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This is her first album in five years, she returns with a renewed sense of clarity and control, asserting herself as a generational songwriter with a sharpened perspective. While her early work chronicled the emotional turbulence of young love, Ricochet reveals a deeper fixation: time, mortality, and the quiet terror of watching the things you love slip away. The album"s 11 songs are steeped in introspection, anxiety, and acceptance - an acknowledgment that the world keeps turning regardless of what"s unfolding in your own small orbit.

This is her first album in five years, she returns with a renewed sense of clarity and control, asserting herself as a generational songwriter with a sharpened perspective. While her early work chronicled the emotional turbulence of young love, Ricochet reveals a deeper fixation: time, mortality, and the quiet terror of watching the things you love slip away. The album"s 11 songs are steeped in introspection, anxiety, and acceptance - an acknowledgment that the world keeps turning regardless of what"s unfolding in your own small orbit.

Die 15 Songs sind eine Reise und zaubern uns mit der klassischen Rock-Group (Gitarre, Bass, Schlagzeug) sowie mit Slideguitar, Geige, Nyckel-Harpa, Chor, Klavier- und Orgelsounds bunte Bilder in den Kopf. Eine Mischung aus erdigem Blues - Country und Folkrock mit prägnanten Lyrics auf deutscher und sorbischer Sprache.Die Musik öffnet mit ruhigen, tiefen, gospelartigen Passagen Räume und bewegt sich bis hin zum Punkrock.Textlich handelt das Album vom Weg, den du mit der Zeit gehst, von den damit verbundenen Sorgen, vom Ringen mit dem Guten und dem Bösen, von Liebe, von Freundschaft aber vor allem von Hoffnung. Der Sound von J.J.Cale, Neil Young und Ry Cooder verschmilzt mit modernem Postpunk und kreiert etwas ganz eigenes. Ein Album mit vielen Ecken, Kanten und Rundungen.Jacke selbst nennt seine Musik Lusitzana, was eine Anspielung auf den Begriff Americana ist. Hier gehts jedoch um das Leben in den langsam austrocknenden Sümpfen und Wäldern der Lausitz, rund um die Spree - Wo die Wölfe heulen und die Schafe ins Gras beißen. Aber die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt und der Rock wird siegen! (Henne)

From dreamy indie pop to melancholic ambient fragments to crazy distortion pedals, The Me In You has never sounded more adventurous without losing sight of cohesion.

Press:
Humo: “The Me in You simply offers more colour and dimension than most other Belgian pop groups”
OOR: ‘A wonderfully addictive album for connoisseurs.’
Het Nieuwsblad: ‘Duyster music that gets under your skin.’
Le Soir: ‘Every song, every melody manages to surprise us.’
Stu Bru: Catch of The Day – De Afrekening list
Radio 1: Top 10 Vox list – A Rotation

Yellow Vinyl

Blue Lake reveals his most ambitious album yet, which finds its visionary creator Jason Dungan harnessing the collective alchemy of his band, with ten spirited tracks that resonate with a powerful directness, evoking an ecological connection to the wider world.

The solo project (Blue Lake), now on its fifth album, found its name and inspiration via Don Cherry's 1974 live album, sparking a creative epiphany in Dungan, who set off on a path into his own untapped sonic world, guided by what he cited as the emotional potential found within non-lyrical composition. With a newly inspired ethos aimed toward creating direct and simple instrumental music imbued with a deep sense of feeling, Jason began combining an array of musical elements that gave rise to his highly revered album 'Sun Arcs' (2023), with its "ornate, zither-led lattices" (Pitchfork, Best New Music). Conceived in the blissful isolation of a Swedish cabin set in the woods, this was music that soundtracked spring in full bloom. Then, in contrast to the solitary approach of 'Sun Arcs', the highly lauded mini-album 'Weft' (2025) began to set the tone for a more band-oriented approach to delivering the Blue Lake sound. Jason had by this time experienced a special collective energy with his band during a swathe of live performances, which he then sought to harness and distill on 'The Animal', leading him to take the project into a traditional recording studio (The Village) and its limitless potential along with his gifted cohorts.

'The Animal' at its core vividly celebrates human collaboration and is deeply rooted in a sense of community and non-hierarchical connectivity. The group's creative alchemy transcends outwards and beyond the musicians performing together, to summon an inclusive, existential and ecological connection to the wider world and its inhabited spaces. The album contemplates the idea of the human as an animal as Dungan explains: "I'm quite fascinated in thinking about humans more as part of the animal environment and not as something that's so separated into a "human" realm, or sitting on top of a hierarchical pyramid. So the Animal is also me, or us - that we are just living, existing, in the same way as a piece of moss or a sparrow or a cow.

'The Animal' is a form of musical metamorphosis, still acoustic, yet more amplified, elevating it to new dimensions. The Blue Lake project takes on a new lease of life to encompass collaboration with Jason Dungan bound in a universal connectivity, resulting in his most ambitious album to date. A harmonious rejoicing that cements his reputation as a transformative presence in contemporary music.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Enlace Funk magazine, they present the world's first Flamenco-Jazz compilation, featuring 16 tracks from between 1978 to 2025, released on vinyl for the first time. A musical dialogue between Flamenco and Jazz, unique in the world, a journey through some of the most important artists of this style, starting with the seminal work of the group Dolores in 1978, and continuing to examples of the current sound of this exciting fusion. Includes tracks never before released on vinyl by artists such as Jorge Pardo, Chano Dominguez, Pedro Ojesto, and Marc Miralta. The first volume of Flamenco-Jazz aims to showcase this unique style that has proven to be a bridge of communication and dialogue between flamenco and jazz musicians, creating an inimitable sound that is constantly evolving and transcending barriers. We take as our starting point a 1978 recording by Dolores, featuring Paco de Lucía, which later led to the formation of her legendary sextet with musicians who had participated in this recording. Of course, this first volume wouldn't be complete without other masters like Josemi Carmona, Pedro Ojesto, and Marc Miralta. And of course, a new generation of names that have elevated the genre to its current status, such as flautists Trinidad Jiménez and Sergio De Lope, Juanfe Pérez and Juan Pérez Rodríguez from Huelva, Pablo Martín Caminero from Vitoria, and Miquel Alvarez from Valencia. Not forgetting innovators like Antonio Lizana and Enriquito, who are crossing borders and sharing their unique style. Ltd ed.classic black vinyl double LP in gatefold sleeve

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

"Static Shock out here still pushing the finest in international punk and hardcore. This time with a smoking debut from Oslo’s Draümar. Their influences are from the same city block with groundwork laid by groups like So Much Hate and Svart Framtid. Unfortunately, the songs are blasting away at the same monumental enemies albeit with different faces. The never-ending nuclear question, societal unease, genocide, and a steadfast approach to not turn away from the constant horror of today’s world make up the tapestry of this 12”.
The intro and outro track nod and update John Carpenter’s Assault On Precinct 13 setting the stage for a flurry of cold, desperate Norwegian punk - instantly identifiable and as potent as ever. Indeed, they’ve scraped the blood, sweat and victory off the floors of Blitz and distilled it into a Molotov aimed directly at a world in constant crisis. These are chords and context against a rising fascist world where screaming is not limp response but also tactic, celebration and affirmation. Aside from the fury contained in the original tracks you get a bonus treat in the dual vocal attack on the Bannlyst song ‘Herrene’ which features original Bannlyst vocalist, Finn Erik Tangen - instantly identifiable and still just as pissed."

Step back into the irresistible world of Dutch pop legends Gruppo Sportivo with Vinylly! (Selected Songs '78-'91). a vibrant, limitededition celebration of the band's most iconic tracks. This double LP is the ultimate collector's item for fans of clever pop, quirky humor, and timeless hooks.

Featuring standout songs like ''Beep Beep Love,'' ''My Old Cortina,'' ''Up to Date,'' and cult favorites from The Buddy Odor Stop, Vinylly! captures the band's golden era with crisp remastered sound and a beautifully designed sleeve and 4-page booklet. A complete overview of a group that defined an era with their playful lyrics, sharp arrangements, and unmistakable charm.

The band is touring throughout 2026 to celebrate the 50th birthday of Gruppo Sportivo.

An album with reflection, resilience, journey, and elemental connections at its core, Hollow Chapters is a collection of original songs written and performed by the Marsh Family - Dad (Ben, 49), Mum (Danielle, 48), sons Alfie (19) and Tom (18), and daughters Ella (16) and Tess (14). Recently featured in The Observer, the multiinstrumentalist family group of six from Kent have a significant international online following passionate about their mix of folk- pop harmonies, uplifting messages, authentic imperfections, and sense of connection and heart. Hollow Chapters ranges across genres (from acoustic protest songs to funk and reggae rock), but has a vintage organic style, rooted in natural analogies, ideas of journey and lifecycle, and epic and inspirational themes. It promises to move people emotionally, whether through ballads about departed loved ones or stirring tracks designed to forge collective action and hope. The songs tell stories using the different voices of family members, drawing inspiration from poetry, landscape, and artefacts.

2026 Repress

French talent Hyden makes label debut on Mutual Rytm with conceptual new techno EP, 'To Whom It May Concern'. Hyden is a potent force in the French underground, creating powerful techno with dense percussion, immersive grooves and subtle nods to classic influences - all through his own unique lens. Having delivered standout releases in recent years, here he offers up sounds "anchored in psychoanalysis, time, and emotional residue" as he makes his mark on SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint, delivering influences of dream logic and surrealism as the palette moves between brutality and introspection. "It's hypnotic music for moments of rupture where something breaks or breaks through". Opener 'Manifest Content' is inspired by Freudian theory and explores the surface illusions of thought and dream. It's about the dissonance between what we perceive and the deeper meaning that slips away beneath and is a deep and dubby techno track with flashes of unsettling melody. 'Bruises' is emotional trauma made sonic. This piece delves into invisible scars and traumas, residues of past conflict or intimacy - it's slow-burning, heavy and raw. 'Jikan' is a meditation built on time and its erosion. Inspired by the Japanese concept of impermanence, it reflects fleeting moments, decay and the tension between stillness and motion with jacked up but warm drums and turbulent bass. Next, 'Free Will' is born from inner conflict and plays with deterministic rhythms and evolving layers, questioning whether we are truly in control or just passengers in a prewritten sequence. The vocal mentions, "creatures, you're out of time" to bring darkness to the intense but sleek rhythms. The streamlined physicality of 'Swarm' channels the primal force of collective movement and is a nod to the loss of individuality in group behaviour. In addition, the package is loaded with digital bonus cuts. 'Yumehara' is a dive into surreal dream-states and evokes subconscious landscapes where logic dissolves and emotion reigns, while 'Lu Bu' is brutal and warlike and named after the legendary Chinese general that captures impulsive violence, betrayal and reckless glory with relentless energy and rhythm. Lastly, 'Neon Pale' is a synthetic dreamscape about fading beauty under artificial light - a melancholy ode to cities at night and the loss of warmth in modern life.

Celebrated guitar virtuoso and composer Pat Metheny returns with Side-Eye III+, a new 8 song jazz project with his latest group, featuring Chris Fishman on piano and keyboards, Joe Dyson on drums, and Jermaine Paul on bass. In partnership with Green Hill Music, the 20-time Grammy award winner launches his own label imprint, Uniquity Music, and embarks on an extensive world tour with his new ensemble. The all-original album includes “In On It”, “Don’t Look Down”, and “Make a New World”.

Stine Janvin & Morten Joh unveil "Or Gare," a stark and deeply atmospheric excavation of funeral-processional music from Ryfylke, Norway. The release marks the debut collaboration of both artists, recasting a near-forgotten tradition into ghost-lit contemporary form. Rooted in the bygone custom of "Liksong" (literally "corpse song") that was once sung by small groups of singers who guided rural funeral processions, Janvin and Joh tap into its uncanny, unbearably slow intervallic structures, reanimating the practice as a kind of ancient electronic microtonal devotional music.

'Thirteen' is the thirteenth studio album by classic British prog band Soft Machine. The album of superlative new material, marks a fresh chapter in the group's 60-year history.

Soft Machine in 2026 is not what you would expect, they've produced a vibrant and exciting Jazz record that deserves to be heard!

MTY-3.14 “π”, released on March 14, 2026, is the fifth and final chapter of a journey begun fifteen years ago.



This standard edition presents the final form of Polar Inertia across three 12" vinyl records, featuring 11 tracks. Nothing added, nothing removed—only the music, unfolding in full.



Images dissolve, words fall away. What remains are faint echoes, like footprints slowly erased in fresh snow.



This final opus does not close the path. It fades into it. π is not an ending, but a state: the moment where movement continues, even as the world turns silent.



A last step.
A final trace.
Still moving, beneath the cold.



POLAR INERTIA



We are no one because we want to be no one,
And to be no one we have to be everywhere and nowhere- Polar Inertia examines the enigmatic and blurry realms, embracing the art of obscured vision.


Encountering the collective Polar Inertia is much like being absorbed by fog and captivated by its ever-shifting forms and densities, with things being as indistinguishable as in a whiteout.



Formed in 2010 by a group of artists, Polar Inertia transcends visibility, delving into structures that lie beyond the public gaze. Layers upon layers intertwine within the fabric of Polar Inertia, extending beyond their profound electronic compositions and live performances. It manifests as a conceptual universe, where sound, monochrome aesthetics, and elusive narratives converge, much like trying to grasp the intangible fog. The entity that is Polar Inertia is involved in installations, print- and video work and texts created for different contexts and live in different spheres such as Palais de Tokyo in Paris or the Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art. Still, clubs and festivals are perfect spaces to experience these nebulous soundworlds and immerse in them. Fittingly, some of Polar Inertia’s appearances include the colossal halls of Berghain and Bassiani and at experimental festivals like Mutek Montreal and Atonal Berlin, that like to break with the classic club conventions.



Polar Inertia's sonic landscape unfolds with wafting textures accompanied by resonating beats and drones, reverberating through empty spaces, merging with the vast expanse of nothingness. Their sound exists at the crossroads of ambient, experimental, and deep techno, interwoven with vocal narratives. Since their inaugural release “Indirect Light“ on Dement3d Records in 2011, they remain a stronghold of relevance and captivation in the electronic domain.



Mastered by sixbitdeep, with artistic direction by Diplomatie Studio.

Walter Thomas’s “Chicago Knights” LP features a retrospective of songs written and released between 1987 and 2009, primarily with the Roland 1824 and the Fostex 8 track reel to reel. Channeling the spirit of underground soul and dance music specifically rooted within the greater area of Chicago, Illinois–a city known for its deep and healthy soul and r&b roots–this compilation features 8 of its 9 tracks on vinyl for the very first time.

The intro track “I Wanna Get Witcha” dates back to 1987, holds a proven track record of kicking off many a dance floor, rocking clubs worldwide in a blur of boogie-funk, disco, and soul. “Immaturity” and both versions of “Fed Up” echo the emotional differences and tensions between lovers in a spat. “Magic City” served as the anthem and homage to its namesake roller skating rink in 90s-era Waukegan, IL. While “Chicago Knights” is a relentless mid-tempo groove inspired by the aggressive motorists that dominate Chicago roadways, “2nd Chance” drops the tempo to a slow r&b roll, preaching the ethos of love, peace, and forgiveness.

Last but certainly not least, “E&J’s” was a real commercial jingle used for a once legendary BBQ joint “E&J’s” in Illinois: a short bonus track to close out the LP. These 9 tracks are just a touch of Walter’s expansive body of work, and we’re stoked to bring them to you on wax.


Walter Thomas is a singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and composer from North Chicago, IL known for his soulfully smooth arrangements and vocals. Walter has toured internationally with quintessential soul groups like the Temptations and Friends of Distinction, as well as opening for performers including the Floaters, Bette Wright, The Emotions, and The Drifters. His decades of touring with nightclub and concert performances have honed this gifted artist into a seasoned and refined live act.

»Low Tide, Hi Grypus!« is the new live-iteration of JC Leisure as JC Leisure Group. Documenting an encounter and a communication between human improvisers and atlantic grey seals. The record presents responsive improvisation as a form of cross-species collaboration.

The project began on Porthdinllaen, Wales, where Leisure recorded seal vocalisations from a local colony at low tide. Back in their Liverpool studio, Leisure developed a performance system that translates human musical gestures – pitch, timbre, rhythm, density, presence - into triggers for these seal expressions. The resulting system is dual-active, as in it simultaneously acts and is acted upon in the horizontal instance. It creates a new-music non-linear threshold that cannot be replicated.

»Low Tide, Hi Grypus!« was recorded live at 1210 Berlin and captures one instance of this concept. Local improvisers were invited to encounter the performance system. Recorded in one take, pedal-steel, woodwinds, strings, piano, organ, and electronics gradually learn to listen and respond to the marine voices. This interspecific group moves from intimate duets (that's human, seal) into full ensemble works (humans, seals) over the course of one night.

Rather than treating field recordings as static material, the extensive seal archive functions as an active collaborator: shaping form, pacing, and interaction in real-time. Now that’s marine biology meets human communication!

JC Leisure has previously released work on Sun Ark, Warm Winters Ltd, Not Not Fun and collaboratively with Dialect as Raft of Trash. He has composed a radio play commissioned and broadcast by BBC Radio.

It's hard to fathom Martin Bramah's trajectory from his beginnings as a guitarist/writer behind two crazily influential postpunk albums - The Fall's Live At The Witch Trials and Blue Orchids' The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain) (vocalist on the latter too, of course) - then nearly three decades of sporadic-at-best activity, offering releases just frequently enough to remind fans of his peculiar brilliance . . . before another stay in the void. Chalk it up to what you want - Mark E. Smith's utter usurpation of The Fall, his split from partner Una Baines after Blue Orchids' debut, the vague collapse of rash experimentation in `underground' music as early `80s nu-pop and American college rock diluted any real spirit, a few failed attempts at working with with Mark again . . . and maybe just life getting in the way. A sense of lost opportunities isn't tough to justify. Inasmuch as Martin was originally the singer for The Fall - Mark began as guitarist but couldn't play! - and given that the group's mythology was born in an era before that gang of Mancunian misfits had even thought of playing, it's high irony that 49 years after The Fall began, Martin has both become wildly prolific and the leader of a band with more rights of inheritance to The Fall's credibility than any other living person could justify . . .yet the band isn't remarkable for that as it is for the range and wealth extent of their collective powers and talent: two great and original guitarists, three of the UK's most daringly-skilled drummers, a genuine bass legend, and a brilliant spare Blue Orchid guitarist. Four albums in, the HOUSE Of ALL is getting ambitious, with each album a subtle improvement on the last, forging a path away from their pasts without denying a thing. Inklings differs from the first three for not having being largely improvised at first, with sounds, rhythm, groove and melody later forged into songs. They rehearsed! They had fun doing it! They're going on an extended tour! There were even extra tracks! We'll leave it to fans and critics to sit down and analyse the specifics of it all, but Steve, Si, Pete, Phil, Karl and Martin have made a bold and powerful album unlike any other you'll hear in 2026 . . . stately, majestic, bold and worthy of a group of real survivors. In perverse form, the album will be officially announced and preceded by a song not on the album!

- For all fans of the Wamono series!

- All tracks selected by DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite. Includes the first ever vinyl release of The Peanuts' "Ohara Bushi" track, originally released only on tape in 1970.

- Fully licensed King Records masters.

- Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapaa at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland.

- 180g heavy vinyl pressing, reverse board jacket.

- Artwork by Nicolas Kerembellec (Nker).

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Active as a professional DJ in Japan since the late eighties, DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite is also a renowned remixer, compiler and producer. An avid record collector and an expert of Wamono music, Yoshizawa has published in 2015 the now-classic Wamono A to Z records guide book, which instantly sold-out. The book unveiled a myriad of beautiful and rare records from a highly prolific, but still then unknown, Japanese groove scene. He has also selected a large part of the music in our highly acclaimed Wamono compilations.

For this brand new chapter in the series, Yoshizawa explores King Records' legendary catalog and unearths exceptional, rare and unknown musical gems. King Records has been releasing music since 1931 and is one of the most prestigious labels in Japan. Traditional Japanese music, known as "Minyo", are ancient songs once sung by fishermen, coal miners and sumo wrestlers. They are reimagined here with vibrant afro latin, rock, rare groove and funky arrangements in this killer selection of music released on King between 1963 and 1979. Also worth mentioning is the track Ohara Bushi by The Peanuts, which was released only on tape in 1970 and is now available for the first time ever on vinyl format.

Put the needle on the record, turn up the volume and dig right now into the Wamono sound - the cream of the Japanese funk, soul, rare groove and disco music developed throughout the years since the end of the fifties in Japan!

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180GWALP08 - Manufactured and distributed by 180g.

Ujimas vollmundiges Soul-Workout, angetrieben von einem stetigen Rhythmus und reichhaltigen Gruppenharmonien. Diese 45er-Platte hat ihren eigenen Charme und kommt in bester Klangqualität und greifbarster Form.

Mats Gustafsson met Jan St. Werner in Berlin when they both performed with Peter Brötzmann and a group of prolific improvisers. Mats and Jan share a passion for performing not just inside rooms but also with them, activating space and shaping sound via divertion. Mats introduces Johan Berthling who adds complex bass structures to the nervous jitter of Mats’ saxophone & pedals and Werner's digital machinery.

The trio instantly agrees on sound as a physical material which can bend and move anywhere within seconds. With this material they establish musical forms which they immediately dissect and reassemble again. It’s a nervous ride, a hyperactive conversation keen on detail and open to argument. Although IFANAME’s sound is instantly graspable it is also hard to pin down. Nothing seems stable yet it lasts, holds like some kind of catchy glue and disssapears as quickly as it came to life. IFANAME is question and concern. It is music as much as it is movement. It is attention, care, curiosity and disaster. Wherever IFANAME came from there is much more waiting ready to burst and reshape in front and inside of our ears.

Supertramp are releasing the definitive vinyl pressings of their studio albums. Breakfast In America audio was transferred at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell and overseen by album co-producer Peter Henderson, where they cut the 1/2 speed master used to press the vinyl. The LP is pressed on 180g black vinyl. This is the group’s sixth studio album released in 1979.

Supertramp are releasing the definitive vinyl pressings of their studio albums. Even In The Quietest Moments audio was transferred at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell and overseen by album engineer Peter Henderson, where they cut the 1/2 speed master used to press the vinyl. The LP is pressed on 180g black vinyl. This is the group’s fifth studio album.

Supertramp are releasing the definitive vinyl pressings of their studio albums. Famous Last Words audio was transferred at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell and overseen by co-producer Peter Henderson, where they cut the 1/2 speed master used to press the vinyl. The LP is pressed on 180g black vinyl. Released in 1982, this is the group’s seventh studio album and final release with Roger Hodgson.

This is a special work by acclaimed composer and musician Adriaan de Roover, who has released records on Dauw, VIERNULVIER, PIAS, and Consouling Sounds. Chansons de trottoir / Stoepliedjes documents his relationship to sampling in the form of a radio play.

Originally created as a radio piece for Resonance FM in Manchester, the album is a sonic portrait of a walk through Brussels. It is constructed from two field recordings: one made during a walk from Metro Midi towards Adriaan’s home, and another recorded on a walk towards Flagey. Rather than foregrounding recognizable landmarks, the piece focuses on the pavement underfoot: the steady, repetitive rhythm of footsteps on sidewalk tiles.

The recordings are mixed with samples from the music of the Brussels hip-hop group STIKSTOF. Their music became the soundtrack to a period in which Adriaan’s desire to move from Antwerp to Brussels began to take shape. Through repeated listening, the city of Brussels gradually revealed itself to him. This experience echoes that of countless music fans who, while listening to The Beatles, imagine what Liverpool might be like: a city revealed through sound and myth, often crystallized in lukewarm Hard Rock Café–style projections.

Chansons de trottoir / Stoepliedjes is an exercise in sampling and an exploration of how one might find a personal place within the music of others. It frames appropriation as an attentive and considered act. Suspended between memory and imagination, the piece exists closer to a dream state than to reportage.

France's near-revolution of May '68 was the zenith of that generation's struggle for a new kind of life. It kicked the country's small, but vibrant, counter-culture into overdrive, and birthed a local underground music scene. The bands it spawned made music with much less rock purity than groups from the UK and US. Their musical and cultural influences foregrounded improvisation, disjunction, and genre-blending: Soft Machine, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, free jazz, and radical politics. The introduction of the synthesiser in the early 1970s added fuel to the fire.

This collection of French underground music inaugurates a series to accompany "Synths, Sax & Situationists", the first English-language book to investigate this movement. It focuses on the music of the second wave of bands that emerged in 1972/3, which saw radicalised psychedelic and jazz influences merge with the future-music possibilities offered by new technology. The next volume will investigate the politically-charged bands that erupted in immediate aftermath of May '68.

Motown Records: The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and The Vandelas and, of course, The Temptations. It is antithetical to mention any of those without the others. The community of artists started as the Sound of Young America, but as history has proven, it became the sound, the look and the inspiration of so much more. And now, little nuggets of Motown's influence can be found the world over. David Ruffin, founding member of Motown superstars The Temptations, went on to become a successful solo artist even after he left the group. In 1969, Ruffin released two fantastic solo records, My Whole World Ended and Feelin' Good. Between 1970 and 1971 he recorded what was to be his third long playing solo record. However, his career was suddenly put on hold when Motown, for reasons unclear, shelved the album that had been dubbed David. The record had even been assigned a catalog number and final artwork. Ruffin returned in 1973 with a brand new LP titled David Ruffin (treated officially as his third LP) and the previously recorded album David sat on the shelves, unheard for decades. This deluxe 2xLP set features the original, rare David LP, plus an LP of bonus tracks and mono single mixes all packaged in a beautiful gatefold jacket, featuring extensive liner notes and striking color photographs of Ruffin. His red and yellow suede suit featured in the interior gatefold LP jacket is an absolute must-see! The record was cut and pressed at Third Man's Detroit HQ, just a couple miles away from the original Motown HQ. For the first time ever on vinyl, Third Man is proud to present the essential, true third LP from the Temptations' mighty David Ruffin.

Zooparty sind international betrachtet so etwas wie Spätzünder, wenngleich sie in der skandinavischen Punkszene seit zwei Jahrzehnten eine high credibility genießen (Skrutt Magazine: "So damn good, I really love this group") und Kenner ihre Alben im Plattenschrank schon lange wie einen raren Schatz aufbewahren. Als die Band 2024 ihr Album "No matter what you say" veröffentlichte, bemerkte nicht nur das legendäre "Maximum RocknRoll" US-Magazine, dass "I am, in fact, late to the party with this band. Fortunately, they're still raging. They fucking rock Yay, I love this. Hats off " Die mitreißende Mixtur aus poppigem Punk, englischem 77er-Punkrock, Glam und ehrlichem Streetrock'n'Roll. (Ox-Fanzine) spricht eigentlich für sich selbst und obwohl Punk-Legenden wie Glen Matlock von den Sex Pistols, Brian James/ The Damned und sogar KISS-Gitarrist Bruce Kulick ihr Potential erkannten und Songs mit Zooparty aufnahmen, sind die Schweden einfach immer zu bescheiden gewesen, um sich groß ins Rampenlicht zu rücken. Eigentlich ist jedes ihrer Alben bisher ein Volltreffer gewesen oder wie schon Englands Mass Movement Fanzine 2018 schrieb: "If you like your punk with a pop edge and relish the classic Fat Wreck Chords period, then Zooparty may well have created your favourite album of the year! Pogo, pogo!" Ihr neues Album "XX" zum 20jährigen Jubiläum steht dem in nichts nach. Jede Band bezeichnet ihr neues Album als "Ihr Bestes". Zooparty darf man das aber getrost glauben: "XX" ist voller fesselnder Punkrock-Songs, die Aggression mit Wut, Verzweiflung und der klarer Message mit einem Sound verbinden. Mit Lieder wie "Stop it now" und "An eye for an eye" fassen sie alles zusammen, was Punk seit Jahrzehnten so faszinierend macht, bringen es in die Zukunft und machen daraus ihre eigene, "pogotastische Mischung" aus Tragik und Melodie. Mit dem Black Sabbath-Cover "Never say die" verabschieden sich Zooparty zusammen mit "Nomads"-Gitarrist Hans Östlund auf ihre Art von der Legende Ozzy Osbourne. Apropos Sound: Mastermind Chips Kiesbye (Sator, Nomads, The Hellacopters, etc) hat es sich auch diesmal nicht nehmen lassen, das Album zu produzieren.

Zooparty sind international betrachtet so etwas wie Spätzünder, wenngleich sie in der skandinavischen Punkszene seit zwei Jahrzehnten eine high credibility genießen (Skrutt Magazine: "So damn good, I really love this group") und Kenner ihre Alben im Plattenschrank schon lange wie einen raren Schatz aufbewahren. Als die Band 2024 ihr Album "No matter what you say" veröffentlichte, bemerkte nicht nur das legendäre "Maximum RocknRoll" US-Magazine, dass "I am, in fact, late to the party with this band. Fortunately, they're still raging. They fucking rock Yay, I love this. Hats off " Die mitreißende Mixtur aus poppigem Punk, englischem 77er-Punkrock, Glam und ehrlichem Streetrock'n'Roll. (Ox-Fanzine) spricht eigentlich für sich selbst und obwohl Punk-Legenden wie Glen Matlock von den Sex Pistols, Brian James/ The Damned und sogar KISS-Gitarrist Bruce Kulick ihr Potential erkannten und Songs mit Zooparty aufnahmen, sind die Schweden einfach immer zu bescheiden gewesen, um sich groß ins Rampenlicht zu rücken. Eigentlich ist jedes ihrer Alben bisher ein Volltreffer gewesen oder wie schon Englands Mass Movement Fanzine 2018 schrieb: "If you like your punk with a pop edge and relish the classic Fat Wreck Chords period, then Zooparty may well have created your favourite album of the year! Pogo, pogo!" Ihr neues Album "XX" zum 20jährigen Jubiläum steht dem in nichts nach. Jede Band bezeichnet ihr neues Album als "Ihr Bestes". Zooparty darf man das aber getrost glauben: "XX" ist voller fesselnder Punkrock-Songs, die Aggression mit Wut, Verzweiflung und der klarer Message mit einem Sound verbinden. Mit Lieder wie "Stop it now" und "An eye for an eye" fassen sie alles zusammen, was Punk seit Jahrzehnten so faszinierend macht, bringen es in die Zukunft und machen daraus ihre eigene, "pogotastische Mischung" aus Tragik und Melodie. Mit dem Black Sabbath-Cover "Never say die" verabschieden sich Zooparty zusammen mit "Nomads"-Gitarrist Hans Östlund auf ihre Art von der Legende Ozzy Osbourne. Apropos Sound: Mastermind Chips Kiesbye (Sator, Nomads, The Hellacopters, etc) hat es sich auch diesmal nicht nehmen lassen, das Album zu produzieren.

On his second album for Bruk, hoyah חיה continues to take an unflinching look at his Jewish identity while confronted with the heinous actions of the Israeli state. Echoing the name of his Refuge Worldwide radio show, he examines the shared histories of the Jewish diaspora across the Middle East and North Africa — from Morocco to Uzbekistan and everywhere in between. Can I Get A Chayah? is an honest attempt to explore what Judaism could become at a time when the culture faces an existential crisis.

The sonic approach hoyah חיה takes on Can I Get A Chayah? is central to the album's theme, as hard-gated processing on every sound creates a disorienting effect aiming for a kind of 'functional transcendentalism'. From the opening strains of preceding single '808s n Trance Gates' the jagged stop-start intensity of the samples sets a head-spinning tone for the album. The source material comes from across the aforementioned Jewish diaspora, challenging the nationalist idea of the single Jewish state.

Balancing beauty and aggression, hoyah חיה also reaches to a strong cast of collaborators to round out his cultural explorations. Principle among these is the late David German, the US-born guitarist and songwriter behind Silver Jews, whose repeated, bewildered mantras on 'Shalom Aleichem' embody hoyah חיה's own struggles with faith in the face of current horrors. Internationally celebrated Turkish-descent German musician Derya Yıldırım graces 'Talmuds' with her haunting vocal — a tribute to ancient Jewish mysticism that gets passed through the album's unrelenting sonic framework. On 'The Lock' Muha tackles African transcendentalism, while Rael pulls no punches with the questions he poses on the barbed 'This Song Has A Different Title But It Can't Be Published Here Because Of "Reasons"'.

With further prayer recitals on 'Lekha Dodi' and 'The Nose' and videos examining the psychedelic nature of reading the talmud and repetitive prayer movement shuckling, hoyah חיה has taken his research deep into the spirituality of his heritage at a time of crisis for Jewish identity. Naturally, Can I Get A Chayah? is not an easy listening experience, but neither is it a bleak one. There is beauty, mystery, complexity and nuance woven within the stark approach — an intentional, considered statement on a culture much deeper and wider than the barbaric acts of an unrepresentative group of twisted ethno-nationalists.

The ridiculously prolific Bay Area band Thee Oh Sees are back with another full-length long-player. Warm Slime is guaranteed to please fans of their whacked-out garage / psych / punk jams. Recorded by Sacramento sultan of sound Chris Woodhouse, Warm Slime carries on in the same tradition as the group's previous In The Red release, Help, showcasing their more electrified and rocking side, in comparison to other recent home-recorded releases. The centerpiece is undoubtedly the mind-bending title track, which clocks in at nearly 14 minutes and takes up the entirety of the album's first side. It's a psychedelic epic of "Inna Gadda Da Vida" proportions! John Dwyer's guitar playing is at its quadraspazzed best here, and the vocal interplay with Brigid Dawson gives it a B-52s-at-their-least-cheesy-crossed-with-the- Troggs vibe. The results are stunning. "Thee Oh Sees incorporate the oft-referenced Nuggets stuff in a way that feels reverential. With grinding guitars and bah-bah-bah vocals, but with the punk and new-wave elements also at play, they don't feel trite or plagiarized. This is like meat and potatoes prepared by a master chef-totally familiar but utterly delicious." -Pitchfork Recorded by Chris Woodhouse (Mayyors' guitarist and producer for The A-Frames, Hospitals, Coachwhips, Erase Errata, etc.) This is one of the best sonic blasts you will trash your speakers with this year....Raw, and real! Opening track is 13 minutes long, yes, we'll take it...

"Since their formation in the latter half of 2023, Berlin’s Industry have quickly emerged into the foreground as one of the more exciting groups of the European DIY punk scene. Having released their 2024 debut LP, touring and playing festivals all over the continent, they are now back with a follow up record that’s every bit as bruising and bleak as the first.
Much has been made of how ‘on point’ Industry sound - a mid-paced cocktail of heavy toms and churning riffs recalling ‘No Sanctuary’ era Amebix or classic Killing Joke. But Industry use these sounds as a springboard rather than a template, utilising the form for genuine expression where others are tempted by retro cosplay. Their sound is pared back, pulsing, relentless but danceable. But it’s the words that result in a listen that’s engaging from start to finish, an album that’s both expressive and polemic. Just as people often describe Discharge’s lyrics as Haiku, Industry uses the band’s repetitive grooves as a wide-open canvas on which their exasperated observations are given space to land with precision. The litany of criticisms are familiar to us all - violence exacted on the poor and vulnerable by those in power, the ongoing industrialised slaughter of humans and animals, the disastrous consequences of colonialism, the list goes on… The world in 2025 is fucked, and even though they say they ‘can’t even look’, this band has got their eyes wide open."

Against all odds, a devout audience has ridden shotgun and grown with them every step of the way. This symbiotic relationship speaks to the band's quiet impact with over 167 million streams in the United States alone, widespread acclaim, and sold-out shows. They loudly carved out their own corner of heavy music with an inimitable hybrid of head-crushing polyrhythmic prog-spiked metal, hardcore spirit, and unbridled attitude.

They have assuredly leveled up over the course of albums such as Via 2011, No Sleep [2014], Different Animals [2017], and Happier? [2021]. Kerrang! hailed the latter as "an album that gives a nod to the band's past while still bringing in new ideas." Meanwhile, the group shared stages on tour with everyone from Ice Nine Kills and Born of Osiris to Dance Gavin Dance and Counterparts.

"Love, Peace & Harmony - The Best of Bow Wow Wow is a compilation of the iconic new wave group Bow Wow Wow, released in 2008. The band was formed by Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the Sex Pistols. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band, featuring 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals. Over the next four years, the band dominated the British charts, with nine singles entering the UK Top 100. ""Go Wild in the Country"" and ""I Want Candy"" even made it into the top 10. Their success didn't stop in the UK; they also enjoyed success in Australia, the US and the rest of Europe. This version of the compilation includes the song “The Man Mountain”, which reached the top 10 in Belgium and the Netherlands. Love, Peace & Harmony - The Best of Bow Wow Wow is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on slightly gold coloured vinyl. "

Spanning dance and indie movements since their formation in Liverpool at the end of the last millennium, Ladytron have earned a unique position by carving out new sonic and conceptual space, and refusing to abide by formula or trend. In the early 2000s, the fiercely individual group were placed at the forefront of the so-called electro-clash scene (which now enjoys another revival), but with time, they came to appreciate the pop cultural moment that they had reluctantly become part of. The new album follows a period of renewed cultural presence for the band. Their 2002 single "Seventeen" unexpectedly went viral on TikTok, introducing Ladytron's sound to a new generation and amassing hundreds of thousands of fan- made clips. Their legacy was further acknowledged recently with "Destroy Everything You Touch," one of their most celebrated tracks, featured in the GRAMMY- nominated original Motion Picture Soundtrack of cult movie Saltburn, reaffirming Ladytron's enduring appeal

ESCAPE-ISM — the found-sound dreamdrama— are back in action & out in front. And this time, they’re leading a “Charge of the Love Brigade. ”This “charge” isn’t the traditional scramble across a muddy, bloody field though, like in the days of yore. This one is a furtive insinuation into the senses of the tuned-in listener.
Their fifth record, and fourth “sound” record — (the third one was “A Protest Against Sound”- an entirely silent LP) — “Charge of the Love Brigade” is revolutionary in its own right. Besides being packed with tunes — super-hits such as “Black Gold,” “Last Of The Sellouts,” “The Rebel Outlaw,” & “Fire in Malibu,” for exam- ple, Charge of the Love Brigade proposes a reformation of the traditional notes and scales; an entire new sound alphabet!
That’s right, ESCAPE-ISM —the “act of musical vandalism”— famous for their development of new prototypes for stomping & smashing, are reforming the scales, chords, & notes (e.g. A, B, F#, etc) that comprise musical literacy to achieve the group’s primary aim: the repurposing of music as we know it. Though many musicians of note have operated their instruments with "alternative tunings," up until now no one has obliterated tuning absolutely or abolished letter-notes for the destruction of bourgeois society.
According to ESCAPE-ISM, this will have a very profound effect: “Music will no longer be cordoned off from the rest of experience as a commodified, specialty freak show, but instead be a pastime which can be prac- ticed and enjoyed –not only by non-musicians and amateurs– but also by plant life, wild animals, and even inanimate objects such as rocks.
“The violent overthrow of musical conventions will lead to the reintegration of humanity into the natural order, the reordering of life itself into a cosmic congruity. This means the convention of time itself will be ended.” Like so-called nature itself, the ESCAPE-ISM group is also on a “loop.”
Play “Charge of the Love Brigade” and listen as ESCAPE-ISM go “over the top” against the note-letters of accepted musicality in a world premiere of a new upside-down antiscale.

Strut Records highlights a landmark in British jazz-rock with Second Wind, the 1972 album from keyboard visionary Brian Auger and his powerhouse group Oblivion Express. Capturing a fully matured lineup, the record finds Auger expanding his fusion language - bridging jazz sophistication, funk-driven rhythm, and soul-infused songwriting with the clarity and fire that defined his early ’70s work.

Though Auger’s roots lie in the lineage of hard-swinging jazz organ and the improvisational fire of the ’60s British scene, he has never been an artist content with tradition. With Second Wind, he moves further into a hybrid language that fuses rhythm with harmonic depth and groove, without sacrificing sophistication. His playing is expansive yet precise, translating the electricity of live performance into a studio work that breathes with immediacy.

At the heart of this era of Oblivion Express is the telepathic rapport among its members. Vocalist Alex Ligertwood (in one of his earliest major recordings before Santana fame) brings a soulful intensity that feels both grounded and forward- looking. Second Wind contains tracks that have become deeply significant in Auger’s discography - original compositions Second Wind, and Truth to name a few - but it was Auger's high octane revisioning of Eddie Harris' Freedom Jazz Dance, (adding new lyrics to the original instrumental) that genuinely broke barriers. The track became a DJ friendly classic and highlighted the groups deeply original approach.

The rhythm section of Barry Dean and Robbie McIntosh balances weight and fluidity, giving Auger the space to stretch across Hammond organ, Rhodes, and keys with characteristic boldness. Their collective sound is one of seamless motion: jazz-inflected lines swelling into rock-driven crescendos, funk-leaning grooves locking with vocal hooks, moments of quiet clarity emerging between bursts of improvisation.

Second Wind stands as a pivotal moment in Auger’s discography: a record that bridges the exploratory spirit of his earlier projects with the more groove-oriented approach that would soon bring international attention. More than five decades later, it remains a vivid document of a band carving out its own language. Music born of instinct, collaboration, and a restless desire to push beyond the expected.

Strut Records presents a fresh look at Oblivion Express, the 1971 album that marked Brian Auger’s shift into a new musical frontier. After years spent shaping the sound of British jazz-soul with the Trinity, Auger stepped into the new decade with a leaner, electrified ensemble and a renewed sense of purpose. This record captures the moment that transformation took shape.

Oblivion Express introduced a sound that was distinctly Auger’s own. Rather than echoing the fusion emerging in the United States, Auger developed a language rooted in the UK’s jazz underground, culminating in a spaced out jazz- rock / prog-fusion album awash with larger than life drum fills and Auger’s virtuosic organ playing. Between bassist Barry Dean and drummer Robbie McIntosh the album moves effortlessly between tight, articulated phrases and broader, improvisational passages. The trio’s interplay forms the backbone of the album and sets the tone for the sound that would define the early years of the Express.

Album opener “Dragon Song” launches with a restless drive that immediately signals Auger’s new direction. Auger chose to record this version of John McLaughlin’s piece (his friend and former bandmate in 'The Niddy Griddys') after hearing McLaughlin’s album Devotion during its mix at New York’s Record Plant Studios. Auger was blown away, recalling, “Oh my god, this is amazing. I wanted to record that myself - and I did!”. Pieces like “Total Eclipse” demonstrate the Oblivion Express’ command of dynamic contrast, and title track “Oblivion Express” explores the cinematic and compositional prowess of the group through stripped back, building moments vs. explosive melodic breakdowns. Riff-heavy “The Sword” later became known through Madlib’s usage in 2014 tracks “Yeti Movie” and “Parodies”.

In retrospect, Oblivion Express stands as a jazz leaning, prog-rock masterpiece and foundational moment in Auger’s catalogue. It captures the starting point of a new sound that is more focused, more urgent, and fully committed to the possibilities of jazz-rock at the dawn of the seventies. The album remains a vivid document of a band discovering its identity and setting the stage for the further array of influential releases that would follow.

They also embraced a more organic, live- recording approach on Welcome to the Mood. The group explains, "Off the back of touring the last album, we had played more shows than ever and wanted to bring more of the live element into the process, so we didn't use drum breaks and loops as much as previous records and tracked live." They continued expanding their sound by bringing in specialist musicians -- string sections, brass, pianos, and backing vocalists -- pushing the sonic possibilities beyond their individual skill sets. Yet at its core, the album remains deeply personal. Written in remote hideaways, the songs carry the tranquility of escape while capturing a newfound confidence in emotional vulnerability.

Thematically, Welcome to the Mood is a rich sonic auditory tapestry woven with threads of authenticity, humanity, and creative celebration. Lyrically, the album explores universal experiences -- love, loss, connection, hope, and purpose -- drawn from the everyday yet rendered in LEISURE's distinct palette of lush tones and laidback groove. Tracks are anchored in realness but elevated by a sonic landscape that feels simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic, mirroring the ethos of Frank Lloyd Wright, whose Taliesin West provided literal and symbolic inspiration during the album's visual journey.

Repress on neon magenta vinyl, limited to 200 copies. Portland, Oregon based quartet Hippie Death Cult present their sophomore album "Circle Of Days". An album that serves as a musical bridge to their critically acclaimed debut "111", while being a fresh exploration of sound and vision. "Circle Of Days" is a pensive reflection of frustration and hope, experienced as we evolve from the confinements of self indulgence and into a more altruistic mindset. Listeners new to HDC can expect to hear a band that feels familiar yet also unique. Hippie Death Cult are a group with their own musical identity. One that manages to be influenced by great rock and metal bands of the past while not becoming a blueprint of them.

"The Thinking of the World Began Pounding in Our Ears the Moment We Hit Shore is a studio-constructed album developed as a project rather than a band.

Created by Florian TM Zeisig between 2022 and 2025, the record draws on sessions and material contributed by a small group of collaborators. Recordings were gathered across different contexts and brought together through an extended studio process, with writing, production, arrangement, and assembly treated as a continuous activity.

The album took shape gradually through selection, editing, and re-placement of material over time. Individual pieces were revisited, reshaped, and recontextualized until they formed a unified body of work.

Contributions to the project include work by Mari Rubio (More Eaze), Róisín Berkeley, Don Lyons, Cal Fish, K, Seán Being, and JQ. All tracks were produced, written, arranged, and mixed by Florian TM Zeisig, with co-songwriting contributions noted per track."

The beauty, confusion, complexity, and intensity of their youth - lived under the shadow and around the scars of conflict - are entangled in the industrial dance-punk hybrid encoded in the record's DNA, aptly entitled Crystalpunk. "This record is us waving a flag for that generation -- the ones who inherited confusion, resilience, and a fractured sense of self." They're waving that flag as intensely as possible too. For the uninitiated, Chalk mainlines the reaction between genres, eras, and cultures, commuting this collision into their sound. The Belfast group could comfortably power an underground warehouse party after-dark, incite a mid-day festival mosh-pit, or shake an arena on any given evening.

Their power has seamlessly translated to the stage with the group packing venues and delivering alternately sweaty and electrifying performances to a growing rabid fan base. As a group, they've sold out shows across the UK, EU and USA, notched festival performances such as Glastonbury, SXSW, BBK, Trans Musicals and more across 11 countries and were handpicked to tour alongside IDLES and Fontaines D.C.. Coming from dissimilar backgrounds and rallying together naturally, Ben and Ross first crossed paths in film school. As the story goes, Ben had noticed a framed poster of Dublin disruptors Gilla Band in one of Ross's Instagram photos and felt a kinship before ever actually speaking to him.

"Nobody else at our school was into experimental noise guitar bands, so that was all I needed to see," laughs Ben. Emerging in 2022, Chalk initially made waves with songs like "Them," "Velodrome," and "Static." Ultimately, they come-of-age and tell a story that resonates beyond borders. Not just a portrait of the band, but one of their home, a complicated place where the sacrifices made and risks taken by activists, artists, ravers and punks created the only environment that a band like Chalk could emerge from. Crystalpunk is not about choosing a side, it's about choosing the future.

The “5” Royales were the most enduring and influential of all the 1950s proto-soul groups. In a very crowded market, their success was remarkable. The Royales were the first African American group to introduce gospel based vocal styles into the rhythm and blues format. This gave an intensity to their recordings and live performances that no other combo could get near, thanks to the passion and power that lead singer Johnny Tanner generated. Furthermore, the group possessed in Lowman Pauling a songwriter of genius and a guitarist, who invented an exciting style of playing that linked stinging solos with rhythmic accompaniment. The Harbingers Of Soul is a mouth-watering overview featuring the best of the King era and the most soulful sides from their stay at Home Of The Blues. 180gsm vinyl. Sleeve notes by John Ridley.

Cambridge-based improv collective Concrete Gazebo present their latest collection of open-hearted, quantum splice-downs, via Goldsmiths University label NX Records.

"Acid Heath" documents the ebb and flow of a collective in flux; online and in-the-flesh improv sessions form the raw material to be welded into new and fantastic forms by the group's hive-mind. Instruments falling into the pot this time around include a heavily effected Harmonic Art Handpan, the Yamaha PortaSound PSS-50, live-triggered field recordings, and mobile phone recordings of the jams themselves.

The result is a murky, atmospheric stew, at different times suggesting a sort of Fenland psychedelia, lof-fi krautock, or a deconstructed Broadcast.

When not making music, the band have organised free, open-to-all improvisation nights, "Under The Concrete Gazebo", since 2018.

"Soul, Funk, Disco, Jazz, Blues, Pop-Rock and Folk out of print titles from the vaults of classic labels such
Elemental Music, together with Universal Music Group, present the best selection of 60’s & 70’s R&B,
as Polydor, Motown, Verve, Impulse, Chess, MGM, A&M, Mercury or Capitol Records, among others.
Soul, Funk, Disco, Jazz, Blues, Pop-Rock and Folk out of print titles from the vaults of classic labels such
as Polydor, Motown, Verve, Impulse, Chess, MGM, A&M, Mercury or Capitol Records, among others."

A collection of previously unreleased material (between '75 & '90) by Enno Velthuys.
Compiled by Hessel Veldman.

"Hello boys and girls, my name is Enno Velthuys and I am the idiot of the group (and also the
most intelligent, the most sensitive, the most artistic and he who has to carry the heaviest
load, because this boy's luggage, DAMN, it's pretty heavy).
Luckily, I had already been through a lot when I got this ‘knock in the head’. Sex, drugs, lots
of rock and roll and a sunny childhood with beautiful views I look back on with nostalgia.
Later on I lost my focus and I only thought about one thing: how to get out of it (that damn
problem, my shifted reality, my blind spot, that piece of poisoned apple of forbidden
knowledge choking my throat)!

But I can't think my way out of it, psychiatrists are just ordinary people, and very heavy pills
suppress everything (I'll just take my pills) FLASH!

You ask me what it takes to create music or art that is meaningful and tells a story. It’s hard
when you haven't had enough setbacks, nothing more than maybe a little blues. I'm not
saying it was the right path, but at least I've come a long way. And now I'm a fish in a pool.
Please understand that this is very disturbing. It's not my waterway. A fish belongs in a river.
And my star sign is fish. >))D

See you soon, EnnO"

Über die Jahre hat Numero eine Menge Aufnahmen aus den Tiefen Detroits ausgegraben. Aus allen möglichen Mini-Motowns haben wir Soul, R&B, Funk, Disco, Boogie und aufgrund der Nähe auch Gospel entdeckt. Frühere Untersuchungen der Labels Revival und Big Mack brachten mehr als nur ein paar neue apokryphe Hymnen zutage, und Great Lakes Gospel Vol. 2 versammelt ein Dutzend interessanter Kirchengruppen, die sich hingebungsvoll an die Ausläufer des Genres heranwagen. Verlier dich in ekstatischem Chor-Funk, Kanzel-Rap, direkt eingespeisten Gitarrensoli und dem Heiligen Geist, sollte er dich bewegen. Schau dich im Raum um. Mit diesem Ding könntest du eine Kirche gründen.

Over the decades, Numero has excavated a metric ton of recordings from the depths of Detroit. From all manner of mini Motowns we’ve uncovered soul, R&B, funk, disco, boogie, and by nature of proximity—gospel. Previous examinations of the Revival and Big Mack la- bels turned up more than a few new apocryphal hymns, and Great Lakes Gospel Vol. 2 compiles a dozen curious church groups devotionally reaching towards the genre’s frayed edge. Get lost in ecstatic choir funk, pulpit rappin’, direct-injection guitar solos, and the holy spirit, should it move you. Look around the room. You could start a church with this thing.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

Abdou El Omari was born in 1945 in Tafraout, south of Agadir -- a village suspended between the pink granite peaks of the Anti-Atlas and the waves of the Atlantic. A landscape already musical in itself. He grew up in the dry mountain light, surrounded by the rhythms of nature and Berber's culture. Very little is known about the man -- a veil of mystery still surrounds his life, only deepening the fascination. In the 1970s, as Morocco was transforming, Abdou El Omari shaped a sound of his own -- a visionary blend of spiritual jazz, psychedelic funk, Moroccan traditions, and early electronic experimentation. Today, his work is resurfacing, rediscovered by a new generation of listeners in search of lost horizons. This record stands among its rarest and most precious fragments. At twenty-two, he founded his first group, Les Fugitifs, which gained him local fame. Soon after, he released records and cassettes on labels such as Cléopâtre, Hassania, Boussiphone, Hilali, and his own, Al Awtar, while performing on RTM (national radio and television). He also composed for artists like Naima Samih, Laila Ghofran, and Aicha El Waad. In 1976, through the label Gam, he released his only vinyl album, Nuits d'été -- a record that would become cult decades later, reissued in 2017 by Radio Martiko. In the 1980s, his music grew quieter, more secret. He tried to recover his old tapes from the studios he had recorded in, but gradually withdrew from the scene and returned to hairdressing. A pioneer of musical fusion, he opened paths that would remain unexplored for years. He passed away in 2010, never witnessing the rediscovery of his music by diggers, bloggers, and collectors online. One day, his close friend and poet Aziz Essamadi, rescued a cardboard box from the trash -- a box containing Abdou El Omari's personal archives. It was later entrusted to Casablanca based collector Ahmed Khalil, founder of the label Dikraphone. Inside were treasures preserved by chance: demos, rehearsals, private recordings, unseen photographs -- and a stunning, almost forgotten cassette. Here, El Omari sounds bolder than ever, exploring territories where pop, cosmic disco, electric blues, and Moroccan tradition merge without boundaries. Armed with his ARP Odyssey synthesizer, hypnotic grooves, and the celestial layers of his Farfisa, he expanded the dialogue between deep roots and electronic exploration. This album is the continuation of a vision -- a music of the Moroccan future: rooted, but reaching for the unknown. Colorful, magnetic and timeless, here is music for dancing as much as for dreaming.

Solid Ball of Rock is the tenth studio album by legendary heavy metal band Saxon and was originally released in 1991. Five of its eleven tracks were written by new bassist Nibbs Carter, who co-wrote another three songs.

The addition of young bassist Nibbs Carter seemed to inject new life into the group, which unleashed some of its most aggressive songs in years, including the full-on thrashing "Altar of the Gods" and positively scorching "Baptism of Fire."

"For our audience – and without an audience there is no band – our focus returned on Solid Ball of Rock…" noted singer Biff Byford. "Since then, we've been right on it."

Solid Ball of Rock is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on silver vinyl and includes an insert.

"""Sam Salmon & the Grand Manan Bandits is a bare-bones country band made up of beloved Canadian alt-rock band Motherhood and “delta doom” guitarist Keith Hallett (Echodelick Records)

DOWN FOR LIFE features foot-stompin’ tracks like “No One Likes Losing,"""""""" a self-deprecating look at being competitive yet never managing to get ahead, “Waste Your Time,” about the confusion of suddenly losing someone you love, as well as a reflection on familial personality traits, and “If I Needed You Now,” showcasing country music at its finest - three chords and the truth. Or, in this case, two chords.

Sam Salmon & the Grand Manan Bandits features Penelope Stevens (bass/vocals), Brydon Crain (vocals/guitar), Keith Hallet (lead guitar, console steel), and Adam Sipkema (drums).

DOWN FOR LIFE also marks a trifecta of releases this year from Motherhood Music Inc., following the band’s “wildly entertaining!” (Bandcamp) fifth album Thunder Perfect Mind and side-project Penny & the Pits’ “delicate and
demanding” (LOUD Women) debut Liquid Compactor."""

Period Music is a research process involving Susanna Gonzo, Merma Suelo, Tuce Alba, Elizabeth
Gallon Droste, Agnese Menguzzato, and Farah Hazim. The six artists aim to attune to the different
temporalities experienced through our bodies, drawing from multiple meanings of period – from the
menstrual cycle to musical repetitions and astronomical revolutions.

r'tu
A central meaning of the Sanskrit word for ritual, r'tu, is menstruation, the original ritual. The root of
r'tu is in arithmetic and rhythm/.

Period Music has been staying with essential matters on how we listen to time and rhythms in our
bodies and in the world. Questioning the tempo of everyday life in an accelerated system like that of
modern society, the group has opened up co-creation spaces to listen to embodied memories.
Through dialogue, improvisation and jam sessions, the six artists attuned to e ach other’s processes,
composing music, word scores and drawings – ultimately sounding together.

This work embodies other notions of community through archetypes, embracing the impermanence
that reveals the countless rhythms of life. Period Music speaks of friendship and connection, and
invites you to take on a journey of interconnectedness between our rhythms and the broader social
structures influencing our lives.

The project emerges from conversations that began in Berlin in the fall of 2023, including a one-week
residency at Atelier Josepha in Ahrenshoop by the Baltic Sea in April 2024. The first physical iteration
of this project will consist of a book and a vinyl. The album features looping improvisational compositions encoded with messages about multiple temporalities. The accompanying book gathers poetic memories, letters, photographs, symbols, and drawings that emerged during the process

For here lies one of the most influential bands in the realm of gothic metal, a group with doom and death metal roots that has flourished for over three decades, boasting thirteen albums that have garnered devoted acclaim. This injustice is now being set right by The Circle Music , beginning with the vinyl release of the classic album "Burning: A Wish", which emerged twenty-four years ago. "Burning: A Wish", released in the twilight of the year 2001, stands as a dark reliquary of dreams lost to the velvet fog of melancholy. To revisit it now, two dozen years later, is to unseal a time capsule of gothic ache, doom- laced longing, and the tormented tenderness that only Lacrimas Profundere could conjure at their creative height. It was a candle-lit corridor between worlds. A slow fall into velvet shadows. A scream muffled by rain.

By the time "Burning: A Wish" was released, Lacrimas Profundere had already begun to evolve from their early death- doom origins, shaping their identity with the sophistication of seasoned mourners. The death growls had receded, replaced by the haunted, baritone croon of Christopher Schmid, whose voice is an echo from a chapel ruined by time. Yet, while the growls faded, the emotional gravitas remained intact, transmuted into melody, into baroque gloom, into something more sorrowfully refined. Produced with lush, theatrical clarity, the album never drowns in its own atmosphere, it breathes with it, moves with it. The soundscape is dominated by somber guitar textures, languid tempos, and subtle orchestral touches. From the very first notes, it is clear that this is music for ruined lovers and moon-drenched graveyards.

This is the hallmark of Lacrimas Profundere 's style: an emotional minimalism that does not explain or elaborate, but merely opens wounds and lets them breathe. That this album has remained, until now, absent from the warm embrace of vinyl is both tragic and oddly poetic. For what format better suits a record such as this than the one that cracks and hisses like an old seance? Vinyl is tactile, intimate. It requires attention, reverence. To place Burning: A Wish on a turntable is to light a candle in the dark.

Limited Green LP is for Indies only. all LPs include a DL card. Island Family is the fifth album from Isle-of-Eigg dwelling electro-acoustic psych-pop wonder Pictish Trail, AKA Johnny Lynch. A strange, unpredictable, sardonic and yet deeply personal record inspired by all from Fever Ray to The Flaming Lips, Liars, Mercury Rev and Beck, Island Family is Pictish Trail's contrarian view of arcadia; a search for the euphoric in the bucolic, bound up in sometimes conflicting ideas and feelings around nature and environment, sincerity and artifice, escapism and belonging. It's an album about how no man can remain an island, however hard he might try. Released by Fire Records, with support from Johnny's own label Lost Map, and produced by long-term collaborator Rob Jones (The Voluntary Butler Scheme, The Gene Dudley Group), 'Island Family' opens with its title track, a song of death, ghosts and the ties that bind, fusing abrasive electronic beats with a tongue-in-cheek fireside folk refrain and the haunted ice cream van melody of a digitally reincarnated traditional Scottish jig. A purgative surrender to nature's whim driven by a clattering machine drumbeat rolled in a puddle of filthy dirty fuzz, 'Natural Successor' is five-and-a-half-minutes of cathartic churning bass. 'In The Land of The Dead' is an eight-bit glitch-core reflection on island party excesses spasming into existential dread and regret, suitably accompanied by a funereal mariachi band. It's followed by the epic 'It Came Back', the understated verses and arms-aloft falsetto chorus of which are accompanied by a tense, foreboding bass-driven electro hip hop instrumental with (spoiler) a brain-shattering industrial-metal meltdown. 'Melody Something' is the album's purest moment, a cautiously uplifting solar-powered-ballad about losing track of time in the cycle of the seasons, and the gap between memory and reality. Shapeshifting closer 'Remote Control' is a channel hopping cabin-fever-dream flipping from warped boyband ballad to deep-fried fuzz pop. "One of my favourite artists" Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

Kim Gordon hat Kunst und Noise über Jahrzehnte immer wieder neu gedacht - und dabei nie an Schärfe verloren. Vierzig Jahre nach ihren Anfängen wirkt ihre Vision noch immer provokant. Dieses Abenteuer setzt sie mit ihrem dritten Soloalbum "PLAY ME" fort, das am 13. März bei Matador Records erscheint. Mit der Ankündigung erscheint die erste Single "NOT TODAY", begleitet von einem Kurzfilm der Modedesignerinnen und Filmemacherinnen Kate und Laura Mulleavy (Rodarte). Gordon trägt darin ein eigens für sie gefertigtes, handgefärbtes Seidentüllkleid. Der Song offenbart eine neue, fast poetische Spannung in ihrer Stimme: "Da kam eine andere Stimme zum Vorschein", so Gordon. "PLAY ME" ist ein konzentriertes, direktes Album, das ihren Sound um melodischere Beats und den motorischen Drive des Krautrock erweitert. Entstanden ist es erneut mit Produzent Justin Raisen (Charli XCX, Sky Ferreira, Yves Tumor). Die Songs sind kurz, prägnant und stark rhythmusorientiert - fokussierter und selbstbewusster als zuvor. Nach "No Home Record" (2019) und "The Collective" (2024, zwei Grammy-Nominierungen) richtet Gordon den Blick auf die Gegenwart: Tech-Macht, KI-getriebene Kulturverflachung, den Abbau demokratischer Strukturen und den absurden Alltag des Spätkapitalismus. Trotz dieser Themen ist "PLAY ME" ein nach innen gewandtes, geradezu körperliches und ebenso emotionales Album. Mit verzerrten Stimmen und schroffen Beats legen Songs wie "Square Jaw", "Dirty Tech" oder "Busy Bee" gesellschaftliche Realitäten frei. Der Titeltrack entlarvt die Logik einer durchkuratierten Komfortkultur. "PLAY ME" ist radikal gegenwärtig, widerständig und kompromisslos eigenständig.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

This new EP from 30-year US progressive veteran and master sound engineer Darwin Chamber was written with the idea of a San Francisco acid trip in mind, from the initial dose to the first onset of weirdness, then on to peak time mind melting. A DJ Spun remix of 'The Acid Test' is jacked deep house with hints of strangeness hidden in the background, then things really get liquid and trippy on 'Never Coming Down', 'The Acid Test' in original form is pure 303 aquatics and '25th Century Acid Cat' is an explosion of colour. 'Get Down' brings a bit more tension and anxiety as things begin to unravel.

Narthex means railed-off western portico or ante-nave in earty Christian churches for women, penitents and catechumens.

Narthex is also a trio featuring (at the beginning) Daniel Denis (Universe Zero, Art Zoyd), Alain Neffe (Pseudocode, Human Flesh, Bene Gesserit) and Nicolas de Villemarqué (Nuwage Music). They had a very different musical background, mostly electric-electronic rock, and decided to work in the field of acoustic music recorded live (two microphones + portable DAT) in churches of their area. After several recording sessions, Nicolas de Villemarqué decides to leave the group. ln order to complete the trio, Daniel Denis and Alain Neffe ask the participation of some of their friends. Anna Homler, Michel Berckmans and Daniel Malempré have accepted the challenge and succeed to fit into their musical universe.

The instruments Church organ, harmonium, sitar, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, zither, valiha, senzas, tarang, voice, percussions, metal clarinet, classical guitar, mew's harp, ongolok, violin, dulcimer, mouth organ, etc.

The music Often dark, sometimes repetitive or experimental, sometimes rhythmical and exotic, always based on emotion inducted by the sound. One could define it as dark age music (as opposite to new age music), a sort of minimal come back to the roots and purity of acoustic sound without the cultural background linked to the 'academic' use of some instruments (for example African senzas are transformed and tuned to sound like Indonesian instruments, sitar or harmonium are used as rhythmical instruments, vahilla is played with a bow).

The places Churches located in an area of 20 kms in the region where Daniel Denis and Alain Neffe live for years and where they feel at home (and feel the vibrations. Every church, place emotionally loaded, has its own specific resonance and sound structure. Every church gave to the musicians a particular inspiration and fill the sound of the instruments with a natural reverberation/echo. The place but also the moment is important. They had the privilege to be allowed to record in the Ecaussines church at night lightened only by candles. lt was one of their most productive recording sessions.

"Firestarter" von The Prodigy, erschienen 1996, markiert einen Wendepunkt in der popkulturellen Wahrnehmung elektronischer Musik. Der Song sprengte die Grenzen zwischen Rave, Punk und Rock und brachte die bis dahin eher subkulturelle Big-Beat-Szene mitten in den Mainstream. Besonders prägend war Keith Flints Auftreten: sein aggressiver Gesang, das anarchische Styling und die provokante Körperlichkeit standen im starken Kontrast zu gängigen Pop-Inszenierungen der 90er-Jahre. "Firestarter" wurde so zur Projektionsfläche für jugendliche Wut, Nonkonformismus und ein generelles Misstrauen gegenüber Autoritäten. Der Track lief nicht nur in Clubs, sondern auch auf Rockfestivals, in Charts und im Musikfernsehen - ein kultureller Crossover-Moment. Bis heute gilt "Firestarter" als Symbol für musikalische Grenzüberschreitung und dafür, wie elektronische Musik eine rebellische, gesellschaftlich aufgeladene Stimme bekommen konnte. Zum 30sten Jubiläum erscheint nun eine Anniversary-Edition via XL Recordings auf 12" samt Remixen und dem Instrumental dieses legendären Songs

Joyce Manor are California pop-punk legends and I Used To Go To This Bar is this epochal band operating at the top of their game. They continue to deliver relentlessly satisfying rock music in a manner that makes it look simply effortless. The Torrance, California-hailing trio of Barry Johnson, Chase Knobbe, and Matt Ebert are at a point in their career where their position as one of the most beloved rock bands is a foregone conclusion. Their seventh album finds the group continuing to find rich new veins to tap in their short-and sweet songcraft without losing an ounce of bite that gained them such repute in the first place. I Used To Go To This Bar further situates Joyce Manor in the rich lineage of their influences and inspirations. Think AFI"s rapid-fire burn, Weezer"s indelible power-pop acumen, and the dusky emotionalism of The Smiths while further establishing them as leading lights in the current rock landscape. The fresh burst of inspiration that fuels I Used To Go To This Bar proves that Joyce Manor are far from content to rest on such laurels, moving forward with their sound and style in a way that reminds you of how they got to this point in the first place. Catch them live at Coachella 2026.

Death Is Not The End present a compilation gathering a cross-section of early gospel choirs and vocal harmony groups recorded between late 1920s and the mid-1950s - a period when spirituals & jubilee traditions merged with blues, jazz and early rhythm and blues, providing the musical routes for the coalescence of the civil rights movement born out of the black church. In the modern world these perennially vital recordings provide a fitting tonic for the near-dystopia we find ourselves living through.

Al Fajer Group was established in Kuwait in 1987, co-founded by four artists: Sima Kanaan (Vocals), Bashar Shammout (Guitar) Jameel Saraj (Oud and Guitar) and Nizar Alyan (Percussion). Al Fajer Group became known for their unique frequencies and the transparency of their sound. The band is rooted in acoustic oud, guitar and percussion and they never used any electronic equipment during their sets. When they were first established they would perform Palestinian patriotic songs, related to the Palestinian liberation struggle. They released their launch album, recorded on reel tapes, during the First Intifada in 1988, after which they began composing and writing their own original music. They were unable to release this due to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, when all the band members were forced to leave the country and could not reunite to release the second album. During the limited time in which they were able to work together, they participated in multiple tours in Kuwait, Iraq, Germany and other locations.
This is the first vinyl release for the band and includes original music, which has not been available until today.


نشأت فرقة الفجر في الكويت في العام 1987 بمبادرة ذاتية من قِبَل أعضائها الأربعة وهم سيما كنعان (غناء) وبشار شموط (غيتار) وجميل سراج (عود وغيتار) ونزار عليان (أيقاع). تميزت الفرقة بأدائها الموسيقي الشفاف والهادئ والذي اعتمدت به على استعمال آلتي العود والغيتار وبعض الآلات الايقاعية المتنوعة وتجنبت استخدام أي آلات كهربائية. اعتمدت الفرقة في بدايتها على إعادة أداء بعض الأغنيات الوطنية الفلسطينية ذات الكلمات الواضحة والهادفة. أصدرت فرقة الفجر ألبومها الوحيد في ظلال الانتفاضة الأولي في العام 1988 ثم بدأت في تلحين أغانيها الخاصة بها والتحضير لإنتاج ألبومها الثاني، لكن لم تتمكن من تسجيله وإنتاجه وذلك بسبب نشوب حرب الخليج عام 1990 في الكويت حيث اضطر أعضائها للرحيل من هناك ولم تعد الفرقة قادرة على الاستمرار. رغم المدة المحدودة جداً التي نشطت فيها فرقة الفجر، إلا أنها شاركت في عدد لافت من العروض والمهرجانات في الكويت والعراق وألمانيا وغيرها.

After traveling through Mexico, Miami, the Bahamas, and New Orleans, Nishioka recorded his fourth album South American Journey in Los Angeles,
released in 1979. From this album, two of his most celebrated tracks—“GYPSY SONG”, a fan favorite with numerous cover versions, and “NEVER LAND”,
featuring the distinctive sound of steel pans and a Japanese reggae vibe are now being pressed on 7-inch vinyl for the first time in a limited edition!

The recording features members of the So What Review band, including Junshi Yamagishi (guitar) and Osamu Ishida (guitar), along with renowned steel pan
player Robert Greenidge, known for collaborations with Van Dyke Parks and Taj Mahal.
(FLATT THE LAIDBACK)

Kyozo Nishioka Profile
(Born May 7, 1948 – Died April 3, 1999)
Singer songwriter from the Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture, affectionately nicknamed “Zo-san”.
After enrolling at Kinki University and moving to Osaka, Nishioka became a regular at the folk cafe Dylan in Namba, opened in August 1969 by Masaji Otsuka
and Yoko Ishimura. Dylan was a gathering spot for folk music enthusiasts from all over Japan.
Nishioka formed the folk group The Dylan with Masaji Otsuka and You Nagai, performing at folk camps and the Nakatsugawa Folk Jamboree. In 1971, Nishioka
left the group, and Otsuka and Nagai continued as The Dylan II. Nishioka wrote and composed the song “Puka Puka” under the pen name Zokyozo, which became
one of his signature works. The song was first released in July 1971 as the B-side of The Dylan II’s single “Otoko rashii tte Wakarukai” on URC Records.
Nishioka began his solo career, releasing his debut album “Dylan nite” in July 1972, produced by Kinji Yoshino on Bellwood Records, which included his own
version of “Puka Puka”. In September 1973, he appeared at the farewell concert of Happy End titled CITY – LAST TIME AROUND at Bunkyo Public Hall in Tokyo.
His 1974 album “Machiyuki Murayuki” was produced by Haruomi Hosono, and his 1975 album “Rokka My Baby” featured support from Shigeru Suzuki’s band
HUCKLE BACK. Nishioka recorded three albums under Hosono’s production, deepening their friendship.
Together with his wife and lyricist KURO, Nishioka wrote songs for artists such as Eikichi Yazawa. The couple traveled the world, recording overseas albums such
as “Nanbei Ryoko” (1977), “Yoh-Sollo” (1979), and “New York to Jamaica” (1981), incorporating reggae, calypso, and other global sounds. In the 1980s, he released
works under the duo name KYOZO & BUN with Yoshifumi Okajima, and in the 1990s returned to solo projects with albums like “START” (1993) and “Farewell
Song” (1997).
After KURO’s passing in 1997, Nishioka continued his musical activities until his own death in 1999 at the age of 50. His music transcended the boundaries of folk,
blending jazz and tropical elements to create a unique world view, leaving an indelible mark on Japanese music history.

This new volume in the “City Music Tokyo” series, curated by Kunimond Takiguchi (Ryusenkei), focuses on Jazz Funk. From among crossover, Japanese jazz,
and soundtrack works released by Nippon Columbia, Takiguchi has carefully selected urban and sophisticated tracks that resonate with his musical sensibility.

Each piece carries a faint scent of the Showa era, evoking words like “night,” “drive,” “dandyism,” “car chase,” “city,” “hard-boiled,” and “man and woman.”

Selected, supervised, and annotated by Kunimond Takiguchi (Ryusenkei).

Taupe’s latest album release, waxing | waning delivers jazz experimentalism, ‘skronk’, avant-rock, and electronics, by the Glasgow-based trio, due out via Minority Records. Across its seven tracks, waxing | waning captures Taupe’s approach – bold and boundary pushing – shaped by a fresh shift in the band’s dynamic and compositional approach.

Taupe’s waxing | waning, co-composed and realised by its players in a studio that was once an undertaker’s premises in Glasgow, is an absolutely affirmative album, an act of cultural defiance in desperate times.

Comprising Mike Parr-Burman (guitar, bass guitar, electronics), Jamie Stockbridge (alto and baritone saxophones) and Alex Palmer (drum kit, percussion), Taupe work up a storm of skronk, free jazz and harmolodic frenzy whose closest relations include Zu, Melt Banana and John Zorn. However, waxing | waning is from its opening, stuttering blasts, an exercise in seeking out and claiming new territory, finding unique and novel permutations in which jazz, rock, electronics interbreed at breakneck pace. Here is a group determined to say and do things they don’t get to say and do elsewhere in their musical lives.

‘Lemonade Tycoon’ hits the ground skronking. It’s cubistic jazz, cumulative in its impact, avoiding the white lines of the conventional freeway, bridling, bustling, coming at you from all angles – a three way conversation of astonishing rapidity, fast track, telepathic communication – everyone from James Chance to Albert Ayler coming at you at once, before morphing in to a spidery scrawl of electronics and furious percussion. ‘Anti-Bird-Spike BirdNest’s‘ title somehow sums up the sort of mental images evoked by the music – its sheer creative disobedience, as if being chased in vain, like a delivery rider evading capture by ICE agents -– shapeshifting, assuming different shades, sprouting metal quills and, in its midsection, seeming almost to swallow itself alive, before regurgitating itself in a sublime mess.

‘Interlude (Stride)’ is not exactly ambient, more a horizontal enmeshment of percussion, drones, reverberant noise, electronics, a sonic mulch. ‘allcapsallbold' reminds of early Aksak Maboul, in its playfulness, a haywire series of short phrases, subject to mechanical interference, a complex weave of irregular rhythms, increasingly eloquent sax phraseology and caustic guitars, which land heavier and heavier. ‘Pet Boss' is the new jazz equivalent of a highly evolved, mature conversation among brilliant equals, sharp, empathetic, complementary, rising to a collective, joyful noise. On the title track, electronics descend like a shower of bright particles, intensifying in their luminosity, whitening the skies, as sax and drums kick up a tempestuous, spontaneously sculpted noise that summons the ghosts of the great free jazz players, before a dark calm descends slowly. Finally, ‘Turn Push Kick’, a burgeoning chatterstorm of electronics, before the group kicks in, at angles to one another, led by abrasive guitars, reminiscent of Sunn O))) in their ritualistic concussion, riffing, digging deep amid squealing sax and piledriving percussion.

First-ever official reissue - Clear blue vinyl edition.

"Itinerario Beat" is as intriguing as it is mysterious. Performed by a group of largely unknown musicians called The Blue Sharks—previously heard on the excellent "It Became Crystal" (reissued by Redi Edizioni in 2021, Cat. No. REDILP001)—the album features ten easy-listening instrumental compositions for bass, drums, piano, and Hammond organ. The tracks are arranged and performed with distinctive taste, blending elements of beat, jazz-funk, and symphonic pop. Officially credited to Rigol, the pseudonym of composer Duilio Radici, the music also appears to include an uncredited contribution from Ugo Fusco, composer of several soundtrack LPs published by Edizioni Leonardi.

Beyond their use in television and film, library music tracks are highly sought after by renowned musicians and DJs and are frequently sampled. A notable example is "Itinerario romantico," included on this LP, which was sampled by rapper Travis Scott in his 2016 track "90210."

Critically acclaimed Death Metal force TEMPLE OF VOID return with their new album, The Crawl. The caveman brawn of previous albums, namely Summoning the Slayer (2022), remains, but there’s a wider dynamic on the group’s fifth full-length album at play. Now a quartet—featuring guitarist Alex Awn, drummer Jason Pearce, vocalist/guitarist Mike Erdody, and bassist Justin Malek—the Michiganders aren’t shying away from their non-metal influences, seeking greater integration of grunge and post-punk with their brutish signature. Singles “The Crawl” and “Soulburn” demonstrate the proficiency of TEMPLE OF VOID's death-cloaked, spearheaded attack. From the high intensity of opener “Poison Icon” to the granite wall of “The Twin Stranger,” The Crawl isn’t just TEMPLE OF VOID evolved, it’s a harbinger of death metal to come. “The biggest shift for me on this record was not feeling like we had to fly the ‘death-doom banner’ as part of our identity,” says Alex Awn. “Death-doom, as a genre, gave us something to anchor our sound around when we started. It was always a reference and touchstone. At the same time, we always wanted to make sure we had our own spin on it. We’ve always been adding to the conversation, adding to the genre, giving our point of view. A huge part of what makes a Temple of Void record is the non-death-doom influences that make up our DNA. And on album five we never once asked ourselves, ‘Do we have enough death metal? Do we have enough doom metal?’ We simply wrote a heavy-ass record—let the chips fall where they may.” For lyrics, Erdody built on the psychology and fear themes of Summoning the Slayer. The overarching theme of The Crawl is, put rather simply, an “allegory about life, choices, and consequences.” It’s a qualitative view on the horrors of the human condition and the contemplation of our monstrous capabilities. “The Twin Stranger,” for example, is about being stalked by a person’s doppelganger; “Godless Cynic” draws on a short story by sci-fi author Harlan Ellison; and “Poison Icon” tackles the crushing effects of mankind’s intrinsic nature to deceive and control.

Becoming Forest is the fifth full-length record by Amuleto. It comes from an encounter between the group’s core duo, Francesco Dillon and Riccardo Wanke, and multi-instrumentalist performer and composer Stefano Pilia (Mike Watt, Rokia Traoré, 3/4HadBeenElminated, Massimo Volume, Afterhours, Zaire).

This meeting — developed from long-term parallel collaborations and converging musical paths — produced a set of tracks that combine acoustic and traditional instruments (cello, guitar, harmonium, voice) with electronics, natural sounds and unconventional sound manipulations.

Drawing on literature, travels, drawings, poetry and little-known traditions from around the world, the tracks of Becoming Forest sit in a subtle equilibrium between contemporary composition, folk themes and electronic music.

This is a journey through memories of the past and echoes of the future — intimate and aggressive; music that combines minimal textures with distorted progressions, with delicate vocal lines inhabiting post-digital, noisy environments — a reminder that individual voices form part of a larger, living forest.

Luciano Cilio was born in Naples, Italy, in 1950. He studied music and architecture and, in the late '60s, collaborated with local artist Alan Sorrenti, American expat Shawn Phillips and various avant-garde theater groups. A virtuoso guitarist and self-taught composer, Cilio released only one LP before his untimely death at the age of 33.

Dialoghi Del Presente (1977) is a work like no other, one that sounds both ancient and ahead of its time. Produced by Renato Marengo, it features a series of muted tableaux for strings, woodwinds, guitar, chorus, piano and percussion. Cilio carves out a space where subtle, repetitive phrases yield – almost imperceptibly – to breathtaking silence.

As Jim O'Rourke writes, "These recordings sound as if they were to please no one but himself; they feel self-contained, introspective, and determined ... You can feel in the music a sort of necessity that can be rarely found, like in This Heat's debut or Nick Drake's Pink Moon."

While each subsequent "quadro" grows slightly more abstract, Cilio draws the listener into an expansive, pastoral soundscape. The closing piece, "Interludio," begins with a plaintive guitar, which is joined by haunting strings and woodwinds before concluding, poignantly, as the album began, with Cilio and his guitar, alone once more.

Superior Viaduct's edition reproduces the original sleeve design. Recommended for fans of Johann Johannsson, Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden, Arvo Part and Popol Vuh.

Episch abgefahrener Psychedelic-Rock aus den Tiefen des privaten Gedanken-Gartens. Aufgenommen in einer abgelegenen Hütte in den kalifornischen Redwoods, ist Stan Hubbs' 1982er Hirnverwirrer "Crystal" das fehlende Bindeglied zwischen In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida und selbstgemachten Cembalo-Halluzinogenen. Diese hydroponische 44-jährige Jubiläumsausgabe enthält Hubbs' originales 16-seitiges Buch mit Gedichten und Kritzeleien, die dabei helfen sollen, die Bewusstseinserweiterung zu erleichtern.

In the pantheon of classic free jazz, Noah Howard's The Black Ark looms large. Recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City in 1969 – just prior to the alto saxophonist's relocation to Europe – the album was eventually released in 1972.

The Black Ark exhibits not only the power and imagination of Howard's playing, but also his breadth as a composer and bandleader. Listeners expecting unrelenting blasts of "energy music" might be surprised to find a cohesion atypical of free jazz; amidst the wild, impassioned solos, Howard weaves in Latin rhythms and fat-bottomed grooves.

The first side, consisting of "Domiabra" and “Ole Negro,” sets the album's tone. Both tracks sound as if they could have appeared on some of Blue Note's proto-spiritual jazz, groove-heavy releases – evoking the likes of Lou Donaldson or Horace Silver – before ceding the floor to the horn players' anarchic firepower.

As John Corbett writes in the liner notes, "Two players stand out. Bassist Norris Jones – who would soon consolidate his name into a one-word reversed amalgamation/permutation of the two, Sirone – is given ample room, largely unaccompanied; his corporal approach foreshadows later work with the Revolutionary Ensemble. But the secret weapon on The Black Ark is Arthur Doyle. Straight from basement rehearsal sessions with Milford Graves, whose ensemble he had joined and who remained a favorite of the drummer for decades, Doyle is a human flamethrower."

Trumpeter Earl Cross' guttural, vocal effects complement Doyle's take-no-prisoners approach, while the estimable combination of Muhammad Ali (Rashied's brother) on drums and Juma Sultan on congas adds an ever-shifting propulsion. The septet is rounded out by the enigmatic pianist Leslie Waldron, who anchors the group with imaginative accompaniment and occasional boppish flourishes.

Every bit worthy of its reputation as an "out-jazz" holy grail, The Black Ark only sounds better with age. It remains the ideal record to convert the remaining free-jazz skeptics.

Return To Forever is often cited as one of the core groups of the jazz-fusion movement of the 1970s. The final album by the longest-lasting "classic" lineup of the group (which consisted of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Al DiMeola) was Romantic Warrior, on which they continued their experiments in the realms of jazz-rock and related music genres, and was lauded by critics for both the technically demanding style of its compositions as well as for its accomplished musicianship.

The album is more avant-garde and less funky than the band's previous album, No Mystery. It would go on to become the best selling of all Return to Forever's efforts, eventually reaching gold disc status in the US.

Romantic Warrior is available as a 50th anniversary edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on blue vinyl and includes an insert.

Taking the exploratory spirit of groups like Polar Bear and Malija (both also featuring Mark Lockheart ) the trio move together through a common language of jazz, rock, classical and free improvisation exploring dark textures and dramatic musical shifts as they revel in the unexpected. High energy jazz improvising combined with spatial and ambient sounds gives this trio its unique and bold concept. The music shifts effortlessly moment to moment, gracefully and spontaneously stitching together sound landscapes and grooves. The subtle use of electronics (particularly on the saxophone), fat rich bass lines and tantalising drum rhythms give his band a unique sound that although firmly rooted in jazz has rock, folk and classical influences too. The album's specially commissioned artwork by Tim Edgar perfectly reflects the shifting shapes of Shapeshifter

‘Under The Sun’ is the new album from The Wanton Bishops, a band by every definition of the word, but primarily the vision of one eclectic man – Nader Mansour. The album is an exploration of identity and ultimately a love letter to his hometown Beirut, capturing Nader’s kaleidoscopic life journey through a melting pot of musical influence; primarily gutsy blues-rock but with tinges of psychedelia, surf-rock, dance, as well as the Lebanese influences of Nadar’s hometown. “It’s Lebanese Rock”, adds Nader, “a new genre, a blueprint for future music. It’s not fusion, it’s confusion, it’s not world music, it’s rock music from the world, for the world”.

Following the release of The Wanton Bishops’ debut album ‘Sleep With The Lights On’, a Delta blues record inspired by the likes of RL Burnside and Muddy Waters, Nader journeyed to America’s deep south to experience the roots of Mississippi blues. The experience spawned a musical epiphany for Nader, as he returned home to Lebanon a changed man with a newly inspired musical vision. Nader’s music slowly emerged from the Delta swamps into the Lebanese mountains, and the music of The Wanton Bishops began to reflect Nader’s homeland, his people, and his personal journey. To quote Nader, "I’m finally getting to the core of the music I want to create, and that core is scarily confused, yet uniquely special, much like our own identity as Lebanese people living in Beirut, that eternal cultural crossroad."

Very limited numbers, orders will need to be confirmed.

For his new album, Irreparable Parables, Andrew Wasylyk felt a strong desire to write a set of songs featuring an element hitherto rare in his work: the human voice. Equally strong was the conviction that he did not want to sing them himself.

The Scottish multi-instrumentalist and composer set about assembling a group of guest singers, sending out the songs to wherever they were in the world. The vocals were recorded remotely and then, like migrating birds, winged their way back to Scotland. The result is an album of great beauty which, perhaps preeminently in Wasylyk’s work, expresses the vulnerability and resilience of the human spirit.

Six singers appear on the record, represented by six songbirds illustrated on the sleeve by Clay Pipe Music’s Frances Castle. The cuckoo is a nod to Belle and Sebastian’s 2004 single ‘I’m A Cuckoo’, that band’s Stuart Murdoch being the first voice you hear on the new album. When the vocal for ‘Private Symphony #2’ arrived, says Wasylyk, “it was everything that I was looking for and more. But this is Stuart Murdoch. Of course he’s going to make something incredibly beautiful and thoughtful.”

The song lyrics were, for the most part, written by the singers. The music is Wasylyk’s creation. He navigates a sound world that lies somewhere beyond the borders of classical and jazz, ambient and abstract. It is difficult to describe, but easy to understand, which is to say to feel. That is the way Wasylyk’s work is experienced: as a feeling. It takes you back to childhood, perhaps, to feelings of comfort and safety, or to memories of walks at sunrise and sunset, or to the way a shadow falls on a particular field in a particular place at a particular time in your life. This is consoling music. That is why, though pretty, it is not merely pretty. These are songs to shore up the soul.

Wasylyk writes in a room, in his native Dundee, full of “half broken” instruments. He picks these up, plays a little, seeking an idea, a feeling, a door that lies ajar. The musical palette of Irreparable Parables includes brass and woodwind, a six-piece string section, guitar, bass, drums, vibraphone, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes, tape loops, synthesisers and percussion. The strings were arranged by the cellist Pete Harvey, a long-term collaborator.

Among the other guest vocalists are Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals, Saya Ueno from Japan’s Tenniscoats and Peter Brewis from Field Music. Wasylyk himself takes the lead vocal on the title track, though a throat infection and touch of pitch-shifting have altered his singing in a way that even he, having fallen out of love with his own voice, finds acceptable.

The heart of the record can, arguably, be found in two tracks, ‘Love Is A Life That Lasts Forever’ and ‘Spectators In The Absence of God’, sung respectively by Molly Linen and Kathryn Joseph. The former, bright with trumpets, was inspired by the writing of Derek Jarman. “I was feeling deeply upset about the world and wanted to try and write some- thing that was obviously hopeful,” Wasylyk says.

‘Spectators …’ offers an emotional counterpoint. It is an “apocalyptic hymn” that seems to grapple with watching human suffering from afar, too distant to be at physical risk, but experiencing the psychological wounding, and feelings of helplessness, even complicity, that come with constant awareness of other people’s pain. “Kathryn’s a pal, I love her dearly, and she’s a brilliant artist who really feels what she writes,” Wasylyk says. “The cracked tenderness of her voice is spellbinding.”

The album closes with an instrumental piece, ‘Soul Enters The Ocean Sun Climbs Out Of The Sea’, all piano and strings, that offers a sense of resolution and ascension. A good moment, too, for Wasylyk to reflect upon the artistic companionship that he enjoyed while making this record – the songbirds that answered his call: “These humans are incredible at what they do. I’m deeply grateful and feel so lucky. It blows my mind.”