quête:programm 2

Mizery aus San Diego sind ein rebellisches Kraftpaket, das mit seinem Crossover-Hardcore-Sound für Aufsehen sorgen will. Mizery wurden 2014 mit ihrer EP ,Survive The Vibe" bekannt, gefolgt von ihrem 2016 erschienenen Album ,Absolute Light" (Flatspot Records). Mit ihren groovigen Rhythmen und dynamischen Live-Auftritten erregten sie schnell Aufmerksamkeit. Die Idee zu Mizery hatten die Kindheitsfreunde Jose Luna (Gesang) und Taylor Parker (Leadgitarre). Als die beiden den Schlagzeuger Cayle Sain trafen, wurde aus der Idee echt was. Bald darauf holten sie Miguel ,Mikey" Salazar am Bass dazu und begannen als Vierergruppe zu komponieren. Nach der Veröffentlichung des Albums tourten Mizery mit Genre-Größen wie Power Trip, Terror und Backtrack und nahmen Ahmad Ali am Bass auf, wodurch Mikey zur Rhythmusgitarre wechselte. Wie der Rest der Welt kam auch die Band während der Pandemie zum Stillstand, schrieb aber weiter Songs und war bereit, mit voller Kraft zurückzukommen. Im Dezember 2023 erschütterte der unerwartete Tod des Schlagzeugers Cayle Sain, der auch mit Twitching Tongues, God's Hate und GhosteMane auftrat, die Musikszene und brachte Mizery verständlicherweise zum Stillstand. Während sie ihre Trauer verarbeiteten und nachdachten, wussten die Mitglieder von Mizery, dass sie weitermachen mussten, und eine gefundene Aufnahme gab ihnen ein neues Ziel. Jose und Taylor entdeckten, dass Cayle die Vorproduktions-Demos, die sie ihm geschickt hatten, genommen und in einem professionellen Studio Schlagzeugspuren dafür aufgenommen hatte. Mit der Hilfe des Produzenten Taylor Young (The Pit) konnte die Band diese Schlagzeugspuren bekommen und sie für ihre selbstbetitelte EP verwenden. Die Mizery-EP, die am 20. März 2026 bei Flatspot Records erscheinen soll, ist ein offen politisches Album, das sich um Erneuerung und Reflexion dreht. In den sechs Tracks werden die Texte als Waffe eingesetzt, wie Jose erklärt: ,Es ist eine Reflexion einer Welt, die einige von uns sehen und andere ignorieren. Die Gewalttaten, die Angst vor Gewalt und die Auswirkungen von Gewalt." Die Songs weichen von einem geradlinigen Kurs ab und mischen mitreißende Rap-Gesangspassagen mit metallischen Riffs, einfallsreichen Grooves und einigen Überraschungen. Die Einflüsse stammen von Leeways ,Adult Crash", Merauders ,5 Deadly Venoms" und Only Living Witness' ,Innocents", kombiniert mit den Werken von Rage Against The Machine und P.O.D., die die Bandmitglieder in ihrer Jugend geprägt haben. Schon beim Opener ,Renegade Rhythm" wird klar, dass Mizery es ernst meint, wenn sie sich mit dem Zustand der Welt auseinandersetzen und dabei Musik machen, die im Kopf bleibt. ,The Weapon PT.II" ist der lauteste Track auf der EP und setzt auf Worte, um Veränderungen zu bewirken, statt auf physische Gewalt. Den Abschluss der EP bildet der selbstgerechte Song ,Eulogy" mit Gastgesang von Sammy Ciaramitaro von DRAIN. Der Song entstand als frühe Demo und war der einzige Track, für den Cayle programmierte Drums anstelle von Studioaufnahmen verwendet hatte. Um die Single zu vervollständigen, sprang Schlagzeuger David Stalsworth (Militarie Gun, Torena) bei den Aufnahmen ein und ist nun Mitglied von Mizery. Während manche die Veröffentlichung der EP als Triumph betrachten mögen, ist sie für Mizery ein Beweis für ihre Beharrlichkeit und zeigt, dass die Band bereit ist, in eine neue Ära einzutreten.

Mizery aus San Diego sind ein rebellisches Kraftpaket, das mit seinem Crossover-Hardcore-Sound für Aufsehen sorgen will. Mizery wurden 2014 mit ihrer EP ,Survive The Vibe" bekannt, gefolgt von ihrem 2016 erschienenen Album ,Absolute Light" (Flatspot Records). Mit ihren groovigen Rhythmen und dynamischen Live-Auftritten erregten sie schnell Aufmerksamkeit. Die Idee zu Mizery hatten die Kindheitsfreunde Jose Luna (Gesang) und Taylor Parker (Leadgitarre). Als die beiden den Schlagzeuger Cayle Sain trafen, wurde aus der Idee echt was. Bald darauf holten sie Miguel ,Mikey" Salazar am Bass dazu und begannen als Vierergruppe zu komponieren. Nach der Veröffentlichung des Albums tourten Mizery mit Genre-Größen wie Power Trip, Terror und Backtrack und nahmen Ahmad Ali am Bass auf, wodurch Mikey zur Rhythmusgitarre wechselte. Wie der Rest der Welt kam auch die Band während der Pandemie zum Stillstand, schrieb aber weiter Songs und war bereit, mit voller Kraft zurückzukommen. Im Dezember 2023 erschütterte der unerwartete Tod des Schlagzeugers Cayle Sain, der auch mit Twitching Tongues, God's Hate und GhosteMane auftrat, die Musikszene und brachte Mizery verständlicherweise zum Stillstand. Während sie ihre Trauer verarbeiteten und nachdachten, wussten die Mitglieder von Mizery, dass sie weitermachen mussten, und eine gefundene Aufnahme gab ihnen ein neues Ziel. Jose und Taylor entdeckten, dass Cayle die Vorproduktions-Demos, die sie ihm geschickt hatten, genommen und in einem professionellen Studio Schlagzeugspuren dafür aufgenommen hatte. Mit der Hilfe des Produzenten Taylor Young (The Pit) konnte die Band diese Schlagzeugspuren bekommen und sie für ihre selbstbetitelte EP verwenden. Die Mizery-EP, die am 20. März 2026 bei Flatspot Records erscheinen soll, ist ein offen politisches Album, das sich um Erneuerung und Reflexion dreht. In den sechs Tracks werden die Texte als Waffe eingesetzt, wie Jose erklärt: ,Es ist eine Reflexion einer Welt, die einige von uns sehen und andere ignorieren. Die Gewalttaten, die Angst vor Gewalt und die Auswirkungen von Gewalt." Die Songs weichen von einem geradlinigen Kurs ab und mischen mitreißende Rap-Gesangspassagen mit metallischen Riffs, einfallsreichen Grooves und einigen Überraschungen. Die Einflüsse stammen von Leeways ,Adult Crash", Merauders ,5 Deadly Venoms" und Only Living Witness' ,Innocents", kombiniert mit den Werken von Rage Against The Machine und P.O.D., die die Bandmitglieder in ihrer Jugend geprägt haben. Schon beim Opener ,Renegade Rhythm" wird klar, dass Mizery es ernst meint, wenn sie sich mit dem Zustand der Welt auseinandersetzen und dabei Musik machen, die im Kopf bleibt. ,The Weapon PT.II" ist der lauteste Track auf der EP und setzt auf Worte, um Veränderungen zu bewirken, statt auf physische Gewalt. Den Abschluss der EP bildet der selbstgerechte Song ,Eulogy" mit Gastgesang von Sammy Ciaramitaro von DRAIN. Der Song entstand als frühe Demo und war der einzige Track, für den Cayle programmierte Drums anstelle von Studioaufnahmen verwendet hatte. Um die Single zu vervollständigen, sprang Schlagzeuger David Stalsworth (Militarie Gun, Torena) bei den Aufnahmen ein und ist nun Mitglied von Mizery. Während manche die Veröffentlichung der EP als Triumph betrachten mögen, ist sie für Mizery ein Beweis für ihre Beharrlichkeit und zeigt, dass die Band bereit ist, in eine neue Ära einzutreten.

John Scofields Quartett mit Tenorsaxofonist Joe Lovano war eine der führenden modernen Jazzgruppen der
1990er Jahre. Auf seinem zweiten Blue-Note-Album “Meant To Be”, das nun erstmals als Doppel-LP auf
Vinyl erscheint, demonstriert der Gitarrist in elf unverkennbaren Scofield-Originalen die ganze Schlagkraft
und nuancierte Musikalität dieser Band. “Das farbenfrohe und unterhaltsame Programm bietet moderne
Mainstream-Musik der 1990er Jahre, die sich nach vorne orientiert, aber gleichzeitig an den Wurzeln von
Hard Bop, Funk und Fusion festhält.” (Scott Yanow, AllMusic, 4,5 Sterne)

Mit "Galgenlieder" präsentiert der Club der toten Dichter sein Jubiläumsprojekt zum 20-jährigen Bestehen - eine außergewöhnliche Neuvertonung der legendären Gedichte Christian Morgensterns. Dessen skurriler Humor, philosophische Tiefe und spielerische Leichtigkeit bilden die ideale Grundlage für Reinhardt Repkes musikalische Neuinterpretationen, die den berühmten Texten wie "Der Lattenzaun", "Das Mondschaf" oder "Der Werwolf" ein zeitgemäßes, berührendes Klanggewand verleihen. Für dieses achte Programm des Clubs konnte Schauspieler Hans-Werner Meyer als Gastsänger gewonnen werden. Seine spontane Begeisterung - und seine persönliche Verbindung zu Morgensterns Lyrik - prägen den intensiven Vortrag zwischen Ironie, Wärme und feiner Melancholie. Begleitet wird er von Markus Runzheimer (Element of Crime), der Bass, Percussion und Gesang beisteuert. Bandgründer Reinhardt Repke zeichnet erneut für die Kompositionen verantwortlich und formt mit Gitarre und Stimme den charakteristischen Sound des Projekts.

Detroit's Big Strick for his 7 Days Entertainment label has assembled of collection of Motor City leaning sounds from local and international artists here across four vital sides of wax. Generation Next opens with taught, pinging kicks and tinny melodies on deep house gem 'Senza Via D'Uscita' then Flabaire from Paris brings more bleeping sci-fi synths to a churning and dubbed out low end. Big Strick himself layers in electrically charged, fizzing synths and ticking hi-hats to his raw and gritty 'Bang My Shit' and Ron Cook ups the pace with the blissed out bumps of heady hymn, 'Again And Again.' Pegasvs from London also stands out with his great drum programming on '808 Jazz'.

For their fourth release, Australian label Lunatic Music welcomes Chris Stoker (UK) and Jamie Blanco (UK born, AUS based) to the fray for a dubbed out analogue synth workout that is indisputably Ess O Ess.
Fusion unfolds in Simply Nothing. Analogue synths intertwine with exquisitely programmed percussion and George Humes' chorus-drenched, draped in a veil of spectral vocals by Sarah-May Brown. The result is a retro-futuristic sonic whirlpool that is as memorable as it is delicate.
A waterfall forms in The Lotus & The Banksman. An otherworldly mutant breakbeat techno floor filler. Ethereal pads and dubby textures ripple across the surface whilst the resonant bassline churns below. Gentle currents give way to surging momentum as the percussion kicks in wth the repetitive chant of Time Travelling Man throughout, again by Sarah-May Brown.
On Remix duties, Hybrid Man applies their refined proto-trance formula to Simply Nothing, drawing out its hypnotic core.
Mayurashka fractures The Lotus & The Banksman, sifts through the pieces, and assembles a mind-melting, wonky techno drum work-out from the fragments.

KSmooth da Programma delivers the “KSmooth Groove” Deep House (EP) Recorded & Mixed at StressFree Studio, Chicago IL.

In seiner Besprechung von Mark Turners letztem Quartettalbum für ECM, Return From The Stars (2022),
bezeichnete Peter Rüedi in der Weltwoche das Programm als „die denkbar schlankste, konzentrierteste
und inspirierteste improvisierte Kammermusik.“ Eine treffende Beschreibung für die kraftvollen Quartettausarbeitungen des Tenorsaxophonisten, die auf Patternmaster ihre bislang ausgereifteste und zugleich
durchschlagskräftigste Form erreicht zu haben scheinen.
Kompromisslose Improvisation ebenso wie kühle Kontrolle sind die antreibenden Motoren einer Gruppe,
die ihr gemeinsames musikalisches Verständnis über Jahre hinweg auf Tour und im Studio weiterentwickelt
hat. Turner und Jason Palmer entfalten Themen mit weitreichenden harmonischen Implikationen, getragen von Joe Martin am Kontrabass und Jonathan Pinson am Schlagzeug – Musikern, die sich mit den
Bläsern auf melodischer, harmonischer und rhythmischer Ebene mit großer Intensität verzahnen. Den sechs
Originalkompositionen Turners wohnt eine zeitlose Qualität inne, die den Geist der klassischen Bebop-Ära
aufgreift und zugleich in die Zukunft weist.
Patternmaster, 2024 in Südfrankreich aufgenommen, wurde von Manfred Eicher produziert.

ZHERAV unleashes hypnotic Middle Eastern grooves on NAJA / BAZAAR 45 for Batov’s highly collectable 45 series.

New Zealand-based producer ZHERAV announces his debut release, NAJA / BAZAAR, a double single and 45 on Batov’s Middle Eastern Grooves series. The record fuses psychedelic rock, hypnotic rhythms, and electronic production influences, creating a sound that moves between swung grooves and cinematic, reverb-soaked textures.

ZHERAV draws from his background in house and techno, layering live guitar, bass, and synths over programmed drums. “I had a production template for house music on Ableton” he explains, “and I thought about how to switch to this Middle Eastern sound using the same format”. Most of ZHERAV’s tracks developed through improvisation - starting with programmed drums, then experimenting around scales on instruments until something works. ZHERAV has already received support from independent radio in Australia and New Zealand, and encouragement from international artists like Ko Shin Moon.

Both tracks explore Middle Eastern scales, bringing a distinct flavour to the grooves, while maintaining ZHERAV’s signature hypnotic layered sound. ZHERAV had something in mind related to snakes and their charmers when creating the A-side, NAJA (“Indian Cobra”). An ominous bassline loops repeatedly over snapping drums and percussion, whilst ZHERAV improvises guitar riffs and effects over the top.

Placid aka Paul Wise is the operator in chief at ‘We’re Going Deep’ – an online community and record label born out of a lifelong love affair with the many shades of electronic rhythm, and an obsession for collecting records since 1988. With a mission to share and release new music via his We’re Going Deep and We’re Going Back imprints, you’ll find only the best in underground Acid, Electro, IDM, Techno and House for the dance floor and your listening pleasure.

Up next in the label series, We’re Going Deep is excited to welcome 4 tracks of fresh material from pivotal electronic music maker Gerard Hanson, under his much prized E.R.P. alias. Renown for keeping his profile below the radar and letting the machines do all the talking for him. Hanson’s work as a producer has been much coveted since his debut back in the mid 90s as Convextion. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, he has become something of a hero in the underground Electro community. His work as E.R.P. has left a huge impression on labels such as Frustrated Funk, Bleep43 and Semantica over the years. Renown for his distinctive shimmering machine funk aesthetic, he ably summons the outer reaches of deep space listening thanks to his innate mastery of brooding, sci-fi soundscapes that few can equal.

Following releases for Apnea and Synchrophone, Hanson lifts off with a heartfelt tribute to our recently departed friend James Baker on ‘One4ReKab’. Ascending with the pulse of a steady kick drum, precision snares take hold as whispered vocals seep in and out of consciousness. Underpinned by trademark angular bass tones, soaring strings inject a deep sense of foreboding as all the parts fuse with a fierce glow. Stepping things a notch back as the sonic trajectory levels out, ‘Onward’ takes a more contemplative stance in a fusion of hypnotic drum programming that leads the fray whilst subtle arpeggios flow, all whilst wistful melodies wind you in.

Over on the flipside, Hanson revisits his 2008 composition “Multipole Vector” to launch yet another interstellar cruise by mission in the shape of “Multipole Vector II”. Leading with the simplest of bass progressions and metronomic beat programming, twinkling synth elements reach across the void as chords sweep to and fro to powerful effect. Ending out on the uplifting yet almost IDM inflected tones of “Self Unemployed”, this low tempo air rounds the EP off on an equally captivating note filled with playful charm, that makes this collection of music all the more pleasing.

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

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

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

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

Technical Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

Our well received series of Golden Earring remastered and expanded editions continue with On The Double. The Red Bullet archive was turned inside out again by Wouter Bessels and he found the original first-generation quarter inch master tapes of this classic 1969 album. These particular tapes have never been used for any release before, as in the analogue days of mixing and mastering it was customary to run off a set of equalized tape copies - with compression and sometimes reverb added - for release on vinyl and cassette. Also, genuine stereo mixes of both ‘Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong’ and its B-side ‘Wake Up-Breakfast!’ were found.

As the On The Double album was mixed in glorious stereo, we've included these never-before released stereo mixes (instead of the original 1968 mono mixes), alongside the original stereo mixes of ‘Where Would I Be’/’It’s Alright, But I Admit It Could Be Better’, the single that came out after On The Double. All in all, this expanded release of On The Double contains everything released by Golden Earrings between the albums Miracle Mirror and Eight Miles High and, as it features all original stereo mixes, fills another important hole in the reissue programme of the band. On The Double (remastered and expanded) is now available as a individually numbered edition of 1000 copies on crystal clear vinyl. It contains an insert, printed inner sleeves with liner notes by acclaimed Golden Earring biographer & archivist Jeroen Ras and additional remastering notes and comes in a gatefold sleeve.

This is the debut release on Superflux — a label out of New York run by DJ Brisket and Tamahori. It’s a dubby, pad-driven, deep house EP from four artists who all lived in the Midwest before landing in Brooklyn.

A1 – “Slow String (original mix)” is a straight-ahead deep house groover from Daniel Chavez, who has releases on Deep Club, Muted Noise, and Sole Aspect. Floaty pads, intricate drums and smart bass programming make for a warm and chunky tune. For fans of Brawther, Alton Miller, Ron Trent

A2 – “Slow String (Adam Raphael Dub)” is a remix from Chavez’s longtime friend and collaborator, Adam Raphael. He injects a heavy dose of West Coast tech-house into the original, like a combination of Bluem, Grayhound, and Tweekin’ for a 2025 audience

B1 – “The Blue Line (fleet.dreams remix)” is from the Mansions resident who also helms his own vinyl label, Vinezza. He takes a really driving and lush focus on this remix which evokes styles of Dana Kelley, Eddie Richards and Terry Francis Jr. He secured the coveted Hardwax “tip” on his solo EP last year, and delivers that level of discerning taste and skill here.

B2 – “The Blue Line (original mix)” is the track from IT-XPO that has anchored the release since day one. A thoughtful way to start the night, or for a soft landing in the morning sun. Heavy Shinichi Atobe and DJ Sprinkles influence here.

There’s an alternate reality where everyone makes a living wage and the cleanest buses you’ve ever seen arrive every other minute. Where the most intense songs are about confessing your love to a crush at the apple orchard, and where gentle feelings and chaotic energy are inseparable best friends. This is the timeline where Cootie Catcher is right at home. This Toronto based four-piece exudes both vulnerability and unbridled excitement, creating a sound that hypercharges the open-hearted tenderness of twee pop with spiraling synths and giddy electronics. New album Something We All Got is the clearest and most vibrant reading of Cootie Catcher’s vision yet, with songs of sweetness, nervousness, and expectancy that beam out unguarded.
After releasing music made primarily in basement recording environments, Something We All Got is the band’s first flirtation with studio recording. The edges are still sharp, however, with some parts assembled from time-honored lo-fi methods and fun, personally-sourced samples seeping into the production. The sound is explosive and upbeat, with euphoric guitars, bubbly synth lines, speedy drums both played and programmed, and all other manner of sound constantly colliding. Cootie Catcher has three songwriters, Sophia Chavez, Anita Fowl, and Nolan Jakupovski, all of whom have distinctive voices but still manage to overlap in their writing on shared concerns like navigating the lines of romantic and platonic relationships, their city’s social scenes, and struggles in both the microcosmic experience of playing in a band and the zoomed-out challenges of living through late-stage capitalism.
Joy still touches every surface of Something We All Got. “Quarter Note Rock” bounces around the room in a fit of jangling guitar chords, scratched samples, and interplay between breakbeat loops and somersaulting live drums. It’s a blast of positivity even with lyrics about how disappointing it can be to meet your heroes. A smiling electro pop instrumental supports lyrics about having to step painfully away from an almost realized love on “Gingham Dress,” a song that subverts themes of domesticity as a backdrop for the dashed wilt of hopeless devotion.
Cootie Catcher rolls down hills and jumps through flaming hoops throughout Something We All Got without ever dumbing down the visceral emotions that drive these songs. There’s a palpable tension between the band’s exhilarating sonics and the raw, often uneasy sentiments expressed, but it’s an integral part of what makes them unique. Rather than hide behind the kind of calculated vagueness that plagues so much of the indie rock landscape in the time of cursed algorithms, Cootie Catcher runs full-speed toward every confusion and excitement, fearlessly direct and embracing the reality they’re in.

James Davison, the most startlingly talented UK brass player of his generation, joins this highly experienced team with brilliant results. Charlie Parker's 'Ornithology',Thelonious Monk's 'Straight No Chaser', Billy Strayhorn's 'Satin Doll' and Horace Silver's 'Peace are amongst the gems to be found here. This is the second Woodville Records release to be based solely around the brilliant arranging skills of world class trombonist Mark Nightingale. The first, Alan Barnes plus 11 (WVCD151) featured Mark's adept and characterful handling of a twelve- piece ensemble. Jazz Classics ...with a Twist displays equal inventiveness and imagination, showcasing a sextet line-up in a programme of individually re-thought takes on these ageless tunes. In Mark's hands this band frequently resembles a much larger ensemble such is his skill in manipulating tone colour and voicing.

In an engrossing lattice of polyrhythmic beat science and deep atmospheric meditation, Samurai Music is thrilled to welcome Marco Shuttle to the fold for the Sumud EP.

Since his early years locked into the 00s London techno scene, Marco Sartorelli has developed as an artist entirely on his own terms. Through the rush of new ideas and cross-pollination that has characterised cutting-edge techno over the past 20-odd years, Sartorelli has travelled as Marco Shuttle from one considered stylistic concept to the next. On his own Eerie label and across expansive releases for respected outposts such as Spazio Disponibile, Incensio and Astral Industries, he's taken an exploratory approach to rhythm and spatial design while always drawing on intentional thematic frameworks, creating distinctive and immersive dance music in the process.

As Samurai Music continues to celebrate the rich seams of inspiration where deep techno and drum & bass intersect, Sartorelli's malleable, mysterious strain of drum work fits right in and sets a captivating tone for the label's operations in 2026. 'Sumud' is a steely drum mantra dealing in fractured patterns with the primal patina of the early Artificial Intelligence era, while 'Las Dunas de Taroa' leans on gently pulsing melancholia undulating at a half-time pace. 'Iso 50' taps into raw, analogue minimalism once more, evoking the sound of Roman Flugel's Ro70 records in their icy, alien formation. Completing the set, we're guided towards the tense electronica of 'Polylayering What I've Got', where uneasy melodic chimes interlock with intricately programmed drum machines.

There's a distinct sense of golden-era, mid-90s electronica coursing through Sumud EP, but Sartorelli shrouds the classic tools at his disposal in his subtle signature atmospherics, pushing towards a plain of expression that transcends time.

"Rough and ready blues played with unmitigated intensity…scorching and soulful, joyous and stomping.
—Living Blues

Electrifying and raucous…one of the few authentic links to pure Chicago blues.
—Chicago Tribune

Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials are the reigning champions of raucous, slide-stoked Chicago blues. They’ve achieved legendary status with over 40 years of critically acclaimed recordings and raucous foot-stomping gigs on club, theatre and festival stages all over the world. Slideways is a tour-de-force of old-school Chicago blues played with contemporary urgency.

Shows in support begin on street date in Chicago, followed by Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, New York and Syracuse amongst others. Touring will continue throughout Spring and Summer.

Press, radio and social media focus on album and tour dates, pitching stories and reviews to over 1000 print and internet media contacts around the world. Over 1400 radio programmers worldwide will be serviced and solicited for blues specialty show and selected Triple A and Americana rotation airplay. The album is certain to be welcomed with open arms by the blues media.

Slideways is bursting with Lil’ Ed’s rollicking slide-work and rough-hewn vocals on a joyous blend of smoking slide guitar boogies, raw-boned shuffles, and heart-stopping slow blues. As always, The Blues Imperials supply rock-solid, road-tested and gloriously riotous backing."

Repress !

Way back in 1981, two musicians got together to make a record. Mike Collins played guitar and had just bought a Roland CR78 - the first programmable drum machine. Keith O'Connell played Fender Rhodes piano and Prophet 5 synthesizer. Excited about the quirky and unusual instrumental track they'd composed, when the duo entered London's Utopia Studios to finish off their creation, neither could have predicted what was to follow... Now viewed by many as one of the most influential early electronic dance records, 'Rude Movements' was swiftly picked up on by David Mancuso, who used it to devastating effect at his infamous 'Loft Parties', in turn introducing it to Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, David Morales and Kenny Dope, a group of young DJs who would go on to write the blueprint for dance music as we know it.

In the more than 35 years since its release, 'Rude Movements' has continued to inspire and excite, sampled by The Bucketheads' classic House track 'Whew!' (featured on recent BBE compilation '20 years of Henry Street Records') and listed by a veritable 'who's who' of dance music's elite as an all-time favourite. Rare and much sought-after on vinyl, BBE are happy to announce the release of a fully remastered version of 'Rude Movements' presented alongside the original demo version 'Raw Movements', plus three other versions of the iconic track. Also included on the vinyl package are the Afrika Bambaata inspired 'Street Beat' and 808/MiniMoog workout 'Palace Strut', as well as three other 80s SunPalace compositions. CD and digital versions expand the catalogue still further, with more experimental SunPalace magic. Timeless original, quirky and unique, these recordings are set to inspire yet another generation of DJs,
producers and music fans.

The last time Noir embarked on a similar creative exorcism was for 2012's Jimmy's Show LP which selected choice cuts from 18 E.P. 's released via straight to fan subscription over as many months. The resulting album is one of his most lauded and beloved by fans, with the vinyl now selling for silly money on Discogs.

Programmes for Cools is Jimmy's Show's spiritual successor, idiosyncratic, other worldly and brimming with timeless melodies. Noir's influences seep through the track list, wrapped with a haunting, dreamlike delivery.

First single 'Out Of Sight' is a Fleetwood Mac meets Selected Ambient Works era Richard D James, four to the floor banger. Already a fan favourite, it propels Side A forward with a somewhat misplaced optimism, much like Neil Young's 'Walk On' starting On the Beach.

Side B is more esoteric, exemplified by 'Fireworks’which includes lyrics and vocals from Marie Claude Dequoy,produced with the wooze of golden era Boards of Canada. Elsewhere, influences as disparate as Stevie Wonder, on the wonky clav funk of 'The Fountain', and Ian Brown 'I think I found it' illustrate Noir's disregard for musical straightjackets (the latter may have the most unapologetic baggy, hypnotic groove since the Mondays' 'Halleluiah').

As the album swells to its conclusion, via the epic Led Zeppelin meets the Warhol clique 'Morning Light’and the heart tugging finale of 'Motorbike’(the first song released from the most recent run of E.P.'s), there is a sense of completion and finality...
‘This is the last Jim Noir album. There are no more Jim Noir albums after this one. This time I'm serious. It's been the hardest I've ever worked on anything. I think I have created my own Be Here Now...Sorry.’
Joking and hyperbole aside, the album has more of an Abbey Road feel, and needs to be experienced in one sitting. If the infamous Davyhulme prankster is to be believed and this is his final outing, then you could wish for a more fitting album. - NM

Barabajagal is the seventh studio album, eighth album overall and most fascinatingly the third of our re-issue programme from British singer-songwriter extraordinaire Donovan. It was released in 1969 and again features production duties by Mickie Most.