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One of the most respected British bands in the mid 80's post punk era, Sad Lovers & Giants played highly atmospheric music made of melancholic melodies and epic guitar riffs. An overtly romantic attitude that slowly developed towards an even more open (pop) sound approach. Originally released in 1987 on Midnight records »Mirror Test«, the band's third studio effort, arrived as the fruit of an updated line up and a clear step in such direction. A very harmonious collection of songs, some of which are still recognized among the best in the band's entire catalog.

»Sound of Matter« is the debut album by Romanian sound artist and composer Simina Oprescu. The two pieces draw on research conducted with 15 historical church bells at the Märkisches Museum and the Stadtmuseum Berlin. After the artist had presented the results of her studies of the connection between matter and harmony in the form of a multi-channel installation, she has translated the underlying approach of this site-specific work into an album that unfolds slowly, consistently setting in motion subtle tonal changes that continuously change the mood of the two pieces. »Sound of Matter« is both minimalist and maximalist, creating an infinitely rich and multi-layered dronescape that modestly invites its audience to get lost in the sonic experience.

Oprescu has been fascinated by church bells since her childhood spent in Transilvania since the instruments were shrouded in mystery, as she explains in an in-depth essay that accompanies the album. Having received a Bachelor’s degree at UNArte in Bucharest and after studying at the Royal Conservatory of Mons in Belgium, Oprescu enrolled at Berlin’s Universität der Künste for an M.A. in Sound Studies and Sonic Arts. She started working with the archive of the Märkisches Museum, which included 15 historical church bells that were built between the 15th and the early 19th century.

Since every bell sounds different according to its shape, material, and density, Oprescu abstracted these qualities in the formula f = K1t/d^2√E/s(1-m^2). This enabled her to recreate the harmonic tone of the individual bells with Max/MSP. She then composed a piece with semi-overlayed tones, i.e. overlapping frequencies. Naturally, this resulted in a beating effect that provided the music with a sense of urgency, though the five second-long natural reverb of the Märkisches Museum’s Große Halle turned it into a »warm blanket of sound,« as the artist herself puts it. This is perfectly recreated on »Sound of Matter« due to the music being presented in mono, bringing out the intrinsic movement of the beatings with more nuance than a stereo version would.

»Sound of Matter« feels warm and welcoming even when different frequencies seem to create friction between each other or when the subtle beating effects turn into throbbing rhythms, like at the end of the record. It manages to explore both Oprescu’s personal fascination with church bells and psychological and psychoacoustic questions relating to them as well as philosophical issues connected with them. This music is profoundly physical, but also intellectually stimulating—perfectly at home in the catalog of the Swiss Hallow Ground label between records by Kali Malone, Lawrence English, or Siavash Amini.

The booklet features an in-depth essay on church bells by Simina Oprescu.

NOW Music is proud to present the third in our ongoing series of vinyl compilations, NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor. Each edition features an essential collection of tracks representing key genres of 1980’s Dance music. This volume, featuring 30 tracks across 2 LPs pressed on flaming yellow and orange vinyl, presents the best from the era of Soul and Disco.

The first LP kicks off with Tina Turner's landmark remake of ‘Let's Stay Together,’ a testament to her timeless vocal prowess. Jocelyn Brown’s ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’, brings a fabulous fusion of Funk and Soul, followed by Gwen Guthrie’s anthem ‘Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent. Womack & Womack's ‘Teardrops’ blend of captivating lyrics and rhythm, leads into Joyce Sims' ‘Come Into My Life’, before the Stock Aitken Waterman written & produced ‘Say I’m Your Number One’ from Princess. Loose Ends' ‘Hangin' On A String’ offers a smooth, jazz-infused sound, echoed by Will Downing's very first hit, ‘A Love Supreme’, which closes this side.

Side B takes you on a whirlwind trip around the dancefloor with Whitney Houston's ‘How Will I Know,’ showcasing her stellar vocal range. Alexander O'Neal’s ‘Criticize’ and Aretha Franklin's ‘Who's Zoomin' Who?’ bring a blend of irresistible beats. Lionel Richie's ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’ makes you want to move, and Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’, alongside Imagination's debut single, ‘Body Talk’, offers a cross of Hi-NRG Disco with a sensual groove. Hi-Gloss's ‘You’ll Never Know’ is a gem of smooth, elegant Soul to finish the first LP.

Side A of LP 2 begins with the iconic duo Ashford & Simpson's ‘Solid,’ a celebration of enduring love. Up next is the #1 Disco anthem ‘Fame’ from Irene Cara, and Diana Ross's ‘My Old Piano’ - showcasing her unique ability to blend Pop with Soul on this Chic-produced classic. Donna Summer's Grammy-nominated single ‘Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)’ fuses Disco with a Funk edge, while Odyssey's ‘Inside Out’ provides a smooth, and melody filled dance. Terri Wells's ‘I'll Be Around’ is a soulful delight, and Hall & Oates' ‘I Can't Go For That (No Can’t Do)’ mixes Rock with Soul, and became a hugely sampled and influencial track. The side ends on a romantic note with Fat Larry’s Band's ‘Zoom’.

The final side opens by showcasing Rufus and Chaka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody,’ a masterpiece of Funk and Soul synergy. Womack & Womack make their second appearance with ‘Love Wars’, followed by Steve Arrington's ‘Feel So Real’ - a true example of the era's crossover with Disco and Soul. Miami Sound Machine's ‘Dr. Beat’ injects Latin-infused Pop rhythms, while Jermaine Stewart's biggest hit ‘We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off’ became a global dance-floor smash hit. Billy Ocean's Grammy award winner, ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)’, blends Soul, Disco and Pop, and Sister Sledge's ‘Thinking Of You’ is the perfect closer, uplifting and full of joy.

A Limited edition pressing, and an essential addition to any collection. Perfect for collectors, DJs, and anyone who loves to get down to the greatest dance-floor-fillers of the ‘80s. NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor: Soul & Disco is released on February 23rd 2024.

Prince Harry is back ! A sweet dancefloor rockn'r'oll party time sound !

Donny Benét is an adult Entertainer, Hit-Maker, Attentive Lover- and one of Australia’s most acclaimed- and experienced Jazz-Musicians. He has toured Europe- and the UK five times through 2017/2018, playing Festivals & Headline-Shows in 14 different Countries- and will be returning in 2020! The Don’s gigs are rammed with 20-somethings partying like a scene out of Miami Vice.

Recorded in the infamous Donnyland-Studios using the finest Japanese, American & Italian synthesizers, The Don speaks to the heart, promising love as soft as Italian leather. Donny’s immaculate Armani grooves hint at the dancefloor and the bedroom The Don is transportive. ‘Night In Rome’ opens the shutters of your hotel room onto a view of The Colosseum, ‘Reach The Top’ thrusts you on a frenzied race to success through the streets of NYC.

‘Working Out’ urges you to break a sweat wherever you may be. ‘Konichiwa,’ is a song assmooth as the silken tofu from whence the song’s spirit is inspired, and ‘Santorini,’ an ode to love worth fighting for along the crystal-waters of the Aegean Sea.

New album “Mr Experience” due for Release on 22nd May, 2020

The Knife’s Olof Dreijer continues his new adventure as a solo producer with a three-track EP, also marking a unique sonic chapter in his work.Olof has been pushing the borders of electronic music for two decades, both as a part of The Knife and with the secret pseudonym Oni Ayhun - releasing music that traverses experimental avenues, exploring themes surrounding gender.

The Coral EP draws inspiration from the lively steel-drum experiments featured in last year's "Souvenir" EP with Mt. Sim

Vibrant compositions and distinct melodies create an ambient progression where electronic and acoustic sounds delicately dance together, forming friendships and blending seamlessly, reminiscent of white magic.

Olof has recently co-produced several tracks on Fever Ray’s critically acclaimed 2023 album “Radical Romantics”, produced Tunisian multi-instrumentalist and composer Houeida Hedfi’s debut album “Fleuves De L'âme”, as well as helped create music with Planningtorock and Zhala.

PREGOBLIN II is a strange name for a debut album. For the artist who created it, Alex Sebley aka PREGOBLIN, its astonishingly heartfelt and brilliantly catchy assemblage of songs is the culmination of a tortuous genesis period. Its release finally, he hopes, will usher in a fresh, more positive chapter for him, a sequel to all the misery and bullshit up to this point – hence the title. The creative journey to this point has been labyrinthine and frequently painful. As far back as the early ’10s, Sebley was registering his embryonic talent alongside Lias and Nathan Saoudi in The Saudis, the chaotic pre-Fat White Family ensemble where he played guitar and co-authored raw, post-punk material including FWF’s breakthrough tune ‘Touch The Leather’. PREGOBLIN receive a healthy 50,000 plays a month on Spotify. Previous singles include: Combustion which to date has amassed 2.2M streams and was dubbed ‘Single of the year’ last year in The Quietus. Other PREGOBLIN songs include Anna (flowers Won’t Grow), Love Letters, Snakes & Oranges and Wimpy & Wimpy Love with the Pop Group. “PREGOBLIN II’s genre-straddling dexterity and melodic riches mark it out as a loser classic fit to rank alongside Beck and Daniel Johnston. The tunes are memorable and the execution’s forward-facing and inspired” ★★★★ MOJO MAGAZINE // Live Shows February: 2nd Friday London - Amp Studios (with Harry Merry) 17th Saturday Leicester - Academy 2 (with Pip Blom) 19th Monday Cambridge - Junction 2 (with Pip Blom) 20th Tuesday Brighton - Chalk (with Pip Blom) 21st Wednesday London - Heaven (with Pip Blom) 24th Saturday Bristol - Simple Things Festival 25th Sunday Milton Keynes - MK11 (with the Libertines)

PREGOBLIN II is a strange name for a debut album. For the artist who created it, Alex Sebley aka PREGOBLIN, its astonishingly heartfelt and brilliantly catchy assemblage of songs is the culmination of a tortuous genesis period. Its release finally, he hopes, will usher in a fresh, more positive chapter for him, a sequel to all the misery and bullshit up to this point – hence the title. The creative journey to this point has been labyrinthine and frequently painful. As far back as the early ’10s, Sebley was registering his embryonic talent alongside Lias and Nathan Saoudi in The Saudis, the chaotic pre-Fat White Family ensemble where he played guitar and co-authored raw, post-punk material including FWF’s breakthrough tune ‘Touch The Leather’. PREGOBLIN receive a healthy 50,000 plays a month on Spotify. Previous singles include: Combustion which to date has amassed 2.2M streams and was dubbed ‘Single of the year’ last year in The Quietus. Other PREGOBLIN songs include Anna (flowers Won’t Grow), Love Letters, Snakes & Oranges and Wimpy & Wimpy Love with the Pop Group. “PREGOBLIN II’s genre-straddling dexterity and melodic riches mark it out as a loser classic fit to rank alongside Beck and Daniel Johnston. The tunes are memorable and the execution’s forward-facing and inspired” ★★★★ MOJO MAGAZINE // Live Shows February: 2nd Friday London - Amp Studios (with Harry Merry) 17th Saturday Leicester - Academy 2 (with Pip Blom) 19th Monday Cambridge - Junction 2 (with Pip Blom) 20th Tuesday Brighton - Chalk (with Pip Blom) 21st Wednesday London - Heaven (with Pip Blom) 24th Saturday Bristol - Simple Things Festival 25th Sunday Milton Keynes - MK11 (with the Libertines)

"L'idée nous est venu lors d'une conversation un peu arrosée dans un pub du sud de Londres avec Philippe du label Tapeworm" dixit François Kirmann Gamaury alias Franz Kirmann alias Dj Salinger – producteur français établi à Londres depuis plus d'une vingtaine d'années.

"Voyage voyage voyage" est une mixtape. Mais pas dans le sens traditionnelle du terme. Kirmann l'appelle une mixtape subjective, où les morceaux ne sont pas joués tels quels mais présentés tels qu'ils sont ressentis par l'artiste.

Un peu comme le DJ Vladimir Ivkovic qui ralentit certain morceaux sur ses platines pour en révéler un autre aspect, Kirmann zoom dans l'étoffe même des enregistrements, étire les notes et les sons à l'infini, pour en mettre à jour un sens caché, altérer notre perception de ces chansons qui peuvent parfois sembler un peu désuètes. Ici elles sont transformées en nappes fantomatiques et envoutantes qui évoquent un souvenir d'une période de sa vie, une trace sonore d'une époque un peu naive, qui revient aujourd'hui sous forme d'echo, une musique nostalgique trempée dans la reverb et la distortion.

Kirmann a grandit au Sénégal pendant les années 80 et il se souvient des étés de son enfance passé chez ses grand parents, les chansons à la radio, dans le bus du centre aéré, dans un Prisunic en Dordogne, où une fête de camping en Alsace: Catherine Lara, Elsa, Veronique Jeannot et bien sûr Desireless et son fameux tube "Voyage voyage".

Les chansons sélectionnées pour la cassette ont toutes en commun une incitation au départ, une recherche de l'ailleurs, un amour perdu, un souvenir, les thèmes de predilection d'une certaine pop française que l'on nommait variété.

Ces idées d'évasion sont accentuées ici par le traitement sonore qui leur est appliqué. Les chansons sont paralysés dans le temps, figées dans le son, comme si l'on avait souligné certain passages dans un roman pour les détacher du texte intégral.

Distortion, écho, réverbération et autres effets sont appliqués et donnent à la musique et au son une qualité rêveuse et distante. Certains passages reconnaissables se dévoilent et sortent de la brume sonore, ils se révèlent plus net, d'autres sont noyés dans un brouillard imprécis, une musique proche de l'ambient qui enveloppe l'auditeur.

Kirmann: "Chaque track est basé sur une chanson de variété française des années 80, je voulais re-créer une impression de distance, quelque chose de lointain. Les morceaux deviennent des sortes de tapisseries sonores mais dont l'essence de la chanson originelle est toujours présente. Il y'a un roman de Patrick Modiano où les personnages lancent des avis de recherche pour la France à partir d'une station de radio d'un pays lointain. Le son est brouillé, les voix étouffées. J'avais un peu cette idée en tête de faire quelque chose de similaire, comme si les chansons étaient entendus sur un vieux poste de radio mais émises d'une station lointaine et d'un autre temps."

Le résultat est un voyage nostalgique, une musique ambient et nébuleuse façonnée à partir de tubes synthétiques 80's. Imaginez Fennesz ou My Bloody Valentine jouant des reprises de Laurent Voulzy et vous y êtes presque…

Loveless non, Desireless oui!

DJ Salinger. Voyage Voyage Voyage – Disponible en cassette uniquement. 100 exemplaires sur le label Tapeworm.

—

Franz Kirmann is a French music producer living in London. He has made albums for various labels including Denovali, Bytes, Mercury KX. He also writes music for film and TV and is a lecturer in music production at Point Blank Music school.

Born from a virtual encounter in lockdown between two Parisian neighbors, the DJ/producer Prosper and saxophonist Le Marabout, “Le Moustache Conspiracy” is a playful and deeply joyous album, pulling freely from the Afro, Funk, Disco, Hip-Hop, Oriental and Electro influences of the two artists. The iconoclastic DJ Romain “Prosper” Coolen, fervent purveyor of no holds barred euphoria on the dance floor, and the versatile saxophonist, composer and jack-of-all-trades Johann “Le Marabout” Guihard offer us a lavish, eclectic, uninhibited, coherent and furiously groovy album!

Who To Love is a 10-song modern rock opera by a new creative collective, The Time Experience Project comprising of Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, Dave Stewart and legendary Italian band, Mokadelic. "Who To Love" is an immersive 10-song modern rock opera with
an accompanying film which premiered at the Rome Film Festival in October 2023.

Dave Stewart called to his side the great Italian television, stage, and Þlm actress, Greta Scarano and legendary Italian band Mokadelic for this adventure that inextricably joins music and images, weaved together with a strong emotional impact that investigates the
deepest folds of the human soul through music, memories and nightmares that intertwine in an alienating journey. Turquoise colored vinyl.

Original Son del Barrio, from Monterrey; presenting their first album Tropical Gueto. A trip through different neighbourhoods, with a collection of sounds ranging from Digital Cumbia and Hip-hop to Reggae and Tropical bass. Created as a collaboration between Mexico and Germany (featuring founding member and singer Angel Perez, and Dj and producer Andres Digital), this tropical experiment begins with a series of concerts in Rome, Amsterdam and Paris. Plans are laid for the co-production of Tropical Gueto in said tour; and the resulting efforts saw the participation of Indepe Roots, Bianca Ciocca, Moska Hernandez, Joyce Musicolor and Feo Feo Records; as well as Gran Om, on art duties. Tropical Gueto sets the bar high for Digital Cumbia, setting a clear benchmark for the genre. Angel Perez (aka Son del Barrio) lends his voice to the streets and the “barrio” culture of Monterrey, in the expressive language of his own lyrics and compositions; through the sensitivity and technical ingenuity of producer and Dj Andres Digital (aka Jaky Tuff).

Who To Love is a 10-song modern rock opera by a new creative collective, The Time Experience Project comprising of Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, Dave Stewart and legendary Italian band, Mokadelic. "Who To Love" is an immersive 10-song modern rock opera with
an accompanying film which premiered at the Rome Film Festival in October 2023.

Dave Stewart called to his side the great Italian television, stage, and Þlm actress, Greta Scarano and legendary Italian band Mokadelic for this adventure that inextricably joins music and images, weaved together with a strong emotional impact that investigates the
deepest folds of the human soul through music, memories and nightmares that intertwine in an alienating journey. Turquoise colored vinyl.

ARN4L2 (pronouced arn-al-dos) aka Arnaldo Berdugo is a producer and DJ from Cartagena, Colombia. He grew up surrounded by music, namely the vinyl treasures that his grandfather accumulated as director of a local radio station in San Estanislao de Kotska, Bolívar, a Colombian Caribbean town with a large Afro-descendant population.
In his productions, ARN4L2 combines Colombian musical traditions such as Bullerengue, Chalupa and Tambora with electronic elements such as synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines, resulting in a unique sound that reflects his own, strongly African- influenced Caribbean vision.
Galletas Calientes is proud to release his first solo project on vinyl: a collection of 5 upbeat tunes for the floor, blending Congolese soukous, Colombian Bullerengue, Nigerian highlife, Caribbean soca, and House; with a uniquely distinctive, progressive and psychedelic touch.
His Colombian, Caribbean and African roots have been shaping this young producer’s personality as an artist and a human being, and the distinguished style he has developed over the years is definitely the result of all these influences.
“Caribe” is the third volume of Galletas Calientes Records “Colombian Singles Series”, a series with a purpose of awakening interest in modern Colombian electronic music.

Gute Laune garantiert: Von Reggae kann man eigentlich nie genug bekommen. Wer trotzdem noch Lücken in der Sammlung hat oder, völlig zurecht, es anstrengend findet eine Playlist oder ein Mixtape zu erstellen, der kommt mit "Reggae Greatest Hits" durch jede Jahreszeit.

By the turn of the 80s, the impact of David Bowie’s ground- breaking Berlin recordings – the synths, the alienation, the drily futuristic production – was being felt on music across Europe. What’s more, the records being made were reflecting back and influencing Bowie’s own work – 1979’s Lodger and 1980’s Scary Monsters owed a debt to strands of German kosmische (Holger Czukay), new electronica (Patrick Cowley, Harald Grosskopf), and the latest works from old friends and rivals like Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel and Scott Walker, all of whom had been re-energised by the fizz of 1977.

Compiled by Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley and the BFI’s Jason Wood, Fantastic Voyage is the companion album to their hugely successful Café Exil collection, which imagined the soundtrack to David Bowie and Iggy Pop’s trans-European train journeys in the mid-to-late seventies. “Fantastic Voyage” is what happened next.

Bowie’s influences and Bowie’s own influence were rebounding off each other as the 70s ended and the 80s began, notably in the emergent synthpop and new romantic scenes as well as through the music of enigmatic acts like the Associates and post-punk pioneers such as Cabaret Voltaire.

Like Low and Heroes, some of the tracks on Fantastic Voyage are spiked with tension (Grauzone’s ‘Eisbär’) while some share those albums’ sense of travel (Simple Minds’ ‘Theme for Great Cities’, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s ‘Riot in Lagos’) and others find common ground with “Lodger’s” dark, subtle humour (Thomas Leer’s ‘Tight as a Drum’, Fripp’s ‘Exposure’).

This is the thrilling, adventurous sound of European music before the watershed moment when Bowie would abandon art- pop for America and the emerging world of MTV with “Let’s Dance” in 1983. Fantastic Voyage soundtracks the few brief years when the echo chamber of Bowie, his inspirations, and his followers created an exciting, borderless music that was ready to challenge Anglo American influences.

The fledgling Detach label continues to show it means business with a new 12" in a lovely screen-printed sleeve. Romanian artist Dyl is the one in charge and has been serving up consistently excellent and innovative sounds now for serval years. All of these cuts mix up great sound design with languid rhythms - the first is eerie, with watery droplets and glassy tinkles hanging in the air, while 'Glasshouse 2' has a percolating rhythm down low. 'Glasshouse 3' gets a little more dynamic with a shimmering low end and freaky abstract life forms and 'Glasshouse 4' layers in more intense and ever-shifting synth lines while the closer sounds like it's roaming through a deserted factory long after it shut down.

Wir haben so großartiges Feedback zur Future Sounds Of Kraut Vol. 1 bekommen, also kommt hier Volume 2: 17 moderne Kraut-Elektronik-Tracks (9 davon exklusiv und vorher unveröffentlicht) inspiriert von Kraftwerk, Can, Neu!, Cluster, Harmonia, Klaus Schulze und vielen anderen. Kuratiert und zusammengestellt von Compost-Künstler Fred und Luna. Die Collage auf dem Cover wurde - wie schon auf Vol. 1 - exklusiv von der fantastischen Künstlerin Norika Nienstedt aus der Kraut-Metropole Düsseldorf gestaltet.

Gar nicht einfach oder im Grunde unmöglich, den Begriff "Kraut" stilistisch zu beschreiben. Dennoch begeben sich Compost Records und Fred und Luna auf eine Zeitreise, um die unterschiedlichen Elemente deutscher elektronischer Musik der 1970er- und 1980er-Jahre und ihre Auswirkungen auf die neuere deutsche und weltweite Musikszene zu entdecken.
Nach dem großen Erfolg von Volume 1 wurde umgehend ein Nachfolger gestartet, der stilistisch an seinen Vorgänger anknüpft und darüber hinaus - da dies eine der Grundideen der Reihe ist - das musikalische Spektrum Schritt für Schritt um neue krautige Elemente erweitert. Auf Volume 2 finden sich deshalb nun auch ein paar cluborientierte und experimentelle Tracks.
Compost und Fred und Luna wünschen viel Pläsier beim Krautifizieren!

Format: - Schwarze 2LP mit Content-Sticker inkl. 9 exklusiven/unveröffentlichten Tracks

DJ Quotes:

- "A great compilation with a unique approach!" - Hans Nieswandt
- "Amazing contributions from all the artist involved ! Love this album ! Thank you Fred & Luna !" - Peter Kruder
- "Very interesting compilation ... Great music" - Laurent Garnier
- "Superb in every way" - Nick Warren

VOL. 8 includes tracks from HMSA, Glo My on side A and collaborations of Nicola Brusegan & Carlo di Roma and Pat Lezizmo & Dsitb on B side
House music all night long!

We are pleased to introduce our new single coming out on 16th of February featuring ever productive Guiding Star Orchestra eleven-man roots reggae ensemble from Copenhagen, Denmark and young, upcoming, Jamaican roots Artist Azizzi Romeo (son of legendary Max Romeo) on “In Jah Sight” riddim. Coming out on both vinyl and as a high quality digital release.

The song contains conscious lyrics on top of a meditating steppas riddim with beautiful arrangements from GSO horn section and includes an amazing dub version made by the great Roberto Sanchez from A-Lone Ark Music Studio. Two wicked collaborations on both sides of a heavy slab of 7” record!

The song is an uplifting statement about putting trust in your faith. “When thirst cover your mouth, Jah will send the Rain!” A strong message from a young Artist who’s ready to take over the world of conscious roots reggae music. This is the first time Orchestra has done a collaboration with a vocalist and we have many more collaborations planned for the future as well as some brand new solo material coming this year. Stay tuned!

More Than Ten Years Since He First Emerged On Skull Disco, Appleblim Presents His Debut Album. The Label He Co-founded With Shackleton Was The First The World Heard Of His Productions, But Laurie Osborne's Innate Relationship With Electronic Music Culture Reaches Back Much Further Than Those Groundbreaking Early Days Of Dubstep. Early Days Spent Soaking Up Hardcore, Jungle, Techno And Plenty More Besides Were Fundamental Foundations From Which To Spring Into The Then-unknown Realms Of Sub-low Half-step Club Music. At That Time Fwd>> And Dmz Were The Church For This Ritualistic Sound, And Appleblim Was A Regular Fixture At Both.

As Dubstep Matured, Magnified, Mutated And Meandered, So Appleblim Moved Beyond Skull Disco To Explore Different Avenues Of Expression In The New Many- Layered Club Music Landscape. His Own Apple Pips Imprint Was A Natural Vessel On Which To Explore The Emergent Fusions Of Hardcore-derived Sounds And The Us-born House, Techno And Electro, While Labels Such As Aus Music Equally Provided A Home For His Work (often Alongside Komonazmuk). Meanwhile Long-standing Collaborations With Alec Storey (al Tourettes / Second Storey) Finally Manifested In The Hyper-modern Mind-twist Of Also, Captured As An Album On Legendary Rave Label R&s.

More Recently It's Been Possible To Hear Appleblim Delve Into Electro-acoustic And Ambient Production Alongside Bassweight Sounds On Tempa, One Of The Original Bastions Of Dubstep Culture. As The Existing Boundaries Between Genres, Cultures, Eras And Scenes Continue To Dissolve, On His Debut Album Appleblim Offers Up A Fresh Approach That Brings Some Of The Foundational Sound Ethics Of Rave Culture Into A Modern Framework.

Hardcore Breaks Are Still A Regular Sound Source In Contemporary Club Tracks, But On Life In A Laser It's Instantly Apparent That Appleblim Has Moved Beyond Choosing Popular Drum Samples To Truly Tap Into The Elusive Feeling Engendered By The Music Of The Era. It's A Tricky Feat To Manage, But In The Pie-eyed Chords Of ignite', The Subby 808 Tom Basslines On nci' Or The Mr. Fingers Synth Flex On manta Key' The Sonic Finish Sports The Same Understated Grit And Grime That Made Those Early Records So Timeless. There's Still Space For Modernism, Not Least On Snaking 2-step Killer i Think We'll Let The Gas Sort This One Out', But It's Offset By A Layer Of Dust, Not To Mention An Inherent Moodiness That Can't Be Faked.

This Fine Balance Of Rave Romanticism And Future-minded Approaches Binds Together In A Cohesive Conceptual Statement. First And Foremost It's Appleblim's Personal Reflection On The Music That Has Moved Him On Countless Dancefloors Since His First Flirtations With Soundsystem Culture. At The Same Time The Canny Influx Of Modern Ideas Into The Soundworld Of The 90s Genuinely Results In A New Proposition, Making For A Perfect Fit On The Modern-day 'ardcore Fetishists Label Of Choice, Sneaker Social Club. Many May Claim To Draw On Old-skool Influences In Their Modern Trax, But Take One Listen To flows From Within' And You'll Feel The Same Time-slipping Surge Of Future-shock As The Ravers At Lost, Dreamscape, The Dungeons, Clink Street, Blue Note And All Those Other Iconic Spots.

Soft Walls is the solo recording project of Dan Reeves, who has spent his entire adult life kicking around in the dust of the UK's underground music scenes. Cutting his teeth in the South West's post-hardcore scene; centred around Exeter's The Cavern club, before moving to the South East and forming his own record label; Faux Discx, and the propulsive post-punk band: Brighton via London's Cold Pumas. Projects have come and gone over the years, but Reeves' Soft Walls has remained, an outlet for whatever musical whim takes his fancy.

'True Love' is Soft Walls' 4th album. Written and recorded at home, during breaks in work. During the aftermath of you-know-what.

For this album Dan leaned heavily in to his guitar playing, searching for those purest moments of true emotion and connection. Aiming to strike an instant blow. "Emotional guitar music. But not Emo." The result of falling in love with an instrument again and playing for the joy of it, much like he did as a teenager. Just older, wiser(?) and certainly more world-weary / teary-eyed.

Thematically, 'True Love' revels in stating its love for everything that is dear to Reeves. Odes to marriage, romance, unconditional love, parenthood and creativity pierce through the record's down-swings that tackle existential crisis and the feeling of falling in to depression. Each song attempts to encapsulate a vivid feeling, be it positive or negative. It's all part of a life worth living.

Although recorded at home, this album marks a leap in to digital mid-fidelity for Soft Walls, embracing a wider, richer sound beyond the tape hiss of earlier releases. That same spirt is still in the mix, but is presented wide-eyed and caffeinated in to clarity. Elevated by the input of a handful of collaborators contributing to the performances and helping to shape it sonically, 'True Love' ends up being the truest version of Soft Walls committed to (digital) tape thus far.

Top-Zusammenstellung von Tracks aus den Original-Soundtracks aller vier Staffeln der Netflix-Serie 'Sex Education', komponiert vom preisgekrönten RTS-Komponisten Oli Julian. Limitierte Auflage auf Baby-Pink-farbigem Vinyl.

Die Schweiz war schon immer ein fruchtbarer Nährboden für Extreme Metal. Messiah wurden 1984 gegründet und veröffentlichten zwei bahnbrechende Alben auf Chainsaw Murder Records, "Hymn To Abramelin" im Jahr 1986 und "Extreme Cold Weather" ein Jahr später. In den frühen 1990er Jahren unterschrieben Messiah bei Karl Walterbachs Label Noise Records und veröffentlichten drei weitere Alben in voller Länge: "Choir Of Horrors" (1991), "Rotten Perish" (1992) und "Underground" (1994), bevor sie getrennte Wege gingen.

Im Jahr 2018 beschlossen Messiah, sich in der Originalbesetzung ihrer Noise Records-Alben mit Andy Kaina am Gesang, Steve Karrer am Schlagzeug, Patrick Hersche am Bass und Bandgründer R.B. Brögi an der Gitarre zu reformieren. Aufwendige Re-Issues von "Hymn To Abramelin" und "Extreme Cold Weather" erschienen auf High Roller Records, bevor 2020 ein neues Studioalbum mit dem Titel "Fracmont" veröffentlicht wurde. 2024 folgt nun endlich "Christus Hypercubus", das Opus Magnus von Messiah.

Am 4. November 2022 ereilte das Schicksal den ehemaligen Messiah-Sänger Andy Kaina, der im Alter von nur 53 Jahren an einem Herzinfarkt starb. Es war ein großer Schock für alle Beteiligten. Andys letzter Live-Auftritt mit Messiah fand am 20. November 2021 im Alten Capitol in Langenthal, Schweiz, statt. Gegen Ende des Jahres verließ Andy Messiah, weil er nach eigenen Worten "die Motivation verloren hatte, in der Band zu sein und sich auf andere Dinge im Leben konzentrieren wollte". Messiah und Andy Kaina blieben jedoch Freunde.

Messiah hatte sich aber bereits nach Andys Ausstiegsankündigung entschieden, die Band weiterzuführen. Marcus Seebach aus Chur wurde Ende 2021 der neue Messiah-Sänger. Kurze Zeit später begannen die Arbeiten an einem neuen Studioalbum. "V.O. Pulver renommierter Schweizer Plattenproduzent und derzeit auch zweiter Gitarrist bei Messiah und ich haben im Januar 2022 die Grundlagen für neue Songs geschaffen", erklärt Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Brögi. "Innerhalb von drei Wochen hatten V.O. und ich das gesamte neue Album geschrieben. Ich habe in dieser Zeit auch das ganze Konzept und die Texte entwickelt (bis auf einen Songtext, der von Marcus Seebach stammt). Es war wirklich eine sehr kreative Zeit."

"Wir haben es so gemacht, wie wir es immer machen", lacht Brögi, "wir haben die Songs für "Christus Hypercubus" einfach geschrieben und aufgenommen, ohne viel darüber nachzudenken, ganz spontan. Die Umstände waren dieses Mal allerdings etwas komplizierter, weil wir nicht alle zusammen im Proberaum waren, um das Material zu arrangieren. Das Schicksal schlug zu, da Steve Karrer aufgrund eines Skiunfalls sechs Monate lang nicht Schlagzeug spielen konnte. Insgesamt ist das neue Material härter und schneller als "Fracmont". Es gibt auch einen neuen Touch, der durch Marcus' Gesang entsteht, denn er ist in der Lage, diese hohen Schreie zu machen. Ich denke "Christus Hypercubus" repräsentiert unsere neue Situation sehr gut - es weht ein neuer Wind, aber wir haben nichts von den bewährten Messiah-Trademarks von früher verloren."

Hier und da tragen Songs wie das langsamere "Speedsucker Romance" oder "Christus Hypercubus" auch "progressive" Züge, was das Album interessant und frisch klingen lässt. "Das liegt wahrscheinlich daran, dass wir alle Regeln für das Arrangieren von Beats ignorieren", schmunzelt Brögi. "Wir fügen einfach verschiedene Ideen zueinander, meist angeführt von den Gitarren. Deshalb werden wir wohl auch nie einen Rockhit schreiben. Früher war es reines Chaos, heute ist es strukturierter und professioneller."

Die Schweiz war schon immer ein fruchtbarer Nährboden für Extreme Metal. Messiah wurden 1984 gegründet und veröffentlichten zwei bahnbrechende Alben auf Chainsaw Murder Records, "Hymn To Abramelin" im Jahr 1986 und "Extreme Cold Weather" ein Jahr später. In den frühen 1990er Jahren unterschrieben Messiah bei Karl Walterbachs Label Noise Records und veröffentlichten drei weitere Alben in voller Länge: "Choir Of Horrors" (1991), "Rotten Perish" (1992) und "Underground" (1994), bevor sie getrennte Wege gingen.

Im Jahr 2018 beschlossen Messiah, sich in der Originalbesetzung ihrer Noise Records-Alben mit Andy Kaina am Gesang, Steve Karrer am Schlagzeug, Patrick Hersche am Bass und Bandgründer R.B. Brögi an der Gitarre zu reformieren. Aufwendige Re-Issues von "Hymn To Abramelin" und "Extreme Cold Weather" erschienen auf High Roller Records, bevor 2020 ein neues Studioalbum mit dem Titel "Fracmont" veröffentlicht wurde. 2024 folgt nun endlich "Christus Hypercubus", das Opus Magnus von Messiah.

Am 4. November 2022 ereilte das Schicksal den ehemaligen Messiah-Sänger Andy Kaina, der im Alter von nur 53 Jahren an einem Herzinfarkt starb. Es war ein großer Schock für alle Beteiligten. Andys letzter Live-Auftritt mit Messiah fand am 20. November 2021 im Alten Capitol in Langenthal, Schweiz, statt. Gegen Ende des Jahres verließ Andy Messiah, weil er nach eigenen Worten "die Motivation verloren hatte, in der Band zu sein und sich auf andere Dinge im Leben konzentrieren wollte". Messiah und Andy Kaina blieben jedoch Freunde.

Messiah hatte sich aber bereits nach Andys Ausstiegsankündigung entschieden, die Band weiterzuführen. Marcus Seebach aus Chur wurde Ende 2021 der neue Messiah-Sänger. Kurze Zeit später begannen die Arbeiten an einem neuen Studioalbum. "V.O. Pulver renommierter Schweizer Plattenproduzent und derzeit auch zweiter Gitarrist bei Messiah und ich haben im Januar 2022 die Grundlagen für neue Songs geschaffen", erklärt Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Brögi. "Innerhalb von drei Wochen hatten V.O. und ich das gesamte neue Album geschrieben. Ich habe in dieser Zeit auch das ganze Konzept und die Texte entwickelt (bis auf einen Songtext, der von Marcus Seebach stammt). Es war wirklich eine sehr kreative Zeit."

"Wir haben es so gemacht, wie wir es immer machen", lacht Brögi, "wir haben die Songs für "Christus Hypercubus" einfach geschrieben und aufgenommen, ohne viel darüber nachzudenken, ganz spontan. Die Umstände waren dieses Mal allerdings etwas komplizierter, weil wir nicht alle zusammen im Proberaum waren, um das Material zu arrangieren. Das Schicksal schlug zu, da Steve Karrer aufgrund eines Skiunfalls sechs Monate lang nicht Schlagzeug spielen konnte. Insgesamt ist das neue Material härter und schneller als "Fracmont". Es gibt auch einen neuen Touch, der durch Marcus' Gesang entsteht, denn er ist in der Lage, diese hohen Schreie zu machen. Ich denke "Christus Hypercubus" repräsentiert unsere neue Situation sehr gut - es weht ein neuer Wind, aber wir haben nichts von den bewährten Messiah-Trademarks von früher verloren."

Hier und da tragen Songs wie das langsamere "Speedsucker Romance" oder "Christus Hypercubus" auch "progressive" Züge, was das Album interessant und frisch klingen lässt. "Das liegt wahrscheinlich daran, dass wir alle Regeln für das Arrangieren von Beats ignorieren", schmunzelt Brögi. "Wir fügen einfach verschiedene Ideen zueinander, meist angeführt von den Gitarren. Deshalb werden wir wohl auch nie einen Rockhit schreiben. Früher war es reines Chaos, heute ist es strukturierter und professioneller."

Partiboi69 strikes poses, chords and hot irons. Australia’s spiciest export since INXS’s front man is a sensation on many (meta-)levels. Musically, aesthetically and hedonistically exhilarating, the man’s man shows his sensitive side on Running Back. Four tracks answer the Call of the Void with a showcase of sounds and moods that are as much informed by the rules of old school dance music (Bodies) as they draw inspiration from classic rave closing tracks (Playin’), plangent pop (Feel This) and a former new romantics band that just discovered house music pre-internet (Call of the Void): surprisingly serious and simultaneously not-so-serious. Composed and executed with serious songwriting skills and an uncanny feel for the aural world of Running Back Records. A mutual pleasure, indeed.

Short: Partiboi69 strikes poses, chords and hot irons. Showing his sensitive side for Running Back with four tracks that are as much informed by the rules of old school dance music (Bodies) as they draw inspiration from classic rave closing tracks (Playin’), plangent pop (Feel This) and a former new romantics band that just discovered house music pre-internet (Call of the Void). A sensation on many meta-)levels and a mutual pleasure, indeed.

Donovan’s Original
A Gift From a Flower to a Garden made for a few firsts: the first double LP of Donovan’s
career, one of the first box sets in pop and, most importantly for Donovan himself; the first
pop album for the children of tomorrow.

He resolved to make A Gift From a Flower to a Garden an album of two halves. The first,
Wear Your Love Like Heaven, was intended for his own generation as they started to think
about the kind of world they wanted to leave behind. The second, For Little Ones, was for
the children they had or would have in the years to come. The result was a kaleidoscopic
folk-jazz suite on the power of love, imbued with all the romance and mystery of an Arthur
Rackham illustration for an ancient English fairy tale. The songs, remarkably adventurous
given Donovan was a globally famous singer at his commercial height, combined the
influences he had amassed so far.

There is something about A Gift From a Flower to a Garden that could never be repeated,
though. It is such an innocent evocation of the childlike imagination, so redolent of its time,
yet set apart from it too. All these years later, the peaceful qualities of this pioneering,
enchanting, deeply unusual album feel more valuable than ever.

The state51 Box Set
With authenticity core to the project, The state51 Conspiracy engaged one of the UK’s
leading experts in box set design, Daniel Mason at Something Else, to painstakingly recreate
the box, records and accompanying ephemera. The first challenge was to find the deep blue
leatherette paper the original box set was covered in; a problem since it was no longer in
production. “I knew people who had stacks of it, gathering dust on top shelves, so I bought it
up wherever I could find it,” says Mason. Then came the reproduction of 12 loose leaf lyric
sheets on fine art watercolour paper, each of them featuring a watermark and a fairytale-like
illustration by Donovan’s artist friends Sheena McCall and Mick Taylor. Where, though, to
find the same paper stock? “I found out that it was made at a paper mill in North Wales
called Abbey Mills. Unfortunately the mill dissolved in the early 70s and very little of the
paper remained. However enough paper remained to allow us to produce the numbered
certificate also signed by Donovan that sits within the box.”

Then to the iconic cover image. Donovan and Jimi Hendrix’s personal photographer Karl
Ferris, used infra-red film to achieve the psychedelic effect on the cover, but the original
negatives couldn’t be found. Mason then used digital technology to ramp up the colour levels
on a reproduction from an original copy of the album while allowing it to remain a little bit
faded, as it would be after half a century. The same labour of love and care has gone into
producing all elements of the box; from the rebuilding of the famous front cover font to the
hand-numbered and signed certificate; letterpress printed on the original paper stock of the
1968 UK release lyric sheets.

To cap it all off the original mono master tapes were waiting safely in the EMI Donovan
Archive and transferred from tape to digital by Abbey Road Studios where new lacquers
were cut, ensuring Donovan's favoured mono version of the album would be presented both
physically (and digitally for the very first time) in striking audiophile quality. The final touch to

Das neue Monkeytown-Signing, das NYC-via-Berlin-Duo Sha Ru, schöpft aus der in Protest und Befreiung verwurzelten Punk- und Dancemusik, gefiltert durch die Erweiterung und Fluidität der queeren Identität. Erste aufrührerische EPs und mitreißende Auftritte haben die Band zu einer ausgesprochenen Kraft der in elektronischen Musik gemacht, die dunkle Schattierungen und basslastige, zukunftsweisende Klänge erforscht, die ebenso an Post-Punk-/Industrial-Pioniere wie an alles im Club-Kanon erinnern. Die neue EP, ihre bisher gewagteste, ehrlichste und verletzlichste Arbeit, ruft eine Palette überwältigender Emotionen hervor, von platonischer und romantischer Liebe bis zu Herzschmerz und psychischem Leid, wiedergegeben in cleveren rhythmischen Architekturen und grollendem Bass, ausbalanciert mit sinnlichen Melodien und sanfteren Texturen.

STUDIO4℃×Osamu Tezuka

A story of the love and adventure of a woman who lived for 1300 years.

``Phoenix'' Nostalgia Arc has been made into two animated works with different endings!

Theatrical release of the movie “Firebird Eden no Hana” / Disney Plus “Firebird Eden no Sora” world exclusive distribution

Master Osamu Tezuka is hailed as the "God of Manga" and is still revered all over the world. Of the 12 stories in the timeless masterpiece "The Phoenix," which became his masterpiece and life's work, the "Nostalgia Chapter," which depicts the future of the earth and the universe in which we live, will finally be made into an animated film for the first time. STUDIO4°C, which continues to create artistic video works, was the one who completed the spectacular spectacle, which took seven years to create. The voice actors include Rie Miyazawa, who plays the main characters Romi, Yosuke Kubozuka, Issey Ogata, Honoka Yoshida, Shintaro Asanuma, and Ryohei Kimura. A gorgeous voice actor team gathers to make a timeless masterpiece into a movie. The person in charge of the music is Takatsugu Muramatsu, who is active in a wide range of areas including film music and providing music for numerous artists. The music, which has both a grand scale and a poetic feel, gently envelops the story.

Das mit einem Grammy ausgezeichnete Tuareg-Kollektiv Tinariwen veröffentlicht eine limitierte Picture-Disc mit den 4 Bonustracks der digitalen Deluxe-Version ihres gefeierten neunten Studioalbums 'Amatssou' (2023). Der Leadtrack 'He Layla' ist von einem Traditional aus der Djanet-Region inspiriert, wo das Album aufgenommen wurde. In typischer Tinariwen-Manier erzählt der Song von der Vergangenheit, als die Sahara unter französischer Kolonie stand, während poetische Metaphern des wilden Lebens in der Wüste verwendet werden.

In den zwei Jahrzehnten, seit Tinariwen aus ihrer Basis in der afrikanischen Wüste hervortraten, um den Globus zu bereisen, haben sie viele renommierte Country-, Folk- und Rockmusiker aus den USA kennengelernt, darunter Kurt Vile, Stephen O'Malley, Jack White und Wilco. Tuareg-Nomaden und Cowboy-Wanderer. Kamelzüge und Mustang-Pferde. Der zeitlose Horizont der endlosen Sahara und die wilde Grenze des Wilden Westens – mehrere tausend Meilen Ozean trennen den Wüstenblues von Tinariwen und die authentische Country-Musik des ländlichen Amerikas, aber die Links sind genau so spürbar wie romantisch.

LIMITED RED VINYL

Sheherazaad ist eine US-amerikanische Komponistin und Sängerin, derenzeitgenössische Folk-Pop-Synthese, produziertvon Arooj Aftab, einer neuen Welle der klanglichen Innovation aus der Diaspora Teil wird. In der modernen Welt ist Migration omnipräsent. Sie durchzieht sämtliche Lebens- und Alltagsbereiche, steckt oftmals verschlüsselt in unseren Gewohnheiten. Während unzählige Menschen sowohl mental als auch körperlich mit nie da gewesener Aggressivität die Globalisierung vorantreiben, werden einst stabile "Genres" und Identitäten jeder Art zerlegt - aufgespalten und abgeschafft, überflüssig gemacht und wieder neu geboren. Alles migriert, alles ist in Bewegung. In genau diesem fluktuierenden Feld findet Sheherazaad Inspirationen für ihre Songs. Ihr Minialbum Qasr entstand während einer Phase der familiären Entfremdung. Auch die Trauer über einen Todesfall in der Familie und die rassistische Polarisierung ihres Landes, das plötzlich kaum wieder zu erkennen war, prägten die Aufnahmen. Der Titel des Albums bedeutet auf Urdu (der Nationalsprache in Pakistan und einigen indischen Bundesstaaten) so viel wie "Burg" oder "Festung". Und tatsächlich ist Qasr ein Monument: Es verkörpert die Last der Vertreibung, die widersprüchlichen Sog- und Anziehungskräfte der Diaspora - und das schreckliche Problem der Auslöschung, des Vergessens der eigenen Wurzeln. Um genau diese Art der Erfahrung geht es, um die Gewalt, die Hysterie, auch um die Romantisierungen, die damit einhergehen, wenn Sheherazaad klanglich eintaucht in jenes In-Between - ins Reich des Dazwischen. Die Aufnahmen fanden im Herzen von Brooklyn im Glass Wall Studio statt. Die unbeschreibliche Energie der nächtlichen Sessions speiste sich dabei vor allem aus der einzigartigen (und einzigartig internationalen) Konstellation der Mitwirkenden: u.a. mit dabei waren auch Basma Edrees (Ägypten), Gilbert Mansour (Libanon) und Firas Zreik (Palästina); gemastert von Heba Kadry (Björk, Ryuichi Sakamoto). Auf Qasr lädt uns Sheherazaad in eine betörende und vollkommen neue Klangwelt ein: in ein Reich der Musik, das genau genommen noch gar nicht von dieser Welt zu sein scheint. Zugleich lässt sie die Fackel der nomadischen Erfahrung auflodern, gibt auch diesem Feuer einen sehr viel prominenteren Platz. Insgesamt entwirft die Künstlerin mit diesem betörenden Album ihre eigene Festung. Denn sie will auch uns dazu ermutigen, unsere eigenen Festungen, unsere eigenen klanglichen König:innen-Reiche und unmöglichen Traumwelten zu entwerfen

With 8 tableaux, I tried to give musical form to a painting. Music is an art that takes place over time. Painting is a freeze-frame at a precise moment in the painter's creative flow.

So how do you combine these two art forms? Do you have to stop time? How do you stop time in music? By basing the structure of the pieces on cycles that recur again and again, we can make the listener believe that the music was there before, and that it will also be there afterwards.

With no beginning and no end, all that's left is this musical freeze-frame. In taking this approach, it became clear to me that music and painting both appeal to contemplation. Another concept I worked on for this record is the notion of randomness in music. Riopelle is often associated with the Automatist movement.

For me, his major works from the 50s are more reminiscent of romantic abstraction or even a great organic and organized chaos (a link to be made with nature here). It was on the basis of this reflection that I tried to integrate the notion of controlled chance or, rather, of chaos filtered through emotion.

The eagerly awaited debut album from the London-based four-piece * At the forefront of the new generation of Black British guitar music with Big Joanie and Bob Vylan * Supporting Slowdive on their UK tour in February * Singles playlisted by BBC Radio 6 Music, Spotify and others Whitelands are Etienne, Jagun, Vanessa and Michael and they are ostensibly a shoegaze band ever since Etienne stumbled across Slowdive's KEXP session in his recommended videos on YouTube a few years ago. However, they come at the resurgent, Gen Z-soundtracking genre from a refreshingly different angle thanks to their mishmash of musical backgrounds. There's also the fact that their line-up is fully PoC in what is traditionally seen as a predominantly white genre. "There's an underlying narrative that it's OK for white men to be romantic, sensitive, emotional and make dreamy music and, by contrast, young Black men should be making angry music," says Vanessa. "We've all grown up with these stereotypes and therefore I think people are mystified when they see Whitelands." "I consume a lot of media," says Etienne of his wide range of influences. "Videogames, music, news, paintings, manga, animations and film are my go-to, especially anime. There is this drive to want to understand and feel the whole weight of an expression. So, the songs are based on other songs, pictures, aesthetics, 'vibes', an emotion someone else felt. Fundamentally, you are what you eat." As a result of this diet, the lyrics are stunning, dealing with everything from unbalanced relationships and vulnerability to depression, being diagnosed with ADHD and, on the new single 'Tell Me About It' (featuring vocals by Dottie from the band's Sonic Cathedral labelmates deary), trying to navigate love following that diagnosis. The album is bookended by two poetically political songs - 'Setting Sun' and 'Now Here's The Weather' - that deal with imperialism, racism and performative ignorance. "We've experienced tokenism, micro-behaviours, envy and resentment," concludes Vanessa. "So we feel we have to continually prove ourselves. We know we're making a positive impact, but I want Whitelands to really break some barriers."

Elvis Presley was not only the first but also the greatest star of the rock’n’roll era. His energetic, genre-blurring recordings have retained their appeal for more than half a century, and will do so forever. Elvis has often been criticised for the movies he made, particularly later in his Hollywood career where they became formulaic, and he was often typecast in romantic musical dramas. However, the quality of his music is not in question, and after his 1956 cinematic debut featuring the title song Love Me Tender, Loving You followed in 1957. The latter film featured some great rock’n’roll songs, but most notably the sentimental love song Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? Almost seven decades later, the music of his early years, some of the greatest rock’n’roll love songs ever produced, still stands as his monument.

Mit „Stadtmusikant“ erscheint Björn Heusers elftes
Studioalbum mit zwölf Songs, in denen der kölsche
Singer/Songwriter ein weiteres Mal beweist, dass kölsche
Musik nicht immer mit Karnevalsmusik gleichzusetzen ist.
Rockig und mit Tiefgang, melancholisch-kölsch und immer mit
Charme. Heuser, der in seiner Heimat Köln regelmäßig in der
Lanxessarena und im RheinenergieStadion tausende
Menschen zum Singen bringt, präsentiert sich mit diesem
Album einmal mehr als Liedermacher, der auch was zu sagen
hat. Egal, ob das Wahrzeichen „Colonius“ besungen wird, er
ganz romantisch „Satt vür Jlöck“ ist oder auf „De jeilste Johre
“ zurückblickt: Heuser ist kölsch, authentisch und echt.

'Take Her Up to Monto', das vierte Album von Roísín Murphy von 2015, ist eine abenteuerliche und wilde Entdeckungsreise in ihr kreatives Schaffen. Überall treibt Murphy ihre charakteristischen Sounds auf die Spitze und sorgt so für ein fesselndes und unvorhersehbares Erlebnis. 'Take Her Up To Monto' erscheint nun wieder auf Vinyl.

‘Wear Your Natural, Baby’ was a good seller when issued on Kent Harris’ Romark label in the late 60s – judging by the, at least, three pressings of it. Understandably so, as it is a captivating rhythm for a then very current political and fashionable message. Towana was in fact Ty Karim, singing under her young daughter’s name. On this flip, Ty recorded as herself on a cover of the CB Overton’s hit ‘If I Can’t Stop You’. However, Kent Harris decided to not go with this recording at the time and re-cut it with new lyrics as ‘Keep On Doin’ Whatcha’ Doin’’ as a duet with George Griffin issued in 1980 on Sheridan House. That record has become a modern soul classic over time and this alternate solo version, with the different lyrics, by Ty is sure to excite lovers of that genre.

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series) Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records! Iconic musician and singer Ray Charles' classic 1957 album! Includes the hits "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Ain't That Love" and "I Got a Woman" 180-gram 45 RPM double LP Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman Pressed at Quality Record Pressings Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing Hybrid Mono SACD Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman Ray Charles' self-titled 1957 album was one of the first handful of LPs issued by Atlantic (and was later retitled Hallelujah I Love Her So). As AllMusic reviewer Bruce Elder notes, the album is weighted about three to one in favor of Charles' own compositions, with the hits "Hallelujah I Love Her So" and the pounding, soaring "Ain't That Love," which opens the LP, its raison d'etre. Charles does just as well with his interpretations of others' work, most notably the ominous, gospel-focused rendition of "Sinner's Prayer" (which offers a virtuoso piano performance, and comes courtesy of the pen of Charles' former mentor Lowell Fulson) and Henry Glover's wrenching ballad "Drown in My Own Tears," which is topped out on each verse by a gorgeous chorus. "Funny (But I Still Love You)" offers a guitar break played in such an understated fashion that it almost doesn't seem so much a part of R&B as it was usually being offered in 1957 as it does a part of Charles' early career output. The second side of the LP is even better, opening with the title track, a number that is almost too ubiquitous in its various cover versions — the original has a mix of urgency and playfulness that's absolutely bracing, and the album carries this mood forward with "Mess Around," an Ahmet Ertegun-authored piano- and sax-driven romp with Charles at his most ebullient as a singer. "This Little Girl of Mine" offers him in a surprisingly light, almost acrobatic vocal mode, while "Greenbacks" is a knowing, clever cautionary narrative that is almost a throwback to 1940s-style R&B. "Don't You Know" is as salacious a piece of R&B as one was likely to hear in 1957, and "I Got a Woman" closes the record out on a pounding, driving note. All the hallmarks of a top-notch Analogue Productions reissue are here for you to savor: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram at Quality Record Pressings and RTI, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

A Colourful Storm begins 2024 with a luxurious suite of daydreaming introspection courtesy of Unchained, the longstanding solo project of Nathaniel Davis who was last seen on vinyl in the final Blackest Ever Black release. Recorded at home between 2020 and 2023, Gabbeh is the latest expression of Davis's guitar-based instrumental musings and represents a stylistic evolution of his self-released noise tapes and CD-Rs into romantic, bossa nova-influenced melody-making. He wrote the tracks sporadically, with minimal instrumentation and intervention. Electric guitar, bass improvisations and rhythms from an old drum machine are layered and given new life, the space between them softly breathing with minutiae of the everyday: the buzz of cicadas, the passing of cars, the whistling of passersby. The psychogeography of Grenoble, Davis' home since 2018, played a conscious role in the weaving of Gabbeh's fabric: "I think certain songs reflect, in ways, Grenoble's natural surroundings. 'Drac' is named after the river that flows from the mountains down to the city… 'Dru' is the name of a well-known peak near Chamonix". Opener 'Largo' sets the mood, its primitive samba rhythm concealed by a cloud of saudade. The bebop sensibility follows suit, the tension between its angular picks and percussive shuffle a wondrous balancing act, while the intoxicating sway of 'Rambler' is perhaps the most poignant expression of longing and loss we've heard in recent years. Highly recommended for fans of Durutti Column, Maurice Feebank, Toninho Horta.

All-Analogue Vinyl LP for the First Time in Almost 50 Years!
Mastered by Bernie Grundman from a 1-to-1 Flat Transfer of the Original Analogue Master Tapes!

Pressed on RTI's HQ-180 for the First Time Ever!

Deluxe "reversed" tip-on jacket that faithfully reproduces the original with highest-grade materials
Exclusive full-colour insert with new historical and production notes by Charles L. Granata and photos from the Sony Music Archives



This next all-analogue, HQ-180 gram LP is an impeccably performed and stunningly recorded late-period gem from The Titan of modern violinists. The Lark revisits works that helped define Heifetz in various points of his illustrious career and which highlight his crisp attacks, imaginative phrasings, and mellifluous sustained notes.

The repertoire is intriguing, combining two iconic pieces (Tomaso Antonio Vitali's Chaconne in g minor for Violin and Continuo, written in the Baroque period; and Gabriel Fauré's Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13, written in the late-Romantic period) with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's The Lark: Poem for Violin and Piano (a 20th-century modern tone poem). Although nearly two-hundred years separate their composition, these pieces complement each other beautifully: a testament to the discerning judgment of Heifetz and producer John (Jack) Pfeiffer, who helped create his albums.*

The LP was cut by Bernie Grundman from a straight 1-to-1 copy of the original session masters, meticulously created by Andreas Meyer at Swan Studios NYC. No digital processing of any kind was used. The original reverse-tip-on-style jacket and a brand new 4-page insert split the difference between the authentic, nostalgic feel of a mint original and a reissue's value proposition you've come to expect from Impex Records.