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Rocksteady Disco returns with more heat for the heads, this time from Glenn Echo & Daniel Meinecke delivering a stunning 7" that bridges various eras of dancefloor magic. Their take on Sylvester and Patrick Cowley's 'I Need Somebody To Love Tonight' is pure cosmic seduction with New Orleans vocalist Mark-Anthony Thomas channelling Sylvester's spirit while Meinecke's synth work and Glenn's rich production elevate the classic into a shimmering modern anthem. Flip it and Lucky 7s takes a left turn into dub-funk psychedelia with chunky drums, low-slung bass, wild time signatures and futuristic vocoder texture. Red hot so handle with care.

After a long hiatus broken by their inclusion in Om Unit's final epic Acid Dub Versions set, Alter Echo & E3 step out once more with the four-track “No Peace EP.”

With past releases on storied labels including ZamZam Sounds, Moonshine, Scrub A Dub, Lion Charge, LavaLava, and Khaliphonic, the duo opted to forego labels for this one, instead dropping the first release on their own AEE3 imprint.

The main mix of the title tune is a pounding dystopian slow-stepper collab with old friend & sparring partner Ishan Sound, dusted off and rebuilt after years on dubplate. Shot-through with stinging percussion, swirling with leaden atmospherics and dread truths, this one’s an absolutely uncompromising piece of supremely heavy steppers.

RSD’s remix opts for crystal clarity, extra layers of percussion, an emotional mid-range melody, and of course the huge bassweight Rob Smith is known & loved the world over for.

Om Unit’s “Kaliuyga Verse” recenters the tune on deeply spiritual indigenous wisdom spoken by Floyd “Red Crow” Westerman. This long-form rework fleshes out the instrumentation with classic UK dub percussion and FX, plus flute and much more, transmuting the original’s darkness into something magisterial and hopeful while maintaining absolute heaviness.

AEE3’s "Southeast Rock" closes the EP with a slower tempo meditation powered by a melodic bassline, chopped drums, dub tech stabs and righteous horns, an introspective ganja tune that will stay with you long after the runout groove.

"Recoiled" is a rambunctious alchemy, of magikal Coil sensibilities and hi-tech home circa 90s mixing technique, all fused in the cave-like early studios of Danny Hyde / Peter Christopherson. These were the unrestrained PRE- BIG studio- mix downs, of four songs which long time Coil admirer / collaborator Trent Reznor requested Coil to remix. Reznor sent over the original multi-tracks and DATs to Hyde / Christopherson, who independently mixed versions and then met to synch both creations, molding them into these master versions. "Recoiled" includes a fuller, more opulent version of the track 'Closer', which eventually made it onto the opening credits to the movie "SE7EN". These 5 lengthy compositions are pre-Ableton / laptop generation type priest song creations, with the use of baby alarms and numerous wires to create bespoke effects. These legendary tracks were always rumoured to exist and, only the due diligence of a dedicated NIN forum who hunted them down, are released/unleashed for your listening pleasure. Black vinyl LP+, printed inner!

Will Wood's very first LP displays a variety of genres, with a chaotic homemade anti-folk feel and an experimental edge. "Everything is a Lot" began its long production in 2014, when the singer-songwriter was still 20 years old and performing drunken alt-comedy at open mics. With no funding, Wood led a slapdash band into the studio to bring songs mainly from his teenage years to life, and the unstructured production process and youthful experimentation gave it a uniquely loose and chaotic feel. The debut LP's sound is defined by Wood's Jay Hawkins-esque vocal delivery, an out-of-tune old upright piano, wailing wind instruments, jangly guitar, high-powered yet loose drums, and sardonic overdriven kazoo solos. Delivering everything from swing jazz and twee indie pop to pseudo-mariachi and waltz, these sounds and their accompanying bizarre lyrics come together to match the existential title, "Everything is a Lot." Will Wood's early career can be primarily defined by his experimental vocal delivery, honky-tonk piano smashing, and darkly edgy songwriting. While his stylings have matured and taken on a more precise approach, his refusal to conform to expectations and constant shifts in the genre have continued to be hallmarks of his songwriting and production. In his "Will Wood and the Tapeworms" releases (Everything Is A Lot in 2015, SELF-iSH in 2016), audiences can see the first glimpses into what would eventually become his signature style, presented in a uniquely raw and chaotic state of potential.

Undun is the story of a man, Redford Stevens, dying in reverse, rewinding from the moment he became a statistic and hitting the points in his life where he's at his most self-aware. That he's a criminal who got caught up in the familiar street-hustle trappings that the modern media's documented countless times is a pivotal detail-- it's hit at an angle that seems to emphasize the futile inevitability of it all. His life could be any number of misdirected narratives that ends with a toe tag, and what details listeners learn about him are hazy, buried under archetypal turns of fate and decisive struggles. That this protagonist is a fictionalized composite of a handful of real people, filtered through a matter-of-fact narrative that splits character ambivalence with journalistic impartiality, only makes his lack of direction and the failure of any real closure stand out even more. "Lotta niggas go to prison," Dice Raw states on "Tip the Scale", "how many come out Malcolm X?"

So the Roots' latest album isn't a sprawling, rise-and-fall crime story, not a condemnation or a veneration of a man living outside the law, not a bullet-riddled grand guignol heavy on explicit details of soldiers getting cut down. It's a character study of a man whose existential crisis ends only with his death-- a death gone largely unspecified, the glamor and tragedy washed over with a doomed resignation. That's a hard thing to pull off, even for a band as given to deep-thinking concepts as the Roots are. And when your main lyrical catalyst is Black Thought-- a man more given to allusions than direct statements-- it's likely that it'll take a while for the full scope of Undun to really sink in.

If and when it does, it might strike listeners as a bit skeletal: omit the mood-setting instrumental bookends, including a brief, four-part orchestral suite that builds off Sufjan Stevens' "Redford (For Yia-Yia and Pappou)", and you've got maybe a half hour's worth of material. By ?uestlove's accounts, writing Redford's story introduced the headaches and challenges that come with scriptwriting into their songwriting, and what's left on Undun is the end result of frequent revisions and rewrites that attempt to reconcile character, theme, and continuity. If it comes at the expense of nuance, it's not always obvious: There's an easy-to-trace narrative line from Redford's acceptance of his fate ("Sleep") to his acknowledgement of how close it's approaching ("Make My"), back through declarations of aggravated toughness ("One Time"), and celebratory fatalism ("Kool On"), along ups and downs that juxtapose motivation ("Stomp") and helplessness ("Lighthouse"). When the vocal portion of the album ends with two of the bleakest sets of verses in the Roots discography, peaking with the estrangement of "I Remember" and the desperation of "Tip the Scale", Undun reveals itself as a story where a man's actual death isn't quite as tragic as the circumstances that pushed him to it.

Manfredi Romano, founder and A&R of Life and Death Records, has been a pivotal figure in electronic music for over two decades. This year marks an important milestone as he is invited to curate the upcoming fabric presents mix for fabric Records, a release that highlights his instinctive storytelling and the distinct musical identity he has cultivated throughout his career.

Manfredi’s journey began in Italy around the turn of the millennium, tour-managing punk bands and organizing left-field music events before completing his studies in computer science at the University of Pisa. He went on to form DAZE, Italy’s first booking agency dedicated exclusively to electronic music, laying the groundwork for what would become a globally influential presence in the scene.
In 2010, he shifted focus to his own artistic project, DJ Tennis, which quickly gained international recognition for its emotive blend of house, techno, and disco. Renowned for creating intimate atmospheres in even the largest spaces, DJ Tennis has performed at leading clubs such as Circoloco Ibiza, Fabric London, and Panorama Bar Berlin, and at major festivals including Sonar, Timewarp, Primavera Sound, and Coachella. His 2022 residency at Phonox in London further showcased his ability to shape dancefloors with nuance and depth. Since 2017, he has also co-founded and curated Rakastella, the celebrated Art Basel Miami festival created in partnership with Life and Death and Innervisions.

As a producer, DJ Tennis draws from early relationships with post-rock pioneers such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tortoise, and Fugazi, channelling their influence into intricately layered electronic compositions. His work has appeared on respected labels including Kompakt, Rhythm Assault, Running Back, !K7, Cercle Records, Aus Music, and Circoloco Records, alongside frequent releases on Life and Death. His remix portfolio includes collaborations with Diplo, Boys Noize, Loco Dice, WhoMadeWho, and Acid Pauli, among many others. He has also previously contributed a DJ-Kicks mix, bringing his eclectic sensibilities to one of electronic music’s most beloved series.

After extended periods living in Miami, Berlin, and Barcelona, DJ Tennis now resides in Paris. Outside the studio and club environment, Manfredi is a passionate chef who has curated menus for charity events and collaborated with Beatport at ADE, Pioneer, and Resident Advisor. He is also an avid collector of bicycles, vintage action figures, and vinyl — his record collection now surpasses eleven thousand pieces.

With the forthcoming fabric presents DJ Tennis release, he offers a deeply personal, narrative-driven statement that reflects decades of crate-digging, boundary-pushing selections, and a lifelong devotion to sound. It marks a new chapter in his artistic evolution and stands as one of the year’s most anticipated entries in the iconic series.
The first single from DJ Tennis is a collaboration with long-time studio partner Ashee, and it immediately sets the tone for the mix: warm, seductive, rhythm-driven, and emotionally charged.

“I Wanna Know” is a sleek club track built around a pulsing groove and a steady, hypnotic rhythm. The low end is rounded and warm, giving the track a driving but understated momentum. Percussion is crisp and minimal, allowing the bassline and vocal elements to take center stage. The repeating, robotic earworm of a vocal hook, “I wanna know’ is the lynchpin to the track and will remain in your head long after the track has finished.

It’s the kind of record that warms up a room early in the night, sets the tone for a sunset beach set, or adds a lush, emotional peak during a more leftfield club moment.

Artist, painter, curator Leo Vincent, is fired up off the back of supporting Soulwax, on their recent Paris and Netherlands shows. Proudly presenting two debut songs “Hello it’s me again” and “Loving isn’t easy”, co-produced with the brothers, David & Stephen Dewaele, of Soulwax/2manydjs.

Seven years ago, Leo Vincent bluffed his way into a video editing job at DEEWEE. Despite being told to not touch or ruin their gear, he later resurfaced with demos that sounded like he had anyway.

"Don’t know much about history”
"Don’t know much about biographies"

But we do know that by the time Leo Vincent arrives in your town, he will probably have destroyed two more Tascam 8-tracks.

Brussels-based, failed goalkeeper-turned-painter-turned-cameraman-turned-musician Leo, doesn’t seem to be afraid to leave his faders in the red zone for an unorthodox period of time while repairing the pitch knob. Some say it’s disco for night janitors. Some say it’s glam-rock for ravers. Others haven’t found the time to listen yet because they have real jobs.

But to fully grasp Leo Vincent's essence, imagine yourself sitting in the home cinema of the late Marc Bolan while watching a documentary on Scatman John, directed by Jacques Tati and scored by Ween, using only the instruments of Cabaret Voltaire.

When Saracen released their debut album ‘Heroes, Saints & Fools’ back in 1981, the UK Rock scene certainly took notice. Their combination of Magnum-like melodies and Uriah Heep intensity and vocal stylings immediately endeared them to fans of the NWOBHM scene, and fans of classic British Rock in general.
All songs and lyrics were written by lead guitarist Rob Bendelow, who left prior to the release of their second album, ‘Change Of Heart’, in 1984. While this sophomore effort still contained a few Bendelow songs, the band had changed direction, moving away from the almost Pomp and NWOBHM of the debut for a more polished and Melodic Rock direction.
Unfortunately, this new direction didn’t resonate with the fans, and the band broke up not long after.
However, Bruce Mee of Now & Then Records had always been a massive Magnum and Saracen fan. Having already convinced Bob Catley to start a solo career in the late 90s, he also had very productive talks with Rob Bendelow. This great friendship resulted in the band reforming and the release of ‘Red Sky’ in 2003. Rob Bendelow and Saracen were back.
Later signing to Escape and releasing several more great albums, Rob Finally retired from the music scene a few years ago, but the band gamely soldiered on, keeping his songs and legacy alive for their many adoring fans.

In an instance of total cosmic kismet, that same Bruce Mee was also co-organiser of the inaugural ‘Tower of Fire’ UK festival, and in 2024 invited Saracen to play the event along with other well recognised names of the scene such as Nitrate, Remedy, Atack, White Skies and Gabrielle de Val. The event was multi-track recorded, and the results of the Saracen set were so good that it was decided to release a very first live album.

The title of the live album is taken from the name of their crushing opening song: ‘Crusader’. And in a further act of unbelievable karma, the magnificent album artwork and design are created by Sebastian Kozak, the very same creative artist responsible for the brilliant artwork on the band’s come-back album ‘Red Sky’ back in 2003.
All but one of the songs that day were from that incredible debut and those 5 songs, along with 3 others previously recorded live by the band, make up this totally amazing live album. For fans of Saracen and NWOBHM, this is a moment we never thought we’d ever see: a brilliant live Saracen album with vocalist Steve Bettney sounding as incredible as he did over 40 years ago.

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

London quartet The Leaf Library return with their bold new album After The Rain, Strange Seeds. A luminous collection of pastoral indiepop, drawing inspiration from suburban isolation, unreliable memories and the surreality of the weather. Their most immediate and melodic work to date, the richly evocative songs brim with chiming guitars, buzzing organs and warm, dulcet strings, evoking Yo La Tengo’s more contemplative moments, The Clientele’s autumnal jangle pop and early Stereolab’s motorik melodicism. The sound of the album is defined by mixer John McEntire, whose work with Stereolab and Yo La Tengo (as well as a member of Tortoise/The Sea And Cake) have been major inspirations to the band.
The album explores themes of memory and place, albeit through an abstract haze – returning again and again to specific moments frozen in time: midsummer bright hot days in the Chilterns (“Sun In My Room”), meteorology and the strange movement of the weather (“Colour Chant”), red kites circling over suburban motorways (“Some Circling”), and the uncanny feeling of dusk and nighttime creatures on “The Reader’s Lamp” (titled by celebrated film director Peter Strickland). The lyrics are vivid yet elliptical, strung with abstract ideas and imagery, conjuring a gently unsettling, though never unwelcoming atmosphere. Not quite trusting your own recollection of things, while marvelling at the oddness of the natural world, the album’s title a good summation of the mix of strangeness and hope contained within.

As on past albums the band - founded by singer Kate Gibson and ex-Saloon guitarist Matt Ashton in the mid 2000s, and now completed by drummer Lewis Young and bassist Gareth Jones - have involved their extended musical family, including guitarist Mike Cranny (of fellow drone pop travellers Firestations) and keyboardist Irina Shtreis, both members of the Leaf Library live band. The album also sees the return of James Underwood’s Iskra Strings, a quartet that features on 4 tracks, with sumptuous arrangements by Daniel Fordham, as well as regular contributor Melinda Bronstein on vocals and Will Twynham (Dimorphodons) on harpsichord. They also welcomed Paddy Milner (on Hammond organ) and Scott McKeon (guitar) – both current members of Tom Jones’ band – for a startlingly delicate rolling crescendo to closing track “There Was Always A Golden Age”.
After The Rain, Strange Seeds is their 4th studio album. The result is The Leaf Library’s most accomplished and affecting work, John McEntire’s mix bringing a bold clarity to the band’s meticulous arrangements – closer to how they sound live than anything they’ve done before.

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

180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
INCLUDES “INTRODUCING MYSELF”, “DRUM SONG”, AND “I AM A MADMAN”
LIMITED EDITION OF 750 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON RED COLOURED VINYL

Mahjong Room is the second album Cameron Lew released under the artist name Ginger Root which explores his coming of age and discovery of his own signature sound; self coined as Aggressive Elevator Soul. Self Produced and Performed, this album marked the beginning of Ginger Roots' rise in popularity outside of his Huntington Beach hometown. Lew was still in film school at the time of recording and releasing Mahjong Room. His attention was equally focused on the music videos that were made for singles `Two Step', `Call it Home', `Jeanie', `Mahjong Room', and `Ohio'. Becoming a signature of Ginger Root releases, the video treatments of songs were humor-filled and directed and produced by Lew himself. Catching the attention of other touring indie acts Ginger Root spent most of the fall of 2018 on tour with artists Khrunagbin, Duran Jones & The Indications, The Marias, and Omar Apollo.

Detroit's Big Strick for his 7 Days Entertainment label has assembled of collection of Motor City leaning sounds from local and international artists here across four vital sides of wax. Generation Next opens with taught, pinging kicks and tinny melodies on deep house gem 'Senza Via D'Uscita' then Flabaire from Paris brings more bleeping sci-fi synths to a churning and dubbed out low end. Big Strick himself layers in electrically charged, fizzing synths and ticking hi-hats to his raw and gritty 'Bang My Shit' and Ron Cook ups the pace with the blissed out bumps of heady hymn, 'Again And Again.' Pegasvs from London also stands out with his great drum programming on '808 Jazz'.

Double LP pressed on transparent red vinyl with black marbles. In Dying Light: The Beast, you step back into Kyle Crane's skin, but he's no longer the man he once was. Years of experiments have left him torn between fragile humanity and a monstrous power that he can barely control. Every light, every shadow, every choice feels dangerous. The forests and ruins of Castor Woods don't just set the stage, they breathe, they watch, and they punish the reckless. This is survival stripped to the bone, where horror is not just outside, but inside you. Olivier Deriviere's powerful and capturing score for Dying Light: The Beast doesn't just accompany Crane's journey, it is his voice. Sometimes it whispers in empty rooms, fragile and broken, sometimes it roars with distorted rhythms and pounding drums when the Beast takes over. Between silence and sound, the music pulls you deeper into Kyle's fractured soul, making every step and every heartbeat part of the story. It's not just a soundtrack, it's the echo of a man losing, and maybe finding, himself.

When High Tone Live dropped on Jarring Effects, it wasn't just another live album - it was a statement. Captured in the spring of 2003, the Lyon-based collective condensed years of experimentation into an 11-track journey that redefines what live dub can be. Since their formation in 1997, High Tone have stood at the crossroads of dub, electronic music, rock, and urban culture. With Jarring Effects as their home base, they built a reputation for transforming the stage into a laboratory - a place where basslines mutate, beats deconstruct, and every frequency breathes. High Tone Live draws from four key releases - Low Tone, Opus Incertum, Bass Température and ADN - Acid Dub Nucleik - revisiting them through the raw energy of the stage. Classics like "Dehli Katmandou" and "Enter the Dragon" are stretched, twisted, and reborn in extended, improvisational forms. Two unreleased tracks, "112 Dub" and "Onew Dub," complete the set, adding a dose of fresh material to a disc that feels both retrospective and forward-looking. As with any live recording, there are rough edges: the mix shifts, some moments feel caught mid-explosion. But that's the beauty of High Tone Live. The imperfections add warmth, immediacy - a reminder that this music is made by humans pushing machines to their limits. High Tone Live stands as one of the strongest documents of Europe's post-dub explosion. It's a record that bridges continents and genres - a sonic travelogue where analog grit meets digital hypnosis. More than a live set, it's a manifesto of independence and sound exploration, stamped with the unmistakable seal of Jarring Effects.

What's the first thing you think of when someone mentions Thee Oh Sees? Probably their riot-sparking live show, right? Visions of a guitar-chewing, melody-maiming John Dwyer careening across your cranium, rounded out by a wild-eyed wrecking crew that drives every last hook home like it's a nail in the coffin of what you thought it meant to make 21st-century rock 'n' roll? Yeah, that sounds about right. But it misses a more important point-how impossible Thee Oh Sees have been to pin down since Dwyer launched the project in the late '90s as a solo break from such sorely missed underground bands as Pink and Brown and Coachwhips. (While Dwyer still records songs on his own, Thee Oh Sees is now a five-piece featuring keyboardist / singer Brigid Dawson, guitarist Petey Dammit, drummer Mike Shoun and multi-instrumentalist / singer Lars Finberg.) That restlessness extends to everything from the towering, thirteen-minute title track of 2010's Warm Smile LP to the mercurial moods of 2008's The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In. Now, Thee Oh Sees chase the home-brewed symphonies of Castlemania with the scrappy, high-wire hooks of Carrion Crawler / The Dream. Originally envisioned as two EPs, it was cut live to tape in less than a week at Chris Woodhouse's Sacramento studio in June, reflecting the battering-ram bent of the band's live show better than any bootleg ever could. "As I'm sure most would agree," explains Dwyer, "Castlemania was more of a vocal tirade. This one's meant to pummel and throb." That it does, whether one blasts the slow, speaker-bruising build of "The Dream," the sunburnt organs and dovetailing guitars of "Crack in Your Eye" or the interstellar instrumental "Chem-Farmer," a perfect example of what happens when one takes a well-oiled machine-a gang of rabid road warriors, really-and adds a second, groove-locked drum set to the mix. To listen is to realize that Dwyer's music is as manic as the underground comic inclinations of his artwork; colorful and confusing in a way that's more than welcome. It's downright refreshing, like a slap in the face at 5:00 in the morning. Or, as Dwyer puts it, "You have to leave a mark somehow."

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

Released in 1967, Open marked a bold debut for Brian Auger & The Trinity, featuring the dynamic vocals of Julie Driscoll. Music and its makers were rapidly evolving in ‘67, the UK's Jazz and R&B scenes were being influenced by pop and psychedelia and socially, musicians of many styles found common ground in London’s clubs like The Cromwellian and The Scotch Of St James where the The Beatles, US legends Wilson Pickett and Jimi Hendrix mingled with the capitals jazzers and pop stars, often loudly jamming together in even louder 'Lord Byron' shirts. 'Open' fully embraced this spirit by fusing together those genres and attitudes of the era. From the outset Auger displays his jazz rooted approach on the A side with 'In and Out' and 'Isola Natale' (later covered by one of his American jazz heroes Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes). Both showcase the Trinity's musicianship and Brian's improvisational flair. Auger himself takes on vocal duties on the raucous ‘Black Cat’, a track that became a club hit. Open is marked by its eclecticism; 'Lament for Miss Baker' is a tender, piano ballad influenced by Duke Ellington, reflecting Auger’s jazz and classical influences whilst 'Goodbye Jungle Telegraph' is a wild and crazy percussive freak out. Brian displayed not only his virtuosity but also his surrealist sense of humour with bizarre sound effects, inspired by Spike Milligan's The Goons' radio show interspersed between the tracks.

Julie Driscoll’s arrival on the album’s B side brings a sharp shift in tone. Her smoky, emotive vocals inject a soulful depth, notably on covers of Otis Redding & Carla Thomas hit 'Tramp', Aretha's 'Save Me' and The Staples Singers ‘Why Am I Treated So Bad". With original numbers 'Break It Up' and 'A Kind Of Love In' we hear the Auger / Driscoll pop infused R&B at its very best, whilst the version of Donovan’s 'Season of the Witch' stretches out into a slow-burning epic. In 2025, Open is viewed as a cult classic and testament to a unique period when genre boundaries were fluid and artistic risk-taking was the norm. Brian Auger & The Trinity’s debut captures the adventurous energy of the late 1960s. 58 years later, its importance in the development of British jazz fusion and progressive bands that followed is undeniable, with The Charlatans Tim Burgess recently commenting on Auger's Instagram that The Trinity were a 'huge influence'.

HELP(2) ist die Neuauflage einer der beeindruckendsten Charity-Aktionen der jüngeren Musikgeschichte. Bereits 1995 schlossen sich die Größen der britischen Musikszene zusammen, um mit den Erlösen der gemeinsamen HELP-Compilation Kindern in Kriegsgebieten zu helfen. Auch 2026 ist die globale Lage verheerend. Inspiriert vom legendären Charity-Sampler HELP aus dem Jahr 1995 hat sich in Großbritannien erneut ein Community-Projekt formiert, getragen von einigen der wichtigsten Musikerinnen und Musiker unserer Zeit. Ziel ist es, in bewegten Zeiten einen würdigen Nachfolger aufzunehmen: HELP(2). Wie schon beim Original, an dem unter anderem Radiohead, Oasis, Portishead, The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack und Blur beteiligt waren, bringt auch HELP(2) Menschen zusammen, um die lebenswichtige Arbeit von War Child zu unterstützen: schnelle Nothilfe, Bildungsangebote, spezialisierte psychosoziale Betreuung sowie Schutz für Kinder, die weltweit von Krieg und Konflikten betroffen sind. Das Album macht auf den dramatischen Umstand aufmerksam, dass heute jedes fünfte Kind auf der Welt in einem Kriegsgebiet lebt. Entstanden ist das neue Album während einer außergewöhnlichen Aufnahmewoche im November 2025 in enger Zusammenarbeit mit den Abbey Road Studios. Als Executive Producer fungierte der vielfach ausgezeichnete Produzent James Ford. HELP(2) vereint eine beeindruckende Liste internationaler Künstlerinnen und Künstler, darunter Anna Calvi, Arctic Monkeys, Arlo Parks, Arooj Aftab, Bat For Lashes, Beabadoobee, Beck, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Black Country, New Road, Damon Albarn, Depeche Mode, Foals, Fontaines D.C., Graham Coxon, Greentea Peng, Kae Tempest, King Krule, Nilüfer Yanya, Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Sampha, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, Young Fathers - sowie viele weitere helfende Hände. Die kreative Leitung des Projekts liegt in den Händen des renommierten Filmemachers und Oscar-Preisträgers Jonathan Glazer und seines Teams von Academy Films, die sowohl die visuelle Umsetzung als auch die künstlerische Gestaltung von HELP(2) maßgeblich prägten. Sämtliche Erlöse des Albums kommen War Child UK zugute und unterstützen den Einsatz für Schutz, Bildung und die Rechte von Kindern in Konfliktgebieten weltweit. HELP(2) steht für Hoffnung - für Kinder, deren Leben durch Krieg zerstört wurde - und für die Kraft gemeinschaftlichen Handelns. Es ist ein eindrucksvolles Zeichen der Solidarität von Künstlerinnen und Künstlern für eine sicherere und gerechtere Zukunft. Denn kein Kind sollte jemals Teil eines Krieges sein.

Represss!

Z Records continues its commitment to unearthing the obscure and
long forgotten tracks from the last 40 years through the ever-popular
Under The Influence series. Following on from Red Greg, Nick The
Record, Sean P, Faze Action, and last years Alena Arpels. It’s now the
turn of one of the scene’s most impressive collectors & DJs; Rahaan

Hailing from Chicago his love affair with muzik started in the late 70’s early 80’s, listening to muzik on the radio combined with his mom and dad playing their records every weekend. In the early 80’s on the South side of Chicago, he started hearing something a bit different, what they called ‘house muzik’. A combination of Disco, Jazz, Soul Funk, New Wave and Italo Disco. Here Rahaan digs deep into his impressive record collection that he has collected, built up and crafted over his many years of travelling, networking and DJin to showcase 22 of his finest and rarest cuts. Many of the tracks on the album would cost hundreds and that’s if you were even able to find the originals! As always with ZR compilations a lot of time and effort has been spent on creating these masters from the original vinyl, cleaning them up, removing all the clicks and pops resulting in the cleanest sounding copy possible.

Die internationale Rocksensation The Hives, die beste Liveband der Welt und immer noch eure neue Lieblingsband, hat wieder einmal, schneller als erwartet, ein neues Werk geschaffen, wie man es noch nie gehört hat und wahrscheinlich auch nie wieder hören wird. Ihr siebtes Album 'The Hives Forever Forever The Hives' erscheint am 29. August auf dem ehrwürdigen Label Play It Again Sam. Ein neues Album voller Energie, Freude, Wut und Leben! Jeder einzelne Song eine Single, jede einzelne Single ein Hit, jeder Hit ein Volltreffer mitten ins Gesicht. Diese neue Meisterwerk entstand unter der Leitung des langjährigen Kollaborateurs Pelle Gunnerfeldt in Stockholm. Mike D von den legendären Beastie Boys ist als Gast vertreten und auch Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) stand mit Rat und Tat zur Seite.

The Hives, bestehend aus Howlin’ Pelle, Chris Dangerous, The Johan And Only, Nicholaus Arson und Vigilante Carlstroem, haben sich in über dreißig Jahren in die Annalen der Rockgeschichte eingeschrieben. Dank ihrer Erfolge füllten sie große Stadien und teilten die Bühne mit so monumentalen Acts wie AC/DC und den Rolling Stones. Die BBC bezeichnete sie als „Naturgewalt“, und der Rolling Stone kürte ihr Album 'Veni Vidi Vicious' zu einem der 100 besten Alben des Jahrzehnts. Mit Millionen verkaufter Alben, Platin-Auszeichnungen und zahlreichen Preisen - Grammys, MTV Awards, NME Awards - gelten sie als Titanen der Musikwelt. Oder wie Joe Strummer es gesagt hat: The Hives haben den Rock ’n’ Roll gerettet!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Artwork by Marie Vermont

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Artwork by Marie Vermont

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

Red Motorbike hits the road in '26 with an original production from Berlin's master of boogie funk LJ Simon!

Givin' Up is a soulful modern funk 7" steeped in warm '80s analogue production and classic groove.
The OG version blends vintage synth textures with a deep, understated rhythm section. Known for his love of fat-sounding vintage gear, LJ Simon begins every song with no blueprint, working purely from sound, instinct, and feel, tuning in to receive what the moment brings. The influences are unmistakable, yet the result feels fresh, intuitive and alive.

Vocals are delivered by Denice Brooks, a formidable singer from Austin, Texas, now based in Berlin. Denice built her solo career while performing with an exceptional list of artists including Tina Turner, Roy Ayers, David Bowie, Nancy Wilson, Natalie Cole, and many others. She is notably the only singer to receive Prince's blessing to record an official cover of 'Purple Rain' - a distinction that speaks volumes about her artistry.
Her career has taken her across Germany, Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa, where she even once performed for Nelson Mandela. Her continued experience across stage, studio, television, and musical theatre shines through in a vocal performance rich in depth and soul.

Label head Eddie C offers up his Disko Mix and reframes the track through a '90s street soul lens; stripped-back, dusty, and perfectly tuned for late-night selectors and heads-down dancefloors.

Long Ryder guitarist/mandolinist Sid Griffin states 'High Noon Hymns' is “two thirds the distilled altcountry genre we helped found back in the 1980s, one third Paisley Underground adventurism yet with a dash of our own crazed soulfulness thrown in." Due to the unexpected passing of Long Ryders' bassist Tom Stevens, bass duties on the new album were shared by Murry Hammond of Americana stalwarts The Old 97s and The Long Ryders’ own Stephen McCarthy. McCarthy also performs live with The Jayhawks and occasionally records with the Dream Syndicate. Guests appearing in the album include DJ Bonebrake of X on vibes and young bluegrass wunderkind Wyatt Ellis on mandolin. The album was recorded at Kozy Tone Studios in sunny Poway, California.

Recorded spontaneously in a single afternoon, the album captures an unguarded musical conversation between two of the most compelling voices of their generation. Born in Brixton and now based in Harlem, Ruben Fox has emerged as a major presence on the international jazz scene, renowned for the depth of his sound, the emotional clarity of his ballad playing, and a voice rooted in tradition while speaking firmly in the present. His work follows collaborations with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Barry Harris, Roy Hargrove, Jon Batiste, and George Coleman, and builds on the critical acclaim of his 2021 debut Introducing Ruben Fox.

Micah Thomas is one of the most celebrated pianists of his generation, praised for a style that is both restlessly inventive and deeply grounded in the history of the music. A Jerome L. Greene Fellow and Juilliard alumnus, Thomas has worked extensively with Immanuel Wilkins, Joshua Redman, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Billy Drummond, and has been recognised by DownBeat, Jazz Magazine, and The New York City Jazz Record as a defining contemporary voice. Fox and Thomas first developed their musical relationship while studying at Juilliard, where they regularly played duo sets. In Two Minds was recorded on a whim at Chris Pattishall's apartment in Washington Heights, with no rehearsal, no edits, and no agenda beyond mutual respect, listening, and shared musical values. Over three hours, the pair simply showed up and played.

The result is an intimate, conversational record that foregrounds generosity, empathy, and deep musical listening. Sparse, direct, and emotionally rich, In Two Minds offers a rare document of two artists meeting in real time, balancing history, intellect, warmth, and spontaneity.

Hailed as one of the US's most exciting and provocative new bands, Prostitute's bracing debut Attempted Martyr finally sees its official worldwide release on Mute.?

Emerging out of Dearborn, Michigan, this five-piece deal in pure chaos and catharsis - fiery live shows, razor-sharp intensity, and a sound that's as incendiary as it is brutally tight. Their name reflects their fixation on identity, desperation, and survival under late capitalism.

Attempted Martyr was written in the midst of global and personal turmoil, capturing the zeitgeist of a world unraveling. A loose concept record, it chronicles the rise and fall of a doomed zealot whose pursuit of holy vengeance spirals into a psychotic orgy of violence, greed, and lust. It's dense, turbulent, and charged with blaring Middle Eastern, African and East Asian influences - all scorched into shape by producer Chris Koltay (The Armed, Mdou Moctar).

With mounting online buzz, critical acclaim and a run of sold-out bootleg editions, Prostitute's debut continues to gain momentum - now available on red viny

A mix of metallic doomgaze, epic gothic soundscapes and post punk attitude. Loud and crushing, yet sharp enough to stick in your head for days. There are two kinds of heavy bands: the ones that make a lot of noise and the ones that drag you somewhere you didn't know you needed to go. Cwfen (pronounced 'Coven') are the latter, and Sorrows is a record that doesn't just crush - it haunts long after the final note. The allure of Cwfen's sound lies in contrasts: the glacial ferocity of Amenra, with the velvet-and-razor vocals of King Woman, and the rotting grandeur of Type O Negative. It's as hypnotic as it is harrowing, but somehow even better than the sum of those parts. Since emerging from Glasgow's underground just 18 months ago, Cwfen's reputation is growing, selling out shows and pulling growing audiences into their doom-laden fever dream. Released in October, the band's debut single 'Reliks' was a hit with fans and critics, landing a spot on Kerrang!'s release of the week playlist. And rightly so. Their sound devours and delights in equal measure. "Cwfen have emerged from the darkest depths of the Caledonian underground with a beguiling blend of doom metal and gothic post-punk for those who like to live deliciously." Kerrang! Sorrows lives in the space around doom where the weight of the riffs is matched by the weight in your chest, where the lyrics and the songwriting are as important as the music itself. Loud and crushing, yet sharp enough to stick in your head for days. It builds, burns, collapses, resurrects. Big on riffs, bigger on feeling. The kind of songs you carry with you. Singer and rhythm guitarist Agnes Alder bears her claws one minute, then whispers the next, as the band follows like a storm front, rising, breaking, drowning you in the weight of it. From the guttural Penance to the lush Whispers, to the feral Wolfsbane and the insurrectionist Rite. It includes a long reworking of Embers and Bodies, the two self-recorded demos that launched them into the scene with a bang and their growing legion of fans already adore. Intricate vocal arrangements, heavy and harsh guitars, a mix of atmosphere and heft, it undoubtedly punches above its weight for a debut. As Agnes says: "When we stopped trying to fit into any one space, what came out was this beautiful mix of dark and light. Something visceral and cathartic." This is a band that sits right in the boundaries between the heavy genres, pulling in everyone from the young goths and to the die-hard metalheads alike and 'Sorrows' truly does deliver in spades. Make no mistake, Cwfen are set to be one of the names to watch in 2025. FFO: Chelsea Wolfe, Zetra, King Woman, Type O Negative, Alcest, Faetooth, Liturgy. Limited vinyl pressing, 500 copies in transparent red vinyl. Full colour Gatefold outer sleeve, with a full colour printed inner sleeve, Full download included as well.

Brooklyn Sway's 8th installment arrives from outside with more unexpected debuts and riotous returns to form. Experienced Barcelonian Larry Lan's epic 10-minute opener 'WTNG' is minimal goes post-punk, repurposing well-known, undisguised lyrics into an aggressive take on early Perlon and explanation enough for his recent album drop on Cadenza. BKS vets N/UM return with 'A Free Woman in Queens' showing off a reduced side of their sound adjacent to mid-00s minimal with plenty of character, its stripped intro giving way to a fuller, dubbed-out second half, with the cheeky vocal and instrumental touches joined by a swelling pad. Featuring spoken vox from Mari Blue and the debut of BKS co-head Asha Jasz alongside DeWinter and Jay Prouty, 'Acid in Your Coffee' takes the dirtier route, with layers of zapping electronics, an insistent single-note acid bass, and synths drifting between tones and textures all veering off like its vocals before eventually returning to center. LA/Bucktown scallywag $coe brings it home with 'The Devil is a MF Liar', an acid jam whose profanity-laced vocal samples don't require divine intervention to decipher. Bookended by a pair of interludes, the first on the power of repetition and the last in memoriam BK legend Big Sexy in his own words, and again featuring striking artwork from notable NYC street artist Fumero, BKS keeps that Sway from going astray.

Transmitter ist Max Clarkes viertes Album als Cut Worms. Produziert von Jeff Tweedy im Loft Studio von Wilco, zeigt Transmitter, wie Clarke seine Fähigkeiten weiterentwickelt hat und wie zwei Künstler zusammenkommen, die in ihrer Arbeit nach Anmut inmitten von Entwurzelung suchen. Es sind Orte, die vom Mythos der Selbstständigkeit geprägt sind, an denen Menschen, die die Idee der Verbindung durch Technologie verkauft haben, zu stillen Sendern reduziert wurden - Datenpunkte, die gekauft und verkauft, manipuliert und gemessen werden und deren Leben durch genau die Netzwerke verzerrt wird, die sie eigentlich verbinden sollten. Die ersten Anzeichen für Transmitter gab es, als Cut Worms im Sommer 2024 als Vorgruppe von Wilco unterwegs waren. Am Ende der Tour lud Tweedy die Band ein, im legendären Loft in Chicago aufzunehmen, und schon bald wurden Pläne geschmiedet, im Herbst damit zu beginnen. In der gemütlichen Unordnung aus Gitarren, Verstärkern und Büchern im Loft fanden Clarke und Tweedy schnell eine gemeinsame musikalische Basis und eine gemeinsame Vorliebe für komplexe Songs. Während Clarkes Stimme und Texte den Rahmen bildeten, skizzierten Tweedys Gitarren- und Basslinien die Räume, in denen die Songs leben. Tweedys Präsenz als Produzent zeigte sich nicht in hartnäckigen Entscheidungen, sondern darin, wie er Räume kolorierte und immer wieder neue Texturen anbot. Zwischen ihnen überbrückte ihre gleichgesinnte Sensibilität eine Generationskluft, um etwas zu schaffen, das nuancierter war, als es jeder von ihnen allein hätte schaffen können. Wenn frühere Veröffentlichungen von Cut Worms von der Dekadenz des Brill Building und verrückter Americana geprägt waren, wirkt der Sound auf Transmitter dunkler, reichhaltiger und gesättigter mit der Angst des modernen Lebens. ,Long Weekend" beschleunigt die Zeit und hat die melodische Dringlichkeit von Big Star oder Dwight Twilley. ,Evil Twin" kämpft mit bitterer Enttäuschung, seine gesprächigen Gitarren erinnern an den klirrenden Herzschmerz von The Replacements und The Go-Betweens, und ,Windows on the World" neigt sich mit einer Melancholie, die irgendwo zwischen Elliott Smith und Miracle Legion schwebt, der Sonne der Zukunft zu. Der letzte Titel ,Dream" bringt uns zurück auf eine vertraute Ebene: Clarke allein am Klavier, zart und unentschlossen, grübelt er über das Schicksal von Träumen und das Risiko, zu kurz zu kommen oder sich auf dem Weg zu verlieren. Transmitter zeigt Clarke in voller Fahrt, der mit der Überzeugung eines Menschen schreibt, der seinen Frieden mit der Ungewissheit gemacht hat. Diese Songs setzen sich mit den Kosten des Komforts auseinander und kehren zu der Idee zurück, dass Schönheit, Verbundenheit und Liebe keine Luxusgüter sind, sondern Überlebensnotwendigkeiten. Clarke fühlt sich zu Paradoxien hingezogen - der Reibung zwischen Intimität und Flucht, Glauben und Zweifel, Schatten und Licht. Seine Vergebung kommt, wie die des abgeschnittenen Wurms, durch Übertragung zustande: durch den Akt, etwas Zerbrechliches in den Lärm zu entlassen und darauf zu vertrauen, dass es noch immer spürbar ist.

Transmitter ist Max Clarkes viertes Album als Cut Worms. Produziert von Jeff Tweedy im Loft Studio von Wilco, zeigt Transmitter, wie Clarke seine Fähigkeiten weiterentwickelt hat und wie zwei Künstler zusammenkommen, die in ihrer Arbeit nach Anmut inmitten von Entwurzelung suchen. Es sind Orte, die vom Mythos der Selbstständigkeit geprägt sind, an denen Menschen, die die Idee der Verbindung durch Technologie verkauft haben, zu stillen Sendern reduziert wurden - Datenpunkte, die gekauft und verkauft, manipuliert und gemessen werden und deren Leben durch genau die Netzwerke verzerrt wird, die sie eigentlich verbinden sollten. Die ersten Anzeichen für Transmitter gab es, als Cut Worms im Sommer 2024 als Vorgruppe von Wilco unterwegs waren. Am Ende der Tour lud Tweedy die Band ein, im legendären Loft in Chicago aufzunehmen, und schon bald wurden Pläne geschmiedet, im Herbst damit zu beginnen. In der gemütlichen Unordnung aus Gitarren, Verstärkern und Büchern im Loft fanden Clarke und Tweedy schnell eine gemeinsame musikalische Basis und eine gemeinsame Vorliebe für komplexe Songs. Während Clarkes Stimme und Texte den Rahmen bildeten, skizzierten Tweedys Gitarren- und Basslinien die Räume, in denen die Songs leben. Tweedys Präsenz als Produzent zeigte sich nicht in hartnäckigen Entscheidungen, sondern darin, wie er Räume kolorierte und immer wieder neue Texturen anbot. Zwischen ihnen überbrückte ihre gleichgesinnte Sensibilität eine Generationskluft, um etwas zu schaffen, das nuancierter war, als es jeder von ihnen allein hätte schaffen können. Wenn frühere Veröffentlichungen von Cut Worms von der Dekadenz des Brill Building und verrückter Americana geprägt waren, wirkt der Sound auf Transmitter dunkler, reichhaltiger und gesättigter mit der Angst des modernen Lebens. ,Long Weekend" beschleunigt die Zeit und hat die melodische Dringlichkeit von Big Star oder Dwight Twilley. ,Evil Twin" kämpft mit bitterer Enttäuschung, seine gesprächigen Gitarren erinnern an den klirrenden Herzschmerz von The Replacements und The Go-Betweens, und ,Windows on the World" neigt sich mit einer Melancholie, die irgendwo zwischen Elliott Smith und Miracle Legion schwebt, der Sonne der Zukunft zu. Der letzte Titel ,Dream" bringt uns zurück auf eine vertraute Ebene: Clarke allein am Klavier, zart und unentschlossen, grübelt er über das Schicksal von Träumen und das Risiko, zu kurz zu kommen oder sich auf dem Weg zu verlieren. Transmitter zeigt Clarke in voller Fahrt, der mit der Überzeugung eines Menschen schreibt, der seinen Frieden mit der Ungewissheit gemacht hat. Diese Songs setzen sich mit den Kosten des Komforts auseinander und kehren zu der Idee zurück, dass Schönheit, Verbundenheit und Liebe keine Luxusgüter sind, sondern Überlebensnotwendigkeiten. Clarke fühlt sich zu Paradoxien hingezogen - der Reibung zwischen Intimität und Flucht, Glauben und Zweifel, Schatten und Licht. Seine Vergebung kommt, wie die des abgeschnittenen Wurms, durch Übertragung zustande: durch den Akt, etwas Zerbrechliches in den Lärm zu entlassen und darauf zu vertrauen, dass es noch immer spürbar ist.

Mononoke is a Berlin band founded by Fabian Rösch and Benjamin Geyer. Their musical passion is improvisation with a sound that moves between experimental electronic music, jazz, beat music and ambient.
This LP combines their two recent EPs which have been released on the Munich based label tunnel.visions,
each on one side.

APARt
APARt was created in the field of tension between spontaneous improvisation and careful studio work, marked
by the lockdowns during covid and social isolation. It was precisely this physical separation that gave rise to a
new experimental approach.
Each track is a puzzle, whose individual pieces were put together, moved around, and placed in new contexts.
Instead of jamming and rehearsing together, musical ideas were exchanged online so that they could be freely
interpreted, altered and redesigned.


modular
Newly found vivid playfulness, fresh approaches and a tilt towards the unexpected marks these songs. Capturing moments in our lives full of challenges, developments and salvation.
The same new and unusual process of working separately, shaped the subsequent second EP modular which
followed the same working structure but with a new component: the modular synthesizer, which decisively reshapes the sound: a collection of analog textures, broken structures and a touch of raw intimacy.
Each song is an episode, each sound a reminder of how music connects us.?
Even when circumstances, such as a pandemic, can threaten to pull us apart.

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

Far from being a nostalgic exercise, the record reasserts their daring artistry, merging legacy and rebirth. Known for melodic minimalism, elegant melancholy, and pulsing electronics, the band has often been compared to Depeche Mode, New Order, or Joy Division, yet their singular identity has always set them apart. On this new album, they reinvent their sonic language, blending vintage synths with classical textures and luminous modern production. The result is a sensory journey where light and shadow converse, where poetry meets pulse, reaffirming their timeless relevance. Their influence extends across genres: sampled by Madlib, reinterpreted by Tricky, reimagined by Theophilus London, and remixed by DJs such as Marcel Dettmann. Tributes, reissues, and appearances in cinema and fashion underscore their resonance, from Lucie Borleteau's Chanson Douce movie to catwalks by Chloe.

Born in Marseille in the early 1980s and led by Alain Seghir alongside Catherine Loy , Brigitte Balian , and Beverley Jane Crew , Martin Dupont left a mythic legacy with tracks like ' Inside Ou't and 'Just Because...' before dissolving in 1987. Rediscovered through Minimal Wave reissues, their music captivated a new generation of underground and electronic enthusiasts. Today, Martin Dupont are reborn. Seghir and Crew, joined by Sandy Casado, Thierry Sintoni, and Olivier Leroy, embark on a world tour that affirms their unique ability to move and inspire. You Smile When It Hurts proves that their visionary sound has never been more alive

Johnny Cash (1932–2003) was a legendary singer-songwriter whose deep voice and storytelling made him one of the most influential figures in American music. Blending country, rock, folk, and gospel, he created timeless songs like “I Walk the Line,” “Ring of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues.”, “I Got Stripes,” and “Oh Lonesome Me.” Known as The Man in Black, Cash’s music spoke to themes of love, faith, and redemption, leaving an enduring mark on generations of artists.

"No Regrets" wurde 2003 veröffentlicht und ist das vierte Album der schwedischen Hardrock-Band Hardcore Superstar. Das Album setzt ihre charakteristische Mischung aus Sleaze-Rock, Glam-Metal und Punk-Energie fort und liefert eine Sammlung von rohen und hochoktanigen Tracks.

Herausragende Songs wie "Still I'm Glad", "Honey Tongue" und "No Regrets" zeigen das Gespür der Band für ansteckende Melodien, düstere Gitarrenriffs und rebellische Attitüde. Während sie ihren unverkennbaren Sound beibehalten, ist das Album im Vergleich zu seinem Vorgänger etwas härter und düsterer ausgefallen.

Obwohl "No Regrets" ihr letztes Album vor einer kurzen stilistischen Veränderung war, bleibt es ein Fan-Favorit und ein wesentlicher Teil der Entwicklung von Hardcore Superstar. Vollgepackt mit Attitüde und hymnischen Hooks festigte das Album ihren Ruf als eine der führenden schwedischen Hardrockbands, die Fans von Sleaze und Classic Rock gleichermaßen anspricht.

"No Regrets" ist in einer limitierten Auflage von 666 einzeln nummerierten Exemplaren auf Translucent Red Vinyl erhältlich

Gathering his most iconic early recordings, this collection captures the pure essence of the man who laid the foundations of Bossa Nova. From the tender intimacy of "Corcovado" and "Chega de Saudade" to the gentle swing of "Desafinado" and "Bim Bom", widely considered the very first Bossa Nova song, every track radiates Gilberto's unmatched grace and rhythmic subtlety. Pressed on high- quality vinyl, Luz de Corcovado invites you to rediscover the soft pulse and poetic warmth that changed Brazilian music forever.

Eight years have passed since 8 regards obliques, the album in which Jaumet reinvented his spiritual jazz classics, letting them drift into other dimensions. Since then, an intense tour alongside Thomas de Pourquery and a new recording adventure with Zombie Zombie have taken him on the road. Yet it is in the inspiring calm of his brand-new studio in Bagnolet that he found the material for Du cortex à l’iris, his new album recorded for his label Versatile Records. Du cortex à l’iris continues this delicate balance that defines Jaumet’s signature: a constant tension between hypnotic abstraction and an almost animal groove. "To reduce the distance between my cortex and my senses, in order to compose mental images with sounds," he says. This intention runs through the entire album: a desire to make people dance, yes, but with echoes of EBM, bursts of cinematic landscapes, and that singular way of slowly inducing trance rather than declaring it. Saxophone, synths, analog drum machines: the arsenal remains familiar, but the approach is even more direct. Playing fast, composing in the moment, letting the hand run before the mind corrects. Capturing something primal, spontaneous, almost raw – as if the sound were really passing, this time, directly from the cortex to the iris.

Yamila presents her second album on Umor Rex, Noor. Following Visions, Yamila returns with a work that merges nature-experience listening with expansive musicality. Noor was born from her time in an ecologist community, where she sought refuge in stillness, learned from animals, and tried to forget the human. In this communion with nature, she discovered a new compositional approach: reducing acoustic noise to allow unheard voices to emerge, transforming music into a possibility for interspecies dialogue.

Since ancient times, sound has been used to care for herds, to call across distances, to communicate with the non-human. Noor reimagines that ancestral role in a contemporary language, where epic harmonies collide with delicate micro-tonalities, and where rhythm unfolds not only as pulse but as movement for the body, a natural extension of Yamila’s work with dance companies and choreographers.

Her voice is interwoven with electronics and the resonant strings of Echo Collective, creating sonic landscapes that radiate intensity and fragility. At times monumental, at others almost whispered, Noor oscillates between composition and spontaneity, structure and suspension.

The album unfurls as a dialogue between the organic and the artificial, where sound grows like a sprout breaking through hard soil. Yamila’s music here is not only to be heard, but to be inhabited: a choreography of air, vibration, and resonance. Noor is both shelter and revelation, a reminder that music can still be epic, luminous, and deeply human, while listening beyond the human.

All music and voices by Yamila Ríos. Recorded at Destelheide by Christophe Albertijn. Strings by Trio Echo Collective (Violin: Margaret Hermant, Viola: Neil Leiter), (Cello: Stijn Kuppens), (Arrangements: Pierre Slinckx). Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, NY. Photos by Assiah Alcázar. Design & layout by Daniel Castrejón.