Cerca:sa ha ra

"Laurel Hell" ist ein Soundtrack zur Transformation. Eine Landkarte für den Ort, an dem Verletzlichkeit und Widerstandsfähigkeit, Trauer und Freude, Fehler und Transzendenz in unserer Menschlichkeit Platz finden und als würdig angesehen werden können - um letztendlich anerkannt und geliebt zu werden. "I accept it all," verspricht MITSKI. "I forgive it all." Auf "Laurel Hell" festigt MITSKI ihren Ruf als Künstlerin, die die Kraft besitzt, unsere wildesten und zwiespältigsten Erfahrungen in ein heilendes Elixier zu verwandeln. "I wrote what I needed to hear. As I've always done." Nach der Veröffentlichung von "Be The Cowboy", einem der meistgelobten Alben des Jahres 2018, das von Outlets wie Pitchfork (u.a.) zum Album des Jahres gekürt wurde, stieg MITSKI vom Kultliebling zum Indie-Star auf. Mit spürbaren Folgen: Die Schinderei des Tourlebens und die Fallstricke die mit der erhöhten Sichtbarkeit einhergingen, beeinflussten ihre Musik ebenso wie ihren Geist, die sich in der ersten Single "Working For The Knife" niederschlägt. Ein Song, wie ein Prüfstein für das Gesamtgefühl von "Laurel Hell": "I start the day lying and end with the truth / That I'm dying for the knife." "Be The Cowboy" wurde von weiblicher Stärke und Trotz angetrieben, lebte jedoch von seinem Spiel mit Masken. Wie der Berglorbeer bzw. die "laurel hell", nach dem das neue Album benannt ist, kann die öffentliche Wahrnehmung, wie das berauschende Prisma des Internets, eine verlockende Fassade bieten, hinter der sich eine tödliche Falle verbirgt. Die sich immer enger zieht, je mehr man sich anstrengt. "I got to a point, where I just knew that if I kept going this way, I would numb myself to completion." Erschöpft von diesem verzerrten Spiegel und unserer Sucht nach falschen Binaritäten, begann MITSKI, Songs zu schreiben, die die Masken abstreifen und die komplexen und oft widersprüchlichen Realitäten dahinter offenbaren. MITSKI dazu: "I needed love songs about real relationships that are not power struggles to be won or lost. I needed songs that could help me forgive both others and myself. I make mistakes all the time. I don't want to put on a front where I'm a role model, but I'm also not a bad person. I needed to create this space mostly for myself where I sat in that gray area." Die daraus entstanden Songs verkörpern genau diesen Raum. Wie die zweite Single des Albums, "The Only Heartbreaker", die gemeinsam mit Dan Wilson geschrieben wurde und der erste Song dieser Art in ihrer Diskografie ist. "The Only Heartbreaker" verbindet treibenden 80er-Pop mit einem trügerisch einfachen Text, dessen aufrichtiger Refrain ins Ironische kippt, sobald dieser "the person always messing up in the relationship, the designated Bad Guy who gets the blame," beschreibt und sich zugleich fragt, ob "the reason you're always the one making mistakes is because you're the only one trying." MITSKI schrieb viele Songs für "Laurel Hell" während und teilweise vor 2018. Das Album wurde allerdings erst im Mai 2021 final abgemischt. Es ist die längste Zeitspanne, die MITSKI jemals für ein Album gebraucht hat und für die Musikerin inmitten einer radikal veränderten Welt endete. MITSKI nahm "Laurel Hell" mit ihrem langjährigen Produzenten Patrick Hyland in der Zeit der Isolation während der Pandemie auf, als einige der Songs "slowly took on new forms and meanings, like seed to flower." Das Album als Ganzes entwickelte sich "to be more uptempo and dance-y. I needed to create something that was also a pep talk" erklärt MITSKI. Die Spannung, die zwischen ihren raffinierten, aber wehmütigen Texten und dem sprudelnden Pop-Sound der 1980er Jahre entsteht, ist eine dringend benötigte Infusion in Zeiten wie diesen und das Werk einer reifen wie unwiderstehlichen Künstlerin, die auch zu fröhlich ansteckenden Dance-Beats immer noch etwas Profundes beizutragen hat.

In truth, singing is not all that different from acting. Performing a song is very similar to playing a role in a theatrical production. A singer's delivery — the way they interpret and emphasize certain parts of a song — is much like what an actor does with their character.

That's why we often find singers who go on to gain popularity as performers — some on stage, but more often on the silver screen (film).

These are called 'singing stars' — vocalists who are also featured actors, usually given roles specially created to suit their primary strength: singing.

Among them, a few have become even more famous for their acting talents, which sometimes surpass their singing ability. However, the number who manage to do this successfully is very small. Oslan Husein is lucky enough to be counted among that small number. As his fame as a singer began to rise sharply, he also began his film career as an actor. It's true that he had previously appeared in a film, but only as an extra, alongside the orchestra he performed with.

Following that, he appeared in several other films, including Detik-detik Berbahaya, 1000 Langkah, Kasih Tak Sampai, Hadiah 2.000.000,-, Maut Menjelang Magrib, and Antara Timur dan Barat. Six films over a span of just about 2.5 years — quite an impressive achievement.

Over time, a number of songs that Oslan had performed in his films began to accumulate. Together with a few additional songs — also from films — there were eventually enough to compile into one long-playing (LP) record.

And so, accompanied by Jack Lemmers — who, for this project, created special arrangements and musical treatments unlike the usual (for example, the use of four guitars at once) — Oslan carried out the recordings at Irama studios.

By releasing this LP of songs from the silver screen, Irama took an exciting step forward and opened many new possibilities in its history. Because the world of recorded music and the world of film, wherever they are in the world, are like siblings — and they work best when they collaborate, shoulder to shoulder, in harmony.

As with The Limiñanas, rock is here an affair of the heart. Between new wave pleasures, psychedelic sensibilities and nods to the great sixties icons, Her Wild Love maintains the passion, without ever curbing the love of risk. Faithful to its intuitions, the duo refines the contours of a singular style. From Sarah's words to Rafael's notes, the pieces embroidered by Her Wild Love find their own balance. Crossed by cinematographic atmospheres and melancholic effluences, their music evokes the black magic of Mazzy Star, the incantations of PJ Harvey, but also the audacity of a band like Warpaint.

Friday Night in San Francisco is a live album by Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucía.

It was recorded live at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco,

on December 5 in 1980. The album is considered an iconic recording and was described by jazz author Walter Kolosky as
"a musical event that could be compared to the Benny Goodman Band's performance at Carnegie Hall in 1938...
it may be considered the most influential of all live acoustic guitar albums."

Al Di Meola is an acclaimed Italian American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist, composer, and record producer.
He experienced a celebrated career that has spanned four decades and earned him critical accolades,
three gold albums and more than six million record sales worldwide.
Di Meola has amassed over 20 albums as a leader while collaborating on a dozen or so others.


John McLaughlin, also known as Mahavishnu, is an English guitarist, bandleader, and composer.
He is a pioneer of jazz fusion, combining elements of jazz with rock, world music,
Indian classical music, Western classical music, flamenco, and blues. He received multiple "Guitarist of the Year"
and "Best Jazz Guitarist" Awards from magazines such as Downbeat and Guitar Player and was ranked 49th in Rolling Stone
magazine's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Jeff Beck called him "the best guitarist alive".

Paco de Lucía was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer.
He was one of the first flamenco guitarists to branch into classical and jazz. De Lucía was noted for his fast and fluent fingerstyle runs
and gained popularity outside Spain after collaborating with McLaughlin and Di Meola. Richard Chapman and
Eric Clapton described de Lucía as a "titanic figure in the world of flamenco guitar."


Friday Night in San Francisco is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on purple coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

Ready for take off?

With his new album 'Cruise Control', Satin Jackets presents a perfect musical soundtrack for relaxed moments that take us away from the stresses of everyday life. The title of the album is meaningful: 'Cruise Control' stands for the feeling of switching on the autopilot, leaning back and enjoying the journey to the fullest - an atmosphere that the album unfolds.

The album is a collection of singles that have been released over the last few years and are all interwoven at their core. Because no matter where you listen to the songs, they work, images arise in your head and your feet rarely stay still. Satin Jackets remains true to himself with his album sound, as he repeatedly receives feedback from listeners who appreciate the positive mood in his songs and which always puts them in a good mood.

The songs are first created in the producer's head and then develop together with the features, who add their own touch. For Satin Jackets, 'the most important thing is this immediate feeling that it fits musically and atmospherically'. This can also come out of nowhere, as was the case with David Bay and Small Black, who got in touch with the producer and it was an instant fit.

'There are always those magical moments when a song comes out of nowhere. Once I had an idea for a chord sequence that I couldn't get out of my head, but somehow that certain something was still missing. I then spontaneously asked a bassist friend of mine if he would like to play something to it - ten minutes later we had a hook that carried the whole piece. It's these unexpected, spontaneous inspirations that make the process so exciting.'

'Cruise Control' is more than just another album from Satin Jackets. It is an invitation to enjoy the moment and surrender to the music - a soundtrack that creates a good mood and takes us on a relaxing journey. So just switch on the autopilot again, put on your headphones and let yourself go.

Ready for take off?

Satin Jackets präsentiert mit seinem neuen Album "Cruise Control" einen perfekten musikalischen Begleiter für entspannte Momente, die uns vom Alltagsstress befreien. Der Titel des Albums ist vielsagend: "Cruise Control" steht für das Gefühl, den Autopiloten einzuschalten, sich zurückzulehnen und die Reise in vollen Zügen zu genießen - eine Atmosphäre, die das Album entfaltet.

Das Album ist eine Sammlung der Singles, die über die letzten Jahre erschienen und im Kern alle miteinander verwoben sind. Denn egal, wo man die Songs hört, sie funktionieren, es entstehen Bilder im Kopf und die Füße bleiben selten still. Mit dem Albumsound bleibt Satin Jackets sich treu, denn immer wieder bekommt er die Rückmeldung von Hörer:innen, die die positive Stimmung in seinen Songs schätzen und die immer wieder für gute Laune sorgt.

So entstehen die Songs zuerst im Kopf des Produzenten und entwickeln sich im Anschluss gemeinsam mit den Features, die ihre eigene Note mit einbringen. Für Satin Jackets ist es "das Wichtigste dieses unmittelbare Gefühl, dass es musikalisch und atmosphärisch passt". Das kann auch aus dem Nichts kommen, so wie bei David Bay und Small Black, die sich bei dem Produzenten meldeten und es sofort passte.

"Es gibt immer wieder diese magischen Momente, in denen ein Song quasi aus dem Nichts entsteht. Einmal hatte ich eine Idee für eine Akkordfolge, die mir nicht aus dem Kopf ging, aber irgendwie fehlte noch das gewisse Etwas. Ich habe dann spontan einen befreundeten Bassisten gefragt, ob er etwas dazu spielen möchte - zehn Minuten später hatten wir einen Hook, der das ganze Stück getragen hat. Es sind diese unerwarteten, spontanen Eingebungen, die den Prozess so spannend machen."

"Cruise Control" ist mehr als nur ein weiteres Album von Satin Jackets. Es ist eine Einladung, den Moment zu genießen und sich der Musik hinzugeben - ein Soundtrack, der für gute Stimmung sorgt und uns auf eine entspannte Reise mitnimmt. Von daher einfach mal wieder den Autopiloten einschalten, , Kopfhörer aufsetzen und fallen lassen.

It"s been six years since LA DISPUTE released their last album, Panorama. Since then, the Michigan post-hardcore band-made up of Jordan Dreyer on vocals, Brad Vander Lugt on drums, Chad Morgan-Sterenberg and Corey Stroffolino on guitar, and Adam Vass on bass-dealt with the stagnance of the pandemic, celebrated the ten-year anniversaries of Wildlife and Rooms Of The House, and began working on NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. The fifth studio LP is the first entirely produced by the group, and it came together in Grand Rapids and Detroit, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Philippines: "I think the change in environment was really helpful to breathing new life into the process each time we came back to it," Dreyer says. Partly inspired by the 2017 psychological thriller First Reformed, NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR reckons with malaise in the shadow of the looming apocalypse, which has noticeably been worsened by the advancement of tech. The title comes from a quote from a police officer Dreyer read in a news article about a lethal self-driving Tesla crash, an absurd event which raises questions about the amount of control we have in our own lives. In fourteen dynamic tracks, the band grapples with the existential topic and the human need to find comfort and a sense of security in an existence where we"re often thrust into chaos without permission.

„A Danger to Ourselves“, das neue Album von Lucrecia Dalt, erscheint am 5. September 2025 bei RVNG Intl. und ist eine gewagte und doch intime Reflexion über die ungefilterten Komplexitäten menschlicher Beziehungen. Ohne die fiktiven Erzählungen der letzten Alben der Künstlerin kommt „A Danger to Ourselves“ von einem Ort der emotionalen Aufrichtigkeit. Dalts Stimme steht im Mittelpunkt und wird von einer üppigen akustischen Orchestrierung, perkussiven Instrumenten und einer Reihe hochkarätiger Mitstreiter unterstützt, die sich wie ein tiefes persönliches Gespräch entwickeln.



Die in Pereira, Kolumbien, geborene Dalt wuchs in einer musikbegeisterten Familie auf, die sie im Alter von neun Jahren dazu ermutigte, eine Gitarre in die Hand zu nehmen. Dalt folgte diesem kreativen Impuls, war fasziniert von computergestützter Produktion und verließ eine aufkeimende Karriere als Bauingenieurin, zog von Medellín nach Barcelona und schließlich nach Berlin, wo sie ihren unverwechselbaren, abenteuerlichen Sound entwickelte. Mit „Anticlines“ (2018) und „No era sólida“ (2020) und vor allem mit „¡Ay!“, Dalts bahnbrechendem Sci-Fi-Bolero-Album von 2022, hat sich ihre Arbeit auf immer anspruchsvolleres Terrain begeben. Auf dem Weg dorthin hat Dalt ihre Praxis auf die Vertonung von Filmen wie „On Becoming a Guinea Fowl“ (2024), die HBO-Serie „The Baby“ (2022) und den bevorstehenden psychologischen Horrorfilm „Rabbit Trap“ ausgeweitet, während sie Klanginstallationen und Performances kreiert, die ihre leuchtenden Modulationen und ihren unverwechselbaren, sich entwickelnden stimmlichen Ansatz zur Schau stellen. „A Danger to Ourselves“ entstand aus fragmentarischen Erklärungen, die Dalt aufschrieb, während sie das Leben auf der Tournee von „¡Ay!“ und die prägenden Momente einer neuen Beziehung meisterte. Im Januar 2024 begann sie, diese intimen Fragmente zu musikalischen Kompositionen zu kristallisieren, die allmählich zu einer zielgerichteten Konstellation von Songs wurden. Die Klangarchitektur des Albums basiert auf dynamischen Drum-Loops, die von Alex Lázaro beigesteuert werden, dessen perkussives Rückgrat wie bei „¡Ay!“ zur Leinwand für Dalts vielschichtigen Gesang wurde. Anstatt konventionellen melodischen Strukturen zu folgen, erzeugt das Album Musikalität durch das Zusammenspiel von Basslinien, Rhythmen und kompositorischem Design. „A Danger to Ourselves“ offenbart Dalts kompromissloses Streben nach klanglicher Klarheit, bei dem kühne Produktionsentscheidungen und sorgfältige Aufnahmetechniken Stimme und Instrument mit neuer Tiefe und Strahlkraft harmonieren lassen. „A Danger to Ourselves“ ist eindeutig anti-konzeptionell und ein poetischer Instinkt, mit dem Dalt den Fokus auf die Musik selbst lenkt, indem er Stimmen verwendet, die über die Parameter der Songs hinaus schwingen, und die perlenden Echos der ursprünglichen, romantischen Erregung beobachtet. Dalts klare Aufmerksamkeit für Details ist in jedem Takt spürbar, eine Hingabe, die sich in konzentrischen Kreisen dreht und ein Feld bildet, das das Persönliche und das Ätherische vereint. Das Album basiert auf intuitiven Experimenten und nutzt einfache Gesten und komplexe Kompositionen, um wandernde Linien zu weben, wie in „Divina“, das sich zwischen Spanisch und Englisch durch elastische Klanglandschaften bewegt. Der Titel des Albums geht auf David Sylvians Text „cosa rara“ zurück, der die Zerbrechlichkeit des Lebens, die Schwingungen der Liebe und die treibende Sehnsucht nach dem Wundersamen symbolisiert. „A Danger to Ourselves“ spiegelt diese transzendenten Zustände wider, indem es die Komplexität menschlicher Verstrickungen und den Wunsch nach Befreiung von Dopaminspiralen und gewöhnlichen Pfaden hin zu einer offeneren inneren Welt widerspiegelt. Sylvian selbst hat auf „A Danger to Ourselves“ eine Doppelrolle als Co-Produzent und Musiker gespielt. Es ist eine kollaborative Collage mit Beiträgen zahlreicher gefeierter Künstler. Weitere Kollaborationen ziehen sich durch das gesamte Album: Juana Molina ist Co-Autorin und Interpretin von „The Common Reader“, Camille Mandoki singt bei „Caes“, Cyrus Campbell spielt den grundlegenden Elektro- und Kontrabass, und Eliana Joy steuert bei mehreren Stücken Hintergrundgesang und Streicherarrangements bei. In den leuchtenden Tiefen von „A Danger to Ourselves“ inszeniert Dalt eine tiefgreifende Metamorphose, bei der das Persönliche durch klangliche Alchemie zum Universellen wird. Dieses Album ist sowohl Höhepunkt als auch Aufbruch - ein Portal, an dem ihre früheren experimentellen Reisen zu etwas verblüffend Intimem und doch Expansivem zusammenlaufen. Das Album ist ein Netz emotionaler Offenbarungen, jede Komposition ein präziser Indikator für Verletzlichkeit, in der Dalts Stimme eine Offenbarung in neuen harmonischen Gefilden verkörpert. Dalt hat ein lebendiges Dokument der Intuition jenseits konventioneller Grenzen geschaffen, das den Weg in Bereiche eröffnet, in denen die Musik sowohl Spiegel als auch Fenster ist.



Für Fans von PJ Harvey, Broadcast, St. Vincent, ML Buch, Stereolab, Cate LeBon, Aldous Harding, Mabe Fratti, Dry Cleaning, Juana Molina

Pendulum, undoubtably one of the biggest electronic bands of all time, are back with Inertia, their first album in fifteen years. Produced by Rob Swire and Owen Charles and recorded at Pendulum’s London Studio, Inertia is a rampaging, 16-track emotional maelstrom and without doubt the band’s most personal work to date. Featuring collaborations with Bullet For My Valentine, Wargasm, AWOLNATION, Scarlxrd, Joey Valence & Brae and Hybrid Minds across the album’s tracklist, Inertia began to take shape in 2020 as Rob searched for what it is to be Pendulum in its current era. Stemming from 2021’s Elemental and 2023’s Anima EPs, which were the blueprint for the band’s future, the band found their new direction. Pendulum have 3 platinum albums to their name, including renowned debut Hold Your Colour and a UK #1 and #2 for Immersion and In Silico. The drum and bass/rock band from Perth, Australia have sold over a million albums in the UK alone, as well as selling out global arena tours and playing to thousands across main stage performances from Glastonbury and Download to Reading and Leeds on top of a headline slot at Ultra Miami in spring 2025.

Pendulum, undoubtably one of the biggest electronic bands of all time, are back with Inertia, their first album in fifteen years. Produced by Rob Swire and Owen Charles and recorded at Pendulum’s London Studio, Inertia is a rampaging, 16-track emotional maelstrom and without doubt the band’s most personal work to date. Featuring collaborations with Bullet For My Valentine, Wargasm, AWOLNATION, Scarlxrd, Joey Valence & Brae and Hybrid Minds across the album’s tracklist, Inertia began to take shape in 2020 as Rob searched for what it is to be Pendulum in its current era. Stemming from 2021’s Elemental and 2023’s Anima EPs, which were the blueprint for the band’s future, the band found their new direction. Pendulum have 3 platinum albums to their name, including renowned debut Hold Your Colour and a UK #1 and #2 for Immersion and In Silico. The drum and bass/rock band from Perth, Australia have sold over a million albums in the UK alone, as well as selling out global arena tours and playing to thousands across main stage performances from Glastonbury and Download to Reading and Leeds on top of a headline slot at Ultra Miami in spring 2025.

Brbko, one of the UK underground’s most enigmatic artists, shares his debut album ‘BRAK VS. BRAK’ via acclaimed label Scenic Route. The release is accompanied by new focus track ‘JOGA 07’ a bold, introspective moment marking a turning point in the project’s emotional arc.

BRAK VS. BRAK is a genre-fluid meditation on life, death, and duality, using the afterlife as a metaphor for ego, rebirth, and reflection. Its title nods to an episode of Samurai Jack, where the hero confronts a darker version of himself, a fitting metaphor for Brbko’s own exploration of internal conflict. “It’s about realizing that your demons aren’t always from outside,” he says. “Sometimes they’re of your own making.”

Written across Manchester, Lewisham, Paris, and New York, the album moves through raw vulnerability and surreal visions. It opens with ‘BONSAM 2’ a raw intro tackling power, appropriation, and immortality, before ‘POWER OF 6’ reflects on clout and connection. The title track pits Brbko against his own shadow, while ‘BUZZ LIGHTYEAR’ distills ego and isolation into a dreamy freestyle. ‘DARK CLARITY’ offers bittersweet closure through minimalist production and vivid intimacy. The mood shifts with ‘JOGA 07’, where faith and lightness emerge as redemption.

Manchester-born and Lewisham-based, Brbko has quietly shaped UK underground music: from pirate radio and stage curation to collaborations with Alice Glass, Zed Bias, and Andrew Aged. GQ calls him “an essential part of underground music,” while Dazed praises him as “a stir in the contemporary grime scene.”

With ‘BRAK VS. BRAK’, Brbko delivers his most personal and expansive work to date.

Kneecap sind aktuell die aufregendste Hip-Hop-Gruppe der Welt – laut, provokant und revolutionär. Mit ihrem BAFTA-prämierten Film, einer Oscar-Nominierung und dem gefeierten Debütalbum „Fine Art“ sprengen sie Genre- und Sprachgrenzen. Jetzt erscheint die Gold Edition des Albums mit irischem und englischem Rap, bissiger Satire und politischen Statements – ein Meilenstein moderner Musikkultur. Unterstützt von Größen wie Elton John, Paul Weller und Massive Attack – diese Band ist mehr als Musik: sie ist eine Bewegung.

Emerging from the shadows of a small apartment in Chicago’s South Side Pilsen neighborhood in 1999, Winterlight was produced and mixed by Daniel Thompson over the course of three years, from 1999 to 2002. It’s an intimate and evocative album that captures a pivotal chapter in Thompson’s life and echoes the spirit of a formative era in the underground music scene.
Thompson’s journey began in the heat of Houston, Texas, where his love for sound quickly became an obsession. By the late ’90s, he was among the first DJs in Houston to champion the sound of Chicago house, often driving long distances from Texas to Chicago in search of records, inspiration, and connection. These trips—equal parts pilgrimage and education—eventually led him to relocate to Chicago, where his artistic vision would fully take shape. Winterlight is the direct result of that move. Crafted over several years, the album embodies a raw, hands-on approach to production, built from analog synths, outboard gear, and hours of meticulous layering. Thompson leaned on tools like the Kurzweil K2000, SE-1, Juno-106, and classic processors such as the DP4 and TC Electronic units, shaping each track with
care and intention.
Blending atmospheric textures with hypnotic rhythm and subtle experimental flourishes, Winterlight captures the sound of an artist deeply engaged with his tools and surroundings. His extensive vinyl collection—over 3,000 records—served as both palette and inspiration, with carefully chosen samples lending further depth and narrative to the music. Now set for release across all digital platforms and as a limited double 12" vinyl edition through Berlin’s Word & Sound, Winterlight invites listeners into a soundscape that is both immersive and personal. More than just an album, it is a sonic document of a moment in time—rich in tone, memory, and intent. For those willing to listen deeply, Winterlight offers a rare window into the underground spirit of the early 2000s and the inner world of a producer finding his voice.

12-song PINOT NOIR RED VINYL LP, limited to 500 Copies! Not many people realise that The Damned have produced a fine array of songs with melodic, harmonic and rhythmic sophistication; with a depth of imagination and atmosphere. They spearheaded British punk, and yet diverse musical influences went into the crucible: UK and US psychedelia, Canterbury prog rock, and even classical and filmic musical influences abound. Now, with the return of drummer Rat Scabies the line-up is the same as that which produced many of these songs - with Monty on keys. Monty Oxymoron has played keyboards with The Damned since 1996, has written songs for the band, and played with Captain Sensible and Dr Space Toad before that. He is a retired psychiatric nurse and trained in art psychotherapy. Monty is keen on "free improvisation" and plays in and around Brighton where he lives. Monty has an almost impossibly eclectic collation of his music on Bandcamp, his YouTube channel, and shares ideas on various subjects on his Substack page (under his "real" name: Laurence Burrow.)

The debut single from Soul Music nobility, The Womack Sisters, is a one-two punch of soulful excellence. "If You Want Me" displays uncompromising rawness with pop-sensible control in equal measure. Propelled by the percussive attack of the piano and the hard-hitting call and response vocals, the track has a satisfyingly feel-good swing, allowing the groove to accentuate the hook. Sure to be a universally filed disc for DJs looking to bring some life to the dancefloor. On "I Just Don't Want You" sisters Kujcha and Zeimani's plaintive background vocals and BG's powerful lead come together like a harmonic bouquet in full bloom. A deeply soulful ballad at its core, it tells a tale of someone coming to terms with the pain of being in love with Mr Wrong when you know you deserve Mr Right.

Within the nine carefully composed tracks of Young Bones, Mel D’s characteristic voice stands out in all its facets, varying from fragile to powerful, haunting to playful, but most of all soulful. With a voice that’s both extraordinarily clear and melancholic, Mel D is something surprisingly rare: a singer whose artistic expression goes beyond the mere use of her voice. On Young Bones, Mel D uses contemporary figures, rephrasing them into timeless formulas. Her unique musical language embodies references to genres like Indie or Alternative. In other moments, her sound leans baroque, then jazzy, soulful, and contemplative. Each song represents an ode to being connected: to the world, other people, and most of all to the beauty of music. Mel D draws her inspiration from struggles felt in the current world climate: “I have felt overwhelmed by the world we live in and its countless challenges,” said Mel D. “As if we’re all a bit directionless in our own lives.” Nevertheless, Mel D uses her musicality as a tool for resistance - using it to transform sadness and anger into creativity, and to give world-weariness a voice that seduces, comforts, and inspires. On Young Bones, Mel D sings us to a place where we might find hope - with songs rooted in concern, solidarity, humanness, and empowerment, inviting the listener to lean into those feelings. Bring the Witches Back, a hymn to witchcraft, is a quiet song that summons the return of witches with feminist urgency, for more love and magic to open ourselves towards each other and the world. Soft, a soulful song with a tender melody, gently lulls the listener into an in-between dimension, full of opportunities. Meanwhile, in the coming-of-age ballad, Slowly Growing, she raises questions about belonging and identity, pointing directly at our emotional core. Where Do You Look When It Hurts? speaks to the sensation of exhaustion and emptiness, offering musical warmth and a sense of community in moments of lethargy. Finally, listening to the album, one always feels in good company. Playfully working in folk and electro-pop elements, Mel D takes us on a ride toward love and a sense of belonging, particularly on the track We win. Young Bones was recorded in Zurich and Paris with two outstanding producers of our times: Renaud Letang, who has previously collaborated with Feist, Chilly Gonzales or Lianne La Havas, and Dino Brandão. The latter recognized Mel D’s artistic uniqueness during their first meeting, inviting her to a recording session in his studio and bringing her into the band of Swiss superstar, Faber. Mel D’s solo project was more a product of coincidence than planning, as she says, even though an undisputed talent and passion for music had always been apparent throughout her youth. During her studies in fine arts in Zurich, she founded the electronica-duo mischgewebe, and composed soundtracks for theater and movie productions, as well as for exhibitions. Long before forming her current artistic identity, she went by the nickname Mel D, in a humorous reference to the Spice Girls. Although her personality and musical language suggest thoughtfulness and a melancholy touch, Mel D acknowledges that an honest laugh is never out of place, making her sympathetic and approachable.

Stellen Sie sich einen Schaltkreis vor. Eine geschlossene Form, ein in Komponenten und Hindernisse geschnitzter Pfad, dessen Signal eine Reihe von Tönen, neuen Klängen und subtilen Interaktionen erzeugt, laute Saiten und hart gepannte Vocals, die fest stehen, bevor etwas sich verändert. Eine tiefe Note hebt sich und gleitet davon. So schnell sind Sie mitten in einem Song. Dizzy Magic ist Sophie Weils viertes Album als Syko Friend, ihrem Soloprojekt, mit dem sie seit über einem Jahrzehnt in der Underground-Szene der USA aktiv ist - eine Klassifizierung, die so vage und genreübergreifend ist, dass sie fast bedeutungslos wäre, würde Weils Projekt nicht kontinuierlich bestimmte klare Verpflichtungen einhalten: Gitarren und Verstärker, Feedback und Texte, freie Komposition und festgelegte Songstruktur. Durch ihre Verflechtung von Tradition und Experiment, ihre reichhaltige organische Klangpalette und ihre mühelose Intimität ist die Musik von Syko Friend sofort erkennbar. Man muss nur eine ihrer Platten auflegen, um sie zu verstehen. Auf Dizzy Magic hat Weil diese Parameter beibehalten, aber verfeinert, indem sie die Studiotechnik verfeinert und die Arrangements zu traumhaft breit gefächerten Ereignissen erweitert hat, in denen Gefühle scharf und detailliert wiedergegeben werden, sei es in einem Solo-Gitarrenstück oder in einem der zahlreichen Stompers mit zusätzlicher instrumentaler Unterstützung von Evan Burrows, Hank Doyle und Henry Barnes. Diese Platte ist klar und erreicht bisher unbekannte Weiten, eine großartige Geste, die mit ihren kleinsten Bestandteilen in Einklang steht. Es ist ein Beweis für Weils Hingabe an die kontinuierliche Erforschung, an die kathartischen Fähigkeiten der Gitarrenmusik und an die Zusammenarbeit und die Anstrengungen beim Schreiben, Aufnehmen und Touren, die dem ständigen Streben nach Selbstverwirklichung am Rande zugrunde liegen. Dort habe ich Weil jedenfalls vor langer Zeit kennengelernt, irgendwo zwischen den Knotenpunkten der Underground-Landkarte, wo Musiker Nacht für Nacht ihre Route abfuhren und dachten, wir würden den Geist am Leben erhalten. Damals war dieser Signalweg schwer zu erkennen, wir waren zu sehr darin versunken. Aber hin und wieder taucht etwas wie Dizzy Magic auf und plötzlich offenbart sich die Bedeutung, diese Form, die man sehen, hören und fühlen kann. Eigentlich ist es ganz einfach. Stellen Sie sich einfach einen Stromkreis vor.

Japan’s electronic music scene has always stood out as uniquely distinctive. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a wave of underground projects, bands, and independent labels—primarily based in Tokyo and Osaka—began crafting their own sound. Inspired by the post-punk, new wave, and experimental movements emerging from Europe and North America, these artists embraced a DIY ethic, using whatever technology they had access to in order to forge something entirely their own.

This movement, often referred to as the "Nippon-wave" scene, remained largely hidden from the outside world. Many of its releases—on cassette tapes, flexi-discs, and privately pressed vinyl—were never distributed beyond Japan’s borders, making them rare treasures for the few who managed to discover them. “Nihon No Wave” presents a selection of these long-overlooked recordings, making them accessible to listeners beyond Japan for the first time.

After the success of the first volume, “Nihon No Wave 2” continues to unearth the hidden history of Japan’s underground electronic scene from the ’80s. This second installment digs even deeper into the archives, showcasing more rare tracks from obscure artists who operated on the fringes of Japan’s independent music world.

Like its predecessor, “Nihon No Wave 2” captures the raw energy and experimental spirit of the "Nippon-wave" era—where lo-fi synths, minimal rhythms, and post-punk aesthetics converged into a uniquely Japanese take on global sounds. Many of these recordings, originally released on cassette compilations or small-run vinyl with no international reach, have remained virtually unknown outside Japan.

**ON LTD SPLATTER VINYL** First time available on vinyl! With bonus tracks and unreleased material! The Sultans formed in 2000 and were John Reis / Slasher and Tony DiPrima and at times also Andy Stamets / Black Flame (Rocket From The Crypt’s ND) and Dean Reis / Black Velvet (Mannequin Piss, Spider Fever, The Heartaches, Los Dug Dugs). Shipwrecked was the bands second album and was released only on CD in 2004.

It was hailed as a “power-pop meets ’70s punk classic” by Virtual Underground Press and “…a masterpiece of the form...essential” by the Cleveland Call And Post. This reissue is a labor of lust with maximum attention to detail in resurrecting these masters from their deteriorated, analog state. The result is a louder, thicker and even more bristling slab of triumphant rock ’n’ roll. Everything on this reissue cuts deeper and breaks the digital glass into razor sharp shards and then shits on the 1s and 0s. Treble Magazine says. “It is the perfect soundtrack to your post-breakup life: fourteen songs about heartache, shame, trying to move on, regrets and just plain old hate. (And by the by, hate has never sounded as good as this)”. Added to the original are four bonus tracks, one being a cover of The Dils “Blow Up” and another the never released “Out Of Focus”. Shipwrecked was the last record at Drag Racist (Hot Snakes, RFTC, etc) before it shuddered its doors for good.

Nu-hardcore quintet, Bodyweb, are the sound of someone’s nervous system on the verge of breakdown—hyperactive, tormented and unflinchingly vulnerable. Born out of the Leeds hardcore scene, they’re a shape-shifting alloy of jagged emotion and precision chaos. What began as late-night jams between Louis Hardy (Higher Power, Big Cheese, Fate) and Ben Jones (Pest Control) eventually mutated into train_wreck_simulation, a debut EP filled with frantic breakdowns and nu-metal swag that felt like the soundtrack to a digital exorcism. The final piece of the puzzle came from Hardy’s estranged childhood friend, pq. His twisted samples and synthetic textures are haunted and disturbed, injecting cyberpunk soul into hardcore flesh. Contorting through several iterations in the following years, the band absorbed Luke Thompson (Stiff Meds) on drums, filmmaker Tom Hobson on guitar and Naomi Macleod (Empire State Bastard) on bass, and laid down their first collective offering. deadwired is due out on Flatspot Records later this year. Bodyweb's second EP is a violent thesis on connection and pain that sends Hardy’s unfiltered vocals through heaven and hell. Four overstimulating tracks run a gamut of styles and influences from Slipknot to Björk, constantly lane-switching between dizzying heaviness, ambient soundscapes and brain-burrowing hooks. Entirely self-produced, deadwired upgrades the sonic formula laid down on the last record and raises the question: what else could exist in Bodyweb’s twisted roadmap? Nothing seems impossible. What seems important, however, is retaining the rawness in a style that can often turn sterile. “We still wanted it to sound very human. It had to be well produced but not cold and lifeless.” shares Hardy. “We didn’t use a click track. All guitars were real amps with microphones. We tried to make everything as real and raw as possible, we recorded using all the same gear we use when playing live too to really capture the energy of how it feels when we jam together." ‘Deadwired’ is a snapshot of violent implosion. Four ADHD-fuelled transmissions from the edge of spiritual collapse. It drags metallic hardcore through glitched-out ambience to confront ego death, generational trauma, and the violence of being alive. On stage, Bodyweb don’t just perform, they purge. Raucous live electronics meld with digitally contorted guitars. Breakbeats meet breakdowns—no backing track in sight. Bodyweb enable a collective catharsis. Mosh, dance, dive, scream, heal. A physical therapy session screamed into the void.