have to allow yourself to be open to everything." After a prolonged period of writing and experimentation, recording took place over several weeks in both Los Angeles and Stockholm, with producer Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Beachwood Sparks) helping Tatum in his search for a more natural and organically textured sound. In Sweden, in a studio once owned by ABBA, they enlisted Peter, Bjorn and John drummer John Ericsson and fellow Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra veteran Pelle Jacobsson, to contribute drums and marimba. In California, at Monahan's home, Tatum collaborated with Medicine guitarist Brad Laner and a crew of saxophonists. From the hypnotic polyrhythms of "Reichpop" to the sugary howl of "Japanese Alice" to the hallucinogenic R&B of "A Woman's Wisdom," the result is a complete, fully immersive listening environment. "I just kept things really simple, writing as ideas came to me," he says. "There's definitely a different kind of `self' in the picture this time around. There's no real love lost, it's much more a record of coming to terms and defining what it is that you have_your place, your relationships. I view every record as an opportunity to write better songs. At the end of the day it still sounds like me, just new."

Madlib Invazion presents a colored vinyl issue of the long out of print 11th issue on the Madlib Medicine Show series - Low Budget High-Fi Music, on clear pink vinyl. In 2010, Madlib launched an ambitious series of releases known as the Madlib Medicine Show, which allowed the prolific producer to release new material on a monthly basis. The series touched on all the genres Madlib digs, and that’s just about any genre you can consider - from Jazz to Rock, Soul to Disco, myriad African musics, Brazilian and Reggae. On the 11th installment in series Madlib returned to his hip hop roots with Low Budget High-Fi Music. Featuring a run-down of regular Madlib collaborators who provide the Beat Konducta’s foil, it also included a hint of what was meant to come on the never-realized second Jaylib album, with a previously unreleased J Dilla collaboration."

Repressed. In 2010, Madlib launched an ambitious series of releases known as the Madlib Medicine Show, which allowed

the prolific producer to release new material on a monthly basis. The series touched on all the genres Madlib digs, and that’s just about any genre you can consider from Jazz to Rock, Soul to Disco, myriad African musics, Brazilian and Reggae. On the 11th installment in series Madlib returned to his hip hop roots with Low Budget High-Fi Music. Featuring a run-down of regular Madlib collaborators who provide the Beat Konducta’s foil, it also included a hint of what was meant to come on the never-realized second Jaylib album, with a previously unreleased J Dilla collaboration.

As the summer season approaches, here comes Kito Jempere and Hard Ton with a perfect summer jam! Taken from upcoming fifth Kito Jempere album, ''The Sound of Love'' is a classic early nineties balearic beat ballad - 96 beats per minute of morning bliss, mellow
pads, enigma-esque drums and beautiful vocal drama by one and only Hard Ton.
Besides the title track and a new club driven remix from man-of-the-hour Eden Burns, vinyl is packed with an array of old and new goodies. Much requested Andras remix from 2020 previously available digitally only. Live version of previous Hard Ton collaboration, ''Your
Ghost in Me'', played by 8-piece Kito Jempere Live Band. Plus another two massive and previously ''digital only'' remixes from Eden Burns for all your dance-club needs. And all this comes with a beautiful sleeve from Berlin based photographer Alexey Kiselev.

The second record of the remastered and unreleased Acid Anonymous Archives is here!
AA-A02 features two tracks by Diex (DX).
One track is from the original record released in 2002,
while the other is a previously unreleased track that is finally available!

Debut LP by Pinegrove from Montclair, New Jersey. On Cardinal, the band's captivating blend of indie rock, pop and country elements is more vivid, fine-tuned and addictive than on their previous released EP's. Painting his emotions onto these songs with colorful and kinetic strokes, vocalist and guitarist Evan Stephens Hall moves through Cardinal's eight songs with an unforgettable energy and passion, with a vocal performance that is pleasantly reminiscent of Will Oldham and Built to Spill's Doug Martsch. Highlighted by the downtrodden nostalgia of twangy opener "Old Friends" and the climactic refrain of "Size of the Moon," where the confession "I Don't Know What I'm Afraid Of" is just as much of a sing-a-long as it is an emotional breakdown, moods don't stay in one place for very long on Cardinal - they are carefully crafted and revisited throughout to continually evoke the album's central themes of memory, longing and deep introspection.

LP im Klappcover! Es war der Abstand - der zeitliche, räumliche und methodische - der Mac DeMarco zu "This Old Dog", dem ersten Longplayer seit "Salad Days" von 2014, inspirierte. Mit einer Handvoll Demos in der Tasche, die er in New York geschrieben hatte, zog er von Queens nach Los Angeles und realisierte nach ein paar Monaten in der neuen Heimat, dass dieser Abstand ihm neue Perspektiven eröffnete. Mac DeMarco sagt: "I demoed a full album, and as I was moving to the West Coast I thought I'd get to finishing it quick. But then I realized that moving to a new city, and starting a new life takes time. Usually I just write, record, and put it out; no problem. But this time, I wrote them and they sat. When that happens, you really get to know the songs. It was a different vibe." Mit dem Poppen und Klicken der CR-78 und dem akustischen Geklimper des Album-Opener "My Old Man" sowie dem von Synthesizern durchzogenen zweiten Song "This Old Dog" wird schnell klar, dass Mac DeMarco diesmal tief in die Trickkiste gegriffen hat. Auf "This Old Dog" sind die Synthesizer stärker verwurzelt als auf seinen bisherigen Releases, aber trotzdem achtet DeMarco sorgfältig darauf, dass diese den Rest der Instrumente und den "unplugged"-Eindruck des Albums nicht überschatten. Oder wie er erklärt: "This is my acoustic album, but it's not really an acoustic album at all. That's just what it feels like, mostly. I'm Italian, so I guess this is an Italian rock record." ENG Gatefold LP! This Old Dog by Mac DeMarco (A.K.A. 26-year old McBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco) is his third album and first full-length since 2014's Salad Days. The album opener "My Old Man" and title track "This Old Dog" show a new sonic direction and a glimpse into the very personal nature of this record. It was a little space-in time, location (he moved from Queens to Los Angeles), and method-that inspired DeMarco while making This Old Dog. Arriving in California with a grip of demos he'd written in New York, he realized after a few months of setting up his new shop that the gap was giving him perspective. DeMarco says, "I demoed a full album, and as I was moving to the West Coast I thought I'd get to finishing it quickly. But then I realized that moving to a new city, and starting a new life takes time. Usually I just write, record, and put it out; no problem. But this time, I wrote them and they sat. When that happens, you really get to know the songs. It was a different vibe." DeMarco wrote some demos for "This Old Dog" on an acoustic guitar, an eye-opening method for him. "The majority of this album is acoustic guitar, synthesizer, some drum machine, and one song is electric guitar. So this is a new thing for me." And right from the offset, from the pops and clicks of the CR-78 and acoustic strums on the album-opening "My Old Man," and the synth-drenched beauty of the second track, "This Old Dog," it's clear that DeMarco's bag is filled with new tricks indeed. This Old Dog is rooted more in a synth-base than any of his previous releases, but he is careful not to let that tactic overshadow the other instruments and overall "unplugged" mood of the work. "This is my acoustic album, but it's not really an acoustic album at all. That's just what it feels like, mostly. I'm Italian, so I guess this is an Italian rock record."

Richard Ashcroft"s fourth solo album "These People" became a fan-favourite in 2016, receiving great reviews and becoming a #3 album in the Official UK Albums Chart. His reunion with Wil Malone, who had previously worked on the string arrangements for The Verve"s seminal albums "A Northern Soul" and "Urban Hymns" added depth and emotional resonance to the album"s sound. Ashcroft demonstrated his continued relevance and creative prowess as a solo artist, reaffirming his status as one of Britain"s most enduring and influential musicians. Released on his Righteous Phonographic Association label via Cooking Vinyl, and now available on vinyl again in a 2LP special edition Clear and Blue Marble Vinyl effect, housed in a Gatefold sleeve.

Released in 1999 on Taylor Deupree’s 12k label, »optimal.lp« was the debut album by Dan Abrams under his Shuttle358 moniker. For its 25th anniversary, Keplar presents it on vinyl for the first time with three previously unreleased tracks—the digital version also includes a alternative version of »Tank«—as well as a new artwork recreated by Daniel Castrejón and a remaster by Andreas LUPO Lubich based on the original pre-masters that were been restored and cleaned up for the reissue project by Abrams. »optimal.lp« was inspired by the rich tradition of ambient music and the rhythmic complexity of 1990s electronica while also sharing many traits with the then-emerging clicks’n’cuts movement, making it a true sui generis piece of work—both informed by tradition and visionary, idiosyncratic and seminal for many artists after him.

Abrams developed an interest in ambient music when he was still a child, scouring through cassette tapes of environmental sounds, new age music, and world percussion. Discovering Brian Eno’s »Thursday Afternoon« as a young teenager marked a turning point for him. »It gave me the idea that ambient music could be an intentional creative act, that tone itself is a legitimate form of expression,« he says today. During the 1990s, he increasingly immersed himself in the electronica scene and the output of labels such as Instinct, where Deupree worked as an Art Director and released his first records as Human Mesh Dance. Abrams found a home on 12k after sending Deupree a demo tape that would later evolve into »optimal.lp,« released as the label’s fifth catalogue number.

Abrams was still in college when he started experimenting with a sound module, his laptop and a mixer as well as a MIDI card and a small controller. »Each note was composed in MIDI and played back when I was ready to record,« he explains his working process at the time. »The tracks could be replayed, but the sound interactions with glitches and noise would be a little different each time. I decided to base the concept of the album on these interactions.« Each piece started with a single sound or tone that, as Abrams puts it, already contained the entire composition: »I let these interactions guide me, and tried to complement them as I added sounds. It’s a conversation of sorts with the medium.«

While refining this technique that he would go on to use on every album until 2004’s »Chessa,« reissued by Keplar in 2021, he also used the first-ever Native Instrument product, the Generator soft synth, to write the record’s title track—possibly making it the first album on which it was being used. »optimal.lp« is marked by this curious interplay of cutting-edge technology, the limitations with which every college student with a small budget is faced, and boundless creativity. »I’ve talked with other artists about how we feel about our early work,« Abrams says today. »We all agreed that there were elements that remain a part of us in a timeless way, despite our techniques—or lack thereof—at the time. ›optimal.lp‹ has a lot of things that will always be with me, that are me. I think I left some clues in there for my future self.«

This sense of timelessness remains tangible after a quarter of a century after the album’s original CD release and is even being expanded upon by the vinyl reissue, which is complemented by three pieces that were made while Abrams was working on the album. The digital release even features an entirely new take on the original album’s final piece, »Tank.« While Abrams let one of the masters go through his customised reverb unit when preparing the reissue, he started recording the results of this accidental dialogue between past and present. It’s a fitting tribute to an album whose delicate circular rhythms, rich textures, and ethereal melodies are precisely so exhilarating because their interplay seems to suspend the passing of time altogether.

CHBB was a project by Beate Bartel and Chris Haas that developed from their collaboration in 1981, while working on the self-titled album 'Liaisons Dangereuses‘. They released their music only on four limited cassettes.

This compilation presents the complete works of CHBB, including all recordings from their original cassettes alongside previously unreleased tracks produced by both artists.

-"Change of Heart" is Change's 4th album, released in 1984. This album marks a significant turning point with the production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, both well known for their great effort with artists such as Janet Jackson. With their distinctive touch, Jam and Lewis brought a more sophisticated and contemporary sound, integrating elements of funk, R&B and pop. The record contains remarkable and unforgettable songs like "Change of Heart," "Say You Love Me Again" and "You Are My Melody," which deeply helped to define the '80s musical era. Deborah Cooper and Rick Brennan give powerful vocals that pretty enrich the olistic sophisticated melodies. The album received a very positive reception from both critics and fans, strengthening Change's reputation as innovators in the music landscape. Although it did not reach the mainstream sphere of previous works, it has maintained a solid following among fans of the genre. "Change of Heart" remains a cornerstone of the band's discography, reflecting the evolution of their style and the lasting influence of producers Jam and Lewis. -