Channeling the spirit of the beach from radio waves echoing throughout space, Triptides began in the bohemian basements of Bloomington, Indiana in 2010, where Glenn Brigman and Josh Menashe shared ideas and influences before evolving to craft a complex yet cohesive range of lush, "psychedelic beach-pop" sounds. Originally released in 2013 (Stroll On records), Predictions is Triptides' third album. Taking production quality to a whole other level, it's their first professional studio recorded album evolving from home-made lo-fi production on Tascam 8-track cassette recorders. The snappy surf pop of the band's previous album has been replaced by tales of heartache alloyed with upbeat, exhilarating guitar pop a la The Byrds and their venerated lineage (Teenage Fanclub, Allah-Las, Temples). Predictions is another step closer to the West Coast where they'll relocate later, then becoming one of the most important Los Angeles Psychedelic pop bands. As part of Triptides' back catalog reissue series, Predictions has been carefully remixed, remastered, and repackaged and is now available in a limited deluxe edition colored LP.
Suche:rp
Those familiar with the sound and style of the DIY scene in Chicago's Logan Square may be surprised to find out that it was the birthplace of psych pop quintet Lucille Furs. They are a little surprised themselves.
At the time it wasn't exactly the place to hear harmonies and harpsichords so much as songs about sniffing glue. This isn't to say they didn't like the raucous power of Magik Milk, on the contrary. But, as the people who would come to make up the band began to talk, it became clear that they wanted to make something different entirely. They wanted to make something with the heartbeat of sweaty city basement shows but with the unrestrained imagination of places and times where they had never been.
Bassist Patrick Tsotsos will tell you about the music of post-war Greece where his grandparents grew up. Guitarist Nick Dehmlow will tell you about the garage bands of LA. Drummer Brendan Peleo-Lazar can fill you in on a late 60s London studio session as though he was running the tape machine. Mellotron/organ player Constantine Hastalis can show you a record by some long-forgotten folk singer who writes so earnestly you won't forgive the world for forgetting it. Singer Trevor Newton Pritchett is unapologetic about what they borrow. "You might hear the Zombies for their kind of haunting and contemplative quality, the Kinks kind-of casual criticism, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band for their distant romantic quality, Temples, Love, Diane Coffee, Charles Bradley or our Chicago people Post Animal, Jude Shuma and Whitney." Now that half of the band is located in Los Angeles you'll be likely to hear those influences, too.
And that's what becomes crystal clear when listening to the upcoming album Another Land. It's an immersive listen, the kind of record you can get lost in on a cross-country drive from the midwest to the west coast. A record with warm blood running through its veins. Music where thought can be abandoned.
The whole record is dressed up in surreal and esoteric terms, in exchange for being topical. Think Dylan lyrics from the late 60s. "Paint Euphrosyne Blue" is kind of a meta-level example of that. The song is a reference to the goddess of mirth, about the human need to adapt to the point of becoming unoriginal. It's about chasing Van Gogh's depression because it makes you feel like a better painter.
The album was written through September 2017 and was recorded following the release of the self-titled Lucille Furs album later that year. It was recorded direct to tape before being completed at Treehouse Records in Chicago.
For fans of: The Kinks, The Zombies, Love, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, The Byrds, The Beatles, Foxygen, Triptides, Temples, Mystic Braves, Levitation Room
Those familiar with the sound and style of the DIY scene in Chicago's Logan Square may be surprised to find out that it was the birthplace of psych pop quintet Lucille Furs. They are a little surprised themselves.
At the time it wasn't exactly the place to hear harmonies and harpsichords so much as songs about sniffing glue. This isn't to say they didn't like the raucous power of Magik Milk, on the contrary. But, as the people who would come to make up the band began to talk, it became clear that they wanted to make something different entirely. They wanted to make something with the heartbeat of sweaty city basement shows but with the unrestrained imagination of places and times where they had never been.
Bassist Patrick Tsotsos will tell you about the music of post-war Greece where his grandparents grew up. Guitarist Nick Dehmlow will tell you about the garage bands of LA. Drummer Brendan Peleo-Lazar can fill you in on a late 60s London studio session as though he was running the tape machine. Mellotron/organ player Constantine Hastalis can show you a record by some long-forgotten folk singer who writes so earnestly you won't forgive the world for forgetting it. Singer Trevor Newton Pritchett is unapologetic about what they borrow. "You might hear the Zombies for their kind of haunting and contemplative quality, the Kinks kind-of casual criticism, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band for their distant romantic quality, Temples, Love, Diane Coffee, Charles Bradley or our Chicago people Post Animal, Jude Shuma and Whitney." Now that half of the band is located in Los Angeles you'll be likely to hear those influences, too.
And that's what becomes crystal clear when listening to the upcoming album Another Land. It's an immersive listen, the kind of record you can get lost in on a cross-country drive from the midwest to the west coast. A record with warm blood running through its veins. Music where thought can be abandoned.
The whole record is dressed up in surreal and esoteric terms, in exchange for being topical. Think Dylan lyrics from the late 60s. "Paint Euphrosyne Blue" is kind of a meta-level example of that. The song is a reference to the goddess of mirth, about the human need to adapt to the point of becoming unoriginal. It's about chasing Van Gogh's depression because it makes you feel like a better painter.
The album was written through September 2017 and was recorded following the release of the self-titled Lucille Furs album later that year. It was recorded direct to tape before being completed at Treehouse Records in Chicago.
For fans of: The Kinks, The Zombies, Love, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, The Byrds, The Beatles, Foxygen, Triptides, Temples, Mystic Braves, Levitation Room
ME LOST ME led by Newcastle-based artist Jayne Dent announces a new album RPG via Upset The Rhythm on 7th July, and is touring across the UK including support dates with Pigs x7. RPG (recorded in Blank Studios with Sam Grant of Pigs x7) is ME LOST ME’s fourth outing as a collective, having transitioned from an ambitious solo project in 2017, Jayne now regularly collaborating with acclaimed North-East jazz musicians Faye MacCalman and John Pope.
ME LOST ME delights in experimenting with songwriting and storytelling, creating a beguiling mix of soaring vocals and atmospheric electronics that playfully weave together disparate genres, drawing influence from folk, art pop, noise, ambient and improvised music. Hauntological in part, RPG is concerned with tales and with time - are we running out of it? Does insomnia cause a time loop? Do the pressures of masculinity prevent progress? Jayne Dent asks these questions and more on RPG, her homage to worldbuilding and the story as an artform, calling back to those oral traditions around a campfire, as well as modern day video games - bringing folk music into the present day as she does so.
ME LOST ME presents sound reaching in opposite directions, straddling time towards the archaic and timeless traditions of folktales, and towards the possible and potential futures of pastoral Britain and the world at large. Part speculation, part reminiscence, what results on the new album RPG is music that sounds ultimately displaced and yet omnipresent, adjacent to a hapless Vonnegut hero whose life is scattered throughout time and history, but full of wonder and curiosity rather than fear.
On track “The Oldest Trees Hold The Earth”, we see time stretched out between the branches of impossibly old beings in the woods. This track was co-written in Aarhus, Denmark with fellow Newcastle folk musician (with Danish heritage) Ditte Elly. The pair wordlessly passed a sheet of paper between each other to write the lyrics, inspired by Højbjerg and Mosegård, the woods they were sitting in. “How long should I wait/Before the moss grows?/On my skin, on my outstretched arms,” the lyrics are sung in a round, the close harmonies delicate and detailed.
A central thesis of this album is the joy of creation, something which is paid homage to in the album’s final track, “Science And Art” (Not because we need it to last/just because we needed to make it - so we invented the words/this language). It is also reflected in the definition that Jayne gives for “folk” itself. She comments, “To me, folk is quite an expansive idea. I think of it as creative work that's often made ad-hoc, with things that are at hand and more often than not it's born of a DIY ethos. It is songs and stories of the people, as in the traditional sense, but also creative coding, game design etc. Whatever outlet someone has for their creative expression could be described as folk. It's the things we make because humans need to make things, and the stories we tell about ourselves and the world around us.”
Crucially, on latest album RPG, Dent expands her songwriting and looks towards the unreal locations of worldbuilding in video games for inspiration. She comments, “I think the main similarity is the importance of a song's setting/environment to inform its narrative and textures, I'm often most inspired when out walking in the natural landscape, in cities and travelling to places I've never been before - the environment I'm in really impacts the work I make. While writing this album, however, I found myself inspired by imaginary landscapes, those in video games, paintings, etc. I was writing stories into these unreal locations instead. Even the songs inspired by real places, like The Oldest Trees Hold the Earth, have a very surreal quality to them in the songs, like they're being warped and turned into something not of this world. I think that's the main difference for me in terms of the thematic content and inspiration behind this album - I've been getting more and more interested in balancing surreal and fantastical environmental elements with ordinary and everyday settings.”
RPG upends the concept of the eternal return - we may be in the midst of inevitable repetition, but we tell stories whilst awaiting the passage of time.
"Being familiar with, and a fan of Jayne's earlier work, it was great to get the opportunity to work with her on the production of her new record. I had in mind a sense of what the record might be, but what came of the sessions, led by the vision Jayne had for the record, totally exceeded my expectations. As far as albums go, it has a breadth of writing and a sonic depth that made it a truly brilliant record. Having Jayne join us on a leg of the Pigs x7 tour in April is going to be ace. The creative nature, the sincerity and bold strokes of ME LOST ME put it in that space outside of any genre pigeonholes, and between our two sets I imagine the audience is going to have a proper sonic bath..."
Sam Grant, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, 2023
“The music of Me Lost Me is beguiling, idiosyncratic and cinematic - or should that be video-game-omatic? This suite of songscapes often hits the sweet spot between ancient and modern with its masterful blend of stark folk, neon electronic burbling and unusual arrangements. Jayne's singing is refreshingly straightforward and nuanced - it's exquisite! - and perfectly punctures the nebulae of synths and brass which billow around the old wooden frames of the songs. Whilst listening I had images in my mind of what Northumberland might look like through the eyes of Simon Stalenhag - foggy moors, a robot looking across the sea to Lindisfarne, twinkling lights on metal towers.... that sort of thing. It's a really great album.”
Richard Dawson, 2023
Two years after his debut album under the moniker Aboukir, Ralph Maruani returns with a new record titled “Change”. Fitting title for a record that was written and recorded during a period of great turmoil in his life. The intimacy of these songs are reflected in the music itself.
Whereas “Digital Introversion” was floating in a sea of psychedelic infused echoes and reverb, “Change” is much more stripped down, sporting a singer-songwriter ethos. The album was recorded between December 2022 and March 2023 in Paris, France almost entirely by Maruani except for the drums which were recorded by Louis McGuire in Berlin, Germany and pedal steel by Reggie Duncan in Mississippi, USA.
The album opener “Alright” is an upbeat number with guitars reminiscent of John Fogerty’s Creedence Clearwater Revival, Strawberry Fields inspired Mellotron and Stereolab aesthetic on the outro, assuring that whatever may come next, everything will be alright. Then followed by “Release” the track that makes a direct link with “Digital introversion”, an 8 minutes Floydesque hazy jam. “Rolling on” shows a different side to Aboukir’s music as it opens up to folk/country accents in a 1970s singer-songwriter vibe. “Croz” is Maruani’s immediate reaction to David Crosby’s passing. A tribute to one of his lifelong influence and inspiration.
The album then unveils itself going back and forth between more stripped down tunes and psychedelic ones, eventually reaching its climax with “Changes”.
Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels” is a concept album born of the idea of merging singer & songwriter Mayssa Jallad’s two vocations: music and urban research/architectural history. Written in collaboration with producer Fadi Tabbal, the music builds upon Tabbal’s spatial approach to sound and Jallad’s research on Beirut’s Hotel District. The album is a reference to Jallad’s Historic Preservation master's thesis, in which she detailed the history of the “Battle of the Hotels”, a 5-months battle that took place in Beirut at the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War, from October 22nd, 1975 to March 29th, 1976. Jallad saw architecture as a main protagonist of the battle, as she discovered it was the first high rise urban battle in the world. The close of the battle resulted in the 15-year Green Line, an urban rift which split Beirut into “East and West”, restricting movement and communication and creating a violent divide that still resonates today. The album comprises two parts. Part A: Dahaliz, is a stroll in the city, where Jallad tries (and fails) to follow an old map. Musician Youmna Saba is a companion in this journey of remembering the once winding corridors (“Dahaliz”) of the city, destroyed by new developments since the 1960s. Empty skyscrapers propel her onto a past filled with the violence of snipers, and a present filled with the glamorous injustice of empty luxury real estate endorsed by powerful warlords-turned-politicians. In Part B: Maaraka, Jallad inhabits the building of the Battle of the Hotels, as its events unfold. She calls the fighting militias the Blues and Reds, respectively the Lebanese Front (Christian Nationalists) and the Lebanese National Movement (Pro-Palestinian leftists), leveling the playing field, and drawing a map of the battle through songwriting. Sary Moussa produces the conclusion of the battle in “Holiday Inn (March 21 to 29)”, which ends with the ultimate severance of the city of Beirut. The music caters to post-war youth who have never been taught this difficult history. Once we consider the “Battle of the Hotels” as our common heritage, it provides an opportunity to teach the value of civil peace. It is also a call to protest for the renewal, rather than the recycling of the political class that has once destroyed the country and holds us, to this day, hostage of its violence. Limited edition of 300 copies. 140gsm vinyl pressed at Microforum (Canada).
Agitation Free zählte in den frühen 70er Jahren zu den führenden Vertretern der deutschen experimentellen Rockmusik. Die Berliner Band entwickelte ab Ende 1967 lange, für diese Zeit ungewöhnlich freie instrumentale Improvisationen. Kult-Status erlangte sie bereits 1972 mit einer eigenständigen Mischung aus improvisiertem Rock gepaart mit Elektro-, Ethno-, Jazz- und Trance-Elementen. Umfangreiche Live-Aktivitäten verschafften der Band in ganz Europa einen stetig ansteigenden Bekanntheitsgrad. So trat die Gruppe im Sommer 1972 im kulturellen Programm der Olympischen Spiele in München auf, tourte Anfang 1973 zwei Monate durch Frankreich, trat im Mai beim "German Rock Super Concert" in Frankfurt auf, produzierte das zweite Album "2nd" und ging anschließend auf Tournee durch Frankreich und deutsche Großstädte. 1974 machten sich bei der Band Ermüdungserscheinungen breit, die Ende des Jahres nach einem Abschiedskonzert zur vorläufigen Auflösung führten. Obwohl eine Reihe von Alben (mit Aufnahmen von 1972 bis 1974) nach der Auflösung der Gruppe erschienen und das Studio-Album "River of Return" 1999 herauskam, dauerte es fast 35 Jahre, bis sich die ursprüngliche Band wieder für Konzerte zusammenfand. Im Februar 2007 gab Agitation Free in der Originalbesetzung von 1974 eine Serie von Konzerten in Tokio"s "Shibuya O"West". Im Rückblick zeigte sich, dass der Experimentier-Zirkel Agitation Free eine der wichtigen Bands der "Berliner Schule" und darüber hinaus Karriere-Sprungbrett für einige Deutsche Musiker war. So verhalf Christopher Franke der Band Tangerine Dream zu weltweiter Anerkennung. Michael Hoenig arbeitete mit Klaus Schulze und Tangerine Dream, ehe er nach einem Soloalbum in Hollywood als Filmkomponist bekannt wurde (unter anderem die Filmmusik für den Blockbuster "9 1/2 Wochen" mit Kim Basinger und Mickey Rourke). Axel Genrich wechselte zu Guru Guru, Burghard Rausch wurde Gründungs-Mitglied bei Bel Ami. Gustl Lütjens, tourte mit Shirley Bassey und Nena und fand später mit seiner New-Age-Band Living Mirrors vor allem in den USA ein großes Publikum. Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich schloss sich Ashra an, arbeitete mit Ex-Velvet Underground-Sängerin Nico, produzierte neben Theatermusik Soloplatten und feiert seit Ende der 90er Jahre mit den 17 Hippies Erfolge. In der Besetzung Michael Hoenig (keyb, syn, el. perc), Burghard Rausch (dr, el. per), Lutz Graf-Ulbrich ((git, acc. git, bj), Gustl Lütjens (git acc. git, vocals) und Daniel Cordes (b, syn) wurde das vorliegende Studioalbum "Momentum" eingespielt.
Agitation Free zählte in den frühen 70er Jahren zu den führenden Vertretern der deutschen experimentellen Rockmusik. Die Berliner Band entwickelte ab Ende 1967 lange, für diese Zeit ungewöhnlich freie instrumentale Improvisationen. Kult-Status erlangte sie bereits 1972 mit einer eigenständigen Mischung aus improvisiertem Rock gepaart mit Elektro-, Ethno-, Jazz- und Trance-Elementen. Umfangreiche Live-Aktivitäten verschafften der Band in ganz Europa einen stetig ansteigenden Bekanntheitsgrad. So trat die Gruppe im Sommer 1972 im kulturellen Programm der Olympischen Spiele in München auf, tourte Anfang 1973 zwei Monate durch Frankreich, trat im Mai beim "German Rock Super Concert" in Frankfurt auf, produzierte das zweite Album "2nd" und ging anschließend auf Tournee durch Frankreich und deutsche Großstädte. 1974 machten sich bei der Band Ermüdungserscheinungen breit, die Ende des Jahres nach einem Abschiedskonzert zur vorläufigen Auflösung führten. Obwohl eine Reihe von Alben (mit Aufnahmen von 1972 bis 1974) nach der Auflösung der Gruppe erschienen und das Studio-Album "River of Return" 1999 herauskam, dauerte es fast 35 Jahre, bis sich die ursprüngliche Band wieder für Konzerte zusammenfand. Im Februar 2007 gab Agitation Free in der Originalbesetzung von 1974 eine Serie von Konzerten in Tokio"s "Shibuya O"West". Im Rückblick zeigte sich, dass der Experimentier-Zirkel Agitation Free eine der wichtigen Bands der "Berliner Schule" und darüber hinaus Karriere-Sprungbrett für einige Deutsche Musiker war. So verhalf Christopher Franke der Band Tangerine Dream zu weltweiter Anerkennung. Michael Hoenig arbeitete mit Klaus Schulze und Tangerine Dream, ehe er nach einem Soloalbum in Hollywood als Filmkomponist bekannt wurde (unter anderem die Filmmusik für den Blockbuster "9 1/2 Wochen" mit Kim Basinger und Mickey Rourke). Axel Genrich wechselte zu Guru Guru, Burghard Rausch wurde Gründungs-Mitglied bei Bel Ami. Gustl Lütjens, tourte mit Shirley Bassey und Nena und fand später mit seiner New-Age-Band Living Mirrors vor allem in den USA ein großes Publikum. Lutz "Lüül" Ulbrich schloss sich Ashra an, arbeitete mit Ex-Velvet Underground-Sängerin Nico, produzierte neben Theatermusik Soloplatten und feiert seit Ende der 90er Jahre mit den 17 Hippies Erfolge. In der Besetzung Michael Hoenig (keyb, syn, el. perc), Burghard Rausch (dr, el. per), Lutz Graf-Ulbrich ((git, acc. git, bj), Gustl Lütjens (git acc. git, vocals) und Daniel Cordes (b, syn) wurde das vorliegende Studioalbum "Momentum" eingespielt.
** Re-issue of an ultra-rare modern soul 45 **
"Without Your Love" is a wonderful, uplifting modern soul tune which was recently comped on "Praise Poems Vol. 9". The original 45 RPM single is ultra-rare and extremely hard to find, so this reissue is here to please a lot of music lovers.
In addition to the now classic digital release 'Sacred Love' will see the light of day in 7" vinyl format (45 rpm) in two versions.
An Afro-American track with a Tony Allen-esque super afrobeat rhythm opens side A (Logo Side) in a hypnotic jazz
version performed by singer Giulia La Rosa, who also wrote the lyrics, vaguely reminiscent of Nina Simone's "See-Line
Woman".
The B side (This Side) is a 'Clapping Version' without drums which will certainly give free rein to DJs of the genre who want
to mix different grooves.
"Sacred Love" is also Galathea's new album due in January 2024. Massimo Napoli's new project once again sees the
collaboration of his friend producer and bass player Salvo Dub, as well as a combo of respectable musicians: singer Kadi
Koulibaly - originally from Burkina Faso - already featured on the first album, pianist Mario Pappalardo, percussionist
Sergio Spitaleri, drummer Luciano Cantone.
Behind the alias GO.SOUL.MAP. hides Salvo 'Dub', one of the most authentic and purest talents with a marked sensitivity,
not only artistic, of the current music scene in Catania, of which, under other guises and names, he has been an indispensable pillar for over a decade.
The debut album of this project is anticipated by two preview tracks that will be released not only digitally, but also in physical format on 7" / 45 rpm.
The launch single is 'Pushing', an explosive track in a Nu-disco key, modern but firmly rooted in the past, with a production that enhances the sound of the keyboards; full of 70s/80s Funk and Soul, it also has a Disco-Pop vein that makes it perfect for radio. The track is excellently performed by Derane Obika of Living Sounds. A Londoner of Nigerian origin, as well as an exceptional singer, Derane is also the author of the song's melodic lines and lyrics, which can be interpreted as a dialogue between an imaginary interlocutor and his spiritual guide journeying through the maze of life.
The 'Pushing' 45 will feature as a B-side an exclusive instrumental version (the one sung by Reiwa Pia will be included on the full-length) of 'Back In The Underwater', a track that combines a Hip-Pop groove with cinematic atmospheres.
GO.SOUL.MAP.'s debut album is titled 'Peaceful Sound for Broken Minds' and is scheduled for release February 28th 2024, a little gem in which pop and soul intersect and the clichés between mainstream and underground leap. A SpaceNu-Disco, Soul and R&B journey in which Derane Obika's fundamental contribution to the lyrics and melodies of no less than nine tracks out of twelve stands out! - This is a greatly anticipated album made for the ears of music lovers performed and produced by musicians with same love for the art of music.
Dont miss it!!!!!!
Record number 3 from Unveiled Nuance brings a new confidence in the further developed sound of owner Means&3rd. A continued eye for detail as well as a roughness that breathes dark soul into the production aesthetic that we have yet to hear from the artist.
“Hardship Repackaged As Growth” Opens the EP with boomy, rugged low end and grainy driven synth lines with sharp hits of wide sonic impact and a depth of layered atmosphere, placed on a bed of dense percussion until its break point exposes contorted, abrasive stabs just surviving the crunch of their processing, that then take the forefront. “Countenance” replies to the previous track with a more calculated, rounder and organic palette of audio that focuses on a cadenced synth line that breaths with the arrangement, fizzing to break point and engaging the deeper listen. Swung percussion keeps the groove providing a propulsive backing that sits on ganrled bass hits before the focus returns on the charged lead line.
“Character Ethic” carries deep suspense from the off, with filtered menace being teased below the surface, warping atmospheres are stacked and build the apprehension against a militant 16th shaker before an almost vocal like modulated synth reveals itself and is left to dance prominently across the stereo field. Layers of energy providing percussion complete the picture for a mesmerising trip. “Desperate And Relevant” the most driving of the 4 cuts takes an effectively reduced stand where square wave accents build new levels of intensity. Propulsive low-end and cohesive percussion writhe through the track’s arrangement closing out the EP with a powerful ending, a blistering siren sees the track’s breakpoint provide a release worthy of the pressure built.
** German Disco - first time on 7" ** "Matter of Taste" released their debut album on the small german Flame label in 1979. "Step By Step" is a monstrous Disco track while the flip side ("Haselief") is completely different and certainly surprises the listener. - as comped on "CAN YOU FEEL IT Vol. 4"! - 300 copies pressed! - first time on 7"! - 33 1/3 RPM!...
Gombloh’s forgotten masterpiece
What if you have Brian Wilson and Bruce Springsteen rolled into one? And what if he came of age as an poor buskers in in Surabaya, Indonesia, but then summoned enough strength to record six albums that flew in the face of everyone in the country’s rock scene back in the early 1980s?
Genius, be they Brian Wilson or Soedjarwoto “Soemarsono” Gombloh, don’t conform to rules written for us mere mortals. They have their own way of doing things and in the case of Gombloh, writing music, conducting recording session and spending cash from his music, must be conducted on his own terms and his terms only. Studio time was expensive back in the early 1980s, yet Gombloh could be three-hour late for his session, and while engineers, session musicians and producers were jittery about the prospect of another botched session, Gombloh took his time for a nap before the recording begun.
Yet, some of his greatest works came into being in the wake of this napping session. Recording session for Sekar Mayang is no exception, despite the fact there’s foreboding sense of doom with Gombloh being unsure about the possibility of selling enough units to help his label break even. This is, after all, this is his last record with his band Lemon Tree’s. No one knew that Gombloh was operating with all his cylinders running and what came out of this Indra Record session, in the waning days of 1980, were some of the best compositions ever committed to magnetic tapes (to wax, if now you’re holding this on vinyl).
This is Gombloh at the peak of his creative genius. You can argue that his debut album Nadia & Atmospheer (what’s with the spelling mistake?) is the most sprawling and complex album (both sonically and thematically), but Sekar Mayang certainly had the best songs and I can make the argument that this album’s 10 songs are strong contenders for biggest hits in blues, country, psychedelic rock charts. “Prahoro & Prahoro” is one of those impossible song which appears to have sprung from a bottomless well of inspiration, encompassing King Crimson’s sprawling epic, Deep Purple’s deepest blues and Genesis’ most progressive tendencies. Or “Sekaring Jagat”, which begins as Lennon-McCartney lullaby before launching a thousand ships traveling to the end of the rainbow with children choir singing heavenly melodies backed by droning harpsichord and synclavier, while a buzzing Hammond B3 tightly locks with Gombloh’s guitar strumming.
For many of his fans, Gombloh is known as generous man of the people. A Robin Hood type if you please. He spent his royalty checks to buy foods for beggars and buskers and dish out some more to buy undergarments for Surabaya’s prostitutes. In Sekar Mayang, Gombloh went full Springsteen mode in “Mitra Becakan,” a social commentary that cut so deep you can end up with tears in your eyes and lump in your throat (even if you don’t understand any of its Javanese language lyrics). This is one the most devastating social commentary ever recorded for a pop song, and even if you discount the greatness of its musical composition, you chalk this up as a great social-realism poetry. His years of hanging out with pedicab drivers, street vendors and street-bound prostitutes certainly gave him enough insight into their (in)human condition.
Yet, a record this stellar was largely forgotten. First, this record was a flop upon its release in 1981. Indra Records reportedly only did one pressing on cassette tape and be done with it. For those who were lucky enough to have come across one of songs from this album on the radio were likely growing up in East Java, where Gombloh had a massive cult following early in the 1980s. Nothing was heard from this record again.
There were only a handful of cassette tapes from the first pressing found on second-hand market and I recently stumbled upon one online with a price tag of Rp 50 million (US$3,500). It’s no longer available now.
In Sekar Mayang, Gombloh harbours an obsession for a long-lost utopia, Java’s distant past, where farmers have their barn full of rice and corn, where blacksmith working around the clock making tools and children singing and dancing in their seminaries. Or the fact that he opens the song with stanza from Serat Weddhatama, arguably the most monumental poem in neo-classic Javanese literature, could be his pledge of allegiance. The question for him is should a modern-day Indonesia, rife with poverty, corruption and environmental degradation not be an anathema to that utopia?
In the end, you don’t need to be someone fluent in Javanese to enjoy this majestic record. And if this record turns out to be the last in Elevation Records catalogue and we shut down this label tomorrow, we will be very happy. Mission accomplished!
180-gram 45 RPM double LP
Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analogue master tape
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI
Gatefold old-style "tip-on" jacket by Stoughton Printing
In The Right Place is the sixth, and biggest-selling album of the late iconic music legend, six-time Grammy-winner, and Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Dr. John. Dr. John, the stage name of Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., was one of the most original, distinctive and influential voices to ever come out of New Orleans. His career spanned six decades as a songwriter, composer, producer and performer. His unique blend of music carried his hometown of New Orleans at its heart.
His colorful musical career began in the 1950s when he wrote and played guitar on some of the greatest records to come out of the Crescent City, including recordings by Professor Longhair, Art Neville, Joe Tex, Frankie Ford and Allen Toussaint. Dr. John headed west in the 1960s, where he continued to be in demand as a session musician, playing keyboards on records by Sonny and Cher, Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main St. During that time he launched his solo career, developing the charismatic persona of Dr. John The Nite Tripper. A legend was born with his breakthrough 1968 album Gris-Gris, which introduced to the world his unique blend of voodoo mysticism, funk, rhythm & blues, psychedelic rock and Creole roots.
1973's In The Right Place contained the chart hits "Right Place Wrong Time" and "Such A Night." In addition to his six Grammy wins (1989, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2013), he has received six other Grammy nominations over the years. In 2007 he was nominated for "Sippiana Hericane," his Hurricane Katrina benefit disc.
AllMusic says that with In The Right Place, Dr. John struck mainstream paydirt, especially with his hit single "Right Place Wrong Time" bounding up the charts and initiating listeners into New Orleans-style rock (the song hit No. 9 in 1973 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart).
Also including Allen Toussaint's "Life," and a funky little number entitled "Traveling Mood," which shows off the good doctor's fine piano styling, and with able help from the Meters as backup group, In the Right Place is still a fine collection to own.
With mastering by Sterling Sound's Ryan K. Smith direct from the original tape, and two sides of premium 180-gram vinyl (pressed by the best — Quality Record Pressings and RTI), our 45 RPM edition of In The Right Place emphasizes Dr. John's gravelly bayou drawl and sonically creates the hoodoo-infused stage persona he brought to his performances.
After Hurricane Katrina Dr. John immediately stepped up to the plate with generous relief fund-raising concerts and recordings. In 2007 he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and Blues Hall of Fame. In 2008 he released City That Care Forgot, winning him a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
His numerous other awards included the Louie Award from the Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Jazz Foundation of America's Hank Jones Award, presented in October 2016 at "A Great Night in Harlem" which pleged $1 million to help musicians recovering from the 2016 Louisiana flood.
We are so pleased to bring you this deluxe 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP Analogue Productions (Atlantic Series) reissue of the timeless Dr. John classic In The Right Place. Cue it up and prepare to be transported.
- A1: B.o.b.b.y
- B1: Holocaust (Silkworm)
Bobby Digital is back, and he’s brought some analog goodies with him!
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Bobby Digital in Stereo album release, the Bobby Digital ReAction Figure Box Set includes a 3.75” scale, articulated Bobby Digital ReAction Figure in a glossy metallic finish, a 45 RPM record of RZA’s “B.O.B.B.Y.” and “Holocaust (Silkworm)” singles, and a 45-record adapter with 3-D “RZA” detail, that doubles as a stand for the figure. Bundled in slick box packaging, the Bobby Digital ReAction Figure Box Set is a must-have for any RZA fan or hip-hop collector!
- A1: Azuma's Theme (Gnossienne No. 1 - Erik Satie)
- A2: Sono Otoko Kyobo Ni Tsuki (Violent Cop) (End Title)
- A3: Kiyohiro's Theme
- A4: Kiyohiro's Theme Ii
- B1: Sono Otoko Kyobo Ni Tsuki (Violent Cop) (Main Title)
- B2: Fear (Gnossienne No. 1 - Erik Satie)
- B3: Intorno All'idol Mio (Antonio Cesti)
- B4: Sono Otoko Kyobo Ni Tsuki (Violent Cop) (Main Title - Saxophone Version)
WRWTFWW Records is thrilled to announce the official reissue of Daisaku Kume's original soundtrack for the highly acclaimed 1989 Japanese crime/drama movie Violent Cop. Available for the first time outside of Japan, the album comes in a limited edition of 500 copies worldwide with a 45 rpm cut providing full audio pleasure and an iconic record sleeve featuring the movie director and star: the one and only "Beat" Takeshi Kitano!
Violent Cop marks Kitano's directorial debut - a gritty neo-noir in which he stars as a rogue detective fighting a sadistic crime syndicate, only to discover widespread internal corruption in the police force. Poetic, minimalistic, with a superb balance between small soothing moments of beauty and vertiginous sudden violence, the film spearheaded a superb international career for the multi-talented filmmaker, actor, and comedian, which includes works such as Sonatine, Hana-Bi, and Battle Royale. The release of the soundtrack on vinyl presents an excellent opportunity for fans to explore the musical underpinnings of one of Kitano's earliest creations.
Daisaku Kume, known for his work as the keyboardist for late 70s fusion bands T-Square and Prism, showcases versatile musical prowess on the soundtrack, taking listeners on a sonic journey through a blend of genres including magnificent Erik Satie re-interpretations, melancholic smooth jazz sometimes reminiscent of Taxi Driver, ambient-classical, and modern Western atmospherics. It's the perfect setting for Kitano's stoic but tormented lonesome urban cowboy character. Raw power mixed with timeless elegance.
Violent Cop (Original Soundtrack) by Daisaku Kume follows the recent release of the soundtrack from another groundbreaking Japanese movie, Shin'ya Tsukamoto's Tokyo Fist (1995), with music by industrial visionaries Chu Ishikawa & Der Eisenrost, also currently available on WRWTFWW Records.
Shmu - Los Angeles, California musician SAM CHOWN
Written By, Performed by, Mixed By, Mastered By, Arranged By, Edited By AND Produced by – Sam Chown.
Also Mixing, Mastering and Producing Lionel Williams (aka Vinyl Williams)
Shoegaze band Dead Horse One return with the release of their new album entitled 'The West is the Best.
As before RIDE's Mark Gardener is involved in the mixing and John Loring (Fleeting Joys) produces.
Label : Croque Macadam / Requiem Pour Un Twister
Playing : Maxence Tomasso / Etienne Chuc / Samuel Ramon / Ilhan Palayret / Stanislas de la Fuzz
Recording : Alexis Fugain & Vincent Hivert
Mixing : Vincent Hivert & Samuel Ramon
Mastering : Luc Gyrou
Photos : François Grivelet
Illustration : Audrey Matt-Aubert
Artwork : Etienne Gimenez
The lush psych-pop sound of Copenhagen's Halasan Bazar returns with their ambitious third album, "Burns". After numerous shows, recording sessions, a powerful collaboration LP and tours, "Burns" finds the band even more seasoned and impressive, giving the record a breezy naturalism from these gurus of their psychedelic craft.
Recorded in the French mountains, armed with a magical unending bag of weed, Halasan Bazar laid down these tunes mostly live - all vocals, acoustic guitars, drums and piano. This immediacy emphasizes their blissed out sonics, buoyant melodies and kaleidoscopic composition, each moment purposefully placed creating their rich sonic tapestry. Inspired by the greats of Greenwich Village's '60s folk, the lavish production of Lee Hazlewood, vocal harmonies of yesteryear and hallucinogenic day tripping. Some surf-y guitar vibes and plenty of driving piano jams too.
Tunes like "Freak" wave that Halasan flag proudly atop infectious guitar melodies and layered vocal harmonies creating a sing-a-long anthem for the misfits and the weirdos out there. "Get Sick and Die" incorporates swelling strings for an unexpectedly dreamy passage alongside sophisticated rock 'n' roll. One of many highlights, "Burns My Mind" has a driving, catchy groove and the entire band firing on all cylinders crafting a bombastic party atmosphere.
A beautiful and vivid album from an unapologetic band of freaks and dreamers, Halasan Bazar effortlessly leave their mark with "Burns".
Steve Rosborough, Moon Glyph Records
Jules Wells is from Bordeaux, France. He started Djing in the late 90’s, and released his first productions in 2008 on Logos Recordings.
Strongly influenced by the Motor City, Jules already released material on several respected Detroit-based labels like KMS, Electrofunk, Submerge Recordings, Twilight 76 Rec, and RPD, but also on various labels such as Lo-deep (France), Purebox (Japan) and Logos (Macedonia). These EPs received massive support from many Djs, including Laurent Garnier, Underground Resistance, Carl Cox and Monika Kruse.
Now Jules Wells joined the briquerouge team for his first album ever
To be released on 2x12" LP limited bi-color vinyl edition in October 2023.
Support by Laurent Garner (play/radio show/new podcast DEEP Search planned feature on Soundcloud) /
Some years ago we have released two albums by The Seeds of Fulfillment; their self-titled studio album plus a second one with a so far previously unreleased live performance. For this 45 RPM single we chose the fantastic "Solemn Solitude" backed with another previously unreleased live tack. "Deja Vu" was written by Isaac Hayes and first recorded by Dionne Warwick. The SOF version features the wonderful Jeanette Williams on vocals. It was played on the air March 9, 1980 on Jazz 104 WBBY. Now available for the first time on a strictly limited 45 RPM single release.
2012, 12 Jahre nach Gründung wagte sich das Freisinger Quintett RPWL an ihr erstes Konzeptalbum. 'Beyond Man And Time' war eine musikalische Reise durch die Welt außerhalb von Platons Höhle - und der erste Chart-Entry von Deutschlands bester Artrock-Band. Die Band schaffte Themen für die einzelnen Charaktere des Konzept-Albums. Orientalische Percussions, ausgedehnte Moog-Soli oder indische Sitar sorgen wohlplatziert für eine atmosphärische und farbenfrohe Umsetzung. So ist es nur natürlich, dass diese musikalische Reise in einem 16-Minuten-Werk wie 'The Fisherman' gipfelt, um schließlich mit einem äußerst nachdenklichen, ruhigen 'The Noon' zu enden'. Der Song 'Somewhere In Between', auf der CD noch mit 2.04 Min kurz gehalten, ist nun erstmalig in seiner Originallänge von 9.22 Min enthalten. Die Doppel-LP kommt somit auf eine Gesamtspielzeit von über 81 Min.
Erstmalig erscheint das Album nun auf Vinyl, in wertiger Ausstattung als 180Gr. Doppel-LP im Gatefold Sleeve mit wattierten, schwarzen Innenhüllen sowie 4-seitiger Textbeilage!
Formed in the spring of 2020, Los Angeles-based Sacred Skin is the creative duo of Brian DaMert and Brian Tarney. In short order, the pair has shown a nearly unmatched ability to create anthemic pop music steeped in romanticism and melancholy and drenched in layers upon layers of new wave nostalgia. Backed by an impressive string of singles throughout 2021 and into the following year, the band released their highly anticipated full-length debut, The Decline of Pleasure, in May of 2022 to much fanfare. Armed with vintage gear such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet-VS & E-mu Emulator II and buoyed by strong songwriting, expert production work, and DaMert’s emotionally-charged vocals, Sacred Skin has delivered a modern masterpiece of an album that belongs as much to the ‘80s as it does the present day. An album worthy of standing next to the strongest efforts of idols like Duran Duran, INXS, Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, and New Order. An album that has captured the hearts of so many already and will no doubt continue to do so for years to come.
Midnight Mannequin Records is proud to present this deluxe reissue of The Decline of Pleasure, pressed for the first time on 2xLP colored vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket complete with OBI strip. Newly remastered and cut at 45 rpm for exceptional sound quality, this is Decline like you’ve never heard it before. Featuring the bonus tracks Killer’s Mind and a remix of fan favorite Earthbound by fellow synth pop disciples Nuovo Testamento.
- A1: Intro (Ghetto Kumbé Remix) 05 00
- A2: Sola (Les Enfants Sauvages Remix) 07 37
- B1: Vamo A Dale Duro (Uproot Andy Remix) 05 24
- B2: Djabe (Monte Remix) 05 42
- B3: Pila Pila (Trooko Remix) 02 44
- C1: Cara A Cara (Dj Firmeza Remix) 03 54
- C2: Tambó (Nickodemus Remix) 04 21
- C3: Está Pillao (Studio Bros Remix) 05 39
- D1: Pide Mas (Montoya Remix) 04 02
- D2: Lengua Ri Suto (Cero39 Remix) 03 50
- D3: Bomba Feat Walshy Fire & Sky Monroe
Purple[23,49 €]
For this album Ghetto Kumbé has enlisted an all-star roster of artists from four different continents, they’ve put together a fresh version of their debut album that’s been specifically geared to the world’s diverse slate of dancefloors, whether at home or in the club, this double 12” 45 RPM is the perfect format to experience this music. There's no denying the power of the drum. It's primal, it cuts across borders and most importantly, it makes you want to move. Ghetto Kumbé don't just understand that they celebrate it, and it's why the tambor was at the heart of the Bogotá-based trio's 2020 self-titled debut album. Rooted in mysticism and the Afro-Caribbean rhythms they'd grown up with all their lives, the critically acclaimed LP thrillingly updated the traditional Latin template, folding in elements of modern hip-hop, house and bass music while also delivering a transportive Afro-futurist vision. On Clubbing Remixes, that vision has been further amplified, as Ghetto Kumbé who were already one of Colombia's most prominent alternative acts have now gone fully global; enlisting an all-star roster of artists from four different continents, they've put together a fresh version of their debut album that's been specifically geared to the world's diverse slate of dancefloors. As the title implies, the new LP is meant for the club, which is why Ghetto Kumbé have turned to Latin music heavyweights like Trooka a multiple Grammy winner whose resume includes work with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Residente and Monte (a.k.a. Bomba Estéreo founder Simón Mejía), along with top-shelf DJs like Nickodemus and Uproot Andy, two NYC artists who've spent decades championing Afro-Latin rhythms. True to the LP's global spirit, the record also includes reworks from batida maestro DJ Firmeza, fellow Afro-Portuguese outfit Studio Bros and Parisian house groovers Les Enfants Sauvages, plus genre-blurring remixes from sonically adventurous Colombians Montoya (himself another ZZK artist) and Cero39. Even the artwork on Clubbing Remixes is a remix, as Ghetto Kumbé have tapped Uganda's Denzel Muhumuza to transform the cover of their debut album into a new, explicitly Afro-futuristic illustration. Depicting a strong Black face and glowing neon fauna beneath a sparkling moonlit sky, the fantastical image speaks to both the ritual magic and Afro-indebted heritage of Ghetto Kumbé's music, and thanks to Clubbing Remixes, the group's passionate, drum-fueled sounds will soon be blasting out of soundsystems around the globe.a
"Because They Made It That Way" is one of the illest Mr. Lif's songs that is finally out now on 45 rpm 7". On the flipside you can play out loud yet another banger "Pull Out Your Cut". "Classic" is the right word to describe this single!
"Because They Made It That Way" is one of the illest Mr. Lif's songs that is finally out now on 45 rpm 7". On the flipside you can play out loud yet another banger "Pull Out Your Cut". "Classic" is the right word to describe this single!








































