Suche:q bass

cv313 and Federsen join forces again for the ‘Altering Dimensions Part One’ release, the initial drop in a series of collaborations which will later form together as one long player project.

Detroit-based dub techno pioneer cv313 (Stephen Hitchell of Echospace fame) and Federsen join forces on the forthcoming collaborative EP Altering Dimensions via Federsen’s own Alt Dub imprint. cv313, known for landmark releases such as Seconds to Forever and the deeply influential Dimensional Space LP, has been central to shaping the modern dub techno sound, blending immersive atmospheres with hypnotic rhythms. Federsen, celebrated for releases on Echospace Detroit, Grayscale, Synchrophone, Lempayung, Avant Roots and others. has also established himself as one of the genre’s most forward-thinking producers, bringing a meticulous, analogue driven warmth to his productions. Altering Dimensions marks a meeting of two highly respected producers in contemporary dub techno, bridging Detroit’s timeless legacy with Federsen’s cutting-edge sonic explorations.

The release comprises four alternate interpretations of the title-cut and leading the way is the original mix of ‘Altering Dimensions’, a seven-and-a-half-minute excursion through weighty low-end pulsations, spiralling atmospherics and ever unfolding nuance throughout. The ‘Redesign’ follows and shifts gears into a more robust deep techno realm as cavernous reverberations and shifting echoes ebb and flow alongside murky bass and sturdy drums.

The ’Dub’ mix follows on the flip-side, as the name would suggest laying focus on a more classic dub techno style with crisp percussion, billowing spaced out delays and vacillating subs before the ‘Reduction’ mix concludes the project, as the name would suggest stripping things down to the composition core atmospherics elements alongside oscillating percussive elements and fluctuating pads.

We don't know who Cosmic Slide is or are, and this appears to be their debut release. It comes on the fledgling Trueschool Ltd, and is a dead good tune. 'Acid Thunder' pairs a poised bassline with some aching chords and subtle sci-fi melodies with hip-swinging claps and a playful groove that's cool but reserved. It's perfect for warming up or bringing things back down and a gorgeous vocal is the perfectly soulful icing on the cake. An instrumental is included too, and both tunes make us keen to hear more from Cosmic Slide.

pictured cover sealed in shrink wrap (first time ever on Samosa)



Samosa Records comes back with a real summer bang in the form of the ‘Afro-Ritmo EP’ – a four-track journey into afro soaked vibes courtesy of Anura & Sr. Lobezno and featuring label boss De Gama!

First up on side A is the EP’s title track, the mesmerising ‘Afro Ritmo’. Anura & Sr. Lobezno announce their arrival on Samosa Records with this spicy West African rhythm bomb. Kakaki trumpet fanfares meld with intricate synth stabs and ethereal Oja flute, whilst the solid tribal beats and rolling bass dictate the dance moves. And dance you must…

Track 2 is the deliciously glitchy, conga bonanza ‘Sungu Sa’. Make no mistake, ‘Sunga Sa’ is out to get you from the very first beat – tempting you to go behind the curtain as the haunting guitar lures you ever closer to its secret door. Dark, uplifting and ritualistic, the chant of ‘Sunga Sa’ will live in your head rent free well after the sun has gone down. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Over on Side B De Gama takes the title track ‘Afro-Ritmo’ and applies his unique sonic rubs, balms and enhancers to create a pulsating after hours jam full to the brim with Afrotropic sparkle and magic dust. Like an unstoppable chugging train steaming through a savanna, De Gama is the conductor supreme as the raspy synth, bluesy guitar riff and uplifting brass fanfares entwine around that pounding beat.

Finally, Track 4 gives us the seriously powerful Javier Morrilas remix of ‘Afro-Ritmo’. The original is stripped right down and given the Big Beat treatment for this insanely good take – a peak time switcheroo of a track that keeps you guessing as to where it’s taking you. As the flutey breakdowns and broken beat madness get you, you will fall in love with this one instantly.

The ‘Afro Ritmo’ EP is a powerful, masterful four tracker from Anura & Sr. Lobezno which is well at home in the Samosa Records cooking pot. Spread the word, buy the vinyl. You won’t be disappointed.

• Reviewed with love by The Black Light Disco

Written, Produced, Arranged and Mixed by Anura & Sr. Lobezno.
Keyboards & Percussions: Anura.
Trumpet: Jimmy Garcia
Sax & Flute: Carlos Ligero
Trombone: Prudencio Valdivieso

*Remix and Additional Productions by Stefano Gamma aka De Gama for De Gama Rec - Rome.
Jazz Guitar & Acoustic Bass by Pietro Nicosia.

** Remix and Additional Productions by Javier Morillas.

All tracks mastered by Francesco Pierguidi at L’n’P Studio – Rome.

Artwork and computer graphics by Nerina Fernandez.


SMS038

Docile is a reaction to the stimulus that is Detroit. The “my way e.p.” is a product of a turbulent time of readjustment. Made from Weathering confusion and standing strong. Docile refines a style of minimal that is authentic and independent from mainstream dogma. Docile belives in the vinyl record; a.garcia presses and checks every copy himself. Docile is, and will remain for itself.

"1 more day” builds a bed of unfocused synth for a healthy and life sick melody to nuzzle in. A heart felt tune of 4/4 simplicity grounded by an easy knock and an array of ticks. ”Hold up bro” a topsy turvy funk swing of chopped sound, voice and bassline escorted and overwhelmed by a mystic serenade of a synth. “Almost gone” assembles random sound into a soulful fragmented rhythm made steady by a poppy kick and stiff tick that breaks and stumbles into a dramatic melody. ”Detroit Rumble” struts tuff with a belligerent bassline and a menacing minimal kick that rattles and deforms chimes across a spartan and haunted landscape,

The "Every DJ" – The Unreleased Kenny Dope Project 7-inch vinyl on the Blazing Record Label is a must-have for fans of hip-hop breaks and classic reggae samples. Featuring Kenny Dope’s signature production style, this track utilizes a vocal sample from "The Stopper" by Cutty Ranks, blending reggae dancehall vibes with hip-hop breaks to create a perfect party track for the turntables.

This release is an essential addition for DJs, collectors, and hip-hop enthusiasts who appreciate the fusion of reggae and hip-hop with infectious breaks and deep basslines. The track's energy makes it perfect for DJ sets and vinyl crates.

Manchester based trio, Sonnenspot have unashamedly taken their favourite records from the Kosmische Musik landscape and fused these to inform their own spontaneous sonic constructions. Motorik drums, pulsating flutes, wah guitar and almost excessive use of space echo make this a dense and dreamy listen, with a hint of the rainy pensiveness of their home town.

Notable inspiration from Neu!, Manuel Gottsching, Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo is all clearly audible in the various recordings on this album and minimal effort was made to shy away from this. The longest track 'Motorway' is an epic homage to the space rock art form and 'Madrugada' takes both John Martyn's 'Small Hours' and Gottsching's 'Inventions' as a starting point. Others include the tobacco lovers art-rock-ear-worm ('Liquorice Paper'), a dub laden celestial synth jam ('Slow Blinker') and the album opens with the first thing the band ever recorded, as a meaningless improvisation to tune their synths up to ('Figurescene'). Turned out it had a killer bass line and drum part.

Initial sessions were mostly just an excuse for the three long standing friends to get together musically for the first time, and after knowing each other for many full moons, it was long overdue.

They all bring some peripheral musical heritage to the table. Ian Smith was the guitarist in Alfie and the The Beep Seals and played on Badly Drawn Boy's 'The Hour of Bewilderbeast'. Pete Philipson played in Jane Weaver's band for ten years and has made his own ambient guitar albums. Dan Hope plays in the jazz folk band Mother Sky and promotes events around the city under the Rainy Heart banner.
They were joined by another long term musical friend Sam Kynaston who added heavenly flute to much of the album.

Bangs and Talbot get back to business with a stonking new 45 for 2025, their take on the instrumental classic ‘K Jee’.

Originally by US band the Nite Liters (an instrumental precursor to soul act New Birth), this classic track has been a club favourite for decades. It was later covered by MFSB and included in the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

Taken from their forthcoming album on Acid Jazz, this latin disco funk flavoured jam is written by Motown hit producer Harvey Fuqua and Charles Hearndon. It features Mick Talbot on Wurlitzer, organ and piano, ably assisted by German funk guitarist Felix Fraenkel, Italy’s Donato Greco on flute, brass from California’s Dan C, and drums, percussion, and bass from original Acid Jazz DJ/producer Chris Bangs.

On the flip is a Mick Talbot-original ‘Re-Micks’ from the ‘Back to Business’ sessions, which gets a heavy-duty live boom bap rework by hip hop pioneer DJ Premier Inn.

Presented on black vinyl in a new colour version of the current Acid Jazz house-bag, with labels reminiscent of the classic RCA design for an authentic ’70s touch…

Perfect Location Records in partnership with the one and only Ear Candy Music is proud to announce 00-04, a compilation of early works by Bevan Smith aka Signer, New Zealand’s most prominent name in ambient electronica and dub techno.

Smith has been producing emotive chords, pop ambience, and thick dub-ospheres since before the turn of the century. His output is prolific, ranging from various solo monikers (Aspen, Introverted Dancefloor) and collaborations (Skallander, Feeling Flying) to unique projects (Touching the Void soundtrack, Isolated Dreams’ 24 EPs and counting). A rare artist with indie crossover appeal thanks to the 2004 Signer album The New Face of Smiling released on Carpark Records (Toro Y Moi, Beach House, Dan Deacon, Montag), Smith has played as a member of bands such as The Ruby Suns (Sub Pop), Over the Atlantic (Involve), and Glass Vaults (JUKBOXR).

Encompassing field recordings and evoking a cloudy coastal sky, 00-04 is a collection of mostly unheard material written in the early 2000s as Smith navigated the chaos and stress of living in London just after 9/11. A portion of this release may be recognisable to those familiar with the Involve catalog––“Drone Early,” for example, is an alternative version to the dub giant “1201A”––and to those acquainted with Signer’s 2002 Low Light Dreams (Carpark/Involve), an iconic album composed of processed guitar, dub-influenced bass, and synth drones; as if that doesn’t sound appealing enough, Low Light Dreams is home to “Building Memories Without You,” an unforgettably engulfing track featured on Fact Magazine’s 25 Best Dub Techno Tracks of All Time.

00-04 is a (re)issue both nostalgic and new, familiar yet unknown, fresh out of the archive. It possesses the Low Light Dreams aural palette while offering a carefully curated array of never before heard icy-cold moods, soothing minimalism, and shyly optimistic melodies, all glazed with recently finalized additions.

When we did the first ever vinyl reissue of this 1972 masterpiece back in 2012 it sold out so fast and so many lost the chance to grab a copy has translated into continuous messages asking us to do a repressing of this marvel - which we did and, again, it sold like hot bread. So here is a new edition of this UK jazz masterpiece, this time with a twist :

- Silk-screened cover art : we respect the original design, but have upgraded the printing from regular offset to silk screen to give it an artistic touch!

- In adition to the limited black vinyl edition (400 copies), we offer an ultra limited clear vinyl version (100 copies-only!)

One of the big names in UK Jazz, Neil Ardley was offered the leadership of the seminal New Jazz Orchestra in 1964. Under his direction the Orchestra moved though different styles and changes of personnel, bringing in musicians such as Mike Gibbs (trombone), Harry Beckett andHenry Lowther (trumpets) or even Jack Bruce (bass), some of them also contributed with the writing of some original compositions, making the NJO the root from which the UK's 70's jazz scene was to blossom.

By 1972 the NJO was already defunct, but his legacy remained in the works of its members. Ardley's 'A Symphony Of Amaranths' is a perfect example of what was boiling in the UK jazz scene. It was Ardleys tribute to his idols Duke Ellington and Gil Evans, and featured the skills of some great musicians of the scene including Don Rendell,Stan Tracey, Henry Lowther, Harry Beckett, Jeff Clyne & Jon Hiseman. Side B is inspired by the words of Edward Lear, W. B. Yeats, James Joyce and Lewis Carroll that are musicated by Ardley and feature, among other highlights, Ivor Cutler's narration of 'The Dong With A Luminous Nose' and Norma Winstone's vocals on 'Will You Walk A Little Faster'.



Musicians that participated in the recording session :

- Derek Watkins, Nigel Carter, Henry Lowther, Harold Beckett (trumpets)
- Derek Wadsworth, Ray Premru (trombones)
- Dick Hart (tuba)
- Barbara Thompson, Dave Gelly, Don Rendell, Dick Heckstall-Smith (woodwind, saxes)
- John Clementson (oboe)
- Bunny Gould (bassoon)
- Dave Gelly (glockenspiel)
- Neil Ardley (prepared piano)
- David Snell, Sidonie Goossens (harp)
- Stan Tracey (piano, celeste)
- Karl Jenkins (electric piano)
- Alan Branscombe (harpsichord)
- Frank Ricotti (vibraphone, percussion)
- Chris Laurence, Jeff Clyne (bass)
- Jon Hiseman (drums, percussion)
- Eric Gruenberg, Jack Rothstein, Kelly Isaacs (violin)
- Ken Essex (viola)
- Charles Tunnell, Francis Gabarro (cello)
- Ivor Cutler (narrator)
- Norma Winstone (vocal)
- Jack Rothstein, Neil Ardley (conductors)

"Kiso", "Asama", "Hakuba" and "Hida". He recalls the landscapes of his past and carefully weaves his feelings and emotions into the music. This work is one of the pinnacles that Akira Miyazawa has reached.

This work was released in 1970 as one of Victor's "Japanese Jazz" series. "We are Japanese, so I think we have to create something that only Japanese people can do." These are the words of Akira Miyazawa from this period. When Miyazawa tried to create a work that only Japanese people could do, it was inevitable that he would choose his own origins, the hometown where he was born and raised, as a motif. For Miyazawa, who was born in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture and loved fishing, "Kiso", "Asama", "Hakuba" and "Hida" are truly landscapes of his past. Takeo Moriyama's raging drums, Yasuo Arakawa's rich bass, Masahiko Sato's overflowing piano, and Miyazawa's saxophone, which is like a mass of emotion. Nostalgia and admiration for the land where he was born and raised, as well as admiration and reverence for Mother Nature. Miyazawa looks to his roots and weaves his thoughts and images into his music with sincerity and care. This album, "Kiso" is the pinnacle that Miyazawa has reached.

Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY)

In 1982, the elite, core musicians (MFSB / The Salsoul Orchestra) behind the soulful Philly Sound - Earl Young (drums), Ron Baker (bass), Norman Harris (guitar), Lenny Pakula (organ), Larry Washington (percussion), Vince Montana, Jr. (vibes) - and powerhouse vocalists David Simmons, Joe Freeman, Ron Tyson and Bobby Love convened at Philadelphia’s historic Sigma Sound and Virtue Studios to record some of the genre’s biggest hits. This small, but amazing set of lush recordings, which were mixed at Alpha Studios - ensuring that every note and nuance was captured with the highest fidelity, recently caught the attention of the famed producer and remixer Eric Kupper. Kupper got his start working as a keyboardist and guitarist for such producer/remixers as David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Arthur Baker, Peter Rauhofer, and Richie Jones, just to name a few. Since 1986, he has played on, remixed, and/or produced over 1400 records for artists spanning all contemporary musical genres. Presented here is “Bad Luck” which features Simmons’ incomparable lead vocals and a brilliant remix by Kupper. This release is not just a tribute to the past, but a vibrant continuation of the legacy these legendary musicians helped create.

Guedra Guedra ist das elektronische Musikprojekt des marokkanischen Produzenten Abdellah M. Hassak. Der Sound von Guedra Guedra ist eine schillernde Mischung aus visionärer elektronischer Musik und musikalischen Traditionen des gesamten afrikanischen Kontinents! Tipp!

MUTANT ist das zweite Album von Guedra Guedra und das erste auf Smugglers Way. Auf MUTANT mischt Abdellah M. Hassak analoge Synthesizer und Drumcomputer mit Field Recordings aus Marokko, Tansania, Guinea und anderen Ländern, die er auf seinen Reisen durch den Kontinent gesammelt hat. MUTANT erforscht Themen wie Identität, Panafrikanismus, Afrofuturismus und Dekolonisierung und verbindet das musikalische Erbe des Kontinents mit Elementen von Techno, Bassmusik und Dub. "Ich wollte einen kulturellen Sound schaffen, der Innovation mit afrikanischer und diasporischer Musik sowie den Vibes von Rhythmus und Bass erforscht", sagt Abdellah. Die Musik von Guedra Guedra ist durchdrungen von Abdellahs Vision der kulturellen und technologischen Dekolonisierung. Eine Vision, die den Panafrikanismus feiert und die Art und Weise hinterfragt, wie Mainstream-Produktionswerkzeuge nicht in der Lage sind, nicht-westliche musikalische Ausdrucksformen zu erfassen. "In afrikanischen Traditionen ist der Rhythmus, insbesondere in seiner polyrhythmischen Form, nicht nur ein Puls oder ein Takt, sondern eine Kartographie des Lebens. Er drückt soziale Komplexität, vielschichtige mündlicher Überlieferungen, Gemeinschaftsdynamik und die spirituelle Dimension der Existenz aus", sagt Abdellah. "Die Weitergabe dieses Reichtums von Generation zu Generation durch Üben und Zuhören ist auch ein Akt des Widerstands, ein Weg, Wissen und Sensibilitäten zu bewahren, die die herrschenden Erzählungen lange Zeit zu marginalisieren oder zu vereinfachen versucht haben.

- 140G schwarzes Biovinyl inkl. vierseitigem Booklet und Downloadkarte

Having worked together on his 2024 album Colours & Light, Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne joins forces once again with Wendy Martinez, French singer and composer, and also part of renowned psych-girl group Gloria on a new collaborative EP. Landing on Mr Bongo, ‘Time Stands Still / Le temps s'arrête’ is a sonic exploration that shows a shared love of the progressive music emanating out of France in the ‘60s and ‘70s and the celebrated film soundtrack composers of the time. A more melodic and romantic excursion than Paul’s previous recordings, this EP marries his richly textured, cinematic psych rock with Martinez’s captivating vocal presence.

A body of work born during the period Paul was finishing up his last LP Colours & Light, he penned an album’s worth of instrumental library-style music and had the idea of having Wendy add vocals and lyrics to a selection of them. The instrumental record got scrapped, but thankfully ‘Time Stands Still’ grew out of it.

Paul was a fan of Wendy’s work as both a solo artist and in the band Gloria, and her inclusion on the Project Gemini tracks ‘Entre chien et loup’ & ‘Extra Nuit’ showed a clear synergy to their musical approaches and sounds. For ‘Time Stands Still’ he sent over instrumental tracks one by one, with Wendy taking time to find melodies and French poetry she was happy with and returning her ideas from her home just outside of Lyon.

Drawing inspiration from French soundtrack composers such as François de Roubaix, Frances Lai and Michel Colombier, as well as French female artists including Léonie and Laurence Vanay, these productions are a contemporary love letter to this sound, not a homage. Mixing psych, folk, chanson, and French new wave, it’s music that pulls you in deeper, with groove, grit and passion at its core.

'Je n'ai plus peur' kicks things off with a sultry energy. It’s a psych-funk production drenched in attitude, swagger, and edge, which nods to the left-field side of Serge Gainsbourg’s music. Elsewhere, 'Âme contre âme' feels like the opener from a forgotten new-wave film, managing to be at both beautiful yet sinister and longing. 'The Crawler' could be incidental music from the same film, with Wendy using her voice as an instrument layering the backing track as Paul's bass takes centre stage. The ghostly spoken word of 'Ce qui est intact' echoes a funky version of what the Théâtre du Chêne Noir d'Avignon may have recorded.

A transportive journey ‘Time Stands Still’ is nostalgic yet new in the same smoke-filled breath. Fuzzed-up guitars and driving basslines meld with folk-leaning organs and mellotron vibrations to give that eerie, otherworldly edge. All of which are seasoned by the sensuous, layered vocal tones of Wendy Martinez, alongside crisp drums from Tony Coote and considered percussive touches by Paul Elliot.

RYC presents a four-track journey at the junction of their respective universes, teleporting us straight to a propulsive, mind-expanding headspace as we're invited to explore sonic territories still uncharted and harmonics yet unravelled. The collaborative A-side begins with the dynamic title-track, 'Cross Passage', a proactively future-facing number packing the kind of utopian drive that used to define the original techno sound. A highly cinematic narrative boasting Detroit-style vision and epic breath, 'Cross Passage' builds bridges between hi-tech elation and organic integration, transcending mere functionality to push back and expand the limits of techno as a deep communication vessel between the individual and the mass. Firing off like a binary script gone astray, 'Fibre Axis' takes us on a further bumpy ride across shape-shifting interfaces and blurred-out digital scapes, via abrupt pixel landslides and fractured 3D renderings. Side-B finds each producer dishing out a slice of his/her own musical idiom. Polygonia strikes first with the pulsating 'Voltage Blues' - a mesmeric roller cut from pure eerie synth algebra, boundary-pushing abstraction and surgical but experimental-leaning rhythmic assault. The result is a piece of cutting-edge techno hoodoo, ready to take on clubs with utmost abrasive swagger. Sniping a hail of rainbow-like analogue synth outpour, Wata Igarashi's solo contribution 'The Tunnel Dreams' rounds off the journey on a fiercely nonconformist note. Merging a hard-hitting main swing with 8-bit-esque audio pointillism and brooding bass undertones, the Japanese producer cuts a path of antigravitational abandon and relentless rush towards absolving euphoria, which shall leave all in the room levitating somewhere between sheer daze and love-thirsty XTC. *Clad in the sleekest cover art courtesy of designer Atact, RYCL024 is pressed to red & white marbled vinyl for you, fancy platter collectors and picky audio-visual aesthetes alike.

Peach Discs’ first EP of the post-summer season comes from DJ, producer, and our good pal Amaliah.

The five tracks that make up the Hypnosis EP are a true showcase of Amaliah's rapidly growing skills as a producer, as she picks thoughtfully from her inspirations and flips them into a uniquely Amaliah-coded record – leaning into the housier side of her sound while incorporating elements of bass, garage, UK funky, and prog that have become her calling card.

Lead track "Hypnosis" draws a line straight back to her early UK raving days, with tuff, speed-garage-indebted drums bouncing off prowling subs and emosh, pinging synth lines, while "Watch This" harnesses a similarly heaving bassline but dips towards classic UKG territory with its swinging, broken beat and disembodied vocal chops.

The closest thing to straight-up house on the EP, "Hold Me Closer," features Amaliah's vocals for the first time, as well as additional production from Shanti – an influence evident in the tight, ascending bassline that wraps itself around the stomping percussion.

"Laser Tag" and "Earthling" are maybe the most Amaliah-coded tracks on the record – a pair of highly percussive, UK funky inspired tunes that balance shoulder-bumping drums with wild, arcing synths that prowl across the stereo field, trippy and screwface inducing in equal measure.

Amaliah is also the founder of Borne Fruits, an independent label, event series, and monthly Rinse FM show, showcasing new sounds and emerging talent. This record follows neatly in that vein, as her own emerging talent marries forward-thinking sound design with her roots in raving and soundsystem culture for an EP that's all her own, and one we're thrilled to release.

Fresh techno from the Lowlands by two veterans of the Utrecht scene. Quince made his debut 20 years ago on the renowned Delsin label, while Sayne is the latest alias of DJ, producer and label owner Nuno Dos Santos. All three tracks are built around a single initial idea. Both producers expanded the idea independently, before coming together to forge the final result. The title track Orange has a nice Detroit vibe with its shuffle rhythms and bouncing rimshots, while Klonneplein 1 (an Amsterdam square all too familiar to visitors of a populair techno party) navigates the wobbly bridge between Sterac and Andy Stott. The closing track Work is one for sweaty basements, where bass lines tug viciously at your trouser legs. Raw, distorted jakbeat in a frayed techno jacket. If you like to lose yourself, this sixth EP on the Nowhere label is a good place to start.

"Bandleader Lina Langendorf has been known in Sweden for a long time as one of the most skilled and forward thinking saxophone players. She has been staying in both Mali and Ethopia for longer periods and has performed in concerts with legendary artists like Alemayehu Eshete, Vieux Farka Touré and...Mulatu Astatke who, at his club African Jazz Village (in Addis Ababa/Ethiopia), introduced Lina to people in the audience with the words: 'Amazing saxophone player, big respect! We should play together some day'. Some minutes later they go on stage together. Joined by the legendary piano player Dawit Yifru and the bass player from Roha Band, Giovanni Rico Bonsignori. 'Fantastic. You're so strong. Everybody loves you, they say you are ethio-jazz' was Mulatu's words after the jam session.
Lina has also been invited to the live club Le Hogon in Bamako numerous times for jam sessions and concerts with Toumani Diabaté and his band. And for Lina, these jam sessions in Addis and Bamako has been a crucial part of shaping (and sharpening) her musical vision. Last year she was also touring the UK as part of James Yorkston, Nina Persson and the second hand orchestra.
But it wasn't until feb 2023 we got to hear her own music. The debut album with her newly formed band Langendorf United was co-released between Italian label Black Sweat records and Swedish label Sing A Song Fighter and it immediately resonated with music lovers around the world (Radiohead drummer Philip Selway called it 'as if Tinariwen and Fela Kuti had a Blue Note session').
But the band is not just the composer/Saxophone star and band leader Lina Langendorf. Oh, no. The other four musicians are all highly praised musicians in various jazz bands in Sweden and Norway and together they form this sacred thythmic unity with the pulsating bass at the centre.
Langendorf United's music is vibrant and spiritual and on fire!"

Lina Langendorf - saxophone
Daniel Bingert (son of legendary South American musician Hector Bingert) - keys, guitars
Martin Hederos (The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Tonbruket) - keys, viola
Ole Morten Vågan (Trondheim Jazz Orchestra) - upright bass
Andreas Werliin (Fire!, Wildbirds & Peacedrums) - drums

PaulWetz’ Debut-Album »Alle meine Freunde Sind Träumer« inkl. der Singles »Ode an den Bass«, »Tango« und »Tanz in meiner Wohnung« auf durchsichtigem Vinyl im Gatefold inkl. Lyric-Booklet und Poster (A2, gefaltet).

The instrumentation returns to Cough’s two drums, bass, guitar and sax lineup, but adds some fresh elements. Live multichannel dubbing, now a standard of their shows, has been integrated into the performances, as have electronic drum triggers and samples as well as the occasional bass clarinet passage.

In the years since their initial dissolution, each member has pursued their own creative paths, including drone rock, avant techno, ambient, sonic collage, visual art, video work and more. In coming back together, the breadth of their collective practices are all integrated into the music.

10 year anniversary edition of Kreng's massive »Works for Abattoir Férme 2007 - 2011”« 4 LPs worth of slow, skin crawling cinematic ambience made for the Belgian theatre group Abattoir Fermé.

It could hardly be a better time to again dive deep into Kreng and Abattoir Fermé's disturbingly beautiful underground worlds. Through 8 full- length vinyl sides we are transported through the most terrifying, shadow- filled, down-right bizarre moments of the subconscious. What could be the sound of your darkest dreams or most surreal fantasies gradually unfolds throughout the three and a half hour duration. Exactly this is what Abattoir Fermé specialises in, and Pepijn Caudron's scores perfectly reflect and accompanies both this theatricality as well as our own fears and desires in a masterful way.

Each extended side is crafted from an arsenal of samples, disintegrating vinyl and corroded tape, and Pepijn Caudron manipulates these sounds in a way that belies the sources. Rather than allow the sounds to emerge, they stay trapped beneath swathes of noise, tape delay and oppressive bass giving us a compositions that emerge like a cross between William Basinski, Jerry Goldsmith (circa Alien) and Henryk Górecki.’ »Works for Abattoir Fermé« is not for the faint of heart, but for the rest of us it might be just what the Doctor ordered...

The Pitch is a quartet made up of Boris Baltschun, Koen Nutters, Michael Thieke and Morten Joh. Founded in Berlin in 2009, they play a hypnotic form of structured improvisation full of acoustic exploration and electronic intervention. On Neutral Star, The Pitch are joined by Australian guitarist/composer extraordinaire Julia Reidy for a record of star gazing electro-acoustic jazz.

Reidy's playing and compositional technique between Takoma-style fingerpicking and Glenn Branca'esque microtonality, perfectly complements the loose improvisational framework The Pitch is providing. Endless ≠ Limitless, a recent piece by Reidy and Joh, is transformed from a washed-out/obscured tape delay composition into a colorful, meandering ensemble piece with a swarming character - blooming with intrigue for the patient ear. The B-side strikes a more gentle tone: the 24-minute Neutral Star begins with a siren-like overtone whose drone-like flowing slowly morphs into a deterritorial modality with jazzy undertone. Accompanied by constant eruptions of vibraphone, clarinet, electronics and double bass punctuation – while permanently questioned by Reidy's drippingly pearly steel guitar work. Slowly evolving into new territories through the expansive instrumentation and keen listening between the players.

The fact that Neutral Star was recorded in one take (by Rabih Beaini in his Morphine Raum studio/venue) in front of a live audience and without overdubs is hard to believe, even for the trained ear. The recording appears to be too multilayered for a single snapshot, with its compositional structures constantly shifting and moving against themselves, counterintuitively and anti-cyclically. Reidy´s playing has been described as "unstable harmonic territory, and the collaboration with The Pitch interprets this concept brilliantly - adding further non-places to the territory. And the listener, however, is never left alone in the process of tectonic shifts - at least as long as their listening is attentive and contemplative at once.

The thirteenth release on the Gladio Operations label bears the signature of the great Spanish producer Boris Divider. This artist needs no introduction, as he is considered one of the pioneering producers of the electro scene in Spain, and active since the 2000s, releasing mainly on his label Drivecom.

After betting in recent years on more experimental and hypnotic sounds close to IDM, Boris returns to the pulse of the rhythms more rooted to the dancefloor with this EP titled “In Fragments”. Undoubtedly, this work brings us back to the artist’s classic sound, which is reflected in “Content Location”, a track that envelops us with arpeggios and firm and forceful bass lines and well-developed masterful vocoders. The second cut we find is “In Fragments”, track that gives title to the EP and that lowers the pulsations to a softer and more emotional state.

The B-side opens with “Dynamic Algorithm”, where we get back to our dancing posture and enter dark territories, ready to explore a dynamic of sequences brimming with intrigue and suspense. We continue with “Fragmented”, where the Spanish artist delves into a journey of ambient sounds, with certain tensions in some passages. The EP closes with “Memories of Us”, where we discern his classic sound with subtle arpeggios and delicate sequences that flow in harmony with gloomy

Almost fifteen years since the release of her self-titled debut LP on Mr Bongo, reggae’s orator of love Hollie Cook is returning to the label for Shy Girl, her fifth studio album and her most authentic yet. Woven with tight grooves, beautiful vocals and catchy melodies, Shy Girl hears singer and songwriter Hollie Cook revel in her contemporary lovers rock sound, more confident and open to vulnerability than ever before.

A sun-drenched exploration of love in all its guises, Shy Girl tells stories of the magical and the melancholy, the heart-lifting and heart-breaking, across 12 luscious, analogue reggae compositions - the culmination of a soft-hued and instantly recognisable “tropical pop” sound that Cook has made her own.

Put together across three years and four cities – from LA and NYC, to Vejer de la Frontera in Spain and Cook’s hometown London – Shy Girl was written with long-time collaborators, The General Roots Band, and features a contribution from legendary dub MC Horseman, who lends his voice to the album’s first single ‘Night Night’.

The album opens with the title track ‘Shy Girl’, a buoyant and elastic slice of lovers rock that was written in a moment of spontaneous intuition, and bubbles with a charisma and positivity that Cook radiates. “I’m not a natural show-off,” Cook explains. “The Shy Girl theme is me. It’s just about being my most vulnerable self and being as true to the music that Iove as possible.” It is this honesty which shines throughout, from the chugging deep dub of ‘Frontline’, complete with raking electric guitar lines, to the bittersweet roots ballad ‘We Share Love’, which closes out the album.

It's clear to see that Cook’s songwriting draws on a lifetime of musical influences and inspirations. From her father, Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook’s record collection and touring with post-punk icon Ari Up’s The Slits, to her love for strong female-led pop music and the bassweight of London’s sound system culture. Enamoured with the music of Janet Kay and Phyllis Dillon, Shy Girl represents a homecoming and a coming-of-age for Hollie Cook, distilling and refining a shimmering reggae sound that will capture your heart, as it first captured hers.

Almost fifteen years since the release of her self-titled debut LP on Mr Bongo, reggae’s orator of love Hollie Cook is returning to the label for Shy Girl, her fifth studio album and her most authentic yet. Woven with tight grooves, beautiful vocals and catchy melodies, Shy Girl hears singer and songwriter Hollie Cook revel in her contemporary lovers rock sound, more confident and open to vulnerability than ever before.

A sun-drenched exploration of love in all its guises, Shy Girl tells stories of the magical and the melancholy, the heart-lifting and heart-breaking, across 12 luscious, analogue reggae compositions - the culmination of a soft-hued and instantly recognisable “tropical pop” sound that Cook has made her own.

Put together across three years and four cities – from LA and NYC, to Vejer de la Frontera in Spain and Cook’s hometown London – Shy Girl was written with long-time collaborators, The General Roots Band, and features a contribution from legendary dub MC Horseman, who lends his voice to the album’s first single ‘Night Night’.

The album opens with the title track ‘Shy Girl’, a buoyant and elastic slice of lovers rock that was written in a moment of spontaneous intuition, and bubbles with a charisma and positivity that Cook radiates. “I’m not a natural show-off,” Cook explains. “The Shy Girl theme is me. It’s just about being my most vulnerable self and being as true to the music that Iove as possible.” It is this honesty which shines throughout, from the chugging deep dub of ‘Frontline’, complete with raking electric guitar lines, to the bittersweet roots ballad ‘We Share Love’, which closes out the album.

It's clear to see that Cook’s songwriting draws on a lifetime of musical influences and inspirations. From her father, Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook’s record collection and touring with post-punk icon Ari Up’s The Slits, to her love for strong female-led pop music and the bassweight of London’s sound system culture. Enamoured with the music of Janet Kay and Phyllis Dillon, Shy Girl represents a homecoming and a coming-of-age for Hollie Cook, distilling and refining a shimmering reggae sound that will capture your heart, as it first captured hers.

Jessica93, prodigal bastard of our glorious french squat scene, relocated on Born Bad : this is no picnic. Geoffroy Laporte, alone against all odds, alternates bass and guitar to build harsh loops with a drum machine spitting pre-Gulf War patterns. That’s where it gets tricky : every musical posse claims him. Grunge, sure, but Jessica doesn’t indulge in necrophilia. His circuit is punk, he doesn’t dress the part though. Cold wave, the atmosphere fits somehow, but the gear does not. The self-confident rock horde saw him playing with hair in his eyes… but he never joined the Party. Metal had something to say but sadly, nobody listened. Maybe it's time to give it a rest and let Jessica93 cook his great misery broth on her own, called « 666 tours de périph’ » (666 laps on the beltway). Witnessing Jessica93 live makes you dread that he'll get up the next morning, drive 200 miles and one nap later kick it again, when it takes us a good week to recover from the bad half of that same evening. Like so many other unknown soldiers during our very own world war of music, he patrols small venues relentlessly.



At the heart of this cultural pentacle painted by french weirdos Bryan's Magic Tears, and Carine Krinator, Jessica93 has built a sound validated by years of chosen vagrancy, birthing bands with joyously stupid monikers, in the humid jungle of small labels. Jessica93's debut album had a track celebrating Omar Little, HBO’s gay bandit from Baltimore. This story begins on the beltway, where Florence Rey, accidental copkiller turned to political icon of the 90’s. Geoffroy offers his brilliant analysis : " C’est la police qui nous tire d’ssus / C’est mon trou d’balle qui leur chie d’ssus « (Police shoots us down / my dripping asshole gets the job done).



A previous album was haunted by bedbugs, this one is essentially about love, a delicious scourge just as hard to eradicate. Two black diamonds peek out of the LP : ’’La colline du crack’’, heartbreak song about the ultimate temptation of violent delights, located on crackhead central in Paris. The brilliant chorus, ‘Take my hand and come with me to Crack Hill’ will put an end to the rumours, almost everything was really false. And Bébé Requin, alternative obituary that’ll make you shiver, where our nice couple states ‘’on kiffe la drogue dure et les ptits chiens’ (‘we love hard drugs and little dogs’). And that is the reason we face the wall of sound jostled by unnecessary shoulder thrusts: those nice fat chunks of charcoal poetry, hidden under light sarcasm.



The rest of the record demonstrates the know-how acquired in loop-by-loop construction of ruins that are pleasant to squat in together. There’s your classic doom delicatessen, with bits of heavy metal inside, crafted with the manic care typical of hard wankers. Arthur Satàn, who produced and mixed the album at home in Bordeaux, helped him get his head out of the reverb safe house. And Jessica93 took the opportunity to switch to the dark side of the language : french at last. Worth the wait ! Sing along : « nique sa mère / nique sa grosse mère » (translate that yourself).

David Jackson's first EP on Fragrance!

David Jackson, the youthful purveyor of fun dance music lands on Fragrance with a danceable, percussive and emotional record entitled “Holding Me”.
It launched with strong support already for the first single, Tu Medice - a big room, percussive and bass heavy club track with heartfelt production - the rest of the EP follows suit with 2 additional playful excursions through rhythm - Bump & Cry and 1000 Days.

Italian producer, musician, DJ, and groove architect Sam Ruffillo drops his long-awaited debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics – a sun-drenched, genre-blurring statement that blends classic house with Mediterranean flair, romantic funk, and tongue-in-cheek Italo vibes. Over 11 expertly crafted tracks, Ruffillo delivers a dancefloor-ready, emotionally rich LP that connects deep musicality with irresistible rhythm and light-hearted elegance.

After three acclaimed EPs and collaborations with revered artists such as Barbara Boeing, Kapote, and Fimiani, Ruffillo has firmly cemented himself as a core artist on the Berlin-based label. Known for his unmistakable signature sound — a warm mix of vintage disco, 90s house, and Italian vocals — Sam’s music has garnered widespread DJ support from tastemakers like Gerd Janson, Palms Trax, Seth Troxler, and DJ Tennis, while becoming a staple on Italian airwaves. His infectious summer anthems like Danza Organica and Perfetta Così have soundtracked countless club nights and festivals, creating a loyal following that eagerly awaited this full-length debut.

Tipo Così is the natural culmination of a musical journey that’s both playful and profound — a travel diary written in grooves, synth stabs, and melodies that feel like postcards from a parallel Mediterranean universe. The album expands and deepens Ruffillo’s world into a fully immersive experience: lush emotional chords meet tight syncopated grooves, vintage synth textures collide with irresistibly catchy pop refrains, and the boundary between sincerity and playful irony is exquisitely blurred.

Entirely written, produced, and recorded in Italy, in his beloved hometown of Bologna, the album finds Ruffillo at the helm on keys, drum machines, and production, supported by a talented cast of musicians contributing live bass, guitar, and other organic elements — further enriching his trademark fusion of electronic grooves and natural instrumentation. There’s a tactile warmth in these tracks, a hands-on feel that adds soul and depth to every beat.

This album also marks Ruffillo’s heartfelt return to singing in Italian, with standout tracks like House Tipo Così, Mi Fa Volare, Ancora, and Dentro Di Me, where romantic naïveté meets pulsing club energy in a way that feels both timeless and refreshingly new. The vocal performances add an intimate, human touch to the music, reinforcing the personal stories woven into each song. There’s poetry in the casual, a bittersweet elegance in the way the lyrics float over groove-heavy production.

Having toured extensively across Europe, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Mexico — with sets at iconic venues like Panorama Bar and festivals such as Sónar Barcelona — Ruffillo has fine-tuned much of this album in front of live audiences. The real-world testing ground infused the record with a dynamic energy and immediacy that only comes from genuine crowd interaction. These songs weren’t just made in the studio — they were lived on dancefloors around the world.

Tipo Così is not just a collection of tracks. It’s a philosophy — playful, stylish and unmistakably personal. A modern club album bursting with heartfelt emotion and sophistication. Music for dancers with taste; for lovers of beauty, rhythm, and the little imperfections that make things feel real.

But what exactly is Tipo Così? More than just a phrase, it’s a way of being. It’s about embracing elegance without effort, mixing irony with sincerity, and letting nostalgia slip into the room without taking over the party. It’s Sam Ruffillo’s signature language: relaxed, confident, meticulous yet never rigid — where a chord progression can say as much as a lyric, and every beat carries intention.

The album’s visual identity complements this vision perfectly. The artwork and promotional materials lovingly reference Italian design from the ’80s and ’90s, combining bold graphic elements with playful pop culture nods. This aesthetic mirrors Ruffillo’s music — a fusion of vintage warmth and contemporary freshness, delivered with authenticity and charm.

Sam Ruffillo belongs to a new generation of European artists who are reshaping electronic music by blending past and present, analog and digital, groove and emotion — without nostalgia or pose. His artistic universe is coherent, vibrant, and alive; a rich tapestry of sound, images, and stories that coexist with lightness, precision, and a distinctive voice.

Reflecting on his artistic journey, Sam describes music as a vital, deeply human impulse — a tribal connection to rhythm and body that has driven him since he was a teenager. His creative process balances meticulous planning with room for spontaneity, usually sparked by clear melodic ideas that evolve naturally. Collaborations with close friends, especially vocalists like Ninfa, add warmth and authenticity, exemplified in tracks like “House Tipo Così.” For Sam, music is honest self-expression — crafted for listeners who crave memorable melodies and rhythms imbued with genuine feeling.

While technical perfection is tempting, Sam prioritizes emotion, knowing that what truly resonates is the soul behind the sounds. His long-standing partnership with Toy Tonics has been key in nurturing his vision, offering a blend of creative freedom and professional support. Looking ahead, Sam Ruffillo is excited to broaden his live performances, and release new projects that continue to blend electronic grooves with organic, heartfelt sounds — maintaining the delicate balance between playful irony and sincere emotion that defines Tipo Così.




Kurzversion:
Italian DJ, producer and musician Sam Ruffillo drops his debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics - a sunny blend of house, funk, Italo and pop, full of groove and emotion. Written and recorded in Bologna with live instruments and Italian vocals, it’s a playful, elegant journey shaped on dancefloors worldwide. A stylish, sincere club album where nostalgia, irony and rhythm meet in perfect harmony.

- Mi Fa Volare
Road-tested across continents and now finally released, “Mi Fa Volare” channels 90s uplifting euphoria with big breakbeats, lush chords, and Italian vocals built to stick. Somewhere between balearic bliss and piano house nostalgia, it’s a feel-good club weapon made for peak-time moments - already sung back by crowds after just one listen.


- Ancora
“Ancora” is a vibrant hi-NRG track inspired by 80s Italo disco, sung entirely in Italian. It blends driving rhythms with dreamy melodies, capturing the radiant spirit of the decade. This fresh yet nostalgic song delivers euphoric vibes and timeless energy, making it a perfect fit for both dancefloors and reflective listening moments worldwide.


- Dentro Di Me
“Dentro Di Me” channels ‘90s sensuality through a fast-paced, UK house-inspired lens. Entirely in Italian, it’s a bold and contemporary dance track where hypnotic vocals meet high-energy grooves. Blending nostalgic textures with forward-thinking production, the result is a seductive and euphoric trip - equal parts emotional and club-ready.


- Amigo
“Amigo” blends Latin groove, acoustic guitar-driven rhythm, and Mediterranean flair into a warm, magnetic, cross-cultural dance anthem. Sung in Spanish and Italian, it celebrates connection, inclusivity, and the joy of moving together - whether stranger or friend. With its unstoppable rhythm and vibrant energy, it’s a feel-good track with a unifying spirit.


- Ma Sei Fuori
“Ma Sei Fuori” is a tongue-in-cheek dancefloor bomb blending raw house energy with catchy vocal phrases and a nod to classic French touch. Driven by hypnotic vocal lines and a playful attitude, it doesn’t take itself too seriously - while still proving serious club impact. Built for late-night moments, it’s bold, bouncy, and impossible to ignore.

Legacy in Motion is the third studio album from Western Sydney hip-hop powerhouse The 046. Legacy in Motion is a 16-track statement of growth, resilience, and ambition that cements our status as leaders of Australia’s rap scene. Blending our signature “Aus Funk” sound with a GFunk and West Coast-inspired style built on heavy basslines, smooth synths, and street-level lyrics with fresh, evolved production. Legacy in Motion captures The 046 at their sharpest, from the anthemic opener “Forever G’s” to standouts like “Music Is Everything” and “Young Free & Reckless”, the album moves seamlessly between hard-hitting street energy, reflective storytelling, and tracks built for festival stages. Stacked with heavyweight collaborations, including Lisi, Barkaa, Nyxladd, JKING, D-Boy 223, and Say True God?.

Legacy in Motion expands The 046’s reach across Australia’s hip-hop landscape. The title track and deeper cuts like “Nothing’s Free” showcase their maturity, reflecting on hustle, loyalty, and carving out a lasting legacy while staying true to their Western Sydney roots. This album isn’t just another release it’s The 046 proving their movement is unstoppable.

For Mal-One’s second dub album he pulled the dub versions of these tracks, as they seemed to work together as an album. New York City Punk (New York Dub), 45 Random Punk Memories (45 Random Dub), Machine Bubble Disco (Machine Bubble Dub), I Used To Play Bass In A Punk Rock Band (I used to play Dub), Never Seen A Bad Picture of Debbie Harry ( Never seen a Bad Dub), Punk Rock Fanzines (Punk Rock Fanzine Dub). JJ’s Alright (JJ is Dub) The Buzz-cocks Are Coming (The Buzz-cocks are Dub), Damned
Disciple (Damned Dub), The Satellite Kid (Satellite Dub), Punk Rock is Back! (Punk Rock is Dub) and The Revolution Is Coming ( Revolution Dub).

The cover of the album is a collage of various mementos culled together over a target painted canvas. The style and objects seemed to suit the cut up style of the tracks. To add another dub layer to the project he also took the lyrics to these tracks and cut and reworked them into a Punk Art Poem for the back side of the record sleeve. A dub reworking of words, music and image.

Hope you enjoy the indulgence.

Suburban Base proudly welcomes John Rolodex to the label, a heavyweight of the Canadian Drum & Bass and Jungle scene with an international legacy. With past releases on iconic imprints including Metalheadz, V Recordings, Dread, and his own Machinist Music, John Rolodex now makes his Suburban Base debut.

His new 4–track EP, Teenage Ravers, is a powerful statement that bridges past and present. Channelling the raw energy and euphoria of the original rave and jungle movement, Rolodex pays tribute to the foundations while pushing the sound forward with his trademark weight and precision.

The EP features four distinct cuts:
- Teenage Ravers
- Hidden World
- Undignified Pt. 1
- Undignified Pt. 2

In true Suburban Base style, the vinyl release is something special: a limited–edition white pressing, complete with a unique ‘dove’ ecstasy tablet–style centre label, a nostalgic nod to the early rave era and a future collector’s piece.

After his 2024 album The Spirit Continues, Tilman returns with Altered Spaces, a tightly focused four-track EP that distills his signature sound into a concise, club-ready format.

Opening track Make My Body Move sets the tone with soulful vocals, warm piano stabs, a rolling bassline and a breezy Balearic vibe. The Last Resort deepens the mood, layering pads, organ hits and shimmering strings over a steady, driving groove. Rounding out the EP are two reimagined cuts from The Spirit Continues. Dance Department (Spirit Mix) smooths out the rougher edges of the original, adding organ stabs and a more melodic sensibility.

Need It (Dance Dub) transforms the track into a softer, dub-tinged version - hypnotic, restrained and full of subtle movement. Altered Spaces is classic Tilman: warm, understated house music that's rich in detail and groove - made for dancers and deep listeners alike.

An extremely rare Northern Soul 45 RPM single originally released in 1965 on the Holly label, Billy Arnell And The Sparkles "Tough Girl" was the product of two childhood friends that lived less than a block apart in suburban Fairlawn, New Jersey in the early 1960s - Billy Smith and Lou Hemsey.

Billy played guitar and sang; Lou played guitar and wrote songs, so they decided to form a band. They added friends Eddie Hoffman on organ and Jack Gullone on drums and began playing lots of gigs locally as Little Willie & The Sparkles. They were young, ambitious, and imagined themselves as the next Beatles. By a stroke of fate, they met Joe Martin of Apex-Martin Distributors in Newark, NJ, who caught the band's live show and was duly impressed. That meeting led to the recording session for the "Tough Girl" single. When they recorded the first version of the song, the producer wasn't happy, nor was Joe Martin - so he fired that producer and brought in the young, up and coming producer, George Kerr. Kerr didn't care much for the band, so they redid the entire thing without Hoffman and Guilone - with just Billy singing and Lou playing guitar.

The pair of old friends were buoyed by session aces Eric Gale on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, Bobbie Banks on organ, as well as a bass player whose name has been lost to time. In addition to those changes, they used the studio horn section that Hemsey arranged for, plus two trumpets, two saxes and two vibes players. The resulting single was an infectious amalgamation of rock and soul. Billy changed his surname to Arnell for the 45 release (because he thought it sounded more "show-biz") and the rest is pop history. Arnell later started a record company (Fire Sign Records) and purchased a recording studio (112 Greene Street Recording) in the trendy SoHo section of Manhattan with Steve Loeb.

As for the rest of The Sparkles, Hoffman became a teacher somewhere on Long Island, Guilone graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Massachusetts and ended up living in Northern New Jersey. Hemsey became a well-known recording engineer, composer (Lou was the one who wrote "Tough Girl"), guitarist, arranger, orchestrator, editor, film director and producer for records and commercials.

Mit "Cotton Crown" erweitert die Band ihre Klangpalette um eine kaleidoskopische Bandbreite an Einflüssen: Von gefühlvollem Pub-Rock über HÜSKER DÜ-Aggression bis hin zu melancholischem Sophisto-Pop ist alles dabei. Wie Pitchfork feststellte, sehen THE TUBS den Jangle als eine "riesige Welt der Stimmungen und Musen" und "Cotton Crown" zeigt, wie sie diese Welt weiter erforschen und dabei einen unverwechselbaren Tub-ular-Sound kreieren. Das liegt nicht zuletzt an der Gesangsleistung von Owen 'O' Williams, der oft mit einem jungen RICHARD THOMPSON verglichen wird, und an seinen offenen, düster-komischen Texten. In "Cotton Crown" widmet er sich weiter seinen Lieblingsthemen: Liebespsychose, unsympathisches, psychisch krankes Verhalten und die Demütigungen des Musikerdaseins in London. Dieses Mal ist jedoch ein Gefühl des Risikos in seinen Selbsteinschätzungen und Bekenntnissen spürbar. Im Mittelpunkt steht das Leben in der Zeit nach dem Selbstmord seiner Mutter (der Folksängerin Charlotte Greig), und Williams singt über die unbeholfenen, aufdringlichen und gut gemeinten sozialen Interaktionen, die darauf folgten. Das Albumcover zeigt ein Bild von Williams als Säugling, der von Greig auf einem Friedhof gestillt wird - ein Werbefoto, das um die Veröffentlichung des Debütalbums von Charlotte Greig herum aufgenommen wurde. Der wesentliche Trick von "Cotton Crown" besteht darin, die lyrische Düsternis von Williams durch fröhliche, hakengeladene Pop-Perfektion zu kompensieren. Das liegt vor allem an der Gitarrenarbeit von George Nicholls, der auf dem Album mühelos zwischen dem virtuosen Jangle von JOHNNY MARR, dem treibenden Folk-Rock von PENTANGLE und den Refrain-lastigen Hi-Fi-Grooves zeitgenössischer Bands wie TOPS oder THE 1975 hin- und herwechselt. Dazu kommt die halsbrecherische Rhythmusgruppe von Taylor Stewart (Schlagzeug) und Max Warren (Bass) - die jeden Song mit einer Power-Pop-Wut angreifen, die an GUIDED BY VOICES in ihren besten Zeiten erinnert - und schon hat man ein Rezept für großartigen Indie-Rock. Das Debütalbum der Band, "Dead Meat", wurde durch Mundpropaganda zu einer Sensation, die der Band Auszeichnungen von Pitchfork, The Guardian, MOJO, Uncut, SPIN und anderen einbrachte. Sie gewannen sogar einige prominente Fans: der unnachahmliche Mark Proksch (The Office, Better Call Saul, What We Do in the Shadows) spielte die Hauptrolle im Video zu ihrer Single "Round The Bend" und die Punk-Legende IGGY POP lobte sie in seiner BBC 6Music Radiosendung. Owen Williams, Max Warren und George Nicholls waren zuvor Mitglied von JOANNA GRUESOME - eine Band, die den Welsh Music Prize gewann, ausgiebig durch Großbritannien und die USA tourte und von Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Guardian und anderen gelobt wurde. Sängerin Lan McCardle, mit der Williams sowohl bei JOANNA GRUESOME als auch bei EX VOID zusammen musizierte, steuert bei einigen Stücken auf "Cotton Crown" Backing Vocals bei.

Diese Session aus dem Jahr 1957 gilt als eines von Dizzys besten Treffen mit den Jazztitanen Sonny
Stitt und Sonny Rollins. Gerüchten zufolge ließ Trompeter Gillespie die beiden Saxofonisten vor der Session spielerisch gegeneinander antreten, was die Messlatte höher legte und zur Entstehung eines heute
legendären Albums führte. Ray Bryant (Klavier), Tommy Bryant (Bass) und Charlie Persip (Schlagzeug)
begleiten Gillespie, Stitt und Rollins auf diesem Meisterwerk

Building their own bizarre universe out of Portland, Oregon, The Macks announce their new album "Bonanza" (DevilDuck Records). The news of the album rolls out in the form of two new singles and videos: "Dually of Man" and "The Modern Grape". Described by the band as "a collection of miscellaneous rock that could only have been crafted by this dedicated and bull-headedly sincere troupe of desperate artists," The Macks are coming unglued but are fully in their pocket. Founded in 2015 in Portland, Oregon, The Macks are brothers Josef (drums) and Ben Windheim (guitar), Sam Fulwiler (vocals), Jacob Michael Perris (keys) and Aidan Harrison (bass).

"Eight tracks of jagged electronics, heavy basslines, and fractured spoken word collide in a body-jerking soundclash that is both raw and vital."
Good On Paper enjoyed "Baldauf’s crisp, distanced tones accompanied by Roe’s ominous, pulsating programmed bass line and four-to-the-floor whack, coaxing pure pop out of tension and incongruity." Electronic Sound Magazine hailed the LP as "a blistering, club-forward workout", with "top-drawer, nose-bloodying electronics,’" positioning the Stroud duo as "rather like a wonky Tom Tom Club with added grit."

Remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head.

Ornette Coleman, who died in June 2015 from cardiac arrest, must be counted as one of the most influential musicians in the jazz genre. His importance does not only lie in his ground-breaking recordings in the late Fifties and early Sixties, but lies more significantly in the educational effect of his work – in the fact that he always went beyond himself to the very end.

Just a little more than a month after his ground-breaking release "Free Jazz", Coleman recorded the present album, in which he perhaps distanced himself somewhat from the conceptual idea, but still guided his quartet to ever more richness of detail and creativity. "Ornette!" was the first recording with bass-player Scott LaFaro and Coleman, and the difference in approach between LaFaro and Charlie Haden is noticeable from the very first note of "W.R.U.". His playing is more direct and agile, and one can hear how he drives Coleman and Don Cherry actively onwards and more aggressively than Haden’s warm, languid phrasing.

The tracks, with titles that are taken from the works of Sigmund Freud, are all gems and serve as a wonderful starting point for the musicians’ improvisations. By now, Coleman felt himself comfortable in lengthy pieces, and neither he nor his fellow musicians had trouble in filling out time, never once lacking for new ideas. Ed Blackwell deserves a special mention – he shows himself here at his very best. "Ornette!" is a superb release and an absolute must for all fans of Coleman and creative, improvised music in general.

In syrupy slow pursuit of a strong 2023 debut, Yungwebster's somnolent sequel is bolstered by pitch-perfect production from Space Afrika and Nathan Melja, who vaporise the rapper's auto-tuned post-Future drawl with euphoric orchestral drones, brittle micro-trap beats and weightless pads.

Over a decade ago at this point, Future released 'Codeine Crazy', the decelerated finale of 'Monster', one of his best-loved mixtapes. The track neatly summarised themes the Atlanta rapper had been circling for years at that point, layering his slurred, lean-dizzy rhymes over producer TM88's rubbery, melancholy synths. "Take all my problems and drink out the bottle," he moaned robotically, using the track's minor key bounce to represent the crushing delirium that followed fame and its tasting menu of intoxicants. It's still Future's high water mark creatively, and its traces can be observed in a full spectrum of contemporary sounds, from 6LACK's downtrodden, self-aware R&B to Lil Uzi Vert's feverish trap. But it's Yungwebster who's taken the haze to its logical conclusion, reimagining the Magic City-sculpted bumps as hypnagogic Actavis- 'n Xanax-hued ambient music. You could argue it was bound to happen - the more you sip, the slower it gets - and plays as a cracked mirror to cloud rap's long-smoked hybrid of Southern psychedelia and post-OutKast eccentricity.

Webster's opiated POV is clearer than ever before on 'II'. Just peep the cracks in his voice on the Space Afrika-produced opener 'Skyfall' as he coughs and splutters over watery samples, booming subs and SA's patented collage of soundtrack-ready strings and sirens. Presented at regular speed and in chipmunked form, it sets the pace for an album that, like its predecessor, constantly fucks with the timeline, pitching the whole master into doubletime or slowing it down to a crawl to present a curved, inebriated narrative rather than a straight line. Even without the tempo switches, Webster singles out beats that accent his warbled rhymes that sound as if they'll fall apart at any moment. French DJ and producer Nathan Melja backs 'Disheveled' with Black Ark-styled oscillations and airlock'd echoes, filtering the bassline until it almost disappears entirely; with room to breathe, Webster's able to take the lead - you might not be able to pick out the words, not entirely at least, but you get the message.

In fact it's Webster's voice that's the revelation on 'II' - with a coherent mix from producer tnotsobad, the nuances and fluttering tonalities emerge more vividly than they have before. It makes the flip between the regular speed and fast on 'Txts Red on iMessage' a textural decision, the different pace shifting the warbled cadences so Webster's voice becomes far more important than the additional elements. And on the album's Space Afrika-produced eight-minute centerpiece 'Crochet / I Swear', Webster's mumbled bio-mechanical whines create a much-needed foil for the decelerated boom-clack and suspended save room ambience. We get to encounter a personality here, not just an aesthetic, so as the album moves into its twilit fourth side, the beatless, voice-led somniferousness of 'YA SA' and ululating 'Phone' come off like a descent into tranquillised sedation. Rap has rarely sounded so chimeric.

Damian Lazarus continues ‘Magickal Remixed’ with second instalment featuring Cinthie, Timo Maas, and Anthony Middleton.

With his surprise fifth studio album ‘Magickal’ continuing to resonate across the global electronic landscape, Damian Lazarus now unveils the second half of the project’s ambitious remix series. Out 26th September via Crosstown Rebels, ‘Magickal Remixed (Part II)’ enlists the talents of Cinthie, Timo Maas, and Anthony Middleton, with each of the three celebrated artists bringing their unique perspective to the Crosstown head’s latest long-player. Arriving in both digital and vinyl formats, this three-track package builds on the energy of Part I, which featured takes from Harry Romero, Jonathan Kaspar, and Mëstiza, and THEMBA’s earlier remix of lead single Searchin’, continuing a journey that reimagines Magickal’s most defining moments through fresh, club-ready interpretations.

Opening the release, Berlin favourite Cinthie takes on ‘Y Don’t U’, injecting her signature analogue warmth and groove-driven touch into the album cut, reworking it into a silky, floor-focused workout that radiates her unmistakable house sound. Longstanding innovator Timo Maas steps up next with his remix of ‘Warrior Dance’, Lazarus’ amapiano-inspired collaboration with Ghanaian artist Jojo Abot. Stripping back and rebuilding the track into a hypnotic, low-slung affair, Maas balances subtle percussive detail with deep, pulsating basslines to create an intoxicating new dimension. Closing out the EP, Anthony Middleton, one half of Audiofly, reshapes the soulful ‘So Low’ featuring Zeo Kypri into a textured and emotionally charged journey, weaving its vocal lines through expansive sound design and rolling grooves.

London artist CASSIMM returns to Rekids with ‘I’ll Take You There’, landing 26th September 2025. It follows his recent remixes for label boss Radio Slave and his 2024 ‘House of Moves’ EP on the imprint, which won support from the likes of Paul Woolford, Dam Swindle, Hannah Holland, and Laurent Garnier.

CASSIMM’s 'I’ll Take You There' is a chunky House cut with powerful bass and rolling drums, joined by filters which build the vibe while a diva vocal rings out with raw emotion. It's a perfect mix of gritty production and infectious rhythm that lights up the floor with pure underground credentials, while the club mix of ‘I’ll Take You There’ hypnotises with a loopy feel and toughed-up groove.

Over the last decade, CASSIMM has amassed a massive following via a slew of chart-topping releases on labels like Defected, King Street, and Rekids. His best-selling, party-ready, and radio-friendly music earns consistent support across the globe, backed by BBC Radio 1 and artists like Honey Dijon, Nic Fanciulli, and many more.

Pioneering, uncompromising, yet frequent chart-stormer, sound designer/producer/performer Enrico Sangiuliano releases a remix EP of his seminal, startling ‘The Techno Code’. The techno manifesto dropped in April, also on his countdown imprint NINETOZERO, as part of VA EP ‘Discipline’, since when it’s won multiple plays and plaudits on dancefloors, radio and streaming platforms.

Remixes accompanying the original on the new digital EP are by Kevin de Vries & SLVR; Charlotte de Witte; Avalon & Tristan, plus a bonus DJ tool edit.

The Techno Code (Original Mix) is at once a spoken ‘how to’ of techno and a celebration of the genre, in portentous US tones reminiscent of 50s Atom bomb warning films and of Faithless’ ‘This is my church…’ as Sangiuliano builds the track according to ‘my rules – the Techno Code’ – the hi-hats, the main theme, the touch of acid…as the Voice narrates their effect on listener and raver.

‘The Techno Code (Kevin de Vries & SLVR Remix)’: starts slower, looser and stealthier, until fleshed out with ‘plucked string’ melody overlay, while a siren-like ultra-high note joins in. They’ve also darkened the bass elements while chopping, but maintaining the centrality and clarity of the spoken words.

‘The Techno Code (Charlotte de Witte’s Acid Code)’: adds hoover swoops, spacey stabs, and a brain-invading beeping backbeat. As per de Witte’s remix title, the ‘little acid’ of the original becomes a fizzing main theme. Reordering/cutting the words gives more emphasis to the ‘journey’ motif and builds on the ‘tension/anticipation’.

‘The Techno Code (Avalon & Tristan Remix)’ (Digital Exclusive): the spoken word is stripped back to a powerful intro and brief interjections, all processed with echo, robotic effects, distortion... and all about the anticipation - what you are about to hear, here it comes… The acid is raised to sulphuric levels by a pulsing tooth-tingling synth in a fast psy-trance ride.

Following a wildly successful first release, Risk/Reward returns with an outstanding EP from Bizarre Trax bossman and Felon5 member Jhobei, featuring a remix from UK electro royalty Carl Finlow no less!

Digitaria combines a groovy organ bass with psychedelic synths and progressive elements, to create a dancefloor-focused, trance-inducing bomb, guaranteed to get crowds of all sizes moving. Trippy, hypnotic but always playful, the perfect track to bring the energy up in the room.

A monster bassline, punchy drums and dreamy pads make Thinking Nodes a versatile tool, equally at home early in the night or deep into the after hours. Classic UKG swing meets deep house, plus a sprinkling of rave elements go into the recipe, making a tasty treat for DJs and collectors alike.

Beatagroove Funk see's Jhobei channel his inner Random Factor, to create an Electro House ripper, with quirky vocals, glitchy synths, a bassline straight out of a 80s new wave banger and enough drive in the drums to make this a peak time weapon.

Carl Finlow delivers an epic masterpiece on the remix of Beatagroove Funk, creating a work of sheer beauty that sounds like a blissful sunset cruise on a hover bike through a futuristic metropolis. Unexplainably detailed and emotional, this is the work of a true master of his craft and will surely go on to be recognized as some of his very best work - simply unmissable!

With heavy support from Tini, Harry McCanna, Anna Wall, Rich NxT, Voigtmann and more, Jhobei's star seems destined to keep rising, as Risk/Reward continues to establish itself as a must buy label.

This is the second volume of the double compila"on Shock Room. This collec"on features iconic
and sought-a(er "techno, trance & progressive" sounds that got en"re genera"ons dancing and
are s"ll being played and sought a(er by DJs and fans of this musical genre. The compila"on
takes its name from the "main room" inside the Ul"mo Impero nightclub in Turin, a historical
temple of '90s techno trance music in Italy

Unknown Waveforms is the forthcoming album from Belgian trio KAU, set for release on October 10, 2025. Marking an evolution since their 2023 release The Cycle Repeats, this new record captures a more personal, immediate, and unfiltered version of the band's sound. In an increasingly digital world, KAU takes a different route, with an album rooted in human connection, live energy, and creative spontaneity. Here, the trio reflect their take on instrumental music, drawing heavily fromjazz, hip hop, and electronic influences.

At the heart of Unknown Waveforms lies the starting point of three musicians in a room, writing and composing music on the spot. For KAU, this idea mirrors their working method: long jam sessions, free-flowing experimentation, and shared moments of inspiration. Songs often take shape slowly, unfolding over hours or days, but always built collaboratively as a trio.

The album's title reflects the mystery behind how music comes together, but is also both literal and symbolic. Unknown waveforms are the sounds that arise when machines and people interact in unpredictable ways. Whether you're an experienced musician or just starting out, the creative process often feels elusive and hard to fully understand. But there are also certain moments: creative sparks that can't be planned or programmed. It ends up being more than notes, gear, or structure, it's about the process, the tension and energy that builds when people connect and create in the same room.

The title track, Unknown Waveforms, captures that exact process. It opens with a quote from synth pioneer Wendy Carlos: "I'm just trying to show you how we get some of these sounds", inviting listeners directly into the creative space. The track focuses less on a polished outcome and more on the moment before a song is "finished": it's a portrait of experimentation, feeling, and raw expression.

This commitment to honesty permeates the entire album. KAU kept overdubs to a minimum, avoided excessive editing, and prioritized spontaneous choices over calculated ones. In a time when the future of live, improvised music feels uncertain, they double down on the physical, the real, and the immediate. The album resists the pristine polish of modern production, favoring the warmth and imperfection of analog synthesis. The band embraces the character of their instruments, particularly vintage gear, where subtle flaws add beauty, depth, and personality.

One standout track, cr_eye, is driven by the Moog Subphatty-a key instrument in the band's toolkit for its analog warmth and powerful sub-bass. The track centers around the conversation between bass and drums, allowing the keyboards to recede and create space. It draws emotional threads from earlier KAU tracks like Kampala and Kautokeino, bridging past and present with a shared atmosphere and rhythmic interplay.

Another highlight, Stratford, finds inspiration in London's transport system and the UK jazz scene that has long influenced KAU. A field recording snippet of the London Underground kicks off the track, connecting it to the rhythm of everyday commutes. Built around a hypnotic sequencer line from the Roland JX-3P, the track evokes the motion of a metro journey. Artists like Nubya Garcia, Yussef Dayes, and Alfa Mist, giants of the scenethat the band has admired for years, resonate subtly throughout.

Above all, Unknown Waveforms is a statement of intent from KAU: a celebration of imperfection, creative honesty and an insight in the process.

A critique and embrace of self-destruction, esoteric vanity and inevitable ruin. The molten-red LP on Riot Season Records plunges deep into an abuse of distortion, existential doom and primal Stooges-like chaos. LA’s Acid Punk Power Trio returns to its mark 1 line up, now wielding a second addition in twin-drum assault
OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH are :Jasso : Guitar/ Vocals, Luna : Bass, Backhaus + TJ : Twin Drums
Jasso (guitar/vocals) is seemingly out for blood on this 4 track studio album, leading a violent dive into the abyss, Japanese Underground fury meets Hendrix’s wreckage, fuzz-drenched wah freak-outs compete against raw punk vocals caught in an endless slap back delay…
OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH are an Acid Punk power trio formed in 2008 hailing from Los Angeles, and now currently hiding out somewhere in the South of France.
Fronted by guitarist/ vocalist Jasso (Psychedelic Speed Freaks, Antarcticans), they push a special niche product of blown-out extreme psychedelic noise rock. Their sound is enveloped in a total nihilist
"No Hope" atmosphere of heavy lyrics and distortion, mating intoxicating pulsing repetition, hyperactive improvisations and out of body guitar solos.
Resurrecting US 60s punk and acid-riffage from the likes of Blue Cheer, the Stooges, MC5 and live Hendrix Experience, OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH also draws greatly on the in-the-red sound aesthetic and high energy of the Speed Freak Underground and Hardcore scene of 80s/90s Japan.

"Stories Of Life" - triosence malen Musik aus Geschichten, die das Leben schreibt Das Album "Stories of Life" des Genregrenzen neu definierenden Pianotrios triosence ist ein musikalisches Porträt von Momentaufnahmen aus dem Leben. In jedem Titel erkundet triosence-Bandleader und Komponist Bernhard Schüler die Tragik und Schönheit von Geschichten aus dem Alltag und malt diese Erlebnisse in betörend melodiöse, mitreißende Instrumentalkompositionen. Große Freude und tiefer Schmerz, scheinbar Banales und wahrhaft Lebensveränderndes liegen oft überraschend nah beieinander. Der Verlust einer Schwangerschaft in "Little Lost Wonder", die Liebe zu seiner kleinen Tochter in "Tamina's Lullaby", der Tod seines Onkels in "Dear Rainer" oder die Freude über wild wuchernde Garten-Gewächse seiner Lebensgefährtin in "Tomato Party" - "Stories of Life" ist die in Musik nachvollzogene Erkenntnis von Bernhard Schüler, dass im Leben all das verwoben ist. "Ich setze mich ans Klavier und spiele mir alles von der Seele. Schöne und traurige Erlebnisse, Beobachtungen, Empfindungen - Musik zu schreiben ist meine Art, über das Leben nachzudenken", erklärt er.Was "Stories Of Life" musikalisch auszeichnet, sind progressive Strukturen, die immer wieder in Stil, Tempo und Stimmung variieren; die mal laut oder leise sind, verträumt oder kraftvoll. Sie sollen den Hörer auf eine regelrechte Reise schicken, indem sie eine Reihe von starken Klangbildern erzeugen. "Wenn ich komponiere, habe ich das immer im Hinterkopf", so Bernhard Schüler. "Nämlich Geschichten mit meiner Musik zu erzählen. Das ist, was die Leute am meisten berührt." Auf "Stories Of Life" entwickeln er und seine Bandkollegen Tobias Schulte (Schlagzeug) und Omar Rodriguez Calvo (Bass) mit großer Leichtigkeit ihren melodiösen, stimmungsvollen Sound-Mix aus Weltbeat, Folk, Jazz, Rock und Pop konsequent weiter. "Wir gestalten ein totales Crossover", erklärt Bernhard Schüler, "das ist Musik, die zwar in klassischer Jazz-Formation daherkommt - mit Klavier, Bass und Schlagzeug - aber Jazz im herkömmlichen Sinn kann man das nicht mehr nennen. Mir geht es um starke Melodien und klare Songstrukturen. Eine Fokussierung auf das Wesentliche ist mir wichtig oder anders gesagt: musikalisch auf den Punkt zu kommen."Dem Maler Rainer Hoffmann ist nicht nur das Stück "Dear Rainer" gewidmet - mit "Stories Of Life" wird ihm auf besondere Weise ein Denkmal gesetzt. Sein Gemälde "Badere vid Ingetoprsjön" (Badende am Ingetorpssee) ziert denn auch das Cover-Artwork und im Booklet finden sich zehn weitere Bilder des Künstlers - jedes thematisch einem der Songs zugeordnet. "Leider hat die Kunst meines Onkels nie die Aufmerksamkeit und Anerkennung bekommen, die sie wirklich verdient hat", so Schüler. "Aber er hat ein sehr aufregendes Leben geführt und war ein wahrer Abenteurer, der bereits in frühen Jahren in die schwedische Wildnis gezogen ist und die ganze Welt bereist hat, um dort zu malen. Alles andere war ihm egal. Diese Leidenschaft für die Kunst - ohne Wenn und Aber - hat mich schon als kleiner Junge fasziniert, und wenn er damals Geschichten aus seinem Leben erzählt hat, saß ich mit großen Augen vor ihm." Eine dieser Geschichten greift Schüler in "Marrakesh Swing" auf - ein Flirt mit der Kultur einer Stadt, die er nie besucht hat, aber in seiner Komposition zu blühendem Leben erweckt. Der Hörer erlebt sie vor seinem geistigen Auge - in all ihren Facetten, Farben und ihrer Lebendigkeit.Mit "Tamina's Lullaby" ist nach langer Zeit wieder ein Stück für Soloklavier auf einem triosence-Album enthalten. Zudem schließt eine Referenz auf die Vergangenheit den Kreis der Geschichten auf "Stories of Life": Eine neue Instrumentalversion von "Like The Wind", das ursprünglich mit der US-Sängerin Sara Gazarek für das Album "Where Time Stands Still" aufgenommen wurde, bildet den Schlusspunkt des Albums.

Demuir marks an inaugural release on Hot Creations with High. Alive. And Dirty., a
diverse four track EP made up of all original records.

The EP opens with Santa and The Elf. A penetrating bassline ratchets up and down, as horn
like synths whir occasionally in the background, alongside tassel-like hi-hats. Up next, the title
track High. Alive. And Dirty. provides stunning contrast. A happy, funk-fuelled number, the
track incorporates disco elements with “positive and soulful vibes”, before Rawness - Beat 3
features a “raw native structure”, bongo sounding drums and tropical vocals to from a well-
rounded, feel-good record. Eerbawdy Wants to Deeezsko rounds off the EP in fine form, with
more disco elements and chiming, emotional keys.

Canadian-based Demuir is a distinctive talent in the electronic music sphere. A prolific
producer, Demuir has already made a home on labels including I’m A House Gangster as well
as Cassy’s Kwench Records, whilst he is soon set to release on Loco Dice’s iconic Desolat
imprint.

Across six tracks, a dream unfurls into sound – patterns emerging like scattered water droplets, a flowing dance of chance and texture. For Turmalin Dub, Tom of Terram (Hektisch Sprengen) teams up with Listensport. This EP flourishes in the fertile space between the organic and the synthetic, where textures breathe and rhythms pulse like living beings. It is shaped by five original creations and a ’90s-inspired French Dreamspell house remix by RAMZi, carrying the timeless spirit of the dancefloor. Turmalin Dub stands as a musical crystal, refracting light into deep colour and pulse; a fortress for the spirited and unconventional, an elegant tapestry of sound. The opening track weaves psychedelic hues with Balearic warmth, dubwise basslines, and whispers of slippery roots-reggae dub. Trance-inflected echoes flow together like water: from immersive ambient waves to intricate patterns and softly blurred dub techno. The release closes with Spirit, a track echoing the warmth and sway of trancehall, bridging introspective moments and the kinetic energy of a floor in motion.

Side A / Double A / Work it Out
Not that it really matters, but, new label artwork alert! For release number 008, Mountain 45s gives its labels a fresh, clean look and goes small hole. It’s a “Double A” sider from the label bawss, Double A. And, like Chuck D said, “brother’s gonna work it out”. Big drums, and a new arrangement give this soul classic a dance floor update. For the b-boys/b-girls (and all the dancers), this one will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Side B/ Double A / Skewed Down
This one made the rounds for a while as a digital drop but finally get’s its vinyl due. Hoggin’ drums and the funkiest of bass lines make this a hip-hop rework sure-shot. For old school players and new school fools alike.

The Criminal Minds return with the superb Smoove Criminal, a collection of criminally good tracks, the title track, Smoove Criminal, shows off the clean and sharp sound of the latest TCM workout, with heavy drums, rolling grooves and devastating bass.
Meanwhile, The Criminal Part 2 is a proper authentic old skool work out, a follow on from the classic Criminal Minds track, The Criminal.
And lastly, the Swankout Remix is a ruff jungle workout of a classic track, and this is the mix that has already been played on national radio, so its bound to hit in all the right places...

Berlin-Hamburg duo Session Victim return to the ever-reliable Delusions Of Grandeur imprint with Chapter Two of their Sidequests trilogy, marking yet another high point in their almost twenty year journey through heartfelt, sample-rich music. Overflowing with analog warmth, sundrenched textures and irresistible grooves, the release also features a stellar remix from label cofounder and deep house pioneer Jimpster who kicks off the EP. Here he takes Behind The Glass into spaced out house-not-house territory. With crisp drum programming, trademark Rhodes, and subtle pads that build over time, his version delivers that late-night sophistication he's known for—steering the downtempo original in a clubbier direction without losing its blissed-out essence. Up next we have a brand new collaborative effort with long time friend, label mate and fellow sample nerd Nebraska. Make It Happen is a dusty, slo-mo house groove featuring delicate keys, euphoric strings and that unmistakable sense of journey. It’s just the kind of low-slung epic house they do best—intimate yet club-ready, nostalgic but never retro. Flipping over, Too Soft To Be Loud, another collaboration with Viken Arman, follows with a jazzy, almost samba-esque rhythm and swirling atmospherics. Loose percussion, catchy guitar riffs and Rhodes stabs collide with off-kilter dub FX and soft vocal snippets giving the track a laid-back, live-band feel that harks back to their See You When You Get There era. Hubcap Candy dives deep into funk territory. Nebraska’s on point boogie bassline drives the track forward as crunchy drums and layers of synths create a dreamlike haze. It’s loopy, moody, and finds Session Victim at their very best. Closing out the EP we have the original of Behind The Glass, a headsy, beatdown piece that slowly unfolds over an unconventional brass-like bassline and delicate guitar textures, paying homage to the golden age of Trip Hop haziness and it’s pioneer turntable spirit. Blending crate-digging sensibilities with forward-thinking production, this latest release solidifies Session Victim’s reputation as genre-blurring tastemakers, and their chemistry with Delusions Of Grandeur remains as strong as ever

Gong's Gang , a one-off project for the unique family of true musicians: Giuseppe, Lino, and Rossana Nicolosi; brothers and sisters who knew ''something'' about the Italo-boogie-funk of the early '80s, uncontaminated by the increasingly invasive electronic sound of a yet unappreciated Italo-Disco. Gimme Your Love is a gem, with Rosanna Nicolosi leading the way on vocals and cascading synths and bass blending into an intoxicating mix that should make any funk detective froth with approval. And investigating how it sounds, one discovers a certain similarity to a Charades track; strings sound a bit like Gimme The Funk (written and produced by poet Lotti Golden and Richard Sher both with Chuck Wansley and Kathrine Joyce on Warp 9), mixed in 1982 by John "Jellybean" Benitez, a very close friend of Tony Carrasco, who in 1983 produced, arranged, and mixed 'Gimme Your Love'. The two always kept an eye on each other, even from a distance, staying in touch. However, these assumptions do not detract from this stellar song: whether you prefer the vocal hit or the subtly voiced instrumental, that you can dance at any nighttime party and that absolutely deserves a second chance in the spotlight.

RedIsh Vinyl Edition of Skratch Practice 2 by Dj T-Kut! Dj T-Kut presents Volume 2 of SKRATCH PRACTICE, a very complete vinyl for scratch practices, two vinyl will come out one of 12 "and another of 7", in the 12" you can find several Skip Proofs at 133 BPM to be able to play with the ultrapich of the plate, very used right now in scratch practices, 2 beats perfect for practicing scratch, drum kits and bass line and on the B side you will find several skip proof at 100 BPM, 1 beat for practice scratch and 2 powerful basses perfect for playing with them. Also from this version will be a 7" vinyl for portables in which you can find 6 skip proof of 133 BPM for Side A and 6 skip proof of 100 BPM for Face B. These vinyls are designed so that you can flow as soon as you put them on the plate! Tracklisting Side A: 1. 133 BPM. Skip Proof. Skratch Samples. Beats Groove. Drums. Bass Tone. Side B: 1. 100 BPM. Skip Proof. Skratch Samples. Beats Groove. Drums. Bass Tone.

Chris Hontos und Aaron Anderson sind sowohl als Nuke Watch als auch als ihre auf Samples basierenden Cousins Beat Detectives tätig. Die Detectives sind das, was The Beatnuts unter dem Einfluss einer experimentellen dissoziativen Droge produzieren würden, während Nuke Watch eine freie Improvisationsband ist, die keinen Grund sieht, zu quietschen, und an Vergnügen glaubt. Das neue Album von Nuke Watch, "Grave New World", ist ihr zehntes seit Beginn des Projekts im Jahr 2020. Diese Musik taucht ein, kollidiert und quillt aus einer Tasche heraus, der Sound einer elektrischen Welt, die sich selbst mulcht. Modulare Synthesizer breiten sich wie Cordyceps in Räumen voller Bass, Saxophon und Handtrommeln aus und hinterlassen einen neuen, verseuchten Raum: leuchtend, sicher und verrückt. Diese Musik wurde mit Instrumenten gespielt, ein Großteil davon komplett live. Die meisten Tracks sind Aufnahmen von Hontos und Anderson mit ein oder zwei weiteren Musikern, es handelt sich also größtenteils um Trio-Aufnahmen. Man ist versucht, Grave New World als Fusion zu bezeichnen, aber das trifft es nicht ganz. Otto Willbergs Bassspiel ist so versiert, dass es Giganten wie Percy Jones und Jaco heraufbeschwört, und Leonard King nähert sich dem Bass ein wenig wie jemand aus Felas Africa 70. Die drei verarbeiteten Blasinstrumente - Zack Stafford an der verarbeiteten Flöte, Christopher Farstad am MIDI-Blasinstrument und Cole Pulice am verarbeiteten Saxophon - bringen die Musik in die Nähe des Jazz, obwohl keine der Kompositionen der Band wirklich nach Jazz klingt. Outtakes aus der Star Wars Foley-Datenbank? Eine berührungsempfindliche Multimedia-Gewächshausausstellung, die von einer Kindergartengruppe übernommen wurde? Eine Zoom-Session mit Latenzproblemen, verursacht durch Musiker auf fünf verschiedenen Kontinenten? "Grave New World" könnte man als Weltmusik bezeichnen, in dem Sinne, dass, wenn man die Welt zu einem Trichter zusammenfalten, schütteln und alle auf einen Teller voller Menschen rutschen lassen würde, mit denen sie nicht aufgewachsen sind, sie am Ende vielleicht genau das hier produzieren würden. - Sasha Frere-Jones, 2025

Zeitlose Meisterwerke: Mozarts Bläserkonzerte mit Abbado auf Vinyl Zwei der bekanntesten Bläserkonzerte Mozarts, unter der einfühlsamen Leitung von Claudio Abbado, erscheinen nun gemeinsam auf Vinyl. Diese Veröffentlichung vereint zwei Referenzaufnahmen: Emmanuel Pahud: Flöte und Harfe in Harmonie Emmanuel Pahuds hochgelobte Einspielung von Mozarts Konzert für Flöte und Harfe in C-Dur aus dem Jahr 1996, gemeinsam mit der Harfenistin Marie-Pierre Langlamet, besticht durch Pahuds elegantes und ausdrucksstarkes Flötenspiel. Sein bemerkenswert warmer und voller Ton ist sofort erkennbar. Kritiker lobten insbesondere das fesselnde Zusammenspiel des Duos, das im langsamen Satz eine unwiderstehliche Anmut entfaltet. Sabine Meyer: Die Bassettklarinette in ihrer ganzen Pracht Ebenfalls mit den Berliner Philharmonikern und Claudio Abbado entstand 1998 Sabine Meyers bedeutende Interpretation von Mozarts Klarinettenkonzert in A-Dur. Meyer spielt das Werk auf der Bassettklarinette, dem Instrument, für das Mozart das Konzert ursprünglich konzipierte. Dies ermöglicht eine tiefere und reichere Klangpalette, besonders im unteren Register. Ihre Wiedergabe des erhabenen Adagios wird oft für ihre exquisite Zartheit und tief empfundene Lyrik gefeiert.

Like sneaking an extra scoop (or two) of ice cream for dessert, what do you do when you know something’s bad for you, but its vice-like nature makes it all the more irresistible? Vega Records explores this conundrum in its latest release, “Can’t Let You Go” by the late, great Loleatta Holloway.

“Can’t Let You Go” is one of the last unreleased recordings Loleatta completed before her passing in 2011. In the main mix, she addresses a relationship she knows she should end but can’t bring herself to leave because the lovin’ is just too good: “I keep coming back time and time again,” she ruminates with raw emotion. “We got to make things better or we got to do whatever to make it right… oh, let’s make it right, ‘cause I can’t let you go.”

For the unfamiliar, Loleatta Holloway, a.k.a. the “Queen of the Night,” is a bona fide disco and soul icon. The singer behind successful singles such as “Hit and Run” and “Love Sensation,” she is one of the most sampled artists from the disco era.

The posthumous single was written and produced by prolific artist Yvonne Turner, whose resume includes production and remix credits for music greats such as Whitney Houston, Willie Colon, and Jeffrey Osborne; as well as mixes for Lenny Kravitz, Lalah Hathaway, Mica Paris, and more. Providing subtle, smooth background vocals for the track, she allows Loleatta’s belting vocals to be the star of the percussive house groover; while Vega Records boss Louie Vega offers a “Roots” mix and emotion-charged “Soul House” mix. Louie Vega also invited his vocalist friends Tawatha Agee (of seminal R&B and soul group Mtume) and Cindy Mizelle (Louie Vega’s longtime collaborator) to add powerful hooks and new background arrangements, enhancing the track with some call and response to Loleatta's adlibs during the vamp. Gene Perez on Bass, Axel Tosca on Fender Rhodes, and Roberto Quintero on percussion. In all, the record is club-ready catharsis made for dancing all your troubles away.

“Loleatta Holloway was one of the most dynamic vocalists of our time,” says Yvonne Turner. “She was blessed with the gift of song and her energy was electric! Loleatta's passion and artistry is on full display as she masterfully interprets a lyric then delivers her signature adlibs, which never disappoint. To describe her in a few words, Loleatta Holloway was the truth... my friend... extraordinary!”

Adds Louie Vega, “Loleatta Holloway has had a huge impact in my life as a DJ, producer, and clubber. She touched me in many ways through my music-making and even style of DJing; to this day, I still play many of her songs and acapellas. This is just our little way of saying thank you so much for what you've done for so many lives with your beautiful voice, you've affected us all!!!”

The record’s cover artwork is a mural of Loleatta Holloway created by Richard Wilson, a London-based artist who takes inspiration from DJs and producers from the house music and disco scene. Last month, Louie traveled to Liverpool, England for the mural’s unveiling.

The Rhythm Makers's Soul On Your Side is flawless proto-disco funk. The Bronx-based band - that later went on to form heavyweight disco outfit GQ - originally released this treasure in 1976 and it's long been a hard to find record. It's also rare to find a record this hard. Captivating funk at its rawest, no doubt.

Storming out the gate with the rollicking Loft/Garage staple "Can You Feel It (Part 1)", the listener is immediately put on notice that this LP is just a little bit special. The title track, "Soul On Your Side", is a classic dancer and the basis of GQ's future hit "Disco Nights". But it's perhaps "Zone", a huge Baldelli track, that the record is best known for. Hypnotic psyched-out cosmic-disco / cosmic funk, it's an unrelenting groove that really thrusts the party into hyperdrive. With doses of scintillating Latin and pulsating African rhythms driving the pumping tune, atop an unstoppable bassline and imaginative, soul-slathered keyboard figures, it's basically a full-on funk assault. You might need a lie-down after this.

But there's no let-up on the B-Side, immediately grooving thanks to "Funk-N-You", a laidback glider that just rolls in the sleek style. Gorgeous harmony skills are displayed on "Street Dreamin'". Beautiful and gritty funk, by turns. "You're My Last Girl" is an airy ballad with two leads before the legendary "Monterey" enters the fray. A much-sampled instrumental and heavy disco-funk nugget, it contains an amazing B-Boy drum break making the whole LP worth the price of admission. "Can You Feel It (Part 2)" closes out this spectacular set.

The Rhythm Makers had been gigging around New York City since the late ’60s, having initially come together as Sabu and the Survivors, named after bassist Keith “Sabu” Crier. They eventually - for this album at least! - settled on The Rhythm Makers and cut one record for the small De-Lite subsidiary Vigor. The core lineup featured Crier, keyboardist Herb Lane, drummer Kenny Banks and rhythm guitarist Rahiem Leblanc.

Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston for Alchemy at AIR Studios with artwork restored at Be With HQ, this new edition should hopefully bring this album into the homes and record boxes of many more people.

Vivid Visions ist eine psychedelische Reise durch modernen Indie-Rap, kreiert vom irischen Produzenten The Expert. Inspiriert von surrealen Traumlandschaften wie Twin Peaks und The Monkees' Head verbindet das Album abwechslungsreiche Klangwelten mit rauen Texten von 21 Gast-Rappern aus verschiedenen Generationen und Ländern. Das Ergebnis ist ein kaleidoskopisches Soundbild - mal luftig und geheimnisvoll, mal bunt und verspielt - getragen von The Experts markantem Bass. Ob Blu, Buck 65 oder aufstrebende Talente wie AJ Suede, jede Stimme bringt eine eigene Facette in diesen klanglichen Trip ein. Mehr als nur eine Beat-Kompilation fühlt sich Vivid Visions wie ein audiovisueller Film an: atmosphärisch, cineastisch und voller Persönlichkeit. Es ist eine Feier des Indie-Raps gestern, heute und morgen, zusammengeführt von einem der kreativsten Produzenten der Szene.

Ramirez returns with THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II, the long-awaited sequel to his cult classic that helped solidify his place as one of underground rap’s most distinctive voices. Steeped in Southern-fried funk, Bay Area swagger, and Memphis-style menace, this new chapter finds Ramirez sharper, smoother, and more seasoned—delivering game like a streetwise sage with a gold grill grin.

Where the original Playa$ Manual was gritty and raw, THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II sounds like a player who's leveled up. The beats knock harder, the flows glide slicker, and the game is deeper. Ramirez weaves tales of betrayal, come-ups, late-night drives, and cold-hearted reality with the same charismatic cool that made him a standout in the $uicideboy$-adjacent G59 movement—but this time with a more refined, cinematic approach.

From trunk-rattling bangers to syrupy smooth cuts that soundtrack late-night escapades, THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II feels like a ride through Ramirez’s world with tinted windows up and the bass on max. It’s a record for the hustlers, the heartbreakers, the loners, and the legends in the making.

This is more than a sequel—it’s a statement: the playa’s still active, and the manual’s been updated.

'HEAVY DJ' Split 7" ON Splatter Vinyl. Orang-Utan were in fact a London based band called Hunter, featuring vocalist Terry "Nobby" Clarke (of psych-pop legends Jason Crest), guitar players Mick Clarke and Sid Fairman, drummer and songwriter Jeff Seopardi and bass player Paul Roberts. They recorded their sole album in 1971 at DeLane Lea studios. In a bizarre twist of events, their producers / managers ran with the tapes to the US, where they placed the album on Bell Records under a new band name: Orang-Utan, without telling any of the band members. A lost classic of blazing, early hard rock with minor psychedelic hangover vibes, a twin-guitar attack, and waves of fuzz/wah, along with powerful vocals. Formed in 1971, Bulldozer was a London-based heavy rock band. The roots of the band are those of a jam session on Blandford Street. That's where Isaacs, formerly of The Land of Green Ginger and Asylum, and Derek Carter, ex-Shades of Time, decided they wanted to have themselves a band. Following intense rehearsals, Bulldozer recorded a demo at TW Studios, which led to management under Ric Lee and IMA, a company co-owned by Tony Iommi and Norman Hood. Bulldozer disbanded in 1973 leaving behind a brief but notable legacy in the early '70s heavy rock scene.

The Keith Tippett Group's Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening is a landmark in cutting edge fusion/avant-jazz. A vital and profoundly adventurous Jazz-Rock record that still swings very hard, it was first released on Vertigo in 1971.

Original copies are now very tricky to score and, as most of you really should know, it’s aged ridiculously well.

A legendary work, this Be With re-issue has been newly remastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, demonstrating just why this deserves to be back in press. The stunning gatefold jacket fully restores Roger and Martyn Dean's original, arresting album artwork to complete this must-have reissue.

Alive and bursting with a joyful energy that has to be heard to be believed, Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening flirts with perfection. It's truly magical and forever essential.

A brilliant jazz pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader "who could make the outlands of modern music feel like the most hospitable of places" (The Guardian), Keith Tippett's second album is oft-regarded as his Canterbury album.

Indeed, not only does he draw heavily on Soft Machine members past, present and future but the album title itself archly references a Soft Machine composition. Ray Babbington handles bass alongside Neville Whitehead and the drums are shared between Brian Spring (Nucleus), Robert Wyatt(!) and Phil Howard (who would go on to replace Wyatt in Soft Machine). Gary Boyle (Isotope) is on guitar whilst the great percussionist Tony Uter is enlisted for his conga and cow bell expertise. Elton Dean on Alto Saxello, cornetist Marc Charig and Nick Evans on trombone round out this quite stunning ensemble.

Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening presents a collective of superhuman musicians really, *really* enjoying themselves in the studio. The sheer exuberance of the performance is totally infectious. It's wild, energetic, atmospheric and, bluntly, bordering on chaotic at points. In a word, it's beautiful.

Robert Wyatt's drumming opens the record with a bang on the majestic Be With favourite "This Is What Happens". Some have described his work here as "easily the most inspired of his career on record." It's an ultra-funky conga-driven groove that truly sparks via the duelling interplay between the three horn players. In the background, Keith's insistent piano, in conversation with those unignorable drums, is the anchor that keeps this piece rollicking away. Breathtaking.

The epic, energetic "Thoughts to Geoff" is a 10-minute jammer that tends towards the dissonant and improvisational but becomes more fluid, laconic and melodic as it unravels. The interplay between soloists and ensembles is particularly dazzling here - blazing solos by Evans, Charig and Tippett himself in a flourish of angular arpeggios interspersed with chordal elocution. Phew.

Up next, the no less-urgent Mingus-referencing "Green and Orange Night Park" is a soaring example of ambitious jazz mixed with rock aggression, with Dean strutting his stuff by launching into a scorching solo. An absolutely jaw-dropping piece. Arguably the highlight of this album of huge highlights!

Though much of the album tends to fall on the raucous side ("Gridal Suite" approaches free-jazz at its most chaotic and, dare we say it, "difficult"), there are a few more sedate, at times spacey numbers, such as the deeply impressionistic "Five After Dawn". The rhythmically complex "Black Horse" is the most accessible track here, a sort of swinging Big Band number with tight grooves, soaring horn & reed melodies, a sizzling Boyle guitar solo and tasty electric piano riffs from Tippett. An hypnotic climax to a staggering record.

This Be With edition of Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Cicely Balston's cut at Abbey Road Studios to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The stunning gatefold sleeve has been restored in all its brainchild glory so you know you're dealing with the definitive reissue, here. Now, are you listening?

A Milan-born multi-instrumentalist of Venetian heritage, Alberto Baldan Bembo was a gifted vibraphonist, organist, pianist, arranger, and composer whose work bridged jazz, pop, and film music. By the early 1960s, he was performing with Italy’s leading ensembles, including I Menestrelli del Jazz and Bruno De Filippi’s group, and soon became an in-demand session musician. For several years, he toured with the legendary Mina, providing the piano and organ backbone to her live shows—a role that sharpened the cinematic sensibility and refined musicianship that would later define his soundtrack work. In the years to come, he would be celebrated for his scores to films such as L’Amica Di Mia Madre (1975) and Lingua Argento (1976), earning a place alongside Piero Umiliani, Alessandro Alessandroni, Berto Pisano, and other luminaries of Italy’s golden age of soundtrack and library music.

Io E Mara is the soundtrack to a film that was never made. Originally released on the CGD label in 1969, this debut album from the brilliant Maestro Baldan Bembo is a sophisticated concept-album tracing 24 hours in the life of two young lovers. Told entirely through music, the record unfolds as a continuous suite of ten tracks, where cinematic lounge, bossa, and jazz flavors mingle to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Baldan Bembo’s signature piano and organ are masterfully complemented by Mara’s ethereal vocals, while immersive soundscapes of crashing waves, seagulls, and rain showers enhance the feeling of a deeply personal and intimate journey. A cast of exceptional musicians brings this vision to life, including Bruno De Filippi on electric guitar and sitar, Carlo Milano on electric bass, Rolando Ceragioli on drums, and Pasquale Liguori on sound effects. This singular work not only showcases the burgeoning talent of a future soundtrack master but also features the original pop art front cover by Italian cult illustrator Guido Crepax.

END[GER] Die Band Wednesday aus Asheville, North Carolina errichtet im Laufe der zehn Songs von "Rat Saw God" einen Schrein voller aufregender Details: Halb lustige, halb tragische Botschaften aus den Südstaaten, die sich klanglich irgendwo zwischen dem wimmernden Skuzz von Neunzigerjahre-Shoegaze und klassischem Country-Twang entfalten - mit verzerrter Pedal Steel und Frontfrau Karly Hartzman, die mit ihrer Stimme, den Lärm durchschneidet. Ein Song von Wednesday ist wie ein Quilt. Eine Kurzgeschichtensammlung, eine verschwommene Erinnerung, ein Flickenteppich aus Porträts des amerikanischen Südens, der disparate Momente einfängt und als Ganzes doch irgendwie einen Sinn ergibt. Karly Hartzman, die Songschreiberin, Sängerin, Gitarristin und Leiterin der Band, ist eine Geschichtensammlerin als auch eine Geschichtenerzählerin: Eine aufmerksame Beobachterin von Menschen und witzigen Bemerkungen. "Rat Saw God", das neue und beste Album des Quintetts aus Asheville, ist ekphrastisch, aber ebenso autobiografisch und vor allem sehr einfühlsam. Es wurde in den Monaten unmittelbar nach der Fertigstellung von dem zweiten Album der Band, "Twin Plagues", geschrieben und innerhalb einer Woche im Drop Of Sun Studio in Asheville aufgenommen. Die Songs auf "Rat Saw God" erzählen keine Epen, sondern das Alltägliche. Sie sind lebensnah, erzählen vom wahren Leben, sie sind verschwommen und chaotisch und seltsam zugleich - was Hartzmans eigenem Ethos entspricht: "Everyone's story is worthy. Literally every life story is worth writing down, because people are so fascinating." A Wednesday song is a quilt. A short story collection, a half-memory, a patchwork of portraits of the American south, disparate moments that somehow make sense as a whole. Karly Hartzman, the songwriter/ vocalist/guitarist at the helm of the project, is a story collector as much as she is a storyteller: a scholar of people and one-liners. Rat Saw God, the Asheville quintet's new and best record, is ekphrastic but autobiographical and above all, deeply empathetic. Across the album's ten tracks Hartzman, guitarist MJ Lenderman, bassist Margo Shultz, drummer Alan Miller, and lap/pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis build a shrine to minutiae. Half-funny, half-tragic dispatches from North Carolina unfurling somewhere between the wailing skuzz of Nineties shoegaze and classic country twang, that distorted lap steel and Hartzman's voice slicing through the din. Rat Saw God is an album about riding a bike down a suburban stretch in Greensboro while listening to My Bloody Valentine for the first time on an iPod Nano, past a creek that runs through the neighborhood riddled with broken glass bottles and condoms, a front yard filled with broken and rusted car parts, a lonely and dilapidated house reclaimed by kudzu. Four Lokos and rodeo clowns and a kid who burns down a corn field. Roadside monuments, church marquees, poppers and vodka in a plastic water bottle, the shit you get away with at Jewish summer camp, strange sentimental family heirlooms at the thrift stores. The way the South hums alive all night in the summers and into fall, the sound of high school football games, the halo effect from the lights polluting the darkness. It's not really bright enough to see in front of you, but in that stretch of inky void - somehow - you see everything. The songs on Rat Saw God don't recount epics, just the everyday. They're true, they're real life, blurry and chaotic and strange - which is in-line with Hartzman's own ethos: "Everyone's story is worthy," she says, plainly. "Literally every life story is worth writing down, because people are so fascinating." But the thing about Rat Saw God - and about any Wednesday song, really - is you don't necessarily even need all the references to get it, the weirdly specific elation of a song that really hits. Yeah, it's all in the details - how fucked up you got or get, how you break a heart, how you fall in love, how you make yourself and others feel seen - but it's mostly the way those tiny moments add up into a song or album or a person.

Sub Channels Records is proud to announce their first release, "Epic EP," featuring a collaboration between Belgium-based producer Unlisted Fanatic and Moonshine Horns.

The track "Epic" is a result of the first "post-covid" spontaneous rehearsal session. After Martin just finished building his new fast-driven 90s UK stepper riddim, Jort and Kris came to a studio, and they both felt the vibes instantly. Very quickly this turns into a recording session where they have lay down the powerful, triumphant horn line. With bouncy bass and very clever percussion layering, it's a perfect backing beat for uplifting horns.

On the flip side, EchoBoy slows down the tempo of the original recordings, transforming the melodic horns into more rootikal vibes. This, combined with hard-hitting wobs and ground-shaking subs, makes the B-side a more futuristic tune.

Davide & Emily form the duo "The Jackson Pollock", delivering an explosive blend of lo-fi and garage music that creates a sound far greater than the sum of its parts. Emily sounds like a cannon blast when she strikes her 22âÇ3 ride cymbal with full force, while simultaneously cursing the spirit with mermaid-like melodies. Davide alternates between guitar and bass, bringing distorted, bluesy tones to life. "What we do is very energetic, free, and positive, because we want to encourage people to have the courage to do what they truly want - to be themselves and fearless - as human and as animal - while avoiding any kind of schema, external structures, definitions, and imposed references."

Emerging from the house scene of the 2000s with his label Place Blanche, Greg Kozo has been a bartender in naughty bars, music director at Galeries Lafayette, bassist in funk bands, and legendary producer and DJ with his former band Make The Girl Dance. Far from settling down, he returns to the arena with a sharp sound. Several catchy tracks such as "Reviens" and "After" are sultry and subversive electro-pop songs, reminiscent of the sensuality of French Touch House or 80s Synth Pop. These tracks are performed by La Montespan, a mysterious creature and poetess of carnal desires, who gives them a gently erotic tone. In the dead of night, "Flamingos," "The Room," "Who Take Me Higher," and "Club Melancholia" take us to the depths of Paris' hottest clubs, where the beats pound like bodies on fire. "Magnolia" feat. Coeur (from the punk-rock band Schlasss) is a return to raw electro-rock, like a total experience of letting go. Finally, to climb the stairs out of the club, "Amour Fou" and "Turbulences" are hymns celebrating pure love in a couple who have weathered all the dangers of the nighttogether.

Vinyl AudiophilAls Pavlov's Dog im vergangenen Jahr die Veröffentlichung des karriereübergreifenden Boxsets Essential Recordings 1974 - 2018 feierten, arbeitete die Band bereits hart an einem neuen Album mit Originalmaterial. Dieses Album, genannt Wonderlust, ist 2025 erschienen. Und das ein halbes Jahrhundert, nachdem ihre Debüt-LP Pampered Menial und der darauf enthaltene Hit „Julia“ Pavlov's Dog kurzzeitig zu den Lieblingen der Progressive-Rock-Szene der 1970er Jahre machte. Das neue Album ist ein äußerst kreatives Werk mit Songs, die auf intelligentem Songwriting, erstklassiger Musikalität und einem untrüglichen Gespür für das Dramatische aufbauen, das den Sound der Band über all die Jahre geprägt hat.

Pavlov‘s Dog wurde Anfang der 1970er Jahre in St. Louis, Missouri, gegründet und erlangte mit seiner einzigartigen Mischung aus Rock, Klassik und Folk Kultstatus. Ihr damaliger Erfolg war jedoch nur von kurzer Dauer: Bereits 1977 löste sich die Originalbesetzung auf. Leadsänger, Gitarrist und Hauptkomponist David Surkamp machte weiter und schloss sich 1990 mit seinem Gründungsmitglied Doug Rayburn zusammen, um das Album Lost in America aufzunehmen. Doch das zweite Kapitel in der Karriere von Pavlov Dog kam erst nach der Jahrtausendwende so richtig in Schwung, als eine talentierte Gruppe von Musikern der nächsten Generation das Erbe weiterführte. Unter der Leitung von Surkamp hat sich die Band in den letzten Jahren weiterentwickelt. Eine neue Welle des Interesses an Prog-Rock ermöglicht es ihr, regelmäßig zu touren. Die aktuelle Besetzung hat die ursprüngliche Version von Pavlov's Dog in puncto Langlebigkeit inzwischen weit übertroffen: Sängerin Sara Surkamp, Geigerin Abbie Steiling, Bassist Rick Steiling und Keyboarder Mark Maher bilden zusammen mit dem Gründer David Surkamp seit sieben Jahren den Kern der Band.

Bereits auf dem gefeierten Album Prodigal Dreamer aus dem Jahr 2018 vertreten, beweist dieses erfahrene Team von Musikern – mit Unterstützung von u.a. Schlagzeuger Steve Bunck und Gitarristen Phil Ring – nun auf Wonderlust einmal mehr sein Können. Schon beim ersten Hören sind die große Tiefe, Reife und Vision der elf Tracks spürbar. Einige Songs, wie der Opener „Anyway There's Snow“, bei dem Abbie Steilings wunderschöne Geige im Vordergrund steht, glänzen durch große Dramatik. Das von Streichern durchtränkte „Another Blood Moon“ ist ein weiteres Beispiel der für Pavlov’s Dog typischen, musikalischen Melancholie. Auf einem Album voller eindringlicher Gesangsperformances erreicht Surkamp hier wohl seinen Höhepunkt.

Dennoch sollte man nicht vergessen, dass Pavlov's Dog in erster Linie eine Rockband ist. Stücke wie das treibende „Mona“ und das knallharte „Collingwood Hotel“ treffen ins Schwarze. „Jet Black Cadillac“ klingt wie der Titel einer klassischen Rock'n'Roll-Nummer, doch der Song beginnt wehmütig. (Seien wir ehrlich: Pavlov's Dog klingt fast immer zumindest ein bisschen wehmütig.) Doch sobald der titelgebende Cadillac im Refrain auftaucht, erhebt sich der Song und das Traumauto fungiert als Mittel zur Flucht vor dem Blues. Hinzu kommen der freche Charme von „Solid Water, Liquid Sky“ und die Hardrock-Anleihen von „Can't Stop The Hurt“.

Besonders langjährige Fans, die mehr von dem wollen, was typischerweise „Prog“ ausmacht, können sich über die zweite Hälfte des Albums freuen. Auf dem von Abbie Steiling geschriebenen, instrumentalen Prunkstück „Calling Sigfried“ entfesselt die Band kurzerhand ihre gesamte musikalische Brillanz. Das Album schließt mit einem Trio von Songs, die Surkamp gemeinsam mit seinem früheren Songwriting-Partner, dem inzwischen verstorbenen Doug Rayburn, geschrieben hat. Von diesen verströmt vor allem „Canadian Rain” die abenteuerlichen Vibes des Progressive Rock der 1970er-Jahre mit zahlreichen Tempowechseln und einem elektrischen Slap-Bass-Solo wie aus heiterem Himmel.

Auf Wonderlust klingen Pavlov's Dog wie die Veteranen, die sie sind; diese Musiker sind schon lange genug dabei, um zu wissen, was sie tun. Doch gleichzeitig beweisen sie, dass ihre kreative Quelle immer noch sprudelt. Das langersehnte Wonderlust ist ein Album voller geschickt eingespielter, vollständig realisierter Rockmusik, bei dem Surkamp zeigt, dass er stimmlich keineswegs nachgelassen hat und, dass ein alter Hund doch ein paar neue Tricks lernen kann.

Gute Musik wie diese wird nie aus der Mode kommen.

DJ Steaw returns to the forefront with a sharp new Deep House EP, forthcoming onHouse Puff label.This project, available in vinyl for collectors and in digital format for everyone, showcases DJ Steaw's mastery of groove and atmosphere. The four tracks presented hereare true gems for lovers of authentic Deep House: deep, driving basslines intertwinewith soaring melodic pads and subtly percussive rhythms.Expect an immersive sonic journey, perfect for underground clubs as well as sophisticated chill-out moments. The release on House Puff is a guarantee of quality and a refined sonic aesthetic. An EP not to be missed for anyone who appreciates Deep House inits purest and most effective form.

Francois Kevorkian (Wave) : Lovely EP, atmospheric vibes.
Chris Udoh (Various) : Lovely !!!
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Fred P is a master of deep house. Live Long Love & When in Miami for me.
Will Hofbauer (Third Place, Wisdom Teeth, Rinse) : nice n deep ty!
Radio Slave (Rekids) : The King is back and what an EP ! Full support.
Jon Hester (Rekids, EDEC, Les Enfants Terribles, L.A.G.) : Lovely vibes on When In Miami and Live Long Love!
Jacques Renault : Nice EP, into When In Miami and The Heights in particular
Danny Howells (Dig Deeper) : Love Fred so much, always the highest quality music with soul. All four are stunners.
Dan Beaumont (Chapter 10 / NTS) : Always brilliant.. deeep! When in Miami for me
DJ Sprinkles (Comatonse) : thank you
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : Live Long Fred P!
Tomoki Tamura (Holic Trax) : pure class, deep house
Raresh (ar:pi:ar) : super! thanks
Laurent Garnier : FRED P alwayssssssssssssssss
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Archie Hamilton (Microhertz / FUSE) : Nice thanks
DVS1 : thanks
Alinka (Twirl, Classic, Crosstown Rebels, Batty Bass) : Beautiful tracks
Pat Hyland (Northside Loft Society) : Fred P is a master of deep. AWEsome EP!
Thor (Thor-Thule Records) : Another great release by the master of Deep House. Full support
Colin Dale : One of my fave producers from way back! Excellent 4 tracker with all the cuts 'hittin' the mark'. Will rotate & support.
Geir Aspenes (G-Ha (Sunkissed)) : Thank u
Jaye Ward (Dalston Super Store / Netil Radio) : Syncrophone just continues to churn out the goodness.. love Fred P too. so deep and full of the good soul ace! thx
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love this
Greg Gow (Restructured / Transmat / KMS) : cool vibes full support
Jerome Sydenham (Ibadan) : When Miami is the business! Overall nice E.P!
Bill Brewster (NTS) : FRED P RETURNS!
Bailey Ibbs (Metafloor Records / Habits / Dansu Discs) : Live Long Love <3

The Alien Dub Orchestra is ragtag collective of Bavarian musicians, featuring members of The Notwist and G.Rag y los hermanos Patchekos. The cohort formed around the idea of performing the standards of the fabled Breadminster Songbook, aka the back-catalogue of lone dubman Elijah Minnelli. Minnelli is known for constructing wheezy, forlorn odes to his hometown, both as highly sought-after self-released 7" singles, and a critically-acclaimed debut album, ‘Perpetual Musket’ for FatCat Records, lauded by the likes of The Guardian, The Wire, and The Quietus. ‘The Alien Dub Orchestra: Plays the Breadminster Songbook’ finds group covering Minnelli’s cumbia-infused dub reggae with full band, playing an eclectic array of instruments including: guiro, accordion, melodica, sousaphone, trumpet and assorted percussion.

The tale begins in 2022, when Minnelli was invited to lend his unique dubbing style to a pair of remixes for The Notwist, and what followed was an ever-flourishing relationship between the Breadminster native and the wider Munich scene. The seeds of the Alien Dub Orchestra were sown during a support gig for The Notwist, where assorted musicians joined Minnelli for a encore, reinterpreting one of his dub remixes across woodwind, brass and assorted percussion.

“The idea of real, competent professionals playing something you’ve muddled together on a computer in a damp basement is quite overwhelming,” reflects Minnelli on the process, “hearing them interpret and improve these melodies is a real joy and privilege.”

Despite the non-traditional origins of the source material, the inherent musicality of Minnelli’s songwriting shines through across his releases, and this creative kinship is what attracted the Orchestra to reimagining his work. The first live collaboration led to recording sessions and further gigs, with the Orchestra building a full set of Minnelli’s music.

The resulting album puts forward the strongest case yet of the shared musical throughline between the acts, where cumbia, dub and folk sensibilities coalesce to something all together unique. The tracks are wrought new, with melodies fleshed out and broader instrumentation expanding the sonic possibilities of the compositions. The tactility of the tracks is perhaps best demonstrated on the gorgeous ‘Vine and Fig Tree’, with it’s layed vocals and expressive bassline returning as a cavorting sousaphone line. Elsewhere, fan favourite ‘SLATS’ sounds as if it was simply written to be performed this way.

To further instill the cylindrical nature of these collaborations, the entire second half of the album is made up of dub versions of the Orchestra’s renditions. For these dubs, Minnelli is joined by Raimund Wong, who had caught his ear with his ambitious live sets, a daisy chain of tape machines and FX pedals. Again, despite their differing creative processes, the two bonded over a shared love of dub music. Each dub was a one-take, with Minnelli riding the faders and Wong’s filters and FX supplying a sound that doesn’t seek to imitate dub, so much as it tries to be it’s own chaotic self. The droning, psychedelic hypnosis of ‘Pundit Dub’ stretches the material to a whole new realm that feels outside of anything else Minnelli has produced before, an ode to the benefits of recycling sound if ever there was one. The whole second half is a perfect closing note to an album that is undoubtedly a love letter to folk tradition, dub ideology and, most importantly, the joy of uninhibited collaboration.

​Elijah Minnelli - voc, guiro, percussion
Philip Gross - accordion, melodica
Theresa Loibl - clarinet, melodica
Cico Beck - electronics, keyboards
Sascha Schwegeler - congas, steel drum, percussion
Micha Acher - sousaphone, trumpet
Markus Acher - drums, voc
Dub mixes performed live by Elijah Minnelli & Raimund Wong at Breadminster County Council Studios

Ostinato as resistance: Rafael Anton Irisarri’s landmark work reimagined. Marking the tenth anniversary of the American composer’s critically acclaimed album 'A Fragile Geography', this new edition arrives renewed, both sonically and visually.

First released in 2015 (Room40) during a period of personal upheaval and creative reinvention, it endures as a testament to resilience, transformation, and the connection we hold with the places that shape us.

Written in the aftermath of a devastating theft, A Fragile Geography was born out of loss. Just days before a cross-country move to New York, Irisarri’s entire Seattle-based studio was wiped out. Instruments. Recordings. Archives. Gone without a trace. He arrived on the East Coast to an empty room and the daunting task of starting over.

“This album wasn’t just a record; it was a lifeline,” Irisarri reflects. “It became a way to process the emotional chaos that followed: uprooting, instability, and ultimately, the slow, intuitive rebuilding of a life.”

Composed and recorded in the rural woods of the Hudson Valley, the album took shape in seclusion, surrounded by nature, and through a process guided by improvisation. Embracing limitations, Irisarri wove textural layers of field recordings with half-remembered melodies from his Seattle years, piecing them together like fragments of memory. Tracks like “Displacement,” “Hiatus,” and “Persistence” juxtaposed haunting stillness with restless momentum, mapping an inner terrain of grief, catharsis, and rebirth.

Among its defining sounds is “Empire Systems,” a monumental centerpiece built around a simple four-chord progression, organ textures, and guitar drones. Gradually, the track expands into layers of immersive loops and thick, enveloping distortion that wash over the listener like a rolling wave. Often cited as the album’s most majestic passage, it captures Irisarri at his most sonically ambitious. With a harmonically saturated structure crafted from restraint and repetition, it remains one of his most recognizable compositions: an exercise in the art of maximal minimalism.

From the outset, “Reprisal” received praise from BBC’s Mary Anne Hobbs, who championed the track on her radio show. Her support played a key role in introducing Irisarri’s work to wider audiences and solidifying his place within the lineage of electronic, drone, and experimental sound artists. A slow-burning elegy, the piece emerges from a haze of distortion and sub-bass, with dense, unrelenting drones carrying a sense of mounting tension. Just as it seems to collapse under its own weight, flickers of guitar emerge like distant light through fog. It’s a meditation on dissonance, resolve, and the elusive possibility of release.

The closing track, “Secretly Wishing for Rain,” is steeped in saudade: a longing for Seattle’s dour grey skies, lush green landscapes, and desaturated sunsets. Through it, Irisarri mourns a vanished chapter of life bound to the city, a time documented in scattered mementos and cherished collections, now permanently gone. A reflection on what could never be recovered: an era lost to time. Julia Kent’s looped cello motifs added a melancholic warmth to the track, marking the first collaboration between the two artists and sparking a musical dialogue that would keep growing in the years that followed.

More than a career highlight, A Fragile Geography has laid the foundation for Black Knoll studio, which Irisarri rebuilt from the ground up. The studio has since grown into a creative hub for countless projects, with Irisarri engineering records for iconic music figures like Terry Riley, Ryuichi Sakamoto, William Basinski, MONO, Devendra Banhart, Grouper, Emeralds, Steve Hauschildt, Julianna Barwick, and many others. Carried by its lasting influence, the album has quietly captured the ear of a younger generation, its sound and emotional arc finding new listeners in unexpected corners.

The album’s new visual language was reimagined in collaboration with Mexico City–based designer Daniel Castrejón. Irisarri captured ghostly images at Gaztelugatxeko Doniene, a historic coastal site in Bermeo, Euskal Herria. Castrejón then treated the photographs with distressed textures and spectral overlays. The final artwork channels the rugged, elemental forces that shaped both the music and Irisarri’s aesthetic, renewing his ties to ancestral ground inspired by the Basque homeland of his bloodline.

Mastered by Stephan Mathieu with exceptional attention to detail, this anniversary edition uncovers every nuance in the sound design, enhancing clarity and presence. With each listen, new elements emerge, inviting discovery and reconnection.

“I don’t experience this album as a document of grief anymore,” says Irisarri. “I hear adaptation and I'm reminded that when everything falls apart, something meaningful, maybe even beautiful, can emerge.”

Ostinato as resistance: Rafael Anton Irisarri’s landmark work reimagined. Marking the tenth anniversary of the American composer’s critically acclaimed album 'A Fragile Geography', this new edition arrives renewed, both sonically and visually.

First released in 2015 (Room40) during a period of personal upheaval and creative reinvention, it endures as a testament to resilience, transformation, and the connection we hold with the places that shape us.

Written in the aftermath of a devastating theft, A Fragile Geography was born out of loss. Just days before a cross-country move to New York, Irisarri’s entire Seattle-based studio was wiped out. Instruments. Recordings. Archives. Gone without a trace. He arrived on the East Coast to an empty room and the daunting task of starting over.

“This album wasn’t just a record; it was a lifeline,” Irisarri reflects. “It became a way to process the emotional chaos that followed: uprooting, instability, and ultimately, the slow, intuitive rebuilding of a life.”

Composed and recorded in the rural woods of the Hudson Valley, the album took shape in seclusion, surrounded by nature, and through a process guided by improvisation. Embracing limitations, Irisarri wove textural layers of field recordings with half-remembered melodies from his Seattle years, piecing them together like fragments of memory. Tracks like “Displacement,” “Hiatus,” and “Persistence” juxtaposed haunting stillness with restless momentum, mapping an inner terrain of grief, catharsis, and rebirth.

Among its defining sounds is “Empire Systems,” a monumental centerpiece built around a simple four-chord progression, organ textures, and guitar drones. Gradually, the track expands into layers of immersive loops and thick, enveloping distortion that wash over the listener like a rolling wave. Often cited as the album’s most majestic passage, it captures Irisarri at his most sonically ambitious. With a harmonically saturated structure crafted from restraint and repetition, it remains one of his most recognizable compositions: an exercise in the art of maximal minimalism.

From the outset, “Reprisal” received praise from BBC’s Mary Anne Hobbs, who championed the track on her radio show. Her support played a key role in introducing Irisarri’s work to wider audiences and solidifying his place within the lineage of electronic, drone, and experimental sound artists. A slow-burning elegy, the piece emerges from a haze of distortion and sub-bass, with dense, unrelenting drones carrying a sense of mounting tension. Just as it seems to collapse under its own weight, flickers of guitar emerge like distant light through fog. It’s a meditation on dissonance, resolve, and the elusive possibility of release.

The closing track, “Secretly Wishing for Rain,” is steeped in saudade: a longing for Seattle’s dour grey skies, lush green landscapes, and desaturated sunsets. Through it, Irisarri mourns a vanished chapter of life bound to the city, a time documented in scattered mementos and cherished collections, now permanently gone. A reflection on what could never be recovered: an era lost to time. Julia Kent’s looped cello motifs added a melancholic warmth to the track, marking the first collaboration between the two artists and sparking a musical dialogue that would keep growing in the years that followed.

More than a career highlight, A Fragile Geography has laid the foundation for Black Knoll studio, which Irisarri rebuilt from the ground up. The studio has since grown into a creative hub for countless projects, with Irisarri engineering records for iconic music figures like Terry Riley, Ryuichi Sakamoto, William Basinski, MONO, Devendra Banhart, Grouper, Emeralds, Steve Hauschildt, Julianna Barwick, and many others. Carried by its lasting influence, the album has quietly captured the ear of a younger generation, its sound and emotional arc finding new listeners in unexpected corners.

The album’s new visual language was reimagined in collaboration with Mexico City–based designer Daniel Castrejón. Irisarri captured ghostly images at Gaztelugatxeko Doniene, a historic coastal site in Bermeo, Euskal Herria. Castrejón then treated the photographs with distressed textures and spectral overlays. The final artwork channels the rugged, elemental forces that shaped both the music and Irisarri’s aesthetic, renewing his ties to ancestral ground inspired by the Basque homeland of his bloodline.

Mastered by Stephan Mathieu with exceptional attention to detail, this anniversary edition uncovers every nuance in the sound design, enhancing clarity and presence. With each listen, new elements emerge, inviting discovery and reconnection.

“I don’t experience this album as a document of grief anymore,” says Irisarri. “I hear adaptation and I'm reminded that when everything falls apart, something meaningful, maybe even beautiful, can emerge.”

Label text:

"Conrad Pack returns to SELN Recordings with a three track EP threading the needle between London sonics and
something beyond.

The primary tracks Praise and Guidance were recorded during the height of the Scram events organised by
Leeway (Guy Gormley), and hosted by the late soundsystem luminary Julian Fairshare at Ormside Projects. The
influence of this period, and in particular of Fairshare himself, on the music is clear; both are stepper-esq, leaning
heavily on London’s musical legacy past and present, whilst still pushing a contemporary sound.

Praise is essentially a Dub track. The percussion and bass are of a familiar steppers nature, with the synths
evoking a true Big Smoke feeling. Although the melody itself wouldn’t sound out of place in a UK Drill number, the
song overall still touches on Industrial and DIY sonics, being all the stronger for doing so.

Guidance follows in solid form. Amongst the driving percussion and staunch bassline, droning pads lock in a dense
mood whilst sparse choral melodies echo throughout. Think Shaka meets Muslimgauze, but recorded in a
Woolwich Office Block.

Grotto was originally produced for the group show “The Grotto” held in January 2021 at Ridley Road Project Space.
Restructuring the track from the original stems, Pack presents a new and enchanted “stereo version” for Praise EP.
Angelic atmospheres flow amongst scattered hi-hats as sporadic Freetekno Kicks reverberate across the void.
Most accurately described as “what Curley in a K Hole might have sounded like”. "

Collecting Orders For 2025 Repress

Nick Curly celebrates the 50th release on his imprint with label partner Marc Scholl. Together, they present Nick Curly’s Altrip EP, featuring a guest remix by Manda Moor.

The EP commences with the title track 'Altrip,' where robust sub-bass melds seamlessly with vigorous drum programming. Following suit, 'It's You And Me' maintains the same potent energy, featuring cascading note arpeggios and intricate percussive elements that traverse the mix. Manda Moor's 'Burning Remix' of 'Altrip' injects her high-octane sonic signature into the original, employing rave-inspired stabs, panning drums, and sliced vocal samples.

As the year '23 enters its final quarter, Cécille Records is set to reinvigorate its event series in collaboration with Peoples Agency. Two official dates stand as markers of this revival. Alongside Nick Curly, an array of artists including Sidney Charles, Manda Moor, Fabe, Leon, De La Swing, Dennis Quin, Timmy P, Reboot and more are poised to join the festivities. The launch will take place under Cécille tent owned by Groove Fest London, while another event is scheduled at ADE in partnership with promoter Hush, hosted at Amsterdam's Melkweg Club.

2025 Repress

Eager Buyers is an observation of longing, of memory, of attempted connection, of lost innocence, and irreconcilable dreams. It"s the sound of broken promises for a bright future, where rose-tinted glasses have lost their clarity, dirtied with disaffection over time. Across this sultry, smoky, cinematic epic, JASSS attempts to process mixed feelings amidst the modern malaise. Alluringly atmospheric and cerebral, but bold and direct, with high-spec sound design, JASSS spaces each element with expert definition. Searing swathes of noise nestle with crisp breakbeats, billowing bass, dark ambience, prepared piano, phosphorescent electronics and calibrated percussion.

By the end of the 1970s Linval Thompson had cut out a successful dual career for himself as both singer and producer. Naturally he moved in the dub field as well, getting further use out of rhythms he used in his other works. Dub had begun strictly as an album format with limited pressing runs for scene insiders, but it had swiftly gained the interest of the rank and file reggae buffs.

'Negrea Love Dub', originally released in 1978, is a cornerstone in the reggae dub scene.

Linval Thompson produced riddims which were laid at Channel One studio by The Revolutionaries – at the time a celebrated studio band led by drum and bass partners Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespear – and mixed at King Tubby's renown studio at 18 Dromilly Avenue in Kingston by Prince Jammy.

The sound of the ten dubs featured here is hypnotic and its effects are euphoric to say the least.

It began with a cassette tape entitled 'Pleased To Meet You' gifted to us at Sessa's Fasching, Stockholm show by Yann Dardenne, the multi-tasking tour manager/sound engineer/producer/merch stall worker and co-owner of Seloki Records. On first listen, the selection of underground Brazilian artists from the Seloki's roster was superb, however, one song stopped us in our tracks. The hauntingly captivating ' GOSTO MEIO DOCE' by Nina Maia and Francisca Barreto, gave us a taste of Nina's ethereal, addictive voice and we knew we needed to hear more. Born in Minas Gerais but now based in Sao Paulo, the 22-year-old has already packed a lot into a relatively short space of time. The singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer, has already collaborated on the soundtracks for six Brazilian feature films, including a track with the vocalists Maria Gadu, Iza, and Liniker. But things enter a new exciting era with this, her remarkable debut album entitled 'INTEIRA', which translates to English as 'whole'.

As much inspired by Billie Eilish and Rosalia, as Milton Nascimento and Toninho Horta and not sounding like other records coming out of Brazil, 'INTEIRA' is unique. Though rich in its Brazilian heritage, inspired by samba cancao, MPB, and the Clube da Esquina movement, it also channels influence from bands such as Portishead and Massive Attack, mixed with jazz, contemporary leftfield and electronic pop artists. Musically, it is not easily pigeonholed, with beautiful, well-crafted songs, sophisticated arrangements, eloquent vocals and intimate lyrics. Each track reflects different moments and stories from Nina's youth but with dialogues, feelings, and questions that span generations and resonate with all. This ambitious debut album is Nina's vision and sound, expressing herself without constraints and making music with her friends. Featuring a lineup of Thalin (drums), Valentim Frateschi (bass), Francisca Barreto (cello and vocals), Thales Hashiguti (viola and violin), Yann Dardenne (acoustic guitar and co-producer) and Nina on piano, Rhodes, guitar and production. The album led to a nomination in Paulista Association of Art Critics (APCA) award's 'Breakthrough Artist' category, who also listed 'INTEIRA' as one of the 50 best albums of 2024.

It also received support from Bandcamp Weekly and Jamz Supernova on BBC 6 Music. Released digitally by Seloki Records in Brazil in 2024, Mr Bongo in partnership with Seloki Records now present this new, deluxe worldwide edition that includes four additional songs. These comprise the brand-new exquisite 'MANHA', as well as an original twist on Vinicius de Moraes' classic 'Serenata Do Adeus'. Elsewhere you'll find a live recording showcasing Nina's remarkable energy on stage courtesy of 'DE DENTRO' and 'GOSTO MEIO DOCE' with the amazing musician/vocalist Francisca Barreto, where our whole story began. Here at Mr Bongo, we are honoured to release music by such a remarkable new talent - one whose musical trajectory is most certainly about to soar.

Tone DropOut are back with a 4 track EP of dance floor fillers, true to the tonedropout style expect breaks bleeps and deep dark grooves and bass lines old done with that old warehouse rave feel. Tracks from co owner SWEEN and Dan Beck aka THE HE-MEN and co-owner DAWL as well as good friend ASCOT

Special Groove Records is proud to present, on the occasion of their 40th Anniversary, two new italo disco versions expertly produced by Walter and Ansrea Bassani and featuring the stunning vocals of Silvia Fuse’.

Vinyl pressed in just 200 copies with dual color crystal orange and crystal blue print.

Sdban Records is proud to announce the first official reissue of Coal Mining, the 1978 debut album by Dutch jazz pianist René van Helsdingen. This album marks a significant milestone-the beginning of van Helsdingen's decades-spanning career as an innovative and independent musician.

Born in 1957 in Jakarta, Indonesia, but holding Dutch nationality, René van Helsdingen began classical piano studies in the Netherlands in the early 1960s. While initially following in his family's footsteps by enrolling in mining engineering at the Technical University of Delft, his passion for music ultimately prevailed. His academic path may have diverged, but it set the stage, both figuratively and literally, for what would become an extraordinary musical career.

Coal Mining was originally released on Munich Records, a respected Dutch jazz and roots label founded by music producer and musician Job Zomer. The album features a blend of jazz influences from giants such as Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, and Bill Evans, and showcases van Helsdingen's distinctive voice as a composer and pianist at the very start of his professional journey.

The record includes contributions from a rich ensemble of musicians, including Wim Essed (bass), Klaus Flenter (guitar), Børge Ring (double bass), Henk Zomer (drums), Martijn Nesenberend (drums), Dick Pluim (bass), and even a student orchestra formed during van Helsdingen's time at Delft University.

Often mistakenly referred to as Piano, a result of the album's back cover design prominentlyfeaturing the word, Coal Mining is both a literal and symbolic title. It alludes not only to van Helsdingen's brief academic past, but to the depth and labor of jazz creation itself: layered, gritty, and forged under pressure.

A year after the album's release, van Helsdingen moved to Los Angeles to continue his jazz studies. While living in Hollywood, he shared a house with future musical collaborators including Kent Brinkley, Essiet Okon Essiet, Brian Batie, John Rigby, Edmond Allmond, David Best and John Butler. Even in the early stages of his career, van Helsdingen displayed the entrepreneurial spirit that would define his path, self-releasing albums and even pioneering an early form of crowdfunding by selling 400 ad spaces on a record sleeve to finance an LP project. After his jazz studies in Los Angeles, he performed extensively in Europe, Canada, the U.S., Australia and Asia, often traveling with his own 'Stage bus', which housedboth a stage and instruments.

In August 2018, van Helsdingen was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Despite the physical challenges brought on by the condition, he continues to perform and compose music. His openness about the diagnosis-shared publicly in a 2019 documentary-has helped raise awareness of Parkinson's and the role of creativity and improvisation as tools for resilience.

Now, nearly five decades after its initial release, Coal Mining is finally receiving a well-deserved reissue. Introducing a new generation of listeners to the raw talent and visionary beginnings of a true European jazz original.

Identified Patient returns to Dekmantel for a third time with his Reset EP. The future-facing four tracker is another mutant fusion of bass and techno with low-end power with cerebral sound designs.

Job Veerman debuted on the Dekmantel UFO Series in 2019, returned in 2020 and has lit up the festival several times with transportative sets that balance power with precision. Like his productions on the Nerve Collect label, he co-runs with Gamma Intel, they are leftfield explorations of genre and tempo that find strange sensuality in often abstract ideas. Once again here, the Dutchman draws on eclectic influences to craft music that sounds like no one else but remains anchored by magnetic rhythms.

Opener 'Light' kicks off with a fuzzy synth line that slithers between syncopated drums. Whispered vocals drift through the mix as lurching basslines swell and collapse beneath them. The groove disassembles and reassembles in waves, propelled forward by bursts of glitchy, off-kilter percussion that's unsteady yet seductive. 'Scales' is a slow, menacing descent into rhythmic darkness. It sounds both ancient and futuristic with ghoulish vocalisations and filtered synths flickering like a badly wired circuit. There's a rave tension lurking throughout, but always in the shadows.

'Internal Pace' drives on but rides fluid, wobbly bass while tightly looped hits build the pressure. Layers of static and subtle distortion add grit to this unrelenting heads-down roller. Finally, 'Return' is a kinetic, razor-edged ride where jungle breaks collide serpentine melodies. Ethereal female coos drift in and out, brushing against spat-out vocal fragments so that tension crackles throughout this hallucinogenic trip.

With Reset, Identified Patient reaffirms his status as a singular voice who twists sound into evocative new worlds.

First time reissue of this French cold-wave / minimal-synth treasure.



November 1981 – In the heart of autumn, we set off in two cars along the Nationale 1 (!) to reach Choisy-le-Roi, where a 16-track studio was waiting for us—a place where, over the course of a weekend, we would finally be able to carve our own grooves into vinyl. We were quite nervous, as Guerre Froide had already been around for a year and a half. Our elders in Kas Product had already released two EPs—one with four tracks, the other with three—in 1980, even though they’d started only a few months before us. Admittedly, there wasn’t really a sense of urgency—some of us came from the punk movement, where the prevailing mood was still very much No Future, even if we’d long since stopped believing in it... And yet others had truly lost everything, like those from the generation before us. The reasons, ironically, were often the same: heroin and/or love—hard drugs, in both cases.

Speaking of which, I had a terrible stomach ache—due to nerves or some form of tension—which forced us to make a pit stop in the Oise region so I could rush to the toilet of a local café. That same stomach discomfort would hit me again once we arrived at the studio—whose name, incidentally, I’ve since forgotten...

We had gotten there thanks to the generous initiative of a friend, Sylvain S., known as “Perlin” (what a phonetic coincidence!?), who had specifically created the Stechak Products label to produce our record. Stechak because it was consistent with his earlier association called Tchernoziom, and Products as a plural tribute to the trailblazers from Nancy.

Guerre Froide originally consisted of four members: Fabrice Fruchart on guitar-synth (Korg MS-20), Patrick Mallet on bass, and Gilbert Deffais, known as “Bébert”, on Korg drum machine. At the time, I was already singing in a rock/post-punk band called Stress, and that’s how Guerre Froide picked up the bad habit of rehearsing in the same basement in Amiens as Stress. Within a month or two, we had half a dozen songs. We then had the opportunity to record a 4-track demo with a friend from Radio France Picardie, and to perform in October at a festival held at the Amiens municipal circus. Then came the now-legendary concert on November 11 at B.J.’s Club. After that, we self-produced and released 50 completely DIY copies of a cassette titled Cicatrice. A few concerts later—after Jean-Michel Bailleux had joined us on bass and Patrick had switched to guitar, which felt more natural to him—and with more concrete plans starting to take shape, we had to find a new rehearsal space and start renting a room.

Then came the moment when Fabrice told us he was leaving to go study in Lille... After the June 19, 1981 concert, which was naturally dubbed “Farewell to 2F,” Marie-José, Bébert’s wife, offered to take over on synth.

That’s when Perlin, who was a close friend of the Deffais couple and a great fan of our music, offered to fully finance the production of a 4-track 12-inch EP—covering the studio time, mastering, pressing, and artwork. What up-and-coming band would have turned that down? An improvised contract was signed with each member of Guerre Froide. The first step was choosing which four songs we would record. Berlin 81 was an obvious pick, having already become the group’s flagship track. We wanted to avoid reusing songs from Cicatrice, so the focus shifted to new material—some written before, some after Fabrice’s departure. Ersatz, for example, was his composition, but Mauve and Peine Perdue, which were also selected, were both written by Patrick.

Formed in Brussels in 2017, Milk TV has drunk from many sources, quenching an enormous thirst for inspiration to create a singular universe, imbued with nostalgia and cynicism towards Anglo-Saxon pop culture. That of cheap TV programs, giant milk bottle ads, but above all of the underground, from New York no-wave to the Californian noise scene. With "NEO GEO", a new album on Brussels label EXAG' Records, the trio take their music to even more versatile playgrounds, an art-rock kaleidoscope, perhaps more intuitive and effective than its predecessor. While the band's trademark bass chorus and jerky rhythms with a hint of exotica are still present, some tracks give way to a more punky, immediate energy.

FONCEDALLE is a high-volume amplified trio, a warm wave of acid guitars fuelled by addictive bass and electronic beats. In late 2021, they released their Traboule EP and went on a tour that saw them perform 40 gigs between 2022 and 2023, half of which were in Europe. Their debut, self-titled album is set to be released in March 2024 on EXAG’ Records (BE). It's rawer, with tracks meticulously crafted and reworked live. While still exploring the realms of rock fused with machines, electronic trance, and melodic flights, the album also has its share of oppressive sections, unbridled chaos, and ambient, ethereal passages. FONCEDALLE serves as the missing link between the Manchester scene of the 80s, Gilla Band’s noise rock, Soulwax’s electronic rock, and the motoric turbines of Turing Machine. Preferring not to choose between being an open door or an impertinent product, the band chooses to concoct a recipe it envisions coming from the future rather than flipping through a book filled with references

Adam Wise, you may know, is Fabulous Lover and this new record marks his first for Pete Herbert's Music for Swimming Pools. It's a mature mix of 80s-inspired Balearic electro-funk with a tropical twist straight from his Bali studio. This sun-soaked collection bridges sunset vibes and dancefloor energy with 'It's Lonely At The Top' a funky opener with a squelchy bassline and playful riffs. 'Elevate' douses you in 80s synth sounds that glow warm, and label head remixes into a more buoyant Balearic house beat. Elsewhere is the gentle swagger of 'Low Bounce' and lush synth disco buzz of 'Automatic.' Feel-good grooves, for sure.

DJ Feedback

Ed Templ�:
"Stunning release!!"

Ben Gomori:
"Another beaut from Pete, gorgeous stuff"

Dicky Trisco:
"Nice chilled Balearic vibes"

Pathaan:
"Top release! Top package!"

S/A/M:
"Chunky, squelchy delights just how we like it :)"

Mat Anthony:
"Brilliant EP of 80's infused machine funk"

Justin Deighton:
"Will be playing a selection of these"

Joey Fitzgerald:
"Nice work!"

Bill Brewster:
"It's Lonely At The Top is the best track"