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Nina Simone: The Montreux Years is released as part of a brand new Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG collection series “The Montreux Years”. The collections will uncover legendary performances by the world’s most iconic artists alongside rare and never-before-released recordings from the festival’s rich 55-year history, remastered in superlative audio. Each collection will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes and previously unseen photography.

Nina Simone’s story from the late sixties to the nineties can be told through her legendary performances in Montreux. Taking to the Montreux stage for the first time on 16 June 1968 for the festival’s second edition, Simone built a lasting relationship with Montreux Jazz Festival and its Creator and Founder Claude Nobs, which uniqueness, trust and electricity can be clearly felt on the recordings. Simone’s multi-faceted and radical story is laid bare on ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’. From Nina’s glorious and emotional 1968 performance to her fiery and unpredictable concert in 1976, one of the festival’s most remarkable performances ever witnessed, the collection includes recordings from all of her five legendary Montreux concerts – 1968, 1976, 1981, 1987 and 1990.

Featuring rare and previously unreleased material from Claude Nobs’ private collection, Nina Simone devotees worldwide will be thrilled by the inclusion of the powerful I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, poignant and fearless Four Women and Simone’s hauntingly beautiful performance of Ne Me Quitte Pas. A spine-tingling version of Janis Ian’s searing and potent Stars, which Simone covered for the very first time during her 1976 Montreux performance, sits alongside her bold and electrifying re-imagine of Bob Marley’s ballad No Women No Cry in 1990. The collection closes with the encore of Nina Simone’s final Montreux Jazz Festival concert and one of Simone’s most-loved and best-known recordings, the exuberant My Baby Just Cares For Me, showcasing the deep and multidimensional facets of Simone’s life and music.

For his third full-length album, Jacques Renault explores his craft through the format of the classic late-night radio megamix. It's a tour de force that finds him blending his quick-cutting DJ sensibilities with his crate-digging, drum-chopping disco-chemist bonafides into one wham-bam party of pastiche. This is Renault as we know him—but at hyperspeed, tearing through twenty- three tracks in under half an hour. And while it's a head rush of his trademark funky drums, sassy horns, playful synths, it's arranged as an album, with songwriting and structure at the fore. Imagine it as a flip on the script for Renault's most loved club 12-inches of the past, which luxuriate in long-form, stretched-out grooves that burn for hours, fills that ride for days. Instead of on pulling a thread for six, seven minutes, he romps around in a bouncy ball pit, plucking out whatever captures his imagination for a moment, then diving back in to discover another buried
nugget. It's Jacques Renault as we've always known him, but this time through a suite of bite-size vignettes instead of slow-burn grooves.

Everaldo Marcial aka Évé, born in 1951 and raised in Sao Paulo, fled the Brasilian dictatorship in 1974 to settle in France. Canto Aberto, originally released on the Free Lance label in 1979, is his one and only sought-after recording, made before he moved to the US in the early 80s and decided to quit music.
Recorded with Parisian musicians, noteworthy fellow expatriate Manduka on one song and the AfricanAmerican saxophonist Bruce Tobe Grant as musical director, the music of Évé will please fans of Egberto Gismonti, Nana Vasconselos, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo...
This first vinyl reissue is remastered from the original master tapes by Frank Merritt at The Carvery.

Parisian label Chuwanaga proudly presents Latitude, Saint-James label co-founder new studio project. Keeping it close to the deep jazz-funk ethos of the label, Latitude brings to the light two luminous songs of joy and hope for a better day, highly danceable yet rich and complex grooves with a human feel to feed your soul and make you move. Their new EP Leo / Attitude presents these first effort with a Dub Remix by Mato: plenty of diverse tastes for every music enthusiasts. Available as Vinyl 12" and Digital.

Latitude is french. Not a random collection of chansons sung in french. Latitude is so french in its sheer elegance, in its simple yet so sophisticated seemingly effortless attempt to groove in a pop context, trying to create moments of grace in the process. Latitude is here with the right vibe as the chorus of "Attitude" says it in french: "It’s the bad attitude, always the good latitude". Latitude is sprung out of the wicked musicianship of Parisian jazz-funk and fusion mavericks and Saint-James tight and adventurous compositions and production. All that jazz combined with David Cukier (Greita) retro-futurist engineering skills in these intense sessions captured in his cutting edge vintage Delta studio.

On A Side, "Leo (Extended Mix)" is an uptempo disco track for the dancers but also a beautiful song for the summer. A seductive number with a pregnant classic French jazz-funk feeling with the help of Parisian singer Club Celest’s energy and beautiful voice. It comes on digital as a short edit for radio but as a serious extended 12inch mix on the vinyl with 8 minutes and 10 seconds of pure pleasure, ending in a real climax after an irresistible percussion break.

On B1, "Attitude" enchanting quality shines with a banging rhythm section and goes for the win as an anthem chorus while sweeping synths keep on growing till the very last drop. On B2, Reggae/Dub don Mato (Stix Records) delivers a sweet dub wise riddim for the Lovers Rock massive.

Kryptox records was born to show what's happening in the new scene in germany. And David Nesselhauf is the next upcoming artist. Kryptox will release his 6 track EP.?Nesselhauf is a multi-talented artists: bass player, composer, bandleader and man of very original ideas. He was already featured on the Kryptox' Kraut Jazz Futurism compilation vol 1 (2019) and now delivers his first solo EP for the label.

This EP is a follow up in a longer musical evolution that the Hamburg born talent has been making over the past years. A journey that's basically a style he is building that he calls afro-kraut. Before joining Kryptox he already released 2 albums under the Afrokraut title on his own (Bandcamp) before meeting Mathias Modica (head of Kryptox) and they decided to work together.

So on the "Rituals EP“ Nesselhauf salutes his personal pantheon of musical gods once again, leading the listener through his musical Jungle encompassing Krautrock, Downbeat, Drone, Electronica, Afrobeat, Lo-Fi, Shoegaze, Funk and Ambient textures in the blink of an eye.?The 6 new tracks share a common feel, but are colorful individuals at the same time. Some more organic, others with electronic elements.

About Nesselhaufs workflow: Four of these composition are based on quick, playful, raw jams recorded live within hours by a group of Nesselhauf's inner circle musicians. Great grooves played by a heavy rhythm section that he uses also for his live gigs. Just on a few songs Nesselhauf exchanged the human musicians with a legendary Vermona Drum Synthesizer as the main rhythm ingredient.

Guests: One more track was recorded with Julian Gutjahr, Drummer for The Drawbars. Some tracks feature guest appearances by Dennis Rux (he also mixed the EP) and Graeme Currie on guitar. Soulamadou made his way to one of the tracks just by incidentally leaving a very groovy voice message on David ´s phone ("Zeit").

The material was later bewitched into deep, organic swirls: Trippy, psychedelic somnambulistical. The rather mystical, nocturnal reworking process of the recording added even more dimension and depth, leaving the 6 Tracks ready for home listen, but also for an open minded dancefloor and an otherworldly listening experience at the same time.
The next generations of jazz are just waking up. And Davd Nesselhauf and his bunch are one of these new interesting phenomena. Working in the underground since few years, now hopefully there will be more spotlight on these great new innovators.

From their genesis as members of the Venus club in-house band in the early 70s, Hailu Mergia and the Walias Band were at the forefront of the musical revolution during an era where modern instruments and foreign styles superseded the traditional fare to become the staple sound of Ethiopia. No one would argue that the Walias were the trailblazing powerhouse of modern Ethiopian music. They were the first band to form independently without affiliation to a theatre house, a club or a hotel; unprecedented and risky as they had to raise all funding for expenses by themselves including buying equipment. They were the first to release full instrumental albums, considered to be commercially unviable at the time. They opened their own recording studio, with band members Melake Gebre and Mahmoud Aman doubling as technical buffs during sessions. They were also the first independent band to tour abroad. In short, they were the pioneers every band tried to emulate; some more successfully than others.
Odds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of Walias. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the Walias either in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV.

This Tezeta album, the band’s second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes From Africa and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, its unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially Walias, flavorful and evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and center in every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible.
Profoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears.

Virtually unknown recording outside Ethiopia.
Documents Mergia & Walias legendary early period.
Follow-up to reissue of hugely popular seminal Ethiopian instrumentals LP Tche Belew (ATFA012)

Cassette-only, released in 1975 on the band’s in-house label to fund their record store.
Beautifully-rendered instrumentals of classic Ethiopian standards.

Since the release of the first volume in 2019, we knew we couldn't stop there. In 2021 we are even more excited to present the 'Drum'n Voice Remixed 2' album by the legend Billy Cobham in collaboration with Italian producers and composers Nicolosi / Novecento. As a taster to the album we are very happy to be releasing an EP containing remixes of ‘Interactive’ from the legend Louie Vega.

Acclaimed as jazz-rock fusion's greatest drummer, Billy Cobham has dedicated his whole life to musical exploration and creative expression. Born in Panama, he has been surrounded by music. His father was a pianist, his mother was a singer and Billy started playing drums at four years old. Throughout his career he has collaborated with artists like Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Airto Moreira, George Benson and appeared on over 300 recordings, including icons like Peter Gabriel, Quincy Jones, Jack Bruce, Bob Weir, and James Brown, and to date, has produced and released more than forty albums as a leader. The first album ‘Spectrum’ is a masterpiece and still considered a reference album today.

Billy and Nicolosi composed so many songs of the highest quality and class that we immediately wanted to get to work preparing a second volume of remixes. We are really happy to present the Louie Vega remixes of ‘Interactive’ in the run up to ‘Drum’N Voice Remixed 2’ collection that's set for a release later in the year.

‘Little’ Louie Vega does not need any introduction. One half of the Masters At Work (that are back now after a long time with their new single), he is one of the most important House Music duo of the last 30 years, even receiving a nomination in the last Grammy Awards. With the collaboration of Josh Milan (aka Honeycomb and former one half of Blaze) at the keyboards, these incredible remixes of 'Interactive' make track shine thanks to a powerful blend of funky cosmic disco and a perfect killer groove that makes us dance on Brian Auger's magnificent Hammond improvisation.

With his ongoing commitment to like-minded archivist label Finders Keepers Records, industrial music pioneer Steven Stapleton further entrusts us to lift the veil and expose “the right tracks” from his uber-legendary and oft misinterpreted psych/prog/punk peculiarity shopping list known as The Nurse With Wound List.
Following the critically lauded first instalment and it’s exclusively French tracklisting both parties now combine their vinyl-vulturous penchants to bring you the next ‘Strain Crack & Break’ edition which consists of twelve lesser-known German records that played a hugely important part in the initial foundations of the list which began to unfold when Stapleton was just thirteen years old.
From the perspective of a schoolboy Amon Düül (ONE) victim, at the start of a journey that commenced before phrases like kosmische and the xeno-ignant Krautrock tag had become mag hack currency, this compendium is devoid of the tropes that united what many would accurately argue to be the greatest progressive pop bands in Europe
(namely CAN, Neu! and Kraftwerk) and rather shatters the ingredients across a ground zero landscape for both inquisitive fans and socially rehabbing musos to begin to assemble a unique self-styled identity. If Krautrock was the music that journalist told us lurked behind schlager (German pop) in the 1970s, then this record includes the music that skulked behind Krautrock and perhaps refused to polish its backhanded name belt.
Including lesser-known artists like the late Wolfgang Dauner, whose career proceeded and outlived the kosmische movement while consistently informing and outsmarting them whenever they got stuck in their metronomic ruts, or how about Fritz Müller, the man who
was to Kraftwerk what Stuart Sutcliffe was to The Beatles but had more in common with Yoko and quite rightly couldn’t give a stuff about the Fab Four’s Hamburg roots.
Elsewhere we have a plethora of German bands made for German audiences as they try and shed secondhand flower power Americanisms and feel the benefits of much harder drugs and the realisations of difficult second album budgets while Kommune 1
newsflashes wipe smiles from everybody’s faces and replace them with opioid chic or acid-sarcastic grins. Bonzo Cockettes show us their Big Muffs and drummers ask for extra mics while Conny Plank goes for parliamentary office and gives babies good firm handshakes for the camera.
‘Strain Crack & Break: Volume Two’ is the sound of Steve Stapleton’s sponge-like mind and the dividends of anyone who was brave enough to even peek inside those brick-thick gatefold covers never mind drop the needle.
Over forty years since Nurse With Wound’s first album was released, Finders Keepers Records and Steve Stapleton take connoisseurs of our kind of music back to the disused elevator shaft towards ground zero. Arriving at the same checkout from different departments, Finders Keepers and Nurse With Wound continue to sing from the same hymnal with this ongoing collaborative attempt to officially, authentically and legally compile the best tracks from Steve’s list, where many overzealous erds have faltered (or simply, got the wrong end of the stick).
After ‘Strain Crack & Break: Volume One’ merely scratched the surface of this DIY dossier of elongated punk-prog peculiarities, this second lavish metallic gatefold double vinyl compendium drives a much deeper groove which, in accordance with Steve’s wishes, focusses exclusively on individual tracks of German origin - the country whose music forged the prototype of the NWW inventory in the form of his secondary school vinyl wantlist in the early 1970s, comprised of disassembled free jazz, unshowered stoner psych, hypnotic prog, deranged monk funk and fuzzed out Deutschmark bin bonzo beats.

In 2018, way before we established our quirky little label & our ears were still young and unspent, in the deep sound forrest that is soundcloud we discovered an unpolished gem of a track, courtesy of Rebecca B, upcoming scottish born and berlin based banger producer.

Some years and life changing times later we are holding in our hand Rebecca’s first vinyl, dubbed „Murphy’s Law“, in accordance with the previously mentioned times.

Step right in with the A1 „Militant Margaret“ which rolls you off straight into Rebecca’s world, followed by A2 „Bionic Butterfly“, that certain gem we talked about earlier. On the B side you can follow Rebecca on a journey back to her roots. B1 „Odd World“ is a downtempo anthem with an infamous influence and B2 „Old Rapper“ its upbeat twin sibling. Welcome, Rebecca

The Turbo Guidance quest keeps going on. Our musical roughnecks decided to seek help from a wizard. They needed to empower their earing sense and their dancing skills like mutant elves. Luckily the mighty Mali-I was living in the nearby forest and had something special to share...

In his hightower, it took Mali-I years to find and cook secretly the delicate mixture. It's forbidden to name the ingredients, but once you taste it you immediately feel the bouncy chords and dub delays rising. Play the mighty sound of the "Fallow Tales" and enter into the blue magic power. Full versatility to expand your mind and to reach a parallel astral plane. Exactly what our heroes need to face the coming storm. Next step is going to be darker...

*Sprinkle your ears with the red powder to increase the musical experience*

Vinyl sweetly pressed in 400 limited copies (no repress business) with a riso insert printed in two colors (blue and black) on a Munchen Pure Rough paper 150g/m2 (at Studio Fidele, Paris).

The original versions were released (digital only) some years ago, but stayed under the radar, until some dj's rediscovered it a while ago. It only started living then, and has continuously gained momentum ever since, with streamings now over half a million and counting fast. All involved agreed: it had to be turned into a vinyl release. It's mostly the original of "She Knows" that's been getting all the love, even though the DJ Rocca & Italian Cosmic legend Daniele Baldelli is an equally impressive showstopper in its own right. Throw in a new and exclusive deep (tech)house mix of "The Sound" by Hugo Ballistik, and you've got a release that merits curtsying and hats off. Limited to 400 copies, and remastered for top quality sound.

High Quality Pressung,180g 2xLP, Gatefold, Black oder Transparent Red (exklusiv nur in Deutschland), Deluxe Digipak, glass-mastered CD. 2021: Perturbator is back. Smash Cyberpunk Hit Perturbator wurde als Gesicht des Dark Synthwave bekannt. Erinnerungen an John Carpenters "Die Klapperschlange", " Blade Runner", "Akira" oder "Ghost in the Shell", Einflüsse von Dark Wave, Dark Techno, EBM oder Nine Inch Nails. Fünf Jahre nach seinem letzten Album ist "Lustful Sacraments" sein dunkelstes Meisterwerk. Dunkelster Nihilismus, Science Fiction Welten, Soundtrack zum Untergang der Menschheit, eine dystopische Odyssee durch Acid Post-Punk und Goth-Clubs, ein Rausch von Hedonismus, Sucht und Wahnsinn. "Lustful sacraments" wird die letzte Veröffentlichung von James Kent auf Blood Music sein, das perfekte Schlussstatement einer legendären, langjährigen Zusammenarbeit. Zum neuen Album wird der komplette Backkatalog wieder verfügbar gemacht.

High Quality Pressung,180g 2xLP, Gatefold, Black oder Transparent Red (exklusiv nur in Deutschland), Deluxe Digipak, glass-mastered CD. 2021: Perturbator is back. Smash Cyberpunk Hit Perturbator wurde als Gesicht des Dark Synthwave bekannt. Erinnerungen an John Carpenters "Die Klapperschlange", " Blade Runner", "Akira" oder "Ghost in the Shell", Einflüsse von Dark Wave, Dark Techno, EBM oder Nine Inch Nails. Fünf Jahre nach seinem letzten Album ist "Lustful Sacraments" sein dunkelstes Meisterwerk. Dunkelster Nihilismus, Science Fiction Welten, Soundtrack zum Untergang der Menschheit, eine dystopische Odyssee durch Acid Post-Punk und Goth-Clubs, ein Rausch von Hedonismus, Sucht und Wahnsinn. "Lustful sacraments" wird die letzte Veröffentlichung von James Kent auf Blood Music sein, das perfekte Schlussstatement einer legendären, langjährigen Zusammenarbeit. Zum neuen Album wird der komplette Backkatalog wieder verfügbar gemacht.

For BRZ45087 we present a split release comprised of two tried-and-tested favourites from the Mr Bongo record bag.

Rio-born pianist and organist Lafayette’s career started in the mid-60s and saw him become a prominent member of the Brazilian musical movement entitled 'Jovem Guarda’. For his inclusion on this selection in the Brazil45 series we move things along a few years to 1982 and the Brazilian boogie gem 'Sol De Verão'. Taken from his album 'Edição Especial’ and originally released on Copacabana Records, 'Sol De Verão' was written by Jorginho Gomes from one of Brazil's greatest bands Os Novos Baianos. It's a superb slice of 80s boogie/funk brilliance with a super catchy ear-worm of a vocal - definitely one for the dancers!

For the flip, we include an absolute monster from the fantastic Marisa Rossi, who we featured previously on number 38 in the Brazil45 series. 'Quem Vem Lá’ is a heavy driving Samba Rock / MPB groove track with female and male call and response vocals. Originally released on a very rare and exclusive 7" also on Copacabana Records, but this time in 1971. Marisa would go on to work with the legendary Arthur Verocai in the 1980s.

Two very different slices and styles of Brazilian music, but both absolute gems.

Nonesuch Records releases an album of songs written and performed by Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion, Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part. The musicians, who have known each other since their student days, were presented with three days of gratis studio time and decided to experiment with ideas they had begun putting to tape during the sessions for their January 2021 Nonesuch release Narrow Sea. With Shaw on vocals and Sō – Eric Cha-Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, and Jason Treuting – filling out this new band, they developed songs in the studio, with lyrics inspired by their own wide-ranging interests: James Joyce, the Sacred Harp hymn book, a poem by Anne Carson, the Bible’s Book of Ruth, the American roots tune ‘I’ll Fly Away’, and the pop perfection of ABBA, among others. The album is co-produced by Shaw, Sō Percussion, and the Grammy Award–winning engineer Jonathan Low (The National, Taylor Swift).

Shaw, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her vocal composition Partita for 8 Voices, written for and performed with Roomful of Teeth, makes her solo vocal debut with Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part. The album’s first track, ‘To the Sky’, from the Sacred Harp, takes its lyrics from Anne Steele. “I love the songs about death, and going home, and looking toward a time that is better or brighter, which, if there’s one thing to think about in the world, maybe that’s the thing,” Shaw says. “This one I love in particular. There’s a line, ‘Frail solace of an hour / So soon our transient comforts fly / And pleasure blooms to die.’ It’s meditation on the ephemeral, and I love it.”

“I hadn’t written very many songs, but I have certainly loved many in my life. I’ve been thinking of making a solo album for seven or eight years, but it takes having the right friends and community in the room,” Shaw says. “The prompt for all of us was: What would we make in the room together with no one person in charge, like a band writes in the studio?”

Cha-Beach recalls of the early test run during the Narrow Sea session: “It had that capturing-lightning-in-a bottle feeling.” When the opportunity to have three days in their friends’ studio, Guilford Sound, came up, the five musicians decamped for Vermont with engineer/co-producer Jonathan Low. “Jon is an amazing editor,” Cha-Beach says. “He is so helpful in thinking about: ‘We have these ideas: how do we shrink those and make them come across on an album?’”

One such idea was for Shaw to do a duet with each member of Sō. She sings with Josh Quillen on steel drums on the title track, which she wrote in under an hour in a “free-writing zone, very inspired by James Joyce, taking on that brain space,” she says. Lyrically, the song is “related to some math bits that I love, but also memory, and love songs of somebody who’s gone or passed away, or that you’re no longer with: what is the sound of that kind of devastation or confusion or love?” They recorded the song only twice, and the first take is on the album. “It’s very spare. The playing is very Josh; it’s so sensitive,” Shaw says.

Adam Sliwinski’s marimba duet with Shaw is an interpretation of the ABBA song ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’. She explains, “It’s really a Bach chorale. Also, the idea of someone singing ‘Don’t go wasting your emotion / Lay all your love on me / Don’t go sharing your devotion / Lay all your love on me,’ over and over again very slowly, there’s a certain tragedy in it. And then Adam did some absolutely exquisite layering that built this stunning world from the marimba.”

Jason Treuting on the drum kit joined Shaw for ‘Long Ago We Counted’. She suggested, “Why don’t we start with the voice and the kit having a weird conversation, sort of like two babies talking to each other? And then we built this loop, and we go from this place that’s totally uncomfortable and nonsensical to something that’s rich and rolling and satisfying.” For ‘Some Bright Morning’, the duet with Cha-Beach – who here plays electronics, piano, and Hammond organ – Shaw drew upon a twelfth century liturgical hymn she had sung regularly in church during her college years: ‘Salve Regina’.

“Some songs on Let the Soil… were very specifically composed by Caroline,” Cha-Beach says. “But others were this assemblage of ideas: finding words, an idea for how a melody could work, a harmony, and then tossing it in a blender and trusting each other.” Shaw adds, “What I love about Sō is the curiosity about how objects make sounds and how they speak to each other. There was an underlying thread of thinking about what goes into soil, how we take care of it, how we allow it to be itself, how we contain it, and what can come out of it if you cultivate the right environment, which for me is always this wonderful metaphor for creativity and collaboration: let people be themselves and see what happens,” she concludes.

Caroline Shaw is a New York–based musician – vocalist, violinist, composer, and producer – who performs in solo and collaborative projects. She was the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for Partita for 8 Voices, written for the Grammy–winning Roomful of Teeth, of which she is a member. Shaw’s film scores include Erica Fae’s To Keep the Light and Josephine Decker’s Madeline’s Madeline as well as the upcoming short 8th Year of the Emergency by Maureen Towey. Hailed for ‘astonishing both the pop and classical music worlds’ (Guardian), she has produced for Kanye West (The Life of Pablo; Ye) and Nas (NASIR), and has contributed to records by The National and by Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry. Shaw currently teaches at NYU and is a Creative Associate at The Juilliard School. Her 2019 Nonesuch/New Amsterdam album Orange won a Grammy Award.

Through its interpretations of modern classics, innovative multi-genre original productions, and ‘exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam’ (New Yorker), Sō Percussion has redefined the scope and role of the modern percussion ensemble. Sō’s repertoire ranges from twentieth century works by John Cage, Steve Reich, and Iannis Xenakis, to commissioning and advocating works by contemporary composers such as David Lang, Julia Wolfe, and Steven Mackey, to collaborations with artists who work outside the classical concert hall, including Shara Nova, choreographer Susan Marshall, The National, Bryce Dessner, and many others. Sō has recorded more than twenty albums, including a performance of Reich’s Mallet Quartet on the Nonesuch record WTC 9/11; appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Hall, the Barbican, the Eaux Claires Festival, MassMoCA, and TED 2016; and performed with Jad Abumrad, JACK Quartet, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and the LA Phil and Gustavo Dudamel, among others.

Beautiful orange & yellow sunburst vinyl - Solstice '21 sees twelve bright lights of independent electronic music mark the coming Summer Solstice. In such dark days, the age-old practice of celebrating the move from shadow to light, feels steeped in a renewed symbolic power. Solstice '21 marks this significant moment with a rich array of musical offerings. Reflective, lively, and always powerful, this collection is spun with modern twists of an ancient thread. Rotator - This is the first outing under this moniker from Justin Owen, also known under the alias Licit, as well as being a protagonist in the world of modular synthesis as the man behind the Abstract Data modules; Letters from Mouse - "Bubbling analogue synthesis from Scotland." This analogue synth maestro and inimitable broadcaster (aka The Magic Window), boasts a string of quality releases, including the recent highly acclaimed album An gàrradh, also on Subexotic; Cub/cub - "Cub/cub explores the world in-between nostalgia and nihilism, analogue and digital, real and false; creating evocative and mournful musical collages." First discovered on Boards of Canada forum Twoism, Cub/cub's two debut releases with Subexotic demonstrated his considerable talent to mix fascinating texture with beguiling melody. With an astonishing follow-up album coming soon, his rising star feels unstoppable; Orbury Common - "aural ephemera from the home of the orbs." This mysterious duo from the West of England are blessed with delightful musical cunning; their brilliant debut on Subexotic lifted the lid, and this offering reaffirms exciting times lie ahead; Onepointwo - "Minimal electronics, abstract radio signals and dystopian soundscapes are proceeded from both digital and analogue sources." A creator of intricate yet powerful collage, with finely wrought motifs that repeat and build to create a shimmering psychedelic impact. This is Onepointwo's glorious trademark. Spell-binding releases already exist on Woodford Halse, Poeta Negra, Lotus, as well as an imminent powerhouse album forthcoming on Subexotic; Giants of Discovery - "Experimental electronica with the occasional noisy guitar thrown in." Giants of Discovery's ability to get to grips with the musicality of his subject, has lead to previous exquisite sojourns into realms such as Victorian cosmic horror and Greek mythology, as well as an equally fantastical, towering follow up album on Woodford Halse; Wonderful Beasts - "A Wonderful collaboration between boycalledcrow and Xqui." Their playful interaction finds ways of crafting acoustic fragments into unexpected kaleidoscopes of sound. With beguiling debuts on cult label Wormhole World (soon to be followed up by an extraordinary new album on Subexotic), there is a kind of breathless magic about everything they do; Dogs versus Shadows - Electronic Sound Magazine says "A rare example of gamekeeper turned poacher...a welter of impressive electronica." Lee Pylon's ability to straddle a wealth of uncompromisingly inventive creations, and his broadcasting prowess as the much loved Kites & Pylons, is already the stuff of legend. A multitude of releases across many labels including Subexotic, Woodford Halse, Miracle Pond, Third Kind, Submarine Broadcasting, Sensory Leakage, provide a glittering treasure trove of work; Counter Silence - A stalwart of Subexotic, Counter Silence's sparkling and wistful musical work very much stands alone in temperament and style. 2020's Pathways EP on Subexotic remains a precious oasis, imbued with a haunting solitude that lives on in the memory; Transient Visitor - "All music unlocked by Alex Cargill (C.O.I. Central Office of Information) and Martin Jensen (The Home Current)." These two intercontinental maestros (well Sidcup & Luxembourg) boast impressive solo back catalogues across many labels (including Castles in Space, Polytechnic Youth, Woodford Halse). Their newly conceived collaborative Transient Visitor project, brought about the superb TV1 album in 2020 - we can see the sparks fly again in this welcome 2021 return; Simon Klee - "Natural, Electric, Organic Psychedelic - Sounds, noise and psychedelic beats." Klee's playful alchemy engages the mind and spirit, as witnessed in a flurry of top quality releases in recent times (e.g. Subexotic, ANR, Woodford Halse), and there is a visceral joy in his work that is perfectly placed for a midsummer celebration. Klee also produces a truly excellent mixcast and increasingly essential tape label, both under the guise of Anticipating Nowhere; Rupert Lally - "Hailing originally from England but now based in Switzerland, Guitarist, Percussionist and Electronic Musician Rupert Lally began his career as a Sound Designer and Composer for Theatre and TV, before launching his solo career in 2005. Since then his releases have blurred the boundaries between electronic and acoustic music." Lally's consistently brilliant work is always a highlight of the electronic music calendar, including recent stellar works across many labels such as Spun Out Of Control, Third Kind, Woodford Halse, and Modern Aviation.

A year before Wild Pitch Records properly introduced us to the trio of Queens native Large Professor and Toronto’s Sir Scratch and K-Cut, the soon-to-be-legendary group self-released their own debut single. Dropping on Actual Records, the 12” of ‘Think’ and ‘Atom’ was soon a sought after rarity, with scarce originals still fetching upwards of three figures.

On it, they only hint at the greatness to come, while simultaneously showing that they’d already mastered the three-minute rap single – this is concise brilliance with no flab whatsoever.

Engineered by the late, esteemed Paul C, ‘Think’ is a study in how to turn well-worn samples into something new. The combination of several James Brown snatches, along with bits lifted from Lyn Collins and Jimmy Castor Bunch, could have been tired and almost parodic by 1989, but instead the group weave something interesting from old fabric.

‘Atom’ is arguably even better, built around a brace of elements from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s 1967 duet ‘Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl’. On it, Large Pro gives the first real hints that he’ll not just be a super-producer, but a committed MC to watch. Mixing threats with humour, positivity with braggadocio, it’s a calling card performance on a track that could have still sat comfortably on 1991’s ‘Breaking Atoms’ album.

Heavily bootlegged, this is the first official double-sided 7” release bringing together both these foundational cuts.

For Bajram Bili, every new record is the kick off for reinventing himself in a series of explorations and experimentations.
After venturing through techno, Adrien Gachet opens a new page bursting with artistic possibilities and sonic freedom. His new research is founded on two cornerstones : his reassuming of the piano, the historic medium he’s left aside those past years, and the deconstruction of contemporary electronic music. The result is a flush yet tight affair condensing the broad spectrum of its ambitions in just six tracks.
A true mine for textures and melodies, Detuning Euphoria feels like a blinding mirage. The music conjugates cinematic composition and borrowings of the 2020’s club music, where laser synths and skeletal beats melt one another in bare and frontal feelings. It’s a total work, an exhilarating and untamed piece opening a new chapter in a maniac and turbulent discography. We’re very proud to be associated to this new stage of Bajram Bili’s fascinating research for new horizons.

It’s been ten years since Adrian Gachet first ventured into electronic soundscapes under his Bajram Bili moniker. On wax, the project started with the romantic label Another Record with the Sequenced Fog EP and his dance-kraut manifest of a debut album Saturdays With No Memory.
The affair became more muscular with the acquaintance of the Neo Punks from Le Turc Mecanique. After a first warning with the break-heavy Distant Drone (with the banger ‘Roger and Stan’) and the blasting Need Meditation, the Remembered Waves LP is released, oscillating between ecstatic urgency and foggy electric landscapes.
The following Spin / Consequence was dedicated to the drills of seminal techno giving way to the quieter Reshaped Distortion EP on Chloe’s label Lumière Noire.
Those years of intense creation, massive live sets and federating DJ sets come together in today’s new research, mixing the experience of his epic machinery with the deviation of the acoustic piano, following the aesthetic of his new record Detuning Euphoria.

The four Scottish-Irish musicians Conor Dalton, David Donaldson, Greame Reedie and Ian Maclennan are Island People. After their highly acclaimed debut from 2017, they have now finished their second album with the simple and consistent title »II«. Compared to their debut, »II« sounds more mature and complex. The arrangements unfold like the long tracking shots of an early Antonioni film - time seems to stand still, circling the moment. Impressionistically, one feels transported into the Scottish island landscape with its contrasting lights and harsh elements. Gloomy, darker, richer textures have conquered their space on »II« as much as the more present acoustic components. As much as its predecessor, also this record was skilfully produced, the musicians’ entire experience is audible (Conor Dalton is a sought-after mastering engineer; David Donaldson a Grammy Award-winning producer) – but anything fashionable or sensationalist has been intentionally waived. The musical serenity, holding up a craft that neither has to show itself off every minute nor wants to respond to the latest trends impressed us the most. The cover photo was contributed by the Scottish artist Helena Ohman. She also provided the video for the track »Crash«. Furthermore, singer Alice Hill-Woods was invited to contribute the lyrics and vocals to »Stalling«. Island People »II« will be released as gatefold double LP as well as on CD and digitally. In advance we asked Island People about the creative process behind the album and quote as follows: This album reflects on the destination we have in common before us, and celebrates the longer road while also considering paths not taken and journeys that ended too soon. It has been said that »art is how we decorate space; music is how we decorate time.« For us the writing of this album has been a great journey through both, shared with friends. While our first album acknowledged our own spaces and borders as individuals, the new album seemed to grow very quickly from our travels together as a band. Periods spent on the road playing live afforded extra time together and while we didn’t feel constrained to a concept at the start, more and more of the tracks evolved to reflect these journeys and experiences together.

VERTAAL Ajit Gill & Theo Howarth sharing a love of groove & improvisation, forming

musical ideas traversing spiritual nu-jazz, Dilla-esque hip-hop, broken beat & neo-soul.

Heavy music’s evolution has always been a murky swamp of sub-genres. So, combining Thin Lizzy’s glistening twin guitar harmonies with Melvins- grade sludge and a hearty dose of proto-metal psych probably shouldn’t sound so revolutionary as it does in the hands of L.A. quartet Deathchant. But theirs is a special, transcendent sound.
Waste, the band’s sophomore album and first for RidingEasy Records, is anything but. The 33-minute, 7-song blast flows seamlessly from song to song, aided by droning segues, while simultaneously slithering between genres and moods. Rumbling noise, chiming guitar melodies, bluesy boogie, NWOBHM thrash, COC grunge and punk fury all rear their head at times, sometimes all at once.
Though you wouldn’t be able to tell by the concise structures and well- crafted songs, a lot of Deathchant’s music is improvised, both in the studio and live. That’s not to suggest their songs are jammy — they’re very tightly organized compositions. But the four musicians have that special musical telepathy that allows them to keep the song structures open-ended.
“Improv is a huge things for us and always has been,” singer/guitarist T.J. Lemieux says. “The musical freedom to look at the other dudes in the band and be able to take things wherever we want to go is magical. I like the feel of flying off the hinges.”
Likewise, the band itself is similarly amorphous in its membership. “We run the band with an open door. No lineup is definitive,” Lemieux explains. On Waste, the lineup is: Lemieux, George Camacho on bass, Colin Fahrner on drums, and John Belino on second guitar.
Waste was recorded live in a rented cabin in the mountains of Big Bear, CA. “We packed a big-ass van and set up in the living room and kitchen,” Lemieux says. “Tracked it live, with overdubs after.” The whole album was recorded over two separate weekends, engineered by Steve Schroeder, who also recorded the band’s 2019 self-titled debut album.
“I’d say it has sort of a DIY LA punk aesthetic,” he adds. “Very ironically going hand in hand with a classic metal vibe: Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, classic Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and other melodic heavy rock bands.”

Heavy music’s evolution has always been a murky swamp of sub-genres. So, combining Thin Lizzy’s glistening twin guitar harmonies with Melvins- grade sludge and a hearty dose of proto-metal psych probably shouldn’t sound so revolutionary as it does in the hands of L.A. quartet Deathchant. But theirs is a special, transcendent sound.
Waste, the band’s sophomore album and first for RidingEasy Records, is anything but. The 33-minute, 7-song blast flows seamlessly from song to song, aided by droning segues, while simultaneously slithering between genres and moods. Rumbling noise, chiming guitar melodies, bluesy boogie, NWOBHM thrash, COC grunge and punk fury all rear their head at times, sometimes all at once.
Though you wouldn’t be able to tell by the concise structures and well- crafted songs, a lot of Deathchant’s music is improvised, both in the studio and live. That’s not to suggest their songs are jammy — they’re very tightly organized compositions. But the four musicians have that special musical telepathy that allows them to keep the song structures open-ended.
“Improv is a huge things for us and always has been,” singer/guitarist T.J. Lemieux says. “The musical freedom to look at the other dudes in the band and be able to take things wherever we want to go is magical. I like the feel of flying off the hinges.”
Likewise, the band itself is similarly amorphous in its membership. “We run the band with an open door. No lineup is definitive,” Lemieux explains. On Waste, the lineup is: Lemieux, George Camacho on bass, Colin Fahrner on drums, and John Belino on second guitar.
Waste was recorded live in a rented cabin in the mountains of Big Bear, CA. “We packed a big-ass van and set up in the living room and kitchen,” Lemieux says. “Tracked it live, with overdubs after.” The whole album was recorded over two separate weekends, engineered by Steve Schroeder, who also recorded the band’s 2019 self-titled debut album.
“I’d say it has sort of a DIY LA punk aesthetic,” he adds. “Very ironically going hand in hand with a classic metal vibe: Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, classic Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and other melodic heavy rock bands.”

She is the Moon soothed by the ancient lullaby of the Supernal Mother. An array of brightly coloured pebbles lie at her feet, a diadem of daffodils and dream-bits on her head, and a collection of reasonably priced records on her lap. She turns her gaze towards you, eyes filled with the howl of countless centuries and offers you an LP from her pile.

“Here, shove this on. It’s the new Purplehands. It’s class like.”

The record in question is ‘Intimate Fades’, an emotive meander through zones of bleepy ambient techno by way of electro, passing by sonic monuments to the likes of Golding and Rutter as it floats from A to B. In some distant, alternate universe the tracks on this LP soundtrack some 8-bit hero’s journey, a quest compelled by a sombre determination and Purplehands’ stylized sonic ruminations.

It is but the first star in an unfolding cosmos, mapped out to us by the High Priestess in her infinite wisdom.

Death Drives A Cadillac was Spike In Vain’s second
album, never officially released and unheard in its final
form until now. Like many hardcore bands circa ’84 and
’85, the group was ready to further expand its palette and
ease off the thrash tempos. Recorded roughly a year after
Disease Is Relative with a bigger budget, the album is even
more wide-ranging, and the songs are more fleshed out.
“Despair grew inside her, I grew inside her. She named
me Spirit Death, and this is my song” sings Chris Marec,
the vocalist on half of this LP. Though less “young” than
their debut, that album’s darkness lingers, but here has a
more removed, observational quality, with many songs
sung in character or in the third person, along with a
tendency for anthropomorphic allegory. It has a bit less to
do with screaming for death to come than with a growing
resignation to being the other, a recognition of inescapable
alienation and its relation to childhood trauma. —all with
a heaping side of absurdity and a sense of wonder at the
gradually unfolding endtimes.
That said, many of the tracks wouldn’t be out of place
on the debut, and some feature exotic tunings. Bits of roots
music come into play as well—gospel, blues, and country
figure to some extent in a third of the songs, sometimes
in convoluted, Beefheart-esque ways, and at other times
toying with genre archetypes as a cat does a mouse.

Fueled By Ramen will be reissuing one seminal album from our 25- year history each month throughout the calendar year of 2021. For June 2021, we will be releasing Gym Class Heroes’ third studio album ‘As Cruel as School Children’ on silver vinyl.

We are currently working on a 16 part podcast that will delve into the history of FBR, it’s cultural relevance and Global impact over the past 25 years. Each episode will look at the careers of some of our most important artists, and deep dive into the making of albums told by the artists themselves in their own words.

Motörhead in 1981 was a band of extremes; a flammable mix of non-stop celebration over their rising success and punishing graft, underscored by an inter-band powder-keg dynamic. After recording Ace Of Spades, it had shot to number four in the UK; the killer breakthrough after Overkill and Bomber had done essential groundwork, late 1980’s Ace Up Your Sleeve UK tour was a triumphant lap of honour that spilled into the recording of No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith. The album took its title from an inscription painted on one of the trucks, referencing the 32 gigs they were playing with only two days off. The track listing ended up featuring three tracks from Ace Of Spades, five from Overkill, Bomber’s title track and two from their self-titled debut. Originally released on 27th June 1981, Lemmy is quoted as saying of it “I knew it’d be the live one that went best, because we’re really a live band. You can’t listen to a record and find out what we’re about. You’ve got to see us.” Upon release No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith went straight to number one, their first and only in the UK and is still the most necessary live album of all time.

The No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith album; brand new remaster created from the original tapes. Pressed on vinyl as a triple album in a 20 page bookpack and deluxe 24 page, 2CD mediabook. Includes a full live show from Newcastle released in its entirety for the first time. Recorded on the Short Sharp Pain In The Neck tour where the album was originally taken from.

Cinema – which features tracks in English and Spanish – draws inspiration from the classic films and directors that María and Josh grew up watching, including Pedro Almodóvar and Wes Anderson. The title also pays homage to how the band first began creating music in the first place.

The Marías have fast proven among the most visionary and entrancing new bands in recent memory. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, María Zardoya moved to Los Angeles in 2016 where she met drummer Josh Conway after a performance at the famed Kibitz Room Bar at Canter’s Deli. The two began writing together, crafting a remarkable collection of mesmerizing original songs fusing kaleidoscopic soul, gentle jazz, and imagistic, bilingual lyricism.

Last year saw The Marías unleash a series of new songs affirming their continued creative evolution. “Hold It Together” and “Jupiter” were released in the top half of 2020, accompanied by official music videos. The former received praise from The FADER, which wrote, “The pop-leaning and low-key love song features guitar and key lines that interlock hand in hand. Right in the pocket is the cotton candy-textured voice of vocalist María that coolly asks you to slow down with her. ”Meanwhile, “Jupiter” was hailed as “a soothing dream from retro outer-space,” by Melted.

In October of last year, the group released two new songs written and recorded during lockdown – “Care For You” and “bop it up!” – both joined by official videos co-directed by María with longtime visual collaborator Bethany Vargas. “Care For You” received acclaim from V Magazine, which praised it as “a slow, jazzy jam, both sensual and soothing,” while Órale enthused, “‘bop it up!’ is unlike any project The Marías have put out before... Although their signature tenderness is still recognizable, listeners will discover a newfound sense of invigoration. ”International art and fashion magazine Teeth added: “Both tracks are quarantine jams to dance and cry to, the kind of music we need during this endlessly trying time... The Marías have this incredible ability to transport you.”

Rough & tough from beat one, Cosa Records is extremely proud to present to you The Revues! Exploring the Texas ballroom revue scene of the 1960's, The Revues' first offering is this updated take on the classic Royal Jesters cut. On the flip side,The Revues take on the classic song "Carino Nuevo", features a fresh arrangement of the quintessential version played by Sunny Ozuna. By blending elements of Texas and California soul, the Revues breath new life into this classic bolero. Led by vocalist La Marisoul, her soulful voice adds a depth and tenderness to Sunny's version. This take is an ode to the Tejano ballrooms that pervaded across much of the Southwest during the mid-20th century. Late nights, bar fights, broken hearts, and soulful music that provided a soundtrack to the lives of hard working Mexican-American families.

Tape

It might be easy to assume that the distinctly focused compositional voice unveiled on Rose Bolton's The Lost Clock is the product of its creator's rigorous, almost hermetic dedication to her own particular aesthetic universe. A quick survey of Bolton's artistic career, however, reveals that her carefully sculpted approach to abstract electronica has been forged through a longstanding engagement with a wide range of intertwining creative activities.

This album—coming out on Important Records' cassette imprint, Cassauna—demonstrates both the Toronto-based composer's unique mastery of colour and her gift for breathing a tactile, organic quality into synthetic landscapes. Bolton's distinctive sensibility is akin to that of a painter—every hue has been carefully mixed so as to imbue its accompanying gesture with its own life and personality. This tangible dimensionality her electronic work assumes, however, can be traced back to the work Bolton has been doing since the 1990's. She has produced a large and varied catalogue of work that includes pieces for solo performers, chamber ensembles, orchestra, electronics, voice, and to accompany installations and films. A number of her works reside in several of these zones simultaneously, such as Song of Extinction, an ambitious collaboration between herself, filmmaker Marc de Guerre, poet Don McKay, and multiple live ensembles, that was mounted in an abandoned power station for Toronto's Luminato Festival.

This quasi-instrumental vitality isn't the only feature of The Lost Clock that reflects Bolton's diverse artistic practice. It can also be heard within the structural realm. Each of the collection's four tracks trace a patient unfolding and favour a certain roundness of timbre, even as finer details begin to fidget along the perimeter of the music. As with her writing for the concert hall, Bolton doesn't shy away from the evocative here, yet she doesn't pursue this poignancy through conventional, direct or quasi-narrative means. Her compositions lead the listener gradually through their impressionistic sonic scenery, but neither the path they take nor their ultimate destination are at all predictable. The ostensible gentleness each piece exudes dissolves as dissonances slowly insinuate themselves, obscure textures writhe just out of earshot, percussive lattice work materializes, or as the overall blend begins to exert a heavier weight. Her lucid-dream vision of form functions in tandem with her acute micro-level attentiveness to engender a vivid and elusive soundworld that resists classification.

Over more than two decades Rose Bolton has been garnering acclaim and enthusiasm from audiences and major collaborators alike. Last year, her brooding string quartet The Coming Of Sobs was nominated for Classical Composition of the Year at the JUNO Awards, following earlier accolades such as SOCAN Awards for Young Composers, and the Canadian Music Centre's Norman Burgess Fund. Her music has been commissioned by the likes of the CBC, stalwart experimental music festival the Sound Symposium, as well as key interpreters and ensembles such as percussionist David Schotzko, accordionist Joseph Petric the Esprit Orchestra, Continuum, Arraymusic, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and guitar quartet Instruments of Happiness (led by Tim Brady). Together with Marc de Guerre, she produced an 8-speaker sound and video installation for Toronto's Nuit Blanche Festival. She's also been featured by the likes of revered pianist Eve Egoyan, The Vancouver Symphony, L'ensemble contemporain de Montréal, The Music Gallery, and AKOUSMA, while appearing in concert alongside the likes of Jerusalem in My Heart (Constellation Records), Tanya Tagaq, and Francis Dhomont. Bolton is also a respected film composer, notably contributing music to the highly regarded documentary Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (co-directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky).

As a performer, she variously employs electronics, violin, and viola. Parallel to her engagement with exploratory approaches, she's invested in the fiddle traditions of the British Isles, and various Canadian regions. She teaches this repertoire at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Bolton has also performed with Rhys Chatham, Owen Pallett, opened for Charlemagne Palestine, and appears on recordings by the likes of Chatham and Aidan Baker. In 1999 she joined the Canadian Electronic Ensemble, whose fifty-years together make them the world's longest-running live-electronic music group. In February 2020, the CEE held a residency and provided guest lectures at Carnegie Mellon University's music department. Bolton has also led workshops at the Banff Centre, also founded the SOCAN/ Moog Audio-sponsored program EQ: Women in Electronic Music, which worked to foster community and mentorship among (trans/cis) women and non-binary individuals.

Connecticut-based quintet Goose—Rick Mitarotonda vocals, guitar, Peter Anspach [vocals, keys, guitar], Trevor Weekz [bass], Ben Atkind [drums], and Jeff Arevalo (percussion, drums, vocals)—shimmy through the cracks between funk, alternative, and rock with
head-spinning hooks, technical fireworks, and the kind of chemistry only possible among small-town and long-time friends. The common thread through the stylistic diversity they employ is a rich and deeply rooted language of improvisation.

Bring me a record, and I’ll show you a record! Laced Records and Gearbox Software have peeped in the oven and the extended Borderlands 2 soundtrack on piping hot wax is nearly ready to serve.

The seminal first-person looter-shooter returned in 2012, expanding upon the first game. Players were pitted against the quippiest antagonist of them all, corporate dictator Handsome Jack, as they battled across Pandora to just find that one killer Maliwan Shock Sniper Rifle...

The game’s music team comprised Jesper Kyd (Assassin’s Creed, Hitman), Sascha Dikiciyan & Cris Velasco (dual and individual credits include Quake 2 & 3, Unreal Tournament, Mass Effect 3, God of War 3, and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided) and Raison Varner (Borderlands series), all of whom collaborated on the 2009 original. Together they honed the series’ Western-tinged, electronic and guitar-driven sound to create a fan-favourite soundtrack.

46 tracks (23 from the OST, 23 from the extended soundtrack and DLC) have been specially mastered for vinyl and will be pressed to audiophile-quality, heavyweight 180g black discs.

Bring Me The Head of Kyle Bobby Dunn is a full length triple vinyl reissue of the original 2012 double compact disc album from Canadian composer Kyle Bobby Dunn. It was recorded at Bunce Cake studios in Brooklyn and remote parts of Ontario. The compositions are mostly long, slowly evolving minimal ambient and drone based works created from electric guitar processing. Perhaps more cinematic than previous albums, some pieces have since appeared in BBC documentaries and independent films over the years since its release. The original recordings on this Diggers Factory vinyl edition, however, have been remastered and practically rebuilt from the fog of their initial masters which have often been considered the composer's most quiet and even translucent works. Iranian composers and engineers, Milad Bagheri and Maryam Sirvan have brought out a certain clarity and freshness to the music and Dunn has considered it an almost completely different listening experience from the originals.
The album was critically praised and became a favourite of most fans and even after several subsequent albums later it remains a favourite and of the composer's as well.

City Slang is thrilled to welcome Pom Pom Squad into the City Slang family. The way Mia can nod to her influences, be they of the iconic 60’s girl group, characters from a John Waters film, or cutting edge fashion from today, while simultaneously spinning a beautiful and original story in her songs, is absolutely thrilling. This is the kind of record that makes you not only excited to see what you can do with an artist in a post-pandemic future, but also how you can build their career in the present circumstances. We cannot wait for you to hear this record in its entirety!

Produced by Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties and co-produced by Berrin herself, it’s a record that plays out like an exorcism in front of your bathroom mirror -- confronting the dark we’ve had planted within us and then ripping it out, all while watching every second of it. It’s vulnerable yet triumphant, deliciously irreverent & inviting yet sneering in the faces of those that had once tried to define her. First single “Lux” was unanimously praised by press including Stereogum who called it “a serrated blast of noise in which Berrin takes someone to task with glee” and The Fader who said “come for the scrappy punk reimagining of The Virgin Suicides, stay for Pom Pom Squad's galvanizing treatise on feminine awakening in a world that would rather keep your eyes shut.”

Mia Berrin spent her childhood trying to find where she fit right in the world, looking to the pop culture icons on TV in hopes of finding an image she connected to. She connected with the films of John Waters and David Lynch, loved the dark campiness found in Heathers, was in awe of the power of women like Courtney Love and Kathleen Hanna. Growing up as a female of color who would later in her life unearth and embrace her queerness, discussing and reconciling

Recent Church Road Records signees, Outlander have today announced
their upcoming EP Sundowning / Unconditional.
The Birmingham based quartet’s latest release follows their well received 2019
debut album, The Valium Machine, and expands upon their established slowcore foundations with richly layered shoegaze and doom.
Recorded and mixed over a four day period by Neil Kennedy at the well revered
The Ranch Production House and mastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden, Sundowning / Unconditional shines in it’s chameleonic shifts between altrock sensibilities in the vein of Nothing and the languor of Hum and Holy Fawn
at their most oppressively dreamlike.
The marriage of shoegaze and doom has proved fruitful in recent years, in part
due to it’s fatalistic capturing of 21st century ennui, and Outlander have undoubtedly added themselves to the burgeoning list of exciting new acts that
are tapping into the zeitgeist’s current listlessness.

Marillion’s 2001 Studio Album ‘Anoraknophobia’ Now Available On Kscope
“A collection full of grace and tenacity, thoughtful and thought provoking and
not without moments of real clarity and beauty” - Classic Rock Magazine
Marillion formed in 1979 and have sold over 15 million albums worldwide.
Rightly regarded as legends of progressive rock, the band have also continued
to evolve and have been keen to embrace the possibilities of the internet, using
innovative ways to interact with listeners resulting in an incredibly loyal legion
of fans around the world.
‘Anoraknophobia’ is claimed by Marillion to have been the first crowdfunded
album in the music industry, completely financed by the fans, allowing the
band to record free from any record company pressures. The album is one of
their most absorbing records to date and finds the band departing their neoprogressive rock past in favour of elements of rap, groove, trip hop, blues, jazz
and dub elements to create a more contemporary sound.
Now issued on Kscope, this is a chance to revisit a band in truly inspired form
with a record far ahead of its time.

Heading into the spring of 2020, T. Hardy Morris
had 12 demos that he thought would make-up his
next album. Then everything changed. The world
took a break and so his plans to record did as well.
As we all watched and waited out the storms; viral
and societal, we seemed to wake up scrolling
through a whole new century, a time Morris began
to refer to as ‘The Digital Age of Rome’.
He scrapped the demos and began a collection of
songs in quarantine where the unprecedented
times and topics were unavoidable. He wanted to
document the era sonically and lyrically in some
way. “I wanted it to sound like how the world felt to
me in the second half of 2020. Uncomfortable and
chaotic, dystopian but still beautiful.”
‘The Digital Age of Rome’ was recorded in a
deserted downtown Athens, Ga. With long-time
collaborator / producer Adam Landry.

Written in the wee hours of the night, the late
Richard Swift’s ‘KFC’ is a winding sardonic
monologue about a rough night of food poisoning
following a quick dinner of fried chicken.
On the track, Swift’s vocal is pitched down and
distorted while accompanied by cooing vocal
harmonies and drums.

Operation: Mindcrime is regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time. The band’s third album, originally released May 3rd 1988, is based around Nikki, a recovering drug addict, who becomes disillusioned with a corrupt society and joins a revolutionary group to assassinate political leaders. Operation: Mindcrime was produced by Peter Collins (Bon Jovi, Rush, Alice Cooper) and was recorded, mixed and mastered digitally on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine. It was certified platinum in 1991 in the US and was ranked in the Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Available on multi-formats, this new version was remastered at Abbey Road Studios and brings together all the available recordings to tell the story of this remarkable album. The deluxe version, housed in a 10″ x 10″ box, is the final word on this exceptional album. It also contains a DVD which features the accompanying promotional videos and a live performance of the album. The expanded booklet features new sleeve notes by noted journalist Alex Milas who spoke with Geoff Tate about the making of the album and the concept behind it.