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Utilising a mammoth bank of saxophone samples, Shmuel Hatchwellpresents his new alias hoyah with an engrossing album captured in tape and digital form on Bruk.

The process leading to Set + Setting started out with a need for limitations to provide some focus for long-serving sound engineer and producer Hatchwell. He set out the following guidelines to accompany the overarching idea of 'set + setting':

No 'beats'
Saxophones are the voice
Stay away from the computer for as long as possible

Hatchwell took a deep dive in search of every saxophone sample he could find, threw them all into his MPC and then proceeded to weave together a variety of pieces. The focus on a particular instrument brings cohesion to the album, but equally the limited sound inspired freedom to experiment with other techniques and tools. At times one or two sax voices sound naked and undisturbed, while elsewhere you might only hear jagged shards or distant ghosts as they pass through aggravated processing.

Beyond the sound itself, the name hoyah was born with the flippancy of the 21st Century and ratified by ancient tradition. After the music had been made, After the music had been made, Hatchwell plucked the name out of thin air as a play on the TikTok meme 'can I get a hoya,' and subsequently discovered on a dive into his Jewish heritage that in old Hebrew hoyah means, 'to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.' This distinction between Jewish concepts and modern political conflations is important to Hatchwell, who finds himself consistently having to separate Judaism from the situation in the Middle East and its ongoing genocide.

Subtly calling to mind the understated cosiness of real-life sax players like Sam Gendel as well as the fragmented sample manipulation of Matmos and Tim Hecker's approach to processed noise, hoyah's debut album absolutely manifests an idea and musical practice as something new and intentional

11:68PM returns to What If It Works with a 4-track EP dubbed wide screen narrow mind.

You were handed a myriad of tools before, but these are designed as perception devices discerning between simulation and reality. Even if you can't tell the difference you might sense it. Confront yourself with what you are handed, a sonic cross section of sun drenched synth contours and sub surface movements. This is a real-time report on inner screen time, carved out of the depths of the human mind.

11:68PM's second runny faced outing on What If It Works is pure technology for a reality that does not yet exist, you must decide for yourself how to proceed.

Two talents with careers spanning varying eras, yet artists positioned at the heart of Italy’s current house landscape, Alex Neri and Mennie are adding to their rich solo discographies with a series of selected works in partnership with one another. Tuscany’s Neri, co-owner of the iconic nightlife institution Tenax and label boss at Wildflower Records, stands as one of the legendary Italian names from the past 30 years, holding residencies at the likes of Pikes in Ibiza while releasing a long list of classic records since the early 90s under numerous aliases, including Kamasutra alongside Marco Baroni. A familiar name to FUSE fans, having released material via sister imprints LOCUS and INFUSE, Mennie has seen his career flourish of late, regularly touring Europe’s key venues while also holding a residency at the legendary Tenax. Here, the two build on their recent joint studio projects with a debut on FUSE for the third edition of the label’s collaborative X Series, unveiling a quartet of impactful house cuts in heavy rotation for label head honcho Siragusa.

Taking a deep dive amongst swirling synths and cosmic interludes, ‘Reality’ opens proceedings with a trippy and punchy lead cut as the duo introduce slick groove-laden drum arrangements to get things moving, while ‘Find Me’ keeps the pressure on with bumping low-ends, shuffling hats and a menacing yet captivating bass groove sure to keep dancers moving in lockstep. On the b-side, ‘Rockets’ brings luminous melodies amongst breaks-influenced percussion for a playful and dynamic production, before ‘Watch Me’ rounds things out with another all-action affair as acid-dipped and kinetically charged closer made for big moments.

Diggin In The Crates (D.I.T.C.) was born out of a group of artists who began making noise in the late ‘80s and into the next decade and beyond—namely Lord Finesse, Diamond D, and Fat Joe. After well-received albums, an official, wider collective was founded that also included O.C., Big L, Buckwild, and producer-rapper combo, Show & A.G. (originally known as Showbiz & A.G.).


The crew proceeded to drop a run of sublime records, including Show & A.G.’s Soul Clap EP (1992), their full-length debut Runaway Slave (1992), followed by Goodfellas in 1995. Show & A.G.’s next project, Full Scale, arrived in 1998 and featured appearances from O.C., KRS-One, Big Pun, the Ghetto Dwellas and verses from members of D.I.T.C. including Diamond D, Big L and Lord Finesse.


In 2002 a CD version titled Full Scale LP (using the same artwork) was released with 10 additional tracks which had originally been released on various 12" singles and projects in the late 1990s. The project had never been released on vinyl in its entirety – until now.
Production on Full Scale was handled by Showbiz and A.G. except for "Time To Get This Money" which was produced by long-time collaborator Ahmed, and "Hold Mines" and "Hidden Crates" which were produced by DJ Greyboy.


The assortment of guest features doesn’t detract from A.G., a masterful emcee with a no-nonsense style that is simple but impactful. Full Scale follows the tried and true blueprint from Show & AG’s earlier classics cementing its place in hip hop history.

On A Golden Shore arrives as The Hanging Stars reflect on a year of triumphs. With an Americana Music Association Bob Harris - sanctioned award and a Nashville sell-out in Third Man’s Blue Room with Jack White approvingly looking on, they’re a leading light in the UK Cosmic Americana cohort. Their standing has allowed them to pay less attention to any preconceptions of what they are ‘supposed to be’. On A Golden Shore - their fifth album and their second for the pioneering Loose Music, following 2022’s Hollow Heart - finds them definitively themselves and presents a set of disparate songs whose fundamental linkage is the band that made them. On A Golden Shore was recorded at Edwyn Collins’ Clashnarrow Studios with Sean Read producing. Singer/guitarist Richard Olson, drummer Paulie Cobra, multi-instrumentalist Patrick Ralla, plus freshman bassist Paul Milne – laid down the album’s backbone over eight days. Mostly recorded live, even the solos done as a piece. Much is first take because trying better, it never worked as well. Pedal-steel player Joe Harvey-Whyte created and added his parts at his London studio bringing ‘shimmery psychedelic goodness’. Smartly sequenced On A Golden Shore proceeds in clusters of songs; commencing with the free and easy choogle of ‘Let Me Dream Of You’, encompassing the sunny glam of ‘Sweet Light’, the baggy Balearic waft of ‘Happiness Is A Bird’, the pan pipes and bongos of the exotic ‘Golden Shore’, through to the rolling banjo of ‘No Way Spell’ and the celestial cascades of ‘Heart In A Box’. Fashioned instinctively On A Golden Shore is ultimately an album of sensation as much as thought, filled with fleeting moments of blissful excess, and stumbling, rushing flutters of sound; its evanescent psychedelia, divine choruses, and shards of strings combine into an infectious, compelling Cosmic Heartbreak Boogie.

Never Sleep charity tape series continues with a legendary recording from the world famous Mary Anne Hobbs stage at Sonar Festival.

UK phenomenon Joker encapsulates the era perfectly with his signature "Purple" sound and Dubstep sonics. A rowdy late night work out of his own productions, a rare dub from Skream, Bristolian funk from Gemmy and classic Mala.

Hosted by an enthralled Gaslamp Killer and beautifully captures the feeling of the infamous stage. Timeless, cutting edge and a slight hint of nostalgia for any Sonar Festival aficionados.

All proceeds go to Bristol based charity “The Cause" who help young locals in the creative arts.

The last of the collaborative LPs Miles Davis recorded with Gil Evans for Columbia, Quiet Nights is easily the most controversial. Following the success of Sketches Of Spain, Davis and Evans aimed to further the Latin explorations, this time pointing to Brazil, as heard on the adaptation of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s ‘Corcovado’ and Joao Gilberto’s ‘Aos Pés Da Cruz,’ with its stellar Ron Carter bass accompaniment, though some were surprised by the brevity of the proceedings, including Miles himself. Nevertheless, those who get to know the album will appreciate its intricacies, the product of the pair’s unique creative chemistry.

First compiled as a double CD in 2002, Moon's Milk (in Four Phases) is a suite of four EPs that Coil released seasonally via their in-house Eskaton imprint across 1998. The line-up for these sessions were John Balance, Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson, Drew McDowall, and William Breeze. Recorded primarily at their home studio in Chiswick, London on the eve of a permanent relocation to the small seaside town of Weston-Super-Mare, the collection has long loomed as a pivotal and pinnacle work in the group's discography, but has never been officially reissued, or repressed on vinyl. Time has only ripened its tapestry of regal strangeness. Arranged sequentially in tribute to the equinoxes and solstices, Moon's Milk captures Coil at a revelatory crossroads, leaning deeper into improvisation, spontaneity, and sound design. "Moon's Milk or Under an Unquiet Skull" initiates the proceedings on Spring Equinox, a two-part netherworld organ séance woven from vocal drones, cathedral keys, seasick strings, and opiated undertow. From there, Summer Solstice skews lighter but no less incantational, with Balance embracing his voice-as-instrument across lucid dream torch songs ("Bee Stings"), purgatorial spoken word ("Glowworms/Waveforms"), sultry chamber pieces ("Summer Substructures"), and falsetto ravings ("A Warning From The Sun (For Fritz)"). Autumn Equinox exudes more of a pensive and twilit mood, from the Rose McDowall-sung folk ballad "Rosa Decidua" ("I hear your voice sing near to me / I've put away the poisoned chalice (for now) / And lie down amongst the flowerbeds") to hall-of-lords hallucination "The Auto-Asphyxiating Hierophant" to the liminal string-plucked classic "Amethyst Deceivers," featuring excellent alien guitar by Breeze layered with Balance's oft-quoted couplet: "Pay your respects to the vultures / For they are your future." The album's final chapter, Winter Solstice, is its most swooning, remote, and ceremonial. Opener "A White Rainbow" stirs strings, layered choral vocals, and shivering rhythm into an imploding burial hymn. "North" oscillates bleakly, a ghost in the machine murmuring opaque prophecy ("This black dog has no owner / This black dog has no odour"), while "Magnetic North" is its inverse, a guided meditation of gently flickering software and surreal chakra poetics ("Red rose filling the skull / Yellow cube in the lower pelvis / Silver moon crescent below the navel"). The suite fades to grey with a traditional English carol ("Christmas Is Now Drawing Near"), rendered like an executioner's song by Rose McDowall's doomed, beautiful voice. The Dais box set includes the entirety of the rare Moon's Milk Bonus Disc CD-R / 2019 Threshold Archives Copal CD, which includes three collaborations with Thighpaulsandra. This material is as rich and intoxicating as the previous four phases, ranging from electro-acoustic singing bowl rituals ("Copal") to dissonant electronic recitations of visionary Angus MacLise poetry ("The Coppice Meat") to ominous classical melancholia ("Bankside"). Once again, Coil confirm the vastness of their confounding, infinite alchemy, explored and refined across decades of experimentation - both sonic and bodily. From postindustrial to post-everything, theirs is an art untethered, in the wilds of its own design.

Brixton-based David Agrella returns after the success of his Baby Ford-remixed 'Modulo 02', with two tracks and a nifty remix of each to boot. 'I Felt It Coming' is a heady peak time track, with Underground Resistance-style drum machine handclaps and an addictive synth hook and all the suspense and drama of a Stephen King horror tale. Domenico Rosa's remix turns that frown upside down, converting it into a perky, cheeky and altogether lighter workout that nevertheless will keep feet on the dancefloor. 'Reflexion Nocturna' (Priori remix) kicks off the B-side with fizzling dub techno stealth, subtly embellished with a smidgeon of 'Funky Drummer' breakbeat, while Agrella's original closes proceedings with head down, echo-set Leftfield-style prog house skank. Not for nothing is this chap known as one of the techno scene's fastest rising new names.

The third vinyl release of the year from Blur Records sees three distinguished producers - ColorJaxx, T.Markakis and Manuel Kane - sharing duties, each delivering a track each but with the distinctive, music-centred 'deep house fusion' flavour of the Blur label very much at their heart. ColorJaxx's 'I Know You' kicks off proceedings in upbeat mood, goaded along by a skippy garage beat, some beautiful piano work and arresting male vocals. 'Ain't Like That' by T.Markakis rolls slower and deeper, clouds of warm synth giving it a reassuring, dub feel, while Manuel Kane's 'Funk' boasts a cheery, end-of-evening sparkle with its hypnotic vocal samples and gentle sirens. Quality without pretention whichever way you turn.

splattered yelow & red vinyl

A1 - Phases Of Reality
Easing into the proceedings in subtle yet impactful style, Phases of Reality offers an eerie, soothing aura of sound with bells and horns and a progressive, powerful bassline hook. The melancholic atmosphere grips the listener throughout, intensely wrapping itself around the classic old school breakbeats to create a collage of audio fit for both the dancefloor and that late night contemplative drive home in the rain.
A2 - Impressions
Instant double snare breaks with a hint of apache set the tone for an energetic, thrusting track as ASC flexes his creative spark with Impressions. Rhythmically dashing through a dreamily complex assortment of wispy, thoughtful synths and stretched vocal samples, in lieu of a breakdown the drums suddenly switch pattern for the second half, dialing up the considered intensity which is carried through to a suitably abrupt filtered conclusion.
AA1 - Solyaris
An enchanted female vocal sample opens and punctuates Solyaris, a deep, absorbing track which fuses the heft of ASC's classic analogue amen breaks with inquisitive melodies and suspenseful synth work to construct a breathtaking cosmic amen mover for the dancefloor. Sci-fi FX add to the interstellar vives in the respite of the breakdown, before the headline breaks resume their aural assault on the senses.
AA2 - Oblivion
Mixing up the vibe for an eclectic conclusion, Oblivion utilises a uniquely scattershot hot pants break pattern, with stark clusters of hi hats and sharp snares playfully juddering around a patchwork of echoed mini melodies and a soothing overarching tune. Deep sub bass accentuates the track, occasionally flecked
with delicate samples resulting in a great DJ tool and a quirky
energy to savour.

The Silhouettes Project was founded by community organisers Jaden & Asher (aka Eerf Evil & Asher Kosher), and is a platform for the new generation of underground hip-hop, jazz, and soul artists in the UK. It aims to shine a light on artists who are making ground-breaking music but who are in need of a solid structure to work within - artists who they felt deserved more recognition. This led to the name ‘The Silhouettes Project’, as they wanted to shine a light on those artists in the shadows. In 2020, they released a number of singles that culminated in their self-titled debut LP, which has gained 65 million streams to date, & featured some of London’s foremost underground rappers & singers like ENNY, Lex Amor, & Kofi Stone. They will be releasing their second album in Q1 2024, The Silhouettes Project Volume II, starting the campaign this September with 'Knocked Down'. All proceeds from the album will go back into the organisation to support and sustain its running, its artists, and the non-profit studio ROOT 73 where the project was created. The contributors all receive an even split of the album, rather than of their specific track, which stays true to their ethos.

The Silhouettes Project was founded by community organisers Jaden & Asher (aka Eerf Evil & Asher Kosher), and is a platform for the new generation of underground hip-hop, jazz, and soul artists in the UK. It aims to shine a light on artists who are making ground-breaking music but who are in need of a solid structure to work within - artists who they felt deserved more recognition. This led to the name ‘The Silhouettes Project’, as they wanted to shine a light on those artists in the shadows. In 2020, they released a number of singles that culminated in their self-titled debut LP, which has gained 65 million streams to date, & featured some of London’s foremost underground rappers & singers like ENNY, Lex Amor, & Kofi Stone. They will be releasing their second album in Q1 2024, The Silhouettes Project Volume II, starting the campaign this September with 'Knocked Down'. All proceeds from the album will go back into the organisation to support and sustain its running, its artists, and the non-profit studio ROOT 73 where the project was created. The contributors all receive an even split of the album, rather than of their specific track, which stays true to their ethos.

Brasilian Producer Apoena kicks off 2024 in style for Hudd Traxx following an impressive back catalogue of releases on labels like Jimpster's Freerange and Jus Ed's Underground Quality.

Pure Feeling opens up proceedings in a deep and hypnotic style reminiscent of Ron Trent and Chez Damier's early releases on Prescription. Rico Balanço follows in a similar vain oozing with raw Berlin vibes, which is where Apoena currently resides.

The B side features In between the beat and the title track Mystic which are melodic trippy groovers for early hour vibes. 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for Hudd Traxx keep em' peeled.

He's back - again! Years after the end of the Heisei era, the big G came back to film in 1999 with the first of a new era: GODZILLA 2000: MILLENNIUM. Directed by Takao Okawara (GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH), a new look Godzilla is still harassing Tokyo, with the Godzilla Prediction Network out there trying to figure out where he'll show up next. To make matters worse, the government's Crisis Control Intelligence care more about firing missiles, but everything changes when they discover a mysterious meteor has a UFO inside. All of this results in Orga, a kaiju made from Godzilla's DNA, and of course it's up to the Big G to kick its ass back to space. Scoring GODZILLA 2000 was Takayuki Hattori, who had previously composed 1994's GODZILLA VS. SPACEGODZILLA. Hattori's music is very much about mood; the composer brings a sense of lyricism to proceedings, but of course, he also knows how to get us excited for Godzilla's appearances. Hattori does that with a spectacular new theme for the Big G that perfectly captures the creature's grandeur and immense power. There's also a fantastic piece for the UFO that has a wonderfully primevil beat, and of course, Akira Ifukube's classic theme for Godzilla returns in a big way. A perfect start to the Millennium era! (Charlie Brigden)



Artwork by Matt Ryan Tobin

2X 140gram Eco-Vinyl

It's not often we say amazing, but there really are no other words for the response received for ESC & MINERAL's 'Satellite EP'!! The long-standing production duo has found a way of combining many different vibes into one stone cold EP and the results are stunning.

SATELLITE kicks off the proceedings with a sound that could have grown out from that certain basement on Hoxton Square. Fresh & updated to 2020s, this one’s for the original headz.

AURAL DESTINATION First surfacing on Loxy's seminal Applied Science Division mix late 2021, Mineral's atmospheric breakbeat is blended with a fat bassline - giving the track a classic end of the night vibe.

VORTEX A tech stepper from outer space, channeling the vibes of ‘97/’98.

PHASES OF CHARON Esc digs deep into the vaults of No U Turn & co. with a menacing dark workout.

With his rawboned and ravaged instrumentals from the early ’60s, Link Wray single-handedly made the guitar the ultimately cool instrument of choice for a whole new generation. Wielding a Danelectro Longhorn, Link Wray—who created the blueprint for everyone from the Kingsmen to the Cramps with his flame-throwing sound—proceeded to outdo himself with this rare LP from 1963, now corralled on this Sundazed exact-repro, in crunchily perfect sound courtesy of the original Swan mono master tapes!

"Jack The Ripper" by Link Wray includes the following tracks: "Deacon Jones", "Cross Ties", "Fat Back", "Dinosaur" and more.

This version of the album comes as a 1xLP pressed on RED vinyl!

Into the best Balearic tradition boldly steps Milan’s Rollover crew. As well as a regular party in Milan, the Rollover DJs (Tiberio Carcano & Rocco Fusco) have been making edits and releasing tunes over the past several years, but with this release there has been a step change in ambition. The latest collection of songs has been produced in a studio with actual musicians and songwriters, but with the ear of an experienced DJ. The best of both worlds. It was recorded almost exactly one year ago in December 2022, with the cream of Italian players, including bass player and Jovanotti collaborator, Saturnino, sticksman Sergio Carnevale, vocalist David Blank and guitar and synth boffin Lorenzo Morresi, who’s helped the guys with production. It follows in the tradition of a new generation of Italian musicians, like Nu Genea, Mystic Jungle Tribe and also DJs like Volcov. The lead single, ‘What Do You Live For’ was what Rocco & Tiberio describes as, “a funky track inspired by the early 1980s” and grooves so hard, with Blank’s message hitting right in the solar plexus. This will be followed by a pair of bangers, ‘Change My Mind’, a mid tempo disco chugger that is a tribute to LTJ Experience, the Bologna DJ Luca Trevisi, while ‘Never Found The Way’ heads towards Arthur Russel, before pealing off directly to the dancefloor. There’s also a Bawrut remix that adds some urgency and darkness to proceedings. The package is completed by lovely artwork by Riccardo Corda, whose work has adorned the Nu Genea releases. Is it Balearic? We think it is.

Very limited vinyl pressing, 500 copies, housed in a full colour sleeve & printed inner sleeve & download. CD in a 4 panel digipack with a 4 page lyric booklet. New Heavy Sounds are always on the lookout for new bands that are looking to push the boundaries of what is considered as inhabiting the ‘heavy’ or ‘metal’ spectrum’. Stuff that pricks up the ears, a bold new voice within a maelstrom of genres and sub-genres. We believe we have found such a band. New York-based GUHTS (pronounced ‘guts’) declare themselves to be an ‘avant-garde post-metal project, delivering larger than life sounds through, deeply emotional music’. We are thrilled to be able to deliver that statement in the form of their debut album ‘Regeneration’. By their own admission, GUHTS' musical style is influenced not only by iconic metal bands like Gojira, Cult of Luna, YOB and Deftones, but more unconventional acts like Bjork, Subrosa, Isis, Julie Christmas, and even PJ Harvey. It’s undoubtedly heavy, with a strong feminist streak, it’s cathartic and weighty, a formidable debut for such a new band. Founded in 2020 as a passion project by Scott Prater (Witchkiss), and Amber Burns (Witchkiss) and then Dan Shaneyfelt (Black Mountain Hunger), GUHTS became its members’ main focus following the release of their first EP 'Blood Feather' which itself received rave reviews from the likes of Decibel Magazine, Invisible Oranges, The Obelisk, Cvlt Nation, and more. Brian Clemens Sleaping Dreaming) & Daniel Martinez (Nefariant) joined GUHTS in 2022 and the band swiftly started booking tours and making plans to record 'Regeneration'. Since then GUHTS have been steadily making a name for themselves with their powerful live performances., sharing stages with the likes of Yob, Cave in, Marissa Nadler, plus appearances at the Maryland Doom Fest, Crucial Fest and Ohio Doomed and Stoned Fest. ‘Regeneration’ is set to cement their status as one of the coolest and most interesting bands on the scene. Of the album, vocalist Amber says. "Regeneration" symbolizes the power of self-renewal, often overlooked. Embracing it means shedding old layers and welcoming new beginnings. Without this, life stagnates and is “sustaining”. Through regeneration, change becomes empowering, allowing new facets to emerge. It's a courageous, transformative process, inspiring others to overcome fear and embrace change. The album embodies the human spirit's resilience and capacity for growth. Musically ‘Regeneration’ is a powerful and intense series of songs, topped off by some seriously powerhouse and expressive vocal performances. It’s slow-moving chords, moving like sheets through sludge. High guitar lines above, ranging from piercing and shimmering to nasty. Drums pound but not without groove. There are strings, pianos and synths widening the palette. Atmospheric sludge, Metalgaze, maybe, but there’s also that link to the New York Noise lineage from The Velvets and Sonic Youth, becoming a type of post-hardcore in the process, while gaining a connection to metal partly due to the sheer heaviness. A raft of creative experimentation that pushes beyond the realm of post-metal. And then of course, the very first thing that hits you is Amber Gardner's unbelievable, hypnotising vocals - as scary as a banshee while also intimate and persuasive. Amber means it for sure and almost dominates the proceedings. Her lyrics are eclectic, thoughtful. Immersed in women's narratives frombooks like "Women Who Run With the Wolves" or works like "On Our Best Behavior" by Elise Loehnen. Amber advocates stepping beyond comfort zones, believing it's transformative for individuals and vital for Earth's future. Hokey occult rock it is not. In short ‘Regeneration’ is a bold and startling debut, that will reward and enthral listeners the deeper they delve into its many layers.

Recorded by Anthony Linell & Jonas Rönnberg in Muskö, Sweden 2021 Mastered by Giuseppe Tillieci at EnissLab, Rome
northernelectronics.se

“The collaborative project of Northern Electronics' founders, Anthony Linell and Jonas Rönnberg, has never ceased to confront with their coupling of industrious delirium and pensive austerity. By now we know that only adrenaline can make sense of the toxic ensemble of purposes at the heart of Ulwhednar. Meditating on higher flights of thrill and disorder than their previous record, and with an acknowledgement of their Stockholm roots, 'Area 08' induces fever and anticipation with every gesture.

The opening tracks make a raucous yet resolute introduction to proceedings, eventually issuing one of the album's most exquisite moments of reprieve with 'Akalla/Broken Swords'. However, it is the second half of 'Area 08' that formally admits their latest work has crossed a threshold yet unexplored by the pair. A suite of villainously propulsive tracks spit embers of caustic balms as they careen out of reach with the engorged march of 'Commuter Madness'. Cunning in as many ways as it is earnest and audacious, 'Area 08' is a welcome alarm from the nucleus of the mission.”

Sign Libra's third album Hidden Beauty is an intimate voyage through feminine nature, guided by the arts of subtext, musical collage, and mysterious allusions. Elegantly arranged, enigmatic, and mischievous, Hidden Beauty seeks to "release the invisible and bring fragility to the surface." From the rainforests of Closer to the Equator (Sounds of the Dawn, 2016 / Antinote, 2018) to the surreal lunar landscape of Sea to Sea (RVNG Intl., 2020), Agata Melnikova, the Latvian musician behind the Sign Libra symbol, has developed a signature blend of evocative composition with lyricless, ethereal vocalizing. Hidden Beauty attends to a closer space than her first two albums, a playfully layered pastiche of refined references, drawing musical inspiration from the assortment of Erik Satie, the early work of Mylène Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat, and 90s R&B. The first inklings of Hidden Beauty arrived in 2019, with the basic contours of the album sculpted in 2020 and early 2021. Like Sea to Sea, Hidden Beauty was invented as a solitary creative effort, but this time under uniquely hermetic impositions. Tethered to the world only by screen, the artist sought inspiration from an unlikely array of activities: new, unorthodox approaches at composing, learning French, a virtual pedagogical practice, and plenty of jubilant dancing in her flat, sunglasses on, to 90s dance music. Hidden Beauty moves inward from the distant spaciousness of Sea to Sea in favor of a "chamber-like" sound, reflecting the intimate environs of its creation. Balancing the New Age balletic resonance of Closer to the Equator and the cosmic-dancerly tracks of Sea to Sea, Hidden Beauty combines deft, postmodern arrangements with popular, contemporary suggestions. The reverb drenching her previous recordings is sponged up in the songs of Hidden Beauty, giving the exercises contained within a feeling of presence, and closeness. And always Agata's crystalline vocal furnishings, less a lead vocal than a first instrument, the ever-returning counterpoint in a beatific swirl. The other hidden elements of this work are plenty, and perhaps best left concealed for the listener's enjoyment. Or perhaps they are hidden in plain sight and sound, depending on what the puzzle pieces reveal to your imagination. Sign Libra's Hidden Beauty will be released in vinyl, Japanese import CD, and digital editions on November 3, 2023. A portion of the proceeds from this release will benefit Coral Guardian, a non-governmental organization working internationally and with local communities to protect coral ecosystems.

It's the pair you've all been waiting for! FINALLY!

Alan Tew's driving jazz-rock, sleuth-funk masterpiece, Drama Suite Part I is finally reissued to sate your appetites for arguably the very best library two-parter in existence. If you don’t know, get to know. Originally released in 1976 but wonderfully timeless, Drama Suite Part I is at the top of every library funk collectors' list. It's easy to see why...

Racing out the gate, the gritty crime funk of "The Detectives" makes for a thrilling, wild ride. A dramatic action theme, it's packed with strident playing and bags of attitude. There follows 10 (ten!) drama-tinged, horn-heavy, wah-wah-laced, conga-enhanced, synth-riddled links for neat segues and maximum funk fever. "Helicop" is another fast paced and energetic dramatic action background with great breaks and horns. "The Big One (Prelude)" has an ace bassline and creeps along superbly to create expectation and contains an amazing rolling piano loop that just stops you dead in your tracks. It's all building to "The Big One", a driving, dramatic, full-band action with fantastic funk breaks, heavy horns and *that* piano refrain. It was sampled by Jay-Z, and you can't really blame him, can you? The brief, tense "Headlights" and (even briefer) burner "The Burn" add some - you guessed it - deep drama over insistent rhythms to close out Side A.

Flip over for "The Detectives (Slow Version)", a relaxed, thoughtful version featuring synths. You might recognise it as being sampled by Domo Genesis and Evidence for "Tallulah" from their brilliant collaboration a few years ago. "The Detectives (Interlude)" is another slow, pensive version featuring electric piano and a trombone solo in the centre section. There follows 6 further links, Detectives versions essentially, with guitars, electric pianos, flugelhorns - all very cool and relaxed rhythms. The strutting majesty of big-time highlight "The Build Up" is next. It's a medium-slow drama background with occasional light statements of The Detectives theme peppered throughout. Nice. The fantastically-titled "Snout" is a slow, tense background theme which features a repetitive guitar figure with alto flutes over the top. The tense, stabby funk of "The Prowler" rounds out proceedings, with nervous figures over a slow, insistent cymbal beat.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Drama Suite Part I comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity. We're not quite sure what else to say about this landmark record, other than, GET IT!

It's the pair you've all been waiting for! FINALLY!

Alan Tew's Drama Suite Part II. What can we really say? Honestly? We guess the first thing that strikes you is how clean the drums are. Almost impossibly slick but dripping so, so heavy with the neck-snapping funk you'd expect from perhaps the most sought-after library funk set of them all! The cheapest on Discogs is, currently, £1300+. Now's your chance to remedy that. If you know, you know. And we think you know...

"The Rub" is a cool, low-slung heavy-funk roller with relaxed brass and alto flute phrases. Up next, "Money Runner" is another edgy funk glider, its easy-tempo moving in harmony with slinky rhythmic riffs and featuring a seemingly ad-libbed electric piano solo. Strutting along after, "White Elephant Walk" is another laconic, deeply stoned walking theme with electric piano and alto flutes. There follows a couple of brief "walking" links before the brilliantly tense "Master Plan" slowly builds. Expectancy grows to the main theme around a minute in and then a melodic theme builds slightly to the 3 minute mark before floating down gradually and elegantly to its climax. It's utterly fantastic. The smoky, after-hours "Night Watch" is a slow, cool gem featuring alto flutes and synths.

Now we're talking, "The Fence (a)" is just sensational and worth buying this album all on its own. It's likely the reason you're here, anyway. Another impossibly funky, slow and easy tempo with a bass riff to die for, dramatic guitar with gorgeous electric piano and alto flute phrases. It was sampled for "Action Satisfaction" by J5, way way back. "The Fence (b)" is a slower, more deliberate version of the previous heater, but it's no less essential. Indeed, it's absolutely jaw-drooping. Closing out this remarkable side, "Surveillance" is another horizontal masterpiece of relaxed yet dramatic jazz-funk. Vibes ad-lib in centre section and give you an idea of how Roy Ayers making library funk in the mid-late 70s might've sounded. Sensational.

Flip over for "Total Silence", a near-beatless and understated scene-setter featuring neat interplay of guitar and synthesizer themes over bass and hi-hats. The slow "Eyes" follows, a brief gem with subdued electric piano solo and a light climax. The fantastic "Drama Backcloth (1a)" is up next, a repetitive piano and bass refrain with guitar figures over the top. Its creeping crime-funk vibe was pilfered for "Outta Town Shit" by Ghostface Killah in 2006. "Drama Backcloth (1b)" is a short, subdued version without the guitar figure. "Drama Backcloth (2)" features an expectant, background marimba figure over light rhythm whilst the cool "Drama Backcloth (3)" centres around a relaxed riff and the angular "Drama Backcloth (4)" presents eerie progressions with piano interjections. It's decidedly non-rhythmic!

We're then onto 14 (!) different half-minute "Scenechanges", all jazzy and funky, some cool and dramatic, some slow and rhythmic. All ace and groove-fuelled. The aptly-titled "Final Statement" closes proceedings, a slow, pensive theme on guitar joined by cool brass and a solo trumpet to its climax.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Drama Suite Part II comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity. We're not quite sure what else to say about this landmark record, other than, GET IT!

Impossible to find in the wild, KPM's Image is exactly that; this record paints extraordinary, hyper-vivid scenes with music, in the way only the library greats can. Originally released in 1974, Image is an absolutely stunning listen from start to finish, and arguably the most wanted KPM grail that's still not been reissued - until now! Just too good…

Worth the price of admission alone, and likely the reason you're all already drooling about this release, the mellow, dramatic beat of "Image", Brian Bennett's opener and title track, is a Jaylib-sampled firecracker. A reflective, scenic underscore which grows to full orchestra and ends as it begins - it's just beautiful. Next up, swoon to "The Little Orphan" by Neil Richardson featuring strings and harp. It's a deeply emotive, sweeping orchestral piece. Just straight gorgeous. It's followed by "Paradise Island", a lush, horizontal Balearic gem courtesy of Gordon Rees and David Gold; it'll send you into a blissful reverie with its elegant strings and gentle drums. From the same pair, "Forbidden Fruit" is, again, string-drenched but the strings are more insistent, stabbing even, and, with drums and Blaxploitation guitars high up in the mix, it's definitely a funkier proposition. "The Enchantress", again a Rees-Gold special, is a slower, groovy, synthy wonder. Closing out the A-Side, "Phenomena" is a mysterious gem, a Gold solo effort set at a breezier tempo with propulsive percussion and head nod, fast-paced breaks with ace keys.

Flip over for "Infinite Expanse", John Scott's dramatic panorama adorned with proud, triumphant horns. Scott's "Static Objects" paints patient, pastoral scenes; there's a serenity and stillness to the proceedings. Next up, Be With favourite John Fiddy delivers shifting shapes and patterns with his wonderful "Metamorphosis", all wah wah, harps, dramatic percussion and strings. It's by turns billowy and blasting. "Cubist Pictures" follows, Neil Richardson's brilliant nebulous, fragmentary piece. Better yet, Richardson's gorgeous, beatless "Analysis" follows, and it's an orchestral beauty featuring cello, harps and woodwind. It's no exaggeration to describe this as transcendental. His "Crystal Ball" presents more static scenes with cello, twinkling percussion and strings, before Steve Gray's fantastically-titled softly-ace "Gliding Through Clouds" closes out this remarkable set.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Image comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.

In keeping with tradition, the new year brings another offering from Portuguese pianist and composer Tiago Sousa. »Organic Music Tapes Vol. 3,« the third instalment in Tiago’s ongoing series, continues to develop a freeform dual approach to organic and fluid compositions for Piano and Organ - this time adding a real church tube organ to the proceedings.

Evolving from the foundation laid in the first two volumes, Sousa introduces the pipe organ into his signature piano compositions, expanding his sonic palette into an even more otherworldly organic realm.

Much like its predecessors, »Organic Music Tapes Vol.3« immerses listeners in a nebulous sonic landscape, where the compositions exist in a nebulae-like state— eternally floating over stars and planets. The contours of these musical pieces are indefinite and indeterminate, refusing to settle or conform, a testament to Sousa's commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional minimalism while still paying respect to the American pioneers of the genre, such as Terry Riley and Steve Reich.

Enter then the third volume and be locked in a new theatre of eternal music by an artists that keeps pushing his own style to ebullient highs.

Repress!

Following his first ep for Accidental Jnr in the summer Bambooman is now back with something entirely different. The downtempo experimental designs of the 'Feel EP' give way to his latest offering 'Shudder'. Available on 12' and digital the 4 tracks of Shudder weave through a club music tapestry like a chainsaw through custard. The opening and title track is hard to describe, a mix of off kilter synth stabs and hammering snare that routes you to the floor - it's one of those tracks to whip out of your bag to remind the crowd they have no idea what is coming next. Track 2 'Grasp' with a blissful Detroit groove under deep rich melting chords is a perfect blend of early funk house style and super crisp new production.Side B opens with 'M1' a lazy floor track with washes of bells, static and detuned synth above a bed of solid kick and shuffling bass. Finally 'Kyrian' closes proceedings, another club friendly slice (despite being in a 7/8 time signature), the track could have led the EP in its own right but feels like the perfect bookend with its shifting almost garage like 2-step feel and glancing vocal hook.Bambooman wields refined live recordings, warm exquisite melodies and a silvery vocal into the track's rich musical fabric. It's hard to suppress the emotions with this one' - Boiler Room on 'Feel EP'

The Drip EP brings together four distinctive producers and one set of sounds - The Drips. The result is a compilation of 4 tracks that bring the swing and sampling of some of Accidental Jnr's finest to produce a soaking wet dancefloor.

First up is label boss Matthew Herbert with a trademark groove that harks back to his Wishmountain moniker albeit found lurking in the swamp. Cosmo Sheldrake takes a slight departure from his usual multi-instrumentaling live-looping avant-folk to deliver a track that could only be described as travelling circus aqua-techno. Bahraini born, French / US bred and now Edinburgh dwelling video game builder, sound designer and sometime Scottish league football referee Yann Seznec opens the B-side with an absolute stormer of a rain drenched club hook. Sussex based producer Crewdson and builder of such electronic instruments as the Eggiophone and Concertronica closes proceedings with a drizzling evolving 2-step number.

Reissue of this super hard to find self-released Brazilian garage-beat 7" from 1965. Still very unknown even among hardcore collectors of the genre, but surely an amazing example of genuine teenage garage rock from 60s Brazil reissued for the first time The band would later become Loyce e os Gnomos, a cult band featured on the compilation Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas. The reissue includes an insert with liner notes and a previously unseen photo of the band. Unearthing a forgotten chapter in Brazil's musical scene, Gatos Malucos emerges as an enigmatic garage/psychedelic band from the small city of Limera, in the Sao Paulo countryside. Comprising friends aged 14 to 16, Gatos Malucos combined their admiration for iconic acts like the Beatles and Yardbirds with an unmistakable Brazilian essence. Years later, two band members went on to form the amazing proto-punk band Loyce e os Gnomos. "I literally went crazy. I became a fanatic for the Beatles and proceeded on collecting everything related to them. Records, clothes, newspaper clippings and magazines and song lyrics. Even the Gretsch guitar, similar to the model that George Harrison played, I had the opportunity to pick up in the US. Then when the movies came up, it was pure bliss. The mood was set and, to assemble our band, it was a no brainer. After all, the music flowed harmoniously through our veins." Raphael (Gatos Malucos Guitarrist)

Soul To Burn features highly inventive and memorable avant-rock songs by trio of celebrated musicians, Reciprocate. The germ of the notion that would flower into Soul To Burn came when Reciprocate’s vocalist/guitarist Stef Kett reflected on the idea of funk rock. It ought, he thought to himself, be the best of genres but so often in practice it ends up being the poorest. True enough. Kett decided to approach the problem from a fresh angle, multiple fresh angles, grinding angles, creating an “alt-soul” in which the soul gets to stretch and burn, applied with the power of a rock’n’roll trio but dynamism and agility, rather than cumbersome bulkiness. Reciprocate is a super-group made up of highly celebrated musicians from the UK DIY music scene – their singular, searing-hot power conjured by Stef Kett (Shield Your Eyes) in tandem with drummer Henri Grimes (Shield Your Eyes, Big Lad) and Marion Andrau (The Wharves, Underground Railroad) on bass. The result is the excellent Soul To Burn, which proceeds at a cadence all of its own, halting and blasting, ducking and weaving, zooming away from its distant cousins: Taste era Rory Gallagher or Mr Zoot Horn Rollo of Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band. That’s particularly evident on “Self Regarding Floor Sweepings”, with echoes of “When Big Joan Sets Up” from Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica, especially with Kett’s added harmonica as the trio hit the winding dirt track, slaloming and swerving. Here is an album of full throttle soul, an avant-rock made up of ear worms so intoxicating they borrow from deep in the mind down deeper into the heart – it’s the cool, weighty groove of Tony Joe White leathering it at full throttle, fuelled by virtuosic back beats that remind of somewhere between the rolling rock of Mitch Mitchell and the fractured noisebeat of Lightning Bolt’s Brian Chippendale: immediate, innovative, virtuosic, exhilarating. Key to the impact of Soul To Burn is Grimes’ drumming, a force unto itself, which sometimes feels like it’s engaged in a creative and playful tussle with Kett’s virtuosic vibrato guitar. Take “Rhodia”, which sounds initially like a radical reworking, an anagram of Free’s “All Right Now”, on which Grimes doesn’t so much hit the groove as hammer it into the ground. Reciprocate tend to be averse to mere repetition, too full as they are of ideas, possibilities. But they know how to hit a riff, as on “Pissed Hymn”. Kett’s vocals are unconventionally impassioned - no vibrato or performative hollering. Rather they climb, up and and again up from the pit of the soul. There’s a sense throughout that this music is hard wrought, squeezed through small apertures, produced against the odds, born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards. There are quieter moments, however, such as the exquisitely beautiful “Ressypressocate”, which affirm the ultimately tender place from where this album proceeds, notes plucked like black flowers, twisted and cherished. Reciprocate demonstrate an astonishing virtuosity, nuance and musical sensitivity manifested through their deep mutual understanding and synergetic interactions. There are moments of sync and camaraderie that remind of the very late Beatles, those rare moments during the Let It Be Era when they loosened up, reassumed their old understanding. But then Kett’s lets fly with a long, looming note and suddenly we’re somewhere else again. With Soul To Burn, Reciprocate set out their stall of intoxicating, super catchy good-time, big heart music – a human album delivering a human message of love and love lost. By the album’s end, you’ll feel pushed and pulled through the mill, wiped out, blissfully exhausted, strangely serene

A1 - Synergy
A long-awaited release for seasoned fans of the label familiar with ASC's DJ sets since creating Spatial, Synergy has been requested for release many times and is finally here - and it hasn't aged a bit. A track which lifts you gradually through a true journey of escalating, dynamic atmospheric soundscapes with crisp detailed break patterns that ebb and flow to an intricate collage of synths, keys and vocal hits to an inquisitive melody. A
stunning piece which somehow has something new to offer each time you hear it.

A2 - Suspended Animation
Conjuring an ethereal feeling with grand atmospheric backdrops reminiscent of early Intense, Suspended Animation is a calming yet suspenseful track which slowly builds with expressive break patterns and minimal kickdrums as subtle basslines rumble below. Long echoing effects and melodies gently nudge the proceedings forward, ASC once again showcasing the diversity of his production toolset.

AA1 - Repetition
It's been a while since a pure two-step drum loop has had this much impact - make no mistake - the breaks of Repetition will bore their way into your brain like Pulp Fiction did in the mid 90's with a thumping kickdrum and stabbing snare tweaked to perfection. While the beats drive the track along, a collage of audio texture surrounds them with a signature female vocal sample closing out phrases filled with finely tuned synthwork.

AA2 - Pharaoh
Landing with immediate impact and building the mood with a subdued urgency, the Hot Pants breaks of Pharaoh surf the dunes of sound to an abundance of sheer atmosphere as ASC crafts a stunningly evocative track which is aptly titled, transporting the listener to mystical Egyptian sands, the synths and horns whispering like the echoes of of a bygone era demanding their timely reprise through the medium of Spatial.
Epic.

Words by Chris Hayes

PRESSED IN RED AND WHITE
SPLIT COLORED RUN JUST IN
TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Re-issue of the 1987 Profile Records holiday compilation in a red and white split colored pressing, with songs by Run-DMC, Dana Dane, Sweet Tee, The Showboys, The Surf M.C.s, Spyder-D, and more. Leading off with the Run-DMC smash, "Christmas In Hollis," this classic Christmas compilation features some of the hottest rap artists of the era, celebrating the holidays, hip-hop style. Highlights include Dana Dane’s "Dana Dane Is Coming To Town," Sweet Tee’s "Let The Jingle Bells Rock" and even the Surf MC's' "A Surf MC New Year," adding a California surfer (and, ahem, Beastie Boys rip-off) twist to the proceedings. Not to be overlooked is the classic front and back cover artwork, featuring a gift-wrapped B-Boy. It remains an essential, evergreen (pun intended) holiday album to this day

Candlemass was formed by bassist & songwriter Leif Edling in Stockholm, Sweden in 1984 & is well known for its epic doom metal, having a great influence over a generation of the genre's subsequent greats such as Paradise Lost & My Dying Bride - Candlemass themselves taking a large influence from Black Sabbath.

'Ancient Dreams' was Candlemass' third album, released in 1988 & it featured a natural progression of slow- mid tempo epic arrangements from their previous release, 'Nightfall' - perhaps even more distinction between slow & faster parts - with the unique tones & unmistakable voice of Messiah Marcolin still dominating proceedings on this pure doom metal classic.

With a perfect balance between melody & sheer heaviness, it is still debatable as to whether this is the ultimate Candlemass & therefore greatest doom metal album of all time, with some giving this particular title preference over the seminal 'Nightfall' album. 'Ancient Dreams' was produced by Leif Edling & Candlemass & was recorded at Stockholm Recording studios in 1988.

Marking 35 years since release, this edition of 'Ancient Dreams' is presented on limited green marble-effect vinyl, featuring the original cover art

Having gathered up praise from Mary Anne Hobbs, Cerys Matthews, Jamie Cullum, Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan, The Guardian, Jazzwise and more, for his lauded ‘Crisis & Opportunity’, drummer and composer Myele Manzanza returns with the fourth instalment of his series, titled ‘Meditations’.

On ‘Meditations’, we see Myele revert to a purely acoustic line-up, channeling a focused and razor-sharp return to his Jazz roots. Showcasing an incredible level of musicianship between three musicians at the top of their game - including Matthew Sheens (Ross McHenry, John Patitucci) on piano and Matt Penman (Joshua Redman, SFJAZZ Collective) on double bass - the trio exchange motifs over the length of 7 tracks.

Opening proceedings with frenetic rhythmic improvisation, complimented by melancholic and cinematic layers of sound, ‘Crayford’s Room’ is a tribute to Myele’s musical mentor back in New Zealand. Remembering his time as a student in Wellington, Myele shows his deep connection to his origins, manifesting itself as lament on ‘Winter’ and ‘Homesick’. Introducing hypnotic, contemplative melodies take centre stage on ‘Something Old Something New’ (the first single to be released from the project)’ It maintains a sense of tension and intrigue throughout, and intensity rises to a crescendo sending sonic particles sprawling into space.

Intuitive, darker and deeply contemplative, Myele shares his innermost thoughts on ‘Crisis and Opportunities Vol.4 - Meditations’. He divulges:

‘The personal angst and existential frustration I was going through across 2020 - 2022 I believe is well reflected here. The album is deeply informed by the musicianship and sound of my trio, Matthew Sheens on piano and Matt Penman on double bass. Knowing that musicians of their calibre were going to be involved gave me licence to go further in my writing, deploying odd time signatures, sharing the melody roles across the piano and the bass, and delving deeper into the nuances of what the acoustic piano / bass / drums trio can do. The compositions present a challenge even to the best musicians, and I knew that it was essential to have a team on this level to really move the music beyond an academic exercise and draw out the emotion and colour from the material.’

Get On Down is proud to announce a vinyl reissue of one of the West Coast's most revered, yet underrated, hip-hop classics and quite possibly one of the best hip-hop albums of all time: The D.O.C.'s No One Can Do It Better. Produced entirely by Dr. Dre and out of print on vinyl in the U.S. for several years, this limited edition colored LP features original album artwork and thirteen tracks of rap heaven. When his debut album hit in mid-1989, The D.O.C. was in the vortex of the biggest hip-hop happening on the planet: the rise and rule of N.W.A. The group’s breakout album Straight Outta Compton had hit one year prior and had created both controversy and worldwide critical acclaim. As rap history buffs and industry insiders know, The D.O.C. was a crucial behind-the-scenes member of the N.W.A. inner circle - his most important role in the early days of the group was writing many of Eazy-E's rhymes, including his hit 1988 single “We Want Eazy.” He would go on to write for Efli4zaggin, The Chronic and Doggystyle. But The D.O.C. wasn’t in N.W.A. and never wanted to be - he was his own man, with his own vision. And after Compton proceeded to blow up the next crew album was No One Can Do It Better. Significantly, it was the first album where Dr. Dre showed his greatness as a solo producer for one MC. Boasting four singles - “The D.O.C. & The Doctor,” “Mind Blowin’,” the smash “It's Funky Enough” and “The Formula” - the album is flawless from beginning to end. Of particular note beyond the singles is “The Grand Finale,” which was the last time that Ice Cube, M.C. Ren and Eazy-E would rhyme on a track together. The D.O.C. showed on this amazing record that he was one of hip-hops most talented MCs. He nearly died in a horrific car crash as the album was catching fire in the late summer of 1989 which damaged his vocal cords, but he survived and continues to make new music and act as a sounding board for Dr. Dre to this day. More recently a documentary covering D.O.C.'s life titled The DOC debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival with fans eagerly awaiting a wider release. This album is a must have for any Hip-Hop fan

Repress!

Matthew Herbert’s Accidental Jnr imprint are back with their second release of the year, this time inviting rising London based star Third Son into the fold. The Polymath label boss has been causing quite a stir in the house music scene with releases for 17 Steps, Skint and Sincopat as well as clocking up remix credits for among others Marc Romboy and Maya Jane Coles (under her Nocturnal Sunshine alias).

‘Bag O’ Bones’ opens up proceedings with its clattering toybox percussion, throbbing kick drums and dissonant lead stabs. The track has a brittle, dry quality to it, but Third Son’s ear for the dance floor is clear as the arrangement smoothly rolls along at firm a pace. More of the same is served up in ‘Chime Salad’, with layers upon layers of wonky, shifting percussion, building up into a tower of sound that feels as though it should come crumbling down, but somehow always stands firm.

The B1 ‘Phase Of Going Through Life’ brings the energy back down to earth with its slightly sparser arrangement and clips of bird songs, while still maintaining the off kilter pace of the previous pieces. The record then closes with the feel-good club work out, ‘The Brain Named Itself’, where we find Third Son administering a last-minute, sharp injection of groove. The dissonant synths that opened the record are replaced by brilliant, euphoric chord sweeps and pounding drums that are sure to move any dancefloor.

Just what the doctor ordered...

Next up on Q1E2 Recordings - for the label's fifth release so far - is Dr Sud. He's a Rome-born, Berlin-raised producer whose music is a fusion of percussion-centric soundscapes and integrated jazz-leaning harmonies, drawing inspiration from diverse genres like electronica, funk, and house.

On 'Heading South', the broken beat don serves up his specialist percussive sound, folding all manner of drums into synth-smothered house. The EP explores the undulating cycle of morning into night, back into morning, inviting you to dance your way through it all.

'Brina', a word which in Italian refers to morning dew - perhaps found on a tent on the morning of a festival - represents the breaking of dawn with broken beats. The track breaks and squints into the start of the day with spacious kick drums leaving room for warm, almost familiar pads and keys.

Then, 'Life Itself' reflects daytime, revolving around an arpeggiating synth that soon makes way for luscious keys.

An excursion into percussive bliss concludes side A in the form of the magical, grin-inducing 'Evening Breath'. This, as you might have guessed, is where the listener cruises through smoothly into the final stages of the day. It encapsulates that last burst of light as the sun sets and a slight shiver of the evening air slivers up your spine.

Then, before you know it, the mysterious night arrives. Flip to that B side, and 'Tramontana' will greet you, inviting you to dance deep into the late hours.

When you're there, the chugging '3/4AM' will hit the spot like an unforgettable dance floor moment, bursting with low and slow Balearic tendencies.

Finally, 'Mondgesicht' - "Moonface" in German -fittingly concludes proceedings with deep lounge vibes. Mumbles of effortless trumpet manoeuvre through a swaying sea of percussion and delicious, wavering synth solo. The day is here again. The cycle is complete.

This is some seriously high-quality music on show here from Dr Sud. The EP is out on Q1E2 Recordings in October.

Having been deck slaying as near their London headquarters as Germany and as far as Canada, goth techno prodigy Lesser Of is steadily approaching double digit release count. With an established residence at queer x trans focused, revolutionary event series Subverted, their efforts have been welcomed to a formidable list of industrial electronic labels and remixed by a tidy sum of high profile scene icons.

Here at Depth.Request our sonars are attuned to emanant potential, and so we conscript Lesser Of to hammer out our fourth acetate offering to date. To this, harsh noise and drone music inspirations are declared, alongside an artistic secret of the trade: lights-off sessions in live room of a recording studio vibrating with the pulse of a bass guitar ran through a freeze pedal were what begot the tracks, and they are well intent on assaulting your headphones with noise. Reeko on the remix - yes, this record fucks.

Prolonged, ominous intro? Nah. Have a face full of Crude Manifestation Of Power instead, as an insatiable, 10-minute long opener braces your ears for a week of ringing with a sonic equivalent of metallic thrashing one could expect from being a sinful, rave-lusting scoundrel. On title-diverting continuation Within My Fragility the words "strength in fragility" are truly alliterated as the pace, abrasiveness and intensity of pummelling are all ramped up fiercely, with linear open hats thrown against them from time to time for good measure. Having reached 140 BPM and concrete mean, Masked proceeds in a well anticipated ra(n)ge: infernal atmosphere, sandy hats and layered tectonic tremors achieved with increasingly undefined low end consisting of a rumble line and rolling kick morphing into abrasive haze. Winding the tempo back a notch, a halftimearranged contemplation Our Descent grows in direct, hyperborean vector: glassy drones and sharp syncopulsation first - atonal reverberations, distorted arpeggios and punchy stabs endwise. Reeko's analog reinvention of Masked convolves the drum structure by borrowing from breakbeat narratives and authorizes the dystopian ambiance to rise and fall on more gradual, panning, confined terms; adding, however, more disorder to the mix with spectrum slicing, high-range chaos.

As you would have learned to expect from Depth.Request, Within My Fragility EP is not an easy listening five-tracker. If by the end of it you find yourself feeling as if you just stepped out of a pounding warehouse at 3AM and you don't know what day it is, you wouldn't have been experiencing this mindspace alone.

Keita Sano is a prolific Japanese producer who has released on revered labels such as Mister Saturday Night, Lets Play House, Morris Audio and 1080P. His fusion of dark, distorted, acidic textures and crunchy disco beats gives his produc tions a unique sound which works perfectly for Delusions Of Grandeur and the label is proud to welcome him for his debut DOG EP entitled Love Is Emotion.

The title track comes on like a proverbial runaway train with heavy, pounding beats and bassline forging things ahead while the most twisted, tripped out FX rise and fall creating an absolute juggernaut of a track which takes no prisoners. A decept ively simple DJ tool which is loaded with drama for maximum impact on the more left of centre dance floors.

Up next we have Violet which takes a low-slung deep house approach but with the grit and dirt that Keita always brings to the party. The first half of the track teases with tension-building chords and syncopated bassline which bounces around a massive four on the floor kick drum. Things fall away in the middle of the track to reveal a beautiful, heartwarming piano part, setting the scene before things get truly epic with orchestral strings bringing a touch of the film noir to proceedings.

I’m A Man picks up the pace again for an intense acid work out which pushes the sonic boundaries to the limits with seriously warped FX creating mayhem around a simple, percussive disco groove. As secret weapon DJ tools go, this is right up there.

Closing out this mind-bending release Keita remains in experimental mode on Love Is Emotion offsetting melodic arpeggios and sweet chords with off-kilter sonic madness ensuring things remain dark, dirty and deep.

Prolific songwriter and guitar virtuoso David
Tattersall presents 11 new songs on themes of
memory, dreams, loneliness and love, featuring
nylon string guitar improvisations in the vein of
gypsy jazz legend Django Reinhardt.
 The David Tattersall Group are old friends who
rehearsed together for months in a small, smoky,
sweaty room, before recording the album on a
huge red boat moored on the River Thames, all
vintage microphones and wooden walls inside.
Friendship is a vital part of the record’s magic.
 Stylistic influences include Ronnie Lane, after
whom one song is named, and the nylon-string
guitar work of Jonathan Richman and Willie
Nelson. A pastoral mood prevails, with swells of
melancholic violin and Spaghetti Western
harmonica, backed by honky-tonk piano and the
dry drum sounds of Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ period,
while the golden voice of Holly Holden adds a
touch of glamour to proceedings.
 David’s process includes much musical
improvisation and stream of consciousness writing,
but his end goal is to couple classic songwriting
with the collective chemistry of musicians playing
live in the studio. His lyrical influences include Tom
Verlaine, John Cooper Clarke and the New York
School of Poets, particularly James Schuyler.
 Pressed on 140g white vinyl with OBI strip.
 Includes digital download code