Effortlessly hopscotching between vintage acid and 80s Rn’B, insouciant Francophone pop and twinkling electro house, Lou Hayter has delivered something at once utterly unique and defiantly timeless with her much anticipated debut solo LP, released on Skint Records. It has been a long time coming for London native Hayter, who first made her mark professionally as keyboardist for New Young Pony Club, one of THE bands at the epicentre of the white hot day-glo nu rave scene alongside the likes of the Klaxons and Test Icicles in 2006. But, to fully place her debut album in context, it is necessary to rewind a little bit – to the very beginning in fact, with Hayter growing up on a diet of Bowie, Prince, Human League and Jellybean-era Madonna while concomitantly learning classical piano from the age of five. The flames of this deliciously varied musical palette were further stoked by trips to record shops in Soho with her brother (Soul Jazz was a particular obsession), but it was while studying in Cambridge that the match was well and truly struck – she used her student grant to buy a set of Technics and started putting on club nights, before moving to London and working at Trevor Jackson’s seminal Output Recordings, placing Hayter smack bang in the middle of all the action, with disco punk fever hitting full force and bands like the Rapture and LCD Soundsystem first breaking out.
The hugely successful, Mercury-nominated New Young Pony Club followed shortly after, but it’s through her subsequent output that she started to distil and refine her idiosyncratic tastes. And certainly, you can hear hints of both the New Sins, the 80’s New Wave duo she formed with Nick Phillips, and Tomorrow’s World, the swooning Gallic pop act she fronts alongside Air’s JB Dunckel, in her remarkable debut. Full to bursting with evocative electro-soul love letters to her home town of London alongside addictive disco torch ballads, it’s like Kylie meeting Mr Fingers or, Jam & Lewis producing Jane Birkin – something beautiful and melancholic yet sharply modern and new. From the warm, woozy, lysergic harmonies of opener “Cherry on Top”, which sound like a beloved old cassette unravelling, to the fizzy, infectious “Cold Feet”, which calls to mind Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam at their most heartworn, taken in toto the album perfectly nails the essence of gorgeously nostalgic synth-pop with a twist; crisp, stylish and sophisticated music which heralds the next chapter of Lou Hayter quite nicely, actually. Her retro-futuristic results will give 2021 the pop fix it so desperately needs.
Suche:re up
The 'Stages of Grief' series made up one of the inaugural releases on the newly launched Vaknar label, back in 2018.
3 years later, the series comes to an end via its third and final iteration, ‘Acceptance’, which is presented via 2 parts, containing compositions by both, old and new label affiliates and friends.
As the curtains draw on one stage, a new light might be shining somewhere else, and we are reminded that with every ending, there is always a beginning. Thus, hopefully this final segment will let us review these arduous and tumultuous previous months through a forward seeking gaze, accepting the weight of the past, while embracing the virtues of tomorrow.
This is part two of ‘Acceptance’.
Starting their 2020 with a bang, OdD swiftly follow up their D Construction EP with another trio of reductionist sure shots for adventurous travelers in the minimal realm. "Pythagorean" lives up to its name with an intricately arranged pattern of percussive threads creating a kind of geometry that crystalises around a sturdy minimal groove. "Do Re Me" features plenty of tripped out FX sweeps and swishy pads that give this roller a dubbed out flavour perfect for the after hours. "Solfegio" switches things up with a crooked broken beat template and some pointed chord drops that really lift the track into an intriguing new realm - this is classy minimal with personality so don't sleep on it!
Light Blue Vinyl
**Tracks 'Sixth Sequence' and 'Tenth Sequence' are bonus tracks & exclusive to the vinyl release only.** limited transparent green vinyl LP
Past Inside The Present is pleased to announce 'Wave Variations' which is a new mini-album by veteran ambient producer Dennis Huddleston AKA 36.
36 has often enjoyed exploring self-imposed restrictions, as it forces him to be creative, while allowing an inherently coherent sound between the different compositions. All the arrangements on Wave Variations use a limited pallete of mostly synth-based sounds, with particular focus on keys and melodies. Each track directly influenced the next one.
Dennis has kept almost every track around three minutes in length. He states, 'I feel like a lot of ambient music (including my own) is often unnecessarily long and these small vignettes work as a nice counter to that. Don't expect long build-ups or over-extended crescendos; These are short tracks that take you straight to Elysium and then dissolve into the ether.'
He further explains the output of Wave Variations, 'Ocean tides inspired the album. I think we've all felt that sense of longing and wonder while standing at the beach, staring at the waves and gazing into the endless horizon. I think it's something that transcends all generations of people. Like the waves, these tracks leave as quickly as they arrive. I feel it's one of the most minimal records I have made, with far fewer individual sound sources at my disposal. It keeps me on my toes and forces me to deeply explore the instruments I have available to me.'
This stripped-back sound gives the album a hypnotic quality to it. Like much of Dennis' work, there is a delicate balance between melancholic melodies and rich textures, resulting in an understated yet deeply exhilarating sound. Fans of emotional, melodic ambient music should find plenty to enjoy.
- A1: Da Beginning
- A2: Break Da Law "95
- A3: Da Summa
- A4: Live By Yo Rep (Bone Dis) (Bone Dis)
- B1: In Da Game
- B2: Now I'm Hi (Part 3)
- B3: Long Nite
- B4: Sweet Robbery (Part 2)
- C1: Back Against The Wall
- C2: Fuckin Wit Dis Click
- C3: All Or Nothin
- C4: Gotta Touch 'Em (Part 2)
- D1: Tear Da Club Up
- D2: Big Bizness (Screwed) (Screwed)
- D3: Mystic Syles
- D4: Porno Movies
On May 9, 1995, the release of an album by a new Memphis rap group changed the future of Memphis rap and the future of rap itself. The release of "Mystic Stylez" by Three 6 Mafia marked the first commercial release of a supergroup that had formed through the merger of DJ Paul and Juicy J, two of Memphis' most popular mixtape DJs in the early 90's. The group would go on to record 9 albums and be the first rap group ever to receive an Academy Award for their song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp." Three 6 Mafia also helped launch the careers of Lil Wyte, La Chat, Project Pat, Gangsta Boo & more.
20th Anniversary Double LP Red Vinyl Edition
The Burrell Brothers, closely associated Nu Groove Records, have been staples in the records boxes of the Faith crew since their explosion onto the scene, so to be able to release an EP of straight up solid deep house from one of the Burrells is a true honour.
Not shy of a large number of aliases, Rheji Burrell revives his Avant Garde moniker for ‘Perpetuity’, with all four house cuts written, produced, performed, recorded and mixed by the man himself strictly for underground dancefloors.
Exceptional recordings by this New age maestro. Only recently re-discovered by his friend JD emmanuel & the band Sun Araw. Originally released on cassette in 1983 and now for the first time vailable on 180g Vinyl. For fans of Joanna Brouk, JD Emmanuel and Pauline-Anna Strom.
Randall McClellan was a founding member of the electronic music studio at the Eastman School of Music in 1967 where he later received a Ph.D. in Composition, Theory and Musicology. A growing interest in North Indian music and vocal technique prompted him to develop his personal compositional practice into an active platform for inducing altered states of mind. He constructed his concerts to be spaces for harmonization of mind and body through a musical practice informed by his esoteric studies of ancient mystery schools and sacred geometry, believing these to be primarily teachings on intentional resonance.
These performances were given between 1977 and 1983 in semi-darkened spaces that allowed listeners to relax on carpeting while being enveloped by sound. Each improvisation lasts from twenty-five to forty-five minutes. An entire performance is up to three hours and is designed to provide an environment of meditative sound. They gained in popularity and were soon attended by larger audiences. His final live performance took place at New York City's Alternative Museum in October, 1983.
The “Music of Rana” Enviromental Series uses synthesizers, drone box, tamboura, voice and tape delay to create an environment of continuously evolving multi-layered melody. Described as subtle, graceful and of other worlds. The name RANA, meaning “Sunbreath”, has its origin in ancient philosophical concepts that recognized vibration as the fundamental creative force and central principle of the many esoteric mystery schools of the ancient world. It is now evident that the use of music for its ability to alter mind states and for its effectiveness as a therapeutic aid was music’s original purpose and an important concept of these mystery schools. In the broadest sense, the practice of music for its healing ability may well stand as our oldest continuous musical tradition.
This album is the first volume in the series, previously issued as a cassette in 1983, and part of the cassette box set published by Sun Ark in 2013. This music is based on principles outlined in Randall’s book, The Healing Forces of Music: History, Theory and Practice. These compositions are selected for their meditational and healing abilities. EQ settings of treble and bass levels determine the music's effect upon you. Please explore until the most comfortable settings are found.
FACT MAG: "These deeply meditative pieces are an expert take on how subtleties and concentrated listening go hand-in-hand. There is inherent beauty here, but it’s the deeper aspects that make the biggest impact."
Exceptional recordings by this New age maestro. Only recently re-discovered by his friend JD emmanuel & the band Sun Araw. Originally released on cassette in 1983 and now for the first time vailable on 180g Vinyl. For fans of Joanna Brouk, JD Emmanuel and Pauline-Anna Strom.
Randall McClellan was a founding member of the electronic music studio at the Eastman School of Music in 1967 where he later received a Ph.D. in Composition, Theory and Musicology. A growing interest in North Indian music and vocal technique prompted him to develop his personal compositional practice into an active platform for inducing altered states of mind. He constructed his concerts to be spaces for harmonization of mind and body through a musical practice informed by his esoteric studies of ancient mystery schools and sacred geometry, believing these to be primarily teachings on intentional resonance.
These performances were given between 1977 and 1983 in semi-darkened spaces that allowed listeners to relax on carpeting while being enveloped by sound. Each improvisation lasts from twenty-five to forty-five minutes. An entire performance is up to three hours and is designed to provide an environment of meditative sound. They gained in popularity and were soon attended by larger audiences. His final live performance took place at New York City's Alternative Museum in October, 1983.
The “Music of Rana” Enviromental Series uses synthesizers, drone box, tamboura, voice and tape delay to create an environment of continuously evolving multi-layered melody. Described as subtle, graceful and of other worlds. The name RANA, meaning “Sunbreath”, has its origin in ancient philosophical concepts that recognized vibration as the fundamental creative force and central principle of the many esoteric mystery schools of the ancient world. It is now evident that the use of music for its ability to alter mind states and for its effectiveness as a therapeutic aid was music’s original purpose and an important concept of these mystery schools. In the broadest sense, the practice of music for its healing ability may well stand as our oldest continuous musical tradition.
This album is the first volume in the series, previously issued as a cassette in 1983, and part of the cassette box set published by Sun Ark in 2013. This music is based on principles outlined in Randall’s book, The Healing Forces of Music: History, Theory and Practice. These compositions are selected for their meditational and healing abilities. EQ settings of treble and bass levels determine the music's effect upon you. Please explore until the most comfortable settings are found.
FACT MAG: "These deeply meditative pieces are an expert take on how subtleties and concentrated listening go hand-in-hand. There is inherent beauty here, but it’s the deeper aspects that make the biggest impact."
Andy Compton is undisputedly one of the hardest working producers in dance music. With over 40 albums and 150 EPs released either solo or as part of deep house legends The Rurals, the Bristol-based producer just can't stop creating profoundly funky and vibey music that works on loose-limbed dancefloors, beach bars and shag carpets alike.
He has appeared regularly on quality labels as diverse as Lumberjacks In Hell, Hed Kandi, LARGE and naturally, his own vital imprint Peng.
Andy's latest long player for Tangential Music is a collaboration with LA artists Irantzu Pujadas and Brad Kent under the name Blue Dream.
Aptly titled: 'A Trip To LA' the album is a deliciously louche and laidback twelve tracker of pure LA heat. The project began as many great ones do, without a plan. Visiting Brad's studio to check out his huge vintage analogue synth collection in search of new sounds for The Rurals, they got to thinking...and jamming. With Brad on the dusty old drum machines, Irantzu on the microphone and Andy in synthesiser heaven, Blue Dream was born.
Their first and equally good album 'California Dreaming' was released on Peng in early 2019 and now we are here with a second round of perfectly realised dream-like grooves. Think of the sun-facing vibes of Shuggie Otis, Eddie Chacon, Bobby Caldwell or Roy Ayers at his most relaxed and add a passionate knowledge and experienced grasp of electronic forms. They make this seem easy goddammit.
'I Wanted To See You' sounds like Khruangbin with a 303, 'You Want Me Back' with its mid-tempo shuffling groove, saucy squidge bass line and seductive soul house vocal is pure daytime at Houghton Festival happiness, like Crazy P in the hot tub.
At no point are we required to sweat. Lie down if you must, stand up and sway if you're ready. This could be lovers music or just for you alone. Irantzu's vocals throughout are whispers and purrs, evocations of humid love drenched in reverb and easy living. Sunset music.
The singles 'I Wanna Go Home' and 'Sandwich Dub' don't deviate far from the endless feeling of hazy cinematic sunshine, one a sultry plea for intimacy, the other a heavily dubbed-out slice of musique française amour.
'Trip To LA' with a vocal more than suggestive of the Balearic classic 'Sueno Latino', spare guitar chords and a prodding repetitive bass line creates a feeling of slinky bliss.
Every track is full of sensual melodies and the space required to be truly funky. Press play and invite a bit of California magic in...
This time you'll find the Wax's #plectrum with the vinyl; a little gadget to stimulate your musical fantasies. (only for the first 200 orders!)
Four years and ten releases later we can say that Apparel Wax -the vinyl-faced hero- has been able to always renew itself and its sound because, as our manifesto says, we try not to submit to any genre. We wanted every release to be the outcome of a long research through uncommon sounds and APLWAX010, yet again, is an unidentified sonic object picked up by our radar. The last one though! We didn't plan it, we just felt like the time has come -eventually- to close this beautiful chapter. More than one factor led us to take this decision: the progressive concern about the planet (therefore the impossibility to keep producing plastic bags and gadgets), the desire to leave at our peak and to invent something new are just two of them. The constant process behind the renewal of our sound -which we embraced ten years ago with the birth of Apparel Music- sometimes passes through hard choices and we need to feel again that sensation of 'void' in order to create something fresh, different, as we did when we started Apparel Wax. We won't drag our masked hero to a point of sonic stagnation. We'd like to send you all a big greeting and a heartfelt thanks for every second of your time spent listening to Apparel Wax, it literally meant the world to us. What was initially just a bold idea became a musical reference point for many people around the world, and we will be forever grateful to y'all because, without you, it would have never been possible. Finally, a huge thanks to all the artists involved in the project. They contributed with their art to a bigger cause, the biggest: music. YOU are the true masked heroes, you are Apparel Wax. As for us, we'll live on and our sound too. Our ideas, our passion and dedication for the one and only thing that really makes us happy will never die. Something new will always come on our end because that's our purpose, our philosophy. Manman, what a journey has been, now on to the next one!
- A1: Ghetto Priest - Hercules (North Street West 'Late Night Tales' Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- A2: Prince Fatty &Shniece Mcmenamin - Black Rabbit
- A3: Wrongtom Meets The Rockers - Dub In The Supermarket *Exclusive Remix
- A4: Gaudi Meets The Rebel Dread Ft. Emily Capell - E = Mc2 *Exclusive Track
- A5: Rude Boy - Superstylin' *Exclusive Remix
- B1: Capitol 1212 Ft. Earl 16 - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Full Vocal Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- B2: Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - All I Do Is Think About You (Far East Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- B3: Zoe Devlin Love Ft. Tim Hutton - Caroline No
- B4: John Holt - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Mad Professor 2021 Dub) *Exclusive Remix
- B5: Cornell Campbell - Ital City Dub *Exclusive Remix
- B6: Matumbi - (I Can't Get Enough Of) That Reggae Stuff (Dennis Bovell Remix) *Exclusive Remix
- C1: Gentleman's Dub Club Ft. Kiko Bun - Use Me (Ben Mckone Dub)
- C2: Black Box Recorder - Uptown Top Ranking
- C3: Obf - Sixteen Tons Of Dub
- C4: Yasushi Ide - Ain't No Sunshine (Space Dub Mix) *Exclusive Remix
- D1: The Tamlins - Baltimore
- D2: 15 16 17 - Emotion (Dennis Bovell Remix) *Exclusive Remix
- D3: Ash Walker - There's Nothing Like This *Exclusive Track
- D4: The Senior Allstars - Slipping Into Darkness
- D5: Easy Star All-Stars - Within You Without You
- D6: Khruangbin - Dern Kala (Khruangbin Dub Mix) *Exclusive Remix
Born in Brixton, a child of the Windrush Generation, Letts’ slippery and unorthodox career is somewhat hard to define, without taking a few detours around London, New York and Jamaica. He began his working life managing the dauntingly hip Acme Attractions on Chelsea’s Kings Road, where he made a mark with his attitude, dress and, especially, the pounding dub reggae that vibrated the shop’s walls. His first gig as a DJ at the short-lived Roxy in Neal Street, became mythical for turning a generation of punks on to reggae. They in turn hipped him to their DIY ethos resulting in his reinvention as a filmmaker. This led to a shed-load of music videos (Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Clash, Bob Marley) not
to mention documentaries on the likes of Gil Scott-Heron, George Clinton and Sun Ra.
In the ’80s, he was part of Mick Jones’ new venture, Big Audio Dynamite and his innovative use of samples were a core part of their sound. Listeners of his weekly 6 Music radio show are taken on a musical safari that moves seamlessly between time, space and genre. It’s not called Culture Clash Radio for nothing. So this latest bulletin from Letts HQ is merely one angle of a multifaceted personality, his take on the JA tradition of the cover version.
The history of Caribbean music owes a debt to R&B as many of the early island releases were cover versions of US 45s. Ska’s breakthrough commercially, Millie Small’s ‘My Boy Lollipop’, was originally recorded by Barbie Gaye in ’50s New York. Cover versions became quite a thing in Jamaica and Don, following in that tradition, has dug deep with a selection of interesting dubbed out covers including thirteen exclusives.
“A disciple of sound system, raised on reggae n’ bass culture my go to sound was dub. Besides being spacious and sonically adventurous at the same time, its most appealing aspect was the space it left to put yourself ‘in the mix’ underpinned by Jamaica’s gift to the world - bass. But that’s only half the story as the duality of my existence meant I was also checking what the Caucasian crew were up to not to mention the explosion of black music coming in from the States. That’s why this version excursion crosses time space and genre, from The Beach Boys to The Beatles, Nina Simone to Marvin Gaye, The Bee Gees to Kool & The Gang, The Clash to Joy Division and beyond. You’d think it impossible to draw a line between ‘em but not in my world. Fortunately, the ‘cover version’ has played an integral part in the evolution of Jamaican music and dub covers were just a natural extension.”
There’s a diverse mix of classic and new, with legendary figures like John Holt, The Tamlins and Cornell Campbell, mixed in with British veterans Mad Professor and the irrepressible Dennis Bovell, while (relatively) young striplings Kiko Bun, Emily Capell and Prince Fatty deliver the goods, with laidback Texan groovers Khruangbin also offering an exclusive bass heavy-delight.
The song choices are diverse, from French dubsters’ OBF’s renditions of ‘Sixteen Tons’, the miners’ paean popularised by Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 1950s, to Ash Walker’s refix of Omar’s ‘There’s Nothing Like This’ and ‘All I Do Is Think About You’, immortalised by the ill-fated Tammi Terrell and preserved here by Quantic (the latter two both exclusives). Being a Rebel Dread compilation, there’s a cover (by Wrongtom Meets The Rockers) of The Clash’s ‘Lost In The Supermarket’ while Don’s exclusive, naturally, is a rendition of Big Audio Dynamite’s debut hit, ‘E = MC2’.
“Truth be told I’ve wanted to work with the Late Night Tales crew from the get go. We’re talking nearly two decades such was the allure of their musical aesthetic typified by curators like Nightmares on Wax, The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Trentemoller, Khruangbin and countless others. Now being as old as rock n’ roll (born in ‘56) and having nearly 20 years of Culture Clash Radio under my belt I figured I was tooled up to musically juggle with the best of ‘em. But I wanted to carve out a space that was distinctly my own - something that reflected my musical journey and the culture clash that’s made me the man I am today.”
After four highly successful albums and two live albums, it was time for Canadian punk rockers Billy Talent to release their first greatest hits compilation in 2014, simply called Hits. The album contains 12 of the band’s most popular singles, including “Try Honesty”, “Red Flag”, “Fallen Leaves”, “Devil on My Shoulder” and “Viking Death March”. The album also includes two new songs, “Kingdom of Zod” and “Chasing the Sun”. It charted well in both the band’s native Canada as well as Germany and Switzerland.
Whether you’re a punk rocker looking to get to know Billy Talent in 14 incredible songs, or you’re a longtime fan of the band who already knows all their songs by heart, this compilation is an absolute must have. It comes in a UV matte finished gatefold sleeve and contains a
4-page booklet as well as an art print by Ken Taylor.
The Toolroom Family is happy to announce the release of KC Lights' brand new single 'Cold Light' that lands as the highly anticipated follow up to his global hit 'Girl’ which, in spite of the global shutdowns of clubs and festivals last year went on to be the ‘stay at home’ summer anthem for 2020.
‘Girl’ dominated the airwaves with BBC Radio 1 daytime playlist inclusions, KISS FM, Capital Dance, Sirius XM in the US and specialist playlists all over the world. It has now amassed over 5m streams on Spotify alone and still going strong.
As we move further into 2021, timed right on the back of some of his most recent stellar remixes for James Hype, Topic, Blinkie, Lost Kings and Nightlapse, KC Lights returns to lift our bleak spirits with the aptly named ‘Cold Light’.
He has collaborated with UK singer, songwriter Leo Stannard, who is being hailed as one of the most talented and exciting songwriter / vocalists to emerge in recent years, which is quite impressive during these times of quarantines and lockdowns. Most recently, Leo featured on CamelPhat’s track ‘Blackbirds’ which is featured on the Camels album, ‘Dark Matter.” He may also be recognized for his work with Maverick Sabre, Tom Odell, Rae Morris, Lewis Mokler and many more.
‘Cold Light’ is signature KC Lights with a stripped back groove and tribal drums complimented by Leo’s sublime vocal which takes the track to a whole new level! It’s feels like another anthem in making from this emerging star and with a club mix and a 6am remix, it really is the perfect tune to take us into the promise of lighter and warmer months ahead.
Volume 1[21,81 €]
Volume 3[22,65 €]
Orange Vinyl Volume 2[22,65 €]
Yellow Vinyl Volume 1[22,65 €]
After years unavailable, this reissue presents this 1976 album in its full glory, with remastered sound and original artwork, including the rare promo poster.
Pressed on 180g vinyl. Once resettled in Lima, Peru, in 1974 after spending some time playing in a jazz quintet in Berlin, sax player Nilo Espinosa would put together the Nil's Jazz Ensemble, a top-notch array of local talent consisting of Pancho Sáenz (trumpet), Miguel 'Chino' Figueroa (keyboards), Oscar Stagnaro (bass), Andrés Silva (drums and percussion), Jorge Montero, Richie Zellon and Ramón Stagnaro (guitars). They recorded one single album that remains not only as one of the truly grails for collectors of Latin-American jazz but also as an outstanding piece of music on its own. The opening song "Reflexiones" is a mind-blowing jazz-funk number right up there with the very best of the genre, written by Black Sugar's former member Miguel 'Chino' Figueroa, featuring a fantastic work on trumpet and rhodes. The album also includes a cover of the rare groove classic "Hard Work" that could have easily sneaked into the funkiest side of the Prestige catalogue. Following the success of this album, Espinosa would expand his band to a big band format and tour local theatres and clubs in Lima, where jazz music was a popular genre at the time. Our reissue presents this 1976 album in its full glory, pressed on 180g vinyl with remastered sound and original artwork, including the rare promo poster.
After an impressive label debut in March this year, Swedish pair Patrick Siech & Sandra Mosh re-link for a multi-faceted follow-up. Inspired by the '90s production ethos of broad-minded genre agnosticism, the EP spans a trio of dreamy, yet functional cuts, displaying the producers’ fluid production arrangements. A fourth track bucks the sonic trend, ‘PPMV1’ a tribute to a pigeon the duo rescued but ultimately succumbed to the virus of the same name. In contrast the track is a punchy bass-led weapon, simultaneously deliciously disorientating and immersive.
Siech has been a symbol of quality in the Swedish underground techno scene going back more than a decade, collaborating with the revered Sebastian Mullaert and releasing on Minus, Parabel and Break New Soil, among others. Sandra Mosh, similarly, is deeply respected by those in-the-know, gaining wide recognition with a show on Swedish national radio P3, playing festivals and clubs including Sónar, Berghain and Kazantip and running her own label MOSH Muzik.
The second release on CWPT marks the label’s debut reissue, delving into the most propulsive corner of label-founder Palms Trax’s collection in order to deliver a rare and foundational record from Chicago house music history.
Recorded in 1987, Rog’e’s ‘Body Fidelity’ would have surely ticked all of Ron Hardy’s boxes and then jacked them right back out again. The alias of proto-house hero Reginald Rodgers collaborating with vocalist Tanya Stevens, ‘Body Fidelity’ is at once sensual, playful and commanding, the scent of freedom, sexuality and new musical horizons potent across each of the four distinct cuts.
The ‘Radio Mix’ offers the most upfront blend, a full-bodied mix that once filled the local Chicago airwaves with Stevens’ permissive and persuasive performance. Elsewhere, Rog’e breaks the track down to its core elements for alternate DJ sensibilities. His ‘Percussapella’ mix is a raw, rhythmic trip that erupts with acidic licks, whereas the ‘House Club’ mix is pure dancefloor pleasure sculpted in what would soon become the classic mold. Finally, analog freaks and the sleaze-adjacent will find the most allure in the instrumental ‘Bass-Ment’ mix.
Following up on his Timedance debut in 2019, Sydney based wunderkind Air Max '97 signs his return in style with a double dose of hi-detail club warpers.
Without sacrificing any of his grimy and sub-loaded tendencies, the New-Zealand born producer expands his intricate and futuristic palette further with his most trance-inducing production to date.
Mastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven.
Artwork by Butt Studio.
The Great Alternative Boom of the early ’90s had begun to wither on corporate FM barely halfway through the decade, but the ever-changing underground had almost entirely regenerated after two major-label thrifting trips. In the ever-in-flux city of Boston, Karate positioned themselves as a crucial tendril in a sprawling nationwide community. They did so largely by refusing to stick to any single formula from the myriad of styles at their root—slowcore, post-hardcore, and jazz. As if to make a point, Karate’s lineup went through its own shift too. In the lead up to 1997’s In Place of Real Insight, Eamonn Vitt took up the guitar, and Karate compatriot Jeff Goddard entered the fold to become the band’s bassist. Armed with two guitarists, the band got significantly louder, and they smeared punk fury all over their second LP.
The Great Alternative Boom of the early ’90s had begun to wither on corporate FM barely halfway through the decade, but the ever-changing underground had almost entirely regenerated after two major-label thrifting trips. In the ever-in-flux city of Boston, Karate positioned themselves as a crucial tendril in a sprawling nationwide community. They did so largely by refusing to stick to any single formula from the myriad of styles at their root—slowcore, post-hardcore, and jazz. As if to make a point, Karate’s lineup went through its own shift too. In the lead up to 1997’s In Place of Real Insight, Eamonn Vitt took up the guitar, and Karate compatriot Jeff Goddard entered the fold to become the band’s bassist. Armed with two guitarists, the band got significantly louder, and they smeared punk fury all over their second LP.
- Dukes End
- Turn It On Again
- Mama
- Land Of Confusion
- Home By The Sea
- Second Home By The Sea
- Fading Lights
- The Cinema Show
- Afterglow
- Hold On My Heart
- Jesus He Knows Me
- That's All
- The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
- In Too Deep
- Follow You Follow Me
- Duchess
- No Son Of Mine
- Firth Of Fifth
- I Know What I Like
- Domino Medley
- Throwing It All Away
- Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
- Invisible Touch
- I Cant Dance
- Dancing With The Moonlight Knight
- Carpet Crawlers
- Abacab
4LP & 2CD Genesis Hits package to coincide with the bands UK tour in September 2021 with 3 sold out shows at London’s 02 Arena. This will be Genesis’s first tour in over 13 years with the classic line up of Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks & Phil Collins. They have sold around 100 million albums worldwide with over 20 top 40 UK hits with songs such as Follow You Follow Me, Turn It On Again, Mama, I Can’t Dance and many more. Genesis have won awards over the years at the American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Ivor Novello Awards and a Lifetime Achievement at the Progressive Music Awards. The track list is made up of the songs the band have been performing in rehearsals and will make up the majority of the setlist during the gigs, the title of the release is the same as the tour. 4LP set is to be housed in a hardback gatefold book-style package, this will include classic images of the band, rare and unseen images from their archive & images of the rehearsal and the stage used for the gigs.
Following the footsteps of her SUPER MILD split album with TENTENKO (TAL15) from 2019, Tokyo producer KOPY makes a welcome return to TAL with a new EP full of gritty wonders and buzzing rythm structures. Eternal EP presents two of her new tracks plus luminous remix appearances by Elena Colombi, Harmonious Thelonious and Dynamo Dreesen & SJ Tequilla.
KOPY sums it up: "For Fujiko, I had an aggressive spaciousness in mind. The track LOK made me feel like my feet were firmly on the ground."
The pièce de résistance of the entire EP might be the extended reworking by Elena Colombi (Osàre! Editions), who in her debut appearance in the producer's chair offers up a cinematic bricolage, inspired by dreams and scraps of intimate, cartoonish ambiences. The eight minute long journey is full of space, swirling alarm clocks and candid evocations of imaginary creatures and environments crossed with diverse snippets of KOPY’s two original tracks.
Harmonious Thelonious who has already shared the stage with KOPY at Düsseldorfs Salon des Amateurs, contributes a trademark HT remix which combines infectious danceable beats with injections of oddness and raw beauty.
For their KOPY KONTRAST mix DD and SJT drew inspiration from a fulminant Kopy live set in Osaka which they had witnessed while being on a tour in Japan.
The 12"EP is lavishly presented, with a fully illustrated jacket and inner sleeve design by Sarah Szscesny.
Essential Aliensis the 10th Helvetia album. Helvetia is the solo project of Jason Albertini from Duster. Helvetia resides in Portland, Oregon but was formed in Seattle, Washington in 2005 after Duster first went on hiatus. The songs onEssential Aliens were recorded over the last year, in Jason's basement. Since the band's inception, Jason has continued to employ a rotating cast of band members and collaborators, which now includes Steve Gere and Samantha Stidham. Steve and Jason also played in Built To Spill together from 2012 until 2018. In 2019 Duster started playing shows and recording again. During this time Jason started writing what would becomeThis Devastating Map. Released at the beginning of August last year, Post-Trash called it"a constantly shifting project that takes experimental lo-fi into brilliantly colored psych directions with a concise glow."Then the pandemic took hold. With normal life at a standstill and unable to hang with his bandmates, Jason focused his energy on his daughter's homeschooling schedule, and recording. He focused on finishing one song a day and was soon honing in on a new album. Essential Aliensdistills and simplifies the Helvetia sound. Reverb and delay are absent, replaced by warm fuzz and intimate room sounds. Progressions morph with stoner repetition and end in head scratch. Drums distort, muted bass lines prop up acoustic guitars blown out on a cassette four-track. Cheap electric guitars are barely in tune and recorded direct, almost painfully in your face. The songs are short blasts of psychedelic chill, unrooted by genre, a rummage around an alien radio dial. These are simple songs about keeping yourself from falling apart, to remind you that you can be strong. The visual elements for the album come from a recurring dream, which centers around a period in Jason's childhood when he lived in Basel, Switzerland, and believed that he lived with a ghost. In the dream, Jason's life becomes turned upside down because of a series of unexplainable events that turn out to be orchestrated by the ghost, and he wakes up convinced that he is a ghost as well. These are simple songs about keeping yourself from falling apart. To remind you that you can be strong. This is a weird blues.
- 1: I'm Not Getting Excited - Live
- 2: Great No One - Live
- 3: Whatever - Live
- 4: Mars, The God Of War - Live
- 5: Future Me Hates Me - Live
- 6: Introduction
- 7: Jump Rope Gazers - Live
- 8: Uptown Girl - Live
- 9: Bird Talk
- 10: Happy Unhappy - Live
- 11: Out Of Sight - Live
- 12: Thank You
- 13: Don't Go Away - Live
- 14: Little Death - Live
- 15: Dying To Believe - Live
- 16: River Run - Live
The anticipation is there in Elizabeth Stokes’ solo guitar riff under the opening lines of “I’m Not Getting Excited”: a frenetic, driving force daring a packed Auckland Town Hall to do exactly the opposite of what the track title suggests.
As the opener of The Beths’ Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 expands to include the full band, the crowd screeches and bellows. It’s a collective exhalation, in one of the few countries where live music is still possible.
The album title, and film of the same name, deliberately include the date and location, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce says. “That’s the sensational part of what we actually did.” In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels miraculous.
In March 2020, everything seemed on track for another huge year for The Beths. Home after an 18-month northern hemisphere tour, they had just finished recording sophomore album Jump Rope Gazers and were primed for more extensive touring. But within days, New Zealand’s lockdown split the band between three separate houses. All touring was cancelled.
“It was existentially bad,” Stokes says. As well as worrying about economic survival, they lost something crucial to the band’s identity: live performance. “It's a huge part of how we see ourselves... What does it mean, if we can't play live?”
The band found an outlet through live-streaming, returning to the do-it-yourself mentality of their early days to connect with a global audience. The album and film have their genesis in that urge to share the now-rare experience of a live show, as widely as possible.
The fuzzy-round-the-edges live-streams pointed the way aesthetically. Native birds, wonkily crafted by the band from tissue paper and wire, festoon the venue’s cavernous ceiling while house plants soften and disguise the imposing pipes of an organ. The presence of the film crew isn’t disguised: much of the camerawork is handheld; full of fast zooms and pans.
With much of the material still fresh, the band was less focused on re-invention than playing “a good, fast rock show”, Pearce says. The tempo is up on crowd favourites “Whatever” and “Future Me Hates Me” (released as a live single on its third anniversary) as both band and audience feed off the mutual energy in the room.
Certain songs have taken on special resonance post-Covid. Pearce has found “Out Of Sight”, a tender rumination on long-distance relationships, hits particularly hard with live audiences.
Album closer “River Run” visibly brings Stokes to tears as a mix of achievement and relief kicks in. “You can finally relax at that point … You play the last note, breathe out a sigh and look up - and you’re in a giant room full of people happy and smiling.”
‘Something Good Will Happen’ marks another defiant chapter for MarthaGunn, who consistently prove they are worth their weight in gold through honest and conscientious song-writing, partnered with pristine pop melodies that have caught the attention of tastemakers CLASH, Independent, Dork, The Line of Best Fit, BBC Introducing Track of The Week and John Kennedy (Radio X). This is the sound of a band ever evolving their euphoric sound, where nuanced production and kaleidoscopic samples lift them into the stratosphere. If there’s one goal MarthaGunn want to achieve with their music, it’s connection. Whether it’s Abi giving a voice to her contemporaries via her Songwriters Circle on Instagram live, where she invites her favourite songwriters for a Q&A about their process, guests including Another Sky, Katy J Pearson, Willie J Healey, Flyte and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, or setting up a virtual tour in light of having shows cancelled and playing a special live set including a locally sourced cover - her and her band want to remind people that they’re not alone and that, at end of the day, we’re all human and we all have that in common.
Repress
Following up on his contribution to the first Five Years Of Tears compilation, Randstad steps up to the bill and delivers his first solo release for Pinkman Records. 6 tracks ranging from twisted industrialized beat trax to brain melting weirdo dance. A great cross-over record for adventurous DJs and fans of the cold, minimal DIY sound of the 80s alike.
Love returns with 'Lavender', the follow up to the Canadian crooner’s LP, 'Night Songs' (Taxi Gauche Records, February 2020).
A reflective timeline of dusty folk, 'Lavender' aims to capture the modern loneliness of the 21st century. A sorrowful soundtrack, inspired by the production of great crooners and folk artists of the 70s/80s like Cohen, Lightfoot, and Nick Drake, to name a few, Love achieves a similar quality on Lavender. Like a Chris Isaak trapped in a David Lynch film, Love’s haunted
vocals guide the listener through poetic verses on the archetypes of love and truth, posthumous poetry by his grandfather circa 1930s, and escapism, all melting and flowing into a pool of celestial wisdom.
Acoustic guitars sweep across desolate sonic landscapes of global narcissism, social media and the universal need for connection. Hypnotic bass grooves and lush 3D string ensembles, wrap the listener in a familiar cinematic romance, embraced and mystified. 'Lavender' explores the universal threads that make us feel and experience what we do, in a time when the need to peer into ourselves has never been more important. 'Lavender' draws you inwards, like staring up at the stars at night, or standing alone with the silence of the forest, 'Lavender' wants you to find your own meaning. Self-recorded in a variety of spaces through out Turtle Island (Canada & The USA). Specifically, Toronto Island, a basement in Edmonton, AB, various apartments and motels in Los Angeles and around the United States, on a road trip west via the Trans-Canada highway and ending at a cabin in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
“There’s a lonesome vibe to his brand of heartland rock, evoking late nights on a deserted road, or neon-lit streets just after a rainstorm.” (Brooklyn Vegan)
Jazz Sahara is the debut album by double bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik featuring performances recorded in late 1958 and originally released on the Riverside label.
Sinner is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Drowning Pool. Originally released on June 5, 2001 by Wind-Up Records, it is considered to be the band’s most popular album – earning RIAA Platinum certification within the first six weeks of its release. This was due at least in part to their hit single “Bodies,” which remains the band’s most well-known song. Dave Williams, the band’s vocalist at the time explained how the album got its name in an MTV interview: “I got that “Sinner” tattoo tattooed before we named the record. We were working on the song “Sinner,” and our A&R guy said, “That would be a good name for the record.” It was just a natural progression that became the whole theme of the record. There are a lot of religious issues on the record and a lot of relationship issues. It just seemed like it would fit.” This is album is especially unique in that it is the only studio album to feature the band’s original singer Dave Williams. While touring in support of Sinner, he died on August 14, 2002 from cardiomyopathy. This album is available on vinyl for the first time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release.
Take One is the cinematic debut release from the minds of Hampshire born emcee Deeflux and seminal producer Kraze. Created through a chaotic and turbulent life journey, the project was born out of the collective need to change direction musically by both artists.
The results are an accomplished and often brutally honest prose, overlaid across a wide range of soundscapes sca-ling the spectrum of alternative rap music. Themed around cinema, each track tells a story like a window into the ar-tists lives covering a range of topics and emotions with Deeflux’s trademark labyrinthine wordplay weaving effortlessly over Kraze’s diverse production.
The LP, originally intended as a mixtape and picked up and pressed by Broke Records was fraught with tragedy. From faulty metal work, lost livelihoods and the eventual loss of all stock it sadly never saw the proposed release until now. Certain Sound received a phone call out of the blue after the stock was
re discovered and have re packaged with the full intended “Directors Cut” as downloadable content in a limited run of coloured and heavy weight black vinyl.
Take your seats and enjoy the show! Artist Bio - Deeflux
Deeflux comes from a diverse musical background. After falling in love with heavy metal at 6 years old he spent his early years as a song writer and guitarist in ska, punk and metal bands before re discovering hip-hop in college where he used the college computers to start his journey beat making.
Finding his voice at 18 he began to craft his style. Influenced by his home town stable of graffiti writers, MCs and beatmakers. he went from working with Reklews (BLAH) to collaborating worldwide on projects such as Oddio Kin.
He has a number of physical releases with his group C O R N E R S (Deeflux, Beit Nun and Benny Diction), live group Natural Selection and last year released 52 singles with his long running DJ Miracle (Boot Records).
Kraze is somewhat of a musical prodigy. In his early teens he was at the epicentre of the first wave of grime and Began DJing on pirate radio & producing music. He eventually landed an artist development deal with EMI & later Sony/ATV.
He was responsible for Devlin’s standout London City and earned two cuts on
his Bud, Sweat and Beers album. During his time with EMI & Sony, he worked with producers such as Naughty-boy, Mojam & Stargate and a variety of artists before eventually leaving the industry to pursue other opportuni-ties. Take One will be his first solo release.
- A1: Time Machine
- A2: Heartbreaker
- A3: Mr. Limousine Driver
- A4: Closer To Home (I’m Your Captain)
- B1: Sin’s A Good Man’s Brother
- B2: Aimless Lady
- B3: Mean Mistreater (Live At Jacksonville Coliseum, Fl, 1970)
- B4: Gimme Shelter
- B5: Feelin’ Alright
- C1: Footstompin’ Music
- C2: Upsetter
- C3: Rock & Roll Soul
- C4: We’re An American Band
- C5: Walk Like A Man
- C6: Shinin’ On
- D1: The Loco-Motion
- D2: Bad Time
- D3: Some Kind Of Wonderful
- D4: Take Me
- D5: Sally
- D6: Stuck In The Middle
- D7: I’m So True
Few bands manage to release seven studio albums plus a live album in the first four years of their career and turn them all into million sellers. Grand Funk Railroad was such a band. Grand Funk played an unprecedented blend of rock, soul and funk, with that creating classics such as “Closer To Home”, “We’re An American Band”, “Bad Time” and “Some Kind Of Wonderful”. These and many other great Grand Funk songs can be found on this brand new double-LP Grand Funk Railroad Collected. MOV proudly presents new Collected compilation albums in collaboration with Universal Music.
Bristol experimental jazz collective Ishmael Ensemble reveal their expansive new album Visions of Light. The follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2019 debut A State of Flow, praised by the likes of The Guardian, Mojo, The Wire and tastemakers across BBC 6Music, this sophomore record sees the group reimagine what an ‘ensemble’ can do; expanding into a shifting collective, where human relationships between artists underpin far-ranging, stunningly ambitious and emotionally heavyweight compositions.
Helmed by producer and saxophonist Pete Cunningham, Ishmael Ensemble’s richly inventive 2019 debut A State Of Flow marked them out as an explosive new force in UK jazz, imbuing lush cinematic compositions with left-field dub and electronic sensibilities
redolent of Bristol’s vital musical landscape. NamedThe Guardian’s ‘Contemporary Album Of The Month’ and Mojo’s ‘Jazz Album of The Month’, it saw the group perform Maida Valesessions for both Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft, as well as feature on compilations for Brownswood Recordings and Soul Jazz Records. Cunningham’s rise as an in-demand producer led to remixes for the likes of techno royalty Carl Craig,as well as legendary jazz label Blue Note Records alongside a plethora of the UK’s finest musical talent on Blue Note Re:Imagined.
Ishmael Ensemble has since become a platform for Cunningham to subvert the conventional notions of producer/artist relationships, unsettling genre tags, and transcending the familiar landscape of UK jazz itself. Across the album’s 10 tracks, Cunningham practices a holistic approach with a long list of collaborators. Together, they explore vast new sonic terrain with an honesty, intimacy and emotional heft impossible for a conventional band.
Visions Of Light tells the story of Ishmael Ensemble’s development across its two sides. The first draws from the energy Cunningham and his bandmates discovered whilst extensively touring A State Of Flow.
A Walking Contradiction expands its label family with Aa Sudd and Kombe. Having released solely exclusive Varuna material before, the Basel based imprint now welcomes two close friends for the first installment of their Demi Monde series. Three murky slow techno jams in typical Varuna fashion where fascinating eerie atmospheres work their way up through vigorous half paced grooves.
Introducing Cutcross, created to champion the melting pot of bass-centric sounds teetering around 140 bpm. Heading up the concept is Sicaria Sound, a DJ duo who since their inception set out to explore and expand on the possibilities of these sounds whilst spotlighting underground artists. Cutcross is therefore their next step in supporting the forward-thinking music that they've drawn for when curating sets.
Partners in crime Ebb & Texture by way of New Zealand are at the helm of CXT004. Featuring a solo track each plus two collaborative efforts, all four tracks pack a punch via plenty of low-end and lively breaks.
Once again we teamed up with Ubisoft to bring the music of high-tech action game Watch Dogs: Legion to good ol’ fashioned vinyl. This triple LP set features original score tracks by Stephen Barton and tracks “Rainfall (feat. Tiana Major9)” by Brit Award-winning Stormzy and “In the Jungle” by Baby Knoxx.
Watch Dogs: Legion builds on the open-world stealth-action gameplay of its predecessors, delivering a never-before-seen gameplay innovation. Players can recruit and play as anyone they see in the iconic city of London: an MI6 agent, a tough bare-knuckle fighter, or an inconspicuous old lady.
Composer Stephen Barton has amassed an enviable AAA credits list, including co-composition on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (with Harry Gregson-Williams), the Titanfall series, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. For Watch Dogs: Legion’s pulse-pounding original score, Barton blends a dizzying array of electronic and percussive elements, with flashes of breakbeat and layers of atmospheric ambience.
25 tracks specially mastered for vinyl will be pressed onto three audiophile-quality, heavyweight 180g discs.
Five sides include music, with the sixth side featuring a custom etching of the iconic DedSec pig mask. LPs will be housed in a deluxe triple gatefold.
Arkham are an early historic Belgian 70's prog-fusion outfit that played eclectic jazz and rock mixtures in the 'Canterbury' vein, inspired by Soft Machine and Egg. Featuring keyboard player Jean-Luc Manderlier who would later join Magma, drummer Daniel Denis who would also move on to Magma as well as Univers Zero, and drummer Patrick Cogneaux.
Arkham aren't nearly as dark as Magma or Univers Zero, their jazzy overtones placing them a little closer to Soft Machine. The three musicians, who show some maturity, are obviously pouring their hearts out through out the album, which exudes an intensity that can't be ignored.
Never released before on vinyl, the recordings reproduced on this album come from magnetic tapes of some of Arkham's concerts and rehearsals, recorded at various times.
- A1: Fire And Brimstone (The Bootleggers Feat. Mark Lanegan)
- A2: Burnin’ Hell (The Bootleggers Feat. Nick Cave)
- A3: Sure ‘Nuff Yes I Do (Ralph Stanley)
- A4: Fire In The Blood (The Bootleggers Feat. Emmylou Harris)
- A5: White Light / White Heat (The Bootleggers Feat. Mark Lanegan)
- A6: Cosmonaut (The Bootleggers Feat. Emmylou Harris)
- A7: Fire In The Blood / Snake Song (The Bootleggers Feat. Ralph Stanley / The Bootleggers Feat. Emmylou Harris)
- B1: So You’ll Aim Towards The Sky (The Bootleggers Feat. Liela Moss And Emmylou Harris)
- B2: Fire In The Blood (The Bootleggers Feat. Emmylou Harris)
- B3: Fire And Brimstone (Ralph Stanley)
- B4: Sure ‘Nuff Yes I Do (The Bootleggers Feat. Mark Lanegan)
- B5: White Light / White Heat (Ralph Stanley)
- B6: End Crawl (Nick Cave / Warren Ellis)
- B7: Midnight Run (Willie Nelson) (Bonus Track)
awless is 2012 crime drama film by director John Hillcoat (The Road, The Proposition) about a gang of bootleggers in Virginia during the Great Depression. And when we say star-studded, we really mean it: Guy Pierce, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Shia LeBoeuf signed up for the gritty and evocative story about brothers who try to create their own American Dream during Prohibition.
None other than Nick Cave helped Hillcoat with the screenplay, while he also took great care of the movie’s soundtrack. Cave and fellow musician Warren Ellis form the core of The Bootleggers, a country and bluegrass ensemble that welcome a string of guests artist like Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley and Mark Lanegan. The Lawless OST contains cover versions of artists such as Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart and also features original compositions by Cave/Ellis and the great Willie Nelson.
Employed To Serve’s latest release, Conquering, is a fully realised metamorphosis into the band they’ve always wanted to be. Drawing influence from the music of their youth and a new perspective on how to nurture the positive aspects of humanity and individual growth, Conquering is a celebration and acknowledgement of triumph in the face of a world that can be relentlessly adversarial.
Employed To Serve’s latest release, Conquering, is a fully realised metamorphosis into the band they’ve always wanted to be. Drawing influence from the music of their youth and a new perspective on how to nurture the positive aspects of humanity and individual growth, Conquering is a celebration and acknowledgement of triumph in the face of a world that can be relentlessly adversarial.
Employed To Serve’s latest release, Conquering, is a fully realised metamorphosis into the band they’ve always wanted to be. Drawing influence from the music of their youth and a new perspective on how to nurture the positive aspects of humanity and individual growth, Conquering is a celebration and acknowledgement of triumph in the face of a world that can be relentlessly adversarial.
On Air is the second solo release by Alan Parsons following the split of The Alan Parsons Project. One of the creative forces was APP long-time guitarist Ian Bairnson. The concept of the album revolves around the history of airborne exploration.
The theme of “Too Close to the Sun” is escaping the labyrinth of the Minotaur. “Brother Up In Heaven” is an emotionally driven song, about the unfortunate death of Ian Bairnson’s cousin. “One Day To Fly” is a song about Leonardo da Vinci’s search to design a flying machine.
A who’s-who of lead vocalists are featured on this album; Christopher Cross, Eric Stewart, Neil Lockwood, Steve Overland and Graham Dye. The amazing looking artwork was recreated for this vinyl edition by none other than Peter Curzon of Storm Studios. Although On Air might be the most underrated Alan Parsons albums, many consider this as one of his best albums. The package includes an insert with lyrics and pictures.
Tape
Limited Edition cassette …. 100 copies ‘Your Job Is To Make Art’ is built for the floor, four slamming techno takes, plus remixes from labelmate Swarm Intelligence and Manchester’s Kander. Drawing influence from the Manchester scene, but written in the isolation of rural, north-west England, Kontain’s debut EP is rhythmically relentless, buoyed by trippy vocals and distorted percussion, each track lands hard. From the artist: “Training and competing in BJJ, this EP is almost a soundtrack to the constant mental & physical assault. High energy, constant tension.” “It’s better to be stomped by the bull than up in the stands” Mastering by Joe Farr
- A1: Yuka Kitamura – Premonition
- A2: Yuka Kitamura – Dark Souls Iii
- A3: Yuka Kitamura – Prologue
- A4: Yuka Kitamura – Firelink Shrine
- A5: Tsukasa Saitoh – Iudex Gundyr
- A6: Motoi Sakuraba – Vordt Of The Boreal Valley
- B1: Motoi Sakuraba – Curse-Rotted Greatwood
- B2: Motoi Sakuraba – Crystal Sages
- B3: Nobuyoshi Suzuki – Deacons Of The Deep
- B4: Motoi Sakuraba – High Lord Wolnir
- B5: Yuka Kitamura – Pontiff Sulyvahn
- B6: Yuka Kitamura – Dancer Of The Boreal Valley
- C1: Yuka Kitamura – Dragonslayer Armour
- C2: Motoi Sakuraba – Old Demon King
- C3: Yuka Kitamura – Oceiros, The Consumed King
- C4: Yuka Kitamura – Ancient Wyvern
- C5: Motoi Sakuraba – Nameless King
- C6: Yuka Kitamura – Abyss Watchers
- C7: Yuka Kitamura – Yhorm The Giant
- C8: Motoi Sakuraba – Aldritch, Devourer Of Gods
- D1: Yuka Kitamura – Lorian, Elder Prince | Lothric, Younger Prince
- D2: Yuka Kitamura – Soul Of Cinder
- D3: Yuka Kitamura – Secret Betrayal
- D4: Yuka Kitamura – Epilogue
- D5: Yuka Kitamura – E3 2015 Debut Trailer
Demon’s Souls (Original Soundtrack) is a modern reimagining of the incredible score composed by Shunsuke Kida for the original 2009 PlayStation 3 game, now updated for the 2020 PlayStation 5 remake. This soundtrack features that same amazing score but with dramatic new arrangements, great orchestral soundscapes and dramatic choral songs. Now available as a very limited vinyl set, pressed on a pair of gold LP's housed in a gatefold jacket featuring beautiful artwork by Ken Taylor. This soundtrack was recorded at AIR Studios in London, with a 75 piece orchestra, a 40 person choir and multiple vocal and instrumental soloists. Specialist marketing.
The german Producer Shuko teamed up with soul legend Lee Fields and UK newcomer Nia Wyn on this limited 10inch edition „Nothings Gonna Change“. Besides that heavy soul jam he packed up the vinyl with two other soul driven Hip-Hop tracks called „Money“ feat. Swiss soul voice Ira May and Liquid Junkie´s finest Defari as well as another collab between Nia Wyn and Kinkai from the UK. To make this an outstanding collecting Item, Shuko added two istrumentals that will be only available on this release, the "Nothing's Gonna Change" instrumental version and the bonus cut "Roger Moore".
Blue Vinyl
Park Hye Jin hat gestern ihr mit Spannung erwartetes Debütalbum, „Before I Die“, angekündigt, das am 10. September 2021 bei Ninja Tune erscheint. Das Album - komplett von der in Südkorea geborenen und nun in L.A. lebenden Produzentin, Rapperin, Sängerin und DJ geschrieben, produziert und performt - folgt auf die Veröffentlichung ihrer sehr erfolgreichen EP, „How Can I“ vom letzten Jahr, sowie auf eine Reihe von Kollaborationen mit Künstler*innen wie Clams Casino & Take A Daytrip („Y DON'T U“), Blood Orange („CALL ME“ Freestyle) und Nosaj Thing („CLOUDS“), sowie auf den Remix von Galcher Lustwerk für „Can You“.
Seit gestern Abend ist die Leadsingle und der Album-Opener, „Let’s Sing Let's Dance“ zu hören, ein wehmütiger Dance-Track, der Hye Jins mantraartigen Gesang über Klavierakkorde und wummernden Bässen platziert. Auf den anderen Tracks des Albums demonstriert sie eine deutlich erweiterte Klangpalette, in die sie eine Reihe von Einflüssen aus den Bereichen Elektronik, Hiphop und Downtempo einfließen lässt, um die bisher vollständigste Vision ihres Sounds zu präsentieren.
„Before I Die“ wird am 10. September 2021 auf Ninja Tune veröffentlicht, anschließend geht Hye Jin später in diesem Jahr auf Tour in Nordamerika, darunter eine Co-Headline-Show mit Shlohmo in New York, sowie Shows in Toronto, San Francisco, Miami und New Orleans.
Ihr Debütalbum folgt auf ein paar unglaubliche Jahre für die junge Künstlerin, in dem sie ihre gefeierte „How Can I“ EP auf Ninja Tune veröffentlichte. Eine Platte, die von Rolling Stone, Pitchfork („25 Most Anticipated Albums of the Summer“), FADER, i-D, Resident Advisor und vielen anderen hoch gelobt wurde und in zahlreichen „Best Of“-Listen 2020 von Billboard, The Guardian und anderen vertreten war. Auch in Deutschland fand die EP sensationellen Anklang, mit lobenden Artikeln und Beiträgen in u.a. Süddeutscher Zeitung, Rolling Stone Deutschland, im Missy Magazin, im Deutschlandfunk Kultur, im BR2, bei Radio Fritz oder im Musikexpress, die sie ebenfalls in ihre Liste der hoffnungsvollsten Newcomer*innen für 2021 aufnahmen.
Hye Jin wurde auch in die NME 100-Liste der „Essential emerging artists for 2021“ und in die „Generation V“-Serie des V Mag aufgenommen. Auch die britische GQ und Stereogum bezeichnen sie als „one to watch“. Die Lead-Single der EP, „Like This“, wurde auch im Soundtrack von FIFA 2021 verwendet und erhielt große Unterstützung von BBC Radio 1 und 6 Music, war #1 der „Top Electronic“ in den NACC-Charts (North American College and Community Radio) und in den „Top 200“ insgesamt, mit weiterer Unterstützung von KEXP, KCRW, SiriusXMU und mehr.
Legendary master drummer Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti teams up with Brazilian producer grassmass on two experimental funk monsters of the highest order that perfectly illustrate the Azymuth founding member’s constant desire to push his signature sound towards the future.
Recife born/São Paulo based bass player, producer and founder of experimental label UIVO Records Rodrigo Coelho aka grassmass is not only a long time collaborator with influential names like Naná Vasconcelos, Arto Lindsay and Ivan Conti “Mamão”, but also hosts projects with some of today's brazilian edgiest talents Negro Leo and Thiago Nassif. Advanced Brazilian music on Rush Hour's sister label New Dawn.
Castello, Sole is the first project signed by Issam Dahmani on Dischi Malizia.
This new series keep up the 80s and 90s feelings atmospheres very tied to Italy with a strong signature of modern vibes. Fresh sound from funk and italo disco ready for summer madness.
New school techno star Lee Ann Roberts continues to light up 2021 with another brand new single on her own NowNow Records. Her standout original is backed by remixes from MRD and D.A.V.E. The Drummer.
This year already belongs to South African-born, Amsterdam-based Lee Ann Roberts. Her new label has had high-profile support from tastemakers like Charlotte de Witte & Ken Ishii, and is already well known for its off-grid techno sounds. Roberts herself debuted only last year on Suara. She immediately hit the number 2 spot on the Beatport Hard Techno chart and followed up with more on Octopus Warehouse Series. She has played festivals like Caprices this year and is lined up for BPM as well as plenty more headline gigs.
The excellent 'Feel' is a nine-minute, hard-edged roller. The drums are flat-footed and unrelenting, the synths bring turbulence and dark vocals add dystopian unease. The edgy textures and caustic pads make for a visceral groove that is perfectly designed for shadowy warehouse spaces. An Acid Trip Mix sees the track erupt on wild acid lines that spray about the mix and cannot fail to blow up the dance floor.
Remixer MRD hails from Norway and has released plenty of EPs and an album in a short space of time. He has a ferocious sound that fuses new wave, hardcore and banging techno as evidenced here. His version is break-neck techno with trance pads lighting up the airwaves in euphoric fashion.
The second remixer is the legendary London techno titan and label boss D.A.V.E. The Drummer. He heads up Hydraulix Records and Apex Recordings and always brings the fire. His take on 'Feel' is a wall-rattling banger with oversized bass. Saw-tooth synths rip up the track while the stark, strobe-lit stabs and some buried vocals make the floor sweat.
Belgium's Milo Spykers pays homage to his homeland with "Belgian Bass" EP, featuring four old school rave cuts set for release on his resident label,Lenske Records.
Part of the Lenske family since its inception, DJ/Producer Milo Spykers returns to Lenske Records for his fourth EP on the Belgian label. Packed with four explosive tracks, the EP marks another stand-out release for Spykers following his "Accelerator" EP last summer.
Kicking off with authority is the thunderous opening track "Stainless Steel", armed with a marching kickdrum and whompy bass. The track breaks down midwa yto give way to a weighted synth melody and flared hi hats that conjoin with a triad of melodic themes, creating an intoxicating blend of rhythm and sound. Next up and packed with explosive pairings is "Blood Hound". Taunting synths and a punching kick create a propulsive rhythm. More chaotic than its predecessor, an array of drums are used to raise the intensity. Sinister synth notes blend seamlessly with the dramatic percussion that feels custom built for dark, thumping techno basements.
On the flip is title track "Belgian Bass", a high voltage stomper with a powerful kick, jackin' rhythm and metallic textures. Siren like synths sound out amongst powerful snares and cymbals. Creating an almost cinematic feeling, the track is brilliantly hectic, broken up by a solitary clap before the chaos resumes. Lastly is "Cjax", a raucous roller that feels like a perfect peak time energy spike, ending the record on a triumphant high note. Gurgling vocal samples stir beneath a driving kick drum and syncopated hi hats,while stabbing chords cut across the soundscape, intertwined with elongated droning synth notes that echo in the distance.
South African born, London based producer Kai van Dongen follows up two killer releases on 1Ø PILLS MATE and Ei8ht Records with a massive four tracker on CYBERDOME spanning lo-fi electro, gabber-influenced techno and Detroit acid.
‘Command’ gets started with the typical Cyber-aesthetic; a bruising, otherworldly electro cut that sounds like it was sampled from an intergalactic star-ship battle on a galaxy not so distant. Spooky, raw and uncompromising - classic horror synth lines creating a haunting atmosphere before its pulsating rhythm brings the listener back down to earth. ‘Losing Power’ again makes use of Kai’s knack for crafting emotionally captivating synth patterns, but this time under a lo-fi identity with hefty influence from the synthwave golden era; neon shapes and patterns blooming in the night as we continue our journey into darkness.
What sounds like an angry swarm of bees approaches on ‘Body Moving’ - a track title fit for purpose. Face-melting, brain-spinning techno creates a dark, psychedelic environment where sweat drips from the ceiling and faces react with a blend of euphoria and disgust, before we head to the Motor City on ‘Breathe’ - a cut of acid techno-electro that borrows from the icons of the past for a typically punchy and raw experience.
Repress
Jexy brings you two radically new versions of "First Stomp," the voodoo-chanting-mutant-disco smasher from his new LP "Ravines." Crafted with care by the man himself, the A-side features the NYC Mix--a deep n' dubby latin house-influenced builder. On the flip, Jex ups the tempo, the vocal quotient and the 707 snap for a tropical disco singalong.
- A1: Glokenspiel Riddim
- A2: Away (Feat Vonn )
- A3: Icarus
- B1: Already Disappeared (Feat Amy J Pryce)
- B2: Poison
- B3: Gezellig
- B4: Atmosphere (Feat Lottie Jones)
- C1: Morning Eclipse (Feat Vio.let)
- C2: Trust Me (Feat Sayah)
- C3: Harmonise
- C4: 12 Years Ago
- D1: Program And Control
- D2: Too Familiar (Feat Zara Kershaw)
- D3: Radiate (Feat Lottie Jones)
- D4: Outro
Stepping up with an astounding collection of first-class sonics, Fred V’s
highly anticipated debut solo album, ‘Radiate’ is on the horizon for the
summer of 2021, on Hospital Records.
Consisting of 15 tracks that feature exciting collaborations with Millbrook, Zara
Kershaw, Vonn , Lottie Jones and SAYAH. Fred V’s first-ever standalone longplayer is everything you’d hope for and more, built from an infusion of electronic
influences from the past, present and future.
Expect an up-close and intimate insight into the Exeter-based multi-instrumentalist, as he continues to carve out his unique musical identity through ethereal
soundscapes and melancholic climates.
With his debut album marking a fresh chapter in his career as a solo artist, Fred
V’s journey so far has been a remarkable one. From his decade-long collaborative project alongside Grafix which saw many world tours, live shows and three
studio albums.
Since embarking on his individual venture Fred V has put out a string of successful releases which have drawn support from airwave tastemakers Annie
Mac, Ren LaVice, MistaJam, Charlie Tee and more.
Diving deep into the exploration of his own sound, expect to find Fred V playing at Hospitality Bristol BBQ in August, Hospitality Weekend In The Woods and
Sundown Festival in September.
The independent label Six Nine Records Ltd. UK, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, proudly presents B & The Family and their first release on the label!
B & The Family, as a musical unit, reminds you of a modern day Jacksons or Sylvers group. Everybody plays several instruments and sings. This band is led by MD, patriarch, and male lead vocalist Brian K. Morgan, Katie Goulet (Wife/Bass/Vocals), Tayler Morgan (Daughter/Drums/Vocals), Genevieve (Daughter/Keys/Vocals) and Willa (Daughter/Keys/Vocals).
“Count On Me” and “Magic” (produced and written by Brian K. Morgan and Katie Goulet), was originally created in the early 80’s for Johnny Kemp (“Just Got Paid”). Although these two songs never made the album, Brian was able to write and produce a few of his other songs on Johnny’s albums.
Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with small hole
and full colour printed picture cover!
There’s been a refurb at The Gallery, a fresh new look for the onlookers. This brand-new exhibition follows in the prestigious footsteps of its predecessors, two jaw-droppingly stunning works of art on display, re-touched, re-loved and ready to be snapped up by the highest bidder.
One side sees the mysterious mastermind take on some tropical boogie heat via ‘Hello You Yeah’ with the flip a cosmic disco warper in the form of ‘Just Be Yourself’. Two irresistible cuts that will be whipping crowds into a frenzy the world over.
While the world continues to be in a bizarre mixture of feelings and circumstances, we can thankfully still hark back to last fall when the sophomore LP from the elusive and innovative KAMM band, Cookie Policies gave us an opportunity to reflect on the past while fully looking toward the future.
The album presented a beautifully unique blend of listening-oriented music styles, combining the early roots of the four producers and their pre-DJ formative musical travels. It is now our great pleasure to introduce an EP set of specifically dance floor-focussed remixes that take the diverse textural arrangements and expansive sonic bliss of the LP and stretch it around some solid percussive membranes, sure to excite many DJs and dancers out there in the wild as things begin to reopen.
KAMM band members Dave Aju, Alland Byallo, Kenneth Scott, each chose one original album track to rework with a more propulsive feel and from Aju's psychedelic West Coast breaks rendition of the noir-esque "CCBPGC", to Byallo's high vibe leveled-up flight of "Bird Call", or Scott's bold section-by-section recreation of the sprawling "The Soft Glow Of Electric Sex" laser-designed for heads-down late night club sessions, the boys came through to say the least. The real A1 treat of this reinterpretation package however comes from unanimous artist choice and label favorite I:Cube, whose majestic take on "Shleem" sees the veteran producer and master remixer move the bubbling ambient piece into bumping and rich space-age deep house territory, equal parts angelically uplifting and pure 5am club-belter/mind-melter.
A Mountain Of One are set to return to the musical landscape with their brand new track “Custard’s Last Stand”, released 30th July through new label AMORE via Above Board distribution. It is the first new piece of music the band have released in over a decade.
”Custard’s Last Stand” shows the band, made up of musical soulmates Mo Morris and Zeben Jameson, have lost nothing in the past decade. Recorded over Skype during the coronavirus pandemic, with Mo now in Bali and Zeben in west London, it is a shimmering, modern classic, experimental but accessible, melodic and adventurous. As ever, it is utterly unique, made in a musical universe all of their own.
“Custard’s Last Stand” EP is out 27th August, and will come with an incredible Denis Bovell Dub Remix, as well as another new track “Stars, Planets, Dust, Me”. The full EP package will come with a dub remix from musical pioneer Dennis Bovell.
The forthcoming album will be released this autumn. The whole project has been mastered then remixed for a forthcoming album by the legendary Ricardo Villalobos.
When they first started performing, they quickly became one of the most-acclaimed bands out there, with the likes of i-D, Sunday Times Culture, Pitchfork, NME and more raving about them and their inspired and original approach, led by Mo and Zeben’s almost telepathic understanding.
Sold-out shows and awesome reviews followed with “Collected Works” and “Institute of Joy”, two phenomenal records that have stood the test of time, criss-crossing folk, jazz, dance, rock and psychedelia.
A Mountain Of One have collaborated to create a coming together of music and virtual reality. With NYX VX, the band have developed a virtual world, one that will help provide inspired opportunities for artists looking to identify, connect and engage with audiences on multiple levels. This is the first stage of a new world that people will be building out and inhabiting, as venue for performances, home for musical and visual archives, space for play and exploration. Welcome to 'Stars, Planets, Dust, Me'.
Killer tracks by Draconian Steps. A project by Jeremy Rodriguez and Ron Morelli for the first of 2 - 12''s under the name ''Circus of Death''. The tracks were recorded at Devon Analogue Studio in the UK. Wrangled in from a weekend of long studio jams. Bleak overdriven analogue business from start to finish. 3 - 909 cuts crunched out and pushed way into the red. Limited edition, so don't sleep on these!!
Peggy Gou returns with 'Nabi' - her first single in over two years and the follow up to 2019's global crossover, 'Starry Night'.
'Nabi' is an incredible piece of slow-burning, 98bpm electronic pop, inspired by 80s synth classics, the piano pieces of renowned composer Erik Satie and the 80s and 90s Korean songs Gou’s mother used to play at home during her childhood. Showcasing a less familiar side of Gou’s diverse sound and influences, it retains the hallmarks of her unique take on electronic music; at once both nostalgic and totally modern.
‘Nabi’ - which translates as ‘Butterfly’ - is also Gou’s first ever vocal collaboration, as she teams up with fellow Korean sensation OHHYUK, the lead singer and guitarist in Hyukoh. It’s set to build on the widespread acclaim for her 2020 production collaboration with Baltimore techno legend Maurice Fulton (on his ‘Jigoo’ release for Gudu), ‘Nabi’ is the first of two songs Peggy Gou will release over the coming months.
While the forthcoming follow up is set to dial up the tempo, kicks, 808’s and 909s to soundtrack a summer where we can all (hopefully) dance together in our thousands again, ‘Nabi’ is very much the sound of now – a lowkey anthem fuelled by feelings of hope, freedom and positivity for what’s to come.
Could the missing link between Eric Dolphy and Albert Ayler be the Michel Portal of 1970? After having worked alongside François Tusques defending a free jazz “made in France”, we find him here, heading up an international quintet of which each member is on fire: John Surman, Barre Phillips, Stu Martin and Jean-Pierre Drouet. The quintet had full leeway to break out the free-form in long ambient tracks to compose this Alors!!! which leaves listeners with just one word to say: More!
Do we still need to present Michel Portal?... Clarinetist destined for the classical and contemporary world after his passage in the Paris Conservatory, he decided to try his hand at jazz, with an incendiary flamboyance! After his first experience with André Hodeir and Pierre Michelot, he would break all the codes with François Tusques (Free Jazz, in 1965) before starting the emblematic Michel Portal Unit. It is the Portal of those years that Alors!!! offers us the chance to listen to again.
“There are periods of insolence”, the musician declared and the year 1970 was one all on its own. Heading up an impetuous international troupe, a quintet consisting of John Surman (saxophones, bass clarinet), Barre Phillips (double-bass), Stu Martin (drums) and Jean-Pierre Drouet (percussion), Portal moves from alto sax to clarinet in the compositions shared with his partners.
From the off, the group sparks an explosion with the sound of “OO Bam Ba Deep” battered by the horns and percussion. Next up is the fabulous free jazz of “Yes, Oh Yes, You Wonderous Sun Kissed Maiden!” and the fantastic disjointed march of “Ça Boom?” which shakes up the musicians every which way. The quintet imagined that listeners would need to catch their breath, and thoughtfully added: “Billie the Kid” and “Undercurrent”, marvelous moments of ambient mystery.
Audacious from beginning to end, including the sleeve – the bird-man and his quintet brain designed by Avoine, –, the album is a fabulous object, to which the label Futura gave wings at the time. And as it is being reissued today there is just one word to use: the French translation of the title, So!!!
Deluxe Edition[33,57 €]
Portuguese experimental trio 10 000 Russos are gearing up for the release of their fifth album ‘Superinertia’, which is due out September 10th on Fuzz Club Records. Following on from 2019’s ‘Kompromat’ LP and tour dates around the UK, Europe and Mexico in support, the Porto-based band describe ‘Superinertia’ as a record addressing the “state of inertia that humans live in the West nowadays. It isn’t a record about the past or future. It’s about now.” For all that ‘Superinertia’ might take aim at a world without motion, however, the same cannot be said of 10 000 Russos themselves.
On the one hand, since their 2013 debut LP and the three that have followed on Fuzz Club since (2015’s self-titled, 2017’s ‘Distress Distress’ and ‘Kompromat’), 10 000 Russos’ music has always been about as kinetic as it gets: a truly unrelenting and motorik sonic force. On the other hand, ‘Superinertia’ also sees the band itself move into whole new musical territories – aided especially by the recent addition of synth player Nils Meisel to the line-up (who replaces former bassist André Couto.)
“The synths really opened up the sound of the band and gave more routes for the music to journey down. The most important thing on this album was to not repeat ourselves. A new arc in our sound is coming to life”, drummer and vocalist João Pimenta explains. On said arc, the Russos sound is expanded to include moments that invoke Ry Cooder’s ‘Paris, Texas’ soundtrack (‘Mexicali/Calexico’), dancey outbursts that transport you to the 90s Summer of Love (‘Super Inertia’), the closest thing Russos have ever done to a pop song (‘A House Full of Garbage’) and even a touch of banjo (albeit one that sounds like a country band on amphetamines playing over a feedback-blasted Stooges beat.)
“10 000 Russos are bizarre and excellent in equal measure.” - The Quietus
“Songs drip with heavy echo, relentless beats and bass and a sense of charging into the ultimate infinite.” - Bandcamp Daily
“Something unholy has indeed been summoned out of the ground, and it is a power trio from the Iberian Peninsula.” - Clash Magazine
Blue vinyl[26,43 €]
Portuguese experimental trio 10 000 Russos are gearing up for the release of their fifth album ‘Superinertia’, which is due out September 10th on Fuzz Club Records. Following on from 2019’s ‘Kompromat’ LP and tour dates around the UK, Europe and Mexico in support, the Porto-based band describe ‘Superinertia’ as a record addressing the “state of inertia that humans live in the West nowadays. It isn’t a record about the past or future. It’s about now.” For all that ‘Superinertia’ might take aim at a world without motion, however, the same cannot be said of 10 000 Russos themselves.
On the one hand, since their 2013 debut LP and the three that have followed on Fuzz Club since (2015’s self-titled, 2017’s ‘Distress Distress’ and ‘Kompromat’), 10 000 Russos’ music has always been about as kinetic as it gets: a truly unrelenting and motorik sonic force. On the other hand, ‘Superinertia’ also sees the band itself move into whole new musical territories – aided especially by the recent addition of synth player Nils Meisel to the line-up (who replaces former bassist André Couto.)
“The synths really opened up the sound of the band and gave more routes for the music to journey down. The most important thing on this album was to not repeat ourselves. A new arc in our sound is coming to life”, drummer and vocalist João Pimenta explains. On said arc, the Russos sound is expanded to include moments that invoke Ry Cooder’s ‘Paris, Texas’ soundtrack (‘Mexicali/Calexico’), dancey outbursts that transport you to the 90s Summer of Love (‘Super Inertia’), the closest thing Russos have ever done to a pop song (‘A House Full of Garbage’) and even a touch of banjo (albeit one that sounds like a country band on amphetamines playing over a feedback-blasted Stooges beat.)
“10 000 Russos are bizarre and excellent in equal measure.” - The Quietus
“Songs drip with heavy echo, relentless beats and bass and a sense of charging into the ultimate infinite.” - Bandcamp Daily
“Something unholy has indeed been summoned out of the ground, and it is a power trio from the Iberian Peninsula.” - Clash Magazine
Power punks, Hot Milk, have announced their second EP, ‘I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD” via Music For Nations.
It follows the success of the band’s first EP, 2019’s ‘Are You Feeling Alive?’, a fizzy collection of gutsy emo-pop which established them as one of the most exciting new bands in the UK. Their 2019 was a whirlwind year that saw them tour with Foo Fighters, Deaf Havana and You Me At Six, as well as playing some of the UK’s biggest festival stages.
The band were formed in 2018 by vocalist and guitarist duo, Han Mee and Jim Shaw, two friends who met working behind the scenes in the Manchester music scene. Yet they yearned to be in a band themselves. “We got to the point where we were why not? What else have you got to lose?” says Jim. “We thought, we can go for this or we can get to 60 and know we didn’t do right by ourselves.”
Debut EP, ‘Are You Feeling Alive?’, which was penned during a drunken songwriting session, was an effervescent refusal to settle for second best in life. “We’ve both realised that life you don’t get another face,” Han continues. “You get one face and then you’re done, and you will never exist ever again.”
That sense of not letting life slip through your fingers is at the core of Hot Milk’s punk-indebted ethos. And having taken a leap of faith to grasp their platform, the band, completed by bassist Tom Paton and drummer Harry Deller, aren’t about to let it go to waste. “Art is about your interpretation of your own experience,” adds Jim. “The first EP was written five years ago. We’ve grown up and realised who we are and what the world is like right now.”
‘I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD’, which was produced by Jim Shaw, is another vivacious call to arms, rammed with sharp hooks and huge, catchy choruses, to encourage everyone, everywhere, to follow their dreams. But elsewhere, the lyrics are more personal, with the band bottling the anxieties and frustrations of their everyday lives. ‘Woozy’ openly tackles depression, ‘Good Life’ takes on societal corruption and the distribution of wealth, while elsewhere the band address the pursuit of happiness in a modern world.
“These songs are honest,” says Han. “I have nothing to hide. Everyone’s on antidepressants these days. It’s the world we live in, it makes people sad. Capitalism. Is it broken? 100 per cent. I’m angry that the fact that we’re sold a world that actually doesn’t make your inner peace happy. Humans need love and community and a lot of the time, there is no love and the community has dissolved.”
“The anger resides in us at the unfairness of the world,” adds Jim. “Online communities are all about flexing and battling your peers to look or sound a certain way that is better than everyone else. It’s constant and it’s dangerous. You’re teaching kids that to be content, you have to be best. It’s a question again. Are you really living?”
“We’re angry, both politically and existentially in terms of the system we now live in. But also, we’re angry at the fact that we’re sad quite a lot,” continues Han. “But we’re trying to not just sit there and take it. We’re trying to fix it, by building a family through this band.”
Walk into any Hot Milk show and you will feel that sense of community. Through their honest lyrics and inclusive approach, the band say their aim is to create an “aggressively space safe” where fans are empowered to be themselves, “authentically and unapologetically”, as well as opening up a dialogue for people to talk. That will become clear later this year when the band get their chance to air the new material. This summer, they will return to Reading and Leeds Festivals, this time to play the main stage, as well as embarking on a headline UK tour in September. And believe, when the times comes to finally get back into those sweaty pits, these new songs will provide the perfect, life-affirming soundtrack.
“Life is fragile,” says Jim. “You can’t take things with you, but you can make the best memories. That’s the most important thing in life. Your currency is your memory.” “What you can take with you is something that absolutely makes the blood pump round your veins and gives you goosebumps,” agrees Han. “That’s what this band is to us. It’s our passion. That’s what this EP is about.”
Spanish Model tells the story of what happens to a seminal album (This Year’s Model) recorded 42 years ago when it is reinterpreted with new voices in another language. This is a story of transformation, adaptation, reflection; a mash-up of language, geography, culture, and passion. How past/present and time/ space can partner with music/talent to reimagine a completely new work – Spanish Model.
Following on from the acclaimed Tiger Balm / Amazonia Dreaming / Immersion LP (BT028), Black Truffle is thrilled to present two major new instrumental works from legendary sound artist and experimental composer Annea Lockwood. Demonstrating the ever evolving and radically open nature of Lockwood’s practice, these two recent works were developed in close collaboration with their performers. ‘Becoming Air’ (2018), developed with and performed by trumpeter Nate Wooley, uses extended technique and electronics to interfere with Wooley’s virtuosic control over his instrument, pushing him into areas of fluctuating pitch and timbral instability. Motivated by a desire for ‘the letting go of sound to be itself’, ‘Becoming Air’ unfolds as a series of texturally distinct moments separated by pauses, each fixing on a particular approach to the instrument (long tones, upper-register whistles, breathy wooshes) and maintaining it in an essentially static fashion, focussing our attention on subtle changes and variations. Dipping into near-inaudibility in the fragile high tones of its opening section, the piece dramatically increases in volume and intensity in its final third, climaxing with a passage of roaring distortion, where the interaction between feedback and trumpet pitches calls up the shuddering interference effects of Robert Ashley’s Wolfman.
‘Into the Vanishing Point’ (2019) is a collaborative work developed with New York piano and percussion quartet Yarn/Wire, who have performed work by major contemporary composers such as Olivia Block, Catherine Lamb and Klaus Lang. Carrying on the ecological and environmental concerns of some of Lockwood’s previous works, ‘Into the Vanishing Point’ was inspired by a devastating news article on the global collapse of insect populations. Discovering that the four members of Yarn/Wire had also read this text, Lockwood mapped out a loose structure for the piece that would allow the composer and four performers to explore their ‘feelings about what is happening ecologically’. Working with a huge variety of instruments, objects and techniques of sound production, the resulting work is an alluringly lush, organically unfolding tissue of unorthodox textures and haunting tones. Though not intended to sonically represent ecological issues in any direct way, its unique sound world of rubbed piano strings, gently handled objects and chiming pitches often calls up natural images: of insects and frogs, wind rushing through trees, a bird’s wings in flight. Presented in a stunning gatefold cover with liner notes by Lockwood, Wooley and Yarn/Wire, Becoming Air/Into the Vanishing Point is a testament to the generosity and experimentation that continue to characterise the work of this extraordinary artist, active for over fifty years.
With COVID restrictions now easing, and fresh off the back of their ongoing in-lockdown Quarantine Series, as well as EP + album releases from Calder Valley upstarts The Lounge Society and cult singer-songwriter Stephen Fretwell respectively – the studio is now re-open and Speedy are back to doing what they do best: releasing one-off 7”/digital singles.
The latest band to be welcomed into label boss Dan Carey’s Streatham HQ is the 5-piece London based alt-pop band moa moa comprised of James Ratcliffe (guitars, keys, vox), Connor James (keys, guitar), Sophie Parkes (sax, vocals), Dan Byrne (bass) and Matt Taylor (drums).
Having sent the label a collection of demos during lockdown – of mainly finished songs – the one which caught Carey’s ear was actually a 20-second snippet of just an idea really – which the band had included in what they had sent over. ‘I know it sounds mad’ says the producer – ‘but I just knew there was something in it.’ Meaning in true Speedy style the band and producer alongside engineer Alexis Smith had to build the song around the single motif from scratch on the day – having previously never met before, in what turned out to be a mammoth 13-hour recording session.
‘It was scary and exciting in equal measures going into it’ says the band, ‘but Dan and Lex create such a safe, encouraging creative space, and from that, we somehow came out with a moa track we're all happy with.’
The resulting track ‘Coltan Candy’ is 4 + minutes of hook-laden sunshine alt-pop that layers and builds, perfectly reinforcing the band’s manifesto of marrying ‘unconventional songwriting with pop-leaning sensibilities’, channelling (amongst others) Unknown Moral Orchestra, XTC and MGMT with contemporary R & B influences into something seamless and new. And it’s catchy as hell.
‘Lyrically, the tune is darker and more direct than our other stuff’ says James (Ratcliffe), ‘even if it’s offset by everything else going on in the music. The main hook of the song is the lyric "Coltan Candy" which refers to a mineral that has been mined unethically for decades in Africa for the production of electronic circuits in the West. I’m making some pretty OTT comments about corruption, technology, and the failures of institutions in the West, but also asking some questions about our own involvement and inability to do anything about it.’
Regardless of the seriousness of the content the band just feel relieved to have finished the track. ‘Even up to the night before the session we had 20 seconds of music that we were jamming into what sounded like an awful country track…so, it’s fair to say that the whole process really helped us to focus and make decisions!’
Coltan Candy. The sweet sound of the summer.
Since signing with Rhymesayers in 2015, Sa-Roc has continued to both invigorate and grow her fanbase with a string of singles, accompanied with powerful and visually enthralling music videos, including “Forever”, which is nearing 4 million views on YouTube. In that time, she has continued to cultivate and sharpen her skill sets, and now she is set to release her first album for the label.
Speaking on the meaning of the album’s title and inspiration, Sa-Roc shares, "The Sharecropper’s Daughter speaks to my father’s actual beginnings on a Virginia tobacco farm where his family sharecropped. The title is meant to signify that both my father’s and my upbringing, though so different, are linked by a shared history that informs the way I move through the world. Although his formative years were spent in the Jim Crow era of the south, where he suffered through poverty and racial oppression, and mine were shaped in the heart of DC, amidst the war on drugs and the effects of its fallout, the album finds points of connection in two very different yet tragically familiar stories of Blackness in America. It’s a sonic reflection of the things we inherit. About the emotional weight that we unknowingly bestow upon the next generation; the genetic transfer of both trauma and triumph that we, both donors and
- A1: Homage
- A2: Rolling 50 Deep (Feat. Sheek Louch, Styles P, Benny The Butcher, Bun B, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Az, Papoose, Ransom, Memphis Bleek, Billy Danze, Lil Fame, Dave East, 3D Natee, Joell Ortiz, Saigon, Mistah F.a.b., Chris Rivers, Jon Connor, Twista, E-40, Nino Man, Shoota, Mysonne, Sauce Money, Ice-T, Trick Trick, Rj Payne, E-A-Ski, Fred The Godson, Loaded Lux, Termanology, Young Noble, Edi, Locksmith, Cassidy, Maino, Vado, Rockness, Dj Paul, Mc Gruff, Stan Spit, Uncle Murda, Cory Gunz, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, Trae Tha Truth, Bynoe, Hocus 45Th & Royce Da 5'9)
- A3: It's About To Go Down (Feat. Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes & Junior Reid)
- B1: Where Is The Love (Feat. Conway The Machine, Sheek Louch & Jhonni Blaze)
- B2: Man Down (Feat. Juicy J, Jim Jones, Phresher, Bun B & Pesh Mayweather)
- B3: Rhyme Or Die (Feat. Joell Ortiz, Papoose, Ransom & Tre Williams)
- B4: We Get Busy (Feat. Az, Papoose, Bun B, Benny The Butcher, Trae Tha Truth, Zone & Ghostface Killah)
- B5: Lose Control (Feat. Emc Scotty, Billboard Baby, 6 Keys & Sammi J)
- B6: Street Life (Feat. Dave East, Vado & Julian Morgan)
The longstanding DJ comes through with a brand new album for the modern times, keeping the tradition alive through a stacked tracklist of heavy hitters. With an extension of the popular posse cut, “Rolling 25 Deep,” DJ Kay Slay ups the ante with an 18 minute anthem, “Rolling 50 Deep,” featuring the likes of Benny The Butcher, Bun B, Styles P, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and more. He further adds to his track record of pairing together artists for hit records with cuts from Ghostface Killah & Busta Rhymes, Conway the Machine & Sheek Louch, and Juicy J & Jim Jones.
Assemble Music returns in 2021 with its 25th release: a 5-track heavyweight compilation featuring a handful of the finest electronic acts in Portugal and two well sought after internationals.
Population One a.k.a. Terrence Dixon, having released in iconic labels such as Metroplex, Tresor, Rush Hour and Jeff Mills’ imprint Axis in the last decades, kicks off this record with ‘Unfolding’ some Detroit Techno cargo (A1), followed by a hypnotizing, spiraling acidic Techno bomb - ‘Acid Grind’ (A2) - courtesy of the Algarve duo Roundhouse Kick. Prolific Portuguese DJ and producer, formerly based in The Netherlands, Lake Haze finishes off this first side with the Electro infused, twisted ‘Acid Warfare’ (A3).
Over to the B side, Roma Zuckerman, originally from Siberia and also releasing a double LP on Nina Kraviz’s трип this year, pulls off a classic fast-paced Acid groove on ‘We Call Its Acidomine’ (B1), while the Lisbon duo 2Jack4U takes us to a dream party land with the anthem ‘Acid 00010’ (B2)
Surely a must-have tool for an upcoming post-pandemic rave!
A deep dive into the one of most collectable jazz catalogues in the world, a selection of some of the rarest and most sought-after recordings from the 60s and 70s, a time when British jazz began to find its own identity. Drawn from the iconic labels of Decca, Deram, Argo, EMI Columbia/Lansdowne Series, Fontana, Mercury, & Philips. If one were asked to pick an album that represented the best of British jazz in the 1960s, Le Déjeuner Sur l’Herbe by the New Jazz Orchestra would be a serious contender. Recorded in September 1968, it draws together many of the key streams that had developed in British jazz in the preceding years, and also presages much of what was to come. Notwithstanding the line-up, which includes some of the very best British jazz musicians directed by an inventive and ingenious leader in Neil Ardley, the session features pieces written by the most distinctive jazz composers active in Britain at that time alongside idiosyncratic interpretations of works by John Coltrane and Miles Davis. And it’s all captured beautifully by engineer Howard Barrow and producer Tony Reeves and it features a stella cast of some of the greatest musicians, not just from that era or genre but beyond; Jack Bruce, who would become one of the founding members of Cream, Barbara Thompson, Ian Carr, Michael Gibbs, Dave Gelly, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman, who went on to form one of the greatest jazz/progressive/rock bands – Colosseum.
Spirits Having Fun records are ones made from and for shows and spaces—arrangements rooted in a deeply collaborative process, that come to life through intuitive and locked-in live improvisation. Following their 2019 debut Auto-Portrait, Two finds the New York and Chicago based four-piece continuing to challenge ideas of what a rock band can be, pulling apart their musical experiences and reimagining them as kinetic compositions, equally studied but palpably organic.
Two is constructed around gut feelings and strong grooves, elastic rhythms and playful pacing. Its twelve songs expand, contract, and make sharp turns between melodies under singer-guitarist Katie McShane’s meditative lyrics. “Broken Cloud,” which was also released last year on a compilation in support of Chicago Community Jail Support, offers a glimpse into her reflections on the natural world: "A city grew out of the ground / to a mountain it's only a blur."
True to its name, the internal logic of the band is also just a lot of fun, built on trust and deep-rooted musical relationships. Before there was Spirits Having Fun, McShane, bassist Jesse Heasly, guitarist-vocalist Andrew Clinkman, and drummer Phil Sudderberg had performed together in various arrangements over the years. McShane, Heasly and Clinkman met in a specific corner of the Boston underground in 2013, a time when a scene had coalesced around students from local music conservatories frequently collaborating with punk bands and noise artists, exchanging ideas and warping musical worldviews. Heasly and Clinkman played together in Cowboy Band, making mutant, free jazz-inspired takes on old country tunes. When Clinkman moved to Chicago, Heasly and McShane played in experimental groups like EKP and Listening Woman; in Chicago, Clinkman met Sudderberg playing in projects like jazz scene fixture Ken Vandermark’s high-powered band Marker.
Spirits first came together as an attempt at a long-distance collaboration among friends in 2016, driven by the simple feeling of missing each other; they’d meet up for marathon weekends here and there to practice, playing small loops through dive bars and art spaces around the Midwest—just enough for McShane and Heasly to afford plane tickets back home. Being split between Chicago and New York forced the project into a deliberate pace. “We tried to take it slow and let it be what it was,” said McShane. That sense of patience unexpectedly prepared them for March of 2020, when their planned tours and the release of Two were indefinitely delayed.
Two was mostly recorded in the summer of 2019 with the help of omnipresent Chicago engineer Dave Vettraino and DPCD’s Alec Watson, whose contributions on organ, synths, and piano are laced throughout the record. The album reflects a synthesis of solitary and communal songwriting processes—each song drawing on fragments written by individuals, which McShane threaded together and shaped through her distinct compositional lens, making the songs whole before returning to them to the band to mature collectively. When composing, McShane writes first on the keyboard before adapting parts for guitars played by herself and Clinkman. Their dueling approaches to guitar are complementary: McShane, being a newer guitarist, brings a freshness to the project (“I'm just discovering the whole time,” she says) while Clinkman has been playing since childhood.
“There's a lot more collaboration on this record,” says Clinkman, “in terms of all of us letting stuff bloom a little bit more.” The record’s first single, “Hold The Phone” is a good example of this process—it started with a playful intro riff from Clinkman, a melody and bridge added by McShane, a wobbly outro groove added by Heasly, which Sudderberg brought to life. Another single, the dynamic “See a Sky,” written primarily by Heasly, underscores the rhythm section chemistry at play across the record, the song ebbing and flowing around Heasly and Sudderberg’s eclectic percussive palettes.
“Entropy Transfer Partners” is the only song on the record with lyrics by Clinkman, and the album’s most politically direct—a call for solidarity in the face of systemic failures, an acknowledgment of the shared material devastation caused by our country’s ongoing healthcare and housing crises: “These are not things we're experiencing individually. We struggle through them collectively. And we could actually declare, all of us, that it doesn't have to be this way, and fight and organize to ameliorate some of those conditions.” (“We won't work to create the shit you monetize, to run our lives,” they sing.)
From front to back, Two is an absorbing listen simply for its impressive range. But as the members explain themselves, the complexity of the record is about more than its intricate riffs, or how often they count out an odd time signature, but how they reject the notion of boxing the songs in, letting the melodies take on lives of their own. “Making music that feels alive is important to us,” says Clinkman. “Music feels most powerful to me when it deepens our sensation of feeling alive and connected to other humans. It’s so easy to feel worn down and isolated; that your life’s value is fixed to your productivity at your job, or the things that you have or don’t have. Making music that feels joyful and fun seems like one effective antidote to that feeling.”
Elvis Costello’s “This Year’s Model” will be reinterpreted all in Spanish with 19 of today’s top Latin artists (Luis Fonsi, Sebastian Yatra, Juanes, and many more) representing a total of 9 countries. The lyrics have been precisely translated to have the featured Latin artists sing to the original multis. We are working closely with our Universal Latin label partners for artist participation and overall support on this release.
The Other End Of The Circle by OPICA
The second release on Nikolaj Jakobsen/Sugar's new Perfumery label is a complete departure from the signature Copenhagen fast techno sound, and unequivocal notice of the varied and experimental plans he has for the imprint.
OPICA is Anders Bo Eriksen, a cimbalom-, tuba player, percussionist and producer, who has created an ambitious, diverse and mind warping debut album ranging from soothing acoustic ambient pieces, electronica-esque live-drum cut up tunes, mutant house music, and 180 bpm breakbeat madness.
In this goodiebag there's something for everyone, so don't be shy! In the making of this album OPICA is featuring vocalist Astrid Engberg, drummer Anders Vestergaard, and Sven Dam Meinild on sax and flute, and the album is co-produced and mixed by Nikolaj Jakobsen.
This album is for the late night acid fueled deep listening sessions!
- 1: Quiver (Extended) (3:59)
- 2: Ace Degenerate (1:5)
- 3: Strike First (1:07)
- 4: Cobra Guy (Extended) (2:32)
- 5: Slither (1:4)
- 6: The Internet (1:25)
- 7: You're The Champ (1:34)
- 8: Johnny's Story (2:29)
- 9: Web Md (1:10)
- 10: A Badass Name For A Dojo (Extended) (3:30)
- 11: Awake The Snake (2:07)
- 12: Worthy Opponent (2:)
- 13: Furious Hawk / Dark Hawk (2:14)
- 14: The All-Valley Tournament (3:34)
- 15: Snake In The Grass (2:05)
- 16: Stone Vs. Diaz (1:41)
- 17: The Cobra Effect (2:34)
- 18: Snap (1:46)
- 19: I'm A Sensei (1:58)
- 20: It Belongs To Me (3:)
- 21: Miyagi-Do Fix-Up (2:15)
- 22: Miyagi Memories (1:35)
- 23: The Wheel Technique (1:54)
- 24: Like A Dance (3:12)
- 25: Miyagi-Do (1:53)
- 26: Balance (1:03)
- 27: Kan-Geiko (1:04)
- 28: Mall Fight (1:39)
- 29: The Wrong Path (1:58)
- 30: Medal Of Honor (1:24)
- 31: Into The Snake Pit (2:26)
- 32: Miyagi's Tomb (2:43)
- 33: Miyagi Metal (2:16)
- 34: Return To Okinawa (3:20)
- 35: Live Or Die, Man (1:41)
- 36: Crane Technique (3:02)
- 37: Secrets Of Miyagi-Do (2:56)
- 38: Two-Time Champion (1:32)
- 39: Chop Shop (2:02)
- 40: The Right Path (3:00)
- 41: Sam And Robby (Extended) (4:26)
- 42: Final Match (1:48)
- 43: The Cobra And The Mongoose (1:19)
- 44: Time Out (1:35)
- 45: No Mercy (1:14)
- 46: New Champion (1:37)
- 47: I'm Coming For You, Bitch (1:38)
- 48: Hallway Hellscape (3:36)
- 49: Scale The School (0:50)
- 50: Hawk's Prey (1:28)
- 51: Rematch (2:08)
- 52: Fallen Soldier (2:38)
- 53: Carol Of The Cobras (2:17)
- 54: Dojo From Hell (1:50)
- 55: Must Not Lose To Fear (1:45)
- 56: Call Of The Cobra (2:12)
- 57: Duel Of The Snakes (Mega-Edit) (9:58)
- 58: Challenger (3:09)
Mondo and Madison Gate are proud to present the premiere vinyl release of Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson's incredible score to the Netflix streaming phenomenon COBRA KAI. This 3-disc vinyl set features music from the first 3 seasons of the hit series, curated by the composers into themed collections.
This exclusive retail version comes pressed on red, white, and blue marble discs. Also featuring all new artwork from the incredible Matt Ryan Tobin and liner notes from composers Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson, star Ralph Macchio, and showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg.
Music from the first 3 seasons of the series curated into three collections of music:
Disc 1: COBRA KAI - a curated mix of music scoring the most badass dojo in the Vallely
Disc 2: MIYAGI-DO - curated selections from the music scoring Laruso Family, and its ties to the Miyagi legacy.
Disc 3: FINAL FIGHTS - the music from all three of the explosive season finale episodes.
All of the music has been hand selected, and in many cases expanded from their original form for the most definitive Cobra Kai listening experience available.
Cut is an album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1982. It is one of their most popular releases to date, as it contains the international hit “Twilight Zone”, written by guitarist/vocalist George Kooymans. “Twilight Zone” reached No. 1 in both the Netherlands and Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, while also reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Licensed in 1975 by Gemelli, Rendez Vous is possibly a holy grail in Nicolai’s long-running career as a composer. The orchestra director and musical editor is been active for at least 30 years and his majestic opus an overwhelming data for any avantgarde freak or moviegoer obsessed. While studying piano and composition at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, he befriended Ennio Morricone and formed a long working relationship, with Nicolai eventually conducting for and co-scoring films with Morricone. Nicolai also scored a number of giallo exploitation films and wrote many scores for director Jesús Franco. His work was featured in the Quentin Tarantino films Kill Bill: Volume 2 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Tension! Pretty much what this whole record is all about. An imaginary soundtrack that turned out to be an in-demand obscure library, Rendez Vous shows up the many skills of the composer and his alumni. Possibly Morricone is playing muted trumpet in several episodes – Diffidenza and Subdolamente – absorbing thrilling experiences similar to the Maestro soundtracks for Dario Argento early movies (not a case that Nicolai was the conductor for several adventures in movie sound theatre such as ‘L’Uccello Dalle Piume Di Cristallo’, ‘ Il Gatto A Nove Code’ or ‘4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio’).
Rendez Vous is now to be ranked among the most adventurous Nicolai soundtracks, a unique combination of classic contemporary arrangements and superb jazz noir sketches
- A1: Gimme Little Sign ~ Brenton Wood
- A2: Another Dirty Deal ~ The Incredibles
- A3: So In Luv ~ Othello Robertson
- A4: I’m On My Way ~ Barbara Dane
- A5: A Little Spark Of Fire ~ Bruce Cloud
- A6: Meet Me At Midnight ~ Cindy Lynn & The In-Sounds
- B1: The Ice Man ~ Billy Watkins
- B2: Gonna Hang On In There Girl ~ Jesse Davis
- B3: One Love ~ Jimmy Lewis
- B4: Backfield In Motion ~ Mel & Tim
- B5: I’ve Arrived ~ Jewel Akens
- B6: The ‘In’ Crowd ~ Dobie Gray
The UK’s love affair with American soul music blossomed in the
mid 1960s, with the launch of the Tamla-Motown record label in
Britain. But by the end of the decade this passion took on a
distinctly homegrown twist with a new movement that grew out
of the North of England and Midlands’ underground soul and
R&B scene. It was here at dancehalls and clubs such as
Manchester’s Twisted Wheel and the Wigan Casino that
devotees danced the night away to uptempo, joyous US soul
records that always came with a heavy beat. Pretty soon the
movement had a name: Northern Soul. This collection is the
next best thing and it is all on vinyl, exactly how the movement’s
fans originally heard them
Laura Nyro's third Columbia effort is easily the equal of her previous two. The overwhelming strength of her song writing and distinctive arrangements fuel Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. Her unmistakable style of delivery maintains the continual examination of herself as a performer. The results are uniformly interesting and provocative as she continues to draw upon her love of jazz, folk, and R&B. Conceptually, this album is as potent as her previous effort, New York Tendaberry, but in a much different way. Rather than hanging together thematically, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat features two inclusive and distinctive sides of music -- with different musicians and producers for each. The first five tracks feature Nyro backed by the Swampers from Muscle Shoals, AL, and include the talents of Roger Hawkins (drums), Eddie Hinton (guitar), Dave Hood (bass), Barry Becket (vibraphone), and Jack Jennings (percussion), with Arif Mardin producing. While this pairing might seem initially incongruous, the quintet had been concurrently working with the likes of Dusty Springfield and Cher and had gained a rightful reputation as a consummate backup band. The final four pieces are steeped in noir more atypical of her previous efforts. The all-star cast of New York City session heavyweights are led by Felix Cavaliere (producer) and features fellow Rascals member Dino Danelli (drums), Ralph McDonald (percussion), Chuck Rainey (bass), Cornell Dupree (guitar), Duane Allman (guitar), and Alice Coltrane (stringed harp), among others. As with all of Nyro's recordings, at the heart of this effort are her ageless compositions and arrangements. A motif connecting such disparate tunes as the upbeat "When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag" to the hauntingly beautiful "Christmas in My Soul" and "Beads of Sweat" is the aching hollowness that came with the disillusionment that Vietnam, Kent State, and racial relations brought upon America in 1970. As she had done with "Save the Country" some four years earlier, Nyro's cathartic expressionism is captured at its most fervent on this album.
Blue Vinyl with Bonus 7”
Charlotte Cornfield’s “The Shape of Your Name” was the inaugural release
from Next Door Records, originally launched in April 2019.
Next Door Records is proud to present a deluxe reissue of this monumental
album in time for the second anniversary of its release. The deluxe reissue
consists of the original LP, now pressed on Atlantic Blue vinyl, with bonus twotrack 7” In My Corner b/w Upstate.
From the original release sheet: ‘You free yourself when you take away the
script,’ says Toronto songwriter Charlotte Cornfield. ‘That’s where this record
came from, dismantling patterns and embracing the process.’
The album has a more honed studio sound than her scrappier 2016 release Future Snowbird, and for good reason: it was recorded in 5 different sessions over
the course of 3 years. The songs are her strongest and most striking to date -
contemplative and contemporary, funny and heart-wrenching - and they’ve got
that stuck-in-your-head-for-days quality that Charlotte is known for.
‘My initial intention wasn’t to make a record at all,’ Cornfield muses. ‘The
whole thing kind of happened by accident. I went to The Banff Centre to do
a residency and came out with these recordings that I knew I wanted to use
for something but wasn’t sure what.’ She brought the unfinished songs to her
former roommate Nigel Ward in Montreal.
‘He fell into the producer role seamlessly,’ says Cornfield. ‘We took it slow and
just tried things for a while until the vision settled in. There was no rush. It was
freeing, and it gave the songs a lot of breathing room to develop.’”
Life Model are a 5-piece dream pop band from Glasgow, made up of Sophie Evans (vocals and guitar), Chris Smith (guitar), Helen Farrow-Thoms (keys and backing vocals), Cameron McDougall (bass) and
Michael McDonald (drums).
Named as one of Vic Galloway’s ‘Ones to Watch in 2018’, the band mixes classic indie and pop of the likes of The Sundays and Belle and Sebastian with the noisier leanings of bands like Sonic Youth.
Their sound has been described as pop-drenched melody, supplemented with layers of reverberating noise - “like they’ve taken Harriet Wheeler from The Sundays and asked her to sing on the kind of song Ride used to write.” - For The Rabbits.
Thomas Dahyot. the voice of Madcaps, a feelgood French garage band
releases his debut solo LP as alter ego Pepper White.
Found in the ten songs of The Lonely Tunes Of Pepper White are Dahyot’s first
the loves in song - the casualness of JJ Cale, the smeared pop of 1969 Velvet
Underground, the profane gospel of Nat King Cole, the acoustic heartbreaks of
Ty Segall, the snap and crackle of a Barratt or Ayers.
These are wedded to the trademark signatures of his song writing: the astonishing breaks, the wonderful arrangements and the attention given to tempo.
And then there is the omnipresence of the piano whose keys he had fallen in
love with, “Lonely For Too Long”, the first song composed on the instrument
and its mellotron finale, gives some clues about the state of mind in which the
album was composed.
“Still In Love With You”, is sung on two octaves, as if Pepper was in duet with
himself. The bewitching “Home Alone” invokes the devilry of Screamin’ Jay
Hawkins, while “Rom Com” lays bare, with derision, the guilty pleasures linked
to televisual mawkishness. These are the elements, new and old, that make up
Pepper White’s music.
From humble origins in New Orleans to its journey upriver to Chicago, this Rough Guide charts the 1920s “golden age” of jazz with classic tracks by legends such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington & Jelly Roll Morton as well as many other pioneering artists.
Seminal recordings by trailblazing jazz artists who paved the way for what has become a global phenomenon. Includes the instrumental brilliance of soloists including Eddie Lang, Bix Beiderbecke and Earl Hines. Following on from the
success of other American roots titles in the Rough Guide range, ‘The Rough
Guide to the Roots of Jazz’ is the perfect overview of the emerging styles and
key performers of early jazz on one album.
Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques.
Every Day is a Day is Cold Hart’s first LP for Epitaph. As a co-founder of
the seminal rap collective GothBoiClique, (along with Lil Peep, Lil Tracy,
YAWNS) Cold Hart has consistently been on the cutting edge of alternative
hip-hop and rock since 2013 as a vocalist, songwriter, and producer.
By pairing components of rap with seemingly unrelated genres like emo and
gothic rock, Cold Hart has become an innovator of genre-defying music.
Cold Hart, has earned the respect of peers and critics alike (his previous LP
Good Morning Cruel World received a 6.9 from Pitchfork). Coming hot on the
heels of the stratospheric success of Cold Hart’s Lil Peep collaboration, “Me &
You,” with over 60 Million global streams to date, his path is well established in
the digital space, with current catalog streams at over 1million/wk.
With his new album Every Day Is A Day, Cold Hart has progressed beyond emo
rap as he developed a newer, fuller sound, that he describes as “hands on guitar stuff with a soulful twist.
First time on LP: Praised by NPR for their “upbeat, poppy vibe; energetic,
driving rhythms; and virtuosic solos,” Twisted Pine released their
second full- length Right Now on August 14, 2020 (Signature Sounds).
Exploring a sound they call Americana funk, Twisted Pine takes traditional music in exhilarating directions. Bassist Chris Sartori writes, “This album is easier
to feel than describe. We’re rooted in bluegrass, continually inspired by explorers like Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and Sierra Hull. Right Now takes this heritage into a new dimension. Our bluegrass is jazzy, our indie folk is poppy, our
grooves are funky.”
Twisted Pine (Kathleen Parks, fiddle; Dan Bui, mandolin; Chris Sartori, bass; Anh
Phung, flute) grooves with fearless improvisation and intricate arrangements.
“They were once bluegrass,” wrote The Boston Globe, “but ... this Boston band
has become something else, a wider version of stringband, boundary jumpers
akin to outfits like Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek.”
LONE - ABRAXAS EP IS A THREE TRACK EXCURSION INTO ETHEREAL ACID
Lone reveals the first physical release on his new imprint, Ancient Astronauts, which has been set up to release new material whilst working on his next studio album.
The three track EP, Abraxas, sees the producer carry out his first experiments with 303 acid packaged up in a breakbeat club tool focused sound – an idea which was sparked from hearing friends playing ‘90s drum and bass at slower speeds than usual.
The result is a rip-roaring trio of tracks, with the heavy bass rumbles and searing squelch of Abraxas undoubtedly cementing the title track as the chosen club destroyer. Young Star Cluster follows up with a marriage of the rolling funky drummer break with bursts of 303 acid and Lone’s trademark empyrean breakdowns before How Can You Tell takes us deeper still, with choral pads opening the door to another chapter in the multifaceted producer’s sound.
Atlanta’s The Masamune presents his debut 12″ release on Ohm Resistance – 4 absolute dancefloor controllers, with a special guest appearance from DJ Hidden on remix duties. This self-titled EP is aimed squarely at the next generation of Drum & Bass DJs and listeners, competing for the top step on the production podium. A direct representation of the storied Drum & Bass history of the label, The Masamune wires together his signature traditional symphonic strings and orchestral elements with the hardest hitting modern dancefloor sound. His beats range from half time punishers, in his signature Neuro-hop style, to running and rolling steppers, with a strong hip hop/b-boy influence appearing throughout his produdctions. According to The Masamune: “This project was made almost specifically to serve as a prelude to the full length LP I’m currently writing for Ohm Resistance.” The EP showcases the numerous talents of the artist, as well as crucial amplifications from his collaborators. Including Jakob Klug on artwork (previously work includes Black Sun Empire and The Outside Agency) and The Netherland’s legendary DJ Hidden, who has remixed the closing track – Doomslayer. The Masamune comments: “I consider DJ Hidden a pioneer and an early influence of mine. He was gracious enough to lend his talents on the remix of my 2018 track “Doomslayer”. The Masamune is a multi-genre producer, remixer, & live act from Atlanta, GA. A composer and sound designer known for his niche style of blending orchestral elements into the chaotic palettes of hard drums and heavy synths, his tracks explore dark themes and deliver punishing consistency. A top-flight production ethic combines with rich exploration of the dark side of Drum & Bass, his works are an automatic dancefloor uplifter in the hands of skilled DJs. He has released on Harder & Louder, Mindocracy, Smackdown Recordings, and was a participant in the Ohm Resistance 7″ series, as well as an annual contributor to the Perihelion compilation series.
d B2 Doomslayer DJ Hidden Remix
A selection of exclusive tracks from a dusty shoebox full of cassettes and DAT tapes, recorded by Facehugger and Deviant between 1995 and 1997.
The Parasite EP showcases their first batch of live analogue jams that mash the boundaries of experimental house, deep electro, acid and the hazy bustling sounds of the city – a soundtrack of travelling to raves, staying up late, coming home and making wild mixtapes until early Monday morning.
Despite the untimely passing of his production partner, Deviant, in 2009, Facehugger has remained a dedicated and unique beatmaker, close personal friend and unsung hero of the scene, not to mention “unofficial” manager of the Plates record shop, known for his outspoken, boisterous and loud opinions about any new releases which came in!
Now, nearly 30 years on, nestled in the quiet suburb of Carlton (Nottingham), Facehugger loads up his drum machines and starts to create, with the promise of a new wave of music on the horizon…
DJ support from: Charlie Bones (NTS), Bradley Zero, Coco Bryce, OK Williams, Glenn Astro
- A1: Power Of Mind (Feat Raw Poetic)
- A2: Reporting
- A3: Enchanted Spirits (Feat Insight)
- A4: Upload Optimism
- A5: God Speed (Feat Blu)
- B1: Four Better Or Worse (Part 1 - Feat Nitty Scott)
- B2: Four Better Or Worse (Part 2 - Feat Blu)
- B3: Four Better Or Worse (Part 3 - Feat Raw Poetic)
- B4: Four Better Or Worse (Part 4)
Black vinyl[25,76 €]
The music that would become Conversation Peace began with a trip to KPM’s London HQ in late January of 2020. I had just finished wrapping up post production on my album Ocean Bridges with Archie Shepp and Raw Poetic. I actually received the invitation during the summer of 2019 during studio sessions for Ocean Bridges and scheduling for the top of 2020 made the most sense. So I packed up a few records and a few drum machines then embarked on my first trip to England. We had a quick meeting about expectations, then it was time to see the archive. As a record collector, I’m very familiar with the legacy of the KPM brand. I had been lucky enough to find a few over the past decade during my digging trips up and down the east coast, but looking at the complete vinyl catalogue was a great privilege. I anxiously began combing through records from morning to night looking for the right sounds. The whole experience was surreal.
Listening to the entire catalogue was a history lesson and the amount of great composers and compositions in the recordings was endless. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t somewhat overwhelming. As a producer looking for textures, inspiration and grooves, the abundance of those things made it extremely difficult to narrow down what I wanted to use. From drums to sound fx to orchestras to small rhythm sections to ambient noises, I heard a wide variety of things and they were all so well produced and recorded. Every instrument you can think of was there! I spent a little over a week capturing sounds knowing that my work was cut out for me when I returned to my home in DC. Once I got home, I got to work. I captured so much, that it took me about a month just to organize all those ideas. Little did I know the world would drastically change in the next month following my return. My flight to and from London would indefinitely be my last time traveling for a while. I worked diligently with the material and took my time making sure I had strong ideas. The history of KPM and the opportunity to collaborate with the prestigious lineage made the stakes very high for me and I knew I needed to deliver a quality product. It’s an honor to be the first artist to release a KPM Crate Diggers title. - Earl Davis (Damu the Fudgemunk)
Hold onto your hats! The Allergies are back in the building. Yes, the UK beatmakers have got an absolute one-two punch with this new 7" single, as both sides are fire-in-the-hole, future classics in the making, ready to soothe your soul and ignite the party.
Leading the way is the vintage funk and beefed-up breaks bomb, 'Love Somebody'. A mix of crazy up-tempo grooves and loops, snatches of reworked soul samples, deft scratching, and dancefloor energy up the wazoo. It's that unique Allergies signature sound, with a whole new splash of club-rocking polish smothered on top.
Oh, my… And holding its own on the B-side of this release is the title track from that feverishly anticipated full length album, 'Promised Land'. This beaty, meaty, Moby meets Fatboy Slim-style anthem, will have your loins stirred, and feet tapping with its next-level sampling skills, and hugs-all-around, end-of-a-festival wonderment.
A compelling slice of Canadian funk from the late 70s - a group and album who were inspired by the righteous power of James Brown's famous Payback album - but who come across here with a warmer, clubbier feel overall! There's a nice degree of boogie in the mix, but the overall approach is definitely funk - with bumping basslines underneath tight horns, including plenty of sweet Fred Wesley-styled trombone. Yet other club elements come into the mix too - keyboards and a bit of strings at times, which warm things up nicely alongside the tighter bottom rhythms - but always in a way that's still relatively funky overall. Most cuts have an instrumental focus - but there's also female chorus vocals on a number of tracks too - and titles include "Le Payback", "Struttin", "Feelin Good", "Funky Feelin", "The Forge", and "The Mad Mechanic".
Daptone Records is honored to announce the release of Innov Gnawa's full-length, Lila. Formed in NYC, this grammy-nominated group of Moroccan expats has been making waves locally and abroad with their hypnotic live shows. The group is led by Ma'alem Hassan Ben Jaffar, a master musician and spiritual elder of the ensemble who plays a three-stringed african bass known as a guembri. Ben Jaffar is accompanied by a brotherhood of musicians – (Amino Belyamani, Ahmed Jeriouda, Samir Langus and Nawfal Atiq) – all playing the qraqeb, metal castanets that represent the shackles and chains of slaves and also singing chorus responses. Gnawa music is a spiritual tradition rooted in Moroccoʼs ancient history. Often referred to as “Sufi Blues”, Gnawaʼs African influence originated from West African slaves brought to Morocco centuries ago. Not unlike blues music in the American South, Gnawa music is revered throughout Morocco as treasured indigenous soul music.
After seeing a performance at a mutual friend's party, producer and local Gnawa enthusiast, Bosco Mann, invited Innov Gnawa to come record some tracks at The Daptone House of Soul. The invitation was accepted and over a five-hour session, the group tracked an entire albumsʼ worth of material - all in one take. The session tracked that evening is what we humbly offer up to you, the beloved Daptone Family. Lila, literally meaning "night" is a traditional ceremony in which the Ma'alem and his qraqeb ensemble dedicate an evening of healing through music. This all-night rhythm fest is a spiritual ritual which cleanses the body, mind, and spirit. We invite you to immerse yourself in Lila. Experience Freedom, Liberation and the power of healing through music. The spirit of Gnawa is people. Experience the freedom, liberation, and power of healing through music. You are not alive if this music doesn't move you.
One of life's most difficult arts is learning to let go. You can try to cling to control in the face of a turbulent world, but the only constant we can count on is change—the tendrils of cleansing fire wiping away the old, new life springing forth from the dust and ash. So what's the point? Give yourself over to the depths. Surrender to the flow.
G.S. Schray's new solo album The Changing Account is an appropriate soundtrack for learning to cope with a world we can't count on. Each piece is full of elliptical melodies that swirl with the unstable logic of dreams. Flurries of piano, guitar lines, and other more alien instrumentation shimmer delicately, but before they coalesce into familiar shapes or rhythms they change, then change, then change again. Listening is a bit like falling asleep on a long road—with each passing song you're waking up somewhere new, trying to get your bearings in another strange world. How did I get here? Where are we going? It doesn't matter. Close your eyes, drift away again.
Over the last few years, NuNorthern Soul has established a number of traditions, most notably annual releases that provide a snapshot of the label’s output while also considering their suitability for certain seasons. Perhaps the most popular is founder Phil Cooper’s Summer Selections series, which each year showcases warm and sunny gems mined from a range of forthcoming releases.
The 2021 edition of the sampler, the third in total, may well be the best yet. Six tracks deep and as subtly varied as you’d expect, the entertaining set features tracks from a mixture of exciting newcomers, experienced producers and long-time members of the NuNorthern Soul family.
To kick things off, Cooper introduces us to Marshall Watson, an American producer who later in the year will release two five-track EPs on the label. ‘A Door To The Sky’, which will feature on the Sunsets On Larkin Part 1 EP, is sumptuously sun-kissed, with delay-laden electric guitar textures and sparkling electronics reclining over a tactile electronic groove.
LOVA’s ‘Echoes of Memories’, the track that follows, recalls the atmospheric, synthesizer-sporting new age Balearica popularised by Quiet Force in the late 1980s. The Italian producer was signed after bringing a USB stick of productions to one of Phil Cooper’s gigs in Ibiza; his Gypsophilia EP will be one to check when it drops later in the year.
Gusk’s ‘Sketch #4 - Anafi Nights’ is seductive and exotic. It’s a crackling and atmospheric musical painting that daubs starry stabs and yearning melodies atop a bubbly, lo-fi drum machine beat. It provides a perfect snapshot of the Greek musician’s Mediterranean Sketches EP, which gathers together home recordings made between 1997 and 2003.
Arguably even more immersive and enveloping is ‘Aqua Blancas Sunrise’ by Tambores En Benirras, the musical project of Cumbrian selector DJ Gripper. A slow-burning delight full of intricate musical flourishes –think drifting female vocalizations, Indian-influenced percussion, twinkling pianos and haunting clarinet motifs the track is one of the many highlights on the Barrow in Furness based producer’s forthcoming debut album for NuNorthern Soul.
To round things off, Cooper has chosen to offer-up cuts from two very experienced artists. George Solar (real name Georg Boskamp) is an Ibiza-based German producer who has been collaborating and releasing music since the late 1980s. ‘Infrared’, his contribution to Summer Selections 3, is a languid and glassy-eyed slab of slow-motion Balearic dub. His Los Ra-yos Del Sol EP will be one to look out for later in the year and is his debut solo release.
The sampler’s final missive fittingly comes from long-time friend of the family B.J Smith, a regular contributor to NuNorthern Soul releases who has reunited with Huw Costin – a vocalist he previously worked with on Smith & Mudd releases for Claremont 56 for a double A side single due later in 2021. ‘Sun When You Come’ is as warming and hazy as you’d expect and features Costin’s emotive, reverb-laden vocals and mazy electric piano solos rising above a suitably horizontal groove. It provides a stunning, sunset-ready conclusion to another superb set of Summer Selections.
Chrystabell’s smooth as silk vocals transcend the aether as she reinvents classic Cure songs in Strange As Angels.
Post-Punk, New Wave, Goth - for over four decades The Cure created alternative music so powerful that it redefined the mainstream. They didn’t just master genres, they transcended them. Throughout these varied styles the group maintained an aesthetic continuity, creating a world so vast and mysterious that there’s room for other artists to explore it.
And explore it he does on Strange as Angels, Marc Collin’s new collection of reinvented Cure songs, sung by the ethereal Chrystabell. Produced, arranged and conceived by Nouvelle Vague co-founder Marc Collin, he has again woven repertoire, performance, and his uniquely forged arranging aesthetic into something authentically new.
Having released 10 albums since their debut in 2008, it’s hard to believe that ‘Crystal Bullets b/w King Tears’ is the first ever 12” single from “The last great Rock’n’Roll band” (The Guardian).
Containing White Denim’s first new music since the lockdown 30-day-album project ‘World As A Waiting Room’.
‘Crystal Bullets’ was inspired by the groove of the great Bernard Purdie and the signature chopped and screwed production techniques of Houston, Texas’ late great DJ Screw. The final minute features the most sublime harmonised sax solo you’ll ever hear, leaving you wishing this was more than just a 2 track 12”…
White Denim have long pulled hard at the parameters of rock & roll, admitting garage punk, soul, psychedelic boogie, prog, jazz and country blues while holding onto its vital goodtime core, and their up-tempo drive has produced a body of work defined as much by stellar musicianship as off-the-chain exhilaration. Energy and adventurism have always been paramount.
Volume 5: JAZZ N PALMS returns with another selection of some of the most iconic sunset, poolside sounds to be heard at Pikes Hotel (Ibiza), reworked, retouched and edited for your listening pleasure. A trusted taste, JAZZ N PALMS warms up the monthly exclusive Ronnie Scott's (London) jazz concerts held at Pikes, fusing jazz sartorially with Latin, funk, rock and international sounds to be enjoyed under the palms and the sun of the Mediterranean sea.
This year Music On Vinyl in cooperation with Sony Music and Alex Callier are releasing 4 Hooverphonic remix Eps. Each EP represents a Hooverphonic album; A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular, Blue Wonder Power Milk, The Magnificent Tree and Presents Jackie Cane. Alex Callier selected the best remixes of their songs for each remix EP. All 4 remix EP’s are scheduled for release in 2021 and are cut on 45 RPM and pressed on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.
Hooverphonic are a Belgian band that formed in October 1995. Though originally categorized as a trip hop group, they quickly expanded their sound to the point where they could no longer be described as a lone genre, but rather encompass alternative, electronica, electropop, rock, and a mixture of others. The band originally called themselves Hoover, but later changed their name to Hooverphonic after discovering other groups were already using the Hoover name and to avoid any legal issues with the vacuum cleaner company.
Since their formation, Hooverphonic’s lineup consisted of bassist Alex Callier, guitarist Raymond Geerts, and various lead singers. Geike Arnaert (1997–2008, 2020-present) has recently re-joined the band. Hooverphonic represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021.
The band achieved international recognition through the inclusion of the Stereophonic track “2Wicky” on the 2000 individually numbered copies of Blue Wonder Power Milk remixes are available on on solid blue vinyl.
THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is back! The band that formed as an idea of friends from several well known rock/metal bands (SOILWORK, ARCH ENEMY, MEAN STREAK) back almost a decade ago and has been dropping jaws ever since. With 5 albums already under their belt, 2 nominations for the Swedish Grammies, countless live shows and praises from fans and media alike, TNFO have steadily upped their game when it comes to paying tribute to a decade that influences all sorts of people and even industries to this day - the 80s. With hits like ‘Domino’, ‘Lovers In The Rain’, ‘West Ruth Ave’, ‘Divinyls’ or ‘This Time’, the band manages to maintain a variety of vibes and emotions within every album. From hard rockers, poppy digressions to progressive epics, disco-esque songs and almost cheesy yet loveable ballads.
Enter 2020, TNFO had just released their recent record, ‘Aeromantic’, and kicked off their European tour in support of it, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Björn Strid, the AOR dictator helming this exceptional collective called NFO, recalls “We made it one week into the tour after some absolutely amazing shows and then it all went south and we had to go home. Just about everyone on the tour got sick when they came home, with varied conditions.”
The band didn’t step back and accept the situation but decided to do what they do best instead: “It was pretty clear after some months into the Covid madness, that it was here to stay and that we weren’t gonna be able to tour for quite some time. So we made the best out of it. The remedy was simply to hit the studio again as soon as everybody was well again. It ended up being an incredibly creative 1,5 years and so many amazing songs came out of it.”
That being said, the second part of the ‘Aeromantic’ saga really captures what this band is all about: being in motion and romanticizing traveling, sometimes even with a broken heart - accompanied by the good things in life. Namely with songs like ‘White Jeans’, yet another jaw dropping classic rock gem about hot young love, cramped with nostalgia, or ‘Change’, which encompasses all the vibes you know from your favorite decade: Urgency, emotion, warmth and excitement. But also groovy danceable songs like ‘Chardonnay Nights’, a groovy, dreamy, yet uplifting homage to parties and hot love, or ‘Burn For Me’, a true feel good anthem for the summer - driving people to dance in the streets, all worries aside, to a brighter future.
On the other hand there are tracks like the almost progressive ‘Amber Through A Window’. A little throwback (at least titular) to the NFO’s epic 2017 album ‘Amber Galactic’: “Amber is with us wherever we go and I think she’ll keep coming back. She’s our mascot of escapism. The song was very interesting to compose. It takes you on quite a journey with key changes and goes from minor to major when you least expect it and throws you between different set of emotions. At the same time it feels pretty direct and operates like a mini epos. Really happy with how it turned out“, cites Strid.
Besides all this, the band has also stepped up their game when it comes to music videos for their timeless anthems. “White Jeans” for instance features Swedish TV personality Fredrik Lexfors and is a sweet little homage to the LGBTQIA+ community. “Fredrik is a good friend of mine and has loads of experience in the musical/theatre world and is super creative. He created this character called ”Kantorn” (The Cantor) some years ago and became a hit on YouTube. He has a very twisted and unique way of singing and acting, which is very funny. He was a part of Sweden’s Got Talent TV Show and went really far and became a crowd favorite. Fredrik has a lot of friends in the LGBTQIA+ community and I also have quite a few. We saw it as a joyful tribute and we’ve only gotten really good response. It’s of course also humorous but has a very nice balance and a very positive message.”
The bold and jovial video for “Burn For Me” on the other hand maybe among the biggest and best productions, the NFO ever recorded for the depths of the internet: “I’ve had this idea to film a ”Dancing in the Streets” video, where curious people come out of the woodworks and join the party in the streets. It’s a very classic 80’s scenario and very common in videos back then. Sort of the video to IRENE CARA’s ”Fame”. You don’t see it very often these days. We felt that it was needed and after “Burn For Me” was done I immediately envisoned it being the perfect ”post corona dancing celebration in the streets-song”.”
Those two videos are by far not everything the band will have to offer visually, but we won’t tell any more just for now. To be continued…
With all that new greatness up their sleeves, NFO are ready to take the world by storm – again! Even though coming up with a setlist for their scheduled tour starting in September may prove to become problematic according to the AOR Dictator: “Making a setlist might end up being a nightmare haha… I would be up for doing only songs off »Aeromantic I« and »Aeromantic II« since that’s really where we’re at right now, but I think most of our the Midnight Flyers would like to hear some old stuff, too. Maybe we could get away with it as long as we play “West Ruth Ave” as the ending song and create the good old conga train?”
- A1: Power Of Mind (Feat Raw Poetic)
- A2: Reporting
- A3: Enchanted Spirits (Feat Insight)
- A4: Upload Optimism
- A5: God Speed (Feat Blu)
- B1: Four Better Or Worse (Part 1 - Feat Nitty Scott)
- B2: Four Better Or Worse (Part 2 - Feat Blu)
- B3: Four Better Or Worse (Part 3 - Feat Raw Poetic)
- B4: Four Better Or Worse (Part 4)
Blue vinyl[25,76 €]
The music that would become Conversation Peace began with a trip to KPM’s London HQ in late January of 2020. I had just finished wrapping up post production on my album Ocean Bridges with Archie Shepp and Raw Poetic. I actually received the invitation during the summer of 2019 during studio sessions for Ocean Bridges and scheduling for the top of 2020 made the most sense. So I packed up a few records and a few drum machines then embarked on my first trip to England. We had a quick meeting about expectations, then it was time to see the archive. As a record collector, I’m very familiar with the legacy of the KPM brand. I had been lucky enough to find a few over the past decade during my digging trips up and down the east coast, but looking at the complete vinyl catalogue was a great privilege. I anxiously began combing through records from morning to night looking for the right sounds. The whole experience was surreal.
Listening to the entire catalogue was a history lesson and the amount of great composers and compositions in the recordings was endless. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t somewhat overwhelming. As a producer looking for textures, inspiration and grooves, the abundance of those things made it extremely difficult to narrow down what I wanted to use. From drums to sound fx to orchestras to small rhythm sections to ambient noises, I heard a wide variety of things and they were all so well produced and recorded. Every instrument you can think of was there! I spent a little over a week capturing sounds knowing that my work was cut out for me when I returned to my home in DC. Once I got home, I got to work. I captured so much, that it took me about a month just to organize all those ideas. Little did I know the world would drastically change in the next month following my return. My flight to and from London would indefinitely be my last time traveling for a while. I worked diligently with the material and took my time making sure I had strong ideas. The history of KPM and the opportunity to collaborate with the prestigious lineage made the stakes very high for me and I knew I needed to deliver a quality product. It’s an honor to be the first artist to release a KPM Crate Diggers title. - Earl Davis (Damu the Fudgemunk)
- A1: The Dark Side Of The Moon
- A2: Space 1999 Main Titles
- A3: People Are Dying Up Here
- A4: Massive Nuclear Explosion
- A5: Human Decision Required
- A6: The Entity
- A7: We´re At War
- A8: A Plague Of Fear
- B1: Ultima Thule
- B2: The Ultra Probe
- B3: The Daria
- B4: Asteroid
- B5: Force Shield
- B6: The Survival Ship
- B7: Home
- C1: Welcome To Piri
- C2: Balor´s World
- C3: The Prodigal Husband
- C4: Too Good To Be True
- C5: Anti Matter World
- C6: Paradise Lost
- C7: Gwent
- D1: Up There Again
- D2: Regina´s World
- D5: Arkadia
- D6: Space 1999 End Titles
- D3: Santa Maria
- D4: Captives Of Triton
The latest release in the series exploring the musical worlds of Gerry Anderson is the most extensive yet. Space: 1999 ran for two series from 1976 to 1977 and depicted the occupants of Moonbase Alpha and their struggle for survival when, after the explosion of a nuclear waste dump, the Moon is hurtled into space.
The series was the most expensive produced for British television at that time and the most musically diverse of all the shows made by Anderson for ITC. Gerry Anderson’s long-time musical partner in all the previous adventures was Barry Gray and Space: 1999 proved to be the last of their collaborations.
Uncut Magazine referred to Series 1 music as “Pink Floyd without the mythology”. The first recording session for Space: 1999 took place on December 11th 1973 with a 52-piece orchestra performing the opening and closing title music. For the series’ incidental music between 32 and 38 instruments were utilised at any one session, all conducted by Barry Gray. The selections from Year 1 show Gray’s skills in creating a memorable opening theme as well as dramatically evocative cues highlighting the plight of the Alphans as they became known. The Year 1 album also showcases a selection of library cues which featured throughout the series.
Barry Gray was a classically trained composer and a versatile musician and was amongst the first composers to use electronic instruments in music for television. Best known for creating the music for most of the Gerry & Sylvia Anderson television series in the 1960's and 70's (Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, UFO, Space:1999), Barry Gray’s complete musical opus is still not commercially available in its entirety. Fanderson, dedicated to the productions of Gerry Anderson, has gained access to all Barry Gray's original studio tapes and have undertaken a major re-issue project. Together with Fanderson, Silva Screen Records is championing Barry Gray’s incredible musical opus and is releasing the material in a series of physical and digital albums and vinyl records.
After a vigorous start from the freshly formed Alzaya label, next up is the Chilean rising talent Paula Tape who has teamed up with Volantis for the new brand release ‘Octava Dimension’, including the remixes curated by the prince of Netherlands, Elias Mazian and the Australian icon Tornado Wallace, masters like few others.
Paula Tape has developed a signature style in front of listeners eyes and ears with her drum patterns and her voice samples. After ‘Agua Congas EP’ on SOBO was welcomed warmly around the world and opened the door for club-oriented releases on Rhythm Section and Permanent Vacation. The original track channels electro and dreamy vibes carefully crafted by Volantis with Paula Tape’s hypnotic voice, all blending together for a single summer heater.
Remix by Elias Mazian, that recently pleased us with a sophisticated electronic pop release, kicks things off with a beautiful, melodic, overwhelming tune.
Tornado Wallace revisited the original version with his spacious sense of deep house groove and an unique, relentless drum programming.
When his mother brought Stanley Turrentine’s Salt Song LP back from a trip to Canada, Julien Lourau, then a teenager, was impressed by the scope of the sound and the groove of the saxophone. He was also charmed by the lush arrangements and funky sound of the record, typical of releases on the CTI label. Created by producer Creed Taylor, CTI left an imprint in the minds of 70s jazz fans much like Blue Note did in the 60s, and it even ended up releasing work by artists who started out on this mythical label such as Stanley Turrentine and Freddie Hubbard. The two even shared the same sound engineer, the great Rudy van Gelder.
Yet CTI, though highly prolific during its 15 years of activity, has not benefitted from the same aura as its predecessor. “To breathe life into this album, I listened to a wealth of CTI releases and discovered some I had never heard before. I noticed, oddly, that many of today’s musicians know very little about CTI - a label unfairly considered as minor.”
The choice of tracks was determined by Julien’s personal tastes, always keeping in mind a desire to help people discover them yet focusing on the joy of actually playing them too.
"The album is made up of 9 pieces. Mathieu Débordes got everything down to the nearest note before we even attempted to play them. CTI didn’t hold back in fuelling their compositions with brass and violins, but I erased this aspect and pared things down to a bass, drums and two keyboards."
English drummer Jim Hart, someone Julien worked with during his London years, propels the group - from hard-bop polyrhythms with “drum & bass” inflections to a reworking of classic Red Clay.
Sylvain Daniel on the bass and Arnaud Roulin on the analogue keys are two musicians close to the saxophonist, and that he met when they were students in 1999 while organising a master class at the Conservatoire de Nantes. Since then, they have become his esteemed companions.
The collaboration with young pianist Léo Jassef began on this recording, where he also plays the Prophet 5. The dynamic and overlap of the many keyboards played by Arnaud and Léo bring the record a richness of timbre and harmony that the strings and brass provided on the CTI recordings.
For the final track on the record, Julien called upon his friend of 30 years, guitarist Bojan Z, for a fresh, Gospel take on Love and Peace, a track recorded by Quincy Jones in 1969, which here, is dedicated to Bojan’s recently departed brother.
“When it comes down to it, this album really is as I had imagined it, with, luckily, a few unexpected turns. I created a playlist I then claimed as my own. But in the end, I must admit that I would have loved to have composed some of these tracks.”
Ipek Yolu is the Turkish name for the Silk Road which connected the East and the West. This band does not deal in silk but they connect flavors, smells and sounds from different corners of the globe, connecting the world.
The band merges bass-heavy electro-tinged cumbia grooves, saz riffs and surf guitar into a multicultural melting pot of South American rhythms, Anatolian folk music and 60s psychedelic rock. A unique universe of sound that bridges the tropical jungles and the dusty deserts in a kaleidoscopic blend of music. Ipek Yolu has used 2020 to write their debut album Tropical Anatolia and are ready to hit the venues and festivals.
The members of Ipek Yolu first got together for an improvised jam session during the Aarhus Roots & Hybrid Festival in 2018. The show was set up as a special one-time-only show merging members from the bands Hudna & Junglelyd. The show ended up lasting for almost three hours. It didn’t take them long to discover they were onto something special. If you know any of these bands mentioned you know you’re in for a body-shaking party, characterized by musical curiosity and improvisation.
The three members of Ipek Yolu have all been part of the Danish music scene for several years. The band leader, Orhan Özgür Turan, is a well-known and respected saz player all over Denmark, and has made a name for himself through his efforts in the Anatolian Folk band Hudna. In 2018 he won an award as Global Roots Artist of the year at The Danish World Music Awards. Olaf Brinch and Lasse Aagaard have worked together for many years making high energy cumbia with their band Junglelyd and Afrobeat with their band African Connection. Olaf is also an integral part of the Danish band AddisAbabaBand. In addition, Olaf and Lasse have toured and recorded with great musicians such as CC Yoyo, former drummer of Fela Kuti, in both Ghana and Denmark. All of the past experiences collided to create Ipek Yolu.
Bad Waitress’ antsy art punk revels in fits of fury and ego. It spits in your face and winks, ferocious and playful. The Toronto-based four-piece play like they’re conspiring or casting a spell, each member wielding a different power, howls and erratic drum fills and fiery riffs fueling one another.
That improvisation spirit doesn’t stop at their music. Katelyn Molgard, Nicole Cain, Kali-Ann Butala, and Moon finish each other’s sentences. Their conversations flow like free jazz. When asked to describe Bad Waitress’ sound, they agree on one word: conviction. “We play with conviction. There's nothing apologetic about it,” Kateyln says. “Even with our bizarre song structures, we don't hide anything in our music. It's just very...I don't like the word raw, it’s overused, but...raw.” The band fidget between genres, instead honing a distinct energy. “It's energetic. It's electric,” Moon adds. “It's whatever word that we can think of later that's better than raw.” Nicole suggests, “Honest?” Katelyn jumps in, “Rawnest.”
Bad Waitress’ debut full-length album, No Taste, finds strength in mood swings, from upbeat “groovin down the street” songs like “Strawberry Milkshake” to “I'm gonna fucking punch everyone” songs like “Lacerate,” as Nicole puts it. “It’s good to listen to when you're walking alone at night. I get really anxious, but I feel powerful when I listen to this album, like I’m fucking untouchable. It’s basically a self-defense album.”
Traces of Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Stooges can be heard throughout No Taste. The band also cite jazz as an inspiration. Moon’s background playing improv jazz, blues and swing makes it an essential force, at the core of Bad Waitress’ music and collaborative process. “Moon usually has a weird drumbeat that they’ll play spontaneously, then Nicole will jump in with her wack ass music sensibility on bass, and then Kali will play something that’s super wrong in a good way,” Katelyn says. “And then I’ll make sense of it and find where the chords are. It’s bizarre.”
Comet Records presents the Tony Allen & Afrika 70 reissue series with the classic late seventies first four solo albums of Tony Allen remastered and restored: Jealousy, Progress, No Accomodation for Lagos & No Discrimination, all coming in an heavy Deluxe Tip-On Jacket.
Tony's solo album, No Discrimination, marks an important turning point in Tony Allen's musical life. Tony had recently left Fela's band, which was clearly an emotional yet necessary change as Allen sings of love and brotherhood throughout his fourth solo album. No Discrimination, both in composition and sound, is a blueprint for the future of Afrobeat, decades ahead of its time. The songs are a mixture of old and new - fusing the classic Afrobeat compositional style with modern production and ideas. Classic tunes like "No Discrimination" and "Ariya" pushed boundaries for what Afrobeat could be, which a wave of Afrobeat bands would pick up on decades later.
With No Discrimination, Tony begins to move Afrobeat into the future, which he would continue doing for the rest of his career.
Tony Allen was a musical and compositional visionary, and this album finds him beginning to explore that vision outside of Fela's immense gravitational pull. They are the start of a new era in Tony's fruitful career as a solo artist, opening the floodgates for his distinctive Afro-Funk sound and laying the foundation for the next generation of Afrobeat musicians to come.
Quartier Groove Records releases its first EP “Ritmo del Barrio” that features two club weapons from the Spanish electronic music vaults of the 90s, TYU’s remix of Bravo & Dj’s 1989 one-hit wonder “Difacil Rap”, and Richard Fribert’s rework of the early electronic rumba track “Sueño Almohade” by Sombra y Luz. Both tracks have been licensed and agreed with the original labels and writers, and will be limited to 300 copies.
On the a-side, an edgy club revision of a 90s hip-house track that was originally written by a group of DJs compelling us to join them for a wild night out. TYU’s remix, that only makes use of the rad rapapella, makes a perfect match to the daring call and takes us to a 90s rave of today in full style, with its bold drums, slappy snares, trancy synths and road-paving bassline.
The flip comes with Richard Fribert’s powerful and fearless hi-NRG rework of the experimental rumba song “Sueño Almohade” by Sombra y Luz, a track that makes a clear flirt with the history of Spain, a country that was once the Muslim ruled area of “Al-Andalus”. Spanish passion meets Arabic mystique in this hard, slamming, acid ride of an update. The result, a DJ weapon to be reckoned with.
The two tracks comes together to form Ritmo del Barrio EP, “Quartier Groove” in Spanish, the project by label heads Richard Fribert & MOQST that was designed to encourage listeners to search for more unknown and forgotten music in the most unexpected of corners of the world.
Paint A Picture are incredibly pleased to announce news of their first release: a fully
remastered, licensed reissue of rediscovered British 7” Funny Situation recorded by Reflex - a
band put together by drummer David Humphrey (Public Image Ltd., Sparks, Mike Oldfield) and
privately released on his Star Records back in 1981. With the original record now changing hands
for in excess of £200 and just in time for a 40th anniversary release the reissue - remastered and
cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery - will include updated original artwork whilst also containing an
insert providing further details and context on the release.
Recorded a few months after seminal Britfunk tune "Southern Freeez" at the very same Vine
Yard Studios and with the same engineer Simon Sullivan - the release unfortunately suffered from
a lack of marketing and proper distribution but almost forty years later the record is now receiving
the attention it deserves and with a price tag to match.
The A side presents a beautiful mesh of funk and soul styles with influence from other Britfunk
bands of the time but with a more overt jazz and rock feel fusing a tight rhythm section with smooth
vocals and climaxing in a guitar and saxophone duel.
The instrumental Version Two provides a fresh approach with the addition of dub FX and
Indian percussion with the use of a tabla added to the mix.
Eight years deep into their existence, Paris-based Mawimbi are proud to present their debut album Bubbling.
Through their own label and events, the collective have championed up and coming artists who look to fuse african music
with the modern dancefloor. They’ve released records from Lya, Onipa, Afriquoi and James Stewart and brought
established artists and fellow travellers to such as Auntie Flo, Africaine 808, Awesome Tapes From Africa and Esa to
Paris. Now it’s time for the collective to unveil their identity as producers and musicians in their own right.
“Bubbling” refers to the many ideas, encounters and projects that the collective have come into contact with over
the past years. Through their events and their work as label curators and remixers (for artists such as Oumou Sangaré,
Blick Bassy, Cerrone, Onipa), Mawimbi have become known as ambassadors for “afro-electro” - whatever that might
mean - and their debut album buzzes with the contagious energy of the music they love. If you ask Mawimbi, Afro-electro
is about global and local inspiration, from both sides of the Black Atlantic. It’s about paying tribute to the forefathers and
the brothers and sisters in arms across the world. Afrobeat, highlife, South African bubblegum pop, Malian music,
maloya… Bubbling seeks to connect geographically separate but spiritually similar club sounds.
Hence “El Caribe” (feat. Ghetto Kumbé) is half cumbia, half Carribean dancehall, while “Ngana” (feat. Fatim
Kouyaté) has some elements of dub music and “Kakraa” (feat. K.O.G) nods to disco‐infused Ghanaian productions from
the 70s. Despite the influences, this is a record designed for home-listening, a nod to our present circumstances, but also
a deliberate step away from dancefloor. A moment of patience and reflection as much as joy and celebration.`
Above all, Bubbling is a personal record, about unexpected cross-pollinations and the collective’s individual
explorations of these musical territories. Mawimbi's own history is one of coincidences and chance encounters, and so is
“Bubbling”. All the collaborations were born out of the connections made over the last 8 years. A WhatsApp chat with
Zambian artist Mufrika, a spontaneous studio jam with Ghetto Kumbé in a Parisian Basement: these are captured
moments of real, vital connections made.
Like Mawimbi itself, Bubbling is a collage of relationships and shared experiences, shaped by nascent friendships
and musical encounters. It’s a truly DIY document in that sense, the sound of the last eight years of the Mawimbi
adventure: free spirited, passionate, warm and generous.
Cressida has carved a space in the hollows between UK bass culture and Berlin's techno heritage, skilfully siphoning the finer side of breakbeat, garage, grime without ever falling into lanes of predictability. This sonic identity he's built has firmly levelled up with "Can You Sleep Like This" - his most personal record to date. This is Cressida not just paying an ode to UK electronic music lineage, but cementing a place within it.
- A1: Main Title From Dracula
- A2: Arrival At Castle Dracula
- A3: Plan Revealed/ Plea For Help/ Dracula's Rage
- A4: The Mausoleum/ Harker Stakes The Bride/ Empty Casket
- A5: The Diary/ Van Helsing Finds Harker
- A6: Sleep Well/ Dracula Seduces Lucy
- B1: Lucy's Second Encounter/ Garlic Flowers
- B2: Aunt Lucy/ Lucy Is Released
- B3: Mina Ensnared/ It Was There
- B4: Allergic Reaction/ Mina's Submission
- B5: Bloodstained Mina/ The Cellar
- B6: The Final Battle
- B7: Rhapsody For Lucy (Lucie)
- C1: Main Title From The Curse Of Frankenstein
- C2: A Brilliant Intellect/ It's Alive
- C3: The Gibbet
- C4: An Offer Of Help/ Goodnight Professor/ The Professor's Brain
- C5: The Creature/ He's Gone
- D1: The Creature And The Blind Man/ You Shoot Well/ I'll Give You Life Again
- D2: Justine's Fate
- D3: Get Up/ Final Confrontation/ The Guillotine
Hammer Films has long held a special place in the hearts of horror fans, defining the British genre during the 1950’s with classics such as Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein. Composer James Bernard scored both and went on to compose the music to a host of horror films for Hammer during the Sixties and Seventies. His distinctive clashing harmonies, often doubling the musical theme a tone higher, raise the on-screen action to a frenzied pitch, terrifying 20th Century cinema goers to the degree that his scores have become synonymous with the titular monsters.
Children of Silk, originally released in 2015 is the second EP by Sevdaliza, who cited textures such as skin, glass, and silk as the main inspiration behind the EP. “Marilyn Monroe” served as the lead single from the EP and gained critical acclaim. ”Men of Glass” features Atlantic rapper Rome Fortune.
In just a few years time Sevdaliza established herself as an iconic, highly creative, versatile and independent artist who has landed on many celebrity moodboards. Her stunning visual for HUMAN of her debut album ISON has collected over 25 million YouTube views to date and masterpiece Shahmaran about mental slavery, won 2 UK Music Video Awards. Sevdaliza toured 35 countries in the last 5 years and amassed thousands of fans globally (Spotify
200.000, Youtube, 300.000, IG 230.000). In 2020 Sevdaliza returned with her
follow up album Shabrang.
Children Of Silk is now available on vinyl for the first time. This is a limited
edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl.
The Suspended Kid is Sevdaliza’s debut EP, originally released in 2015 via her own record label Twisted Elegance. When asked about the meaning behind the EP’s title, Sevdaliza responded:
“The title is how people responded to me in social situations. I realized that those things that deflect me from social situations — not getting along with your coach or your boss or whatever — it made me realize I had to choose a different path.”
In just a few years time Sevdaliza established herself as an iconic, highly creative, versatile and independent artist who has landed on many celebrity moodboards. Her stunning visual for HUMAN of her debut album ISON has collected over 25 million YouTube views to date and masterpiece Shahmaran about mental slavery, won 2 UK Music Video Awards. Sevdaliza toured 35 countries in the last 5 years and amassed thousands of fans globally (Spotify
200.000, Youtube, 300.000, IG 230.000). In 2020 Sevdaliza returned with her follow up album Shabrang.
marbled 12" Vinyl
Seamless to our first release of the Stone Techno series we are presenting the second edition of this unique concept. Each artist has been given a sample library consisting of recorded minerals from the Ruhr Area. The task was pretty clear, to create a track exclusively out of those sounds. The results are remarkably differing from each other and showing the huge creative potential of this project, which is a collaboration between the world famous Ruhr Museum foundation and The Third Room collective.
While Matrixxman delivers us an ambient driven masterpiece, RODHAD shows us his impeccable skills to create an ever-evolving tension in his dub techno influenced approach. Yan Cook on the B-Side is exploring the full potential of those samples to honor the industrial era and its machines, while T3R-Resident VNNN. is hailing with his hypnotic grooves the late hours of an extensive musical journey.
We hope you enjoy this imposing line-up of artists and its different styles within the release. There is more to be coming. Stay tuned!
Before joining vibraphonist Terry Gibbs’ quartet in 1962, Detroit-born pianist Alice McLeod
played intermissions at the Paris Blue Note and appeared on French TV with saxophonist
Lucky Thompson, reaching Gibbs’ attention in a duo with vibraphonist Terry Pollard; in the
quartet, she became the perfect foil for Gibbs, her understated piano making room for his
intense improvisation, stepping up with her own expression when needed. El Nutto, their
third LP, captures Alice at her best in this setting, as heard on the reveries of ‘El Flippo’ and
the title track, this solid set of Gibbs originals showing her virtuosity, composure and
curiousness, which would soon reach more cosmic highs, once she became Alice Coltrane.
Blending screamo and metalcore seamlessly, the three-piece drop their debut full length filled with blistering hardcore as well as slower, expansive and epic post-hardcore. Misery Never Forgets is a crimson slice of emotional violence, whose attack is both frenetic and draining, a maelstrom of vulnerability frought with pain and aggression that calls to mind such stalwarts as Pg. 99, Majority Rule and Zao. Born as an outlet for trauma, Wristmeetrazor toes the duplicitous line of suffering and salvation. This paradigm flickers brighter than ever through the cloak of darkness that is the band’s debut LP “Misery Never Forgets”, nine tracks of blinding, chaotic emotion. Conceived in the bedroom of guitarist and vocalist, Jonah Thorne, Wristmeetrazor started as a solo project influenced by the likes of screamo bands Neil Perry and Kodan Armada in Spring of 2017. Shortly after releasing a demo, Thorne enlisted help from bassist and vocalist, Justin Fornof. After releasing two EPs in the Fall of 2017, and touring across the southeast, the band rounded out their line up by adding drummer and vocalist, Bryan Prosser.
"BOKASSA are one of Norway’s biggest up-and-coming exports when it comes to groovy and catchy rock music. After millions of streams on their last full-length album, Crimson Riders, and supporting tours with METALLICA, BOKASSA are ready to take on the next chapter of their career! On the new single "So Long, Idiots!", BOKASSA come through with a tight, dense rock banger, displaying the band’s undeniable energy while seamlessly transitioning into melodic choruses and tasteful guitar solos. BOKASSA are a serious rock’n’roll powerhouse to be reckoned with in 2021!"
When it comes to modern heavy metal there are few bands operating at the same level as Portrait. For a decade and a half the Swedish unit have been forging their own path, and in the process infusing life into a longstanding, well-established genre and taking it in new directions. Following up 2017’s acclaimed Burn The World, they return with the mighty At One With None. While Portrait fans will immediately recognize it as the work of their heroes they are not simply rehashing old ideas and treading where they have before.
Underground rock festered and splintered as it spread through the U.S. in the mid-’90s, the alternative boom giving rise to microcosmic regional scenes singularly focused on feral powerviolence or screamo songs about breakfast. Boston’s Karate emerged as a force that could grip a national youth movement whose disparate tastes still commingled in the inky pages of fanzines overflowing with florid prose and on concert calendars for volunteer-run DIY spaces, community centers, and bowling alleys. In this world, Karate’s music was an enigma, one equally inviting to sneering punks and highfalutin indie-rock aficionados.Their 1996 self-titled debut, issued on Southern Records, set the standard.
Lasooing together white-knuckle posthardcore tension, sharply focused slowcore serenity, and resplendent jazz complexity, Karate eschewed settling in any one definiable style. But they certainly used the language of punk to get their point across; occasionally, guitarist Geoff Farina abandons his warm, hushed cadences for a hoarse shout that made him sound ragged, intensifying an aggression that burst out with every snaggletoothed guitar riff or drum snap that went off like canonfire.
Few followed their path—but who could keep up? Karate could make pensive moods blossom into feverish rollicking (“What Is Sleep?”), gracefully tip-toe around aggressive punk explosions without getting bent out of shape (“Bodies”), and stretch out
slowcore’s quietest reveries till their reflective notes sound ripped from an improvisational jazz session (“Caffeine or Me?”). Karate formally introduced the trio as a vital part of an independent U.S. punk scene stubbornly flowering in the face of the major labels’ ’90s harvest.
The Wildhearts are proud to announce the release of 21st Century Love Songs, their brand new full-length studio album on Graphite Records.
21st Century Love Songs is the follow up to Renaissance Men, their highest charting album since 1994’s P.H.U.Q, which debuted at number 11.
The Wildhearts are proud to announce the release of 21st Century Love Songs, their brand new full-length studio album on Graphite Records.
21st Century Love Songs is the follow up to Renaissance Men, their highest charting album since 1994’s P.H.U.Q, which debuted at number 11.
In the fleeting moments between the state of being awake and reaching the doors of dreamworld lies a borderland whence comes the mood music of ancient stories told – the celestial unison of three creative souls known as AURI.
Originally born in 2011 from the special connection of Johanna Kurkela, Tuomas Holopainen and Troy Donockley, AURI was first introduced to the world as late as 2018. Now complemented by the dynamic percussive talents of Kai Hahto, the threesome carves fantastical worlds entirely their own.
Comprised by Tuomas’ keys and infinite imagination, Troy’s arsenal of flutes, other folk instruments and magical touch, and Kurkela’s youthful and tender voice full of childlike wonder – fragile and gossamer, yet powerful and moving beyond words – the flow of AURI’s celestial, uplifting mood music captures from the first notes and does not let go.
To its key members AURI is a creative outlet unconfined by the preconceptions caused by their other bands and their respective audiences. Leaning to Celtic folk and cinematic pop yet not shackled by any specific genre, AURI isn’t the kind of music that can be described by words alone. No, an equal effort of the enchanted three, AURI runs a lane of completely their own. Unburdened by anyone’s expectations but their own. This is the sort of music that taps directly into emotions.
Embrace the atmospheric auditory imagery of fantastical valleys of other fairytale dimensions and soon gone fireside bards. Dwell for just a moment in treasuries of dreamlands and ponderings that see mundane things turning into otherworldly miracles.Feel welcomed to embark on endless adventures on long roads untrodden and ships never sailed.
As if frozen in time, you’ll be captivated by heart-burstingly elating fare-thee-wells for those dearly departed.
Hear the soft words that empower those feeling inadequate and reassurance to others fearing death.AURI’s are the keys to a dimension of awe no one else sees. Only theirs to offer are the mystical, soundscapes and ethereal vocals.
Theirs to hold are the magical powers that can melt the steeliest of hearts and make grown men cry. AURI invites the listener along for journeys no other band can provide.
Come, my love – now it‘s calm enough to go.
Priya Ragu’s story is just as fascinating as her music. She was born and raised in Switzerland following her parents' escape from the Sri Lankan civil war in the early eighties. As she grew older, the Swiss and Sri Lankan cultures began to clash. Although they are now fully supportive of their daughter, Priya’s parents were initially strict, she wasn’t encouraged to listen to Western music or hang out at the mall after school. However, her musical ambitions soon began to take root.
At the age of 16, she performed Alicia Keys’ ‘Fallin’’ to her brother, who insisted she perform at a show he was doing with his rap group. Her father discovered their plans and stopped her from performing, but Priya wasn’t deterred. She instead made her ambitions more covert, sneaking out to jam sessions and open mic nights, before decided to fully pursue her ambitions by moving to America with the help of her friend, the rapper Oddisee. Working remotely with Japhna, the pair created several tracks which would provide the launchpad for where she is today.
‘damnshestamil’ Priya Ragu’s debut mixtape is a result of her highly productive creative partnership with her producer and brother Japhna Gold, featuring all Priya’s singles to date, including the international sensation ‘Chicken Lemon Rice’, ‘Good Love 2.0’, ‘Forgot About’ as well as her most recent single ‘Kamali’ which launched with a BBC Radio 1 ‘first play’ – with Annie Mac, and most recently A-Listed with the BBC Asian Network – showing no signs of slowing down.
Priya has coined the term ‘Raguwavy’ for her vibrant sound which defies standard genre definitions. It signposts the next era of forward-thinking R&B and electro-pop by tapping into the sonic accents of her Sri Lankan roots.
The current single ‘Kamali’ was inspired by a short BAFTA nominated film of the same name. It explores the story of Suganthi a single mother living in a small village in India, who was raised in a culture in which gender roles are clearly structured and as a result she stayed at home until she was old enough to marry. Suffering through abuse– she escaped to create a better future for herself and her daughter – Kamali. Musically and visually Priya connected to the story of Kamali and brought her world to life through song, placing emphasis on the important of motherhood and the circle of life.
As the road to the mixtape approaches - Priya fulfilled a lifetime ambition when she played a sold-out show as part of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Later Latitude Festival in July, and scheduled to perform at All Points East in August, where she begins to peel back the layers of her first body of work, to a live audience.
She will end the year on a high by embarking upon her long awaited debut UK & European headline tour. Consisting of nine shows spanning six countries, the tour includes a London show at the Jazz Café which is now sold out and will culminate with a homecoming show in Zurich a week later.
- A1: Shake The Dust
- A2: Nobody But You
- A3: Night Fires
- A4: One And Only One
- A5: Rhythm And Blues
- A6: Sure Thing
- A7: Oliver Swan
- A8: I Got The Fever
- B1: Do Me
- B2: I Betcha Heaven's On A Dirt Road
- B3: Gonna Let You Have It
- B4: Hale To The Man
- B5: Alone At Last
- B6: Get It Up
- B7: Shot From The Saddle
- B8: Rich Man
- B9: Down To The Station
LTD. COL. VINYL[44,41 €]
- Dritter Teil in LITAs hochgelobter Country Funk Serie! - Mit Dolly Parton, J.J. Cale, Conway Twitty, Larry Jon Wilson und Billy Swan, unter vielen anderen - Inklusive eines bisher unveröffentlichten Tracks von Tony Joe White - Alle Tracks neu gemastert - Neues Original-Artwork des renommierten Künstlers J. William Myers (der für Robert Altmans "Nashville", Waylon Jennings und Willie Nelsons "Waylon & Willie"-Album und die LP-Cover für die Charlie Daniels Band verantwortlich zeichnet) // Im Sommer 2012 wehte ein neuer Sound aus der staubigen Wüste herein. Es war ein Sound, der schwer zu fassen war, schwer zu kodifizieren; ein Sound, der sich wie ein wildes Pferd dem Zugriff entzog. Aber dies war kein Trend, keine Eintagsfliege, keine Vermischung von Stilen. Dieser Sound reichte Jahrzehnte zurück, in die zweite Hälfte der 1960er und frühen 1970er Jahre, als abenteuerlustige Künstler begannen, Country-Harmonien mit dem Hochgefühl des Gospels, dem sexuellen Schub des Blues und einem Hauch von Großstadt-Härte zu vermischen. Dies war ein neuer Sound mit einem einfachen Namen: Country Funk. Country Funk 1969-1975, erstmals 2012 veröffentlicht, brachte eine disparate Gruppe von Künstlern zusammen, die durch das einfache Gefühl ihrer Songs verbunden waren. Country Funk ist abwechselnd verspielt und melancholisch, slow jammin' und booty-shakin'. Es ist ein Sound, der sich sowohl im Studio als auch in der Bar durchsetzt, wie die auf Volume I vertretenen Künstler beweisen: Johnny Adams, Mac Davis, Dale Hawkins, Tony Joe White, Bobbie Gentry, Larry Jon Wilson, und viele andere. Nur zwei Jahre später wurde Volume I mit einer neuen Sammlung von Songs für Country Funk 1967-1974 (LITA 116, 2014) fortgesetzt. Volume II ließ nicht locker und bot alles, was man an Loose Talking und Lap-Steel Twangin' vertragen konnte. Schwergewichte wie Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton und J.J. Cale teilen sich die Barhocker mit den weniger bekannten Stimmen von Bill Wilson, Donnie Fritts und Thomas Jefferson Kaye. Mit Country Funk Volume III 1975-1982 wird noch mehr Funk aus dem Kofferraum geholt. Diesmal sind die Jeans enger, die Haare größer und die Discokugel dreht sich zu einem Country-Synthie-Beat. Produziert und zusammengestellt von Jason Morgan (DJ/Sammler aus der Bay Area) und Patrick McCarthy (Co-Produzent/Compiler von Volume I & II), enthält die Trackliste neben den Stammgästen Dolly Parton, J.J. Cale, Larry Jon Wilson und Tony Joe White (dessen Track hier zum ersten Mal veröffentlicht wird) auch neue Gesichter wie Steven Soles, Gary & Sandy, Conway Twitty, Travis Wammack, Billy Swan, Rob Galbraith, Brian Hyland und viele mehr. Als die 1970er Jahre abebbten und sich die 1980er Jahre näherten, erweiterte sich die Palette des Country-Funks um Disco-Beats, schwere Moog-Synthesizer-Bässe und Clavinet. Volume III zeigt Künstler, die sich weiterhin gegen traditionelle Country-Tropen und -Produktionen wehren, während sie modernen Soul, Disco und verkorksten 80er-Jahre-Synthie-Pop in sich aufnehmen. Dies ist der wahre Soundtrack des Urban Cowboys. Aufsatteln, Partner.
- A1: Shake The Dust
- A2: Nobody But You
- A3: Night Fires
- A4: One And Only One
- A5: Rhythm And Blues
- A6: Sure Thing
- A7: Oliver Swan
- A8: I Got The Fever
- B1: Do Me
- B2: I Betcha Heaven's On A Dirt Road
- B3: Gonna Let You Have It
- B4: Hale To The Man
- B5: Alone At Last
- B6: Get It Up
- B7: Shot From The Saddle
- B8: Rich Man
- B9: Down To The Station
LP[38,28 €]
- Transparentes Vinyl mit roten und blauen Schlieren - Dritter Teil in LITAs hochgelobter Country Funk Serie! - Mit Dolly Parton, J.J. Cale, Conway Twitty, Larry Jon Wilson und Billy Swan, unter vielen anderen - Inklusive eines bisher unveröffentlichten Tracks von Tony Joe White - Alle Tracks neu gemastert - Neues Original-Artwork des renommierten Künstlers J. William Myers (der für Robert Altmans "Nashville", Waylon Jennings und Willie Nelsons "Waylon & Willie"-Album und die LP-Cover für die Charlie Daniels Band verantwortlich zeichnet) // Im Sommer 2012 wehte ein neuer Sound aus der staubigen Wüste herein. Es war ein Sound, der schwer zu fassen war, schwer zu kodifizieren; ein Sound, der sich wie ein wildes Pferd dem Zugriff entzog. Aber dies war kein Trend, keine Eintagsfliege, keine Vermischung von Stilen. Dieser Sound reichte Jahrzehnte zurück, in die zweite Hälfte der 1960er und frühen 1970er Jahre, als abenteuerlustige Künstler begannen, Country-Harmonien mit dem Hochgefühl des Gospels, dem sexuellen Schub des Blues und einem Hauch von Großstadt-Härte zu vermischen. Dies war ein neuer Sound mit einem einfachen Namen: Country Funk. Country Funk 1969-1975, erstmals 2012 veröffentlicht, brachte eine disparate Gruppe von Künstlern zusammen, die durch das einfache Gefühl ihrer Songs verbunden waren. Country Funk ist abwechselnd verspielt und melancholisch, slow jammin' und booty-shakin'. Es ist ein Sound, der sich sowohl im Studio als auch in der Bar durchsetzt, wie die auf Volume I vertretenen Künstler beweisen: Johnny Adams, Mac Davis, Dale Hawkins, Tony Joe White, Bobbie Gentry, Larry Jon Wilson, und viele andere. Nur zwei Jahre später wurde Volume I mit einer neuen Sammlung von Songs für Country Funk 1967-1974 (LITA 116, 2014) fortgesetzt. Volume II ließ nicht locker und bot alles, was man an Loose Talking und Lap-Steel Twangin' vertragen konnte. Schwergewichte wie Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton und J.J. Cale teilen sich die Barhocker mit den weniger bekannten Stimmen von Bill Wilson, Donnie Fritts und Thomas Jefferson Kaye. Mit Country Funk Volume III 1975-1982 wird noch mehr Funk aus dem Kofferraum geholt. Diesmal sind die Jeans enger, die Haare größer und die Discokugel dreht sich zu einem Country-Synthie-Beat. Produziert und zusammengestellt von Jason Morgan (DJ/Sammler aus der Bay Area) und Patrick McCarthy (Co-Produzent/Compiler von Volume I & II), enthält die Trackliste neben den Stammgästen Dolly Parton, J.J. Cale, Larry Jon Wilson und Tony Joe White (dessen Track hier zum ersten Mal veröffentlicht wird) auch neue Gesichter wie Steven Soles, Gary & Sandy, Conway Twitty, Travis Wammack, Billy Swan, Rob Galbraith, Brian Hyland und viele mehr. Als die 1970er Jahre abebbten und sich die 1980er Jahre näherten, erweiterte sich die Palette des Country-Funks um Disco-Beats, schwere Moog-Synthesizer-Bässe und Clavinet. Volume III zeigt Künstler, die sich weiterhin gegen traditionelle Country-Tropen und -Produktionen wehren, während sie modernen Soul, Disco und verkorksten 80er-Jahre-Synthie-Pop in sich aufnehmen. Dies ist der wahre Soundtrack des Urban Cowboys. Aufsatteln, Partner.
Gold Vinyl
Though the hallowed halls of Berlin’s nightlife excess now sit cold, the sounds that once haunted their depths beat ever onward, and colder still. Birthed in these hushed plaguelands, XTR HUMAN’s new full-length G.O.L.D evokes the frozen melancholy of a post-pandemic city, driven ever onward by the impetus of night’s primary currencies: sweat, release and change. The latest full-length from Johannes Stabel, G.O.L.D finds the German producer evolving as much as the rest of the world has had to. Taking his political and socially conscious lyrics into his native tongue brings a deeper and more powerful thrust to their weight—particularly at a time when Germany is weighing its own social consciousness after years of being seen as a leading world figure. Across G.O.L.D’s ten tracks, Stable brings our zeitgeist into a new realm, where the anger and frustration at our current existence is refined into the energy that fuels our engines, that primal desire always amplified during times of social upheaval—the desire to move your body. Many of the songs delve into Stabel’s own experiences as a German, from explorations of the Deutsch mentality of persistent fear to tackling the fake news, jingoism, racists and coronavirus deniers on hypnotic bangers ‘Dark Germany’ and ‘Dieser Klang’; issues just as prevalent in Germany as in the USA and UK. Yet each song carries just as much weight on to the dance floor, melding driving EBM bass with soaring synthlines and coldwave atmospheres that dispel the tenseness that such heavy topics imbue, in favor of intensity and beauty. Influenced by the pop hooks of Austrian New Wave legend Falco, G.O.L.D never neglects its danceability and HD club accessibility, no matter how heady the lyricism. ‘Starker Junge’, a dissection of toxic masculinity, drops down onto the listener with sparkling synths and razor-sharp guitar, while capitalist critique ‘Fleisch’ is a pogo synthpop anthem that could send any floor into a twirling frenzy. Wrapped in darkened beats and political ideals, G.O.L.D can’t hide the light that emanates from within its glistening, imminently catchy hooks and groove-laden rhythms. In a time where the dance floor sometimes seems like a distant memory, it’s the perfect philosopher’s metal to transmogrify your existence. All songs written and recorded by Johannes Stabel Mixing by Andrew Wiseman Arwork by Nicolas Zupfer Mastering at Dadub Studio
- A1: Neighbourhood
- A2: Mister Psycho
- A3: Female Of The Species
- A4: Money
- A5: Me & You Vs The World
- A6: Lovechild Of The Queen
- A7: No-One Understands
- B1: Voodoo Roller
- B2: Drop Dead
- B3: Dark Clouds
- B4: Major Pager
- B5: Kill Me
- B6: Charlie M
- B7: Growler
First released in September 1996, ‘Spiders’ is the debut album by the Liverpudlian
alternative rock band Space. Upon release, the album reached #5 in the UK album charts
and received critical acclaim for it’s unique sound, humorous lyrics, and incorporation of
varying musical styles.
• Highlights include the hit singles ‘Female Of The Species’, ‘Neighbourhood’, ‘Me and You
Versus the World’ and ‘Dark Clouds’.
• To mark the 25th anniversary of ‘Spiders’, Demon Records is proud to present a new reissue
of the album pressed on heavyweight 180g translucent yellow vinyl
Porcupine is Echo & The Bunnymen’s most profound and personal album from their early period. Weathering band turmoil, rejections from their record company and spans of songwriting drought, the group emerged with a passionate and compelling set of songs described by vocalist Ian McCulloch as “coming to terms with the opposites in me.” Following their fourth Peel session in early 1982, the band chose Ian Broudie, leader of The Lightning Seeds and co-producer of Echo’s 1980 album Crocodiles, to produce Porcupine. While the album includes both “The Back of Love” and “The Cutter” (two of their most upbeat and successful singles), most of the material was fairly introverted and autobiographical.
Unfortunately suffering negative reviews upon release (including a misguided hate-piece in the NME), Porcupine has since become a gold standard for both the band and British underground rock from the ’80s. It’s also simultaneously their most retro album and their most forward-looking. The production is full of guitar effects that must have set the mind of Kevin Shields onto the path to My Bloody Valentine’s own masterpiece, Loveless.
In addition to the “The Cutter” and “The Back of Love”, Porcupine includes songs such as “My White Devil,” “Heads Will Roll,” and “Porcupine” that transcend and enlighten to this day. It’s an essential album from one of the most influential bands of the post-punk movement.
The Paradigm-Shifting Fourth Studio Opus From The Norwegian Pioneers.
Presented On 2cd Deluxe Digipack Format & Including A Retrospective Look
At The Album Courtesy Of Writer Jeff Wagner.
‘Themes from William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell’ is the fourth
studio album by Norwegian experimentalists Ulver.
Having been known for their more folklore-tinged black metal compositions on
early studio releases, in late 1997, mainman Kristoffer Rygg invited keyboardist, sound conceptualist, and composer Tore Ylwizaker into the collective, and
together they devised a plan for The Blake Album; an altogether far more adventurous endeavour than prior releases.
What resulted was a seamless integration of electronic & industrial music, with
elements of progressive metal & avantgarde rock, all fused with ambient passages, & following Blake’s plates as track indexes. A work of deep and personal
art, the album, while initially surprising to fans due to its complete shift in genre, has become a classic today, and a prime example of the boundary-pushing
evolution beyond the confines of genre expectations through the latter part of
the 90’s. Upon release, ‘The Marriage of Heaven & Hell’ received widespread
acclaim from critics within the rock, metal & alternative music press, being
awarded Album of the Month in several high-profile magazines such as Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, and Rock Hard.
The album notably includes guest vocal appearances from Darkthrone’s Fenriz,
as well as Ihsahn & Samoth; most known for their work in Emperor.
This newly remastered edition of ‘The Marriage of Heaven & Hell’ is presented
on 2CD deluxe digipack format, including full lyrics/text, plus a new article from
writer and journalist Jeff Wagner on the background, nature & triumph of such
an ambitious release.
Robert Jon & The Wreck are back and ready to tear up the UK and Europe
all over again with their new record, Shine A Light On Me Brother.
The impressive new album, written and recorded during the COVID pandemic,
and self-produced by Robert Jon & The Wreck, is set to release 3 September,
2021. Robert Jon & The Wreck is comprised of Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals
and guitar), Andrew Espantman (drums and background vocals), Steve Maggiora (keyboards and background vocals), Henry James (lead guitar and background vocals), and Warren Murrel(bass and background vocals). They will take
the new album on tour in September/October 2021 AND February/April/May/
June/July 2022.
Robert Jon & The Wreck has been writing songs and releasing albums since the
band’s conception in 2011. During this time, this quintet of follicular proficient
gentlemen has been busy fine-tuning their sound playing to packed houses
across Europe and the United States.
The band has been received with accolades and raving reviews for years now,
from nominations of “Best Rock” and “Best Blues” and winning the title of
“Best Live Band” at the Orange County Music Awards in 2013, to numerous top
10 chart placement on Southern Rock Brazil’s Top 20 Albums to being praised
as “Classic and fresh at the same time” by Rock The Best Music, “Raising the
bar for the Southern genre” by Blues Rock Review, and “keeping the history
of classic 60’s and 70’s rock alive for newer generations” by Blues legend Joe
Bonamassa.
“A classy re-bore of well-trodden southern rock tropes by an Orange County
quintet with impeccably realised contemporary commerciality. Born of Allmans
and Skynyrd, but box fresh for 2000.” - Classic Rock Magazine
“Full of Eagles like guitar riffs and on infectious groove.” - Blues in Britain
Frontman, Johnny Delaware lives in a wide-eyed perspective baptized in
the setting of a John Mellencamp song - “You have to be awake in this life”.
Before his stint with Charleston based SUSTO, Johnny found himself as a solo
artist from a small town in South Dakota. Eventually, life would take him to
Albuquerque, NM, Nashville, TN, Austin, TX, and Charleston, SC where he met
guitarist and collaborator Clay Houle. Both teamed up to write and conceptualize what has become The Artisanals. It is the culmination of the collective’s
years of unique individual experiences writing, recording, touring, and living
life.
The bands new album Zia is released in Europe via Rocksnob on 3rd September, 2021. This time out they worked with producer Drew Vandenberg (Toro y
Moi, of Montreal, Kishi Bashi) at Chase Park Transduction, Athens, GA. The first
single ‘Violet Light’ has been praised by Rolling Stone as having been “built to
preach the gospel of rock n’ roll.”
The Artisanals hold iconic predecessors Tom Petty, George Harrison, and Jackson Browne close to their chest
In 1970, Kevin and David met whilst they were working in the Labour Exchange Office on Aytoun St, Manchester. Both played guitar and had been searching for other musicians who played atmospheric music. Kevin had been playing in small clubs in Manchester and David performed in a few local bands. One evening, they jammed together at Kevin’s family home, and quickly realized that their playing blended together to form the basis of the sound they had been looking for. In the late ‘70s, the music scene in Manchester was bursting with new bands and music.
However, Kevin and David had little in common with the local acts, being disciples of a more meditative approach. They followed a path of their own, reaching for an otherworldly sound that they heard from artists like John Martyn, David Crosby, Erik Satie, Terry Riley, Eberhard Weber, Alice Coltrane, and Ralph Towner. They experimented combining their acoustic guitars and David’s bass with various effects pedals and techniques to try and achieve a warm and expansive sound that rides the line between ambient, jazz, and psychedelic folk Music.
Towards 1981, they had written eleven songs and accompanied a few with Moog synthesizer laid down by Rob Baxter. All were recorded on cassette decks in their simple home studios. They named this collection of music “Light Patterns”, after a poem Kevin had written. With Light Patterns complete, they set out to find a label to represent their music. They started playing a few gigs in Manchester; Band On The Wall, the Gallery, and other venues, such as Rotters which local promoter Alan Wise had organized. They set up with small amps along with their effects and played as though they were back at home. As Kevin remarks, “It was unusual, to say the least, to play such venues in a low volume chilled out way. However, people listened, often in shocked curiosity, and some even asked for tapes.”
Peter Jenner, of Blackhill Enterprises, eventually picked up the album for his new label, “Sheet”. Peter had managed lots of experimental bands and solo artists, including Pink Floyd in their early Syd Barrett days. He always favored outsiders! The tapes were taken to Strawberry Recording Studios in Manchester, who were surprised when Kevin and David walked in with just a couple of home-produced cassette tapes. Fortunately, they liked them and agreed to master the album. It was then sent to Portland Recording Studios in London for final mastering to vinyl. George Peckham, aka “Porky”, did the pressing with a personal message in the deadwax; “Kaftans, Candles and be Cool Man”. The artwork for the album cover was done by the late Barney Bubbles, a truly visionary artist.
After the album’s release, the pair continued to play together regularly until David moved away from the city. Kevin still resides near Manchester in the rolling hills outside of the city. He continues to experiment with dreamy music in his loft, and we are set to share a selection of his ethereal archival and current compositions in the coming months. David lives a quiet life in a small coastal town in the South, he likes to sail and is an avid cricket fan. We’re excited to make Light Patterns accessible again for the first time in nearly 40 years, remastered from the original tapes. As the original press release said, “Put the album on, lie back and enter the land of no floors”.
In 2006 ARPANET returned with new LP "Inertial Frame".
Linked with both Drexcyia and Dopplereffekt camps, no one really knows for sure who ARPANET is.
Following on from their mighty "Wireless Internet" on Record Makers set a couple of years back and 2d "Quantum Transposition" on Rephlex in 2005, this album for Record makers develops their conceptual electronic fragmentation into yet another evocative and mysterious strand of sub-marine electro.
Though Inertial Frame serves the usual amount of killer loops, mysterious percussive treads and midnight melodies, Arpanet returns here for our greatest joy with BEATS and - please note the issue held in such an assessment- a whole bunch of fully SUNG tracks.
An instantly recognizable tapestry of Motor City soundscaping updated from the most seminal of archives, Inertial Frame TALKS the listener into derivative reflections on quantic physics and pays tribute to the works of 20th century great scientists.
MOTOR CITY addicts: this is your new holy grail..
- A1: Rudimental X Mj Cole - Come Over (Feat Anne-Marie & Tion Wayne)
- A2: James Vincent Mcmorrow X Rudimental - Jumper (Feat Kareen Lomax)
- A3: Rudimental X Skream - Straight From The Heart (Feat Norskov)
- A4: Rudimental X The Game X D Double E X Backroad Gee - Ghost (Feat Hardy Caprio)
- B1: Rudimental X 2Fox - Remember Their Names (Feat Josh Barry)
- B2: Be Somebody
- B3: Be The One (Feat Morgan, Digga D & Tike)
- B4: Handle My Own (Feat Ella Henderson)
- C1: So Sorry
- C2: Distance (Feat Maverick Sabre & Kojey Radical)
- C3: Make Your Move (Feat Keeya Keys & Norskov)
- C4: Instajets
- D1: Krazy (Feat Afronaut Zu)
- D2: Hostess (Feat Morgan)
- D3: C'est Fini (Feat Rv & Lowkey)
- D4: Keep Your Head Up (Feat Hamzaa & House Gospel Choir)
- A1: U2 - Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
- A2: Pj Harvey - One Time Too Many
- A3: Brandy - Where Are You Now?
- B1: Seal - Kiss From A Rose
- B2: Massive Attack - The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game (With Tracey Thorn)
- B3: Eddi Reader - Nobody Lives Without Love
- C1: Mazzy Star - Tell Me Now
- C2: The Offspring - Smash It Up
- C3: Nick Cave - There Is A Light
- C4: Method Man - The Riddler
- D1: Michael Hutchence - The Passenger
- D2: The Devlins - Crossing The River
- D3: Sunny Day Real Estate - 8
- D4: The Flaming Lips - Bad Days
Batman Forever: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the 1995 Tim Burton produced movie Batman Forever. It was nominated for multiple Academy and Golden Globe awards. The soundtrack contains a number of hit singles including; Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” which won three Grammy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for “Best Song” and charted at number 1 in the Billboard Top 100. Plus U2’s “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” , and songs from The Flaming Lips, the Offspring, Nick Cave, Michael Hutchence (of INXS), PJ Harvey and Massive Attack. It will be pressed on 2LPs of blue and silver vinyl.
Time and troubles seem to melt away during the fifteen enrapturing minutes of “Idle Moments,” the opening track of Grant Green’s sublime 1963 album of the same name. As the piece unhurriedly unfurls all the unique colours of the ensemble present themselves with Green’s soulful guitar joined by Duke Pearson’s elegant piano, Bobby Hutcherson’s crystalline vibraphone, Bob Cranshaw’s reassuring upright bass, Al Harewood’s subtle drums, and Joe Henderson’s magnificent tenor saxophone. The pace quickens for the rest of this tremendous set including the nimble Green original “Jean de Fleur,” a bluesy take on John Lewis’ MJQ standard “Django,” and a driving performance of Pearson’s original “Nomad.” This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Analha was one of the first approaches I had with the design of analog basses and drums, to understand the way in which we can involve so many sounds and transform them to our own liking, to give it its own narrative, a sense, an identity in which it can be navigated about different styles without problem.
They are two pieces that make up totally different break paths where "Mi ama Dic K no" A1 is my own exploration and vision of the break beat, three melodies written in F # that count the subtlety, while the bass contrasts in an aggressive idea to the beat of many changing rhythms in the drums, which sorfs between a Mpc, 808, Dsm & V Modular ; Classic trip hop voices samples that guide the way this own idea progresses on the breaks and pads that generate a more complete environment with a very energetic atmosphere that is constantly on the rise in the active and natural development of the track.
Towards the B side "Run mami run" B1 is composed by a classic intro of acid cut while some seconds of drums interpose which are accompanied by a radio narration of a chase, a return change is present with a vinyl spin between voices from GTA & WU TANG CLAN which make an intro for an infusion of breaks fully aligned to the beginnings of oldskool drum and bass which are accompanied by voices recorded, treated and edited to connect more directly between the spaces interrupted by the glitch acid chords.
Among contrary structures "Analha" contains hidden but marked criticisms, it is a project that comes from 2018 and ended at the beginning of 2019 which made him think about how to involve more than music within his own sound narrative.
The sonorous identity of rachiid today is different, he understands his environment but does not believe in adapting, he tells us that each exploration and discovery during these years have led him to think how this first release was born until now but is not connected at all with what nowadays, describes his sonority today as changeable, essential and highly with IDM, experimental and breaks.
- generic sleeve repress -
It has been a little over a year since the release of 747's debut album, in which the Canadian masterfully drew notes of inspiration from the 90s to create an enchanting hour-long dream. In his first EP since, 747 returns from a temporal leap, bringing with him a blend of sounds and expressions to forge a timeless trip which hinges on the sounds of the 303.
Opening the release, "you,you" unfolds with a gentle and shimmery padded ambiance of anticipation. Gentle and light-footed percussion is soon interrupted by a dramatic siren, a warning beacon. Frenetic energy ensues, a frantic rush to the floor met with a cloudy head. Encompassed in an envelope of disorienting wailing and intermittent buzzing, but finally grounded by the familiarity of a 4/4 bass drum.
"Does Anybody Remember Laughter?" steps in to relinquish the force of gravity. The animated arpeggio and gleaming singing acid line rise up, uncovering the kaleidoscopic nature of the structural surroundings.
"While My 303 Gently Weeps" divulges further, exposing an underlying grid of dark geometry - binary and robotic. The topology of surfaces becomes increasingly fractalized, until the solo overtakes with a somber sadness. The 303 notes guide the mind on a melancholic and meditative walk along the grand staff, met after the break with a sense of hope and serenity.
Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley had already led nine dates for Blue Note Records by the time he arrived at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio on February 7, 1960 with pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Blakey, but on that day the quartet laid down what would become his masterpiece: Soul Station.
The crystalline six-song set was a showcase for Mobley’s lyrical flow from the breezy opening take on Irving Berlin’s “Remember” through bluesy originals like “Dig Dis” and the title track, and the swinging up-tempo numbers “This I Dig of You” and “Split Feelin’s.” Soul Station endures as a jazz classic for the ages..
This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Jimmy Tamborello returns with a collection of 10 pop-infused vocal hymns – simultaneously perfect dance floor fillers and lullabies. "Away" is the second of two Dntel albums to be released in 2021 by Morr Music in collaboration with Les Albums Claus. While "The Seas Trees See" showcased Tamborello's more intricate and quiet side, "Away" embraces his love for pop music. A genre which like no other has been resonating the advancements of technology from the very beginning. Songwriting was sequenced and computerized on such a large scale that it would change the sonic aesthetics of the charts forever.
Dntel is a musician who changed pop music forever – and still works in this never-ending labour of love, both effortless and highly focused, constantly tweaking the universe of our musical perception. Whether beatless or uncompromisingly embracing the limelight of collective ecstasy with one of his most remembered tunes "(This Is) The Dream Of Evan And Chan", his almost forgotten anthem "Don’t Get Your Hopes Up" or his work as James Figurine. "Away" features 10 of these extravaganzas – uniting his audience once more in hope and future-bound optimism.
"I grew up with 80s techno-pop – these influences always come through in my music", Jimmy writes from Los Angeles. For this album, though, "I was thinking more of 80s indie pop or labels like 4AD. It is a mix of those influences along with trying to figure out what elements of my own discography I still connect with. I wanted it to reflect old Dntel records as well as the techno-pop band Figurine I used to be in. I have always considered my music basically being techno-pop, but not referring to pop as popular music – I just like pretty melodies. But with the Dntel moniker, I never had the ambition to produce music for a really big audience.”
It is exactly that looseness in approaching music which makes Tamborello’s style of composing so unique. On "Away" he combines a healthy dose of distortion with the most-sticking melodies, vocals and bitter-sweet lyrics he ever came up with – performing all vocals himself, with the help of technology. "My voice has a limited range. When I applied this vocal processing it seemed to bring out the emotions more. I don’t see it as the same as the more artificial, autotuned style of modern pop music. I think it still sounds like it could be a real person singing, just not me."
Using this technique, Dntel disembodies himself from his own art, welcoming all kinds of interpretations re. his current state as an artist. "Somehow this processed voice feels closer to how I see myself than my normal voice, for better or worse…", he writes. Pop music is a fragile entity, making its kingpins vulnerable. Many emotions reveal a lot of the originator’s personality –this is something one has to be prepared for. On "Away", Jimmy Tamborello finds the perfect way of marrying his unique musical personality with both the demands and possibilities of pop music. Just listen to "Connect" and you’ll know what we’re talking about. A perfect, yet timeless album for less than perfect times.
Paladin were a British progressive rock band which released two albums during their short existence (1970-1973). They played in venues across the UK as they worked to develop their sound, performing a mix of rock, blues, soul, jazz, and Latin music. In 1971, Paladin entered the Olympic Studios in London to record their eponymous self-titled first album. The reviews were good, but the sales were disappointing. The album comes across as a smorgasbord sampling of what the era had to offer with a few original twists and turns. As diverse as it is, Paladin’s infectious rhythms and strong melodies pull the album together, and the excitement never lets up.
Paladin is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on silver coloured vinyl.
• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
• GATEFOLD SLEEVE
• LIMITED EDITION OF 1000 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON SILVER COLOURED VINYL
Working his mellow magic on the Growing Bin, Sorcerer entertains your inner child with eight tracks of instrumental west coast pop suitable for dancing, dreaming and surfing a wave or two.
While Basso sat in a Teutonic treehouse, feeding his head with the sounds of the woodland, Dan Judd danced on the sands of San Francisco's Baker Beach. Stretching between them, like the world's longest tin can radio, was the Dream Chimney. This legendary forum, run by Ryan Bishop, better known as The Beat Broker, helped to launch a thousand labels, and the Growing Bin is one of them - all hail the Chim!
Here, Dan, naturally mystic in his Sorcerer guise, satisfies all our sensory needs with a Kinder Surprise of sweet melodies, coastal cool and playful rhythms inspired by his children's earliest responses to music. Following his feelings and avoiding overthinking, he creates open, enticing and accessible cuts; each living and breathing that mellow magic you only get on the West Coast.
'Kids World' kicks into gear with the spheric bass of '2000 Studio', a bouncy embodiment of that spacious San Francisco sound. There's a nod to nu disco but the dreamy dubiness takes the track much deeper, especially as those surf guitars start to detune in the summer heat. The breezy fretwork continues on 'Disco Drums', topping a wriggling groove tailor made for the terrace. Shades of rave refract through a healing crystal at the midpoint, encouraging al fresco dancing from sunrise to sunset. The A3 sees Sorcerer get into the groove of 'Bahia Brothers', rolling that rubberised B-line out of his own Paradise Garage before putting the top down for the carefree Balearic pop of 'Spray Paint.'
The B-side glides into being via the night dubbing grooves of 'Fire Feel', a reverb laden journey though glassy tones, off beat perx and gorgeous chord progressions. Next up, the new wave inspired 'Crunchy' translates Sheffield's daring synth pop into a wide eyed blast of psychedelic house, boosting our mana ahead of the loose limbed and light footed 'First Wave'. Ringing guitars reference Ghanaian highlife, shimmering in the heat haze as Dan funks up the drum kit ready for the broken beat and blissed out energy of sundowning set closer 'Escape Route'.
Ramona Córdova is a sound artist — passionate about writing, communicating, linguistics, behavioural & social psychology, observation & investigative research, photography, sound recording, and design. Their artist focus is on project-based sound and visual media, public engagement and live performance — although they are best known for their music and are typical regarded as a singer songwriter. Ramona Córdova intends to speak to the challenges of living under systems of oppression while inspiring introspection and personal growth toward the maturing of our societies. Ramona is Haitian-Filipina, Puerto Rican, born in Kingman, Arizona, USA and is inter-feminine trans non-binary.
"When I first started working on Naïve I was completely consumed by all of the technical details involved in making a 'professional studio recording' on my own - one which could not be refuted or disregarded as subpar. My only other hope was to tell some sort of story with whichever songs i could piece together. The content and message of which were much less important to me.
The story that Naïve ended up telling comes from a cohesion of themes, ceaseless in my personal experiences living day to day in the world. Although the album dares to tread on tact while speaking poetically and lyrically about issues such as systemic oppression, racism, misogyny, policing and patriarchy - I think the album really just wants to reflect - to serve as a reflection - in order to foster healing and healthy growth towards maturing. I feel it commanding a kind of firm kindness as a reminder to love yourself enough to accept others, by way of accepting yourself.
Pressed onto this 180-gram vinyl are 10 songs I wrote while living in many different places around the world. Spontaneous recordings of inspired notions of song, written one rainy evening up high above the vineyards in Banyuls-sur-Mer became Men on the Mountain. A Scrap of paper holding jots about a sudden storm on a hot day in August while helping friends on their farm in Puglia became Mouth of Autumn and Peace Through Violence. As I dressed myself into the fragile reality of the United States, I became flooded by its manipulative social governing systems. As the monuments of slave-owners, colonisers, and white supremacists came crashing down in the name of responsibility and accountability, The Bridge Works was built, a song about crossing bridges towards empathy and equality. Civil rights activist and American-Football quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, taking the knee during the United States national anthem pre-game ceremony, brought about So Long. The incessant murdering of black, brown, and transgender citizens brought Woke, Scared I'll Bite You, and The End. The murder of Eric Garner and the feeling of being choked-out and suffocated under the weight of systemic oppression brought about Still.
From all of this birthed the collection of songs that is Naïve, a title given to the album by French Ghanian artist Eden Tinto Collins. Although written both in Europe and the U.S., most of the songs were performed and recorded at the end of the year 2018 in Philadelphia, during the American-Holidays season. Still, Loving Him, and The End were written in Philadelphia, but produced in Vlorë, Albania. This helped serve as a reminder that the issues these songs speak of are not isolated to the United States of America." - Ramona Córdova
"Ry Cooder" - Ry Cooder (voc, g, mand, b); Van Dyke Parks (p); Bobby Bruce (v); Chris Ethridge Roy Estrada, Max Bennett (b); John Barbata, Richie Hayward (dr); Milt Holland (dr, perc); Gloria Jones (backing voc)
By the time he was aged 22, Ry Cooder was already a veteran of the music business and in great demand as a studio musician and sideman. Shortly after signing a contract with Warner Music in 1969, he released his first album under his own name, placing his confidence in the musical talent he had developed since being a child and on the rare value of his favourite instrument, the steel guitar.
The present LP that carries his name is a fascinating blend of blues, folk, rock ’n’ roll and pop – a unique mixture, which combines superb songs, virtuosic playing and somewhat bizarre yet imaginative arrangements. For material, Cooder, the son of folklorist parents, dug out ten gems coming from over six decades, right back to the 1920s – by legends such as Woody Guthrie, Blind Blake, Sleepy John Estes and Leadbelly, as well as a more up-to-date Randy Newman composition. As magnificent as his choice might be, it is the exuberant charm of his own instrumental composition "Available Space" that almost steals the show here. Expansive and unbiased, Cooder plays an ironic game made up of wordless irregular phrases, which promise the listener something new and ultimately circle in an infinite loop.
Cooder’s need to prove himself, moderated by his veneration for the past, helps to create a completely original work that will prove rewarding for the adventurous listener.
This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head. More information under pure-analogue
All royalties and mechanical rights have been paid.
Recording: 1970 at various studios by Bob Kovacs, Doug Botnick, Rudy Hill and Jim Lowe
Production: Lenny Waronker and Van Dyke Parks
Emerging from the Toronto warehouse scene, Tush is a rising electronic music act powered by Kamilah Apong and Jamie Kidd. Taking inspiration from electro funk, early disco, post-punk and '90s house; their debut album 'Fantast' embodies the rawness, vulnerability, and intimacy of the dancefloor.
'Fantast' kicks off with the slow burning 'Wavy Baby', an invitation to get close, get intimate and submit to the groove: "Vulnerability is the key to us getting to that next step of intimacy". Up next is lead single 'Chrysalis', a high octane ride through a technicolour fantasy world of heady synths and driving rhythms that propel Kamilah's voice into an erotic stratosphere.
'Don't Be Afraid' is about having the courage to love defiantly, urgently, and with intention. Driven by Jamie's infectious bass lines and FX blasts, it smoothly transforms into an uplifting gospel-infused track.
Two high points of the album, 'Jessica F***' and 'Marathons', highlight Tush doing what they do best. These tracks are the sound of the warehouse scene that birthed the project in the first place and the late night jam sessions that were full of possibility pre-pandemic. Here, Tush really stretch their improvisational muscles - the interplay of raw soulful vocals, hypnotic basslines, synth pads, and heavy disco rhythms is at the core of what makes them so invigorating.
'Fantast' closes with the uplifting sunrise energy of 'My Joy', the light at the end of the tunnel. "This song is enchanted by the backing vocals of my friends and chosen family, who are my cornerstones to working through the wonderful mess that I am". Kamilah adds "The track gives me this feeling that - no matter how hard the world tries to beat it out of me - I can and I have had to work hard to cultivate my own happiness in my own sacred spaces - one of those being Tush. Ultimately, this is all I really need".
Brian Leeds a.k.a. Huerco S' West Mineral label present a groggy Midwestern ambient doozy with Chat, the first collaborative release by Pontiac Streator and Ulla Straus
Pontiac Streator previously appeared as a guest on the first West Mineral LTD release, Pendant's Make Me Know You Sweet, while Ulla Straus is perhaps best known for her part on the cultishly adored bblisss compilation tape which introduced Huerco S.'s Pendant alias to the world at large.
Their first album together is a bedroom-crafted confection where drowsy blues and raga smudge with lounging exotica themes in a blunted style to properly heavy-lidded effect.
Chat was recorded on July 5th in Pilsen, Chicago on Ulla's bed after a long week spent dancing with friends, staying up all night typing in chatrooms, and hate-watching Fox news. The results channel that experience into four lop-sided creations that feel satisfyingly burned out and immersive, like the murmur of zonked chat between close friends.
In four parts; Chat One thru Chat Four, the record unfurls with a muggy mid-fi tension between its illusive fidelities, kindling a smoky atmosphere that colours listening spaces with seductive smells
and a muggy, keening tension that recalls the minutes before sundown
This balmy feel of the surreal comes out in a sylvan patina of sweetened cicadas and curling pads urged along by a stream of wooden drums, variously recalling Spencer Clark on some kind of
Aguirre soundtrack mission in the tropics, a heatsick Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement piece, or, in the dream-pop drift of the last part, like Leven Signs smudged by Muslimgauze.
Coolly serving to expand West Mineral LTD's remit after that spellbinding Pendant album and a 12" of ectoplasmic dubs from uon, the flux of arid/fluid textures and para-dimensional fidelities in
Chat feels somehow calming yet fraught with a somnambulant appeal that's dangerously easy to
As always high quality House Music by Chez who teamed up with Roy Burgess on A1 "Your Love". A2 is a great remix of "Your Love" by Dj Aly. On B1 it's Chez Damier with a very soulful track called "Soul Minimal", reconstructed by Stephan Hoellermann and as grand final on B2 it's Chez Damier and Ron Trent with the stunning "My House".
Fantastic release!
In My Sleep is the debut vinyl release from French producer Margee. Having gained a loyal following last summer with a remix for Tommy Guerrero, released on Music For Dreams, this EP showcases his natural ability at creating low-slung, densely layered productions, perfectly aimed at the dancefloor.
The release also features two heavyweight remixes. The first of these comes courtesy of underground House legend DJ Nature, who takes the title track and gives it a completely new twist with his inimitable ‘ruff disco’ stylings. Hailing from Bristol (via New York), recent years have seen Nature release on Futureboogie, Golf Channel and Jazzy Sport.
The second remix on the release comes from Hardway Bros (AKA Sean Johnson). Having been an early champion of Margee’s work on his regular ALFOS streaming marathons, Sean took the second track on the release, Wrong Dream, and went into heavy-dub mode. The resulting remix clocks in at just over 11 minutes and is everything you’d expect from him, and more…
Margee said of the release ‘In My Sleep started while taking a shower. The bassline popped up in my mind and I ran out as quickly as possible to record it. From there, I got pulled into a deep emotional trip with groovy tones and dirty sounds. Wrong Dream is actually a lost project that I had to start over again. It turned out to be more fierce than the first one, experimenting with arps and fuzzy synths, while keeping a certain groove that was easier to reproduce.’
In My Sleep is the second release from London based label Other Goodness, following on from Bawrut’s ‘Divergent Emotions’ EP last year, which quickly became a mainstay of the live-streams and a DJs favourite.
Let’s get back to the program. Picking up from where things were left off in July 2020…
Whilst most electronic producers of the dance-floor persuasion dabbled with conducting micro-symphonies for their micro-herbs, locked inside their micro-mansions, Dreems has dusted off his dance-floor accreditations and got back to work creating some serious indoor waves for Le Temps Perdu.
The Blue Water EP has all the stuff that encapsulates the label - raw, fun, powerful and free, yet deep, loving, warm and friendly. The music carries on from the previous Shark Water and Blue Hole EPs, calling all sea monsters with Die Orangen Remix of Shark Water, later emerging in calm waters for mermaid pleasing Iñigo Vontier Remix of The Dolphin Communion, and finally swimming into the salty, acidic tones of the Blue Hole (Break Mix).
Dear water-lily enthusiast, you need fear not, there is a hearty nod to the plant-life in Something Else for Spring that grows and sprouts new life with each turning phrase and finally blossoms with a sprinkle of joy. Label head-gardener V gives it the extra push put on the dance floor with his tougher take.
You grab a copy of the vinyl at some bricks and mortar stores if you are fond of wearing your scuba suit whilst browsing the shelves, otherwise head to the regular online outlets to get this small slice of history. It contains, we feel, the best of the past 2 EPs.
Warm welcome to Manuel Tur, who debuts on Lossless with his captivating Digital Fabrics EP. Expect three stripped back, warm and analogue sounding techno-ish cuts unmistakably referring to Detroit in a reminiscent yet forward thinking way.
Lossless bossmen Mathias Schober and Thomas Herb are big fans - and supporters - of Manuel Tur’s music. Naturally the excitement level was high when the guys received the Digital Fabrics demos from
Manuel and even went up to ecstatic while listening to the three tunes.
Masterfully stripped back productions, made with attention to all the details and a perfect interplay of rhythm and sound. These tracks just triggering all the right spots!
Fast forward this EP is now on Lossless and we couldn’t be happier that Manuel agreed on releasing it with us right away.
We also had a chat with Manuel about the creative process behind Digital Fabrics in which he revealed that at the time the EP came to life he had just added a new toy at his Islenyo Studios in Essen. Namely
a Korg SQ-1 sequencer which was triggering some of his analogue synths. Over the course of a week or so those jams culminated in building the backbone of the Digital Fabric EP. By further adding some
euphonic digital pads, Manuel set an antipode that’s blending and supplementing perfectly.
Yours sincerely,
LOSSLESS
Motörhead are the true embodiment of rock n’roll excess. A hybrid of punk, rock and heavy metal played with relentless, ear-curdling power. They were a force of nature and nothing short of life-changing for millions, their approach to life and music; there was no “off” switch and they became legends as a result. Fronted for their entirety of their career by Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister, they released twenty two studio albums over their 40 years together. Amassing chart topping records, a Grammy award and racking up 15 million worldwide sales. Their signature song, Ace Of Spades perfectly captured everything great about hard rock, heavy metal, and punk, amped it all up to 11, and came racing out of the gates at what felt like a million miles an hour, pushing at every musical boundary. Nothing was harder. Nothing was faster. And certainly nothing was louder. Anyone disputing this fact need look no further than any heavy metal gig and play ‘spot the Motörhead T-shirt and jacket’, they still outnumber anyone else, hands down. Motörhead has truly become a lifestyle for several generations of rockers, metalheads, punks, bikers, athletes, rebels, outcasts, and freethinkers all around the world. Few bands in modern history can instantly ignite the adrenaline of music fans the way they can, they changed the course of hard rock…forever. This Very Best Of compilation is the very first, spanning their entire career.
Only Up is the second Breeze album by producer and artist Josh Korody
(Nailbiter, Beliefs).
Enlisting a whirlwind of performances from Tess Parks, Cadence Weapon and
an array of the Toronto music scene, including members of Orville Peck, Tallies,
Vallens, Zoon, Sauna, Fake Palms, Rapport, Praises, Civic TV, Moon King, Blonde
Elvis, For Jane, Ducks Ltd, TOPS and Broken Social Scene. Only Up sees Korody
digging through and channelling three decades of anthemic British bands.
From the angular guitars of late 70”s post-punk (Gang Of Four, Wire), to the
lush gloom of 80’s electro-pop (Tears for Fears, OMD), with the dance floor
psychedelia of the Manchester sound (Primal Scream, Happy Mondays), and
through the late ‘90s and early 2000s post-punk / new wave revivalists.
When originally tasked with making this album, Korody and his long time music collaborator Kyle Connolly (Orville Peck, The Seams) quickly threw down
ideas in a session, however with Connolly embarking on a world tour, and with
Korody’s demanding schedule at his Candle Recording Studio, the project sat
unattended.
Somehow, by the time of the album’s delivery deadline, Korody not only orchestrated a creative ensemble of friends and collaborators, he wrote, recorded and mixed the entirety of the album in two weeks without a single regret
or compromise.
“It was the best way I could have done it. A strict deadline to make decisions,
move on and focus on things that matter the most. Every decision was made in
that headspace. The ease of technology to endlessly tweak with, it sometimes
can end up destroying records until there is no soul in it, no happy accidents
and it’s completely sterile. You can have a well produced record without going
down that dark rabbit hole.” Only Up is out via Hand Drawn Dracula.
Maisie Peters treated fans to their first taste of ‘You Signed Up For This’ earlier this year with ‘John Hughes Movie’. The track soared to No. 1 on iTunes the weekend of release, was playlisted across BBC Radio 1 and 2, and has been streamed over 11.5 million times globally to date.
Revered for her songwriting, Maisie has spent the past three years honing her craft in sessions across London, LA and Nashville, creating songs for ‘You Signed Up For This’ alongside the likes of Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac, Fred again.., Johnny McDaid, Miranda Cooper, and producers Joe Rubel (Tom Grennan, Benjamin Francis Leftwich), Afterhrs (Niall Horan, GRACEY), Rob Milton (Easy Life, Holly Humberstone) and Brad Ellis (Jorja Smith, Little Mix).
Impressively, ‘You Signed Up For This’ is Maisie’s second full length release in the space of three months, as she recently became one of the youngest musicians in history to write and curate a soundtrack for the second season of Apple TV+ Original Series, ‘Trying’, at only 20 years old. Written in just two months last winter, the stunning body of work includes duets with her friends and favourites, including Griff, James Bay and Bear’s Den.
With her knack for transforming everyday experiences in to vividly written diary-style songs, ‘You Signed Up For This’ is both Maisie’s coming of age story and a love letter to girlhood; penned with the wit, charm and quiet confidence that has seen her ascend from busking on the streets of Brighton, to recently making her US TV debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Transporting us directly in to her world as she navigates from small town teenager to adulthood, there’s a universal sense of familiarity and nostalgia as she shares memories of blossoming relationships (‘Outdoor Pool’, ‘My Elvis Song’), being played (‘Boys’, ‘Volcano’), heartbreak (‘Tough Act’, ‘Villain’), and first holidays with her twin sister (‘Brooklyn’).
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Nina Kraviz launches her (pronounced 'trip') label with a double-EP compilation entitled 'The Deviant Octopus', featuring a pair of brand new productions from Kraviz alongside material from Terrence Dixon, emerging talent Parrish Smith & Bjarki, and veteran producers Exos & Steve Stoll.
The idea for has been gestating for some time with Nina Kraviz, an avid crate-digger and frequenter of numerous second-hand record stores, who has long wanted to begin a label of her own which would build on some of the principles of her beloved 90s techno labels in terms of attitude and aesthetics, whilst looking for forward-thinking modern productions that reflect her core tastes for idiosyncratic electronic music.
The art and title of 'The Deviant Octopus' comes from a single-sentence scenario dreamt up by Kraviz: 'Without a moment's notice an Octopus appeared and devoured everyone in sight'. Supplied with this scenario, artist Tombo rendered his own unique visualization for the artwork that adorns the release sleeve. It's Kraviz's own nod to the labels that inspire her and grab her attention while digging through second hand records, the best of which were imbued with the unique personality of the people behind them. This extends to the sound Kraviz intends for : dusky, divergent and trippy music to stimulate brains, dreams and fantasies.
In this respect 'The Deviant Octopus' is a perfect introduction: Kraviz herself is represented on the tracklist by two new tracks that take up the mantle of last year's Mr Jones EP by returning to the vocal-flecked hypnotic techno that marked out that release. Complimenting those are two new cuts from a true master of hallucinatory off-kilter techno, Terrence Dixon in his Population One guise.
Joining them will be a pair of names from the techno pantheon who have been huge influences on Kraviz: with a career that's taken in releases on Synewave, Trax, Novamute and Richie Hawtin's early-90s Probe Records, Steve Stoll has been mining his own variant on techno and acid minimalism for over twenty years, heading up the Proper NYC label and releasing under various pseudonyms, such as Cobalt, of which Kraviz has been a long-term fan. His counterintuitively titled 'Pop Song' sits alongside a 13-minute 90s techno excursion from Reykjavik's Exos - the only previously-released cut (originally appearing on Thule Records sub-label Plast Trax in 1998) - together illustrating that will also live up to its name in the geographical sense: showcasing great music from historically vibrant electronic music scenes outside of the usual Detroit-Berlin axis.
With Kraviz looking to build a small repertory of talent around , this first release also makes room for two newer names: Bjarki is an Icelandic talent to keep a firm eye on, who drew Kraviz's attention in a chance meeting after a gig at Copenhagen's Culturebox club, after which he passed her a collection of mind-bendingly odd demos; while Parrish Smith is a talented Netherlands-based producer whose short yet impactful sketch '1.0 / 8.0 Afrika Genocide' brings the second 12' to a bewitching close.
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Mono Junk's cult label DUM Records is back with a new five track Various Artists EP that again packs a vital punch. He appears himself along with some fellow legends of the scene.
First up, Morpholgy is a consistent performer who has continued to serve up quality electro since 2009 and here serves up a hot new piece. 'Vector Plant' is busy and industrial, slick and metallic as it unfolds and burrows deep into your veins. Then comes the A2, Irwin Berg featuring Freestyle Man (aka Finnish Moodmusic boss Sasse aka Klas Lindblad) with a track made in 1995 and never released before. This pair worked together and made a cult electro record for Sähkö Recordigs in 1998 and this one is just as impactful. It is frosty and frazzled, slow motion but high impact and full of distorted lines and heavy drums.
Next is Mr Velcro Fastener who were the first kings of electro to come out of Finland and between 1999 and 2006 were famous all over the world. Their brand new cut 'Almost There' is a deep one that is riddled with bleeping melodies and has smeared chords bringing a sci-fi feel. Then it is Mono Junk's turn to dive into the vaults with an unreleased track from 2005. 'Feeling or Destroy' is a physical number with crashing hits and snaking, gurgling bass that is dark and dystopian. Last of all comes Irwin Berg with Mono Junk as New York City Survivors. Says the DUM boss, Our unreleased track here was made after the New York City Survivors - Static Light CD 2002' and it is a turbo charged track with screwed up grinding bass, icy hi hat rhythms and menace in its grooves.
New York City 4-piece deliver a modern blues rock masterclass on their feisty debut album.
“A timeless classic rock sound that revels in lean riffs and raw emotion.” – Afropunk
In an age where artistic merit is awarded to those who shout the loudest, Dakota Jones pride themselves on an unwavering ability to leave a lasting impression. Spearheaded by Tristan Carter-Jones fierce and unashamedly uncensored songwriting, the band’s fast-growing reputation as formidable live act has stamped Dakota Jones with the hell-hath-no-fury power of Chaka Khan, the wild spontaneity of Janis Joplin, and the honey-dripping sensuality of Marvin Gaye. Their debut album’s message of proud black heritage and triumphant queerness manifests itself in Carter-Jones’ ability to challenge norms of adulthood and femininity as she takes a deep dive into some of life’s most visceral emotions.
Tristan Carter-Jones: “I’m a black, queer woman expressing myself through love and music. Some folks still find that to be a transgressive act in and of itself. I work to fight that idea. I write a lot about my
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sexuality and the ways in which I express it. Songs about sex and love bounce back and forth between songs about heartache, hangovers and self-medication, and the pleasure and pain of truly finding yourself. I don’t think we get to hear these things from a woman’s mouth as often as we should.”
Serving as an instant tone setter, the album opens with the line "Stretch marks from growing pains" with Carter-Jones lamenting the woes of adjusting to adulthood on lead single ‘Did It To Myself’ - her husky and commanding vocal instantly asserting its place in the spotlight. The atmosphere soon turns steamy on the flirtatious title track ‘Blacklight,’ whilst fantasising over a modern-day Bonnie & Clyde love affair the funk-laden ‘We Playin Bad Games’ packs a punch with its tale of free spirits entwined in a haze of late-night revelry.
Elsewhere, stories of caustic heartache twist the knife into wounded blues guitar riffs on ‘Like That’ and ‘Black Magic (That Power)’, in which Carter-Jones’s stoical voice never once faulters as she mourns the memories of a previous flame. Personal prayer ‘Lord Please’ recites empowered words of reassurance, and solidarity in the face of injustice erupts into a rallying cry for change on the classic sounding ‘Noise’ – written as a reaction to the 2016 US election. “I woke up after the election feeling pure panic and fear in my body,” remembers Tristan. “I wanted people in a place of privilege to stand up for what I was feeling, stand up for injustice, stand up for all of the things we need to change as a country. I wanted their rage, and I wanted their noise.”
Finally, the band’s tender tropes of togetherness eventually boil into gritty, guitar-slung balladry on hidden bonus track, ‘California,’ where, knees buckling under the weight of past trials and tribulations, Carter-Jones sets out on one final journey of self-discovery, hastily pulling out from reality and leaving only a dust cloud in her wake.
Production comes courtesy of the Grammy-winning John Wooler, ex Virgin Records A+R and founder of the Blues label Pointblank who has worked with everyone from John Lee Hooker and John Hammond to Isaac Hayes and Van Morrison. The album also features a wealth of hugely talented and accomplished musicians, including backing vocalist Kudisan Kai, former backing vocalist for the likes of Elton John, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Beck, Sting, Mary J. Blige and Jill Scott. Also present; Grammy winning keyboardist Jon Gilutin, who has spent years working with some of the industry’s most respected and iconic artists including Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Lady Gaga, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Jackson Browne, Celine Dion, Bonnie Rait and Carole King. You’ll also hear the talents of acclaimed guitarist Michael Toles. Most well-known for being a part of the Stax Records group The Bar Kays, and for his contributions on famous records by Issac Hayes, Al Green, BB King, Johnny Taylor, Rufus Thomas, Albert King to name just a few.
Dakota Jones are a rising funk, soul and blues rock band from Brooklyn, New York City. Comprising of Tristan Carter-Jones (vocals), Scott Kramp (bass) Steve Ross (drums), and acclaimed musician Randy Jacobs (guitar) - former member of Was(Not Was) who has recorded for Seal, Bonnie Raitt, Tears for Fears, Elton John and many others. Though Carter-Jones and Ross first met in 1999 whilst at primary school, the band formed years later following a series of home jam sessions in 2016. The band’s collective alias originates from Carter-Jones’s middle name, ‘Dakota’. Dakota Jones have since released a string of acclaimed singles and EPs as well as received international attention for their track, ‘Have Mercy’ after it featured on Netflix’s 2019 film, Always Be My Maybe starring Ali Wong and Randall Park – and now after years of hard work and determination, the band are finally set to reveal their long awaited debut album. “We’d been regularly releasing EPs, waiting for our chance to come, and wondering what that would look like,” says Carter-Jones. “We didn’t realise until we started making this record that we needed to stop waiting for some break to come along, and just do it ourselves, independently.”
“Black Light really dives into a place of funk soul and everything that comes with it. There’s joy and dancing, sleek guitar licks and funky bass slaps. There’s pain and longing, and there’s the feeling of relief when you come out of that place and find your joy and purpose again. Black Light is my story.”


































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