quête:rare dynamic

180g Heavy double vinyl LP with liner notes by Tyran Grillo. Limited Japanese Obi for the first pressing. Original artwork by Russell Mills and photography by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

The third Time Capsule is a body of dub reinterpretations by celebrated producer Bill Laswell of Ethiopian singer Gigi. Curated by Tokyo record collector, music researcher and seasoned reissue supervisor Ken Hidaka, it is the first time Illuminated Audio is pressed to vinyl after its CD release in 2003.

Ejigayehu Shibabaw was born in 1974 in Chagni, northwestern Ethiopia and by pursuing a career as a singer, went against her father’s strict, traditional gender roles. As Gigi, she embraced the same musical freedom she had strived for in her personal life, incorporating the Ethiopian church, funk, hip-hop, West and South African music into her work. She first settled in Nairobi, then Addis Ababa, where she quickly established herself as one of the city’s leading singers. A move to San Francisco in 1998 led to a long and fruitful creative partnership with bassist and producer Bill Laswell.

Around the same time, Chris Blackwell had stepped away from Island Records to start the art house film company and label Palm Pictures. He took an interest in Gigi and together with Laswell, pulled together an all-star cast of musicians for her self-titled US debut album, including Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders and Wayne Shorter. It won international critical acclaim, not just for its musicianship but for making Gigi a “defining voice for the Ethiopian expatriate community”, as journalist Tyran Grillo praises in his Time Capsule liner notes. From the nation-defining 1896 victory over Italian invaders to the quiet revolutionaries who wear simple shemma garments, Grillo believes the themes in Gigi make it “a shower of sunlight on her homeland for those ignorant of its struggles.”

After its success, Blackwell encouraged them to go back into the studio to rethink the album and Illuminated Audio was born. “Anyone can make a voice sound worldly”, Grillo remarks, “but rare are those who can make one sound inner-worldly.” Gigi was clear with Laswell to give her vocals a minor role “because it’s already been done.” Instead her Amharic verse is fleeting, exhaling through the textures like ghostly fragments; soaring yet muted. Yet the album is still titled under her name, an assertion by Laswell of her central role in the album’s creation. Not only was it a fully endorsed project by Gigi, but she would be present throughout its development, giving feedback on half-finished ideas as Laswell played them back in the studio. “It works perfectly”, she reflected after the album’s release. “We wanted to capture the whole spirit of each track, and Bill’s remixes create a different music language that really puts you in a pleasant place”.

This new vocabulary takes its lead from a technical approach that Laswell had been perfecting during a furtive creative period at the turn of the millennium. Much like his ambient interpretations of Miles Davis (Panthalassa, 1998), Bob Marley (Dreams of Freedom, 1997), and Carlos Santana (Divine Light, 2001), Laswell approached Illuminated Audio by returning to the original multitrack masters. Gigi wasn’t just reworked, but recomposed into an expansive lattice of instruments, submerged in a watery ambience of dub and trance undercurrents.

Sonically, this new language that Gigi refers to, is manifested by the original album’s more understated parts being pushed to the fore. Explaining his contrasting methods, Laswell saw Gigi as being “put together in a way that fits”. Contrastingly, in Illuminated Audio, “a lot of things that I featured in the remix weren’t as audible in the original.” Instrumentation laying near-dormant, deep in the mix, are brought to the fore: the acid rock guitar and Wayne Shorter’s saxophone on ‘Tew Ante Sew’, Graham Haynes’ flugelhorn on ‘Nafekeñ’, Laswell’s bass on ‘Kahn’, the melodica in Mengedegna or the floating synths and talking drums in ‘Gud Fella’.

Brought to his attention by mentor DJ Nori, Hidaka describes Illuminated Audio as a “masterful sonic exploration into ethereal ambience and dub” and made sure this reissue also contained a full remaster to give its “deep musicality” much better dynamics and density in the overall sound. Hidaka admits that Laswell's music “is sometimes so out-there, it is often misunderstood” and, indeed, to dub album non-believers this might seem like a prolific producer imposing himself on another artist’s work; eternally developing rearrangements that never quite get to its destination. But that’s missing its true power and triumph. This is more than the reissue of a remix, but “a wholly unique musical entity”, as Hidaka describes. Illuminated Audio refers to the illuminated manuscripts that comprise the major part of Ethiopian art and its new compositions stand in proud solitude as a rare body of reworks that both informs and enhances their originals.

"Late '80s and early '90s electronic music has had a steering influence on the Altered Circuits catalog curation, so we are delighted to present an EP by one of the pioneers of that era: Olivier Abbeloos. His 40 years of experience as a producer and DJ translate into a Discogs profile so extensive it reveals his real name alone can be (mis)spelled in 20 different ways. "1993-1994: Rare & Unreleased 1" features five tracks produced under three different aliases, all sourced from the artist's DAT tapes vault, dating back to the prolific two-year period referenced in its title. ALT024 opens with two "Conga Squad" tracks. "Combo" is a high-energy cut driven by a savory staccato chord progression, and "Substitute" works a similar, yet more restrained dynamic, that is, until a boisterous vocal sample enters. The quirky bass lines and moody synth work of "Under The Ground", the first "Holographic Hallucination" inclusion, concludes the A-side. Its twilight atmospherics fit right in amid the B-movie horror electro trending on contemporary dancefloors. The flip opens with "Psychosky", which caters slightly more to a slow-burner vibe and sets the stage for extensive piano work. "Dj Flavour", composed under the "Warp Factor One" alias, closes the EP. Here, the Latin-tinged percussion that runs as a subtle thread throughout the release takes the spotlight, while funky basslines and manipulated vocals add layers of detail. It is the only track on the EP that was already released in 1994, appearing as part of a - by the standards of that era - obscure and very limited 300-copy pressing. Those times sure have changed, but the music still sounds as fresh as ever."

Aspen is very proud to introduce ‘Non Sonett’ by the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble. This ensemble is a pioneering Norwegian chamber group whose work on ECM and Hubro has redefined the boundaries between jazz, contemporary composition and folk music.Across seven albums, the ensemble has developed a highly distinctive l anguage built on restraint, timbral nuance and collective interplay, placing it among the most influential European ensembles of the 21st century.

Bringing together some of the finest musicians in Norway, the ensemble draws on a rare collective sensitivity, where each player contributes to a deeply integrated and texturally rich sound world.

With Non Sonett, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble opens a new chapter that grows directly out of recent years of work in more solitary and cross-disciplinary contexts. In this period, Wallumrød has developed material for solo performance as well as for dance, allowing ideas to take shape in more fluid and exploratory formats. Some of this material now finds its way into the ensemble, where it is met by the possibilities offered by instrumentation, collective playing, and the distinct voices of the musicians. At the same time, older pieces—originating in entirely different settings— re-emerge here in new forms, reshaped by the ensemble context.

A defining aspect of Non Sonett is the way many of the pieces function less as fully determined compositions and more as open frameworks: starting points, suggestions, or “springboards” for music. These structures invite response rather than prescribe outcome, relying on the ensemble’s inherent sensitivity and capacity to realize and transform the material in performance. The result is music that feels both precise and fluid, shaped in equal measure by composition and by the interpretative presence of the players.

Central to this album is a continued deepening of Wallumrød’s long-standing interest in ambiguity and in dissolving boundaries between different musical elements and expressive worlds. By placing contrasting materials and associations side by side—sometimes subtly, sometimes more overtly—the music opens up spaces where meanings remain fluid and interconnected. On Non Sonett, this approach is taken a step further, allowing these juxtapositions to play an even more active role in shaping the music’s character and flow.

This approach connects closely with the ensemble’s broader artistic trajectory. Over time, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble has developed a language that is immediately recognizable—marked by reduction, clarity and a deep attention to sonic detail. While each release has its own character, the underlying aesthetic remains consistent: a focus on the inner life of sound itself. Rather than foregrounding gesture or virtuosity, the music draws the listener toward the smallest elements, where meaning emerges gradually through texture, spacing and timbre.

The listening experience becomes one of concentration and proximity, where each sound carries weight, and the accumulation of detail forms a larger whole. References may be sensed—to early polyphonic music, Norwegian folk traditions, or more recent experimental practices—but these are absorbed into a singular musical language that resists categorization.

As with the ensemble’s recent work, Non Sonett also continues the integration of electronics as a fundamental part of the sound world. Each musician engages with electronic elements alongside their acoustic instruments, creating a layered and dynamic sonic environment. At times, this leads into extended, exploratory passages reminiscent of analogue musique concrète; at others, electronics operate almost imperceptibly, subtly altering and extending the acoustic textures in real time.

Aspen is very proud to introduce ‘Non Sonett’ by the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble. This ensemble is a pioneering Norwegian chamber group whose work on ECM and Hubro has redefined the boundaries between jazz, contemporary composition and folk music.Across seven albums, the ensemble has developed a highly distinctive l anguage built on restraint, timbral nuance and collective interplay, placing it among the most influential European ensembles of the 21st century.

Bringing together some of the finest musicians in Norway, the ensemble draws on a rare collective sensitivity, where each player contributes to a deeply integrated and texturally rich sound world.

With Non Sonett, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble opens a new chapter that grows directly out of recent years of work in more solitary and cross-disciplinary contexts. In this period, Wallumrød has developed material for solo performance as well as for dance, allowing ideas to take shape in more fluid and exploratory formats. Some of this material now finds its way into the ensemble, where it is met by the possibilities offered by instrumentation, collective playing, and the distinct voices of the musicians. At the same time, older pieces—originating in entirely different settings— re-emerge here in new forms, reshaped by the ensemble context.

A defining aspect of Non Sonett is the way many of the pieces function less as fully determined compositions and more as open frameworks: starting points, suggestions, or “springboards” for music. These structures invite response rather than prescribe outcome, relying on the ensemble’s inherent sensitivity and capacity to realize and transform the material in performance. The result is music that feels both precise and fluid, shaped in equal measure by composition and by the interpretative presence of the players.

Central to this album is a continued deepening of Wallumrød’s long-standing interest in ambiguity and in dissolving boundaries between different musical elements and expressive worlds. By placing contrasting materials and associations side by side—sometimes subtly, sometimes more overtly—the music opens up spaces where meanings remain fluid and interconnected. On Non Sonett, this approach is taken a step further, allowing these juxtapositions to play an even more active role in shaping the music’s character and flow.

This approach connects closely with the ensemble’s broader artistic trajectory. Over time, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble has developed a language that is immediately recognizable—marked by reduction, clarity and a deep attention to sonic detail. While each release has its own character, the underlying aesthetic remains consistent: a focus on the inner life of sound itself. Rather than foregrounding gesture or virtuosity, the music draws the listener toward the smallest elements, where meaning emerges gradually through texture, spacing and timbre.

The listening experience becomes one of concentration and proximity, where each sound carries weight, and the accumulation of detail forms a larger whole. References may be sensed—to early polyphonic music, Norwegian folk traditions, or more recent experimental practices—but these are absorbed into a singular musical language that resists categorization.

As with the ensemble’s recent work, Non Sonett also continues the integration of electronics as a fundamental part of the sound world. Each musician engages with electronic elements alongside their acoustic instruments, creating a layered and dynamic sonic environment. At times, this leads into extended, exploratory passages reminiscent of analogue musique concrète; at others, electronics operate almost imperceptibly, subtly altering and extending the acoustic textures in real time.

Step into a candy box of sound: sweet Italo-infused house and tangy, bass-heavy breaks. Some tracks hit like hard candy, daring you to bite, while others are sticky and irresistible, gluing you to the dancefloor. B.Visible tasted all the sweet treats without losing a tooth, but the synths took a proper beating. On this DJ tool, you'll find a track for every part of your set, with a package that nods to '90s electronic music without losing its timeless charm.

B.Visible is a Vienna-based DJ and producer. His sets blend danceable beats with a strong musical vision - ranging from disco and house to breaks and experimental electronics, complemented by rare vinyl discoveries. Each selection is surprising, versatile, and curated with great attention to detail. His productions are just as multifaceted as his DJ sets: warm drums and organic textures meet carefully crafted electronic elements designed with the dancefloor in mind. The result is a distinctive signature style - accessible, diverse, and independent. His music is regularly featured on Austrian radio stations such as FM4 and receives international
support from BBC DJs including Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, and Don Letts. B.Visible's music thrives on surprise and depth - whether in the studio or on stage, it always unfolds with a unique dynamic, drawing audiences in from the very first moment.

For fans of post-punk and new wave, some songs aren’t just classics — they’re emotional landmarks. Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and The Cure’s “A Forest” (both released in 1980) helped define an era, shaping decades of alternative music with their stark honesty, atmosphere, and unmistakable sound. Revisiting them is no small task.

Reimagining them successfully is even rarer. This special, limited 7” release — pressed to just 300 copies — does exactly that, thanks to legendary Dutch electronic producer Maarten van der Vleuten. A joint effort between Maarten’s own Signum Recordings and American chill-out imprint re:discovery records, he brings these two towering songs into new territory through the hands of an artist who understands both history and transformation. On one side, Maarten delivers a striking cover of “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” taking on Ian Curtis’ immortal lyrics himself. Rather than mimicking the original’s desolation, this version reframes the song into something unexpectedly inspirational and equally moving. It’s respectful, deeply personal, and emotional. Flip the record and “A Forest” is reborn as an ambient-electro journey, marking the vocal debut of Melbourne-based Linda Kastanja.
The result is dynamic and powerful, retaining the song’s eerie tension while expanding its atmosphere into something spacious and cinematic. Honoring their legacy while reshaping their form, it offers longtime fans and new listeners a rare opportunity to hear familiar emotions from a completely new perspective. Todocument this release, a music video has been made for “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” directed by Maarten and edited by Tobias Grönvall, aka Unit 21.

Since 2020, 12 Inch Lovers have been releasing new samplers every year, eagerly anticipated by collectors. These samplers have now become a staple and are easily added to vinyl collections across Europe. They offer timeless classics and rare tracks that are often hard to find elsewhere.

With Samplers 9 & 10, they surprise again with a mix of modern classics and tracks that have never been released on vinyl or are difficult to find. By adding unique and exclusive tracks, the 12 Inch Lovers samplers remain innovative and high-quality. They are a must-have for DJs, collectors, and fans of contemporary classics!

SAMPLER 10

A1) GusGus - Crossfade (Maceo Plex Remix) (Original Release 2014)

Released in 2014 on the German label KOMPAKT, this remix by Maceo Plex features Ten Walls-like horns, vocals, and pumping drums, making it a true Ibiza floorkiller. The vocals are by Konstantin Sibold. This remix was only released as a white label (Kompakt Exclusive) and has yet to have an official vinyl release. Despite this, it remains a favorite among DJs and clubbers worldwide, regularly played at festivals and clubs.

A2) Plaything - Into Space (Original Release 2001)

This groovy track, released in 2001, contains a sample from Sheila & B. Devotion's Spacer, with Nile Rodgers as one of the producers. The original trackSpacer is an iconic disco hit from the 1970s, and Plaything put a contemporary spin on this classic. The track was a hit in Belgian clubs in the early 2000s, often played by prominent DJs. It has since been released on various labels and remains a timeless favorite in the electronic music scene.

B1) Ion - W.B. (Original Release 2002)

This trance classic by DJ Ion was first released in 2002 on the Belgian label B². The track quickly became a beloved classic within the trance community. Danny Casseau, the producer behind this track, is also known for other legendary works, including the trance classic Ion 98 - Tructure, which had a significant impact on the trance scene. W.B. is a pure, old-school trance track, crafted in the way only tracks from that era were!

This vinyl is extremely rare and hard to find, making it a sought-after item for collectors and trance lovers. It is still played in the sets of DJs who cherish the older trance sound, and it fits perfectly in contemporary sets as well!

B2) Subaltern - Forever (Ledge Forever Remix) (Original Release 2007)

This club banger was released in 2007 on the French label Voices Records and was a popular track in well-known Belgian clubs like Illusion and La Rocca. The Ledge Remix added an energetic, infectious vibe that made it a true hit on the dancefloor. It received an official vinyl release in 2007, but it is now difficult to obtain. Subaltern's Forever remains an unforgettable club classic still appreciated by electronic music lovers.

C1) Lykke Li - No Rest For The Wicked (Joris Voorn Remix) (Original Release 2014)

Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li scored a worldwide hit with I Follow Rivers, but also had great success with the powerful track No Rest For The Wicked. The Dutch producer Joris Voorn gave his own tech-house spin to the track in his known style!

Voorn's remix keeps the atmospheric mood of the original but adds a new, dancefloor-friendly dynamic that makes it suitable for the electronic music world.

This is the first time this remix is being released on vinyl since the original release in 2014, making it a rare and desirable item for both collectors and DJs. Thanks to the powerful mix of melody and rhythm, this remix of No Rest For The Wicked remains a timeless favorite that has found its place both in clubs and in vinyl collections of music enthusiasts and DJs.

C2) The Roc Project feat. Tina Arena - Never (Filterheadz Luv Tina Remix) (Original Release 2002)

This Spanish dance track hit Europe in 2003, thanks in part to the legendary remix by the Belgian techno duo Filterheadz. Brothers Bert and Maarten Wilmaers, known for their distinctive techno sound, gave the track their own twist with strong beats and an uplifting bassline, creating a timeless club hit that was heard everywhere in the early 2000s.

The vocals by Tina Arena add an emotional layer, while the Filterheadz Luv Tina Remix has stood the test of time and still gets everyone moving. At 12 Inch Lovers parties, this track never goes unnoticed and often brings the night to a high point. This track is a must-have for both collectors and DJs who love a mix of emotion, energy, and a solid techno sound.

D1) Soul Syndicate - Inside Of Me (Steel Union Remix) (Original Release 1995)

Speaking of a trance classic, this one is a true gem! Inside Of Me was released in 1995 during the golden years of Belgian trance music on the legendary Belgian label Aquatic Records. The Steel Union Remix by Zzino is an absolute favorite among trance lovers.

With its iconic sound and unmatched energy, this track is a true ode to the Belgian trance scene. It remains an unadulterated classic that still makes an irresistible impact, not only at retro trance events but also in the sets of contemporary DJs. Since its release, this remix has been hard to find, making it an even rarer piece of trance history. A track that has stood the test of time and is a must-have for collectors and fans of old-school trance.

D2) Ken Laszlo vs. Disco Dice - Hey Hey Guy (House Dub) (Original Release 2003)

Ken Laszlo, the Italian singer who became globally famous in the 1980s with the iconic Italo-disco hit Hey Hey Guy, received a re-release in 2003 on the house label Dubmental. This version was reimagined by Disco Dice, who gave the track a fresh house vibe with a more modern sound. Belgian DJ Jean, known for his influence on the Belgian nightlife scene, introduced this track into the clubs and transformed it into a club classic.

This release, although released in 2003, is now very rare and hard to find on vinyl. It's a hidden gem that continues to withstand the test of time, making it a valuable collector's item for lovers of both Italo-disco and house.

D3) Icehouse - Hey Little Girl (Infusion Remix) (Original Release 2002)

The Australian band Icehouse released the iconic track Hey Little Girl in 1982 on the British label Chrysalis. This synth-pop track was a big hit and still remains one of the classics from the 1980s. The original track was later included in the remix album Meltdown in 2003, where the Australian duo Infusion created a contemporary electronic remix that gave the track a new dimension.

The Infusion Remix adds a modern, danceable twist to the original synth-pop sound. This version surprised both fans of the original hit and lovers of electronic music, remaining a sought-after track in DJ sets.

This track has been unavailable on vinyl since its original release in 2003, making it a rare collector's item.

Esteemed soul man of Panama Mr. Ralph Weeks has in recent years been enjoying a much overdue retrospective of his remarkable six decades-long musical journey with the help of Names You Can Trust. Now onto their fifth record release together since 2019, the label has covered both Weeks' original holy grail material as well as re-cuts and reimagining of some of his rarefied and unreleased songs.

One of Mr. Weeks' two iconic 45 releases on Panamanian label Sally Ruth was a funky soul side called "Let Me Do My Thing," originally recorded in 1971 as Weeks' answer to Charles Wright's big tune "Express Yourself," which had just hit the airwaves in 1970. Weeks' musical response would help define his legacy. He was gonna express himself, he was gonna Do His Thing. This golden age ultimatum recorded with the Dynamic Exciters of Panama as the backing band was a simple, straight ahead number with a defining message that would be carried on throughout Weeks' independent career. The funkified air and creative freedom of the original tune is a prime example of the crossover Combos Nationales sound that flourished in the prolific Panama recording industry of the era, and in the ensuing decades Weeks' tune would live on as a cherished rare groove for souleros, funk fans, and bootleggers alike.

Fast forward to 2023, when Ralph Weeks and Names You Can Trust prepared for a Bay Area appearance at the wonderful Latinos Con Soul weekender put on by San Francisco's Discodelic record shop, the groundwork was laid in the studio for a revival, a reawakening of Weeks' funky fan favorite. A spectacular ensemble of NYCT's All-Star artists and alumni was convened in the studio, including Caito Sánchez on drums, Victor Axelrod (Daptone Records) on clavinet and Sam Day Harmet (La Banda Chuska) on guitar. Anant Pradhan (The Skatalites), Eric Biondo (The Budos Band) and Alex Asher (Los Cumpleaños) occupied the brass section, and Ralph Weeks even lent his still formidable chops on electric bass and keyboards, a little OG flare to back up his silky voice with a deft musical touch. What came out of the sessions was a chance for NYCT to pay homage to Weeks' iconic original, without replacing it, and build a brand new version from the ground up with the maestro and composer himself!

This 1998 album compiles unreleased sessions from the late 70s featuring Weldon Irvine, Don Blackman and a young Marcus Miller. Known for his rare groove classics like Spirit Man in 1975 and Sinbad in 1976, Irvin's work shines here and highlights come thick and fast. They include the soulful 'Morning Sunrise' which was famously sampled by Jay-Z and Drake, the jazzy funk of 'The Sisters' with Miller's bass and Tom Brown's trumpet and the smooth 'Heard It All Before' which mixes urban sophistication with mellow fusion. Toni Smith's dynamic vocals on the funky 'Think I'll Stay A While' is another doozy which makes this masterpiece rich with jazz, soul and funk goodness.

2026 Repress

KiNK & Raredub inaugurate new sub-label Spectra on SHDW's Mutual Rytm, backed by remixes from icon Marcel Dettmann.

Spectra is a new sub-label from contemporary techno powerhouse Mutual Rytm, with the project set to showcase memorable singles alongside feature innovative remixers. The name Spectra reflects the wide range of vibes the label will deal with and the diversity of sounds that emerge through these creative reinterpretations.

Needing little introduction, Bulgaria's KiNK is a synth wizard and live specialist who gets more out of machines than anyone else on Earth. He has dropped endless standout tunes ranging from Running Back to Hypercolour and, more recently, Mutual Rytm with his 'Quantum Shake' EP earlier this year. For this latest outing, he works with fellow Bulgarian talent Raredub, known for his own high-octane, distinctive and dynamic sound that has gained supporters From FJAAK to Paul Woolford.

The original 'Time to Change' has already generated buzz and has been a favourite of DJs from across the electronic realm, bringing a forceful and slamming cut with plenty of machine funk. A buzzy lead synth roams through the mix to bring great menace, while garage-like percussive loops keep things moving over a monstrous bassline.

One of techno's most influential DJs and producers, long-time Berghain resident Marcel Dettmann joins the release to offer his unique touch as the first remixer on the project. His 'Reconstruction' brings subtle nuances as he slows the beats to a more dubbed-out house vibe and layers in bright synths and swirling vocal loops that will get hands in the air. His 'Universal Raw Mix' closes the package in style, delivering a stripped-back roller with freaky vocals and eerie synth details.

Berlin-based Colombian DJ, producer, and curator Edna Martinez presents a sonic journey into the electrifying world of Picó—the vibrant and dynamic sound system culture that has defined the streets of Cartagena and Barranquilla for decades. More than just a musical movement, Picó is a way of life, a bold expression of identity, community, and resistance. From its roots in the working-class neighbourhoods of Colombia’s Caribbean coast to its deep connections with Africa and the Caribbean, this compilation captures the pulse of a culture where music is played at full volume, rhythms travel across oceans, and dance is both a form of celebration and storytelling. For those unfamiliar, Picós are hand-painted sound systems, often adorned with dazzling colours and striking imagery, each with its own name and sonic identity. These mobile discos became the heart of neighbourhood bailes, where the sounds of champeta, highlife, soukous, mbaqanga, zouk, soca, and cumbia would turn every street corner, market, and terrace into a dancefloor. Initially built by local craftsmen using modified speaker components, Picós became legendary for their powerful bass and exclusivity, with DJs sourcing rare vinyl from African and Caribbean ports and rebranding them with unique piconemas—new names adapted to local slang, making the tracks instantly recognisable within the community.

This compilation brings together a carefully curated selection of these rare and sought-after tracks, tracing the deep-rooted musical exchanges between Colombia, West and Central Africa, and the Caribbean. Featuring artists like Los Corraleros De Majagual, Peacocks International Highlife Band, Pedro Lima, Zaïko Langa Langa, and more, the album also includes edits by Edna Martinez, reimagining these timeless rhythms for contemporary audiences while staying true to their original spirit.

Strut presents ‘Picó! Sound System Culture From The Colombian Carribbean’ across 2LP Vinyl, 1CD & Digital focusing on a celebration of the raw, undiluted energy of Picó culture. Through Edna Martinez’s curation, and extensive liner notes, this compilation offers a powerful and authentic glimpse into one of the most vibrant musical traditions of the Colombian Caribbean

For years, whispers circulated through the jazz scenes of Denmark and Poland - rumours of a lost recording session featuring the legendary Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and a group of Scandinavian and Polish musicians. Now, nearly a decade after the session and seven years after Stanko's passing, these long-awaited recordings are finally seeing the light of day. The project originated at Vallekilde Højskole in Denmark, where Stanko was invited to teach at JazzDanmark's annual Summer Session. A storied program that has hosted luminaries including Bill Frisell and Anat Cohen, the summer school became the birthplace of this unexpected ensemble. Here, alongside a dynamic ensemble of young musicians, Stanko found renewed inspiration, embracing their compositions as much as his own - a rare occurrence for an artist known for leading his own groups. Scandinavian Art Ensemble with Tomasz Stanko is the result: two albums of expansive, deeply expressive music that merge the melancholic depth of Polish jazz with the spacious, atmospheric qualities of the Scandinavian sound. As trumpeter Tomasz Dabrowski recalls, Stanko wasn't just a mentor - he was an equal, driven by curiosity and the desire to push boundaries. "He wanted to play our music. He was always listening, always searching." Across these two albums recorded at The Village Recordings in 2016, listeners will hear Stanko's unmistakable tone interwoven with compositions by both himself and the ensemble members. Pieces like 'The Dark Eyes of Martha Hirsch' and 'Before the Rain' showcase not just his signature lyricism, but also his willingness to step back, listen, and let the younger generation shape the sound. Beyond his unmistakable sound, Stanko's influence was about energy - his presence elevated those around him. Bassist Richard Andersson put it simply: "He brings together the energies, and makes us all play better than usual." This project captures that essence: a legendary artist meeting the next generation on equal footing, creating something entirely unexpected. A decade after the session, the members of the Scandinavian Art Ensemble have forged their own paths, shaping the jazz landscapes of Copenhagen, Malmö, Reykjavik, and beyond. But the impact of their time with Stanko remains profound. "Releasing these albums is about more than just the music," D?browski says. "It's about preserving the spirit of Stanko - his generosity, his curiosity, his way of bringing people together. Even after all these years, his presence can still be felt in every note we played."

Limited 2025 Repress
Black Truffle is pleased to announce the release of Ichida, the first release from the duo of two important yet often underappreciated musicians, Eiko Ishibashi and Darin Gray. Ishibashi is a singer-songwriter, keyboardist, drummer, and multi-instrumentalist, known in Japan both for her own elaborately conceptual solo albums and for her frequent collaborations with figures such as Jim O'Rourke, Merzbow, and Phew. Darin Gray is a bassist and multi-instrumentalist known for a multitude of collaborations (with O'Rourke and Loren Connors, among many others), for On Fillmore, his cinematic post-exotica project with Glenn Kotche, and as one half of Chikamorachi with Chris Corsano, one of the finest free-jazz rhythm sections around. Presenting the entirely of a live set performed at Tokyo's Super Deluxe in March 2013, the set begins as a duet for Ishibashi's flute and Gray's upright bass. Calmly melodic yet harmonically inventive, with shades of 'spiritual jazz', the pair's acoustic ruminations are gradually joined by Ishibashi's lush electronics, which randomly flicker between chords in a manner recalling the classic work of David Behrman. As the electronics build into a gloomy fog of slowly cycling loops, Gray lays his bass aside and turns to making strangely mournful interjections on a mouthpiece. Eventually Ishibashi moves to the piano, enveloping the audience in rippling pools of sustained, octave-doubled melody, provided by Gray's bass with a fluid and dynamic foundation. For much of the second side, both Ishibashi and Gray turn to electronics, ultimately arriving in a bizarre space of melancholic arpeggios and random sputter and sizzle, oddly reminiscent of 70s outsider prog acts like Wapassou. An uneasy coda of rich piano chords ends the set. Captured in warm room ambience and beautifully mixed by Jim O'Rourke, Ichida is a rare combination of improvisational acumen and emotional directness, both adventurous and immediately accessible.

Long time friends and collaborators Anna Wall and Thoma Bulwer are back with their next EP following on from their successful last 12” EP release on EYA records with a remix from Radioactive man. This new EP explores their London house n garage roots and includes a remix from deep house don Boris Werner to complete the package in ‘Classique’ style.

Early support from Moxie, Raresh, Secret Sundaze, Eliza Rose, Voigtmann, Shanti Celeste, Reiss, Seb Zito. Peach, tINI, Enzo Siragusa (FUSE), Reeshy, Michelle Manetti (Adonis) and Anna Wall.

CUPULA006 is a landmark release that introduces a new boy band formed by Vince Void, Pau Rosés, and Adria.

Side A takes you deep into the realms of progressive house, featuring tribal grooves and lush textures created using rare analog machines from the 1990s. The warm, intricate production invokes nostalgic feelings.

On Side B, the trio shifts gears into a striking fusion of EBM and synth pop, offering pulsing rhythms, electrifying synths, and irresistible melodies.
This dynamic contrast between the two sides creates a story told through sound, forging a deep connection with emotions.

Chalo & Vell return with Made From Moss Volume 2, marking the next step in their collaborative EP series. This four-track of club rollers explores a range of styles and tempos, each track anchored by distinctive rhythms and textures aimed squarely at the dancefloor.

Bangkok, despite being a bustling metropolis, boasts a music scene that feels as intimate and vibrant as those found in smaller European cities. It’s a place where local creatives from various disciplines come together, leaving their artistic imprint across the city. This collaborative energy resonates through Boiled Wonderland’s catalog, which features artists like DOTT, Sarayu, and Chalo—pioneers of Thailand’s burgeoning underground music movement. Both DOTT and Sarayu are co-founders of the record store and label More Rice Records, while Chalo plays a pivotal role as the mastering engineer at Thailand’s pressing plant, Resurrecc. It’s here that the Made From Moss project took root.

While Boiled Wonderland continues to champion eclectic and boundary-pushing music, its sonic direction has evolved to embrace a more dancefloor-oriented approach. This shift reflects the label’s immersion in Bangkok’s electrifying club culture and the inspiration drawn from the city’s warm, sunlit atmosphere.

The Made From Moss series emerged from a creative dialogue between Chalo and label founder Vell. Moss, with its simplicity yet dynamic nature, became the symbolic foundation for a series focused on rhythmically driven, danceable tracks. This vision also sparked the creation of Mosspit events and welcomed MetalMetal as a core contributor.

Chalo’s opener, Feeling, weaves house-inflected vocals with acid synth lines, building a steady groove that carries effortlessly to the finish. Tolerance Break follows, layering dynamic snares, tight breaks, and basslines that pulse with energy. On the B-side, Vell leads with The Ship Rolls Through, a euphoric roller balanced by flickering sound effects that keep the track grounded. Back To Normality closes the EP, leaning into progressive tones with bouncing bass lines that sizzle toward a breaking point, bringing the EP to a close.

The record is already receiving support from the likes of: Ploy, Mixtress, Raresh, Space Dimension Controller, Jennifer Cardini, Answer Code Request and many more.

25 killer library music cuts by the German film music maestro on audiophile pressing in deluxe 2x10" set. Uberrare and never released before material from 1968-1976, sourced from Peter Thomas' personal reel-to-reel tape archive. Limited edition of 500 pieces.

From brassy big band funk, space jazz, krauty synth experiments to proto-hiphop, cosmic schlagers, heavy easy listening, soulful soundtrack moods and absurdly dreamy LSD ballads, this compilation encompasses the composer's most obscure and yet most transcendent work.

Peter Thomas is widely acknowledged as Germany's most inventive film music composer of the 1960s and 1970, best known for his iconic soundtrack work. He scored over 600 films and episodes, from the crime blockbusters of Jerry Cotton and Edgar Wallace to indie arthouse films like Playgirl, Bruce Lee's The Big Boss and the extraterrestrial Space Patrol and Chariot of the Gods.

His recordings for music libraries often provided an even more leftfield approach. Their visionary 'dope beats' appeal provoked a keen interest from vinyl aficionados, beatmakers and rare groove DJs alike. Unavailable for the public, the original "for professional usage only" albums are now sought-after collector's items that fetch astronomic prices on the 2ndhand market.

This double 10" album is the definite selection of Thomas' best library cues from the Golden Ring Records, KPM and DeWolfe catalogues, many of them available publicly for the first time - plus four recently unearthed "lost" tracks from Warner Chappell's CPM Archive series that have never been released on vinyl before. All music was carefully transferred from Peter Thomas' private master tapes and cut in full dynamics, housed in a beautiful fold-out cover with liner notes and private pictures. The compilation was realised in cooperation with Peter Thomas' son Philip who takes care of the Peter Thomas Sound Orchester catalogue after his father's death in 2020.

Regrooved Records is thrilled to release a limited 45 featuring the legendary Junie Morrison, backed by the dynamic "Crowd Pleasers." Recorded live in 1976, this rare gem captures the raw energy and unparalleled talent of a true funk pioneer. Previously only released as a part of the limited extended edition version of the album "The Funky Worm – Live at Dooley’s 1976" on Regrooved Records, this 7" record is now being offered as a standalone treasure for all funk aficionados. Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of funk history!

Introducing Small Great Beats, an exclusive series following the principal release series, Small Great Things (SGT). This limited edition collection will showcase 1 or 2 releases annually, featuring a blend of anthems, melodic tracks, and dance floor-oriented tunes.

Limited to just 200 copies per release, Small Great Beats offers collectors a rare opportunity to own something truly exceptional. Additionally, the series will be digitally available on all major platforms and Bandcamp.

Kicking off the series is Luca Olivotto's mesmerizing 5-track EP, "Kind Of Lovin´", pressed on captivating light blue vinyl.
Opening the release is title-cut ‘Kind Of Lovin’’, an anthemic slice of classic house fuelled by a swinging 909 drums groove and bouncy bass line in combination with intertwined piano keys, strings and vocal hooks before ‘Blue’ follows and lays down a 90’s rave-tinged piano melody, cinematic string flutters and crisp saturated drums across five minutes. ‘Hear My Call’ comes next and infused a more funk leaning aesthetic with organic percussion, jazzy keys and a walking bass line, intertwined with wandering strings and choppy vocal chants.

Opening the B-side is ‘Sun After Dark’, as the name would suggest a more peak time groove with glimpses of brightness via a circling bass line, raw, heavily shuffled drums and gritty stab sequences. ‘My Soul’ then rounds out the EP, again aptly titled as the composition fuses soulful cinematic strings, bright keys and an amalgamation of soulful vocal stylings all dynamically evolving and unfolding throughout.

Sleep Now Forever is the second and final album released by Sorrow, the post-Strawberry Switchblade group fronted by singer Rose McDowall. Originally released in 1999 and long since deleted it is a cornucopia of pastoral, elegiac folk music, swirling atmospherics, hymnal compositions and above it all the alternating towering and fragile vocal performances of McDowall. Recorded in the late 90s with fellow band member and co-songwriter Robert Lee, Sleep Now Forever is the definitive statement by the now defunct group and Rose McDowall’s most complete long-form work to date.
Released through the group’s own Piski Disk Records, Sleep Now Forever was distributed by World Serpent which struggled through the early 2000s with financial woes, eventually folding due to bankruptcy in 2004. Due to the company’s troubles, Sleep Now Forever was never distributed widely and was a victim of the company’s failure. Released on CD only, original copies are now rare and only traded on second hand channels. Remastered by Mikey Young for a limited vinyl release, Sleep Now Forever will be released on April 20th on double vinyl format, with one side an exclusive etching by Glasgow artist Holly Allan.
Despite its rarity, Sleep Now Forever enjoys a firm cult following. The album’s textures are expansive, lush, deliciously detailed and celestial. Recorded in home study Velvet Hole by Rose McDowall and then-husband Robert Lee, the album enlists an array of players from the underground Neo-folk / industrial scene: Nigel McKernaghan (Uilleann pipes, Whistles), Susan Franknel (Bassoon), John Contreras (Cello) and Lawrence Frankel (Oboe, Cor Anglais). The eleven songs here revolve around McDowall’s instantly recognisable voice. Brought up singing in the Catholic Church, McDowall’s vocals are impeccable and angelic, particularly on tracks like Turn Off The Light where her experiences with religion are canted over soaring oboe and guitar backing. By far the most evolved and realised version of Sorrow’s vision, it feels somewhat criminal that music this beautiful could be lost to time until now.
McDowall’s lyrics throughout Sleep Now Forever deal frankly with mental health, depression, altered states, death and redemption. Wave upon wave of harmony drench each song, McDowal’s vocal multi-tracked and imperious. Opener Soldier benefits from Robert Lee’s use of the studio as instrument, summoning forth a lilting group performance of sparkling guitar and percussion that recalls the Velvet Underground. Mikey Love’s master treats the compositions to brand new frequency dynamics and space. Harmonium and string drones form the counter to McDowall’s vocal on Love Dies, a slow, lurching lament that feels transcendent. On Haunting, the arrangement is orchestral and aching, bleeding into Fear Becomes You, with chord and harmony structure that recalls the baroque sixties pop of West Coast Pop Experimental Art Band or the 60s psychedelic folk movement. A towering, beautiful statement, this elegy for times lost and moonlit-illumination is finally resurfacing from the darkness.

Compiling the follow-up to a very successful first album is always a tricky task, but just 12 months since the release of volume one in the 'With Love' series, miche has excelled himself once again with another glorious, deep dive into the world of rare soul. 15 tracks of independently released music, created by magnificent artists with stories to tell and primed for rediscovery.

The ambition to celebrate under-the-radar artists has remained, but instead of a facsimile of volume one, what we have here is a selection shaped by life changes. Volume two is for the dancers; still soulful, still ultra-rare and slept-on records from the USA, Chile, Brazil and beyond, but the dynamics of the collection have shifted slightly. It represents a move from being immersed in a week in week out environment of beautiful, soulful music in a cosy, dimly lit hi-fi bar to playing livelier, more energetic, dancefloor-focused music in nightclubs. This volume will get you on your feet, make you move and unleash whatever it is that makes you get down.

One of the jewels in the crown of this compilation is a joyous, anthemic gospel version of Stevie Wonder's 'As' by The Family Tree (a project produced by the fantastic Julius Brockington). We are also treated to a rare and sought-after Pennsylvanian funk / AOR bomb by Maxwell, a stunning modern soul tune 'High On You' by Freedom, and self-released Brazilian 45s by Banda 22 and Zé Da Lata. P.J. City's 'Straight Forward (Non-Stop)' is gospel-disco perfection, and we also have 'Dame Solamente Amor’, a sublime, soul beauty from Chile by Rogers Mitchell. Many of these artists featured in this compilation aren't household names, but they deserve their moment to shine, to be heard, loved and appreciated for their artistry.

As Miche says it, “I hope this compilation helps in some way to keep this glorious music alive and play a part in connecting generations of music lovers from the worldwide soul family. As always, it has been made ‘With Love’.”

NEIL ARDLEY – KALEIDOSCOPE OF RAINBOWS The Definitive 2LP Reissue of a Landmark in British Jazz Fusion
Analogue October Records proudly presents the long-awaited reissue of Kaleidoscope of Rainbows, Neil Ardley’s 1976 masterpiece, originally released on Gull Records. Produced by Neil Ardley and recorded at London’s famed Morgan Studios, the sessions were engineered and mixed by Martin Levan, capturing one of the most ambitious and beloved works in British jazz. Following the acclaimed reissues of Courtney Pine’s Journey to the Urge Within (AOR-001-ST) and Neil Ardley’s Harmony of the Spheres (AOR-002-ST)—both praised by the audiophile press including The Tracking Angle—this third release confirms Analogue October as one of today’s most meticulous and exciting reissue labels.
A Suite of Sound and Colour
Commissioned for the 1975 Camden Jazz Festival, Kaleidoscope of Rainbows is structured as a seven-part suite, each movement reflecting a colour of the spectrum. Ardley’s composition weaves together jazz improvisation, progressive rock energy, and orchestral elegance in one of the most imaginative British jazz recordings of the era. Featuring Ian Carr, Barbara Thompson, Tony Coe, Trevor Tomkins, and Geoff Castle, the album is a who’s who of the UK’s vibrant 1970s jazz scene.
Cut at Abbey Road, Pressed at Record Industry
For this definitive edition, Analogue October worked directly from the original Gull master tapes. Mastering was entrusted to Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, using his renowned half-speed process to extract every detail and dynamic from Ardley’s score. To give the music the headroom it deserves, the reissue has been expanded to a deluxe 2LP set, pressed on the highest-quality vinyl at Record Industry in Haarlem, Netherlands. The result is a presentation that finally does justice to the scope and brilliance of Ardley’s vision.
Deluxe Package – Restored from the Source
The artwork has been meticulously restored from the original film elements, ensuring a sleeve of unmatched vibrancy and fidelity. Inside, a 12-page booklet printed on heavyweight card features an in-depth essay on Neil Ardley and the making of Kaleidoscope of Rainbows, written by Jazzwise magazine editor Mike Flynn, alongside rare photographs from the period.
Curated and Produced by Craig Crane
As with every Analogue October release, Kaleidoscope of Rainbows has been curated and produced by label founder Craig Crane with a collector’s eye for detail and a deep respect for the music’s legacy. This reissue is not only the definitive vinyl edition of one of the great British jazz fusion albums—it also continues the label’s mission to restore and celebrate the most vital recordings of the era.
Neil Ardley’s Kaleidoscope of Rainbows—vivid, expansive, and timeless—returns as the essential edition for audiophiles and jazz lovers alike.
Retail-ready product description (short form):
Produced by Neil Ardley and recorded in 1976 at London’s Morgan Studios, engineered and mixed by Martin Levan, Kaleidoscope of Rainbows is a cornerstone of British jazz fusion. This definitive 2LP reissue, mastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell from the original Gull master tapes and pressed at Record Industry (NL), finally gives the music the dynamic headroom it deserves. The deluxe edition includes restored artwork and a 12-page booklet featuring an in-depth essay by Jazzwise editor Mike Flynn.

Experience the raw electricity and boundary‑pushing creativity of Jimi Hendrix with this definitive 1‑LP black vinyl edition of BBC Sessions — a release showcasing some of the most dynamic and intimate performances ever captured by the BBC. Recorded between 1967 and 1969, these sessions highlight Hendrix at his most spontaneous and inventive, delivering explosive renditions of his classics, unexpected covers, and rare arrangements unique to these broadcasts.

One of the best mid 70s roots tunes, reissued the way we always wanted to see it. The Officials (later known as Earth & Stone) "Babylonian" was released on a very rare Jaguar 45 as a solo vocal, but also had a lesser known release on a Dynamic Sounds compilation album. That album cut is a duo harmony vocal over a slightly different take of the rhythm, and never reissued on vinyl before. Both vocal cuts are now paired back to back in crisp master tape quality.

2026 Repress

Turbotito and Ragz's electrifying Naya Beat label has curated a cultured list of remixers to add their spin to the work of legendary Indian vocalist Asha Puthli. This essential remix album features Yuksek, Maurice Fulton, Psychemagik, Kraak & Smaak, Jitwam, and Turbotito & Ragz.

Naya Beat, which translates from Hindi as 'new beat', is focused on uncovering foundational electronic sounds from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora through reissues, remixes and compilations. It found quick success with its first release, 'Naya Beat Volume 1: South Asian Dance and Electronic Music 1983 - 1992', followed by a rare 1985 Hindi New Wave album by Pinky Ann Rihal and more recently a ground-breaking compilation ‘Awaaz’ uncovering Bollywood electro and leftfield 80s original soundtrack recordings.

Hot off their highly sought after EP of Dimitri From Paris’ seminal remixes of Asha Puthli’s iconic track ‘Space Talk’, the label now offers up the first of two full-length releases based around her music. Cosmic disco pioneer, Studio 54 icon and jazz improviser Asha Puthli has recorded, sung or shared the stage with the likes of Roy Ayers, Alice Coltrane, Grace Jones, Barry White, Andy Warhol and many more. From David Mancuso's The Loft, to Giorgio Moroder's early work with Donna Summer, to hip-hop where she has been sampled extensively, Asha's musical influence and impact is profound. She was the first artist of South Asian descent to successfully crossover and make a mark on dance, jazz and pop culture in the West.

For this LP, Naya Beat tracked down the long mythologised original stems and recordings of Puthli's most seminal albums, including ‘The Devil is Loose’, and working closely with Asha, they have tasked a series of producers inspired by her work to remix her music.
Yuksek opens up with a pumping disco remix of 'I Am Song (Sing Me)' awash with uplifting synths and big claps next to the original vocals, which soar to the heavens. The seminal 'Space Talk' is remixed by Maurice Fulton into super steamy and late-night territory. The live drums and jumbled percussion are lit up with soulful chords as Puthli's carefully delivered vocals seduce up top. 'Lies' (Kraak & Smaak Remix) rides on fat-bottomed drums and bass that unfold with a dub swagger beneath a nebulous eco-system of cosmic synths and dramatic vocals. Label heads Turbotito & Ragz flip 'One Night Affair' into a leggy disco celebration with sweeping synths and bright effects, and Psychemagik's 'Right Down Here' is a pulsating mix of dark, snaking bass and drums with deep space ambience and raw hits making for a turbulent and tense atmosphere. Lastly, Jitwam closes out with a smooth disco sound laced with dynamic drums and cruising chords next to another sensuous top line from Asha Puthli.

Medium Rare showcases The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at their finest — a dynamic mix of B-sides, unreleased gems, and three brand-new songs that bridge the band’s early ska-punk roots with their mature, horn-driven sound. Bursting with energy, grit, and heart, this collection captures the spirit of the Bosstones’ Boston-bred attitude and their unmatched ability to blend melody, muscle, and message into timeless ska-core anthems.

In 1999, on December 23 to be precise, the electronic music landscape changed forever. On that day, the now legendary Icelandic band múm released their debut album “Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK”. The thing is though, back in the day, hardly anybody realized. It was Christmas after all, people were busy with potentially more important things and didn’t pay attention to some kids selling records on Reykjavík’s high street. Little did those shoppers know.

Thankfully, those 10 tracks weren’t overlooked for long. On the contrary: the album went on to become one of the most influential building blocks of what back then was called electronica and today is considered an art form playing a crucial and important role in shaping and defining the rich electronic music culture of the 21st century. Now, 20 years after the record dropped onto planet Earth, Morr Music is re-issuing the remastered album with its original artwork, adding newly commissioned re-works: A note-for-note representation of “Smell Memory“ by Kronos Quartet (with additional drums by múm’s Samuli Kosminen), a gentle reinterpretation of “Random Summer” by acclaimed pianist and composer Hauschka and an otherworldly new version of “Ballad Of The Broken String” recorded by label mate Sóley. Additionally, four remixes produced in the early 2000s are made available for the first time ever on vinyl here.

In 1999, electronic music was in full bloom. The dance floors were thriving worldwide.Yet the concept of using electronic sounds in acoustic-based productions (or vice versa) was still in its infancy. Many producers were trying, most of them failed. The results felt often forced, fabricated, unimaginative, random and forgettable. New ideas require new mindsets after all. With “Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK”, múm established a new approach in music production. Instead of setting a fixed agenda and working with a distinct hierarchy for their sonic palette, Gyða Valtýsdóttir, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Smárason let each instrument and sound source be true to itself, creating an ever-evolving universe of sonic bliss. Listening to the album in 2019 still makes every music lover’s heart jump. Combining Drill-and-Bass-inspired beat-chopping, future-informed DSP-programming, ethereal vocal work, indie rock’s boominess, folk music’s soulful brittleness and a lofty feeling for melody and arrangement, the album is a rare example of musical transcendence and remains impossible to categorize.

Many of the ideas formulated and recorded for the album quickly became an integral part of the canonical self-conception musicians around the world were and still are aspiring to. How these ideas really came about, though, is not known – the dynamics, the struggles, the qualms, the sudden realization of having achieved something which might actually stick. Maybe that is a good thing. Örvar Smárason remembers that most of the album “was recorded in a tiny, sweaty room in the summer of 1999 with carpenters banging nails around us, but sometimes we put on headphones so we couldn’t hear them.” It is a good thing they did. As is often the case with classics, all one can do is listen closely and let the magic sink in – again and again.

The band has released three studio albums to date, plus a string of EPs, & has primarily existed as a duo featuring guitarist Alexander Nordgaren (formerly live guitarist for Norwegian legends, Mayhem) & drummer/ vocalist Svein Egil "Zweizz" Hatlevik (Umoral, Strid, ex-Dodheimsgard) throughout their full history.

Fleurety was considered a slight oddity to the rest of the Norwegian movement at the time of their inception, for developing an altogether different style with more dynamic musical influences & obscure/ non- traditional riffing. Following on from the 'Black Snow' demo in 1993 & the 'A Darker Shade Of Evil' 7" the following year, the band presented their full-length debut to the world in the shape of 'Min Tid Skal Komme'; an exquisite & revered journey through dark & often introspective soundscapes. 'Last Minute Lies' was originally released in 1999, preceding the band's second fulllength album, 'Department Of Apocalyptic Affairs' & introduced a taste of the demented sophistication yet to come through their ongoing penchant for the strange & bizarre.

The result was a mind-bending (or expanding) voyage of eccentricity within the metal genre, presenting a new masterclass in avantgarde mood- setting in the process. Also included in this special release is the rare "I Left The Planet" project recordings from 1996, where Nordgaren was joined by a number of guests for this anomaly of dark & poetic jazzy- metal, notably featuring fellow prodigy of avant- garde metal & percussionist extraordinaire, Carl-Michael Eide of Ved Buens Ende/Aura Noir. On what is the 35th anniversary of the band's formation, this edition of 'Last Minute Lies/I Left The Planet' is presented on CD format including booklet with full lyrics, with audio specially remastered by Greg Chandler (Esoteric) at Priory Studios for this release.

2LP, 180gm vinyl, “Impex Style” Heavy Duty Outer Sleeve w/Flap, Sealed with Analogue October Records Sticker, Hype Sticker
Abbey Road Half speed master from the original tapes
380 gsm Invercote G Sleeve 300 gsm 12 page insert
4.5/5 RECOMMENDED / Editors Choice in Jazzwise magazine
‘And much as audiophiles will savour the tech achievement of this re-issue, the point is the Kaleidoscope of Rainbows
remains joyous, optimistic music that embraces difference and divergence. It needs celebrating not as a revived fossil but as a timeless artwork. Enjoy. And enjoy again’
RIYL Ian Carr / Nucleus / Weather Report / Clips and Art: https://we.tl/t-PfY9QXSjlt
NEIL ARDLEY – KALEIDOSCOPE OF RAINBOWS The Definitive 2LP Reissue of a Landmark in British Jazz Fusion
Analogue October Records proudly presents the long-awaited reissue of Kaleidoscope of Rainbows, Neil Ardley’s 1976 masterpiece, originally released on Gull Records. Produced by Neil Ardley and recorded at London’s famed Morgan Studios, the sessions were engineered and mixed by Martin Levan, capturing one of the most ambitious and beloved works in British jazz. Following the acclaimed reissues of Courtney Pine’s Journey to the Urge Within (AOR-001-ST) and Neil Ardley’s Harmony of the Spheres (AOR-002-ST)—both praised by the audiophile press including The Tracking Angle—this third release confirms Analogue October as one of today’s most meticulous and exciting reissue labels.
A Suite of Sound and Colour
Commissioned for the 1975 Camden Jazz Festival, Kaleidoscope of Rainbows is structured as a seven-part suite, each movement reflecting a colour of the spectrum. Ardley’s composition weaves together jazz improvisation, progressive rock energy, and orchestral elegance in one of the most imaginative British jazz recordings of the era. Featuring Ian Carr, Barbara Thompson, Tony Coe, Trevor Tomkins, and Geoff Castle, the album is a who’s who of the UK’s vibrant 1970s jazz scene.
Cut at Abbey Road, Pressed at Record Industry
For this definitive edition, Analogue October worked directly from the original Gull master tapes. Mastering was entrusted to Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, using his renowned half-speed process to extract every detail and dynamic from Ardley’s score. To give the music the headroom it deserves, the reissue has been expanded to a deluxe 2LP set, pressed on the highest-quality vinyl at Record Industry in Haarlem, Netherlands. The result is a presentation that finally does justice to the scope and brilliance of Ardley’s vision.
Deluxe Package – Restored from the Source
The artwork has been meticulously restored from the original film elements, ensuring a sleeve of unmatched vibrancy and fidelity. Inside, a 12-page booklet printed on heavyweight card features an in-depth essay on Neil Ardley and the making of Kaleidoscope of Rainbows, written by Jazzwise magazine editor Mike Flynn, alongside rare photographs from the period.
Curated and Produced by Craig Crane
As with every Analogue October release, Kaleidoscope of Rainbows has been curated and produced by label founder Craig Crane with a collector’s eye for detail and a deep respect for the music’s legacy. This reissue is not only the definitive vinyl edition of one of the great British jazz fusion albums—it also continues the label’s mission to restore and celebrate the most vital recordings of the era.
Neil Ardley’s Kaleidoscope of Rainbows—vivid, expansive, and timeless—returns as the essential edition for audiophiles and jazz lovers alike.
Retail-ready product description (short form):
Produced by Neil Ardley and recorded in 1976 at London’s Morgan Studios, engineered and mixed by Martin Levan, Kaleidoscope of Rainbows is a cornerstone of British jazz fusion. This definitive 2LP reissue, mastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell from the original Gull master tapes and pressed at Record Industry (NL), finally gives the music the dynamic headroom it deserves. The deluxe edition includes restored artwork and a 12-page booklet featuring an in-depth essay by Jazzwise editor Mike Flynn.

Supergroups existed before Emerson, Lake & Palmer formed in 1970. And, as we all know well, many came after. But few, if any, matched the English trio’s chemistry and its elevated combination of virtuosity, vision, and verve. Having influenced a multitude of followers, ELP’s prowess was obvious from the start. The band’s self-titled debut stands as a towering statement of creative imagination, execution, and discipline more than five decades after its original release.

Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, housed in a Stoughton jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM LP of Emerson, Lake & Palmer presents the benchmark album in audiophile sound. Clear, dynamic, and balanced, this collectible edition honors the perfectionist approaches that both informed the playing and recording of the record.

Distinguished with black backgrounds, this reissue brings to light the epic scope, tonal depth, and mind-bending degrees of musicianship on display. Aspects — textures, nuances, effects, melodies, tempo changes — that go hand-in-hand with the trio’s compositions and interplay are rendered amid broad soundstages and delivered with pinpoint detail. Whether you’ve owned multiple copies of this touchstone or seeking out your first version, you’ll relish the presence, separation, imaging, and crispness that help make every song come across as if the group has set up shop in your listening space.

Opening the door to the seemingly infinite possibilities of progressive rock while steering clear of excess, Emerson, Lake & Palmer achieved a rare feat in that its complex, cerebral music didn’t prevent it from attaining mainstream success. The gold-certified effort launched the career of a band that would sell tens of millions of records. It also landed a Top 50 single in the form of the ballad “Lucky Man,” whose vocal harmonies, folksy strumming, multi-tracked instrumentation, and breakthrough Moog solo almost feel quaint in the face of the other fare on the album.

Comprised of genre-defying originals and hybrid arrangements of two classical pieces, the album Rolling Stone originally and rightly said is “best heard as a whole” matches outrageous ambition with the otherworldly skills of three musicians who remain among the finest to ever pick up their respective instruments. While Emerson soon drew the lion’s share of headlines for his ability on keys — clavinet, Moog, piano, Hammond organ, and pipe organ included — Greg Lake’s aptitude on guitar and bass, along with well as Carl Palmer’s monster talents behind the kit, created a three-headed hydra that devoured everything in front of it.

That extends to the radical reinterpretation of Bela Bartok’s “The Barbarian” that begins the LP, a performance that in less than four-and-a-half minutes runs the gamut from distorted to churchy to angular and blustery. More classical flourishes, keyboard wizardry, hard-rock heaviness, and gothic signatures emerge throughout “Knife-Edge,” which reimagines music by Leos Janacek and J.S. Bach — and ultimately invites you to explore a cathedral of sound teeming with separate bursts of keys and percussion.

And did someone say “drumming”? Check out Palmer’s monster salvo on “Tank,” a rhythmic showcase that marches out with knee-bent notes and mirror-reflected passages. Or dive into the mythological suite “The Three Fates.” Replete with three parts and Emerson playing the pipe organ at Royal Festival Hall, it shoots off sonic fireworks via sophisticated arpeggios, jazz improvisations, dancing counter-meters, sizzling chords, and a few explosions. Please don’t hold anyone at MoFi responsible if your system cannot handle it; this is heady stuff.

Indeed, everything on Emerson, Lake & Palmer is there for a purpose. Whether you aim to attempt to dissect all of the notes, shifts, and polyrhythmic bluster or just want to absorb this album as one living, breathing organism, this version invites you to do both as many times as you desire.

“Godzilla just walked into the room. People just stood there with their eyes and mouths wide open.” To hear Randy Holden describe the audience’s reaction in 1969 to his solo debut performing with a teeth-rattling phalanx of 16 (sixteen!) 200 watt Sunn amps is about as close as one will get to truly experience the moment heavy metal music morphed into existence. However, at last Riding Easy have unearthed the proper fossil record. Population II, the now legendary, extremely rare album by guitarist / vocalist Holden and drummer / keyboardist Chris Lockheed is considered to be one of the earliest examples of doom metal.

Though its original release was a very limited in number and distribution, like all great records, its impact over time has continued to grow. In 1969, Holden, fresh off his tenure with proto-metal pioneers Blue Cheer (appearing on one side of the New! Improved! Blue Cheer album and touring for the better part of a year in the group), aimed for more control over his band. Thus, Randy Holden - Population II was born, the duo naming itself after the astronomical term for a particular star cluster with heavy metals present. “I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before,” Holden explains. “I was interested in discordant sounds that could be melodic but gigantically huge. I rented an Opera house for rehearsal, set up with 16 Sunn amps. That’s what I was going for, way over the top.” And over the top it is. The six-song album delves into leaden sludge, lumbering doom and epic soaring riffs that sound free from all constraints of the era. It’s incredibly heavy, but infused with a melodic, albeit mechanistic, sensibility.

Troubles with the album’s release bankrupted Holden, who subsequently left music for over two decades. It was bootlegged several times over the years, but until now hasn’t seen a proper remaster and has yet to be available on digital platforms. “The original mastering just destroyed the dynamics of it,” Holden says. “They flattened it out. Now we got a really nice remaster that should be the closest thing to the original recording.”

Oh No helped shape the texture of modern independent hip-hop, introducing the world to his turbulent lyricism with the 2004 Stones Throw classic The Disrupt before establishing himself as one of the world’s most dynamic beat architects. Ranging from soulful to sinister, hypnotic to chaotic, Dr. No’s psychedelic production has become a vital force in hip-hop, bringing the best out of artists like Mos Def, Action Bronson, Prodigy, Murs, Dilated Peoples, Danny Brown, Elzhi, Your Old Droog, and more. The California native has also released several acclaimed sample-themed instrumental collections, mining Mediterranean psyche funk, the work of jazz icon Roy Ayers, Italian library music, rare Ethiopian grooves, and more. Now, Oh No is back with Nodega, his first vocal album in more than a decade. Conceptualized as a corner store where microphone assassins stop through to lay down their street tales, the project finds Oh No cooking up a fresh batch of wild creations as the drama unfolds. While contributing a handful of memorable verses himself, Oh No mostly focuses on crafting soundscapes for a staggering array of guests, including Logic, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, Tha God Fahim, Alchemist, Guilty Simpson, Blu, Crimeapple, Rah Digga, Esoteric, Vic Spencer, Wildchild, Big Twins, and more. “I work with some of the most dangerous emcees in the game,” he explains. “I wanted the album to be like a hip-hop play, with all these different geniuses showing how they steal the scenes.” This concept is brought to life by music Oh No describes as a “cinematic landscape ranging from dark stabbing pianos to melodic jazz interludes, raw gutter loops to funk grit, dirty synths to nighttime thrills.” A visceral experience elevated by immense collective talent, Nodega is a compelling one-stop shop for Oh No’s expansive artistry.

★Japanese obi-strip
★First time reissued on vinyl

Turning Into Small, the second album by shoegaze band All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors from New Jersey, originally released in 1998 on local label Gern Blandsten,
is now being reissued on both CD and vinyl.

Formed in the mid-90s, All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors were deeply influenced by UK shoegaze and alternative rock—most notably My Bloody Valentine—while
pursuing a uniquely experimental sound within the US emo and indie scenes. Their innovative spirit reached full bloom on Turning Into Small, which remains their
final album to date.

One of the standout tracks is the nearly eight-minute-long “Your Imagination,” a spacious sonic landscape that draws listeners into deep immersion.
It has become a signature song for the band, heralding a new wave of shoegaze that emerged in the late '90s and beyond. Even more noteworthy, however, are
tracks like “Puzzled Into Pieces” and “In Between And After,” which showcase the band's layered, synth-driven electronic textures, dynamic collage-like structures,
and occasionally buoyant melodies. These elements come together to create a strange and otherworldly sense of weightlessness—something rarely found even
within the shoegaze genre.

While resonating with the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Stereolab, and The Flaming Lips, the band's mutant-like blend of styles also draws parallels with acts like
Swirlies, Serena-Maneesh, and contemporary shoegaze innovators such as They Are Gutting a Body of Water.

This is a groundbreaking album in US shoegaze—one that still feels fresh and vital thanks to its timeless experimental spirit and originality. Now is the perfect time
to (re)discover it.

After bending boundaries on the acclaimed labels Optimo Music and Höga Nord, Rudolf Abramov resurfaces with a fierce new statement – inaugurating Aquasonic Records, the freshly minted label founded by one half of the duo.

They unveil a sweeping collection of rare recordings, drawn from the shadows of their enigmatic Berlin studio.

This debut full-length album unfolds like a sonic tapestry, threading krautrock, new wave, dub, psychedelia, experimental electronics, ambient, and jazz into a singular, genre-bending experience.

True to form, the duo assembles a diverse ensemble of guest collaborators, fusing layered musical worlds into a cohesive, concept-driven whole.

At its core, the album captures a dynamic interplay: acoustic instruments recorded with raw intimacy and spatial breath meet the hypnotic churn of modular synths, samplers, and analog machines. A vivid document of process, presence, and unfiltered sound, resisting definition, yet wholly their own.

Finally back in print on vinyl and CD after having been unavailable for several years! First released in 2013, Euporie Tide has become the quintessential Causa Sui record over the years. For many fans this 2LP has served as the perfect entry point to the band's multi-faceted oeuvre. And with good reason – from the first notes of ”Homage” to the peaceful closer ”Eternal Flow” the listener is taken on a beatific ride. The band manages to condense an impressive range of influences into these ten tracks. Previous albums were largely centered around lengthy freeform jamming, but on Euporie Tide, this side of the band is carefully dosed to balance concise, almost proggy song structures. Everything fans of the band cherish so much is here in abundance: the fuzzy downtuned desert-rock riffs, the blissed-out, motoric krautrock, the dynamic builds, and the fragments of electric jazz and kosmische that are woven into the compositions.

Euporie Tide was created following collaborative albums with members of Sunburned Hand of the Man (Pewt'r Sessions) and Tortoise (released as Chicago Odense Ensemble), which certainly had a cross-pollinating effect on this set. Rarely does a band from the European stoner rock scene embrace such a wide range of stylistic influences, and twelve years after the album's initial release, Euporie Tide deservedly stands as Causa Sui's crowning achievement.

Deluxe black 2LP edition with heavy sleeve, wrap-around obi strip and pvc-lined inner sleeves.

Repress on transparent green vinyl. With Loneliness Road, pianist Jamie Saft, legendary bassist Steve Swallow, and versatile drummer Bobby Previte present a work that is as unexpected as it is captivating_elevated by the haunting voice of none other than Iggy Pop. Far from being just another jazz album, this recording is a bold artistic exploration that fuses contemplative jazz, elements of blues, and the gravelly baritone of a punk icon turned poet. At its core, the album is deeply rooted in modern jazz tradition. Saft's lyrical piano, Swallow's fluid electric bass lines, and Previte's dynamic, nuanced drumming create a soundscape that is intimate and atmospheric. The true surprise, however, comes with Iggy Pop's appearance on three tracks. Here, he doesn't snarl or shout as in his rock persona _ instead, he delivers words with a weathered, introspective tone that feels more spoken than sung. The lyrics touch on loneliness, impermanence, and existential searching _ perfectly in tune with the album's title. Tracks like the eponymous "Loneliness Road" and "Don't Lose Yourself" are steeped in lyrical depth and emotional gravity, drawing the listener into a reflective, late-night world.

Relay For Death is the noise project of the twin sisters Roxann and Rachal Spikula. Their hermetic works consistently reflect a bleak nihilism, all the while carving an autonomous space for survival as the rest of the existence crumbles. Previous works have been published by Hanson, No Rent, Total Black, and RRRecords.

The twins offered the consideration that "Mutual Consuming comes from a concept in the philosophies that underpin traditional Chinese medicine theory, where the two opposing states (yin and yang) are 2 states on a continuum and their interactions produce an infinite possible number of states of aggregation. Within this interplay, there is a dynamic balance that is maintained by a constant adjustment of their relative levels. So an excess of yin consumes yang and vice versa." We asked if this has anything to do with the concept of the Ouroboros, to which they responded, "we hadn't thought about Ouroboros, but the eternal cycle of things makes sense too. The gorge fest of existence." Does this relate to previous works? The twins concisely respond to that question in a rare interview in Untitled, "No."

Mutual Consuming is a dire piece of isolationist thrum, spectral caterwaul, and heavy gloom through an oblique and abstracted coupling of electronics, noise, and ominous field recordings. As immersive as Thomas Köner’s haunting ambience but fully entrenched in the industrial meditations of MB. Originally published as part of the instantly out of print boxset, On Corrosion - a 10 cassette anthology from 2019 that was housed in a handcrafted wooden box and featuring full albums from Kleistwahr, Neutral, Pinkcourtesyphone, Alice Kemp, She Spread Sorrow, G*Park, Relay For Death, Francisco Meirino, Fossil Aerosol Mining Project, and Himukalt. The collection stood as the 50th release for The Helen Scarsdale Agency.

Motel d'amour - A Lost Electro-Funk Gem from the NDW Era Resurfaces

When we first collaborated with Collage member Markus Kammann on the EP project "Mit den Puppen tanzen" at the end of last year, we never imagined what would follow: Kammann approached us with a completely unreleased full-length album by his former band. Upon receiving the first three preview tracks, we were floored. One of them was "Nachtcafé" - a track that kicks off with a funky bassline layered over the punchy rhythm of a Roland TR-808. Add shimmering synths and Katrin A. Kunze's sharp, distinctive vocals, and we instantly knew we were hearing something special.

For a label dedicated to rediscovering lost treasures, this was exactly what we'd been searching for. The next two tracks - "Rendezvous" and "Casanova" - were just as compelling. When Kammann sent us the full album, we realized we were holding an electro-funk grail from the late golden days of the German Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW). We were listening to "Motel d'amour".

"Motel d'amour" is a concept album, offering a sharp, vibrant perspective from a confident, intelligent, and radiant young woman eager to experience nightlife, love, and music. Kunze's lyrics paint vivid scenes of flirtation ("Nachtcafé", "Rendezvous"), encounters with men ("Casanova"), the pulse of nightlife ("Die Nacht ist noch jung"), love ("Rotes Licht für rote Liebe"), one-night stands ("Motel d'amour"), and more. Rarely has a German album from that era captured emotional nuance and social dynamics so insightfully. Without veering into the overly personal, Kunze's direct, daring lyrical style was groundbreaking at the time - and remains refreshingly bold today.

While German listeners will fully appreciate the lyrical depth, the music speaks volumes on its own. Kunze's words are masterfully complemented by the production of Markus Kammann and Jürgen Grah. As heard on the in-demand "Mit den Puppen tanzen", their creativity seemed boundless. Each track is tightly composed, catchy, and full of character. While many German bands at the time leaned into rock, Kammann drew from the deep grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Brothers Johnson, The Commodores, and the electro-futurism of Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and "Looking for the Perfect Beat". The result: tracks with unmistakable electro-funk flair, powered by the classic 808 drum sound.

Though primarily rooted in funk and electro, the album retains flashes of NDW aesthetics - "Wir haben getanzt heut' Nacht" being a prime example. The instrumentation is a dream list for vintage gear lovers: Yamaha keyboards, Roland Juno-60, vocoder, Micromoog, Hohner D6 Clavinet, Fender bass, and a Telecaster guitar all feature prominently.
Recorded in 1985 at the high-profile Delta Studio by Richard Rossbach, the album attracted interest from Polydor. However, the label proposed using the compositions for a solo project with singer Inga Humpe (of Neonbabies), who was already signed to their roster. This would have required replacing Kunze as the vocalist, an idea the group firmly rejected. As a result, "Motel d'amour" was shelved, and Kammann, Grah, and Kunze moved on to form Cold End.
The album cover features a rare archival photo of Katrin A. Kunze - rediscovered by Kammann and now finally seeing the light of day, 40 years later.

We believe Motel d'amour deserves recognition alongside cult German classics like P!OFF?, 1. Futurologischer Congress' "Wer spricht?", Ami Marie's "Verrückt nach Glück", the funkier cuts of Cosa Rosa, or Piet Klocke's groove classic "Heute ist nicht sonst". It's a record that fits into adventurous DJ sets but also rewards a full, start-to-finish listen.

A note on audio quality: Sadly, the original master tapes were lost. The tracks were restored from a vintage TDK cassette. Thanks to modern digital tools, we were able to remaster them to a high standard - but in some songs light distortions remain. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy this lost and undiscovered gem.

Motel d'amour - A Lost Electro-Funk Gem from the NDW Era Resurfaces

When we first collaborated with Collage member Markus Kammann on the EP project "Mit den Puppen tanzen" at the end of last year, we never imagined what would follow: Kammann approached us with a completely unreleased full-length album by his former band. Upon receiving the first three preview tracks, we were floored. One of them was "Nachtcafé" - a track that kicks off with a funky bassline layered over the punchy rhythm of a Roland TR-808. Add shimmering synths and Katrin A. Kunze's sharp, distinctive vocals, and we instantly knew we were hearing something special.

For a label dedicated to rediscovering lost treasures, this was exactly what we'd been searching for. The next two tracks - "Rendezvous" and "Casanova" - were just as compelling. When Kammann sent us the full album, we realized we were holding an electro-funk grail from the late golden days of the German Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW). We were listening to "Motel d'amour".

"Motel d'amour" is a concept album, offering a sharp, vibrant perspective from a confident, intelligent, and radiant young woman eager to experience nightlife, love, and music. Kunze's lyrics paint vivid scenes of flirtation ("Nachtcafé", "Rendezvous"), encounters with men ("Casanova"), the pulse of nightlife ("Die Nacht ist noch jung"), love ("Rotes Licht für rote Liebe"), one-night stands ("Motel d'amour"), and more. Rarely has a German album from that era captured emotional nuance and social dynamics so insightfully. Without veering into the overly personal, Kunze's direct, daring lyrical style was groundbreaking at the time - and remains refreshingly bold today.

While German listeners will fully appreciate the lyrical depth, the music speaks volumes on its own. Kunze's words are masterfully complemented by the production of Markus Kammann and Jürgen Grah. As heard on the in-demand "Mit den Puppen tanzen", their creativity seemed boundless. Each track is tightly composed, catchy, and full of character. While many German bands at the time leaned into rock, Kammann drew from the deep grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Brothers Johnson, The Commodores, and the electro-futurism of Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and "Looking for the Perfect Beat". The result: tracks with unmistakable electro-funk flair, powered by the classic 808 drum sound.

Though primarily rooted in funk and electro, the album retains flashes of NDW aesthetics - "Wir haben getanzt heut' Nacht" being a prime example. The instrumentation is a dream list for vintage gear lovers: Yamaha keyboards, Roland Juno-60, vocoder, Micromoog, Hohner D6 Clavinet, Fender bass, and a Telecaster guitar all feature prominently.
Recorded in 1985 at the high-profile Delta Studio by Richard Rossbach, the album attracted interest from Polydor. However, the label proposed using the compositions for a solo project with singer Inga Humpe (of Neonbabies), who was already signed to their roster. This would have required replacing Kunze as the vocalist, an idea the group firmly rejected. As a result, "Motel d'amour" was shelved, and Kammann, Grah, and Kunze moved on to form Cold End.
The album cover features a rare archival photo of Katrin A. Kunze - rediscovered by Kammann and now finally seeing the light of day, 40 years later.

We believe Motel d'amour deserves recognition alongside cult German classics like P!OFF?, 1. Futurologischer Congress' "Wer spricht?", Ami Marie's "Verrückt nach Glück", the funkier cuts of Cosa Rosa, or Piet Klocke's groove classic "Heute ist nicht sonst". It's a record that fits into adventurous DJ sets but also rewards a full, start-to-finish listen.

A note on audio quality: Sadly, the original master tapes were lost. The tracks were restored from a vintage TDK cassette. Thanks to modern digital tools, we were able to remaster them to a high standard - but in some songs light distortions remain. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy this lost and undiscovered gem.

This album is one that is always going to be reissued until the end of time. It's pure, raw, inescapably good soul music that was popularised in recent years by Floating Points and his Melodies International label. The 1976 debut album by Chicago soul, rare-groove and jazz-funk fusionists Tomorrow's People was led by the Burton Brothers. This reissue comes on red vinyl for the first time and is full of a dynamic blend of styles-from the sax-driven disco-funk of 'Let's Get Down With The Beat' to the doo-wop-tinged 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' and the fiery 'Hurt Perversion'. The 20-minute title track, Open Soul, is a mesmerising space-soul journey which kicks off this highly sought after gem in style.