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Five albums, sixty tracks and still counting. Cool Million are back with a new album!

Ten years ago the euro soul duo Cool Million released their first album 'Going Out Tonight' on UK soul label Expansion Records. The album took the soul crowd by surprise, cause who were these guys that out of the blue, could recreated the soulful sound of the 80's hey day like no other?

The answer to that question is; Rob Hardt and Frank Ryle. One a super musician from Germany with skills you can only dream of. The other a Dj/musicfreak from Denmark with a masterplan – both of them with tons of dedication and passion for thier craft.

Thier passion and ambition have kept them in the came for a decade and they have worked with a long list of artists, some known some not, some forgotten some on their way up! The list include names such as: Jean Carne, Keni Burke, Shirley Jones, Eugene Wilde, Meli'sa Morgan, Rena Scott, Leroy Burgess, Peggi Blu, Yvonne Gage, Marc Evans, Alton McClain, Kenny Thomas, Lisa Stansfield, Tom Moulton, Joey Negro, Dimitri From Paris and John Morales, Glenn Jones, Marc Sadane, Tim Owens, Gavin Christopher, Michael Jeffries.

Cool Million tells that they feel privileged and humble when they look at the list of names they have worked with over the ten years. Futhermore they add; 'Who would have thought that two dudes from northern Europe would be able to create music with people that talented, we hope we could do it, when we started but that we actually done it, is amazing and wonderful'.

Reflecting on the first decade of Cool Million it's fair to say that Rob & Frank are two determined and ambitious gentlemen with extraordinary talent.

So what can Cool Million tell us abouth their new album? 'It's a classic Cool Million album where we work/collaborate with various artists, staying true to our original concept both in terms of genre and how we think a album works best. Having say that we think that our fans will be a little surprised with the fact that this is our slowest album to date. We believe we have more variety than ever and it's a fact that the music on the new album is slowed down in terms of more ballads and mid-tempo songs compared to our other albums'.

'The reason for this development is that we wanted to try something that was a little out of our comfort zone. Also we felt that we wanted to prove that we can do quality slow jams aswell. You could also argue that is's beause we both turned fifty this year.. haha'.

"BI-CENTENNIAL - 1976" has been comped on the fourth volume in the "CAN YOU FEEL IT" compilation series. The flip side, "LOVE ONE ANOTHER", was featured on "COUNTDOWN TO... SOUL 2". Now available on a good old 45 RPM single re-issue.

‘Otherness’ is Ferris & Sylvester’s second studio album. The music ranges across a spectrum of psychedelic folk, blues, rock and soul, yet the songs are connected by the duo’s stark and vivid storytelling. Echoes of Alabama Shakes, Madison Cunningham and The Teskey Brothers ripple throughout.  Recorded at the pair’s studio to a 1960’s tape machine and released through their label Archtop Records, the husband-and-wife duo dedicate the album to anyone who feels like an outsider.  The 14-track album, and its accompanying otherworldly artwork, is available on marble red heavyweight double vinyl, standard black heavyweight double vinyl, and CD.  The vinyl products include an exclusive hidden track, with the song’s handwritten lyrics etched onto Side D.  “Ferris & Sylvester have built their own world. Breaking down walls and claiming fresh territory as their own.” - Clash  “Folk-rock at its most elegantly haunting.” - Wonderland  UK / EU 26-date headline tour (February - March 2024), with London show at Lafayette, 1st March 2024.  Press - Reviews & features in Classic Rock, RNR, Rolling Stone, House Of Solo, MINT Magazine.  Radio - BBC Introducing (West) live session, BBC Scotland Another Country with Ricky Ross live session.

‘Otherness’ is Ferris & Sylvester’s second studio album. The music ranges across a spectrum of psychedelic folk, blues, rock and soul, yet the songs are connected by the duo’s stark and vivid storytelling. Echoes of Alabama Shakes, Madison Cunningham and The Teskey Brothers ripple throughout.  Recorded at the pair’s studio to a 1960’s tape machine and released through their label Archtop Records, the husband-and-wife duo dedicate the album to anyone who feels like an outsider.  The 14-track album, and its accompanying otherworldly artwork, is available on marble red heavyweight double vinyl, standard black heavyweight double vinyl, and CD.  The vinyl products include an exclusive hidden track, with the song’s handwritten lyrics etched onto Side D.  “Ferris & Sylvester have built their own world. Breaking down walls and claiming fresh territory as their own.” - Clash  “Folk-rock at its most elegantly haunting.” - Wonderland  UK / EU 26-date headline tour (February - March 2024), with London show at Lafayette, 1st March 2024.  Press - Reviews & features in Classic Rock, RNR, Rolling Stone, House Of Solo, MINT Magazine.  Radio - BBC Introducing (West) live session, BBC Scotland Another Country with Ricky Ross live session.

Since the early 80's Allan Crockford has been a major figure in Medway's garage rock scene, including playing for The Prisoners, Billy Childish's Thee Headcoats, the original line-up of the James Taylor Quartet, The Solarflares and many more. Since 2010 he has fronted his own band, The Galileo 7, as writer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their unique blend of powerful '60s garage rock'n'roll, psychedelic vocal harmonies and quality songwriting has now featured on no less than eight albums. Their ninth, You, Me and Reality, sounds like the work of a seasoned rock 'n' roll band dialling things up one and approaching its zenith. The group performances of the quartet of Allan Crockford, Viv Bonsels, Paul Moss and Mole ooze energy and dynamics - whether it's the garage ramalama of opener 'Can't Go Home', the woozy psychedelics of 'Slow Down', the chipper folk-rock of 'A Simple Man' or the '60s mod-pop stomp of the title track. As with 2019's last album proper, There Is Only Now, all four group members share lead vocal duties, with Viv's contributions adding an affecting indie-pop flavour that coyly suggests new directions. You, Me & Reality largely eschews its predecessor's predilection for ambling unplugged off the beaten path, instead sticking with up-tempo ensemble performances that showcase the players' musical chops and vocal interplay in the kind of warm, fizzy, analogue soundscape that's become a touchstone of many Medway bands.

Albert Hammond is one of the most prolific, versatile songwriters and performers of his or any generation. His earliest solo hits include “It Never Rains in Southern California” and “The Free Electric Band.” His contributions to popular music (writing and and/or contributing to hit songs by Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias, Diana Ross, Starship, The Hollies, Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin) cross genres and generations.  Body of Work is an all-new, original, and essential addition to this iconic canon. Written during a time of tumultuous change, Body of Work is the moment a master songsmith takes a step back to reflect on the world, “This is the first step I had to take and the album is what I discovered about me and all of us once I started here,” says Albert. “I can feel the discomfort and impatience in it. That’s just the honest feeling when the world changes for you from oasis to desert, from beauty to chaos… freedom to fences.” From gutsy opener “Don’t Bother Me Babe” through the wistful “Looking Back” and closing with the reflective “Goodbye LA,” Body of Work is an album for the ages, crafted with 50 years of words, experience, and wisdom.

Limited edition release of this project featuring Chris Braide of The Producers (Trevor Horn,
Chris Braidqe, Lol Crème), Andy Partridge (ex-XTC) and Tim Weller (Divine Comedy).
Recorded in Los Angeles and London, this release will appeal to fans of all three artists as
well as being a strong release in its own right.
Chris Braide is a British producer & songwriter who has co-written, produced and
collaborated with a wide array of artists, including Sia, Hans Zimmer, Beyonce, David
Guetta, Lana Del Rey, Adele, Baz Luhrmann, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Halsey, Madonna,
Starrah, Demi Lovato, Robin Schulz, Yuna, Elle King, Afrojack, Wrabel, Paloma Faith, Britney
Spears, Christina Aguilera, Bibi Bourelly, Kylie Minogue, Zendaya, Bebe Rexha, Theophilus
London, LP, Natalie Portman, Celine Dion, Kate Hudson, Beth Ditto, Toni Braxton, Tate
McRae, Snoop Dogg, Big Sean, Jason Mraz, Donna Missal, Julia Michaels, Kali Uchis, Jessie
Reyez, Lucy Hale and many more.

‘THE CONGREGATION - Jazz Alliance International’ compilation is the latest offering from Mono Jazz label. Compiled by Massimiliano ‘Jazzcat’ Conti - a DJ, broadcaster and internationally respected
selector with over 150,000 followers on Mixcloud - and featuring liner notes by Paul Bradshaw (from the iconic ‘Straight no Chaser’ magazine), ‘THE CONGREGATION’ is an innovative, largely
contemporary selection of tracks that they feel is representative of the current era - a true manifesto of the international jazz scene of the present days.

The release was received with great enthusiasm by some of the leading DJs and music critics of the scene – from the UK, to Germany, to Japan – getting early radio support by Patrick Forge (NTS), Colin
Curtis (Hitmix Radio), Kevin Beadle (TWR), Rainer Trüby (Compost Records), Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive), Raffaele Costantino (Rai Radio 2), Ilya Rasskazov (Headz.FM), Michael Rütten (Soul Searching), David Patterson (JFSR), Simon Harrison (Basic Soul) & more.

Built around a near mythical, unreleased song by Japanese producer Yellowtail featuring legendary beat generation jazz singer Mark Murphy, the selection of tunes contained in this album ventures far and wide. Soulful offerings by Anthony Joseph and Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation, percussive and spiritual renditions by the likes of Malcolm Strachan, Right Tempo’s own Francesco Sotgiu and Nicola Conte, Latin-flavoured explorations by Mexican giant Tino
Contreras and Acid Jazz’s signed Mama Terra and a hip-hop spiced cut by Portuguese producer Azar Azar are some of the many moods that can be found in ‘THE CONGREGATION’

Behold the timeless, elegant, sophisticated man that is Donny Benet.

More than a decade since the world first fell for his charms, Donny Benet is taking charge of his destiny like never before. His new album, number six, is called Infinite Desires, and it’s his most complete musical statement yet.

Across eight tracks, Donny sets out a vision that embraces a diversity of experience, from elation to introspection, from disquiet to unbridled ecstasy. Take the brash slapped bass of the opening track, Multiply; or American Dream, his meditation on warped dreams and distractions; or the self-empowerment at the heart of So Long, an ode to stepping away from toxic relationships; or Wait Until it Rains Tomorrow, a moving, cathartic tale of acceptance folded within Donny’s trademark sound, a smooth wave of harmonies and rhythm that makes you feel like everything is going to be ok.

If I Could Only Remember My Name was the debut solo record from David Crosby. Recorded in 1970 after the passing of his girlfriend Christine and released in February of 1971, the album explores themes including loss and disorientation. The album features a who's who of contributors from the San Francisco Bay area including Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, and Santana, and his cohort from Los Angeles including Graham Nash, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell.

The album has attained a cult status throughout the last 50 years, hailed for its spooky, psychedelic, and truly unique sounds.

AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars, with reviewer Stanton Swihart writing: "With his ringing, velvety voice — the epitome of hippie crooning — and inspired songwriting, he turns If I Could Only Remember My Name into a one-shot wonder of dreamy but ominous California ambience."

All the hallmarks of a top-notch Analogue Productions reissue are here for you to savor: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

1966’s Look To The Rainbow is one of the jewels of Astrud Gilberto’s catalog and of the bossa nova canon. Teaming with arranger Gil Evans and producer Creed Taylor, the orchestral backing perfectly complements Astrud’s whispery, understated voice, especially on the title track and the sweet ballad, ‘I Will Wait For You’.

This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.

Jahmal Padmore, a Toronto-based singer-songwriter and drummer, is a master of introspection and musical innovation. Having begun his career as a punk rock duo with The Carps, Jahmal's solo artistry has since flourished, earning him critical acclaim for his contemplative R&B ballads. In 2022, he released his latest album, Esparonto, a testament to his unyielding commitment to artistic expression. Jahmal has graced the stages of Pop Montreal and delivered a mesmerising sold-out performance for his album release, cementing his place as a rising star in the industry. Set to tour Europe and the U.S. throughout 2023 and 2024, Jahmal's genre-blurring sound, which includes R&B, punk rock, and calypso, is a powerful meditation on love, relationships, and the human experience.

"The Wooz" by Jahmal Padmore includes the following tracks: "Denial", "Silver Lines", "In 5", "Not Long Now" and more.

This version of the album comes on WHITE vinyl.

Jahmal Padmore, a Toronto-based singer-songwriter and drummer, is a master of introspection and musical innovation. Having begun his career as a punk rock duo with The Carps, Jahmal's solo artistry has since flourished, earning him critical acclaim for his contemplative R&B ballads. In 2022, he released his latest album, Esparonto, a testament to his unyielding commitment to artistic expression. Jahmal has graced the stages of Pop Montreal and delivered a mesmerising sold-out performance for his album release, cementing his place as a rising star in the industry. Set to tour Europe and the U.S. throughout 2023 and 2024, Jahmal's genre-blurring sound, which includes R&B, punk rock, and calypso, is a powerful meditation on love, relationships, and the human experience.

"The Wooz" by Jahmal Padmore includes the following tracks: "Denial", "Silver Lines", "In 5", "Not Long Now" and more.

This version of the album comes on WHITE vinyl.

Now on 140 gram RED vinyl,. Includes: Going For Gold, Disco Down, She Left Me On Friday, On Standby, Getting Better. Exclusive Interview Recorded & Filmed at Barrowland, Glasgow, 3rd December 2002.

See Youse At The Barras by Shed Seven, released 23 February 2024, includes the following tracks: "On Standby", "Chasing Rainbows", "Where Have You Been Tonight", "Cry For Help" and more.

This version of See Youse At The Barras comes as a 1xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a yellow disc.

German Funk, Rare Groove and 1970s Disco music (e.g. the highly regarded Munich scene around Italian producer Giorgio Moroder) have been widely recognized and featured on numerous reissues and compilations. However, the Boogie-ish post-disco side of German music history until now has remained undiscovered. One of the reasons might be that a broader national scene in Germany (unlike the UK for example) never existed. Even though tracks by US bands such as Dazz or Midnight Star were popular in discotheks in Germany around that time, bigger labels showed little interest in promoting German groups playing this new style of Disco Funk, now primarily known as "Boogie", that brought in electronical instruments and often lacked the iconic "four-on-the-floor" beat. Additionally, the number of bands that continued to play funky and soulful music in the 1980s diminished as other styles like Synth Pop, Punk, New Wave and NDW (New German Wave) ascended in popularity. Still, though German Boogie may have never existed as a national movement, great things were happening rather locally and each group featured on our compilation brings with them a particularly unique style and story.

Now, finally, "Boogie on the Mainline" sheds some light on 11 little-known German Disco gems that were released on small or even private labels. The album contains tunes by Imagination, Squish, Upstairs, Bernie L., The Poptown Syndicate, Peter Patzer, Ca$h, Trust, Publicity as well as classic tracks by Ströer and John Davis. It was compiled by John Raincoatman aka DJ Scientist

Double LP on Hibiscus & Butterfly Pea Tea Vinyl Dust off your coffee machine and prepare your warmest smile to meet your customers again in the second episode of the much-loved coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator - "Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly". You are a barista and your customers aren't always humans. Listen to their stories and influence their hearts with a warm cup of coffee or two. Introducing "Coffee Talk Episode 2" on vinyl. Dive into the soothing rhythms of this atmospheric lo-fi soundtrack, which captures the very essence of the Coffee Talk universe. Each groove transports you to that familiar coffee shop corner, where the patter of rain, heart-warming chatter and captivating melodies intertwine flawlessly. Presented in a stunning analogue format, the cover is drawn by Junkipatchi, Episode 2's lead writer and narrative designer. The tracks themselves have been handpicked by Andrew Jeremy, game producer and music composer, who has this to say: "The world is so chaotic that it can break you down. Just take your time to rest and re-energize with relaxing and chill music, before you start each day conquering the world once again." So, settle down with your favourite brew and let Coffee Talk Ep. 2 on vinyl guide you on a melancholic yet tranquil journey, evoking the Seattle from a parallel universe that you've come to know and love. Secure your auditory escape today and immerse yourself in an unmatched coffee shop ambiance.

Dust off your coffee machine and prepare your warmest smile to meet your customers again in the second episode of the much-loved coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator - "Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly". You are a barista and your customers aren't always humans. Listen to their stories and influence their hearts with a warm cup of coffee or two. Introducing "Coffee Talk Episode 2" on tape. Dive into the soothing rhythms of this atmospheric lo-fi soundtrack, which captures the very essence of the Coffee Talk universe. Each groove transports you to that familiar coffee shop corner, where the patter of rain, heart-warming chatter and captivating melodies intertwine flawlessly. Presented in a stunning analogue format, the cover is drawn by Junkipatchi, Episode 2's lead writer and narrative designer. The tracks themselves have been handpicked by Andrew Jeremy, game producer and music composer, who has this to say: "The world is so chaotic that it can break you down. Just take your time to rest and re-energize with relaxing and chill music, before you start each day conquering the world once again." So, settle down with your favourite brew and let Coffee Talk Ep. 2 on tape guide you on a melancholic yet tranquil journey, evoking the Seattle from a parallel universe that you've come to know and love. Secure your auditory escape today and immerse yourself in an unmatched coffee shop ambiance.

Dust off your coffee machine and prepare your warmest smile to meet your customers again in the second episode of the much-loved coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator - "Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly". You are a barista and your customers aren't always humans. Listen to their stories and influence their hearts with a warm cup of coffee or two. Introducing "Coffee Talk Episode 2" on tape. Dive into the soothing rhythms of this atmospheric lo-fi soundtrack, which captures the very essence of the Coffee Talk universe. Each groove transports you to that familiar coffee shop corner, where the patter of rain, heart-warming chatter and captivating melodies intertwine flawlessly. Presented in a stunning analogue format, the cover is drawn by Junkipatchi, Episode 2's lead writer and narrative designer. The tracks themselves have been handpicked by Andrew Jeremy, game producer and music composer, who has this to say: "The world is so chaotic that it can break you down. Just take your time to rest and re-energize with relaxing and chill music, before you start each day conquering the world once again." So, settle down with your favourite brew and let Coffee Talk Ep. 2 on tape guide you on a melancholic yet tranquil journey, evoking the Seattle from a parallel universe that you've come to know and love. Secure your auditory escape today and immerse yourself in an unmatched coffee shop ambiance.

This 1960 album’s inventive Richard Weiss arrangements combine with Carter’s uniquely masterful – and modern - vocals for fresh takes on standards. Highlights include a lively run through ‘What A Little Moonlight Can Do’, inspired scatting on ‘On The Alamo’ and a beautifully tender take on ‘There’s No You’.

This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.

'Reet' is a lost treasure of late 1960s folk/psych-folk. The only album she ever put to tape, with clear pure voice and guitar. luckily recorded by Andres Raudsepp in 1969.

Reet will be loved in the same breath as ;Sibylle Baier, Vashti Bunyan, Molly Drake, Bridget st John, Reet Hendrikson deserves wider listening and recognition.

Reet Hendrikson was born in Estonia only months before the "great escape" into exile in 1944. Brought up and educated in Sweden, she went to study in the US in 1967 on a Fulbright scholarship, before she made her mark as an Estonian musician in Canada. While her arrangements of Estonian folksongs on the guitar reflected the styles of the sixties, her voice and choice of material sounded authentic and made a connection with ages past.

When Hendrikson arrived in Canada in 1968 via the US, her Estonian was native-like because of the high quality of Estonian schools in Sweden. She was thus able to characterise the identity of young ex-patriate Estonians – especially those born in exile from Soviet occupation – in a new and meaningful way. A formal musical background allowed her to create the arrangements that accompanied her simple but pure singing voice. Having heard her under northern Muskoka pines at an Estonian summer seminar, it didn't takeAndres Raudsepp ( of raindeer records)long to bring her to a recording studio. "Reet – Estonian folksongs" appeared in 1969.

Hendrikson soon found her way to the scholarly atmosphere of Boston where, as a multi-instrumentalist, she joined a group of musicians who favoured traditional folk music. Back in Sweden in the 1980ies, she was invited to join a scholarly society of Estonian young women, which she led during musical sessions. She visited Estonia as frequently as possible, trying in particular to be helpful to Estonian musicians by providing sheet music and much-needed repertoire from the Swedish National Radio Archives, where she worked for a while..

Reet Hendrikson died in Stockholm in the autumn of 2000.

FÜR FANS VON: Scorpions, Victory, Jane, Epitaph, Eloy, Mob Rules, Thunderhead, Nitrogods / Vinyl Farbe: schwarz, bedruckte Innentasche, 140 g
Fargo zählten Anfang der Achtziger zu Deutschlands wichtigsten Rock-Acts. Mit vier Studioalben zwischen 1979 und 1982 und ihren Tourneen unter
anderem mit AC/DC und Mothers Finest hat sich die Hannoveraner Band einen echten Kultstatus erspielt. Am 23. Februar 2024 werden ihre vier
frühen Klassiker wiederveröffentlicht, darunter auch "Wishing Well" (1979), welche neu gemastert und zudem auch neu gemischt wurde.

In the early aughts, The Children"s Hour produced a genial, naive-adjacent, front-porch take on Josephine Foster"s celebrated solo music with the album SOS JFK, then disappeared from the face of the earth. The belated issue of their second album from 2003 furthers their arc delightfully. David Pajo"s Aerial-M-esque drums and bass elevates Josephine and Andy Bar"s shared vibe of love, pure and simple, to an apex of local band barroom bliss.

The English duo Persher, Arthur Cayzer (Pariah) and Jamie Roberts (Blawan), take the same subversive, boundaryless approach to extreme music that underpins their electronic explorations. Their individual singles output are highly anticipated in the dance world in part because of their affinity expression beyond a trend. The debut album Sleep Well is ferocious and innovative. Cayzer and Roberts take a decidedly unconventional approach to writing, using the full potential of the studio in their exploration of extreme music. What sounds like a live band performance is more often than not an amalgam of many different sessions, the duo applying techniques from electronic music to heavier sonics. Recording in Roberts" studio at Funkhaus, the home of the former East German state-owned radio station, Cayzer would improvise long takes on guitar and bass, contorted and mutated by Robert"s using his extensive modular setup to add weight and texture. This primordial ooze of raw sonics was then chopped up and reassembled into bristling hooks and corrosive atmospheres. The duo"s playful, exuberant approach to music is evident in their absurdist themes and lyrics. Much of the album is inspired by "really disgusting food". Medieval Soup from the Milkbar references the epically bad meal of gray, gruel-like soup, and seeps into the track"s noxious slurry and stomach-churning riffs. "Portable Aquarium" was born of a cup of herbal tea overflowing with foliage. Their playful and often self-deprecating sense of humor allows them to find inspiration in the smallest of life"s events. Persher"s Sleep Well provides a daring, revelatory expansion on heavy music"s myriad mutations. The duo uses their production skills and their humor to embrace the powerful release they find in extreme. Persher"s debut album exudes the sheer joy of making music unconstrained by genre boundaries, as gleefully weird as it is visceral and primal.

splattered yelow & red vinyl

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

7A Records is proud to present Davy Jones "The Bell Records Story". A lavish reissue of Davy Jones' self-titled album remastered with 6 bonus tracks. The CD version comes with a big 36 page colour booklet, extensive liner notes from Monkees historian Mark Kleiner and rare and previously unseen pictures. This reissue gives fans the opportunity to reassess an album that was unfairly neglected by record buyers at the time of its initial release in the fall of 1971.

Prior to entering the studio with producer Jackie Mills, Jones had recorded a batch of more somber and adult contemporary-sounding demos than the eventual Bell recordings of big band sunshine pop. While the latter played quite squarely into Jones’ established image; the former suggested another path that may (or may not) have launched Jones into a more fecund musical and commercial direction. Who can say? At the end of the day, we have these recordings and their manifold (and for too long overlooked) pleasures to enjoy, a worthy entry in the broad category of early seventies sunshine pop and in the specific canon of Davy Jones and Monkees-related recordings. Here is primetime Davy Jones, singing like an angel, and pointing to a love that leads to joy for all mankind. This release comes with a Booklet & Liner Notes & Photos

Re-issue des 2. Saffire Albums als Digipak & Ltd. Transparent Curacao LP. Die schwedischen Hard Rocker Saffire haben einen Remix des 2015 auf AOR Heaven erschienenden Albums gemacht. Nicht, dass der ursprüngliche Mix schlecht gewesen wäre, sondern eher aufgrund der Tatsache, dass sich die ursprüngliche Veröffentlichung klanglich anders anfühlte als gewünscht. Mit diesem Remix konnte die Band neue Produktionszutaten hinzuzufügen, von denen sie glauben, dass sie von Anfang an auf dem Album hätten enthalten sein sollen. Melodischer "old-school" Hard Rock & Metal, mit heutigem Sound. Sie klingen ein wenig nach 70er, nach Uriah Heep, Deep Purple etc., was vor allem die Keyboard/Orgel-Klänge und Einsätze betrifft. Die Riffs und Lead-Gitarren-Parts hingegen sind offensiv und knackig, und Sänger Tobias Jansson hat seinen eigenen Stil und Tonlage. Frischer Hard Rock mit Retro Anteilen, ein weiterer "Made In Sweden" Qualitätstitel.

Nur wenige Beatgruppen der Mitte der sechziger Jahre konnten es mit den Liverpooler The Searchers aufnehmen, deren erste vier Singles auf dem Pye-Label drei Nummer-eins-Hits einbrachten - Sweets For My Sweet, Needles And Pins und Dont Throw Your Love Away - sowie Sugar And Spice, ein Nummer-2-Hit, an den man sich heute noch gerne erinnert. Diese neue 1LP-Kollektion enthält 20 der glorreichen Hits und wichtigen Albumtracks auf rotem Vinyl.

Der in den USA aufgewachsene Christian Kjellvander (sprich: "Schjellwander") kam schon als Jugendlicher mit der texanischen Alt-Country-Szene in Berührung, die ihn nachhaltig beeinflusste. Als einer der bekanntesten Singer/Songwriter Schwedens veröffentlichte Kjellvander neben mehreren CDs mit seinen Bands Loosegoats und Songs of Soil auch zahlreiche Soloalben.

Minas 'Num Dia Azul' is a sublime slice of private press bossa nova meets jazzy MPB perfection. Warm and bubbling with youthful spirit, the music is simultaneously loose in swagger, yet slick and tight. The album was originally released in 1983 and reflects the great music coming out of Rio at the time, yet 'Num Dia Azul' wasn't recorded in Rio, but actually in the USA.

Recorded in North Carolina just after Patricia and Orlando Haddad had graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts, the record was only released for the Brazilian market on their own Blueazul Records imprint. As with most private press labels, they could only afford to have it pressed in small quantities. To add to its later obscurity, hundreds of copies were also destroyed in a house fire. They say cream always rises to the top, and fast forward to the 2010s, the word amongst collectors and DJs was spreading about this mythical under-the-radar recording. People from across the globe were contacting Patricia and Orlando for more information, hoping to secure themselves a copy. Luckily the original tapes had remained with the artists and were in great condition, so in 2016 the pair ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to have it remastered and repressed.

For this Mr Bongo 2023 re-issue, we have tried to keep it as close to the original 1983 version as possible, both in the packaging and audio presentation. The CD version comes with bonus tracks. We are super proud to keep Patricia and Orlando's serene recordings in the circulation that they deserve to be. One for fans of Brazilian artists such as Burnier & Cartier, Edu Lobo and Joyce. We are sure those fans will lose themselves in the alluring textures of 'Num Dia Azul'

For his 20th album, Cascadian experimental music fixture Strategy set out repurpose chill-out for improved resilience under the strains of record-breaking heatwaves. Syrupy bass workouts, generative freeform bubblers, captured freak transmissions, uneasy soundbites, buried secret messages, dubbed-out mixing board sessions coalesce into a purposeful, yet liquid, choreography.

NOW is proud to present the very best of Country music with NOW That’s What I Call Country. 4 CD’s jam-packed full of the biggest Country hits of all time! With 86 tracks and its mix of classic and modern hits, this collection is essential for any Country music and Pop fan! So, grab yours today, and get ready to enjoy the very best of Country also available on a Coloured Triple LP set with 50 tracks and its mix of classic and modern hits, this collection is essential for any vinyl collection! So, grab yours today, and get ready to enjoy the very best of Country across 3-LPs!

As the fable goes: pre-discogs, intrepid disc jocks would often take trips to Italy (many tricking their spouse into believe it was a ‘holiday’!) to source records from the seemingly endless supply of top tier Italo, disco and cosmic record shops across the country. According to legend, the classified sections of local yellow pages and information booklets which would contain the addresses of the record shops and dealers in the area would often be ripped out unscrupulously, thwarting – or at least making it more difficult for – the next vinyl tourist to source out the rare gems amongst the rich seams – a wild west vinyl gold rush if you will.

Such stories are a rarity these days, with youtube making some of the most underground tracks common knowledge, and discogs almost making any record obtainable – at a price of course. Upgrading his digging methodology, Bosco has developed a secret New Technique to side-step the machine and in doing so obtained a clutch of amyl-soaked fluffers that are so rare, that upon writing they aren’t even listed online! Seriously, he must be communicating with some interdimensional, upper echelon Italo overlords; taking us on a primo-thrust tour through the most unexposed recesses of the Italo disco galaxy.

Don’t be hoodwinked by their sheer obscurity however; we wouldn’t give a toss if they couldn’t tear the arse off the dancefloor. But they’re all fuckin rhodium grade tackle peeps! Eight neon-drenched late night roman candles of Italo disco decadence that’ll defo have you jizzing rainbow skittles over the dancefloor as you search desperately through the fog for another huff of poppers off Darren.

Total Discogs market value: as yet undetermined

Pharoah Brunson’s Pyramid Points: 9999999999999

2023 Repress

Frank Maston’s Tulips is a sample-ready film score to the best 70s movie never made. Originally a super-limited self-release on his Phonoscope label in late 2017, Tulips has already become incredibly sought-after. Be With were introduced to Maston by mutual friends Aquarium Drunkard and it didn’t take long before we decided this modern classic deserved a reissue.

Inspired by the deep-grooving soundtracks of Italian cinema - think Morricone, Umiliani and Alessandroni - Maston conceived the entire Tulips project as a continuation of these revered works. Frank designed the artwork and made two 16mm films to accompany the music: “It wasn’t just the LP… it was kind of a whole vibe I was trying to create. Not really trying to emulate the things that influenced me but more trying to make something that could sit alongside those records on a shelf. I’m still very proud of the project.”

There’s a distinct library music feel too, with wiry organ, spacey keyboards and loping 60s guitar hinting at KPM and DeWolfe. Like the best library music, Tulips creates a cinematic universe through sound alone, evoking moving images in the listener’s technicolour imagination. It turns out that was accidentally on purpose: “I was discovering a lot of library music for the first time… listening to a composer’s entire catalog or finding all this obscure stuff. I wasn’t entirely conscious of the influence until I started making this music and realized I was channeling the vibe. That’s when I began focusing more on weaving melodic themes throughout the record to make it function more like a soundtrack”.

Tulips was recorded between 2015 and 2017 in a small studio in a village called Zwaag in Holland, during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. “Tulips” comes from the title of the very first demo he made in Holland, it was the first thing that came to mind. Makes sense.

Recording in Europe with some very European influences in mind, Frank wanted to eschew any American influences. But we can still feel the studio wizardry of the likes of Brian Wilson and Harry Nilsson in there somewhere. A psychedelic bedroom-pop song-cycle, full of hypnotic hooks and dusty drums, Tulips manages to sound charmingly homemade yet wholly widescreen.

Dreamy opener “Swans” is an exquisite soul instrumental and recalls the soft-psych of Koushik, which Be With loves of course. Tropicalia influences abound in the cool and breezy “New Danger” and the KPM-references are loud and proud on the lush organ pop of “Old Habits”. Fast-paced “Chase Theme No. 1” manages to be both tense and laid back, decorated by acid-drenched spaghetti Western guitars. The glorious Gainsbourg-esque melancholia of “Infinite Bliss” is all gauzy flutes and happy-sad vocalizing and the title is almost perfect: it’s bliss, no question; *if only* it went on forever. Side A closes with “Evening”, a subtle bossa nova beat thing. Gorgeous.

Side B opens with the heat-shimmer guitars of “Rain Dance”, evoking an unreleased Byrds or Buffalo Springfield backing track. Yes, it’s that good. “Sure Thing” is music to accompany an elevator ride you never want to end, but in a good way! The ornate “Garçon Manqué” is as beautiful as the instrumentals on Pet Sounds (think “Let’s Go Away For A While”) and the wistful “Turning In” starts like a stroll in the park before Maston introduces a scorched-Earth guitar solo that would startle if it wasn’t so pitch-perfect. “Chase Theme No. 2” is a briefer, more keening counterpart to what we hear on side A. The head-nod bass-drums-keys funk of “Hues” rounds out this staggeringly assured set; still opening each phrase with a plaintive strum, but using vibrato and heavy reverb to accent the electric organ melody. Sublime.

All these top drawer musical references might sound like just more of the usual release notes hyperbole, but there’s a reason that this still-young LP already changes hands for big money. It really is that good. Of course that first pressing didn’t hang around for long and Frank’s regularly been asked about a re-press pretty much ever since.

Re-issuing Tulips on Be With made sense to Frank “because the record would fit in so well with the catalogue”. Having already delved into the archives of KPM and Themes, and beginning to do the same with Coloursound and Selected Sounds, the collaboration “just makes sense and seems inevitable”. We agree.

Frank wasn’t sure a record of instrumentals with obscure soundtrack references would be an easy sell when it was originally released, and was surprised when Tulips turned out to be exactly what some people wanted to hear. We reckon its timeless beauty ensures that it’ll *always* have an audience.

The record was originally cut to be played at 45rpm, a technical quirk that grants the home listener the opportunity to go deeper, for longer. Played at 33rpm, the more languid unfurling of the tracks proves just as wonderful a trip. As a psilocybin-soaked case study from Aquarium Drunkard back in January of 2019 describes, some of the songs sound as if they were intended to be heard that way. The slower speed allowing the listener to step inside and perhaps even “crack the code” of the music’s meaning.

Mastered for this vinyl reissue by Simon Francis and featuring alternative burnt orange artwork from Maston himself, this Be With pressing is limited to just 500 copies. Hypnagogic it may be, but please don’t sleep.

2023 Repress

Maston’s Darkland is a breezy collection of the material from the Tulips sessions that didn’t make it on to the original LP. Originally a digital-only release for those in the know in the autumn of 2018, after re-issuing Tulips in 2020 it made too much sense for Be With to give Darkland a vinyl release.

Like Tulips, Darkland was recorded mostly in Hoorn, in the Netherlands, between 2015-2017 during downtime from Frank’s touring duties with Jacco Gardner’s band. Bits were also done in Los Angeles on some extended trips back home.

The collection plays like an alternate view of Maston’s instant modern classic Tulips; a companion piece to the LP proper with similar mixture of shorter themes and more full length tracks. As Frank Maston explains: “I think Darkland is the shadow of Tulips in a way… what it might’ve been in a different universe. But the heart of Tulips beats in these songs as well and they evoke the same memories and feelings for me. I see my process playing out across these songs - lots of experimentation and trying out new techniques and sounds and just sort of going for it.”

Frank goes on: “It was all from the same pool of material, like 30+ ideas. I was making a lot of little demos… some would be more fleshed out and become songs and others would just be a cool riff and not go anywhere. When I started trying to form it all into an LP I went through all the sessions and ideas and collected the ones I thought were the most fleshed out and cohesive together as a whole. There were a fair amount of songs that were finished and in hindsight really should have been on Tulips (like what would’ve been the title track). And the rest of these songs are either very early versions of tunes that ended up on Tulips or some cool ideas that just ended up being dead ends. It definitely shows how wide my net was in the beginning before I narrowed the record down stylistically.”

Darkland opens with its ornate 39 second title-track before striding into “Tulips”, that full-length title-track that never was. It’s a real head-nod, percussive-rich electric piano stunner that would’ve been a comfortable standout on the album proper. But now this “downlifting” gem is given ample room to shine on this record.

The funky organ-led bass and drums workout “Immaculate Conception” will keep your neck gently snapping while MPC fiends go reaching for their sampler. And that’s gospel. “Love Theme No 3” cuts a breathtakingly stylish vibra-slapped swathe through the middle of the opening side before we’re startled by the pronounced bass and twinkling percussion of “The Owl In Daylight”. Charming digi-drums underpin the wonky synth (quiet-)banger “Innovative Patterns” which has a lovely melodic switch-up in the final third before the tempo (and hairs on your neck) rise on the faintly creepy yet imminently groovy “Osiris”. The gorgeously soft-focus “Groove Experiment No 3” closes out the first half in slow-mo wonderment.

The lushly melancholic “Raincloud” ushers in side B before the emotionally-stirring “Phonic” taps at the door, coming on like the long lost sister to Pet Sounds’ “Let’s Go Away For A While”. Next up, the swooning beauty “Love Theme No 2” keenly sways in front of you, growing ever more insistent and hypnotic. The too-short “Italian Summer” conjures the same flirtatious imagery as the title hints at whilst “Endless” is a fascinating “piano-pella” alternative version to “Rain Dance” from Tulips. “Wonder Theme” has a nostalgic, exotic 60s swing and album closer “Willow” is a hushed, campfire folk gem. The gently circular strumming is just magical.

Speaking to Aquarium Drunkard back in 2019 about the sessions that became Tulips, Frank noted: “I was really surprised by the lack of sunlight during my first winter in Holland, so I would call it Darkland which then became the name of the first demo I wrote during that time. It was also the working title of the record when I first started writing. Some are full songs that didn’t make the cut (including what would have been the title track), some are just ideas that I never finished.”

Whilst we were working on Darkland’s vinyl release Frank explained more specifically about the music that didn’t make it on to Tulips: “When I was putting together the tracklisting for Tulips I was already thinking that whatever didn’t make it onto the LP would be cool to release eventually somehow. The response to Tulips has been so passionate over the years that it’s nice to be able to offer another piece of that world. And for me personally it’s amazing to have more of my work out there in the world. Most common bit of feedback was that many of these songs should have been on Tulips. The odd friend says it’s much better than Tulips.”

Just like Tulips before it, Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering for Darkland has been cut at 45rpm so you can trip out to this as well at a woozy 33 1/3. The artwork too has been designed by Frank himself as a literal visual continuation of the Tulips cover.

We couldn’t possibly say whether Darkland is better than Tulips, and luckily we don’t have to decide.

Maya Youssef is a multi-award winning musician and composer from Syria. She is hailed as ‘queen of the qanun,’ the 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither. Maya’s intense and thoughtful music is rooted in the Arabic classical tradition but forges pathways into Western classical and contemporary styles. It explores the emotional and healing qualities of music.

The 'Finding Home' is a journey through memories and the essence of home both within and without in the search of that place of peace, comfort, and healing which manifests in everyone in a unique way.

Maya wrote this album during a time of spiritual awakening. Over time she has come to accept the loss of her homeland and in the process of grieving (which she explored in her Album Syrian Dreams in 2018) Maya has found a much greater sense of home in the most spiritual sense.

“As any Syrian will tell you, there is this overwhelming sense of loss and an overwhelming sense of grief. Because that world which existed before the war started, despite it naturally having problems, was a beautiful world with a booming economy, artistic scene, film festivals and visiting international artists, Damascus was the third safest city in the world. The loss of that world was heart wrenching and, in a way, steered me towards a universal concept of home.

The main trigger that made me create Syrian Dreams was the Syrian war and the loss of my homeland. And it's only by embarking on that spiritual journey of constant meditation and of finding home within God and within myself that I started to feel consolable and started to feel that I have my own home within me. I felt that the world is my home and humanity is my home. With my latest album I want to take people through a transformative journey, where they land in that place of home for them. No matter how that will look like for each person.” Maya Youssef

Die Wiederveröffentlichung von "Swan Songs" von Lord of the Lost ist ein bedeutendes Ereignis für Fans der Band und des Dark Rock-Genres. Ursprünglich wurde "Swan Songs" als Teil der vielfältigen Diskografie der Band veröffentlicht, die Elemente aus Gothic, Metal und Rockmusik miteinander verbindet. Lord of the Lost, 2007 von Chris Harms in Hamburg gegründet, ist bekannt für ihre theatralischen und visuell beeindruckenden Auftritte sowie für ihre tiefgründigen, erzählerischen Texte. Das Album "Swan Songs" nimmt einen besonderen Platz im Repertoire von Lord of the Lost ein, da es eine eher symphonische und orchestrale Seite der Band zeigt. Diese Herangehensweise unterscheidet sich von ihrem typischen schwereren und aggressiveren Stil und unterstreicht ihre Vielseitigkeit als Musiker. Das Album enthält neu interpretierte Versionen ihrer bestehenden Songs, die an ein klassischeres und symphonischeres Arrangement angepasst wurden, bei dem oft Instrumente wie Streicher und Klavier zum Einsatz kommen, was dem Album einen unverwechselbaren und gefühlvollen Klang verleiht.

In 1994, UK ambient pioneers O Yuki Conjugate recorded their landmark Equator album. To mark the 30th anniversary of this musical milestone, many of the same personnel – Roger Horberry (co-founder of O Yuki Conjugate), Dan Mudford (ex-Sons of Silence and co-creator of the Shaun of the Dead soundtrack), Joe Lamb (ex-Sons of Silence) and Malcolm McGeorge – came together to make New Meridian, reflecting the range of influences they’ve picked up over the intervening years.

Generously described as “almost like normal music”, the eight tracks of New Meridian feature instrumentation ranging from classic analogue to actual wooden logs. The result takes you on a rain-drenched, open-top ride from Electronica Avenue to the drone caverns of Uranus, with various Fourth World ambi-dub diversions along the way. File under: duress.