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Magyar Posse’s third album Random Avenger out on vinyl for the first time ever in July via Svart Records Looking back, it was the golden age of Magyar Posse. The album Kings of Time had received a tremendous response from both critics and music lovers. The band was touring intensely in Finland and abroad. By now, the band was a well-oiled machine, ready to capture the successor to their celebrated second album. The band decided to follow a different path compared to the creation of Kings of Time: they would record their third album alongside the well-known, slightly eccentric engineer and producer Jani Viitanen. The recognizable Magyar Posse style was present in the pieces of Random Avenger, but something was slightly different. The new music was more rhythm-based, more riff-based and in places more joyous than the dynamic minor key avalanche of Kings of Time. Consciously or unconsciously, the band members saw that they had travelled the Slavic melancholy road as far as possible with the previous album. The success of Kings of Time felt like a positive push, not an extra pressure on their shoulders. It was only natural to strike again while the iron was hot. Many of the pieces had been already developed by the time Kings of Time was released, which eased the production of Random Avenger. After the meticulous but relatively swift mixing and mastering process, the band members were satisfied with the result. The only component that made some of them blush was the cover art – graphic designer Tom Backström had glaringly used photos of empty stages in forgotten community centres and the like. The beauty or the ugliness is once again in the eye of the beholder. Right after its release, Random Avenger got a very positive response, but not as overwhelming as Kings of Time – which was to be expected, as the previous Magyar Posse album had probably been the most universally praised Finnish album of the whole decade. Mikko Elo, musician / journalist, Pori, Finland, March 1st 2026

In the wake of the release of Swedish post-rock luminaries OH HIROSHIMA's 6th studio album And The Dead Tree Gives no Shelter, Pelagic is reissueing OH's Oscillation (2019) and Myriad (2022) on vinyl. Myriad captures OH HIROSHIMA at their most focused and ambitious. The album moves between crushing despair and fleeting moments of catharsis weaving heart-wrenching melodies into towering walls of noise and explosive crescendos. The incorporation of trumpet, cello and trombone adds new dimensions to the band's sound, resulting in a record that resonates far beyond the post-rock scene and highlights the band's continued artistic evolution. Following the departure of bassist Simon Forsberg in early 2021, OH HIROSHIMA were reduced to a duo _ a shift that challenged the band to rethink and expand their creative approach. While Myriad remains firmly rooted in post-rock, brothers Jakob Hemström and Oskar Nilsson use the album as an opportunity to push beyond the genre's familiar boundaries, drawing from a far broader musical palette than ever before. To get a sense of what the album has to offer, watch the music video for "Humane". Guitarist & vocalist Jakob Hemström comments: "Humane might be the most direct and intense song we've created as a band. For us it marks a somewhat new direction that we wanted to explore and we're very proud of how it turned out. We felt right away that this was the first song of the new album we wanted our listeners to hear. The lyrics revolve around themes of human hubris and the video was filmed, directed and edited by our drummer, Oskar." Recorded by Kristian Karlsson (pg.lost, Cult of Luna) and once again mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna, Myriad blends soaring melodies with immense emotional weight and dynamic intensity and stands as a compelling testament to the band's continued evolution. Classic black or rosé (Dead Flamingo) vinyl available. FOR FANS OF Alcest Mogwai God Is an Astronaut Karnivool pg.lost

In the wake of the release of Swedish post-rock luminaries OH HIROSHIMA's 6th studio album And The Dead Tree Gives no Shelter, Pelagic is reissueing OH's Oscillation (2019) and Myriad (2022) on vinyl. Myriad captures OH HIROSHIMA at their most focused and ambitious. The album moves between crushing despair and fleeting moments of catharsis weaving heart-wrenching melodies into towering walls of noise and explosive crescendos. The incorporation of trumpet, cello and trombone adds new dimensions to the band's sound, resulting in a record that resonates far beyond the post-rock scene and highlights the band's continued artistic evolution. Following the departure of bassist Simon Forsberg in early 2021, OH HIROSHIMA were reduced to a duo _ a shift that challenged the band to rethink and expand their creative approach. While Myriad remains firmly rooted in post-rock, brothers Jakob Hemström and Oskar Nilsson use the album as an opportunity to push beyond the genre's familiar boundaries, drawing from a far broader musical palette than ever before. To get a sense of what the album has to offer, watch the music video for "Humane". Guitarist & vocalist Jakob Hemström comments: "Humane might be the most direct and intense song we've created as a band. For us it marks a somewhat new direction that we wanted to explore and we're very proud of how it turned out. We felt right away that this was the first song of the new album we wanted our listeners to hear. The lyrics revolve around themes of human hubris and the video was filmed, directed and edited by our drummer, Oskar." Recorded by Kristian Karlsson (pg.lost, Cult of Luna) and once again mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna, Myriad blends soaring melodies with immense emotional weight and dynamic intensity and stands as a compelling testament to the band's continued evolution. Classic black or rosé (Dead Flamingo) vinyl available. FOR FANS OF Alcest Mogwai God Is an Astronaut Karnivool pg.lost

Puerta Negra presents “Metafísica”, the third chapter in the project’s subversive and revolutionary sonic vision. Moving again through the outer edges of EBM, industrial funk, and mutant electronics, the new EP channels the raw physicality of contemporary American body music, aligned with acts such as High-Functioning Flesh or Spike Hellis, alongside the fractured futurism of late-’80s Cabaret Voltaire and its mutant new beat mutations. The result is tense, hypnotic, and deeply confrontational. At the center of the record are the stripped-down, unfiltered vocals of María Aguirre, moving through broken, hallucinogenic rhythms that continuously destabilize and reconstruct the groove. Mechanical yet visceral, cold yet intensely human, the tracks unfold like transmissions from a collapsing future. With “Metafísica”, Puerta Negra continues to push its singular language forward: radical avant-garde body music for the most restless corners of the underground — perfectly suited to ignite a revolution. Presented in ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially remastered and mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).

The Body"s landmark record Master, We Perish, originally released in 2013, found the acclaimed duo at a crossroads in their career. Recorded just before the duo of drummer Lee Buford and guitarist/vocalist Chip King were leaving their longtime home of Providence for Portland and released in between their breakthrough albums All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood and Christs, Redeemers, Master expanded on the duo"s love of layered worldbuilding with more precision and a stronger emphasis on percussive samples than ever before. The seeds of the duo"s celebrated collaborative inclination are evident as the album features Assembly of Light Choir leader Chrissy Wolpert, choir member Reba Mitchell, Otesanek vocalist Leslie Weitz, and guitarist David Lifrieri. With the expanded edition, the album"s striking cover painting by Providence mainstay Manifester aka Matt Brinkman (Mindflayer, Forcefield) is finally rendered in its original form. Master, We Perish is expanded with rare bonus tracks from The Body"s early days, taken from a pair of rare 7" singles Cop Killer/Dead Cops as well as a split with Get Killed. These storied singles mark the first time the band truly pushed the boundaries of sound in the studio and on record. It also marks the beginning of The Body"s practice of wielding the studio as a veritable weapon to translate their gargantuan sound with deeper impact on LP. The results are not only pushing the capacity of the album format but are sonically riveting. The bonus material was recorded at Machines with Magnets. The band described them economically: "NASTY."

The Body"s landmark record Master, We Perish, originally released in 2013, found the acclaimed duo at a crossroads in their career. Recorded just before the duo of drummer Lee Buford and guitarist/vocalist Chip King were leaving their longtime home of Providence for Portland and released in between their breakthrough albums All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood and Christs, Redeemers, Master expanded on the duo"s love of layered worldbuilding with more precision and a stronger emphasis on percussive samples than ever before. The seeds of the duo"s celebrated collaborative inclination are evident as the album features Assembly of Light Choir leader Chrissy Wolpert, choir member Reba Mitchell, Otesanek vocalist Leslie Weitz, and guitarist David Lifrieri. With the expanded edition, the album"s striking cover painting by Providence mainstay Manifester aka Matt Brinkman (Mindflayer, Forcefield) is finally rendered in its original form. Master, We Perish is expanded with rare bonus tracks from The Body"s early days, taken from a pair of rare 7" singles Cop Killer/Dead Cops as well as a split with Get Killed. These storied singles mark the first time the band truly pushed the boundaries of sound in the studio and on record. It also marks the beginning of The Body"s practice of wielding the studio as a veritable weapon to translate their gargantuan sound with deeper impact on LP. The results are not only pushing the capacity of the album format but are sonically riveting. The bonus material was recorded at Machines with Magnets. The band described them economically: "NASTY."

White Vinyl. Having balanced tradition and innovation for over three decades, Taake remains fiercely independent while continually pushing its own creative boundaries. That uncompromising vision finds new expression on the ninth full-length album, En Skog av Nidstang. Past years of increasing isolation, detached from contemporary trends and largely removed from the influence of other music, the creative drive of songwriter Hoest has only intensified, resulting in four expansive compositions that flow naturally from the inspired mindset behind 2023's critically acclaimed Et Hav av Avstand. The recordings for En Skog av Nidstang were completed south of Bergen, in the moss-covered forests around the island of Borgoy. In the surroundings depicted by the ill-fated Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig, Taake embraced the focused seclusion of the landscape, relying less on modern technology or studio excess, but on intuition, confinement, creativity, and a mastery of the rudimentary tools of the trade. And it sounds unmistakably like Taake. Reckless thrashing riffs mix with brooding gloom, chilling melodies emerge from violent intensity, and moments of desolate reflection give way to untamed aggression. The result is an album that celebrates the enduring power of an unyielding artistic vision; proof that, after 33 years, Taake remains as vital, distinctive and relevant as ever.

White Vinyl. Having balanced tradition and innovation for over three decades, Taake remains fiercely independent while continually pushing its own creative boundaries. That uncompromising vision finds new expression on the ninth full-length album, En Skog av Nidstang. Past years of increasing isolation, detached from contemporary trends and largely removed from the influence of other music, the creative drive of songwriter Hoest has only intensified, resulting in four expansive compositions that flow naturally from the inspired mindset behind 2023's critically acclaimed Et Hav av Avstand. The recordings for En Skog av Nidstang were completed south of Bergen, in the moss-covered forests around the island of Borgoy. In the surroundings depicted by the ill-fated Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig, Taake embraced the focused seclusion of the landscape, relying less on modern technology or studio excess, but on intuition, confinement, creativity, and a mastery of the rudimentary tools of the trade. And it sounds unmistakably like Taake. Reckless thrashing riffs mix with brooding gloom, chilling melodies emerge from violent intensity, and moments of desolate reflection give way to untamed aggression. The result is an album that celebrates the enduring power of an unyielding artistic vision; proof that, after 33 years, Taake remains as vital, distinctive and relevant as ever.

2026 Repress

With Moving Pressure 02, Rene Wise allows us to dip into a psychedelic undercurrent, yet maintaining a very grounded mentality. Its an effortlessly rolling type of minimalism, but lets be clear; its a type of minimalistic spirit backed up by a rich, kaleidoscopic sound design. MP02 is an immersive batch of mystical dance floor journeys which, in four steps, navigates the realms of gaseous sound design to more subaquatic dynamics, working with a palette of serpentine rhythms that pull us into his distinctive, subtly hypnotic world.

A1 Silo Cybin opens the release with the artists unmistakable kick drum pattern, the heartbeat of his sound. Theres a trippy, swampy energy here, enhanced by robotic vocals and broken claps that weave polyrhythms into the track. The minimalist core pulses with playful energy, while detailed textural elements softly emerge like a waves bubbling foam. Up next we have Complicated, which offers a more minimalist composition, yet injected with rich rhythmic structures. Small circular modulations swirl in the background, filling the air with a delicate yet persistent energy, while his signature vocal snippets further enhance the groove. On the B side, Rough Escorts taps into a brighter psychedelic dimension, conjuring the ethos and trademark of Moving Pressure as a whole. Listen closely a fine connection to Wises previous work on MP01 shines through, maintaining the sonic coherence of the project while pushing further into a lush space. B2 Bleep Police, dives into dystopian bleep territory. Here, the artist strips techno down to its essence, intertwining bleeps with percussion into a hyper rhythmic whole.

A living organism composed of intricately layered sonic structures. A variegated interplay of texture and rhythm. Multi dimensional sound. Welcome to Moving Pressure 02.

FLO are leading the modern revival of the British girl group — and doing so at a scale not seen in over two decades. With over half a billion global streams, the trio have delivered the highest-selling tour by a British girl group in more than 20 years, becoming the first since the Spice Girls to reach that milestone. They are also the first British girl group to receive a Grammy nomination in two decades, alongside three MOBO nominations in 2026, cementing their status as both a commercial and cultural force. Rather than simply revisiting the past, FLO are reshaping the possibilities for what a contemporary girl group can be.

Comprised of Renée Downer, Stella Quaresma and Jorja Douglas, FLO’s story is one of intention, craft and deep-rooted connection. The trio had long been aware of one another through theatre school circles, social media and shared creative worlds before coming together as a group in 2019. That early familiarity quickly grew into a sisterhood, shaped behind the scenes through years of studio work, vocal development and trust. Raised by strong single mothers and immersed in performance from a young age, each member brings resilience, emotional intelligence and discipline into the group — qualities that underpin both their sound and their dynamic.

Individually, FLO’s balance comes from contrast. Renée is the group’s compass: composed, business-minded and creatively precise, grounding the trio with clarity and vision. Stella is the spark and the glue — sociable, emotionally intuitive and collaborative — shaped by a childhood between England and Mozambique where music was communal, expressive and felt. Jorja is the fire: outspoken, instinctive and vocally commanding, with a natural ear for harmony and arrangement. Their roles shift and evolve, but together they form a unit built on mutual respect, honesty and shared authorship.

That chemistry is central to FLO’s music. Drawing from classic R&B and soul while pushing it forward through modern production, their sound centres vocal harmony, emotional nuance and storytelling that reflects the realities of young womanhood. FLO reject the idea that strength requires emotional distance; instead, they explore power through vulnerability, confidence and control. From independence and self-worth to intimacy and desire, their writing is direct and unapologetically theirs. As Jorja puts it, FLO are “the brains, the heart and the soul” behind everything they do.

The success of their debut album marked a defining moment — not only for FLO, but for British pop more broadly. It confirmed the appetite for harmony-led, female-fronted groups operating with creative agency, and propelled FLO onto global stages, from sold-out headline tours to major festivals and international television. Along the way they have earned respect from R&B legends and peers alike, performing during Grammy Week for icons including Mariah Carey, Brandy and Chaka Khan, and showcasing their vocal chemistry on NPR’s Tiny Desk — a moment that further underlined the trio’s technical precision and emotional depth.

With their next chapter, Therapy At The Club, FLO expand this emotional honesty into a fully realised creative universe. The concept reimagines the club not just as a place of nightlife, but as a site of release, confession and self-possession — encompassing the moments before, during and after the night out. From mirror affirmations and pre-game chaos, to late-night Uber conversations, dance-floor catharsis and the clarity of the morning after, Therapy At The Club captures how women process desire, heartbreak, confidence and healing in real time, together. It is both fantasy and reality: cinematic, fashion-led and emotionally raw, grounded in sisterhood as a form of survival.

Sonically, the new music leans into dark, euphoric R&B and pop with sharper edges, built on vocal mastery and diaristic storytelling. Lead single “Leak It” sets the tone for the era — playful, charged and unapologetically self-aware — exploring what happens when desire spills over, secrets surface and control is reclaimed. Across the new songs, FLO move fluidly between intimacy and euphoria, turning the club into a space where vulnerability is power and feeling everything is the point.

As a trio built on discipline, joy and deep creative trust, FLO represent a new model for the British girl group: one rooted in authorship, harmony and cultural impact. Balancing softness with strength and ambition with authenticity, they are shaping the future of R&B and pop on their own terms. FLO are not looking backwards — they are setting the standard for what comes next.

By the time Mayday Parade began work on Sugar, the closing installment of their three-part album series, they had pushed themselves further than ever before.Following Sweet (April 2025) and Sad (October 2025), the pop-rock quintet committed to a relentless cycle—write, record, tour, repeat—building a body of work that captures the full scope of their sound across nearly 30 songs.

Sugar brings the trilogy to a close in powerful fashion, emphasizing both reflection and forward momentum through the driving emo pulse of first single “Blame It on the Youth,” the hypnotic piano ballad “What Happens Next,” the glossy melodic groove of “Two Hearts,” and the nostalgic energy of “Sweet Sad Sugar,” which reflects on the Tallahassee roots that shaped the band.
Just as importantly, the project marks the beginning of a new era defined by autonomy. Released independently, the set sees Mayday Parade taking full control of their creative output—a full-circle moment for a group that first built its audience by selling CDs in Warped Tour parking lots and quickly became a leading voice of the late-2000s emo wave thanks to gold- and platinum-certified singles like Jamie All Over and Miserable at Best.
It's this willingness to chase something ambitious, no matter how daunting, that has defined them from the very beginning. Now, with the trilogy complete, Mayday Parade find themselves in a position few of their peers can claim: still creatively restless, still evolving, and still finding new ways to win.

This 45 reissues two Spanish classics-DJ'd, sung, and danced to exhaustion-featuring striking arrangements and rhythms inspired by soul, funk, and rock, pushing flamenco-influenced popular music into previously uncharted territory. The flamenco rock of 'Orgullo' (1974) by Las Grecas will appeal to international listeners already captivated by the Anatolian sound of Baris, Manço, Mogollar_ On the B-side, Paco, Paco, Paco' (1969) by Encarnita Polo is a soul-pop hit with an irresistible syncopated rhythm and killer bass lines. In the final years of Franco's dictatorship, when Spain's popular music was kept on the sidelines of avant-garde and countercultural trends, a number of records emerged that dared to bend and hybridize the country's so-called "national" musical genres (calling it flamenco outright would be imprecise) and infuse them with a dose of modernity. The first 20 seconds of 'Orgullo' (1974) hit with a powerful sonic punch built on ferocious fuzzed-out guitars, distorted keyboards, and thunderous drums that could easily belong in the discography of Led Zeppelin, The Guess Who, or Cream_ until, suddenly, Las Grecas start to sing and Flamenco rock is born. It will undoubtedly resonate with international audiences already drawn to the Anatolian sounds of Bar?? Manço or Mogollar. A few years earlier, in 1969, the brilliant Argentine producer and arranger Adolfo Waitzman had already transformed a harmless light pop tune recorded by a yeyé girl, Encarnita Polo, into a soul-pop hit driven by an irresistible syncopated groove and killer bass lines. The playful 'Paco, Paco, Paco' became a bestselling single in Spain and, more than 50 years later, is still celebrated as a brilliant example of the romance between flamenco-inflected sounds and soul-pop. First-ever single reissue.

Having made their back catalog available to a wider public via High Roller Records, Mexican speed and thrash metal force Phantom will release their third full-length assault „Not Midnight Yet“ via the label. Recorded and mixed once again with Héctor “Northen” Ibarra at Nehtron Studios in Guadalajara and mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony in Germany, this new album captures the band at their most technical and dynamic. “I am never fully satisfied with my records and I try to push forward and expand our boundaries with every new material—without changing the soul and core of what Phantom stands for: Old School Heavy Metal,“ explains mastermind J.C. García. „This record puts together very well everything that we are. Because of that, I think this is a juggernaut of an album.” Tracks such as ‘Hordes Of Bats’ deliver relentless speed and riff-driven aggression, while ‘Dracula’s Curse’ and the title track lean into powerful midtempo dynamics and complex structures. ‘The Pale Remains Of Time’ stands out as one of the album’s most ambitious moments, combining melodic vocals, clean guitar interludes and subtle progressive touches. “I try to break the established formula and add more textures and layers while keeping the old school spirit,” J.C. states. “It’s a very personal record and a work I’m very proud of. I think this is the most solid Phantom record to date.” With “Not Midnight Yet”, Phantom sharpen their identity and deliver a powerful, atmospheric statement—proof that the night is far from over.

"Paired Works is a double EP by Justine Perry and Paula Koski, developed in parallel within the same time and environment. Evolving through years of shared surroundings and creative exchange, the record emerges as a natural extension of that connection.
Produced separately, the tracks document two distinct inner worlds shaped through proximity. Justine Perry leans into deep, hypnotic forms, while Paula Koski moves through dubby and spacious structures driven by texture.
Across four sides, the record shifts between focused, forward-moving passages and more atmospheric moments, creating a subtle push and pull. Rather than settling into one singular moment on the dancefloor, it stretches across the shifting phases of a long club night.
Timeless and elegant in its approach, Paired Works marks the debut release on Ostgut Ton for both artists.“

Downtown Boys have pushed relentlessly forward as an artistic and political project since their founding. Singer Victoria Marie and guitarist/singer Joey La Neve DeFrancesco first met at union meetings while working together at a hotel in Providence, RI, writing many of the band's early songs about labor organizing and exploitative workplaces. The quintet is completed by Joe DeGeorge (sax/synth), Mary Jane Regalado (bass), and Joey Doubek (drums). Over years of touring, and three acclaimed albums, Downtown Boys have continued to grow as artists, musicians, and organizers. Now, the band has arrived with Public Luxury, an enthralling album that keeps politics front and center while summoning the band's most urgent and powerful sound to date. The definition of Public Luxury falls very much in line with that of the title of the second Downtown Boys LP, Full Communism. Straight up, Public Luxury means, "everything for everyone." It's the stubborn insistence that a better world is possible, while fully recognizing the horrors we witness daily, and the individual and collective responsibility to resist the nihilism and hopelessness we all feel. Sentiments like "everything for everyone," and "we will have it all" perfectly represent the cathartic, communal live experience this cadre of multi-instrumentalists create. These sentiments also encapsulate the inclusive, joyful sonic fusion that defines the album: anthemic punk and indie rock mix with Latin traditions, drum machines blend with acoustic drums, saxophones punctuate riffs, and layers of synths add flourishes from new-wave to industrial. The amount of ground covered on Public Luxury can't be overstated, and yet the album feels totally vital and cohesive. Public Luxury is a revisitation of the band's past for the sake of their future. It was co-produced by DeFrancesco with recording engineer and longtime Downtown Boys supporter Seth Manchester (Lambrini Girls, Lightning Bolt, Model/Actriz) at the Pawtucket, RI studio and arts space Machines With Magnets, not far from the band's first home of Providence, RI. Victoria Marie's grandmother-a monumental figure for the band throughout their existence-passed away in May of 2025, and her influence looms large over the album; the songs "No Me Jodas" and "Sirena" are crystallized representations of the love between a woman and her ancestor. Beyond the loss, rage and frustration of the present, Public Luxury points boldly towards a vibrant, open-hearted vision of both music and the world: "Our music is simply for anyone and everyone who believes in the new future we can make together," Victoria Marie declares. "A world that will be awkward, inconsistent, yet truly free when it comes to all that matters."

Italian producer Gledd has been quietly carving out a reputation for groove-led house music that balances raw dancefloor energy with rich musicality. Drawing on influences that span gospel, afrobeat, and classic deep house, his productions channel both heritage and forward-thinking club culture. My House Is Your Church marks his debut release on Delusions Of Grandeur - a fitting home for his expansive, souldrenched sound - and signals a bold new chapter in his evolution as an artist.

The EP opens with On His Way, a percussion-heavy deep roller built for maximum dancefloor impact. Anchored by fat, heavyweight production and a massive low-end presence, the track surges forward with relentless energy. An incredible gospel vocal cuts through the mix, elevating the groove into something transcendent - equal parts spiritual and physical. On It’s Not That Easy, Gledd leans further into his gospel house influences. Highimpact and rhythmically rich, the track weaves together organ fills and subtle tropical flourishes, creating a vibrant, sun-soaked energy while keeping the pressure firmly on the floor.

It’s a track that feels both uplifting and commanding. Flipping to the B-side, Habibi Gospel pushes into more “outernational” territory. A wild, expressive lead vocal takes center stage, riding atop a heavy, driving groove. Organ stabs punctuate the rhythm, locking dancers into a hypnotic flow that bridges cultures and styles with effortless confidence. Closing the EP, Can You Hear My Noise? brings things to a richly textured finale. Slightly more organic in feel, it blends echoing synth stabs, percussive melodic lines, and chopped vocals into a melting pot of sound. The result is a seamless fusion of gospel, afrobeat, and classic house - deep, emotive, and undeniably danceable. With My House Is Your Church, Gledd delivers a statement of intent: music as ritual, the dancefloor as sanctuary.

After spending the last few years relentlessly touring across Europe and the UK, building a fiercely loyal fanbase through sold-out shows and unforgettable live performances, LEAP have built unstoppable momentum with their recent album, ENTROPY. First released digitally in late 2025, the album didn"t just connect-it exploded, racking up 21 million global streams and catching the ear of Epitaph Records, who quickly brought the band into the fold. There"s a magnetic push-and-pull at the heart of ENTROPY: big, anthemic alt-rock hooks wrapped around lyrics that don"t shy away from life"s messier moments. Frontman Jacky Scott leads the charge with a voice that can pivot from raw confession to fist-in-the-air release, turning heavy themes into something unexpectedly uplifting. It"s that balance-dark edges with a bright, communal core-that"s earned early praise from Rolling Stone and Kerrang! alike. And the fans are already all in. Following a sold-out European run, tickets for LEAP"s first U.S. shows in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles vanished months in advance-proof that their emotionally charged, high-energy sound translates far beyond the studio. At its core, ENTROPY feels like a shared experience: songs built for singalongs, for release, for connection. LEAP aren"t just channeling chaos-they"re turning it into something unifying, loud, and impossible to ignore.

Sacred Leather is a traditional heavy metal band from the heart of Indianapolis, consisting of Dee Wrathchild (vocals), Lynn St. Michaels (lead guitar), Cvon Owens (rhythm guitar), Magnus Legrand (bass) and Don Diamond (drums). Following a privately manufactured live cassette, 2018’s debut album »Ultimate Force« and numerous (digital) singles, the new »Keep The Fire Burning« is the band’s most definite statement yet. Produced by the legendary Arthur Rizk (Eternal Champion, Power Trip), every track on the record is a call to arms. High-octane compositions such as “Spitfire At Night”, “Phantom Highways” or “Malevolent Eyes” show that Sacred Leather are true defenders of the faith. All songs breathe the raw power of classic 80s metal. Bassist Magnus Legrand comments: “Judas Priest has been a massive influence on us - not just aesthetically or stylistically, but in their ability to cover a wide range of sounds while always remaining unmistakably themselves. That balance is something we actively strive for: to explore every facet of heavy metal without ever losing our identity. The same can be said for KISS, Scorpions, and Queensrÿche - bands that can rock, rip, soar, go epic, or strip it down to something tender, all while keeping their signature intact. That versatility, anchored by a strong sense of self, is the standard we hold ourselves to.” According to Magnus Legrand, »Keep The Fire Burning« is a clear progression from the debut album »Ultimate Force«: “It’s sharper in its songwriting, stronger in its musicianship, and more focused in its execution. Where »Ultimate Force« laid the foundation, this record pushes further into those same territories with greater intent and refinement. It builds on what we established before, expanding the scope while tightening the strike. As a whole, »Keep The Fire Burning« is a relentless ride through the heart of traditional heavy metal - familiar in spirit, but undeniably Sacred Leather in execution.“

The Norwegian progressive collective, 35 Tapes, returns with their fourth studio album Veil on Life. It's a six-track record that pushes the band into a more powerful, riT-driven register while preserving their signature analogue warmth and modern clarity. Recorded at Frydenlund Studio ( Oslo, Norway) - the same environment that shaped their previous album Fabric of Time - the album leans further into the band's audiophile instincts, with a wide dynamic range, bold low end, punchy drums and immersive stereo imaging, whilst remaining grounded in tactile vintage hardware. Songwriting is tight and meaningful, favouring memorable hooks and grooves that sit comfortably alongside the song's cinematic passages.

"Beyond HEAVY METAL": the deluxe edition is a special 2LP zoetrope vinyl featuring live recordings from arena shows in the UK, US, and Japan, along with “from me to u (feat. Poppy)” Major Lazer Remix and “from me to u (feat. Poppy)” Jordan Fish Remix

Having celebrated its 15th anniversary last year, BABYMETAL presents a new style of heavy metal album created in collaboration with a new generation of friends encountered across the globe. A powerful statement of who the band is today, this album pushes toward what lies "beyond HEAVY METAL" and aims to change the course of history.

Available to own on special edition zoetrope vinyl. Limited quantities, available while stocks last!

Mexico’s Phantom bring raw, unrelenting energy to speed and thrash metal, and their 2022 “Hellspeed Death” demo is now hitting a wider audience with a High Roller Records re-release, complete with two bonus tracks. “Hellspeed Death” remains a true demo in spirit: raw drums, gritty vocals and guitars that cut with sharp precision. The songs are steeped in old-school influences — early Slayer, Venom, Tank, Motörhead and Voivod — but still full of the band’s own ferocious personality. Tracks like ‘Payback,’ ‘Reaper’s Bane,’ and ‘Death Crusade’ race forward with galloping, punk-tinged thrash energy, while ‘Onslaught’ and ‘Speedhammer’ deliver blackened, high-velocity assaults that leave no room for compromise. Phantom write what matches the mood of the music: fast, loud, and aggressive themes like war, revenge, horror, and dark chaos, aiming to leave a mark and revitalize the underground. At this stage, the band had already experienced moments that hinted at bigger things to come. Thus, the new edition of “Hellspeed Death” showcases a fledgling band full of energy, attitude, and DIY ethos. Their mission has been clear from the outset: to push their music as far as it can go, play relentlessly, and prepare for a debut album (“Handed to Execution”, 2023) that eventually turned quite a few heads.

Equal parts grit and glamour ITVLO finds Boys Noize channeling the spirit of latenight machine music through an unmistakably Italo-tinted lens. Tough enough for the peak-time push yet melodic enough to leave a lasting imprint long after the

UK electronic duo Prospa unveil their long-awaited debut album Free Your Mind, a bold, emotionally charged, and club-focused statement from one of dance music’s most exciting acts out now via CircoLoco Records.

Years in the making, Free Your Mind captures the full scope of Prospa’s evolution: from breakout underground producers to globally recognized festival headliners and chart-topping innovators. Across the album, the Leeds duo seamlessly blend euphoric house, rave nostalgia, breakbeat experimentation, progressive emotion, and peak-time club energy into a body of work that feels both deeply personal and built for massive communal release.

The album’s final moment is the focus track “Dreams,” a euphoric anthem that drives home Prospa’s songwriting and production sensibilities. Balancing cinematic atmosphere with the duo’s unmistakable dancefloor instincts, “Dreams” channels the reflective, ecstatic energy that defines the album as a whole, equally suited to sunrise festival moments as late-night club systems.

The album arrives following a string of major singles that have propelled Prospa to new heights over the past year. Most recently, “Baby” with Murda Beatz became one of Miami Music Week’s most talked-about track IDs after being teased during a back-to-back set with Josh Baker, quickly spreading across social media thanks to its infectious vocal hook and stripped-back club precision.

Before that came the album’s title track “Free Your Mind” with Cloonee — a vocal house anthem that climbed into the Official Singles Chart top 20, alongside Beatport chart-topper “Love Songs” featuring Kosmo Kint. Together, the tracks established the foundation for an album that represents Prospa at their most expansive and fully realized.

Hailing from Leeds, childhood friends Harvey Blumler and Gosha Smith connected over their shared passion for electronic music – drawing inspiration from the likes of Daft Punk, Disclosure, The Chemical Brothers, and The Prodigy as they first started producing under the Prospa moniker in 2013. The duo broke out in late 2018 with the anthem “Prayer” earning support from high-profile tastemakers including The Fader and NME, while helping relaunch heritage house label Stress Records after a 13-year hiatus. Since then, Prospa have embarked on a rapid ascent to consolidate their status as one of the UK’s most exciting electronic acts.

Experts at crafting high-octane dancefloor-focused anthems as much as they are at composing more heartfelt, meditative moments, Prospa’s work continues to evolve, blurring and pushing the edges of these boundaries into their biggest statement yet

Due to demand, ‘Completely Deep Patterns’, the 2025 debut album of the Deep Patterns project of Bristol producer Ben Dubuisson, is to be reissued as a full vinyl release on 14th July. Originally released on very limited edition lathe-cut vinyl, tracks from Deep Patterns have been supported on BBC 6 Music, FIP, Jazz FM, KEXP, NTS, Rinse FM, and SWU; with Electronic Sound magazine describing it as “An immersive 1970s soul bath scented by lo-fi hip hop and dub” and Twisted Soul calling it “Nothing short of a triumph…indicative of its architect’s boundless talents and fascinating vision”.

Lush, late-night tracks rooted in hip-hop foundations, live instrumentation, rare samples, and recurring motifs; the album was crafted in collaboration with a revolving cast of musicians Dubuisson has built deep connections with over the years, including BEAK> bassist Billy Fuller, Dan Harris on piano, Jamichael on flute, and vocals from The Epoch House Choir. Sliding between soul, jazz, library, and cinematic soundtracks, the album is filtered through a gritty, modern Bristol lens. At its heart, it’s a meditation on loss, longing, and the strange beauty of the world we’ve made for ourselves. From running cult Bristol record shop Purple Penguin and co-founding the city’s influential club Native, to his releases as Hundred Strong, Dubuisson has long championed soulful, forward-thinking music. Having collaborated with everyone from Taskforce and A-Trak to Joseph Malik, Alison Crockett, Amp Fiddler and Boca 45; ‘Completely Deep Patterns’sees him push deeper still, weaving a sonic world that feels both timeless and freshly alive.

On their fresh imprint, In.Visible, Uruguayan mainstays Kino and Manuel Jelen turn their sonics towards the slower, and stranger. On the front is Italian legend Dionigi’s first posthumous release, having sadly passed away during the making of the record, with ‘Komp 22’ an ethereal yet eye-closing opener, plodding through luscious strings and mysterious retrofuturistic sound design. The mechanically swung percussion of ‘Dust Distortion’ takes the record into straighter territory until it code-switches into a synth workout close, while ‘Bhaskara’ rounds offthe side by wiggling and scuttling through offkilter syncopations, bassline bleeps, and hellish, claustrophobic arpeggios. The flip is helmed by UK acid day-oner Scott Hallam; ‘Larb’ offers a moody, squelching downtempo groove, before closing with the most club ready (at a push) track on the record, ‘Stupendous’ – a soaring electro number bookmarked by oddball English vocal samples.

LTD Edition, Artwork by John Frusciante

LP1 New album
LP2 Available on vinyl for the first time
LP3/4 Debut album on green vinyl
LP5 Second album on red vinyl

When I recorded the first 2 Trickfinger records, I had recently discovered that you could make electronic music in a room with a bunch of synced machines going at the same time, record it on a
CD burner and have a finished track. I've heard this process described as “overdubbing into the air”. It was as exciting to me as my first 4 track was when I was 14. I wasn't trying to be good, or
original. I was just excited that music could be made that way; it felt like I was a whole group of musicians playing together… or like I was jamming with ghosts of myself. This has actually been a
very common way of making electronic music since the 80s, particularly in the main pioneering genres like Chicago Acid and Detroit Techno, but anyways I didn't figure it out until 2006. In 2007,
I started doing it myself, which resulted in what was eventually released as Trickfinger, and Trickfinger II. I was just home from tour and was still in the middle of recording The Empyrean.

A couple of years later I started making music by overdubbing onto a computer, but using the same machines. I tried to make music that didn't sound like anything else. I saw a way of combining
Progressive Rock and Synth Pop which nobody had done. And I was combining my songwriting and guitar playing with these old machines in a way which I was sure was unique. I had reached a point
where it was more important to do something original than to do something good, whatever “good” means.

Some of this music did not get a proper release, and is compiled here as the vinyl record High Low. I don't think I have ever tried so hard at making music as I did during that period. This in contrast to
those two Trickfinger records, where I wasn't trying at all. There’s something to be said for both mental states. When you're in one, the other seems impossible. I was really pushing myself on High
Low. Looking back, it was as if I had an audience inside myself, driving me to go beyond my abilities, while at the same time I had a total disregard for any concept of an actual audience. It
was one of those periods in life where things come together in a certain way that feels natural at the time, but seems foreign in retrospect. It felt like I was going to die if I didn't do something musically
different.

The fourth record in this box is me breaking in a new mixing console, making live-to-stereo music. The record is called Rotation, and it is all new music. These tracks are more in the “not trying”
category, since we're on that subject. I had just come home from tour, and was just really glad to be in the studio with my machines. Acid Test thought it would be nice to do a box set commemorating the 10th anniversary of the release of Trickfinger, and so we put together this box set, with homemade cover art.
John Frusciante 2026

In his most self-aware and sonically refined work to date, JORDY returns with In Retrospect—an 11-track journey through the clarity of hindsight. Transitioning from a breakup record into a manifesto on healing, the album captures the "push-and-pull" of turning 30 and finding power in the wreckage of the past.

Known for his unmistakable blend of "pop precision" and vulnerable storytelling, JORDY moves past the guilt of time wasted to celebrate the person he has become. This is an album about finding yourself again after the noise fades.

In Retrospect is a love letter to the music that shaped a generation. Sonically, JORDY pays homage to his roots, blending the infectious energy of early 2000s pop-punk and Hilary Duff-era bubblegum with the high-gloss production of modern synth-pop.
JORDY commented, “In Retrospect started as a breakup record, but it quickly became something much bigger. It turned into an album about healing. About growing. I think when people find themselves stuck in bad relationships, they often blame themselves for not leaving sooner. They carry guilt over the time they feel they’ve wasted. But writing this album helped me see it differently. The moment I chose to leave the toxicity behind, I felt like I found myself again. I got healthier, mentally and physically. I gave myself permission to mourn the life I thought I’d be living at 30, the future I imagined as a kid. I found peace in remembering that nothing is ever as serious as it feels. I found my power again. In retrospect, the pain and suffering may have been the very thing that saved me.

“Sonically, this album pays homage to my roots - to my younger self blasting Hilary Duff and pop punk bands alone in his room. It’s nostalgic. It’s the kind of music I love to listen to. It feels more like me than anything I’ve made in a long time. It’s funny and catchy, vulnerably heartbreaking, and beautifully hopeful all at the same time. It’s exactly where I am right now,” he added.

Nach der Veröffentlichung von „idea 1“, kündigt Kelela ihr neues, drittes Album an, das am 10. Juli bei Warp Records erscheint – und veröffentlicht die zweite Single „linknb“, produziert von Oscar Scheller.

Der Track entstand in einer Phase der Schreibblockade und begann als Mantra, das Kelela schrieb, um sich wieder an die Arbeit zu bringen. Angeführt von einem labyrinthischen Gitarrenriff über treibenden Metal-Drums ist „linknb“ ein Song über Selbstvertrauen, das man sich durch Schwierigkeiten erarbeitet hat, darüber, sich nicht klein machen zu lassen. „Es ist nicht schwer, mutig zu sein / Es ist leichter, zu viel preiszugeben / Ich weiß nur, dass ich den Weg geebnet habe, unterbezahlt.“

Das von Mischa Notcutt inszenierte Video versetzt Kelela in die Mitte einer urbanen Traumlandschaft. Als enger Freund und Kelelas ehemaliger Kreativdirektor war Notcutt die naheliegende Wahl. Das Video lässt Realismus und Abstraktion ineinanderfließen und verwandelt eine einsame Reise in eine Meditation über Selbstfindung und Erneuerung.

Mit „new avatar“ rückt alles, worauf Kelela hingearbeitet hat, in den Fokus. Sie begann ihre ersten Songs in der Indie-Szene von Washington, D.C. zu schreiben, bevor die Clubmusik und die elektronische Produktion, die ihre frühe Karriere prägten, die Oberhand gewannen. Mit „new avatar“ schließt sie den Kreis: R&B, unterlegt mit verzerrten Gitarrenklängen, trifft auf neue Schnittstellen in der Tanzmusik und gipfelt in einem Sound, der aus all den musikalischen Einflüssen schöpft, die sie je geprägt haben. Das Album enthält zudem Kollaborationen mit PinkPantheress, A. K. Paul und Fousheé.

„Dieses Album findet Trost in der Konfrontation“, sagt Kelela. „Ich möchte nicht, dass die Musik von dem ablenkt, was wirklich in der Welt vor sich geht; ich möchte, dass sie in dieser verrückten Zeit Sinn ergibt und den Menschen gleichzeitig hilft, mit der Schönheit und Freude in Kontakt zu kommen, die sie ebenfalls erleben.“

Das Album setzt sich mit einer Welt auseinander, die aus allen Nähten auseinanderfällt, und mit der Klarheit, die das Überleben erfordert.

„Die Leute sollten auch wissen, dass meine Freunde und ich ständig lachen und dass Humor kein Abwehrmechanismus ist; er ist Ausdruck dafür, wie scharfsinnig wir die Dinge einschätzen und wie klar wir die Welt sehen.“

Im Kern schildert „new avatar“ eine vielschichtige Erfahrung, und obwohl die Außenwelt präsent ist, schwächt sie Kelelas Entschlossenheit zu keinem Zeitpunkt.

About Kelela: Throughout her globally revered, boundary-pushing career, Kelela has established a lane of her own in R&B and electronic music. On her long-awaited third album, new avatar, the singer/songwriter (through the versatility of the guitar) challenges perceptions of these genres, while weaving together fragments of lived experiences to shape a world of connection and resilience during times of unrest.

The songs journey through Black femme rage, joy as resistance, Gotham City-esque dystopia, misogynoir, romantic tension, and more. It’s anchored by production that demands a broader rethink about alternative, rock and indie music.

Kelela’s defiant nature has propelled her so far already — from her hometown of Washington, D.C to world stages. In 2013, she released her debut mixtape, Cut 4 Me. She continued solidifying her revolutionary R&B sound with 2015’s Hallucinogen EP, with The New York Times naming its single, “Rewind,” one of the “25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going”. By 2017, she released her electric debut album Take Me Apart (which was followed by 2018’s TAKE ME A_PART, THE REMIXES), building upon her intimate storytelling.

After a nearly five-year hiatus, she returned in 2023 with her groundbreaking second album, Raven, and its critically-acclaimed counterpart, RAVE:N, The Remixes in 2024. Raven has been hailed as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2023’ by Pitchfork, Billboard, Vulture, Variety, and more, while the remixes solidified her as a leader in the dance music space.

In 2025, Kelela showcased yet another innovative side of her artistry with her live album In The Blue Light, which hit #5 on the Contemporary Jazz chart and #20 on the Jazz Albums chart. Now, with new avatar, Kelela displays the masterful intention she puts into forming new sonic cityscapes. But don’t confuse it with escapism: “I don't want the music to be a distraction from what's really going on in the world; I want it to help you get into it.”

Nach der Veröffentlichung von „idea 1“, kündigt Kelela ihr neues, drittes Album an, das am 10. Juli bei Warp Records erscheint – und veröffentlicht die zweite Single „linknb“, produziert von Oscar Scheller.

Der Track entstand in einer Phase der Schreibblockade und begann als Mantra, das Kelela schrieb, um sich wieder an die Arbeit zu bringen. Angeführt von einem labyrinthischen Gitarrenriff über treibenden Metal-Drums ist „linknb“ ein Song über Selbstvertrauen, das man sich durch Schwierigkeiten erarbeitet hat, darüber, sich nicht klein machen zu lassen. „Es ist nicht schwer, mutig zu sein / Es ist leichter, zu viel preiszugeben / Ich weiß nur, dass ich den Weg geebnet habe, unterbezahlt.“

Das von Mischa Notcutt inszenierte Video versetzt Kelela in die Mitte einer urbanen Traumlandschaft. Als enger Freund und Kelelas ehemaliger Kreativdirektor war Notcutt die naheliegende Wahl. Das Video lässt Realismus und Abstraktion ineinanderfließen und verwandelt eine einsame Reise in eine Meditation über Selbstfindung und Erneuerung.

Mit „new avatar“ rückt alles, worauf Kelela hingearbeitet hat, in den Fokus. Sie begann ihre ersten Songs in der Indie-Szene von Washington, D.C. zu schreiben, bevor die Clubmusik und die elektronische Produktion, die ihre frühe Karriere prägten, die Oberhand gewannen. Mit „new avatar“ schließt sie den Kreis: R&B, unterlegt mit verzerrten Gitarrenklängen, trifft auf neue Schnittstellen in der Tanzmusik und gipfelt in einem Sound, der aus all den musikalischen Einflüssen schöpft, die sie je geprägt haben. Das Album enthält zudem Kollaborationen mit PinkPantheress, A. K. Paul und Fousheé.

„Dieses Album findet Trost in der Konfrontation“, sagt Kelela. „Ich möchte nicht, dass die Musik von dem ablenkt, was wirklich in der Welt vor sich geht; ich möchte, dass sie in dieser verrückten Zeit Sinn ergibt und den Menschen gleichzeitig hilft, mit der Schönheit und Freude in Kontakt zu kommen, die sie ebenfalls erleben.“

Das Album setzt sich mit einer Welt auseinander, die aus allen Nähten auseinanderfällt, und mit der Klarheit, die das Überleben erfordert.

„Die Leute sollten auch wissen, dass meine Freunde und ich ständig lachen und dass Humor kein Abwehrmechanismus ist; er ist Ausdruck dafür, wie scharfsinnig wir die Dinge einschätzen und wie klar wir die Welt sehen.“

Im Kern schildert „new avatar“ eine vielschichtige Erfahrung, und obwohl die Außenwelt präsent ist, schwächt sie Kelelas Entschlossenheit zu keinem Zeitpunkt.

About Kelela: Throughout her globally revered, boundary-pushing career, Kelela has established a lane of her own in R&B and electronic music. On her long-awaited third album, new avatar, the singer/songwriter (through the versatility of the guitar) challenges perceptions of these genres, while weaving together fragments of lived experiences to shape a world of connection and resilience during times of unrest.

The songs journey through Black femme rage, joy as resistance, Gotham City-esque dystopia, misogynoir, romantic tension, and more. It’s anchored by production that demands a broader rethink about alternative, rock and indie music.

Kelela’s defiant nature has propelled her so far already — from her hometown of Washington, D.C to world stages. In 2013, she released her debut mixtape, Cut 4 Me. She continued solidifying her revolutionary R&B sound with 2015’s Hallucinogen EP, with The New York Times naming its single, “Rewind,” one of the “25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going”. By 2017, she released her electric debut album Take Me Apart (which was followed by 2018’s TAKE ME A_PART, THE REMIXES), building upon her intimate storytelling.

After a nearly five-year hiatus, she returned in 2023 with her groundbreaking second album, Raven, and its critically-acclaimed counterpart, RAVE:N, The Remixes in 2024. Raven has been hailed as one of the ‘Best Albums of 2023’ by Pitchfork, Billboard, Vulture, Variety, and more, while the remixes solidified her as a leader in the dance music space.

In 2025, Kelela showcased yet another innovative side of her artistry with her live album In The Blue Light, which hit #5 on the Contemporary Jazz chart and #20 on the Jazz Albums chart. Now, with new avatar, Kelela displays the masterful intention she puts into forming new sonic cityscapes. But don’t confuse it with escapism: “I don't want the music to be a distraction from what's really going on in the world; I want it to help you get into it.”

Nectax returns to Up Ya Archives with a single that throws three of the most physically demanding genres in club music into the same crucible. Juke’s stuttering vocal chops collide with footwork’s 160bpm grid-locked percussion and jungle’s time-stretched breaks. When asked on his process behind ‘Schematics’, Nectax said:

“I really like how Schematics turned out, it sounds like it was done on an old MPC but in truth was just trusty FL 11. Re-chopping all the breaks into triplets was a meticulous quest, but it’s given the track quite a unique flow & pacing.”

One of modern jungle’s most in-demand producers, Nectax has built a reputation for releases that treat adjacent genres as raw material rather than reference points - as featured on the upcoming EP.

Nectax on the EP:

“Newcastle Juke Party EP taps into the synergy between Chicago Footwork & UK Jungle, two styles I personally love & feel don’t get enough credit for how well they compliment each other.”

Recent output on Over/Shadow, play:musik and Future Retro has cemented him as a key figure in the current wave of UK club music pushing junglism forward.

A catalyst for all sorts of noise-making endeavors, Bob Bellerue embraces chaos as a positive force. As a musician, he harnesses the violent timbres and textures from feedback clashing against piano wires, amplifiers, metal, zithers, electronics etc. He's also been central in harnessing community through his long standing Ende Tymes festival in New York, providing an intersectional platform for all voices to utter their noise. To a polite society, things such as chaos, noise, and anarchy threaten the normative structures that can assert control and maintain power over others. Bellerue qualifies his practice as a form of sonic animism, in which engages with that which is unheard in materials, equipment, and their relationships, developing a process of amplified discovery. The unhinged, the unquantifiable, and the unknowable are all possible outcomes in Bellerue's expansive works.

Chaos Is A Law is a macrotonal album, whose expressive de-centralization originates from rasping noise, intense textural accretions, brutalist drone, and inharmonic ambience. For all of the sustained harmonics and dissonant frequencies, the album is in constant motion, with Bellerue pushing dynamics that build, rupture, collapse and reform with an almost organic morphology. At times, it boils with a feral intensity. At others, its muscularity collapses into peculiar almost half-melodic figures, mutated within all the distortion. One could look to the free noise practitioners from New Zealand (e.g. A Handful Of Dust, Birchville Cat Motel, Surface of the Earth) or to the alchemical dronescaping of Stephen O'Malley and Organum. Yet, Bellerue's work maintains a bespoke tactility that is uniquely his.

In Bellerue's words, "The universe is a feedback loop. Creating and destroying. Growing and decaying. Loving and dying. Expanding and contracting. The big bang is the end result of everything merging together in the biggest black hole ever and then erupting into being over and over again. Praise chaos!"

The Bug and Ghost Dubs relentlessly probe and atomize original material culled from Kevin Richard Martin's critically acclaimed 'Sub Zero' album. ("Monolithic and unforgiving, even by the Bug's standards, representing his most suffocating take on ambient dub yet." Pitchfork). Remixed to punish sound systems and freeze up the dance, both Fiedler and Martin trade fresh, contrasting blows, after their recent IMPLOSION face off album on PRESSURE last year. (Dub/Reggae album of the year, 2025, in 'The Wire') The resulting 4 remixes are every bit as hypnotic and persuasive as you would hope for from productions fresh out the soundlabs of Michael Fiedler aka GHOST DUBS and Kevin Richard Martin under his dancefloor destroying Bug alias. Both producers intensify the desolate mood of the originals but introduce demolition inducing beats which provide the literally irresistible momentum. Echoes of the originals are respected and heard throughout, but the extra gear shifts pay off brilliantly. Guaranteed to push serious air, and test the most powerful of sub woofers, these 4 remixes vary from heavy to superheavyweight. i.e. GHOST DUBS outputs a deliriously stoned headnod with his zonal refix of 'When I'm Gone', which miraculously sounds both subtley mysterious, but monolithically huge, whilst The Bug prowls ice cold, on the noirish, narcotic, instrumental hip hop of 'Too Human', which sounds like prime Mobb Deep mixed by Rhythm & Sound' at 16 bpm. Essential remixes of an already very special album, the original atmosphere is not only captured expertly, it is categorically amplified. LARGE.

Ever since the late 1950s bossa-nova revolution, Brazil’s influence on French music has been undeniable. Pierre Barouh, Georges Moustaki and a vast array of lesser known artists, all made the Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB) an axis of promotion at the service of a cool and metaphysical, modern and mixed Brazilian lifestyle. Some were seduced by the poetic languors of the bossa, some were looking for fun, and others just loved the American hybridization of jazz-bossa, jazz-samba.



What is bossa nova? One of its creators, Joao Gilberto said: "Its style, cadence, everything is samba. At the very start, we didn't call it bossa nova, we sang a little samba made up of a single note - Samba de uma nota so .... The discussion around the origins of bossa nova is therefore useless”. It is nevertheless useful to remember that these magnificent Brazilian songs, which the guitarist describes as samba, were shifted and balanced around improbable chords. "I like things that lean, the in-betweens that limp with grace," said Pierre Barrouh, quoting Jean Cocteau.



With emotion, arrangements for violin and supple guitar licks, bossa nova rapidly changed. A transformation that can be heard in the Tchic, tchic, French Bossa Nova 1963-1974 compilation, the result of a cultural reappropriation, which traveled through the United States and supplemented itself in France.

A musical revolution that has remained significant, bossa nova was born in Rio. From 1956 to 1961, Brazil lived through its golden years. In five years, the country had invented its modernist style. Elected president in 1956, Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, an elegant man with a broad forehead, brandished a promising slogan: "Fifty years of progress in five years". He quickly got to work. Not worried about increasing debt, he launched the project for a new federal capital, Brasilia, designed by the communist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Volkswagen opened state-of-the-art factories and created the “fusquinha”, the Beetle. In Rio, the Vespa made its first appearance. The Arpoador Surf Club crew run into the “girl” from Ipanema, Helô Pinheiro - the tanned garota ("chick"), between a flower and mermaid, who at 17 walked by the Veloso bar, where the fiery author and composer, Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, were getting drunk on whiskey. From then on, bossa symbolized cool.

In 1958, Joao Gilberto recorded Chega de Saudade, which the directors of Philips denied, calling it "music for fagots". The marketing director, who believed in it, secretly pressed 3000 78-inch vinyls and distributed them at schools around Rio, creating a tidal wave.

American jazzmen then took over. In particular, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and guitarist Charlie Byrd. In November 1962, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded a "Bossa-Nova" concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, inviting the genre’s pioneers. Unprepared, the show soon turned to disaster. But the troupe was invited to the White House by Jackie Kennedy. The first lady loved "the new beat" and in particular Maria Ninguem, a song by Carlos Lyra, later covered by Brigitte Bardot.

In Brazil, the 1964 military coup quickly ended this euphoria. The destructive atmosphere that ensued pushed many Brazilian musicians to leave, if not to exile. Thus, Tom Jobim, Sergio Mendes and Joao Gilberto arrived to the United States. In New York, Joao Gilberto met saxophonist Stan Getz. At the time, he was married to the Bahianese Astrud Weinert Gilberto, who had a German father. She had never sung before, but she knew how to speak English. Getz therefore asked her to replace her husband on The Girl From Ipanema. The Getz/Gilberto record with Tom Jobim on piano, was released in March 1964. Phil Ramone, the "pope of pop" was in charge of sound.

Bossa nova arrived in Paris through the classic “guitar-voice” channel (Pierre Barouh, Baden Powell, Moustaki…) But France loved jazz and Paris had already welcomed its American contributors. All these good people were to pass through Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The cabaret l'Escale became the Mecca of Latin American sound where one could find Pierre Barrouh and his friends, such as the Camara Trio, samba-jazz aces, whose only record was published by the Saravah label. With a band strangely called Les Masques (a band that included Nicole Croisille and Pierre Vassiliu, among others), the Camara Trio recorded an interesting Brazilian Sound, including the track Il faut tenir which is present on this tasty compilation of rarities.

Other enlightened musicians can also be found on the compilation, such as Jean-Pierre Sabar (songwriter for Hardy, Auffray, Leforestier ...) and the French pop rock organist Balthazar. In 1975, Sabar recorded Aurinkoinen Musiikkimatka on a Finnish label, which featured the crazy Vai, Vai, included on this record. We are now following the footsteps of Brazilian electronic musicians such as Sergio Mendes, Eumir Deodato or Marcos Valle who created funk and disco sounds on their keyboards and synthesizers. A style that influenced Véronique Sanson when she wrote Jusqu’à la Tombée de la nuit in 1969 for Isabelle de Funès, the niece of Louis and a great friend of Michel Berger - Sanson did end up singing this track on her 1992 Sans Regret record.


The pinnacle of exoticism and travel, Sylvia Fels’ Corto Maltese includes bongos, sea mist and ocean sounds. The title was taken from Jacky Chalard’s concept album written in 1974, Je suis vivant, mais j’ai peur (I am alive, but I am scared), based on Gilbert Deflez’s science fiction novel.


However, bossa nova extended the scope of popularity. "In the 1970s, I was a fan of Sergio Mendes, Getz / Gilberto. I fell in love with this music that I knew because I had been an orchestral singer, " explained Isabelle Aubret, who in 1971 delivered a composite record of covers by the very funky Jorge Ben, Orfeu Negro, Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Morais and Jean Ferrat. "I recorded this album for Meys Records in Paris, far from Brazil, with wonderful musicians, François Raubert, Roland Vincent, Alain Goraguer...". The latter wrote the arrangements for Casa Forte, a very percussive title borrowed from Edu Lobo, one of the initiators of the bossa who spent time in California. "Jazz and bossa came together and produced very rhythmic music. I love singing, it allows me to dream, to have fun, to feel a high on stage, and these songs brought me joy, made me swing, my singing felt like a dance.”


The world tours of French singers and their desire for the tropics, often brought them to Rio with its hills, forests, caipirinhas and tanned bodies. There are surprises though, like this Iemenja (Iemenja is the goddess of the sea in the Afro-Brazilian candomblé religion). Not unlike the composer and musician Jean-Pierre Lang, based in Sao Paulo, Claire Chevalier taught Brazil to Brazil. In 1970, the singer and painter published a 45-inch vinyl, Mon mari et mes amants (My husband and my lovers), under the improbable pseudonym of Clarinha (little Claire). She was then living in Rio, with her husband, Joël Leibovitz, who founded a band called Azimuth, and who owned a record label specialized in "sambas enredos" songs for samba school parades.


For its B side, she asked Pierre Perret to come up with lyrics for a song composed by Carlos Imperial: "Oh goddess of the sea, o goddess Iemenja, I bring a white rose to adorn your long hair ..." . "Perret came to see us, and we had fun, remembers Joël Leibovitz. We wrote Lemenja for fun, we recorded it at the Havaí studio, behind the Central do Brasil the central station. Erlon Chaves, the arranger who worked with Elis Regina, joined us" adding his share of Afro-Brazilian percussions and funky brass to the mix.

There is a common misunderstanding in Franco-Brazilian history: that bossa, admittedly hedonistic, is perceived as funny, even though the poets who wrote the texts are often philosophizing on the human condition. Its French interpreters pull it towards a carnival inspired universe, far removed from its fundamental essence. Thus, Jean Constantin covered the famous Samba da minha terra, an ode to the art of samba written by the classic Bahian composer Dorival Caymmi, renaming it with the enticing title of Pas tant de tchi tchi pompon: "On your pier there is no tchi tchi / when you arch your back, you know everything is alright ”(lyrics by Gérard Calvi). This expedited bossa aims for the absurd, but retains a certain elegance.

Indeed, Jean Constantin was not an idiot, the rather large man had a huge mustache and liked fantasy, (Les pantoufles à papa, Le pacha, inspired by cha-cha-cha-cha, salsa and jazz) but he was also the lyricist of Mon manège à moi interpreted by Edith Piaf, the composer of Mon Truc en plume by Zizi Jeanmaire and the soundtrack of François Truffaut’s 400 Blows. Le Poulpe, published in 1970, from which this bossa is extract, was arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier, an accomplice of Serge Gainsbourg’s Melody Nelson. In short: "There is enough of samba / By looking at the parasol / Because my poor cabeza / Is going to die in the sun".

Even the American actress Marpessa Down, who was at the heart of the bossa nova revolution with her role as Euridyce in Marcel Camus’ film Orfeu Negro, winner of the 1959 Cannes Palme d'or, fed the clichée with Je voudrais parler au petit cuica - "Tell me how you manage to always make people want to dance / It's true, I must admit that I cannot resist your magic" - in consequence, once can hear the cuica, a little drum inherited from the Bantu.


But bossa nova had many angles. Societal, of course, pushing actresses who were symbols of women's liberation like Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, or Sophia Loren to engage in the exercise of accelerated bossa. In February of 1963, Sophia Loren made a record in French in Rome, Je ne t'aime plus, featuring the song De jour en jour, a bossa written by two Italians, Armando Trovajoli and Tino Fornai, which was released a little later by Barclay. Bossa accompanied the 1960s, a decade of moral liberation. Ann Sorel, who interpreted La Poupée des favellas, caused a sensation with L’amour à plusieurs, a provocative song written by Frédéric Bottom and Jean-Claude Vannier. As for the actress Andrea Parisy, she displayed her bourgeois cheekiness in Marcel Carné's Les Tricheurs before interpreting Les mains qui font du bien. And Magalie Noël, the friend of Boris Vian, who sung Johnny fais-moi mal, was hired to sing Une énorme Samba, composed by Alain Goraguer (arranger to Gainsbourg, Bobby Lapointe and Jean Ferrat) with lyrics by Frédéric Botton.

But in the end, of what wood is bossa nova made of? The answer is given by Christianne Legrand, daughter of Raymond the conductor, and sister to Michel the composer: "With me, with jà" - jà means "immediately" in Portuguese. In 1972, the singer, an expert in vocal jazz and a member of the Double Six, published Le Brésil de Christianne Legrand. Two songs included on the Tchic Tchic compilation that demonstrate how bossa, jazz, funk, rock, etc. work like a swiss army knife: the music is used to denounce broken systems, or miracles, HLM et ciné roman, Cent mille poissons dans ton filet, two songs from the O Cafona soundtrack, a successful telenovela broadcast, at the time in black and white, on TV Globo. The first was adapted in French by the fighter and friend of the Legrand tribe, Agnès Varda. The second is content with a play on words, jostling them into a summer fun.



Véronique Mortaigne

Gold Panda returns with TON UP, a brilliantly stubborn new album for Studio Barnhus: eight rough-hewn dance tracks and two cozy little service-station interludes, all crafted with the robust determination of a producer who knows that 140 bpm is not so much a tempo as a way of life.
Made with Derwin Dicker’s unmistakable sampler-bashing touch, the tracks on Ton Up carry the raw knock of old-school hip-hop instrumentals, pushed through pumping house-music machinery and ready to cause absolute trouble on any half-decent sound system.
Here you’ll find zero of that dreaded, over-explained “maturity” usually demanded of beloved electronic artists several albums deep into the game. Instead, Gold Panda just sounds as happily locked in as ever, carelessly chasing the physical joys of pressure, swing and repetition.
TON UP is functional, funny and oddly tender club music, arriving just when the world needed it the most (June 26 that is.)

Kontakt Records reaches its 50th release with a milestone that feels earned. Van Bonn returns to the label, delivering two originals that embody everything Kontakt stands for, depth and space. Alongside him, Italian mastermind Luigi Tozzi steps in to reshape Trails across two distinct interpretations, pushing the material into even more atmospheric territory.

Sixty-four years after John Coltrane recorded the groundbreaking Africa/ Brass for Impulse!, Tenderlonious honours the original recording while pushing it forward with a Coltrane-like fervour of his own

Africa/Brass Live was recorded at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival in October 2025, as part of Pique- nique's Take Two series. Each Take Two event begins with an uninterrupted, high-fidelity playback of a seminal album, heard as it was originally intended, followed by a live reinterpretation with full artistic freedom. It's an experiment into what happens when serious musicians immerse themselves in a work long enough to discover their own path through it.

For this performance, Tenderlonious assembled a quartet of trusted collaborators. Tim Carnegie , his longtime Ruby Rushton drummer, flew in from London. Horatio Luna on bass and On- Ly on piano completed the group, two Melbourne musicians Tenderlonious describes as "seriously underrated." The melodies, he said, would be the foundation. After that, the search would begin. And the search was fierce!

That's what you're hearing on this record. One beautiful note, Tenderlonious will tell you, means more than a thousand. Coltrane knew it. And on a Monday night in Melbourne, they proved it.

Limited edition available on classic black vinyl and digisleeve CD.

There are records that follow the rules, and others that rewrite them in real time. With O R G A S M A N I A, Byron The Aquarius returns to Skylax with a deeper, freer and more unpredictable statement — where jazz instinct meets raw machine funk, and structure dissolves into pure feeling. Rooted in the lineage of Detroit yet never confined by it, Byron operates in that rare zone where house music becomes expression rather than format. His sound doesn’t chase functionality — it breathes, it stretches, it resists. The EP opens with Back 2 Zion (Tomorrow), a spiritual and meditative journey built on loose drums and luminous chords, carrying a sense of elevation — early morning music where the dancefloor begins to think again. Enter the Co$mos (Fool) pushes further into abstraction, with drifting synths and broken rhythms unfolding in a non-linear structure, navigating between Sun Ra’s cosmic language and Detroit futurism. On the flip, Mr. Captain Crunchhh brings a raw, playful energy — crunchy textures, off-grid swing and an almost improvised groove, alive and unpredictable, a leftfield tool designed to disrupt expectations. Finally, O R G A S M A N I A stands as the centerpiece — hypnotic, sensual and immersive, locking into a deep repetitive groove while evolving in subtle layers, a late-night body experience guided by a sharp musical mind. Across four tracks, Byron The Aquarius confirms his unique position between jazz musician, house producer and sonic storyteller, with a trajectory spanning Sound Signature, Axis, Eglo, Apron and Shall Not Fade, continuing to resonate from Detroit to Berlin and beyond. Artwork by H5 — the iconic studio behind Daft Punk, Air and Vitalic — reinforces Skylax’s timeless and art-driven identity. This is not fast music, this is not algorithm music — this is music for those who still listen. Strictly for the heads. Vinyl only. No repress. Skylax Records.

Ondanaconda does not compose with the jaw harp, but through it. For their self-titled debut album, the quartet turns this lamellophone, often perceived as archaic, into the record"s sole sound source. Found for centuries across continents, from Asia to Europe, the jaw harp is played against the teeth, using the mouth as a resonating chamber, shaping sound through breath and bodily movement. Here, amplified, prepared and sometimes pushed to its limits, it becomes percussion, bass, drone and texture - a true mouth synthesizer with vast possibilities. Between performance and trance, Ondanaconda crafts an unidentified sonic object, somewhere between collective ritual and raw electroacoustic experiment. Each piece emerges from specific combinations of instruments, exploring timbral affinities and rhythmic or harmonic potentials, while leaving room for drift and improvisation. Repetition acts as an unstable engine, bending patterns until they morph into something else. Together, Laurent Bruttin, Antoine Läng, John Menoud and Daniel Zea weave a dense, shifting mass where individual voices dissolve into an organic, almost hallucinatory polyphony. Conceived as a continuum, the album unfolds as a hypnotic flow, a physical and immersive music that moves from mouths to bodies, saturating the surrounding space. A radical UFO, at the crossroads of concert, performance and sound installation.

With Agenda EP, Tom Carruthers closes a landmark trilogy on Skylax Records, following Neutralise EP and Deepline. Three records. Fifteen tracks. One coherent vision of machine-driven house music stripped to its raw, functional core. This final chapter dives deeper into direct, club-focused energy, where groove, repetition and tension do the talking. Agenda is less reflective, more physical — built for movement, sweat, and long transitions in dark rooms. Opening track “Chrome” sets the tone: sharp drum programming, metallic pressure, and looping synth phrases that lock the body into motion. “Agenda (Raw Mix)” follows with a tougher, stripped-down approach — no excess, just pure rhythmic insistence rooted in early Chicago jack and warehouse discipline. “Beat Down” pushes further into machine funk territory, where relentless patterns and rugged textures meet in hypnotic repetition. On the flip, “Fade Away” brings a deeper, moodier tension — a late-night track where subtle emotion seeps through minimal structures. Closing cut “What You Want” is classic Carruthers: jacking drums, understated melody, and a groove that feels timeless rather than retro. As with the previous releases, the visual identity is handled by H5, whose modernist, reduced artwork mirrors the sonic philosophy: clarity, impact, and purpose. Agenda EP completes the Skylax trilogy as a statement of intent — not revivalism, not nostalgia, but dance music reduced to its essential elements.

H- side is etched
The American cable-television industry exploded in the 1980s, pushing broadcasts of diverse programming and emissions of low-laying cultures into homes. Community stations piggybacked on the digital developments of the time, extending their existence through telephony and broadcast a iliates. For those growing up in this time, in locations such as New York City, the localized communications beamed into their homes exposed them to an impressionable array of disparate sounds and visions.
Move into the 1990s and New York was filled to the brim of emergent cultures drawing from this ebullition of communication. From Rammellzee’s shapeshifting to the late Judy Russell and Frank and Karen Mendez’s Nu Groove imprint fusing reggae, poetry and house, nascent ideas emanated from the city walls, from within stores such as Sonic Groove store and on VHS releases such as Stakker’s The Evil Acid Baron Show, a legendary technicolor psychedelic trip along the wildest frontiers of acid house. As scenes expanded and identities developed, such individuals weather the events of the visceral now, expressing themselves right into an unpredictable future.
Function’s long career has seen him uncover a vast range of sonic identities, a mainstay through house, techno and industrial with collaborations with the likes of Regis, Damon Wild alongside his highly influential Infrastructure imprint. With influences deeply tied to pop art, rave and gay scenes, and early memories of block-parties emitting Kraftwerk and Strafe, he found himself seeking out the undercover illegal nights of the 90s on a quest of sexual unearthing, mixing the ever-yearning escapology mission of disco with the influential DJ sets of Jeff Mills.
For his new album Existenz, he marks a clear step away from the corporeal techno of his recent releases. Pivoting around themes of religion, sexuality, trauma and healing, it is a work expansive and celebratory, a clear liberation from a deeply internalized past. Formed from a collection of recordings made in a period from late 2016 to mid 2019, Existenz takes the form of a creative outburst in reaction to a number of traumas - recent, childhood and throughout Function’s life. Life partner Stefanie Parnow assisted the production process in its entirety, providing inspiration, spiritual healing and featuring vocal contributions.
Cosmic synths soar and swoop in ‘Pleasure Discipline’ through towering stacks of rhythm that stutter and creak to a halt before rebooting, a firm robotic response to human intervention. ‘Zahlensender’ reflects a spatial tetris of urban life, as digitalization set within an XYZ matrix confronts the sprawling city. Constant arpeggiated meditations echo synaptic transmissions, e ecting a dissolution of boundaries. ’The Approach’ recalls the unification of the self, a state of delirium non-subjective and smooth, as all connections and functions give way to simple intensities of feeling, crossing the threshold into spirituality. ’Golden Dawn’, featuring Stefanie Parnow, marks a further elevation of dubbed-out euphoria, as once more positive rays emerge. His ode to the effortless short-trip urban navigation 'Kurzstrecke' finds Function in motion, upfront and bold, snapshots of conversation and flickers of light. 'Ertrinken' finds metallic bass jabs swamping snipped synthetic voices, with hidden stores of emotion set as a nod to the history of vocoders as a tool for encrypted military communication. House icon Robert Owens features on 'Growth Cycle' and 'Be', entrenching a celebratory atmosphere over Function's clubwise leanings. Closing track 'Downtown 161' reflects the unmistakeable filtered and squashed interjections of television, and sampled dance vocals - a sound for the curious, dreamers and dancers.
With Existenz, Function reveals an essential body of work, spread over 4LP - thought experiments on the role of identity and spirituality after a lifetime of upheaval and trauma. Leading up until the release date, Function will undertake an album promo tour with select dates - A/V shows at Berlin Atonal and Rural festival in Japan, and three dates as part of his Bassiani residency.