Sa Pa launches Dub Techno For Life: a dedicated outlet for the artist’s more dancefloor-focused material - work that has largely sat outside the conceptual frame of his previous releases.
The label’s first release, Girls on Tour EP, opens with “Mokira Ultra Dub”, a 10-minute club rework of Mokira classic “Manipulation Musik”. Originally produced alongside an ambient version commissioned for Kontra Musik’s 2016 Kontra X compilation, the dancefloor mix was ultimately shelved until now. With Andreas ‘Mokira’ Tilliander’s blessing, it finally surfaces as a standalone Sa Pa production. A track too banging to go unreleased.
“Waiting For You” traces back to Sa Pa’s orbit around the giegling ecosystem via FORUM. Once lined up for an official release on the parent label before plans stalled, the track slipped into the archives. Buoyant and disarmingly pop by Sa Pa standards, it finds its place here as the A2 - tuned to the collective memory of mid-2010s German house music.
Harnessing the spirit of Chain Reaction from the abandoned patches and borrowed machines of a rainy night’s recording in Taipei, the B-side’s “Modular System” captures a late-night, one-take modular jam. A broken yet hopeful “World Saving Banger” closes the EP with some raw and IDM-leaning force, showcasing Sa Pa’s new label - and the Girls On Tour EP - as a space for neo dub techno ideals to take shape.
Slip My Soul Where A Sweet Sunday brings together four versions by Fundación Tony Manero in charge of three projects from the Catalan jazz scene: The Gramophone All Stars Big Band, The Changes and ·I·. At the hands of these interpreters, the songs by Manero (all taken from “Sweet Movimiento”, their second studio LP) wander through different spectrums of jazz. From the Jamaican-tinged ska of the Gramophone to the dragging, hip-hop groove of ·I· through the swing -more classical or more avant-garde depending on the subject- of The Changes, these four pieces prove that jazz and disco music are family. Or what is the same: that jazz has always been dance music. Slip My Soul Where A Sweet Sunday celebrates the legacy on the one hand, the Fundación Tony Manero, which is retiring from the stage after more than 25 years paving the way for new generations and new projects. Among others, those who now take the baton in this EP.
Following their mesmerizing debut Tradition, CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN return with Correspondances—a 7-inch release that drifts effortlessly between organic textures and delicate electronic landscapes. Expanding on their signature blend of dreamy synth work and nylon-stringed warmth, the trio refines their approach with a more mature, immersive sound that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking.
The A-side, “Adan no Umibe” (Adan’s Seashore), opens with a soft, relaxed vocal delivery reminiscent of Haruomi Hosono’s solo work, floating over a gentle groove of nylon guitars and spacious synths. It captures the essence of a quiet shore, where melodies ebb and flow like waves against the sand, infused with the scent of Okinawa.
The title track, “Correspondances,” embraces an airy, ambient minimalism. Whispered vocals glide over sparse beats, floating basslines, and interwoven birdsong—blurring the lines between nature and sound.
Closing the record, “Koe o Kikasete” (Hear Me Your Voice) introduces a subtle rhythmic pulse, with its soft vocal refrain weaving through a beautiful chord progression, layered with nylon guitar and delicate electronic textures. The birdsong theme resurfaces here, echoing the lyrics and enhancing the immersive, weightless atmosphere.
While rooted in the warmth of vintage Japanese pop experimentalism, Correspondances carries CHO CO PA CO CHO CO QUIN QUIN’s sound into new, refined territory.
This is a record of quiet yet deeply expressive beauty—an invitation to pause, listen, and drift.
Swedish EBM hero Celldod is back on Electronic Emergencies with a full album on transparent magenta vinyl! Pa Liv Och Dod is an electronically driven emotional bomb with references to D.A.F. and Front 242. It features collaborations with Leroy Se Meurt from Paris and Michael Zodorozny of Crash Course in Science, as well as Anders Karlsson's own Swedish lyrics about death and the meaning of life. Each track is a wild invitation to dance away our fears in this complex world of impending doom.
Prepare to groove with the freshest release from Pa’volar - the PAV004 Inner Glow EP by Neoser!
Neoser's versatility as a producer shines through in this record, showcasing his ability to create captivating music across multiple styles.
Crafted with DJs in mind, Inner Glow EP is the perfect tool for setting the mood in any situation. Whether you're looking for upbeat energy or laid-back vibes, this EP has got you covered.
Don't miss out - let the Inner Glow EP light up your record bag today!
Emotional Rescue dives back in the world of post punk experiments and early synthesised electronics to present another of the labels iconoclastic 7" 'collectors specials', with a look at Stockholm's Staalfagel.
Born in 1977, Erik Fritjofsson and Petter Brundell merged and formed Staalfagel out of the suburbs of Jakobsberg. Like so many at the time, the duo was tired of Prog, Jazz and Symphonic Rock and formulated something new and against at the same moment; a time where drummers were jettisoned in place of drum machines and the inspirations of artists like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Devo and Pere Ubu were thrown in the mix to fervent results.
With Micke Kjell soon joining on bass, they toured Sweden constantly, the manic machine beat, beating guitars and strange synth sounds defeated the throng and led to a considerable following. Recorded live to tape with no overdubs or mixing, the faithful CR 78 drum machine, the results radiate energy.
Release just 4 records in 2 years (1980 - 1982), Utan Rymddrakt Pa Uranus appeared as their last ever release. Jettisoning the punky-funk vocals of previous releases, the single is a pure electronic groove. Funk bass and guitar atop, its short form simplicity is perfection distilled in 2 parts of less than 3 minutes, conjoined like some reggae dream, with 'Uranus II' acting the dub 'version' counterpoint.
Discovered and shared by long-time friend, DJ and collector, Gary The Tall steps out from behind the decks and microphone of his long running NTS show to present an exemplary "Reversion". Teaming up with master producer and label affiliate, Timothy J Fairplay on engineering duties, they keep the originals' straightforward charm, deceptively editing, looping and reversing with aplomb, for a killer flip side.
Sa Pa presents Rhythm From Ambient, the second release on Dub Techno For Life, delivering four experimentally tipped house and dub techno tracks.
Leading with ten minutes of undulating, swamp-soaked grooves, heavy dub weight and scattered, gravel-like percussion, “Rhythm From Ambient” shares the A-side with its companion “Rhythm” - bringing a rougher, rawer energy that revives an industrial techno cut originally intended for Sa Pa’s MDR EP (2015).
On the B-side, “Last Dance” is an extended deep house-styled ‘Ballroom Dub’ that’s a warmly haunting mixture of atmosphere, groove and slow-burning euphoria. Closing the EP is “Bo Riddim”, a slower experimental number with deep sub-bass, heavy drums and laced-out percussion underpinning experimental textures and melodic fragments.
Following up the Girls On Tour EP (DTL001), Sa Pa delivers another four cuts for Dub Techno For Life, the artist’s newly launched label, continues its push into deep house and dub techno territory with a self-styled experimental streak.
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Japanese acid pop outfit Cho Co Pa Co Cho Co Quin Quin channel the globe-trotting spirit of Haruomi Hosono’s 1970s tropical boogie on their debut album, Tradition.
Named after one of the basic rhythms of Cuban folk music and drawing on influences from across the globe, Cho Co Pa Co Cho Co Quin Quin are quite simply a world unto itself.
Comprised of three childhood friends, Daido, Yuta and So, who reconnected during the coronavirus pandemic, Cho Co Pa initially emerged as a playful way for the three 23-year-olds to pass the time. Tapping into their youthful connection, they created a sound that exudes confidence and curiosity, a homage to the masterful world of YMO’s and Happy End’s Haruomi Hosono, rooted in the trio’s own idiosyncratic experience of the present.
Recorded at home and promoted on hugely popular DIY TikTok videos, their debut album Tradition is a technicolour exercise in armchair travelling – a kind of lockdown exotica for the housebound whose nostalgic flights of fancy are laced with a sense of whimsical melancholy for the lost freedoms of youth.
Referencing everything from Afro-Cuban percussion to lo-fi beats, Buddhist spirituality to trap, each member of the band brings different musical inspirations to the table. Latin American and Middle Eastern styles sit adjacent to a fascination for the electronic music of Aphex Twin, Dorian Concept, Underworld and Daft Punk. At times, the music verges on acid pop bliss, at others, it grooves with the instrumental funk sensibility of BADBADNOTGOOD.
“In the first place, when I create a song, my goal is to transport the listener to a mysterious place,” vocalist Daido explained in a recent magazine interview. Using lyrics as another sonic texture in the composition of ideas, Cho Co Pa paint beguiling sonic postcards of far-flung moods across 12 highly original tracks.
Marrying the organic and the electronic on rhythmically sophisticated compositions like ‘Chichibu’ and ‘Watatsumi’, it is on the album’s standout track ‘Gandhara’ that the experimental sound of Cho Co Pa comes to the fore. Referencing the ancient city of Gandhara through which Buddhism made its way from India to China, the track is a vocoder-trap-inspired, Udu drum-driven pop jam that lilts with unmistakable Balearic flair. If that’s difficult to imagine, then know simply that ‘Gandhara’ sounds like nothing else on this side of Saturn. Even Daido seemed surprised by the outcome: “I feel like we were able to create something that exceeded our abilities. That was huge!”
Hugely popular in Japan, with festival appearances lined up alongside BADBADNOTGOOD at Asagiri Jam in October, it's safe to say the success of Tradition has taken Cho Co Pa by surprise. You won’t have heard anything like it."
Quickly following March’s The Fool - our label debut - Sa Pa reveals his new album Ambeesh on Short Span.
Coming five years after In A Landscape, and nearly a decade since his debut Fuubutsushi, Ambeesh pulls together a previously hidden body of work.
Written between 2014-2019 and long held in reserve awaiting the right moment for release, the album has often been grouped conceptually as a follow up to his FORUM debut. There’s a strong through line connecting the unique language and liveliness of ambient, layered field recordings, and dub techno found in those earlier records, as well as the seamless skydive through pressure formations found in the Enter Sa Pa production mix, which hinted at several of these tracks.
These pieces have taken time to surface and fully catch the light, but there’s still little else that compares. It’s a cache of some of his deepest and most texturally thrilling music, some of which have been rattling around in our ears and minds and conversation for years and have now found the right home and time. Forward thinking and singular in its combination of atmosphere; Ambeesh can press on the body at the right volume, and moves in thrust and riposte with the listener’s circadian rhythms. Sa Pa continues to dissolve the border between club-informed experimentation and intimate headphone listening.
Ambeesh also marks the artist’s return to Australia and the beginning of a new phase.
Mastered by Miles. Digital release of Lexanconical mastered by CGB @ Dubplates & Mastering.
Art from The Designers Republic.
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French producer Fièvre drops his new EP *"Party Again"*, a bold fusion of dubstep and dub techno, featuring iconic grime MC Killa P. The project kicks off with an original mix laced with yardie vibes, followed by a deep, hard-hitting 2-step version. Special guest Hyas—one of the most exciting names in France’s breakbeat scene—jumps in with a razor-sharp, irresistibly catchy drum & bass remix. With *"Party Again"*, Fièvre delivers a UK-flavored EP built for sound systems!
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Silence present a reissue of legendary live album from Sweden's own Woodstock, Gärdesfesterna, the start of the Swedish alternative music movement. It's hard to imagine an album with a greater symbolic significance than the 2LP set "Festen på Gärdet", recorded at the second of the two festivals held at the Gärdet field in Stockholm in 1970, with Träd Gräs Och Stenar and especially Bo Anders Persson as the driving force behind them both. Those festivals are often regarded as the starting point of the music movement. It's convenient having a fixed date of course, but as with any historical event, it was the product of a process, with one thing evolving into something else. So while the date isn't historically valid, the Gärdet festivals' importance to the music movement is unquestionable. This was the first time that several of the soon to be most important bands presented themselves to a larger audience. Most bands didn't have a record contact at the time, and some of them would never get one, such as Det Europeiska Missnöjets Grunder and Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In & Tredje Benet Stampa Takten.
The British Gambian rapper chronicles his cellblock daydreams on family, freedom, and feeling alien in the UK while hinting at a new blueprint for pan-African pop.
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In 1966, Oscar Agudelo recorded this elusive and lesser-known collector's gem called "Pa' mi muñeca" for Discos Fuentes. It is a rarity where the artist took an unexpected musical turn and performed several porros, paseaitos, gaitas, and cumbias, evoking the swaying motion and rolling waves of Colombia's Caribbean sound. It resonates with the echoes of a romantic minstrel laced with an unexpected richness of nuance, a hallmark of the cumbia sound. It's exactly the kind of music that lights up a tambó or a fandango circle on carnival night. A dozen tracks, none of them new, but suffused with a consciousness that can be understood within the context of their time and with the personality of the artist bold enough to bring them to life. 'Madre cumbia' opens the album with a festive, nostalgic mood, infused with the simple beauty and the electrifying beat of the tropics that immediately makes you want to get up and dance. It's a fantastic example of how to perform a song with passion and make the listener fall instantly in love with an album. 'Pa' mi muñeca', the title track, is a fast-paced paseaito that explores new paths that took a shortcut to the dance halls. A showstopper on the dance floor. 'Está como mango' is a porro-cumbia that charms with a rich tapestry of compliments, the calling card of many old-school tropical songs. 'Cumbia de recuerdo', 'Cumbia suave', 'Cumbia de Santa Marta', are back-to-back cumbias. This is an album devoted to recreating the strength of a musical genre that's been the soundtrack of Colombian life for decades. It's a record dedicated to capturing good times, filled with simple dreams, steeped in joyful energy, and shining with the uninhibited flair, or better said, the quality of the sixties. This album represents a milestone on the route cumbia had taken, both for Discos Fuentes and maestro Agudelo. First time reissue. Includes liner notes by genre expert Don Alirio.
Sa Pa's trademark fantastical and thickly textured sound twisted in four new directions, closely treasured and finally released: some of his most delicate and hypnotic work, and fathoms deep. Switch on your sub or find one to borrow!
The first release on Short Span, a new label from Matthew Kent, co-runner of the label Mana before this, and who ran mix music platform Blowing Up The Workshop before that.
A series of longer, dubbed out, ambient and flowing tracks. techno, minimal, bass and groove. Chosen and cut to drop the needle on and just let play for a while. For warming up, coming down, never leaving the house.
Mastered by Miles.
Photography by Will Bankhead, layout by Bene Pooley.
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Finally after all those years, Dutch producer Peter Aarsman presents the re-issue of his iconic peak-time tracks called Entangled. Originally released on Deviate in 1995, this 13 minute techno trip caused mayhem on dancefloors across the world. Peter's love for early Detroit techno in can be heard in the beautiful Res*lute. Warm strings, deep basslines and a repetitive synth theme provide for a stunning track which was used by Carl Craig in his selection for the influential DJ Kicks series. Res*lute also comes in a rawer house remix by Frame Of Mind label head Gerd.
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"Pa Svenska" war 2019 die erste komplett in schwedisch aufgenommene Scheibe von ""Götenburg's finest", den CITY SAINTS und galt seinerzeit als Experiment. Die 2012 gegründete Band wagte nach 3 englischsprachigen Alben sich selbst einen lang gehegten Wunsch zu erfüllen und die neuen Songs in ihrer Heimatsprache aufzunehmen. Das Ergebnis überraschte nicht nur die Band, denn in kürzester Zeit war die LP ausverkauft und erfreute sich auch international weit über Skandinvien hinaus großer Beliebtheit. Anläßlich ihrer neuen Veröffentlichung "Explosiv!" erscheint "Pa Svenska" jetzt zeitgleich als Reissue in 2 limitierten Vinyl-Farben mit einem dreckigen Dutzend straight forward-Shoutern und kickin ass Punk-RocknRoll. Pures Adrenalin made in Sweden mit einer unglaublichen Spielfreude!
"Pa Svenska" war 2019 die erste komplett in schwedisch aufgenommene Scheibe von ""Götenburg's finest", den CITY SAINTS und galt seinerzeit als Experiment. Die 2012 gegründete Band wagte nach 3 englischsprachigen Alben sich selbst einen lang gehegten Wunsch zu erfüllen und die neuen Songs in ihrer Heimatsprache aufzunehmen. Das Ergebnis überraschte nicht nur die Band, denn in kürzester Zeit war die LP ausverkauft und erfreute sich auch international weit über Skandinvien hinaus großer Beliebtheit. Anläßlich ihrer neuen Veröffentlichung "Explosiv!" erscheint "Pa Svenska" jetzt zeitgleich als Reissue in 2 limitierten Vinyl-Farben mit einem dreckigen Dutzend straight forward-Shoutern und kickin ass Punk-RocknRoll. Pures Adrenalin made in Sweden mit einer unglaublichen Spielfreude!
Cuban music has a new global ambassador: Cimafunk. With a name and image that pays tribute to the Cimarrons – Cubans of African descent that resisted slavery – and music and showmanship that re-embodies funk legends from the last century, the medical-school student turned funk artist has developed into a musical force crafting the sonic future of the island and a global, cultural phenomenon that unites and celebrates blackness across borders, oceans and languages.
After the success of El Alimento, Cimafunk delves even further into his exploration of the intersections between funk and the sounds of the continent and gives us Pa' Tu Cuerpa (Mala Cabeza Records), his most polished and mature production to date. For this occasion, Cimafunk has summoned a constellation of extraordinary artists and musicians.
"Collaboration is something I really enjoy," he confesses. "This album has artists that I had always wanted to work with, of whom I am a fan and of whom I have a lot of influence from them." From the legendary touch of funk master George Clinton, who also appeared on Cimafunk’s last album, to the jazz mastery of top AfroCuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, through the vibe of Colombian rockstars Monsieur Periné, to the Caribbean rhythms and melodies of Haitian producer Michael Brun, and the youthfulness from Havana’s urban street scene of Cuban newcomer Wampi, each guest works like a piece of clockwork in this masterpiece.
“Cuchi Cuchi” is the track that immediately takes you to the Cimafunk of 2024. Catchy, danceable and super funky, “Cuchi Cuchi,” which is a playful way to say “hooking up,” is a Cuba meets New Orleans mashup ready to explode when performed live. “It’s really funky and you can envision me on stage with my band and feel the way I dress, dance and live life just by playing the track,” says Cimafunk. “My musical director Dr. Zapa is the producer and he’s been with me since the beginning. ‘Cuchi Cuchi’ is Cimafunk & La Tribu after a few years of exploring the world thru festivals, venues, dressing rooms and parties.”
New Orleans – Cimafunk’s new home – jumps out track-after-track on “Pa’ tu cuerpa.” The explosive flow of New Orleans bounce-icon Big Freedia on “Pretty” and the unreplicated, powerful horns of Trombone Shorty on “I don’t care” highlight Cimafunk’s affinity with and full-on embrace of New Orleans music and culture. He’s now a regular performer at the New Orleans Jazz Festival and leads an annual New Orleans – Cuba festival and cultural exchange program, Getting Funky in Havana, that has brought New Orleans top artists and musicians to Cuba to perform for the Cuban people and do work in the schools. The result is a sonic experience as innovative as it is impossible to label; Caribbean but borderless, rooted in Havana but with echoes of Detroit funk and New Orleans bass, horns and street-corner vibes.
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Composed in the aftermath of family tragedy, NY Graffiti’s Burden is an album full of peace anthems, psalms, dirges, and confessionals. In the pursuit of consolation, the tectonics of techno, dub, and post-club aesthetics are pushed past their margins onto new emotional plateaus.
Like the series of EP’s that NY Graffiti has released in recent years – including a split with Subtext affiliate UCC Harlo – Burden is an amalgam of dub-informed club music, acoustic emulations, and doom-scroll sourced social media chatter, filtered through the artist’s unique sonic palette that has developed over years on the fringes of New York’s contemporary club scene.
From the largely-improvised opener (and closer) “Approximation”, to the discord of the steppa-inflected track “98 Prayers”, and the dystopian ambiance of “Reach” (evoking early Hype Williams), Burden constantly reconfigures itself in search of catharsis. The album's seven tracks are dense and claustrophobic yet unexpectedly grounding. Amid the weight of grief, and the bleakness of our shared geopolitical realities, the NYC-based artist provides moments of solace that are intimate, direct, and revelatory.
Burden was initially released as a digital album earlier this year and is now available on vinyl through NY Graffiti’s own Peace Anthem Records and Switzerland-based Präsens Editionen. While the former has primarily focused on releasing NY Graffiti’s own projects, the latter is the publishing house of zweikommasieben Magazin and has released music and sound works by artists such as Anom Vitruv, Red On, Belia Winnewisser, Martina Lussi, Samuel Reinhard, and Magda Drozd
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Die schwedischen Hardrocker Ström melden sich mit ihrem zweiten Longplayer 'En Orkan Pa Var Sida' zurück. Empfehlung für Fans von Bands wie AC/DC, Airbourne, D-A-D, The Darkness, Hardcore Superstar, Andrew WK, Slade oder KISS!
Milton Nascimento was the king of Brazilian music in the 1980s. His musical universe singular, although generations of vocalists and instrumentalists have honored the master by interpreting his work. On Steen Rasmussen's new album listeners are in for far more than just ordinary interpretations. This album is an extraordinary example of how music from two continents can merge into a noble work. Vocalist Josefine Cronholm has a gift for imbuing material with a naturally soft Swedish sensualism that lifts the lyrics and lets them fly differently than on Nascimento's original recordings. A limited edition 180g Vinyl release. With Fredrik Damsgaard - double bass & Hoffner bass; Anders Banke - tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet & alto flute; Celso De Almeida - drums & perc
Balearic / Downtempo business from the Swedish coastline by Förslag På Musik.
We were very impressed by his first album Book Of Mirrors on his own label Sunken Rock, and is now serving up two mellow rollers with dreamy pads and groovy drums on our very own Terrasolare.
Music for lazy days that will put a smile on your face.
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Vemod aus dem norwegischen Trondheim sind eine der vielversprechendsten und visionärsten Bands im florierenden, eklektischen Metal-Underground der Gegenwart und haben in Eingeweihtenkreisen bereits eine Menge Staub aufgewirbelt. Mit ihrer Verschmelzung so unterschiedliche Einflüsse wie jenen von Ulver, Dead Can Dance, Brian Eno und Paysage d'Hiver verfolgen die drei Musiker einen einzigartigen musikalischen wie ästhetischen Ansatz, der ihnen schon früh in ihrer Schaffenszeit eine ureigene Ausdrucksweise und Atmosphäre verleiht. Vemods Debüt "Venter På Stormene" (Deutsch: "auf die Stürme wartend") erschien ursprünglich 2012 und wird nun von Prophecy Productions auf breiterer Ebene wiederveröffentlicht. Das aus den beiden Teilen "Over jord, vandrende" ("über die Erde wandernd") und "Over himmel, flammende" ("am Himmel brennend") bestehende Album soll als zweiteilige Manifestation innerer Bewegungen und eines aufgehenden Sternes verstanden werden, als Betrachtung des "wieder Heiligen". Die Vereinigung von finster ätherischem Metal mit stimmungsvollen Ambient-Klangflächen zelebriert und kultiviert Vemods Essenz im Rahmen tiefgreifender Gefühle: das Ergebnis jahrelanger langsamer, aber stetiger Reifung und eine Brücke in die Zukunft. Hinter Sonne und Mond werden wir neu geboren.
Vemod aus dem norwegischen Trondheim sind eine der vielversprechendsten und visionärsten Bands im florierenden, eklektischen Metal-Underground der Gegenwart und haben in Eingeweihtenkreisen bereits eine Menge Staub aufgewirbelt. Mit ihrer Verschmelzung so unterschiedliche Einflüsse wie jenen von Ulver, Dead Can Dance, Brian Eno und Paysage d'Hiver verfolgen die drei Musiker einen einzigartigen musikalischen wie ästhetischen Ansatz, der ihnen schon früh in ihrer Schaffenszeit eine ureigene Ausdrucksweise und Atmosphäre verleiht. Vemods Debüt "Venter På Stormene" (Deutsch: "auf die Stürme wartend") erschien ursprünglich 2012 und wird nun von Prophecy Productions auf breiterer Ebene wiederveröffentlicht. Das aus den beiden Teilen "Over jord, vandrende" ("über die Erde wandernd") und "Over himmel, flammende" ("am Himmel brennend") bestehende Album soll als zweiteilige Manifestation innerer Bewegungen und eines aufgehenden Sternes verstanden werden, als Betrachtung des "wieder Heiligen". Die Vereinigung von finster ätherischem Metal mit stimmungsvollen Ambient-Klangflächen zelebriert und kultiviert Vemods Essenz im Rahmen tiefgreifender Gefühle: das Ergebnis jahrelanger langsamer, aber stetiger Reifung und eine Brücke in die Zukunft. Hinter Sonne und Mond werden wir neu geboren.
Berlin based sound artist Sa Pa delivers AI-33, titled ‘Atmospheric Fragments’. Originally intended as a soundtrack to accompany ten short experimental films as part of a physical exhibition in 2020 curated by Manon Bernard, Atmospheric Fragments was alternatively premiered online as a digital showroom - with its music performed and recorded both live and independently in 2021.
Atmospheric Fragments was conceived as a collaborative audio-visual project, positing the viewer inside a sonic boom of introspective parenthesis and offering a place for internal dialogues under the circumstances of a largely unknown and rapidly changing modern world.
Sa Pa’s work presents a fresh sonic reinterpretation of urban landscapes, skylines and modern environments, procuring from its source material a whole new kaleidoscopic world of its own. The record consists of two mixes - ‘Studio’ and ‘Live’ - which demonstrate a deep explorational study of our everyday surroundings, plunging the listener into a realm of heightened sense experience and microscopic detail. Where the ‘Studio’ mix embodies the precision and management of the studio workspace and is more ambient in nature, such intricacies are exchanged for a larger, livelier sound stage and alternative sonic material in the ‘Live’ mix.
A nebulous ocean of shifting spaces and effervescent textures, Sa Pa augments and modulates field recordings into a fluid and ever-evolving narrative. Seen through a viewfinder of deep and immersive observation, new transients, momentary artefacts and poetry in motion begin to reveal itself. In a world caught in momentary stasis, Atmospheric Fragments is a forensic inquiry into our perceptive environment, with its augmented lens placing us on the cusp of the ungraspable.
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Sa Pa's 3rd ep following releases on Marcel Dettman's MDR and last year's release on Australian label, Rosa.
This builds on highly acclaimed album releases for the likes of Mana and Forum as well as a collaborative piece with Felix K, Marcell Dettman and Simon Hoffman for A-Ton under the moniker Rauch.
This record builds on Sa Pa's reputation for lush dub techno soundscapes and can be played either as a whole as one complete piece or broken down into it's constituent parts. It also includes a locked groove edit created with Scott Monteith (Deadbeat) who also helped with post-production.
The record was cut and mastered at Dubplate & Mastering by Helmut Erler.
Part profits from the record will go to homeless charity Caring in Bristol.
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This mega-rare 1969 album pays tribute to the Bronx and Brooklyn neighborhoods where young Latinos had invented the boogaloo a few years earlier. This record highlights the quality of Peruvian boogaloo and the talent of musicians such as pianist Otto de Rojas and percussionist Coco Lagos. First time reissue. In the mid-sixties, when young Latino musicians in New York fused Afro-Cuban rhythms with rock, soul and jazz, they had no idea that their boogaloo bang bang would reverberate just as strong and loud in a distant South American country. From 1955, La Sonora Macedo, took Cuban music to every corner of Peru, backed the leading musicians of the Peruvian tropical universe, such as Ñiko Estrada, Joe di Roma, the double bass player Pepe Hernández, and the trumpet players Tito Chicoma and Charlie Palomares. All diehard fans of Cuban music, always alert to any new artist arriving from the island. In the early sixties, light rock, doo-wop, ballads, Italian songs and bossa nova paraded across Lima's stages, making performances by Cuban bands, previously so frequent, a thing of the past. Moreover, the unanimous success of the Beatles from 1964 onwards, gave the impression that music from the English-speaking world would dominate the rest of the decade. But this was not the case. In large part because of Manuel Guerrero's good relations with U.S Latino labels, such as Alegre Records, which released the initial recordings by Johnny Pacheco and Charlie Palmieri, allowing listeners in Lima to follow the development of the salsa movement almost from the beginning. MAG was undoubtedly the best representative of these new sounds. In 1969, the LP "Acabo con Lima, huyo pa' Nueva York" was released on this label, a project which brought together three figures from Lima's show business world: Manuel Antonio Guerrero, owner and founder of MAG, who wasn't shy of joining in on the chorus and percussion during recordings, Pablo Villanueva "Melcochita", a multifaceted artist from a talented musical family from the popular district of La Victoria, was responsible for the vocals and percussion on the album. And the third Lima show business figure in this project was the musician, singer and comedian Alberto Montroy Laostervened, who gained fame in the sixties while still in his twenties for his imitation of Cantinflas, the Mexican actor. Alberto bore a devilish resemblance to Cantinflas, not only in his gestures but also physically. Under the name of Pepe Moreno "Karamanduka" he also went on to record songs abroad such as "El boogaloo de Cantinflitas". "Acabo con Lima, huyo pa' Nueva York" was immediately re-released in other countries, highlighting the quality of Peruvian boogaloo and talent of musicians such as pianist Otto de Rojas and percussionist Coco Lagos, who feature prominently on the album. Songs such as 'Vuela mi descarga', 'Peruvian boogaloo' and 'Peruvian guajira', pay tribute to the Bronx and Brooklyn, neighborhoods where young Latinos had invented the boogaloo a few years earlier.
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Pittsburgh Track Authority is back. After a five year hiatus from releasing music--during which time PTA maintained focus on expanding the catalog of their labels Pittsburgh Tracks, Love What You Feel, Machine Age Records, and Sleeve -- Preslav and Adam are back with a rejuvenated outlook on music and a renewed sense of purpose. The new album titled PA System is a collection of house and techno written to serve as a document of the past 18 months. As always with PTA, friends near and far, old and new, were a part of the writing process and the album includes collaborations with C. Scott, Santiago Salazar, Stuart Bogie, Nic Offer, Samurai Velvet, John Hall, and Kenny Peagler.
Released by:
Pittsburgh Tracks
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Continuing Ostinato's Series Of Cape Verde 45s Showcasing Diasporan Bands That Are Staples In Europe's Cape Verdean Communities, Ostinato Records Presents Timeless Dance Music For The Summer By Conjunto Jovens Africanos, Founded By Ze Orlando, A Respected Producer Originally From São Tomé. Formed And Originally Based In Lisbon, The Band Fused Raw Funaná Rhythms From The Cape Verdean Island Of Santiago With Syncopated Electric Guitars, Raucous Synthesizers, Relentless Percussion, And Addictive Vocals That Kept Their Compatriots On Their Feet Across Little Known Krioulu Nightclubs In Europe's Major Cities. First Released In 1984, Conjuntos Jovens Africanos' "nhu Jhon" And "volta Pa Terra" Are Stellar Representations Of Modernized Funaná's Endless Energy.
Bottenvikens Silverkyrka welcomes you to a collective trip towards eternity with the EP 'Arken', a sequel to 'Det Stora Uppvaknandet'.
The congregation has recorded tracks to convey a sensation of dance as salvation. Contributing to the record are Anna Levander, Sebastian Adolfsson, Ingrid Marklund, Ulrika Stenhamre and Mats Wikström.
The mission of 'Arken' is to gather, listen, dance and together end time.
ll star cast from 4 different cosmic corners comes the more electronic side of Hamam. T hink of it as the dorian gray of Frankfurt airport , but instead it's at the hamam in istanbul. Fattish - no stranger to electronic versions of loved and cherished turkish songs, Fattish delivers a monster cinematic piece, strings section...the whole lot...check anything he puts his hands on, this one made it to the wax Kozmonotosman - our man on the moon, he visits regularly so if u need any rocks or bits ask him he will bring u, I got loads of rock so u can ask me alternatively.
My man delivers a super dope and groovy number from a not so well known jam from the 70's . Just get down and boogie on this. Kurt Adam - one of the new faves of the Hamam camp, delivers a taverna cut in a housey affair. Don't be fooled by the electronics, I drink raki to this any day at the drinkery. Hold me down if u can m gonna dance in euphoria, hear the wolfman roarrr.
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Swedish outsider anti-folk: Embedded in the ever exciting Swedish underground scene Enhet För Fri Musik continues the quest for innovation numerous legendary Swedish bands started during the 70s, Pärson Sound, Trad Gras Och Stenar, Arbete Och Fritid. Taking the ideas of communal music craft and experimentation, on this album the group comes to a unique combination of Jandek-like atonal guitar, organ, tape effects, field recordings, saxophone and Sofie Herner's amazing loner voice running over it.
A surefire Afro-Funk classic, long treasured by collectors across the globe, the fantastic self-titled LP from Ghanaian singing/percussion sensation Sidiku Buari nevertheless remains a criminally hard-to find gem. We're honoured to present the first ever officially licensed vinyl reissue of this undoubted masterpiece. Limited to just 500 copies.
Originally released on RCA in 1975, this is, quite simply, a ridiculous record. This super-rare album boasts an all-star cast of top funk instrumentalists playing alongside Buari as he blends heavy African rhythms with American soul-funk grooves. The arrangements and the playing are incredibly tight and the album is stacked with killer tracks including "Advice From Father" (sampled brilliantly by Kenny Dope) and "Ku Ka Maria", with its intense, neck-snapping breaks and funky drumming from legend Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie. Purdie is in the pocket for the entirety of this stunning LP - the drumming is just straight out of hand; so varied yet so precise.
It's not hard to fathom why these tracks have always been huge on the b-boy/breaking scene. Other standouts include the wonderful disco-tinged afro monsters "Karam Bani" and "Iro Le Pa" plus the cool laidback groove of "Them Yebtheyet".
With access to the original analogue tape transfers, Simon Francis' stellar mastering elevates the sound throughout and, as ever, it has been pressed at a reassuringly weighty 180g.
WHEN YOU'VE FINISHED LOOKING AROUND THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN FIND US ON THESE SOCIAL CHANNELS
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Greetings and welcome from Axces. We're a small local Copenhagen community of friends and curious souls. This is our very first record. Alfredo92 and Kasper Marrot run the label, and they've produced two tracks with help from our good friends Carl Emil and Lauge.
The record was created in 2017 at the professional facilities we've come to know as Nordvest Auto. On both tracks, you'll hear a lot of drums, some bass, effects, samples, vocals and sounds from beyond, we don't know how to describe. They've been tested on various sound systems during the past year, and we can ensure you that a flat EQ and max volume will suit the tracks almost anywhere.
We really hope you enjoy our effort. If you should ever find yourself in Copenhagen Axces will provide counselling and guidance at own risk.
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Guadeloupe 1986. The football World Cup has all the Islanders' eyes riveted to their TV sets. At every half time breaks, local TV channel RFO broadcasts a music video on repeat: ''Tou't Jou Pa Min'm". Max Rambhojan, the local singer responsible for this monster tune, has arrived.
In the video, he effortlessly sings and kickstarts a joyous street party with his band, Show Man, his dancers, kids, friends, family and what seems like the whole neighbourhood. The song will gain cult status from then on, cementing the power of the 'Zouk Chiré' sound, a high tempo version of Zouk, highly influenced by Guadeloupe's Carnival mass drum bands. Max self-releases his first solo album on vinyl in 1985, enrolling some of the best musicians the scene has to offer: his band leader King Klero, Guy Jacquet of les Vikings de la Guadeloupe fame on production duties, Ramon Pyrmée on synths, Claude Vamur, Meliza... In 1992 a new solo album follows. By then the artists have familiarized themselves with computers and the sound has gone full-on digital. In that album Max records an updated version of his 'Tou't Jou Pa Min'm' anthem to great effect.
Reducing Max Rambhojan to a zouk artist would be a mistake. He's first and foremost a master of Gwo-Ka, a musical practice born during the transatlantic slave trade and performed by all ethnic and religious groups of Guadeloupe. It has never ceased to exist and has become a major part of the Island folk music culture. Max Rambhojan was schooled as a kid by Gwo-Ka pioneer Guy Conquette, and quickly joined the backing band of another legend, Ti-Sélès. That sound is the root of his particular style, especially vibrant on two tracks in his repertoire: 'Cecilia' and 'On Jou Matin', both featured on this release's b-side. A touch of Spiritual Jazz is also palpable, allowing a magical vibe to spread, giving birth to some of the deepest music from this era.
In 2019, Max still performs Gwo-Ka every week-end in Guadeloupe and also hosts a show on local radio Media Tropical, 88.1FM. Secousse and Hot Mule are proud to present those 4 lost gems on wax and digital, carefully restored and remastered.
Names You Can Trust presents the second installment of Rueda de Bullerengue, a collaborative series with NY-based Bullerengue collective, Bulla En El Barrio. Named after the group's ongoing monthly performance and workshop in Brooklyn, Bulla's collaborative spirit and dedication to the tradition of los bailes cantados has made an indelible mark on the bubbling tropical music scene of New York City, and in turn, found their way into the crates and sets of DJs and vinyl aficionados via their first 7-inch release on NYCT in 2017. Since those initial moves, Bulla has continued to grow and add working members while maintaining a philosophy and connection grounded in the traditions of their Colombian origins. They've studied and collaborated with elders and legends like Emilson Pacheco and Darlina Sáenz, and this past year embarked on a recording with Barranquilla-based collective Tonada Baile Cantado — the focus of this edition's recording and release.
Considered one of the premier groups advancing the tradition of Bullerengue within Colombia, this incredibly talented group of young musicians are a rarity for their skill and age. In a region where there are ongoing festivals celebrating the tradition of Bullerengue that still command massive audiences and performers, Tonada is a true representative of what can happen when such an amazing tradition is passed forward to an eager next generation. Produced by Bulla members Camilo Rodriguez and Diana Herrera (aka Carolina Oliveras) in between their time smashing stages across the U.S. for Combo Chimbita, this is a carefully nurtured and powerful bridge to the beloved traditions of Colombia's Caribe region.
Without further ado, here lies Volume 2 of Rueda de Bullerengue, featuring Tonada Baile Cantado, a new generation of traditional Colombian dance music transmitted directly from Barranquilla — Four dance floor crashers in the styles of fandango and chalupa, ready-made for your 45 spins in the inimitable style of Names You Can Trust.
King Coya ist das digitale Alter Ego des argentinischen Musikers, Produzenten und Komponisten Gaby Kerpel. In den Neunzigern entwickelte Kerpel die furiose Theater-Performance "De la Guarda" mit, später setzte er seine Kreativität für das preisgekrönte Showprojekt "Fuerza Bruta" ein. Abgesehen davon ist er bekannt für die innovative Verbindung lateinamerikanischer Folklore mit moderner elektronischer Musik. Seit seinem 2009 veröffentlichten Solodebüt "Cumbias de Villa Donde" fertigte der König Remixe für Acts wie Amadou & Mariam, Brazilian Girls, Julieta Venegas, Luzmila Carpio, Chancha Via Circuito, Tom Tom Club, Petrona Martinez und Magin Díaz an. Weiterhin beteiligte er sich als Mitglied der Band Terraplén an den Aufnahmen zu "Tira Torito" (2010). Mit "Tierra de King Coya" setzt Kerpel den eingeschlagenen Pfad weiter fort. Zur Geltung kommen neben kolumbianischer Cumbia und argentinischem Folk insbesondere traditionell in den Anden gebräuchliche Instrumente wie das Zupfinstrument Ronroco oder die Schnabelflöte Tarka. Natürlich werden alle Sounds vom King so lange am Computer aufbereitet, verfremdet und geschichtet, bis sich explosiv-tanzbare Songs ergeben. Neun Stück sind es auf "Tierra de King Coya" geworden. Bei diesen wird er von La Yegros, Iara Nardi, Isabel Pinedo Rengifo, La Walichera, Balvina Ramos und Queen Colas am Mikrofon begleitet.
Baiano & Os Novos Caetanos was a band formed by prolific and multi-talented Brazilian comedians Chico Anysio and Arnaud Rodrigues. Satirising Brazil's Tropicalia movement in the 1970s, the duo took a friendly crack at the likes of Caetano Veloso and psychedelic rockers Novos Baianos, with their righteous tropicalista alter-egos 'Baiano' and 'Paulinho Boca de Profeta' poetically denouncing the dictatorship while simultaneously mocking those who took themselves too seriously. Jazz funk legends Azymuth play backing band with keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertrami also responsible for the arrangements on the album. Azymuth's free and funky psych sounds combine with accordion, harmonica, brass and plenty of rural Brazilian rhythms, for a hugely varied album drawing on MPB, funk and soulful samba rock. The album also features Orlandivo who co-wrote many of the songs, and renowned multi-instrumentalist and producer Durval Ferreira.
Mike Huckaby, Bergqvist, DJ Sports, Raam and LNS remix 'Deep Soundscapes', Takecha's album recently released on Sweden's Love Potion.
Released in March, the album incorporates Takeshi Fukushima's work between 1990 to 2013 and affirms why the producer is such a respected figure within Japan's electronic music scene. Now his compositions have been remixed by some of house music's best, featuring renditions from Detroit's Mike Huckaby, Aniara's Henrik Bergqvist, the elusive Raam, Firecracker and Regelbau's DJ Sports, as well as Wania and Freakout Cult's LNS.
Mike Huckaby inaugurates the release with his sultry take on 'Low Sentiment', blending deep synths with murmuring vocals to forge a proper deep house cut. Bergqvist then remixes 'Rhodes Deep' creating a bouncy minimal cut incorporating the original's scintillating melody alongside meandering percussion and twisted effects, making way into DJ Sports' remix of 'Gradual Atmosphere' with its intricate breakbeat drums and dreamlike atmospherics. Raam then reinvents 'Calm Imagination' taking it into subterranean territories complete with infectious keys, until LNS ties it all together with her mesmerising beatless reimagining of 'Factory 141'.
This Franco-Swiss trio is a three-headed beast, discharging a singular energy in which one may detect echoes of traditional music, saturated repetition, ethereal harmonics or imaginary choreographies.There are no starting points, no ending points, no standard form structures - these all disappear as the senses encounter the first shock waves. The music employs a rich timbral palette, combining long heavy descending harmonium sweeps, relentless percussion, and the ever more precise patterns and drones of the hurdy-gurdy.
Rauch is a sonic interpretation of the work of photographer Friederike von Rauch, composed collaboratively by Berlin-based producers Felix K, Marcel Dettmann, Sa Pa and Simon Hoffmann. Arranged and mixed by Marcel Dettmann, the recording stands in dialogue with von Rauch's architectural images of post-World War II European monasteries, including La Tourette by Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis near Lyon, Roosenberg Abbey near Ghent and Maria Regina Martyrum in Berlin. The images were first exhibited together with the music on this LP as part
of an installation for von Rauch's solo show insgeheim ('in secret'), held at the Goethe-Institut Paris during the international Paris Photo art fair in November 2017.
While the complimentary relationship between the sounds of Rauch ('smoke') and the images exhibited in Paris invites interpretation, both can also be experienced as separate artistic entities. On the 42-minute-long LP, drones, modulating harmonic soundscapes and implied rhythms maintain an abstract emotional core while occasionally taking on vaporous, amorphous qualities. Similarly, von Rauch's images - often borderline abstract in composition - resist being identified by location or spatial context. Nevertheless, they also hint at their spiritual origin.
Rauch is part of an ongoing artistic collaboration between Marcel Dettmann and Friederike von Rauch, which includes 2011's Ash installation and three photographic works for Dettmann releases on Ostgut Ton.
(de) Rauch, geschrieben und produziert im Kollektiv von den Berliner Producern Felix K., Marcel Dettmann, Sa Pa und Simon Hoffmann, zusammengestellt und abgemischt von Marcel Dettmann, ist als ku¨nstlerische Anna¨herung und Dialog zu den Fotografien von Friederike von Rauch zu verstehen. In ihrer Ausstellung insgeheim im Goethe-Institut Paris, anla¨sslich der Paris Photo 2017, zeigt die Ku¨nstlerin Arbeiten, die in verschiedenen Klo¨stern der Nachkriegsmoderne - von La Tourette von Le Corbusier entworfen u¨ber Roosenberg Abbey nahe Gent zur Klosterkirche Maria Regina Martyrum in Berlin - entstanden sind und klanglich untermalt werden durch die Musik von Rauch.
Die Musik und die Bilder menschenleerer Ra¨ume stehen in unmittelbarem Bezug zueinander, suchen die Auseinandersetzung durch Begleitung und Interpretation. So entstand die 42-minu¨tige Komposition modulierender Klangschleifen und angedeuteter Rhythmik, den Namen von Rauchs beim Worte nehmend, musikalisch abstrahierend und doch im Detail ergreifend. Die Arbeiten Friederike von Rauchs lassen dabei kaum Ru¨ckschlu¨sse zu, welcher Ort sich dem Betrachter offenbart, der ra¨umliche Kontext bleibt verborgen und dennoch transportieren die konzentrierten und beinahe abstrakten Kompositionen, etwas von ihrem spirituellen Ursprung.
Rauch ist auch die Fortsetzung der ku¨nstlerischen
Kollaboration zwischen Marcel Dettmann und
Friederike von Rauch. Die beiden in Berlin
lebenden Ku¨nstler arbeiten hier nach Ash (2011)
zum zweiten Mal an der Schnittstelle Fotografie-Musik, daru¨berhinaus pra¨gten Friederike von Rauchs Fotografien drei Dettmann-Vero¨ffentlichungen auf Ostgut Ton.
Written, performed and produced by Thomas Moen Hermansen @M57 Studios Asker Jan-Sept 2016
Published by Smalltown Supermusic/Sony ATV Scandinavia
Mastered by Schnittstelle , Photos by Ragnhild Fors, Design by Metric Design
After the slightly more conceptual "Principe del Norte"album, "5" takes two steps forward and one step back
collecting a batch of tracks that was recorded right after it's preceder and in tandem with the recent "Square One"album with Bjørn Torske.
A "freedom"album of sorts, beyond the slightly misleading album opener "Here comes the band" there's a variety in these tracks tracing inspiration from 35 years (unhealthy)obsession with all things "good music" played enthusiastically.
"5" also marks the launch of my new label "Prins Thomas Musikk".
A run through the tracks with a couple of hints to titles and inspiration:
"Here comes the band"
A planned album of a fake band consisiting of me only was ditched. This is their only entry...
Very loosely inspired by "Bandwagonesque"era Teenage Fanclub
"Villajoyosa"
Melodic ideas hummed into a handheld recorded and specific notes about instrumentation scribbled down while on holiday in Villajoyosa in Spain turned into this little ditty when back in slightly colder Norway.
"Bronchi Beat"
Made in bed during a rough patch of bronchitis. Heavily influenced by prescription cough medicine.
Orbe from Madrid made a dizzy techno version which comes out soon enough...
""
I find great inspiration in working on new ideas while travelling the skies. Partly inspired by a detour into the soundtrack of my early teens (Paul Hardcastle, Warp 9, Maze, Mtume...)this particular one was started on a bumpy flight home from Athens and later finished in my tiny M57 Studio(R.I.P.)
"Æ"
Another bronchitis-ridden idea. Slow and low is the tempo. Beat originally inspired by Brian Briggs "AEO", melodies beamed in from Wally Badarou.
"Æ"is the norwegian pronounciation of the A in Acid refering to the 303 screeches going through the "song"
"Ø"
By the title you might think I'm running out of ideas. Not sure what happened here and why...
"Lunga Strada"
The track that took me the longest to complete hence the "long road".
Personal favourites The Pilotwings from Lyon sent over 2 ridiculously good and fun remixes which will
be released on a separate 10"
"London til Lisboa"
Another idea made on a plane when I should have tried to catch some sleep.
Direction steered by Plaid and Pat Metheny. Thank you for the inspiration
"Å"
Initially the final track AND then: scrapped idea for the alphabet soup of "Principe del Norte".
Later evolved into what we have here. Comes with a really nice remix by Pional on a separate 12"
"Venter på Torske"
The final recorded addition to the album. Made while waiting for Bjørn Torske to reply on a text message...
"Aske Hermansen"
In all seriousness, this is probably as soppy as it gets with me.
Tears into my computer keyboard, made on the road missing my wife and kids.
Hailing from Helsingborg but living in Berlin since 2012, swedish street artist and electronic musician Erik Jaahalli releases his debut on Borft. With smudgy analog romantic morning theme tracks bordering between chicago house, detroit techno and european new beat influences. But what youre hearing is geographically the sound of Lichtenberg Berlin now and more specifically the morning vibe at the private continous party Domestic Affairs. Lennie the cat and Dong Xuan Center included. -DJ Joakim Cosmo
I have no words to say about this album but, wow... Simply, Wow.
What is this Who is this dude
He (Atle) got the funk. Atle got the soul. Atle got the smooth sound of Westcoast. When he was in his teens, he spent all his money on music, women and party. Here is the result of 10 handpicked demos from his vast archives. This stuff has been sitting on the shelves since late 70's and has been carefully restored, mastered and produced exclusively for this album.
There's a myth about music critics that says we are frustrated, wannabe performers. Evidence to the contrary: Vivien Goldman. Ever since she migrated from pitching editors on the little-known music of Robert Nesta Marley to becoming one of the foremost chroniclers of the perfect storm of reggae, punk, hiphop and Afro-Beat, the London-born, New York-based Goldman has made documenting music her primary life work. But between 1979-82, Goldman was also a working musician, creating songs that, years later, would be sampled by The Roots and Madlib. These rare girl grooves are now collected for the first time on Resolutionary, courtesy of Staubgold Records.
Resolutionary takes us through Vivien's first three musical formations: first as a member of experimental British New Wavers The Flying Lizards; next as a solo artist, with her single 'Launderette,' featuring postpunk luminaries; and then as half of the Parisian duo Chantage, with Afro-Parisian chanteuse Eve Blouin. Goldman's synthesis of post-colonial rhythms and experimental sounds are threaded together by her canary vocal tones and womanist themes. Her eclectic musical crew included PiL's John Lydon, Keith Levene and Bruce Smith; avant- gardists Steve Beresford and David Toop; The Raincoats' Vicky Aspinall; the mighty Robert Wyatt; Zaire's Jerry Malekani; Manu Dibango's guitarist; and Viv Albertine, then of her good friends, the Slits. The majority of the tracks were produced by dubmaster Adrian Sherwood, and Resolutionary channels the history of a time when the bon-vivant voice of music was in the air, and Vivien Goldman was its eyes, ears, and mouth.
The Untold Stories offer up their next double pack collection on their trademark transparent yellow and black vinyl. For Chapter V they welcome some new artists into the label with Jerome C, Jarz=Polors, Volta Cab, and MD Wallholz, all featuring for the first time. This combined with some superb works from Franco Cinelli and UNTLD regulars Ztrl, Ivan Lopez, Pheek, and Jonas Sella: makes for a memorable album of highly identifiable music, with varying vibes from the Street Knowledge track by Volta Cab to Ztrl's one perfect for summertime afterhours, altogether another very enjoyable collection.
Whether you're beginning a love affair with cuban music or renewing the relationship, this double
album of vintage recordings, served up on vinyl in the traditional way, will bring sunshine into your life.
With focus battling between murderous bass and bewildering soundscapes throughout the EP, the choice of three energies and tones makes Kalawila's debut a surely applicable dance floor tool for techno and house devotees alike.
Stockholm/Berlin-based Kalawila debuts on his own imprint, Mountain Explosion Device, with an EP made for warehouses.'Slagsmål utbröt på Mount Everest EP' is an ensemble of three dark house tracks on the verge of techno, each sonically similar and yet delicately versatile in function.
'Slagsmål utbröt på Mount Everest' is a forward-leaning and fast paced roller with long build-up. Meanwhile 'Khajuraho' is steadily reclined on cooler percussion and kindred warehouse bass-sounds. 'Pluto får sparken' then shifts focus slightly to the peripheries in a deeper passage of harmonics and reverberations.
Belgium, not the first place you'd think of when it comes to Latin or Afro funk. Yet one of the greatest records to blend both styles came from the small northern European country, masterminded by Nico Gomez and his Afro Percussion Inc.
Ritual was originally released in 1971 on the Dutch label Omega International (Gomez was born in Holland before moving to Belgium in the late 40s) and is being reissued by Mr Bongo in 2013, bringing its blazing funk grooves to both new ears and those already tuned in to this masterpiece's legacy.
Across its 11 tracks Ritual delivers the kind of production, arrangement and musicianship that rightfully belong in a dictionary next to the definition of professional. Gomez' band was tight and they knew it, showing it off on their covers of Perez Prado's 'Caballo Negro' and 'Lupita' by injecting the originals with a deep funk that blends both Afro and Latin influences. On 'Samba De Una Nota So' and 'El Condor Pasa', another pair of covers, they switch to soulful downtempo with mesmerising ease. The title cut remains one of the album's highlights, a devastating dancefloor groove with horns to match that has aged beautifully and was heavily sampled by Liquid People for 'The Dragon'. 'Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!' adds touches of rock with fuzzy guitars for one of the album's headier experiences.
Presenting the 5th edition of the legendary West-Coast House label, Pacific Coast House reissue series. Here we bring The Coastal Commission / Boing – The Conversation / Currency back onto one 12” for the first time on limited Orange Vinyl.
Yes, yes funky people, another super sexy, soul, classic dancer makes it onto the DYNAMITE CUTS 7” series. This all-time soul gem “That what friends are for” by the amazing Madeline Bell and Alan Parker. This version is taken from her solo album, uplifting, with a touch of Latin hip movement, is the fresh, must-have 45 everyone is waiting for. On the flip “That’s the way I like it” is a banging version club mover. When you get the best British Library musicians with one of the hottest American soul singers, the magic happens. The band is made up of some of the biggest library legends; Alan Parker, Alan Hawkshaw, Chris Karan and Duncan Lamont to name a few.
Norwegian folk artist Juni Habel's latest album Evergreen In Your Mind is largely an ode to letting go, and at it’s inquisitive heart can be found ‘Pearl Cloud Song’. An instrumental four-and-a-half minutes, it came from a guitar tuning that Habel stumbled upon, the song tumbling out of the discovery on its own accord. Lush and vibrant and bristling with life, it’s a beautiful backdrop to stepping into nature, bringing together a simple drum machine pattern, steel-string guitar, pedal steel, considered effects, and the flicker of a voice somewhere in the far-off distance. Juni says "it gives the sensation of flying." With such ingredients it was rife for a remix.
'Pearl Cloud Song Reformations' is a very limited 12" (also available digitally) which features two remixes/reformations from Tom Sharkett and Minotaur Shock and also includes Juni Habel's original version. There will only be 200 ever made.
Tom Sharkett is a producer from Manchester, now based in Todmorden. Having cut his teeth as a founding member of synth-wave band W. H. Lung. Tom has gone on to forge his own path as an electronic artist with music on Optimo Music, DFA and Test Pressing. His work leans towards dark, wonky and psychedelic electronics and his edit of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Home’ grabbed the attention of James Murphy which led to an official DFA release. The cosmic choogle of his 'Pearl Cloud Song Reformation' is Sharkett's first remix committed to vinyl since.
Minotaur Shock is the long-standing electronic project of Bristol-based producer David Edwards. With a discography spanning labels like 4AD, Melodic and Bytes, Edwards balances pastoral charm with IDM sensibilities, creating soundscapes that are as much about the heart as they are the head.
Across the past decade, KAS has established herself as a unique voice in experimental electronic music, a composer and synthesist whose work dissolves the boundaries between ambient electronica, contemporary classical, composition, and immersive sound design. Her new album “Ruin: It’s Not Just Music” arrives with a distinctive gravitational pull. The record moves with greater physical force, placing rhythm and impact at the centre of its architecture, revealing a more confrontational and embodied dimension of KAS’s musical language.
The first single “Ruin” arrives May 22nd, with the full album released October 2nd via SOMEONE SPECIAL the new label co-founded by KAS.
Where much of KAS’s earlier work explored harmonic environments, the forthcoming album is built around tension and release. Inspired by the sound of drum and bass, breakbeats fracture through dense fields of synthesis, percussive patterns and her signature melodic fragments – motions that feel closer to the kinetic language of club music than the meditative spaces often associated with her past catalogue. The result is a body of work that feels both recognisably hers and newly charged, music that moves through the body as insistently as it engages the mind.
For listeners who first encountered KAS through the glowing synthesis of “Ears” (2016) or the intricate experimental pop of “The Kid” (2017), this direction may feel initially surprising, yet the shift has been quietly unfolding across the past several years. KAS’s practice has steadily expanded beyond the expectations placed upon experimental electronic artists, moving between orchestral composition, audiovisual installations, film scoring, and large-scale commissions while retaining the unmistakable sonic signature that defines her work.
The 2022 albums “I Could Be Your Dog / I Could Be Your Moon” (2022) and “Let’s Turn It Into Sound” (2022) explored a deeply immersive approach to composition, expanded her reputation and instinct for constructing detailed sonic ecosystems while continuing to blur the lines between experimental electronics and contemporary pop structures. KAS’s most recent output has continued to widen that field including the rhythm oriented electronic album “Gush” (2025) and her return to more orchestral roots with “Thoughts on the Future” (2025). Together these releases underscored the breadth of her practice.
Her prolific collaborators and creative partners have ranged from Patti Smith and Suzanne Ciani to Danny Elfman, Tycho, Glass Beams, RY X, Caribou, Four Tet, Reggie Watts, and Max Richter, while her compositions have appeared in projects with Apple, Chanel, Meow Wolf, the BBC Orchestra, and major film and television productions.
On “Ruin: It’s Not Just Music”, that vocabulary becomes more kinetic than ever before. The record draws energy from jungle, drum and bass, and dance-floor focused electronic music while retaining the intricate synthesis and tonal curiosity that have defined KAS’s work from the beginning. The result is a record that feels equally at home within club culture, contemporary composition, and the experimental spaces that have long championed her artistry.
On May 27th KAS will present a major performance at London’s Barbican Centre alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra, marking the ten-year anniversary of her landmark album Ears. The evening will trace the arc of her creative evolution while also introducing material from the new album.
With MYSTERIUM COSMOGRAPHICUM, the ALIEN CODE series opens a new transmission within the Cosmic Tribe universe — a speculative exploration of ancient futurism, extraterrestrial civilizations, sci-fi architectures and hidden technologies through electro-oriented sound research.
Across six tracks, the compilation moves through atmospheric electro, cosmic electronics, galactic basslines and contemporary machine-driven structures, combining cinematic tension with underground functionality.
MYSTERIUM COSMOGRAPHICUM unfolds as an episodic interstellar narrative — where each track operates like a different scene, transmission or passage within the wider ALIEN CODE universe.
For this transmission, Cosmic Tribe brings together an international selection of artists exploring contemporary electro and futurist electronic sound, featuring Raakel Bloody Raakel, Lups Digga, Aztronouth & Machinefunk, EC13, Lloyd Stellar and NOAMM.
Visually and conceptually, ALIEN CODE continues Cosmic Tribe’s investigation into lost and unknown civilizations, symbolic technologies and non-human futurist aesthetics — where ancient structures and ultra-advanced systems coexist beyond historical time.
Ismael Pinkler lives in Buenos Aires. Belly Dance Services head Nick Hanzo in Vienna. Turns out the exact midpoint between the two is somewhere in open ocean. So they abandoned the plan to meet on Earth at all, and met on planet 126 in outer space.
It turned out to be a strange, hospitable little world — spinning at its own pulse, 126 beats per minute, changing landscape every few kilometers, as if it couldn't decide what kind of planet it wanted to be either. Ismael and Nick wandered it together, letting each new terrain talk them into a different song, until ten tracks had quietly assembled themselves. What they brought back drifts somewhere between shoegaze, techno, ambient, trippy tribal house and pop — grounded and gravitational, emotional and mental, to put it in terms Earthlings might understand.
Now, speaking seriously: Ismael and Nick built Planet 126 by passing sounds and ideas back and forth across the ocean, night after night, for eight months. The entire process — composition, vocal recording, production and mixing — took just eight months, a dream scenario for any electronic musician. The collaboration stayed positive, proactive and fresh throughout, letting the project move forward effortlessly. All tracks were written and produced by both musicians together; Nick wrote the lyrics and recorded the vocals, Ismael handled the mix. No samples, no references — just two people building a world from scratch.
Planet 126 also marks a milestone for Belly Dance Services: the label's 30th release, and likely its last. BDS began with BDS001, a vinyl EP by label founders Hanzo & Yaman, and has been solely helmed by Nick Hanzo for the past five years. Now it comes full circle — laid to rest with a big bang: a double vinyl gatefold album co-produced by Ismael Pinkler and label head Nick Hanzo.
December 2012 I showed up totally exhausted in Vancouver BC after touring stupidly and relentlessly for however many straight months and got a job at a call centre raising money for the Red Cross. It was a scent free office but one time this woman cooked a piece of fish in the microwave for 10 minutes on low and hot boxed the whole office - we got sent home early no pay. There was the other woman I named the Call Centre Coltrane because her pitch and routine usually involved improvised flights of fancy that went off in both directions at once somehow landing back down with a credit card number and a donation. I used to sleep under the desk. I was there a few months and at the time I reconnected with John Brennan who I had played with briefly in Montreal at the Mutek Festival. In Montreal John was running an experimental music night at a burrito shop downtown called Garbage Night. While in Vancouver I began connecting with the music scene there and would go hang out with the Shearing Pinx lads who I think lived with Sydney the bass player at the time. I knew Nic and Jer from an AIDS Wolf Tour and was so stoked to get to know them both better. I really fell in love with that era of Vancouver's music scene.
Fast Forward to today. 2024
Actually it was the dying days of 2023 but you get it and John asks if I'll sit in with Earth Ball and I keep thinking about Earth Balance, the vegan butter everyone eats here. I brought my aching bones and my ipads on the beautiful ferry named the Queen of Oak Bay and out to Nanaimo BC, home of the nanaimo bar (a dessert treat - special to this region - that seems to be more popularly found under the weird glass sneeze guards in office building deli's out east in Ontario.... anyhoops ). No one in Nanaimo wants to talk to me about the famous treat. I asked a couple of people. Silence. Nanaimo is like London, Ontario but more fried and by the sea. The town is filled with blown out old sea dawgs with tin coffee pots and loose leaf tobacco, then there's the usual streetfolk you find in this part of the Canadian Pacific Northwest and a bunch of bohemians who I guess have left Vancouver behind - that fine city having become uninhabitable for those not making over 100k a year. And then up the way are all the retirees.
Yup Nanaimo is a strange one. They mined the shit out of this region and Nanaimo is surely haunted by those buried in mining shafts or maimed by the heavy machinery or blown up by accident in the explosives store house. And when Earth Ball fire up the amps in Izzy and Jer's basement you can hear the voices of the ghosts hum through electrical lines and out the speakers, Kellen's hued feedback, Izy's sturdy basslines, Jer's paperbag guitar tone and rumble pack zaps, Liam's (aka the Kid) sheets of sound and Brennen's multidirectional drums.
You wouldn't guess Earth Ball was auto-composing and from what my rat brain can tell - the lyrics are improvised too...Improvising lyrics and singing them is the hardest thing to do in all of music.. Izzy and Jer are pros. And their attitudes are pro too.
The live show is scorched and without naming names they've been known to make headliners nervous. Lucky ones will get to see them live as they tour this beast of a record entitled ‘It’s Yours’ (out May 17th on Upset The Rhythm) and I hope I'm one of them.
But now you, fan of fun but totally fucked up music, have the opportunity to Ball with them thanks to Upset The Rhythm. Enjoy
-Alex Moskos, Montreal QC, Feb 2024
Oráculo Records has always had a special interest in pushing electronic music towards unexplored territories, and it is precisely within this microcosm that IP307 emerges. Blending the most dub- infused and mechanical forms of electro with industrial, EBM and even post-punk, the project delivers a hypnotic, forceful and deeply cathartic sound.
Behind IP307 is Israel Padilla, founder of Banshees Records and one of the leading figures of the industrial scene in the Iberian Peninsula. With “IP307.1”, he presents six interconnected compositions, each with its own distinct identity while contributing to a coherent vision of seemingly opposing styles, reimagined into a singular language.
The result is neither a nostalgic exercise nor a stylistic collage. Instead, it reflects the experience, technical mastery and artistic vision of someone fully capable of expanding the path opened by pioneers such as Clock DVA in their later works, or Atom™, both through his solo output and as part of ASA alongside Esplendor Geométrico.
New sonic artillery for the most forward-thinking listeners already embracing this emerging strand of dark electro through our recent releases such as Occulimus by Mystic Letter K or the work of Maman Küsters, “IP307.1” offers another essential chapter in the evolution of this new form of sound. Welcome to the future. Welcome to IP307.
Following on from his electric appearance on Diamonds in the Night, Tallac returns with a four‑tracker of low‑orbit elation. Tessitura blends floor‑facing energy with sleek space synths, elegant undercurrents washed in bold bars to produce a one‑of‑a‑kind sound. Drums hit hard on “Carbon Copy,” driving percussion providing the launchpad for synthlines to swoop and soar. Tempos are taken down a notch for the analogue embrace of “Kiss Me Quick.” Notes bend and flow in this smoky dreamscape, samples pulling the listener ever deeper. The rumbling kicks and hissing hi‑hats of “Pythia” are punctured by a throbbing beat; gliding above the rolling snares and luxurious breaks is a melody that thrums with palpable intensity and unbridled joy, a track made to ignite audiences. Never adhering to genre tags or style pigeonholes, Tessitura closes with “Cybersyn.” Touches of cosmic melt into late‑night glow‑stick energy, dawn’s light piercing the warehouse windows while the speakers continue to bounce blissfully.
Step into the backroom of the Bordello, the lights dim and the soundtrack adopts a different tone. L.F.T. leans against the wall. Nestled under his arm, Sonic Boom: four tracks of acid-inflected electro disruption. Love, Fist, Tears is no stranger to the more gnarled side of the machines, and that unadulterated rawness is evident from the needle drop of “Locked in My Head.” From its bent and buckled intro, the track launches a beat that punches before drawing the listener in for more. Vocoder lyrics are mangled with distortion, static soaked chords blighted by corrosive chemicals and industrial decay as the knives are drawn from the outset (and this is only the beginning). Blistered and cracked beats are doused in a pestilent haze for “Las Plagas” and a message of intent is firmly stated: there will be no let up on Sonic Boom, no reprieve. “Ningen” opens the flip. Grisly, petrol smeared beats splutter below a juddering synthline that coils and twists with serpentine menace. A probing tom is lanced before being set alight in the finale. Sinister and unsettling, “Schmutzig Personality” is as physically powerful as it is psychologically gripping. Barrages of drums rain down, barbed snares and sharpened claps, as an assault of acid is further weaponised by machined vocals. L.F.T. doing what he does with an EP that will leave bodies and speakers broken.
Bali-based producer/DJ STAY GOLDEN makes his debut on All Day I Dream with Silent Covenant, a seven-track album exploring unseen connections, out now.
Silent Covenant traces a near 40-minute path through hypnotic indie-dance textures, melodic techno tones, and deep house grooves. The title track opens with funky drive and a quick-tongued topline before ‘Fragments of a Dream’ pushes into darker territory. From there, ‘RITUAL PAUSE’ and ‘Stay With Me’ return to organic rhythms and deep vocals, balancing cohesion and contrast across the project.
“A seven-track journey through emotions and the invisible connections that shape our lives. Each track is another step in the same journey. The strongest connections are often the ones that never need to be spoken. They live in shared moments and the memories we carry with us. Silent Covenant is my way of translating those invisible bonds into music.” – STAY GOLDEN
Collaborations with Alexey Union, Broken Hill, Kinky Sound, ÜNAM, ANTICALM, and David LeSal broaden the project's sound throughout its second half. ‘Synth Lines’ adds a deeper edge, while ‘In Your Heart’ turns toward airy melodies. Closing with ‘Everything Sacred,’ Silent Covenant brings its themes of memory, connection, and shared experience full circle.
CLUB U NITE RECORDS PRESENTS: HIS MASTER’S VINYL EP
Club U Nite Records takes it straight back to the early ’90s with four raw and swinging house cuts.
Manhattan Project opens with “Shufflin’ On” – a fat, slamming shuffle groove packed with jazzy touches, swinging drums and a classic old-school organ. “Everybody Move” follows with chunky Rhodes loops, soulful samples and a straight-up floor-moving vibe. Killer!
On the flip, Black Chunes Productions delivers “Jerk Yu Body”, channeling the raw swing and chord-driven energy of the early-’90s New Jersey vibe. Shuffled hi-hats, snares and dark leads bring the groove of that era straight back.
Reign Of Rhythm closes things out with “Organic Pressure” – stripped-down, driving, dope organ house. Minimal, but seriously fat.
"Memory Remains" A Vinyl Cover Painted by 20 Children Who Believed They Could
A new album where the artwork is as personal as the music, created entirely by first-graders from Croatia.
When it came time to design the cover for Memory Remains, there was only one group of artists who felt right for the job: the first-grade class 1A of Osnovna škola Luka in Sesvete, Croatia.
Every single child in the class took part. Each student was given the chance to draw whatever came to mind: memories, dreams, imaginary worlds, the people and animals they love, and every one of those drawings made it onto the final cover. Nothing was left out, nothing was "corrected." The front and back panels of the vinyl are a patchwork of more than two dozen individual visions, side by side, unfiltered and unmistakably their own.
The idea grew directly out of the album's centrepiece track, "World Child", a song about the simple, often-overlooked truth that every child carries a talent that belongs only to them, and that no two ways of seeing the world are the same. Rather than illustrate that idea with a single artist's interpretation, it felt right to hand the canvas to an entire classroom of six- and seven-year-olds and let them prove the point themselves.
The result is a cover that doesn't try to look polished or professional, because that was never the goal. It looks like a classroom wall covered in a year's worth of drawings, each one different, each one someone's best effort, each one worth keeping. Which is exactly what "World Child" is about.
Memory Remains is out on vinyl.
Track of note: "World Child"
Artwork by: The students of 1A, Osnovna škola Luka, Sesvete, Croatia 2026
fter 25 years of exploring music from different angles, Chillum Trio lands on Faith In Truth with his third EP on vinyl. Driftlines is a cinematic, multicultural trip through the deeper and dubbier corners of house music, moving freely between hazy atmospheres, broken rhythms, acid lines and warm instrumentation. Across four tracks, eclectic influences blur together and settle into a club-oriented frame.
The EP opens with Dustfire, a deep night-drive cut that slowly draws its scenery around a low-slung beat. A cinematic breakdown gives way to a restless yet understated percussive acid groove, before a Rhodes hook emerges through the dust, carrying a touch of desert heat into the night.
Keeping things mellow and midtempo, Deepskin heads somewhere warmer: a humid tropical beach after midnight, all body heat and salt in the air. What begins loose and sensual gradually turns into ass-shaking garage house, surrounded by cosmic layers, drifting pads and spacious atmospheres.
On the flipside, the tempo picks up while the story continues with Thin Air. A long, lush, phase-soaked horn intro settles into a melancholic dream state, slowly pulling you under. The slow-burning build eventually breaks into a memorable piano line and fractured drums. After a trippy bridge, gentle acid lines lock into place and hold the dancefloor until the wistful finale.
Closing the record, Serotone slips back into downtempo territory with a jazzy, trip-hop-infused groove. Soft vocal fragments, piano and rising arpeggios keep the tension suspended through the middle, before the track mutates into something reminiscent of early-2000s dubby, acid-tinged future jazz and Latin fusion.
Like patterns drawn by wind across desert sand, Driftlines traces the points where different currents meet, overlap and interfere. Rhythms, places and memories crossing paths, briefly forming shapes before drifting somewhere else.
This is the reissue of original 1993 Rephlex double vinyl album, completely remastered from DATs by Beau Thomas, with the original artwork, and photography by Richard James. µ-Ziq's Tango N'Vectif was released in 1993, a classic year for auteurist electronic music that didn't always fit on the dancefloor. Written by Mike Paradinas in his late teens with some help from Frank Naughton, it still stands up really well today and its influence on electronic music in the decades since is obvious. Across an expanse of ideas, taking influences from early Aphex, Detroit Techno and UK Hardcore, Mike created this spirited, funky, jerry-rigged, lo-fi version of rave; with crunchy drums and a knack for melody that fell somewhere between John Barry and classic TV themes. Without owning a computer, Mike had been writing techno, house and industrial tracks on and off since 1990, playing live keys alongside drum machine rhythms on his 4-track recorder. µ-Ziq started when Mike linked up with Frank who was also writing dance-influenced music, and importantly owned an Atari 1040ST computer with Cubeat software. They pooled their equipment and Mike would travel up to Frank's house a couple of miles away in Wimbledon to record together. By 1992, and after a false start when a proposed EP for Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton's Evolution label got shelved, Mike had started at Kingston University where he deejayed and met like-minded people including a couple of guys who knew Aphex Twin who was also a student at Kingston too, and they passed Aphex a demo of Mike's material. A few days later Mike got a message from his mum to 'call Aphex Twin' and he gave Mike some advice, and seemed interested in releasing something. So when Frank and his family went on holiday that summer Mike borrowed his Atari and synths and wrote the majority of the Tango N'Vectif album during that 2 weeks. By the end of 1992 a release with Aphex Twin and Grant Wilson Claridge's Rephlex label had been agreed - Aphex had moved to the house in Clissold Crescent where he recorded a lot of his early classic albums and Mike went over to collect his advance, in the form of his very own Atari computer.
Pure underground fire from D'Julz, with deep grooves and a killer remix by Satoshi Tomiie. Paris-crafted, late-night approved. Limited press – lock in or miss out.
After a savage summer of performing over 35 festival shows, COLLIGNON continue their journey with the release of Bicicleta.
Bicicleta was written and recorded right in the midst of the band's summer tour. Gino, Yves and Jori seized the moment, the album captures exactly where they currently stand as a band: thriving on the energy of their live performances, with the desire to dive deeper into their music.
The result is Bicicleta—a diverse and authentic album that stays true to COLLIGNON’s distinctive blend of wildly grooving beats, psychedelic guitars, and sharp keyboard riffs. The music transports listeners across many borders, all while maintaining their signature COLLIGNON sound.
This album was made with vinyl in mind, designed to be experienced as a complete journey. From the first Maloya rhythms of "Fonkér la Mér" (Kreol for 'fond du cœur de la mer', meaning ‘from the bottom of the heart of the sea’) to the Brazilian groove and cosmic crescendo of "Vai Vai Vai (Into the Stars)", Bicicleta is a trip that flows from track to track.
The album, recorded while Jori left his Portuguese studio for a year-long stay in the Netherlands, pays homage to what -without engine, exhaust or pollution- might be considered the finest emblem of Dutch culture: the bicycle.
The words of adventurer Nellie Bly, written in 1896, still ring true today: ‘In a frenetic era of expanding possibilities, cycling offers a journey into a landscape of dreams. The bicycle has always signified independence and freedom in steering one’s daily course and the byways of its occasional adventures.’
To truly experience this album, nothing compares to holding the vinyl sleeve in your hands and spinning the record on your turntable.
Ąnis is a Lithuanian producer and DJ working in the space between broken rhythms and atmospheric weight. His tracks blur the line between club tools and introspective pieces - raw, textured, and unpolished in the best way.
Ąnis’ debut album “I Swear I’m Not Delusional” builds from late-night sketches into fully formed pressure systems. Ambient passages fall into break-driven grooves, each track shifting like a mood swing. It's rooted in tension, repetition, and space - think the grit and movement of early Skee Mask filtered through a more personal, less polished lens. Tracks like “Mountain People” carry warmth without needing to explain themselves, while others feel like they were made at 3am with no lights on. It’s not chasing a scene - just locked into its own pulse. This isn’t background music. It asks you to sit with it - or move to it. Either way, it sticks.
Credits
Original tracks written, produced, arranged and recorded by Jonas Zubavičius in Vilnius. Mastering by Pranas Gudaitis aka audiomastering.lt. Artwork and design by Povilas Baranauskis.
Yuvi Havkin aka Rejoicer returns with an exceptional collaborative album, California Space Craft. On this aptly titled record, he joins forces with seasoned LA bass polymath Sam Wilkes — known for his inspired studio work with Sam Gendel and his dynamic live performances alongside Louis Cole and KNOWER — and drummer Tamir Barzilay, completing the LA-connected trifecta alongside a select handful of key featured guests. The idea for California Space Craft was born out of a series of inspired live sessions in Los Angeles between 2019 and 2022, notably at Listen to Music Outside in the Daylight Under a Tree, where the trio’s natural chemistry first began to bloom. The resulting recordings encompass a wide variety of inspired sound stylings, as one would expect from any of these accomplished artists on their own; however, the sum is truly greater than the parts here, with the fluidity of their freeform improvisations over a dedicated three-day recording session feeling remarkably focused as a cohesive whole. Opening track “Traveling Light” sets the LP’s tone with equal parts Sly & Robbie-style, space echo– drenched rhythms and the cozy kosmische, guitar-led feel of early-2000s genre-fluid explorers like Tortoise. As we continue on to “Ritual in G#,” we are reminded that this is indeed a unique and timeless sonic space the trio has created, as Havkin’s crisp Rhodes chords anchor an ever-evolving psychedelic sound bed. The soaring trumpet of Avishai Cohen adorns the Afrobeat-indebted “Lion Water,” with Barzilay laying down a proper Allen-esque groove, while “Further (with you),” featuring Nitai Hershkovits on keys, offers a defining look at the titular concept of the album — with pure Cali feels coalescing effortlessly into sciNew Release Information fi narrative modes and a proper dose of Rejoicer futurism. Elsewhere, “Her Hair in the Air” shines with fresh polyrhythmic intention, illustrating the balanced bond between the three collaborators at their conversational peak, and the brisk synth strokes of “Early Porpoises,” alongside LP closer “Oceanic Friends” — again ideally named — double as a grand, in-stereo ride into the blissful Pacific sunset horizon. California Space Craft embodies the power of open, collective intention and musical kinship, offering memorable, uplifting moments and an aural glimpse of hope, warmth, and loving melodious calm in an otherwise quite chaotic time for humanity.
Inperimental is a bold return from Lithuanian electronic pioneers Plasma, presenting a meticulously crafted double LP that explores the intersections of techno, ambient, and forward-thinking electronic sound. Every element — sound, structure, and visual identity — is
intentional. This is not a collection of experiments, but a fully realized sonic architecture shaped by decades of experience and analog mastery. This vinyl edition is more than just an audio release — it's a multi-sensory experience.
The gatefold cover and packaging feature hidden artwork that can only be revealed using included red-lens glasses. This visual element isn’t just a gimmick — it reflects the same intentionality that defines the music. With no room for improvisation or trend-chasing, Inperimental is a precisely executed statement in both sound and form. The album blends ambient tones, analogue warmth, and dancefloor rhythms. It demonstrates a refined sound palette: humid techno grooves, cosmic textures, and cinematic depth.
Inperimental is described by the artist as a voyage where technology meets pure emotion — “a realm where warmth intertwines with technology, dreams blur into reality, and pure, authentic sound reigns supreme”. A digital download card is also included with each vinyl copy.
johnny's disk record is an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe kaiunbashi no johnny located in rikuzentakata city in iwate prefecture, japan.
the legendary label released a string of albums of high quality but down-to-earth music, spanning from modern jazz, avant-garde jazz to left-field pop. albums such as 'farewell my johnny / left alone' and 'aya's samba' has reached cult status among fans as some of the best works to come out of the japanese jazz scene.
another japanese jazz classic, aya's samba was a debut effort by bassist eiji nakayama, who played as part of elvin jones' jazz machine and toured with don friedman.
this album is an important release in the johnny's disk catalogue, not only because it is the first ever release, but also because the owner hearing the band play was the reason why the label came to be.
'aya's samba' is a mellow jazz samba in minor key that's considered a japanese jazz classic. slow ballad 'yellow living' is drenched in melancholy with emotive keys and sax notes, while the dreamy 'sea sea town' impresses with a captivating, expressive sax solo. the 4 tracker ends with 'far-away road,' an uptempo tune with rhythmic keys.
On his sixth LP In Another, Toronto-based, Japanese-born, musician and composer Masahiro Takahashi (髙橋 政宏) continues the collaborative expansion of his sonic universe that listeners witness on his 2023 release, Humid Sun. Here he enlists a rotating ensemble of ten guest artists from Toronto’s vibrant music community, including his labelmate Joseph Shabason, who also serves as the album’s co-producer and engineer.
Spurred by his longtime admiration for chamber pop spanning the High Llamas and Free Design to the Beach Boys, Takahashi deviates from the underlying processes of his past two outings, trading Ableton sequences for lead sheets, focusing on creating robust melodic and harmonic foundations first. This difference is audible straight away; the album opens with a dialog between upright piano and plucked double bass that’s so gentle and transparent you can hear the breath of the players.
On his sixth LP In Another, Toronto-based, Japanese-born, musician and composer Masahiro Takahashi (髙橋 政宏) continues the collaborative expansion of his sonic universe that listeners witness on his 2023 release, Humid Sun. Here he enlists a rotating ensemble of ten guest artists from Toronto’s vibrant music community, including his labelmate Joseph Shabason, who also serves as the album’s co-producer and engineer.
Spurred by his longtime admiration for chamber pop spanning the High Llamas and Free Design to the Beach Boys, Takahashi deviates from the underlying processes of his past two outings, trading Ableton sequences for lead sheets, focusing on creating robust melodic and harmonic foundations first. This difference is audible straight away; the album opens with a dialog between upright piano and plucked double bass that’s so gentle and transparent you can hear the breath of the players.
In the spring of 1971, somewhere between Brussels, Paris and a collective pop fever dream, Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki landed on vinyl. It sounded like nothing else then and it still does not today. More than half a century later, Sdban Records proudly presents a reissue of this singular cult album, available from April 3, 2026 on vinyl.
The album was produced by Jean Kluger and written both by Jean and Daniel Vangarde (aka Bangalter, later the father of Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk), who were alreadywell ahead of their time, long before electronic music rewrote the rules of pop culture.
Released under the name Yamasuki, also referred to as The Yamasuki Singers, or The Yamasuki's, the project was never intended as a conventional band. It was a studio-born fantasy, a concept album disguised as a pop record. What began as a standalone single quickly expanded into a full-blown pan-cultural pop opera that ignored genres and common sense with joyful abandon.
Musically, the album sits at a delirious crossroads. Psychedelic pop collides with funk rhythms, samba and bubblegum melodies, full of chants and choruses in a phonetic pseudo-Japanese, written with the help of a dictionary. Kluger and Vangarde famously recruited a children's choir to perform the vocals, and for added spectacle, they brought in a Japanese judo grandmaster, whose ritualistic shouts and battle cries erupt throughout the record.
Several singles were released. One of them, Yamasuki, with accompanying dance move, appeared in the United Kingdom and France on John Peel's Dandelion label, a fitting home for a record that thrived on the margins of pop culture. Its B-side, Aieaoa, proved even more potent. In 1975, the song was reborn as A.I.E. (A Mwana) by Black Blood, an African group recording in Belgium, this time sung in Swahili. That melody would travel even further. Aie a Mwana became the debut single of English pop group Bananarama, and in 2010 it resurfaced once more as Helele, an official song of the FIFA World Cup, recorded by South African singer Velile Mchunu with Danish percussion duo Safri Duo. That version became the most widely known incarnation of the song. With Jean Kluger directly involved, it was less a cover than a continuation of the original idea.
The album's afterlife did not stop there. Over the years, Yamasuki has been quietly sampled, covered, and featured across media far beyond the realm of novelty pop. Kono Samourai was sampled in The Healer by Erykah Badu (2007), produced by Madlib, while Yama Yama has found its way into recent pop culture as well: appearing in the television series Fargo, on Angus Stone's project Dope Lemon, and on the 2008 Late Night Tales compilation curated by Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders. Proof, if any were needed, that this strange little record carries a deeper musical DNA than its playful exterior might suggest.
This new reissue of Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki proves the renewed interest and respect for this cult album, faithful to the original spirit while finally giving it back the physical presence it deserves. In an era obsessed with genres and algorithmic neatness, Yamasuki still laughs, dances and karate-kicks its way past definitions. It reminds us that pop music can be playful without being disposable, strange without being cynical and joyfulwithout explanation. The world of Yamasuki was always fabulous, we are just lucky it found its way back to us!
Following his debut 12" on Futura Resistenza, Aukio Sound returns with a new release on Turbo Guidance Entertainment — a deep dub techno exploration rooted in heavy reggae influence, featuring the late Baba Ras. A solemn tribute to a singular voice. Like Rousseau's Tiger in a Tropical Storm, this record paints a dense, dreamlike fresco — where rhythm and texture grow wild beneath the surface. The record also includes a remix by Non Posso, a mysterious duo. Mastered by Carsten Dämbkes and pressed on 180g vinyl for the full listening experience.
Six years after their last full-length release, Satoshi & Makoto return with Mirage Café, the highly anticipated new album on 8mm Records, in collaboration with Standart Magazine.
A carefully crafted and long-awaited work, Mirage Café is more than an album — it is a fully immersive sensory experience. The Japanese duo expand their signature sound into deeper and more cinematic territory, blending refined electronica, ambient textures, subtle jazz inflections and understated groove with remarkable elegance and control.
The title evokes an imaginary café — a space of contemplation, connection and inspiration. The partnership with Standart Magazine reinforces this conceptual layer, bridging music and coffee culture into a cohesive narrative that feels both intimate and international. The result is an album that unfolds like a slow ritual: warm, enveloping and meticulously detailed.
Throughout the record, Satoshi & Makoto demonstrate a mature and confident songwriting approach. The production is rich yet restrained, atmospheric yet rhythmically engaging — balancing introspection with forward motion. Lush harmonies, delicate arrangements and immersive sound design create a listening experience that rewards both focused attention and late-night drifting.
With Mirage Café , the duo not only meet expectations after a six-year silence — they surpass them. This is a masterwork of nuance and vision, poised to become a defining chapter in their discography and a standout release in the contemporary electronic landscape.
Acclaimed harpist and songwriter Mikaela Davis’ new album, Graceland Way (due TK via Kill Rock Stars), builds an expansive, kaleidoscopic neo-western dystopia from the cozy origin point—that duality compounded by a subtle exploration of light and dark, grace and struggle, rose and thorn, as well as the mystical power found at their meeting points. The “canyon country” epic born of that work is indebted to the titular street in Chevy Chase Canyon where she recorded the album, the lineage of Laurel Canyon, the mythos of Elvis’s Graceland, and Paul Simon’s restless reinvention. “At the end of the journey, the place you were destined for all along isn’t even a place, it’s a state of mind: Graceland Way,” Davis says. Featuring an unreleased Cass McCombs track (Mizmoon) as well as contributions from Karley Hartzman (Wednesday), Tim Heidecker, Madison Cunningham, Neal Francis, James Felice (The Felice Brothers), Clay Finch (Mapache) & Hannah Read.
Nintendo and Laced Records are linking up to bring the sweeping music of The Legend of Zelda™: Breath of the Wild to vinyl records with this 8LP box set featuring nearly four hours of music.
This collaboration marks the first time a Nintendo soundtrack has been commercially released on vinyl outside of Japan. This box set features heavyweight LPs that come in printed disc inners and spined inner sleeves, all housed in a rigid board dual slipcase. All packaging is adorned with archival artwork by the team behind The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Each disc side is sequenced around a theme, reflecting players’ adventures in the game, whether exploring Hyrule, battling enemies, freeing the Divine Beasts from Calamity Ganon’s hold, or unlocking the mysteries of the Shrines. The unforgettable music of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild introduced bold new musical textures to the series, while embracing classic themes. From the first spine-tingling piano notes of “Main Theme” to the final choral-orchestral stirrings of “Epilogue”, the soundtrack follows the ups and downs of Link’s epic adventure. Each element of the game enjoys a distinct musical palette, including the iconic minimalist piano of the open world, the alien sounds of Sheikah technology, the tension-filled rhythms of enemy encounters, and the orchestral grandeur of the Divine Beast battles. The pieces were composed by Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, Hajime Wakai, and Soshi Abe. Along with this wonderful soundtrack on vinyl, fans can experience the full digital soundtrack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild by downloading the Nintendo Music app.*
Argentinian artist Juan Hansen presents his debut album 'Ultrasonido'; twelve tracks spanning indie dance, tech house, and soft melodic house, released on his own newly founded label Ultrasonido, with the second single 'Inside My Mind' coming out via belonging by Innellea.
After his breakthrough Boiler Room appearance in 2019, Juan has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries, playing major stages around the globe, becoming one of the figureheads of the Argentinian electronic music world. As an exceptional live artist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Juan brings a real sense of groove to the stage, merging two worlds effortlessly: deeply emotional songwriting and direct, dancefloor-focused club tracks. 'Ultrasonido' brings both sides together. The album is a clear evolution of Juan Hansen, presenting a wider range of his sound, which he also presents in his live performances. A journey through the musical world of Juan Hansen.
Across twelve tracks, with contributions from Clér Letiv, Santi Portillo, Franco BA, Rocio Giorgi, Miko Franconi, Brigado Crew and Marley Waters, Juan shifts between club-focused tracks and more intimate, song-driven moments, moving naturally between Spanish and English. It’s a debut album that captures both his roots and the direction he’s evolving toward.
Juan Hansen's story doesn't start on the dancefloor, it starts with acoustic instruments. He built his foundation in the indie and rock scenes of Argentina before crossing into electronic music, a journey that's still audible in every track he makes. After years of building his profile with live performances, mesmerizing audiences from Cosquín Rock and Ultra in Argentina to Watergate in Berlin, Burning Man in the Nevada desert, and Grand Factory in Beirut.
His search is real and visceral; a search for the different, mixing genres without prejudice, with a seriously playful attitude. Positioned within a new generation of artists dedicated to improvising on stage, Juan fuses electronic sounds with analog instruments and organic soundscapes. There's no genre cage. 'Ultrasonido' is his debut album and the launch of his own label, also named Ultrasonido. A long-form statement after years of singles, EPs, and shows around the globe.
Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.
Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.
The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.
Press response to Io:
"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”
IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.
Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.
"MLO's influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.
"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.
"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.
Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.
Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.
The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.
Press response to Io:
"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”
IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.
Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.
"MLO's influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.
"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.
"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.
Ohm & Octal Industries made their mark on this label with their Northwest Passages album back in 2023, and now they return with more heavy but equally serene dub tech excursions. 'Blizzard' has none of the frenzy of that weather type but does have gentle synth winds swirling around the rooted drums. 'Fly Boy' is a delicate dub with the most subtle pads and effects marbling the airwaves, while 'Goodbye Sunshine' has more forward intent and beautifully hits that glide over the minimal drums. 'Jah Rule' then dials into a heads-down and more warehouse-ready dub techno sound built from the sort of perfect loops that could play for days and never get annoying.
JEN's debut album Any Questions? explores identity, self-image, and growing up in the age of social media through a powerful blend of pop hooks and alternative rock. Honest, energetic, and unapologetically personal, this debut captures the excitement and uncertainty of finding your place in the world. Pressed on violet-colored vinyl.
Mit "Autosmile", ihrem Debüt für das Label 4AD, schärft das US-Duo @ (At) sein unverwechselbares Profil zwischen psychedelischem Folk, Indie-Rock und experimentellem Pop. Die Songwriter:innen Victoria Rose und Stone Filipczak entwickelten ihre Musik zunächst über Jahre hinweg aus der Distanz. Auf dem Nachfolger ihres vielbeachteten Debüts Mind Palace Music bündeln sie diese Arbeitsweise zu einer ebenso verspielten wie ausgereiften Klangsprache. Die elf Songs von Autosmile verbinden klassische Songstrukturen mit komplexen Arrangements, ungewöhnlichen Harmonien und einer ausgeprägten DIY-Ästhetik. Obwohl Stone während der Albumarbeiten nach Philadelphia zog und beide erstmals in derselben Stadt lebten, blieb der kreative Prozess bewusst unkonventionell. Unterstützt von befreundeten Musiker:innen, die Cello, Violine und Schlagzeug beisteuerten, entstand ein überraschend üppiger Sound, der dennoch seinen intimen Charakter bewahrt. Inhaltlich bewegt sich das Album zwischen Verlust, Selbstreflexion und Hoffnung. Der Opener "Bird" verbindet düstere Folk-Klänge mit eingängigen Pop-Momenten, während der knapp siebenminütige Titeltrack "Autosmile" eine Trennungserfahrung in eine poetische Reise voller mystischer Bilder und existenzieller Fragen verwandelt. Songs wie "I Know You Are (But What Am I Thinking)" feiern die Schönheit von Veränderung und Vergänglichkeit, während "Punish My Mind" das Spannungsfeld zwischen Selbstbestrafung und Selbstfürsorge auslotet. Trotz der oft dunklen Grundstimmung bleibt Autosmile von einer spielerischen Experimentierfreude geprägt. Prog-Einflüsse treffen auf Indie-Sensibilität, Melodie auf Komplexität. Victoria Rose und Stone Filipczak verzichten bewusst auf eindeutige Botschaften und schaffen stattdessen offene Deutungsräume, in denen sich persönliche Krisen und neue Möglichkeiten begegnen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, das Schönheit und Schmerz gleichermaßen umarmt und selbst in seinen melancholischsten Momenten einen leisen Optimismus bewahrt.
Das 2016 erschienene "Teens of Denial" markiert einen entscheidenden Wendepunkt in der Karriere von Car Seat Headrest und insbesondere von Frontmann Will Toledo. Nach einer Reihe von lo-fi Bedroom-Produktionen, die Toledo größtenteils allein aufgenommen hatte, war es das erste Album, das mit voller Bandbesetzung und größerem Studioaufwand entstand. Veröffentlicht wurde es über das renommierte Indie-Label Matador Records, bei dem Toledo kurz zuvor unter Vertrag genommen wurde. Das Album verbindet introspektive Texte mit energiegeladenem Indie-Rock und greift Themen wie Selbstfindung, Angst, Isolation und Jugendkultur auf. Songs wie "Fill in the Blank", "Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales" und "Destroyed by Hippie Powers" wurden schnell zu Publikumslieblingen und halfen der Band, ein deutlich größeres Publikum zu erreichen. "Teen Of Denial: (Joe"s Story)" ist nun ein komplettes Remake dieses 10 Jahre alten Klassiker. Toledo, der seinen Songbook gerne neuinterpretiert, wechselt hier die Perspektive und erzählt die Geschichte aus der Sicht von Joe. Auf dem Originalalbum verwendete Toledo häufig den Namen "Joe" als Pseudonym - eine subtile Hommage an Daniel Johnston. Als er Teens im Vorfeld seines 10-jährigen Jubiläums erneut aufgriff, verspürte er den Drang, Joe eine eigene Hintergrundgeschichte zu geben, und begann, das Album entsprechend anzupassen, um diese Geschichte zu erzählen. Die Band kehrte gemeinsam mit dem Teens-Produzenten Steve Fisk ins Studio zurück, um das Werk zu überarbeiten - mit angepassten Texten, überarbeiteten Arrangements und neuen Aufnahmen im "Denial-Stil", darunter "Optimistic Son" und die hymnische Single "Joe Drives Again". Das Ergebnis bewahrt die düstere Note und den jugendlichen Zynismus von Teens, lässt aber zugleich eine Spur mühsam errungener Mitmenschlichkeit in den Gesamtklang einfließen.
* 2026 REPRESS *
Handed to the legendary Channel One Soundsystem in exclusivity over a year ago, Don Fe's Jericho has been on constant rotation around the globe ever since. Cut to dubplate by Mikey Dread this tune has been securely locked down and spun exclusively as Channel One's last tune at places such as Notting Hill Carnival and many of the soundsystem's international sessions and festival appearances. After a very patient wait Steppas Records are extremely pleased to be able to offer this plate to the world, pressed to 12' vinyl, featuring two new mixes of Jericho and two exclusive cuts of the equally powerful Weep Not.
UK born musician and producer based in Spain for over 20 years, Don Fe's passion since the age of five has been music, classically trained in piano, flute and theory and as from sixteen reggae. From his humble beginnings in the 80s with a 4 track and a TDK D90 his riddims and productions are now being played by the world's most respected sounds - Channel One, Jah Shaka, Aba Shanti, Iration Steppas and many more all over the world.
On Last Night At Marienbad's latest, the imprint brings together three of the brightest souls found within the realms of Jazz, namely Mauricesax, 9ick and Milan93, with their collective talents synergising effortlessly on 'A Garden Between Us', alongside a stellar cast of remixers who add even further delight between the grooves….
As a genre, Jazz has perhaps lent itself the most to other musical universes, in that its curious heart, endlessly experimental nature, and parameter-defying spirit have wrapped itself deep within the core of countless albums, scenes, and music makers. It's a genre that welcomes reinvention, consistently defying its contents and always reaching out to find new methods of expressionism. Electronic music, in its many forms, has truly embraced Jazz perhaps like no other movement of music has, with a truly astonishing array of records surfacing in the past 40 years which have blended Jazz's unique motifs with grooves, chords, and emotive excellence. From 90s Jazz house and UR Techno, through to Future Jazz, downtempo, and Hip Hop, and around many other suns, there remains such an intrinsic and symbiotic relationship between the two musical realms that caters to those who wish to live music both within and out with themselves.
As practitioners of blending electronica and Jazz, few do it like the trio of Mauricesax, 9ick, and Milan93. All three are known for their distinctive soundscapes, yet share commonalities in terms of musical language, feel, and sense of progression. Bringing them together allows for overlaps in their sounds to emerge, and just like Jazz itself, this is where the intrinsicness of sound begins to blossom. 9ick brings his softly evolving vibe to the table, one which was so prevalent and celebrated on his 2025 album 'SMIL'; Milan93 draws from his focal point of exploring fill-laden grooves and a myriad of emotive sensibilities; and Mauricesax draws up his extensive musicality that exists at the corner of jazz, electronic, and experimental music, along with running musical workshops all over the globe.
'A Garden Between Us' represents the trio's core tenets, with this immediately obvious from the record's opener, 'Rhodora'. A gentle solo piano quickly evolves into a series of powerful rhythmic pulses, with brass lines bringing vitality and feel to proceedings. The track shifts gears with purpose, transitioning between musical vignettes of the highest order, with the synth work doing much to bind the transitions together. 'Tulip' emerges slightly differently, with glossy Rhodes tones and an unravelling rhythmic undercurrent setting an enthralling stage. The track flourishes amongst sweeping textures, coming up for air amongst a deeply hypnotic rhythmic section that holds on and never lets up. 'Honeysuckle' lands next, which sees the trio emerge with a boundless, dynamic soundscape. The drums shift within the undertones, as keys, chords, horns and hip-hop vocal samples dance around the pulse, capturing the imagination with their narrative-like placement. Wrapping up the A side comes 'Camellia'. A dazzling array of harmonic sounds converges around the transfixing rhythm section, which emerges from deep below to lavishly roll out over the midsection, with the delicateness of the instrumentation a real highlight here.
The B side features two exquisite remixes, with Pacific Coliseum's version of 'Tulip' landing first. Beginning with a signature four to the floor to get things going, his careful handling of the source material is seen in the tactful introduction of the blissful elements that made the original cut so impactful, with great focus placed on emotive fidelity. The result is a summer-bound house number that reimagines the original in all the right ways, flipping it into a euphoria-driven jazz-laden pacer that reaches for the heavens as much as it drives right into the heart. Teuteu then showcases their take on 'Honeysuckle', and at 9 minutes long, represents the longest cut on the record - and the experience is all the richer for it. Leaning heavily into dance music flavours, Teuteu shifts perspective totally into the realm of the club, with the walls beating hard to the kicks. The sax lines that drift ethereally up top keep eyes closed and souls full, as the dance shifts into the next phase.
An experience that drifts from the daydreaming, to soul-warming through to the club shaking - what else is left to experience, except for 'A Garden Between Us' and how it will brighten up life itself….
Up In Her Room are delighted to announce their first release of 2025, and a return to the label from Oli Heffernan, aka Ivan the Tolerable!
10 new chunks of lo-fi instrumental library-hop - recorded in 2 days in Summer 2024, ‘Nocturnes’ is the first ITT album of 2025, and the first one made solo by Heffernan since ‘Wild Nature’ in 2019.
Known for his genre-defying and boundary-pushing approach to music, Heffernan – who has spent years experimenting with various styles, instruments and production techniques has crafted a collection of tracks that defy categorization. The new album is a sonic tapestry of atmospheric library music, dusty hip-hop beats, and the organic, unfiltered essence of field recordings, all neatly packaged up into a format that allows each element space to breathe.
‘Nocturnes’ weaves intricate layers of samples, loops, and live instrumentation, combining elements of hip-hop, dub, jazz, and electronic music, all while maintaining a sense of urban cinematic flair.
The album is released by Up In Her Room on limited edition black heavyweight vinyl
A phenomenon involving audio messages transmitted through underground virtual communities from a city called BARKI. Soundtracks of a lost but never forgotten town
Balvanera is the project of Agustina Vizcarra and Lucas Palavecino from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Since 2016, the duo has been building a sonic narrative that moves between the corporeal and the spectral, exploring waves and minimal synth as well as more intense and rhythmic directions closer to Body music, all while sharing the stage with artists such as Clan of Xymox, Boy Harsher, Die Selektion, Kontravoid, NNHMN and Ashcode.
New album Hasta tocar el fondo vacío del lenguaje arrives as an attempt to push expression to the limit, focused on language and sound as expressive forms.
With all tracks sung in Spanish, the album is a declaration of identity and at the same time an exercise with Spanish itself: how to play with a language that sometimes feels baroque and turn it into something stark while retaining its richness. Musically direct, the album occasionally returns to some minimalism reminiscent of the band’s early releases while preserving the intensity and club-oriented feel of their later work. At times intensifying in speed, the record brings the energy of their live performances to visibility, while other tracks feel like an unsettlingly dreamlike atmosphere. The title – meaning Until Touching the Empty Bottom of Language – borrowed from a fragment of Arturo Carrera’s poem Escrito con un nictógrafo, offers a clue to Balvanera’s nocturnal sensibility: those thoughts and images that can only emerge in the sleepless hours of the night, when they reach their most revealing edge.
Hasta tocar el fondo vacío del lenguajen explores death as something hidden within language while allowing each track to find its own form rather than adhering to genre conventions.
Split released with DKA. Out October 1st, 2026 on aquamarine vinyl LP limited to 500 with lyrics insert.
"Steve Watson's roots lie in Paramaribo, at that time the capital of the Dutch colony, where he won the 1975 Suriname Song Festival. This artist had a very strong connection with the music of his country, although unlike other artists - such as Max Nikman, for whom he acted as vocalist too - he performed his songs in English. Siegfried Boerleider, his real name, moved shortly thereafter to the Netherlands, where he also played in the groups The Backlot (with Laura Fygi and Rowan Moore) and Soul Conference. He released several singles on various labels, shaking off the "kaseko" music genre, which fused many different styles from Africa, Europe and the Americas, but considered rhythmically complex. He took time to move toward a simpler, yet well-structured, melodic genre in the recording studio, producing songs that were enjoyable to listen to on the radio and sensually danced to in the disco. With 1981's "Born To Boogie," we risk a seductive journey into the soul music of Suriname, which also possesses the fragrance of Dutch tulips. Then thanks to its charm, exploded in the Netherlands and subsequently in the world. Steve Watson - in addition to his personal style, rich in that simple and genuine expressiveness - also deserves recognition for his excellent songwriting, which led him to write for other Dutch artists, even though his two best songs are on this vinyl: "May Little One" and "Born to Boogie", ....the latter title has never been more fitting !!! Listen to it and go crazy !!!"
Zwei Jahre, nachdem das Debütalbum "Was für ein Glück" (2024) die deutschsprachige Indie-Szene aufwirbelte, Konzerte quasi über Nacht ausverkauft waren und sich noch vor der Veröffentlichung eine innige Fangemeinde bildete, ist es endlich soweit: das zweite Album von ENDLESS WELLNESS, "Domino Days" (2026), ist da! Musikalisch bleiben sich Milena Klien, Adele Ischia, Patrick "Pata" Huter und Philipp Auer treu, von mitreißenden Tanznummern bis feinfühliger Gesellschaftskritik ist alles dabei - und das nicht selten klug im selben Song vereint. Aber auch einige klangliche Überraschungen hält die Band diesmal bereit. ENDLESS WELLNESS entwerfen auf "Domino Days" (2026) andere, bessere Zukünfte und geben mit ihrem Album einen musikalischen Vorgeschmack darauf, wie sich diese anfühlen könnten. Sicher ist: Diese Zukünfte sind ein Ort für uns alle und sie haben die Musik von ENDLESS WELLNESS als Soundtrack.
SECOND REISSUE ON THIS HEAT’s OWN NEW IMPRINT FOLLOWING ‘THIS HEAT’ (TH01LP) WHICH WAS UNCUT ‘REISSUE OF THE MONTH’ RECENTLY WITH 9/10 REVIEW + 4-PAGE FEATURE WITH Q+A.
*24 bit/96 kHz re-master from original analog tapes.
*Heavyweight 180gm vinyl and heavyweight sleeve with pantone printing to match original 1979 release.
Simon Reynolds on Health and Efficiency:
“For some fans, Health and Efficiency is This Heat’s peak achievement – their most concentrated blast of visceral intensity and wayward experimentalism….Lead track “Health & Efficiency” combines fierce angular rock that fully lives up to Cunningham’s belief that This Heat could become a postpunk King Crimson, with a multi-part babble of vocals, clattering percussive timbres, and found sounds.’’
Flipside “Graphic/Varispeed” is more subdued and hypnotic: a wavering tonescape whose duration depends on whether you play it at 45 rpm or 33 rpm. This reissue reproduces the original release’s striking cover image of a human figure painted in blue by Pete Cobb, along with the cryptic flipside of text in many different languages.
Although widely considered to be Post-Punk’s finest, This Heat actually began performing and recording their music in 1976, the early days of London’s punk era. Within their two albums and an EP they perfected a strange and volatile new strain of avant-garde rock that time has proved to be massively influential, a blueprint for much that would follow: post-rock, math rock, homemade musique concrète, experimental electronica. Numerous critics have recognised the band's influence on the music of Sonic Youth, Glenn Branca, Steven Wilson, Public Image Ltd., Radiohead, Swans, Shellac, Young Knives, Black Dice, Lightning Bolt and numerous other experimental and post-rock bands.
Disbanding in 1982 they have left an undeniable legacy that has only continued to grow in stature and relevance.Having recently passed the 50 year anniversary of their first gig, and the recording of material that appears on their debut album, the group’s surviving members Charles Bullen and Charles Hayward, true to their DIY roots, have set up an imprint to release their recordings for their growing fan base that is increasingly recognising their influential place in music history.
‘They went beyond punk before punk had properly started…the entire album is a controlled explosion of ideas. Nearly fifty years on, This Heat’s debut is something the world has still not completely caught up with.’ - Simon Reynolds
‘Over the years, there have been bands to play as aggressively, or even as strangely, but very few have been able to rise from their collective influences and histories to create music so singularly distinctive and inspiring.’ – Pitchfork 9/10
‘This Heat sounded like the future then ... and still do now.’ - Dan Snaith (Caribou)
‘This Heat had a certain kind of force the post-punk bands were unable to adequately control without falling foul of rawk excess, and which the punk bands—albeit blitzing and rowdy—were too basic in form to build.’ – John Calvert , The Quietus
2026 Repress
Oh yes! First ever official reissue of the positively sublime and very rare Butterfly LP, recorded in Tokyo in 1979 by Japanese songstress Kimiko Kasai and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
Due to it's super-rare status as a Japan-only release, this exquisite collection of covers never got the recognition it deserved at the time, despite incredibly inspired performances from Kimiko, Herbie and the supremely talented musicians assembled for the project. From heavenly drummer Alphonse Mouzon and renowned organist Webster Lewis to bassist Paul Jackson, reedman Bennie Maupin and the master percussionist Bill Summers, the legendary performers crafted amazingly good vocal versions of Herbie / Headhunters jazz-funk. Unsurprisingly, it has been heavily in demand for many years.
The LP opens with Kimiko's highly desirable version of "I Thought It Was You", an elegant take on Herbie's own anthem. Other superb re-workings include the delicately soulful "Butterfly", jazzy groover "Sunlight", the smooth and sexy "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and the beautiful ballads "Maiden Voyage" and "Harvest Time". A wonderful example of perfectly understated and masterful jazz-funk soul fusion that shouldn't be missed, the set closes with a jaw-dropping version of Stevie Wonder's "As".
This lovingly curated reissue enables a long overdue reappraisal of this hitherto unavailable masterpiece. The stunning artwork which adorned the original jacket - complete with OBI strip and sumptuous
4 page folded insert - has been faithfully restored. Simon Francis' sensitive mastering elevates the sound throughout and, as ever, it has been pressed at a reassuringly weighty 180g. Essential.
A dream come true for A Colourful Storm to be releasing an early gem by Tenniscoats, a duo whose DIY spirit, boundless creativity and lust for life and collaboration has left an indelible mark. From self-releasing albums and tapes on their own Majikick imprint to meeting kindred spirits The Pastels, Bill Wells and Jad Fair in between outings for Morr Music, Chapter and Häpna, to name but a few, Tenniscoats have embodied an understated determination and optimism for over two decades.
"A foghorn melodica, voice, fractions, fragments, nothing and everything all at once. We Are Everyone opens out slowly, a little eerily, magic tumbles into play in well-measured rations. Meanwhile, on the cover, Saya and Ueno's heads seem to merge into the sky as if living amongst the wisdom of the clouds. Or maybe somewhere between sleep and reality, like Ueno's description of Tenniscoats' music. We Are Everyone is one of those records where you almost feel engulfed in its making - you feel like you're in the room with Tenniscoats as they push themselves to the limit, trying to make the very best record they can." - Stephen Pastel
Born in São Paulo, Caetano Malta embodies the vibrant creative energy of one of Latin America's most dynamic cities. A singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, he has spent more than twenty years crafting a distinctive musical universe shaped by Brazil's rich and diverse traditions. Tropicalia, MPB, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, psychedelic folk, and contemporary pop blend seamlessly in his work with effortless elegance.
Over the years, he has become a highly sought-after collaborator. Since 2004, he has performed with numerous leading Brazilian artists, including Lucas Santtana, Bixiga 70, Karina Buhr, and many others. After two decades of international touring, he eventually settled in Paris, where he became the guitarist for Flavia Coelho, Luiza, Guts, among others. As a songwriter, he has also co-written with artists such as Lucas Santtana, Wado, MOMO, Rubinho Jacobina, and Arto Lindsay.
With Eterna Juventude, his long-awaited debut solo album, due for release in autumn 2026, Caetano Malta reaches a new artistic milestone. The record reveals a radiant songwriting style where harmonic sophistication, organic rhythms, and instantly memorable melodies come together naturally. Filled with joyful energy and deep tenderness, Eterna Juventude celebrates imagination, movement, and childhood's unique ability to reinvent the world. It is a remarkably accomplished debut, showcasing an artist whose singular voice and musical identity are already fully formed.
Tiki for the Atomic Age feels like a mid-century transmission intercepted from a parallel timeline—one where hi-fi futurism, Polynesian fantasy, and postwar optimism never lost their sense of wonder. Kava Kon isn’t recreating exotica so much as reviving its original promise: escape, elegance, and possibility, rendered in warm, widescreen stereo.
Built on shimmering vibraphones, reverb-drenched guitars, analog organs, and ritual-leaning percussion, these tracks move at an unhurried pace. This is oceanic music—designed for dim lights, glowing glassware, and time stretched just enough to breathe. The lineage is clear: lounge exotica, bachelor-pad modernism, space-age pop. But this isn’t pastiche or museum work. It’s retro-futurism with intention, imagined from the future looking back.
The “Atomic Age” isn’t just aesthetic shorthand. It speaks to contrast—leisure in the shadow of anxiety, beauty alongside uncertainty, fantasy as a necessary technology. Kava Kon understands that tiki was never about geography; it was about psychology. A constructed elsewhere. A permission slip to slow down.
Pressed on vinyl, Tiki for the Atomic Age comes fully alive: tactile, immersive, and meant to be lived with. For listeners drawn to mid-century dreamscapes and modern exotica that honors the past without freezing it, this is an invitation—step sideways out of the present and into something more elegant.
What an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots from Ian Carr’s Nucleus is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, Roots was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records.
Maybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, very well indeed and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.
Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.
Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels.
Working together with producer Fritz Fryer and engineer Roger Wake, the seven compositions by Carr, Brian Smith and Dave MacRae that make up Roots flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, Jocelyn Pitchen on guitar, Roger Sutton on bass, both Clive Thacker and Aureo De Souza on drums and percussion, Joy Yates delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet.
The spellbinding title track immediately renders the album indispensable. Riding the illest of loping breakbeats, “Roots” is low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. An absolute monster. If it sounds familiar then that’s likely down to it being sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto’s “Loop Digga”, as well as by a whole host of beat manipulators. “Roots” conjures prime instrumental hip-hop / beat music, only 20 years ahead of its time. Truly, these are the roots. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a gloriously deep haze around Carr’s solos. “Roots” is over 9 minutes long, but there’s not a single wasted second, not surprising given that this is a condensed version of an originally 40 minute long commissioned composition.
The soothing vocal fusion delight of “Images” follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates’ silky vocals and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving “Caliban” closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four part commission to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard colour and Carr’s trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there’s even some bamboo flute). This really is fusion: the elements of jazz and rock coming together in beautifully synthesis.
Side two opens in riotous fashion with the short, thrilling samba of “Wapatiti”. Next up, “Capricorn” forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that Black Sabbath would’ve envied, “Odokamona” is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal (yes, you read that right), elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.
The album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic “Southern Roots and Celebration”. Very much in conversation with Weather Report, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. It’s another sure-fire party starter and the sound of the band having a righteous blast, building an ecstatic chaos that ends with Yates screaming.
And of course we need to talk about Keith Davis’ cover for Roots. Perhaps the coolest record cover of all time? Certainly one of the most bonkers. Just your run-of-the-mill high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene. Consider this your chemical flashback trigger warning.
Front-and-centre the hip-to-death green robot holds court with their giant ball of yellow barbwire wool, hooked up to… something(?) being teased out from under the stairs (probably best not to ask). A thoroughly zoned-out, long-legged Pop Art party-goer lounges half-plugged in to the painting behind her as a pair of legs flail into shot from the the top of the stairs opposite. We won’t even begin to guess what the chap’s up to in the middle, but the view out of the windows is rather nice, and someone’s already got the hoover out ready to tidy up. All of the Nucleus sleeves are something special, but this particular one? Crikey.
This Be With edition of Roots has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Pete Norman’s cut to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
In Living Color proudly presents Wasi Wasi EP, the debut label release from
Kenyan-born, Berlin-based artist Emo Rugene.
A striking first statement from one of the most exciting emerging voices in African electronic music, Wasi Wasi introduces Rugene's distinctive sound while reflecting the bold, forward-thinking vision at the heart of Living Color. Blending deep cultural roots with contemporary electronic production, the EP marks the arrival of an artist helping shape the future of the genre.
Deeply rooted in African rhythm and musical heritage, Wasi Wasi is a body of work that embraces the past while looking confidently toward the future. Blending hypnotic grooves, organic percussion, and contemporary electronic production, the EP reflects a new generation of artists drawing inspiration from their roots while carving out their own unique artistic identity.
The release features two compelling vocal collaborations that enrich its storytelling. “Wasi Wasi (Vocal Mix)” features Alai K, whose deep ancestral vocal brings a powerful spiritual presence to the title track. “Sahara Dena” features Soukou, whose soulful vocal performance adds warmth, emotion, and depth, creating a beautiful dialogue between tradition and contemporary sound.
With Wasi Wasi EP, Emo Rugene stands among a new generation of African electronic music artists redefining the future on their own terms. His music is deeply connected to where it comes from, yet unafraid to explore new ideas, proving that heritage is not something to preserve behind glass, but something to carry forward with imagination and purpose.
More than a collection of tracks, Wasi Wasi EP is a celebration of movement, identity, and possibility, a record that honours the voices of those who came before while contributing to the sound of tomorrow.
The premise of this compilation is simple: music we’d like to hear at the airport.
The idea came after learning that Honolulu’s international airport has been playing AI-generated music over its speakers since November 2025. First reported by Civil Beat, the news has caused frustration and disappointment among residents and visitors, as well as within the local music community.
Everyone knows Hawaii is one of the most musically rich regions in the world — why then is the airport using AI music? 'Music For The Airport' is our response.
Located in the middle of the Pacific at the outskirts of one the most remote cities on the planet, Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is for most people the first place they encounter when they arrive in Hawaii. Warm sun, tropical tradewinds, playful palm trees and majestic mountains welcome every traveler, as do the sounds of birds, familiar music from Hawaiian artists like Aunty Genoa Keawe and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, and—at least for now—seventeen “island-themed” AI-generated songs.
In late 1977, while sitting in Germany’s Cologne Bonn Airport on a Sunday morning, Brian Eno noticed how terribly uncomfortable he felt hearing the airport’s “muzak” overhead. For a harried, hurried place like the airport where travelers scramble to their gates, stand in long border control lines, and wait impatiently for their luggage at the carousels, music can create more anxiety than calm. Asking himself, "What should we be hearing here?", Eno soon created ‘Ambient 1: Music For Airports’, a sonic remedy aimed at reducing nervousness in public spaces.
When we heard the news that HNL airport is playing AI-generated “muzak”, we were immediately reminded of Eno’s genre-defying 1978 album. And we were similarly inspired to react. But how? Recreating an ambient masterpiece wasn’t in our wheelhouse. We started digging through our catalog of licensed music which we haven’t yet re-released. We quickly realized this was our chance to highlight some of favorite songs from the so-called CD era: the 1990s and 2000s (with a few exceptions). In less than 20 minutes, we pulled 17 original songs recorded by local artists between 1984 and 2017.
The speed at which this project came together surprised us; reactionary gut instinct often produces swift and lasting results. Ironically, our new compilation likely took less time than it did for the state Department of Transportation to commission its AI songs in question. But even though ‘Music for the Airport’ came together in less than one week, the truth is that this collection of 17 songs is the result of years of hard work, trust, sacrifice, patience, and understanding. Building relationships with and licensing music from artists doesn’t happen overnight, but more importantly: these songs are the result of people pouring their hearts and souls into something they believe in. This music wouldn’t exist today without the artists and their loved ones who supported them along the way.
As of this writing, the DOT states its intention in creating AI-generated songs is to “highlight different aspects of the islands, aviation and the airport” and that “no state funds were used to produce them”. Okay, but at what cost? Technology disrupting the music industry isn’t news to anyone. AI music in public spaces are cost-saving measures, since its users (airports, for example) don’t have to pay the licensing fees typically required, which can be a worthwhile source of revenue for artists. But what happens when a place like HNL airport, which hosts more than 21 million passengers annually, uses music created by machines instead of people to represent Hawaii? The identity of a place beings to erode, diluted by a language learning model’s conceptual summary of what a people and its culture sounds like. To echo Brian Eno: what should we be hearing here? In other words: what should the music of Hawaii sound like?
We believe in the power of music, especially when it comes from the soul. We believe in supporting artists, especially as AI disrupts our lives. We believe that Hawaii must be represented authentically, especially when it comes to song. And of course we believe in vinyl, especially since it was a record from 1978 (Mackey Feary Band’s debut LP) that inspired Aloha Got Soul’s origins in 2010.
We hope you find as much joy in this compilation as we have. Perhaps it’ll soundtrack your next journey to Hawaii. At the very least, we hope some people take a moment to hear these sounds: in your headphones for now‚ maybe someday overhead at the airport in Honolulu.
