quête:sa pa the fool

'Challenge Me Foolish' is an almost lost album of µ-Ziq material circa 1998-99, an era that saw Mike Paradinas release 'Royal Astronomy' on the now defunct Virgin subsidiary Hut records, and also tour with Björk.

It's an era of his music that's definitely worth re-exploring, in which Mike went against the grain by producing music that was baroque, melodic and whimsical, while the IDM movement he was lumped with made instrumental music that was often neurotic and complicated. His taste for melody and dreamy beauty above roughness and intricacy confused people who were hanging on too tightly to the rules. He even brought in Japanese vocalist Kazumi, adding an extra human touch.

'Challenge Me Foolish' is something of a companion to the Royal Astronomy record, arguably even better given the fresh ears selecting the material. It's imbued with a confident sense of pastoral colour, and a gentle optimism, utilising bells, studied orchestral arrangements and airy synthesisers that sit the album somewhere between, Jean Jacques Perrey (the French electronic composer whose whimsy was always balanced with serious innovation and chops) and the colourful, optimistic soundtracks of Joe Hisaishi. There's a strange sense of the old and new throughout, the sentimental and utopia, with nary a hint of darkness. Even when the album dips into the hyperkinetic rhythms of jungle, the melodies and mood still retain a sense of gentle warmth. Dive into peak time Paradinas.

The follow up release to last years Times & Places Volume 1, which sold out in super quick time has the same four artists, each bringing their own style of old skool rave goodness to the table.
Gridzone gets us off and running with beautiful pads and an oh so familiar soothing female vocal sample. But don’t let this fool you, the harsh amens are just round the corner and when they drop, you will know about it.
Midlife Crisis has similar energy levels in their offering, the breaks are more chopped and more in a jungle vein.
On the flip is the highlight of this EP. NewKiller drops a jungle-techno stormer. 4/4 kicks with high speed breaks, hoover sounds and horror film samples. Its like 1993 all over again. Finally the EP ends with a ragga tinged rudeboy of a stepper from Gold Soundz.

Black Eyed Sons - A New Rock 'n' Roll Collective - Members of The Quireboys and Down n' Outz are joined by an amazing collection of fellow musicians for a joyous collaboration of mutual admiration and musical celebration. Enjoy the debut album 'Cowboys In Pinstriped Suits" released via Off Yer Rocka recordings 31st January 2025. Since the band announced they were working on their highly anticipated new album, "The Band Rolls On", what was already becoming a chance for a musical rebirth metamorphosized into something far bigger and more ambitious. The final cuts feature distinguished collaborations from a multitude of Rock Royalty.

The band, their management and close friends within the industry all agreed that this should be treated as a stand-alone new project, a Rock 'n' Roll Collective going under the name "Black Eyed Sons", a nod to a previous album from their extensive back catalogue. The revised album title, "Cowboys in Pinstriped Suits” is named after one of the eleven tracks and features none other than Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott alongside Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie and bass grooves from Chip Z’Nuff. Guy Griffin commented "It's been nice to take a break and focus on the writing. Working with our own band as well as so many friends within the industry has done nothing but inspire us to write and create this exciting new project. We've done the hard work getting the tracks laid down, we're now looking forward to going back out on the road as Black Eyed Sons and delivering something entirely new from five musicians who've been playing together for over twenty years. Relationships break down sometimes, that’s Rock 'n' Roll, everyone does their thing, but we want to make sure there's no confusion as to what this is. Whilst we're proud of our musical history, that was then, this is now. It's onwards and upwards, so let the music do the talking. Joe Elliott added, "Having worked with these guys since 2009 in the greatest “other” band I could ever hope to work with, The Down ’n’ Outz, it just felt totally natural for me to reciprocate the love these guys have shown me by contributing to what is essentially a new beginning for them. So welcome to the mad world of Rock ’n’ Roll, you Black Eyed Sons." - Joe Elliott (Cowboys in Pinstriped Suits). Other collaborators had this to say: “This song feels so real and natural. Like a hug from an old friend. I’m proud to be a part of it.” - Charlie Starr (Autumn Reigns) - ‘’My friendship with the Quireboys started a long time ago and each time our paths have crossed, the bond has grown stronger. Therefore, I would lie if I didn’t say that in the back of my mind there always was a wish to do something together. So, I am more than thrilled when I was invited to sing on the Black Eyed Sons new album and that they also gave me a song where I could be who I am’’ ⁃ Mike Tramp (Your True Colours) - “I go back 30 years with these guys. A band that I’ve always loved and respected. To be asked to be part of this project was a great thrill, and proud moment as a guitarist.” - Scotti Hill (Dig Me out of this Hole) - “I’ve known Griff since the beginning of our respective careers…we are both from the old school baby, and Griff has always been the embodiment of rock n’ roll - genuine, classy, trashy, and an attitude that exemplifies what it is to be a rock n’ roll troubadour“ ⁃ Ryan Roxie (Cowboys in Pinstriped Suits/Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory) - “Since you graced us with your presence on the Wolves’ debut album, it’s only fair we should be a part of your debut as Black Eyed Sons. All the best!” - Kyf Brewer / Company Of Wolves (Foolin’ Yourself) - “Not only was it a pleasure to play guitar & sing on this record but it was also an honour to have Griff & the band record one of our songs! - Steve Conte / Company Of Wolves/Michael Monroe/NY Dolls (Foolin’ Yourself) - Band: Guy Griffin (lead vocals/guitar); Paul Guerin (guitar); Keith Weir (keyboards); Nick Mailing (bass); Pip Mailing (drums)

Deluxe Edition, 2LP, Gatefold, alternative Cover. Plus three bonus tracks. Between records like Relentless and Show `Em How, Pentagram have never wanted for self-awareness in terms of album titles. The gauntlet thrown down by Lightning in a Bottle is very much in this tradition. The 10th Pentagram album sees founding frontman and doom figurehead Bobby Liebling leading a new cast of players that includes guitarist/producer Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere, etc.), drummer Henry Vasquez (Legions of Doom, Saint Vitus, Blood of the Sun, etc.) and bassist Scooter Haslip (Mos Generator, Saltine). It would be hard to overstate the energy the new band brings to songs like "Live Again," "Solve the Puzzle" or "In the Panic Room," but Lightning in a Bottle is unmistakably a Pentagram record, of course in Liebling's unremittingly charismatic performance and the groove conjured to back it. Recorded with Reed at the helm, Lightning in a Bottle recalls the best of what has allowed Pentagram to cast an influence across decades and generations of musicians, bands, and worshippers of Riff, and as just their third studio release in the last 15 years, it's not a moment to neglect as they dig into a cut like "Dull Pain" or "Lady Heroin," the latter of which is a naked reconciliation on the part of Liebling with a lifelong addiction to opiates that's become an inextricable part of the Pentagram story. As he wonders in the lyrics, "Lady Heroin, have I seen the last of you?" it becomes difficult to know whether the separation would be through sobriety or death, and that ambiguity becomes part of what makes the song so striking.

*press Release From David Katz*

The Hardest Working Reggae Band In Southern England, Dubheart Is On A Mission To Spread Messages Of Peace, Love, Unity And Resistance Through A Heady Stew Of Contemporary Roots Reggae, Delivered On Live Instruments With A Hefty Dose Of Dub In The Mix. Cool Under Pressure, Their Latest Offering, Is The Band's Most Compelling Set To Date, A 'showcase'-style Album Where Every Vocal Track Is Followed By Its Dub Counterpart, And The Vital Contribution Of The Brassica Horns—from Rising London Ska Band Chainska Brassica—is Another Intriguing Element That Makes This Album Tougher Than The Rest.

Drawing On The Foundations Laid By Jamaican Stalwarts Such As Burning Spear, Dennis Brown And Culture, Dub Pioneers Like Scientist And Jah Shaka, Plus Newer Vanguards Such As Tarrus Riley, Grounation And Conscious Sounds, Dubheart Has Crafted A Distinctly Appealing Style That Is Very Much Their Own, Based On The Organic Presentation Of Their Musical Vision. Indeed, This Fully Self-contained Five-piece Is Firmly Engrained In The Neo-roots Movement Of The Present, With A Sound That Faces Ever Forwards.

The South Coast-based Band Was First Formed Back In 1999, And Slowly Built A Following Through Their Intense Live Performances, Which Always Harnessed A Live Dub Element. Their First Ep, the Solid Foundation Rhythm,' Issued On Their Own Karnatone Label In 2011 And Featuring Dub Mixes By Russ D Of The Disciples, Became A Regular Part Of Jah Shaka's Live Playlists. It Was Followed By The 7' 45, we Chant,' Featuring The Band's Charismatic Bristol-based Lead Singer, Tenja (who Originally Hails From France), The Track Becoming An Underground Anthem In Japan (via Rob Smith, Aka Rsd). Dubheart's First Album, Mental Slavery, Was Released In 2013, A Momentous Year That Also Saw The Band Win The European Reggae Contest Staged By Rototom Sunsplash, Leading To A European Tour With Festival Appearances At Summerjam (germany), Reggae Sun Ska (france), Overjam (slovenia), Sudoweste (portugal), United Islands (czech Republic) And The Sardinia Reggae Festival, As Well As Rototom In Spain. Then, In 2015, Karnatone Issued The Dub Companion To Mental Slavery, Mixed Down In A Heavy Dubwise Fashion By Drummer Gavin Sant, Otherwise Known As Fullness, The Band Was Then Invited To Participate In The Bbc Television Show, The Uk's Best Part-time Band, Leading To Their Ep Of Cover Tunes, 2016's full Time Pressure,' Again With Dub Versions From Fullness. part Of The Band's Appeal Lies In Its Tightness As A Recording And Performing Unit, When You See Them Live, You Understand That This Band Of Brothers Is On A Higher Mission, United In Their Wish To Use Music As A Means Of Upliftment. And That Sentiment Is Entirely Evident On Cool Under Pressure. The Melodic Bass Grooves Of Mark Shepherd Act As The Perfect Buffer To The Furious Rolls And Expressive Drum Patterns Of Fullness, David 'daddy U' Mountjoy Adds Scintillating Melodies On Keyboards, Including Some Delightful Wurlitzer Lines, And Richard Ramsey's Guitar Licks Tend Towards The Understated, Aside From The Occasional Solo Pyrotechnics, As Heard Here On rocky Road.' And On Songs Like can't Wait,' watcha Gonna Do' And The Title Track, The Brassica Horns Add Further Melodic Depth Through Fanfares Of Treble Brass Texture. with The Rhythms Laid Entirely Through Live Recording Sessions Cut At Fullness' Home Studio In Bournemouth (with Horn And Wurlitzer Overdubs Done Elsewhere), Cool Under Pressure Reveals Dubheart As A Band On The Rise, Heading For Unstoppable Heights.

The Dub Deconstructions On The Disc Allow The Listener To Hear The Exceptional Quality Of Their Playing, Emphasizing Each Member's Individual Talent, While The Lyrics Tackle Subjects We Can All Relate To, With watcha Gonna Do' Addressing Social Inequalities, can't Wait' Alluding To The Refugee Crisis, rocky Road' Imploring Everyone To Hold Strong In Trying Times, And rise Up' Calling For Direct Action Against The Unjust System That Rules Our Lands. Overall, The Outstanding Title Track cool Under Pressure' Really Sums Up The Band's Ethos: The System May Burden Us With The Stresses Of Censure And Control, But Our Obligation Is To Stay True To Ourselves And Resist. And The Music Can Help Us To Achieve This.

Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams on the 17th March 1917 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. His family held a key position in the local black community with his father being pastor of the local Baptist church.

His first professional break came touring with the Broadway show “shuffle along” which eventually found its way to Los Angeles. Where Nat ended up playing at the century club on Santa Monica boulevard. This was an in-place for musicians and Nat’s already developed and incredible piano playing became a great attraction eventually forming a trio with Oscar Moore on guitar and Wesley Price on bass. With Nat’s great voice and add libs the trio were a great success in 1939/40.

In 1943 Cole signed to the infant Capitol records and began his enormous string of hits for that label and eventual amazing career partnership with the great arranger and orchestra leader Nelson Riddle. This was at the time of popular music already pioneered by Bing Crosby and latterly Frank Sinatra and something Nat would become a master of, with his by now incredible, highly developed and unique voice which we all instantly recognise.

Right up until his untimely and tragic death on 15th February 1965, Nat made a string of successful records for capitol, a string of film appearances, and the first black presenter of his own tv show, which ran for many years and introduced a whole host of new and old artists to the television screens. As is so often with people so talented, Nat’s life was short but extremely successful. He was a well loved and admired person with his vibrant and kind personality with many great friends and colleagues and made an enormous contribution to the music industry, civil rights and the world in general.

As a singer and pianist, he was exceptionally talented, and his voice will live on in immortality. His ability to express and sing any song was quite extraordinary to say the least and these recordings are a fine example of that ability. A must have for all music lovers!

The Queen of Jazz and 'Satchmo' had duetted earlier in their illustrious
careers. But it wasn't until Producer Norman Granz came up with the
idea of putting them together for specific albums that their true
chemistry was revealed. The Platinum Collection features two iconic
albums Ella & Louis and Ella & Louis Again. Both albums feature Jazz
At The Phil regulars Oscar Peterson (Piano), Herb Ellis (Guitar), Ray
Brown (Bass) and Buddy Rich (Drums) with the exception of Louis
Bellson replacing Buddy Rich on Ella & Louis Again recording. Now it's
time for Fitzgerald to 'take it Ella - swing it'....

Limited edition 180g audiophile pressing
This outstanding LP contains all of Ray Charles' top-10 Billboard hits between
1953 and 1959 for Atlantic Records, a seminal period in the legendary career of
one of the most influential musicians of the 20th Century.

Music To Varnish Owls By. Does Geoff Bastow have a claim for the best album title of all time? It's certainly up there. It's also one of the hardest to find library funk records. But don't let the eye-catching name fool you into thinking this isn't serious business.

As a key member of Giorgio Moroder's team, the legendary Geoff Bastow shouldn't need any introduction. You'll be familiar with his singular brilliance as the brains behind the much-sampled boogie/disco classics "You Don't Like My Music (Hupendi Muziki Wangu?!)" and "Don't Stop", released by his group, K.I.D.

But 1975's Music To Varnish Owls By is where it all began for our hero.

It's packed with incredibly soulful, soothing music that - despite being utilised a few times by Knxwledge - remains still largely un-mined. So, beat-makers, get cracking. And instead of that hyper-rare original, spend that £300 on something else.

Born in 1949, Bastow was a Munich-based English songwriter and record producer. Originally working as a guitarist and pianist in dance bands around his home county of Yorkshire, he moved to London in the early 1970s and then Munich in around 1976. He was one of the main architects of the Munich disco sound of electronic innovator Giorgio Moroder and also released heaps of killer library records for legendary labels like Bruton (with brother Trevor), Impress, JW Music Library and the Munich-based Sonoton between the 1970s-2000s. Bastow died tragically young, in Berlin, Germany on 16 March 2007, at the age of just 57. But he left behind a truly incredible electronic music legacy. He deserves to be much better known and this reissue should bring him to a fair few more ears. Let's see why...

Light-hearted opener "The Rough With The Smooth" contains a killer open drum break and is basically guitar-drenched flute-laced piano-funk. However, the first genuine highlight, "Beautiful People", is just majestic. Reflective, pastoral and silky smooth - as the title suggests, it's just straight beautiful; a chiming, deeply soulful instrumental that has to be heard to be believed. Sampled by Knxwledge but nobody else of note, which is crazy. Slo-mo soul beat "Tumbleweed" is another stone cold track just desperate to be laced by a skilled MC. Laconic, lysergic funk with nostalgic overtones, the guitar is prominent but the flute and glock really elevate it to perfection.

"Bits And Bats" is clav-enhanced Blaxploitation-esque street-funk with tough bass and crunchy drums that, despite its hardness, manages to flirt with breeziness. All in all, sumptuous, pounding wah-wah brilliance. Another huge one, up next. The insistent piano-funk head-nodder "A Change Of Pace" is a total sleuth-funk jammer, with a wonderfully soft snare and more hypnotic, melancholic flute lines. Man, we'd love to hear Alchemist chop this up. It even sounds a bit like Bastow was keeping things thoro with this one. Closing out Side A, the bright and breezy Bossa of "Janelle" makes it a perfect run of six untouchable gems. As elegant as it is sleazy, it sounds like it could've been on the classic KPM greensleeve, Piano Viberations.

Side B opens with the Ramsey Lewis-inspired "Time And A Half", a deceptively simple bass, drums and piano workout, decorated with stylish percussion with some great chord changes and hints of drama via a great bass solo. The heavy "Supersplash" is a doped-out drama suite with fuzzy wah-wah guitars, electric piano and glock. "Fillet Of Soul" is a catchy wah-wah propelled shuffle with piano and vibes, super dynamic but also incredibly chill.

"Well Above Average" is exactly that, a funky instrumental that serves as a straight ahead guitar-soul workout. Oozing bass-driven class, it gets better with every listen. Some open drums for your delectation, too. The fuzzy clav-and-vibes funk of "The Clan" - also understandably sampled by Knxwledge - is a monster head-nod slow jam whilst, seeing us out, the uber-relaxed "Sing Song" rounds things off in bright fashion with its slow but insistent clav, electric piano and glock greatness. Swoon.

As ever, the audio for Music To Varnish Owls By has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Pain Management presents a debut collaborative release from Bristol’s Larry McCarthy & mysterious newcomer Eris FM. The limited edition single fuses hellish Bristolian dub with tender vocal excursions on two dark cuts in equal parts tough and tender. A heartfelt comedown offering for the hyperactive via two cathartic weapons primed for maximum emotional release.

The A side’s foolish titular opener is a hellish mess of dub delays and eerie narrative exposition. Reminiscent of blown-out early No Corner offerings; a tangled mess of sirens and harsh noise ensnare FM’s disembodied commands. Turn your phone off / Tell no one where you are / Go out / Press your lips to the cracks in the soil. Overtly human exposition shrouded in a plosive shell of sawtoothed frequencies and machine drum paranoia. The effect is an unsettling hybrid of softness and uncertainty. A teeth-grinding mess of grit and potent anxiety primed for anti-dancefloor devastation; one to comfort the disturbed or disturb the comfortable depending on where you’re at.

On the flip ‘Red’ applies this same methodology to a beatless format, noisy chaos swapped out for ascendent grandeur. Here FM’s voice has more room to breathe, floating above an ever expanding synthscape. Reflective prosaic cohesion replaces the A side’s splintered present-tense directives.The rawness remains but on Red it takes the form of a commanding emotive clarity rather than claustrophobic uncertainty. A subtle heartbeat rhythm pulses beneath the nebulous pads, swaying like a slow dance in the early hours.

Hyper-limited run of 100 7” records

Just a little over two years since the release of his debut album Opening the Door, Jack re-emgerges with a new full length album. On Blue Desert, the Australian-born Vancouver-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer wades deeper into the stylistically prismatic pool of his own creation: melancholy dub-funk, jangling psychedelia, moon-burnt sophisti-pop and stained glass folk mutations float freely together.

Just a little over two years since the release of his debut album Opening the Door, Jack re-emgerges with a new full length album. On Blue Desert, the Australian-born Vancouver-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer wades deeper into the stylistically prismatic pool of his own creation: melancholy dub-funk, jangling psychedelia, moon-burnt sophisti-pop and stained glass folk mutations float freely together.

Entirely self-produced at Mood Hut Studios in Chinatown, Vancouver between 2022 and 2024, the album picks up where Opening the Door left off; the songwriting concise and refined, the voice front and centre on almost every song, the pensive mood irresistible and dense.

The apparently effortless melodic interplay of voice, guitar, synthesizers and bass that Jack is well known for is ever present but despite the clear-eyed harmonies and energetic rhythms there is a shadow that quietly haunts the album. The lyrical buoyancy of his early EPs and even some of the more explicitly sunburnt instrumental moments of his last record have continued to fade and peel like paint. Regret, remorse and melancholy are woven into almost every turn of phrase; the self-deprecating longing of Tracey Thorn and Sade Adu can be heard alongside the plaintive echos of Mark Hollis and Arthur Russell. The Mood Hut Records founder and NTS host digs deeper in all the directions that he only brushed upon on Opening the Door, creating a kaleidoscopic index of his omnivorous listening habits: from Underworld to Kate Bush, Disco Inferno to Bryan Ferry, Julian Cope to Arthur Verocai.

The LP will be released on Jack’s own Mood Hut Records on November 1st and will be followed by a live tour in the UK and Europe in November and December, featuring a string of dates opening for revered Los Angeles artist Jessica Pratt.
- Mood Hut Records, Vancouver

Produced by Jack Jutson at Mood Hut Studios, Chinatown Vancouver
Mixed by Jack Jutson and CZ Wang
Saxophone by Linda Fox
Strings on Falling Down a Well by Aiden Ayers
Bass on Down the Line by Diego Herrera
Additional synth on Red Cloud by Liam Butler
Artwork by Mela Melania + Jack Jutson






e A5. Pink Shoes Part I





Part II

"As I'm getting older, chip up on my shoulder..." is the opening line from Mac DeMarco's second full-length LP `Salad Days,' the follow up to 2012's lauded `Mac DeMarco 2.' Amongst that familiar croon and lilting guitar, that initial line from the title track sets the tone for an LP of a maturing singer/songwriter/producer. Someone strangely self-aware of the positives and negatives of their current situation at the ripe old age of 23. Written and recorded around a relentless tour schedule (which picked up all over again as soon as the LP was done), `Salad Days' gives the listener a very personal insight into what it's all about to be Mac amidst the craziness of a rising career in a very public format. The lead single, "Passing Out Pieces," set to huge overdriven organ chords, contains lines like "...never been reluctant to share, passing out pieces of me..." Clearly, this isn't the same record that breezily gave us "Dreamin," and "Ode to Viceroy" but the result of what comes from their success. "Chamber of Reflection," a track featuring icy synth stabs and soulful crooning, wouldn't be out of place on a fantasy Shuggie Otis and Prince collaboration. Standout tracks like these show Mac's widening sound, whether insights into future directions or even just welcome one-off forays into new territory. Still, this is musically, lyrically and melodically good old Mac DeMarco, through and through. The same crisp John Lennon / Phil Spector era homegrown lush production that could have walked out of Geoff Emerick's mixing board in 1972, but with that peculiar Mac touch that's completely of right now. "Brother," a complete future classic, is Mac at his most soulful and easygoing but with that distinct weirdness and bite that can only come from Mr. DeMarco. "Treat Her Better" is rife with "Mac-isms," heavily chorused slinky lead guitar, swooning vocal melodies, effortless chords that come along only after years of effort, and the other elements seriously lacking in independent music: sentiment and heartfelt sincerity. We're only at Part 2 and 1/2 (one EP and two LP's in) into Mac's career. As you read this and as you hear the album on April Fool's Day of this year, he'll probably be on tour, or preparing for one... or maybe already writing new music. A relentless work ethic is something to be admired in today's indie music scene, but when it's of the quality Mac is giving us time and time again, it starts to turn from admiration to awe.

Mac DeMarco's breakthrough sophomore album, Salad Days - released on April Fools', 2014 - garnered widespread critical acclaim, landing on over 30 Year End lists. It was the album that catapulted DeMarco from "loveable slacker" to "mature songwriter with a gaptoothed grin," all at the tender age of 23. DeMarco's demos for Salad Days, originally included in an expanded edition of the album only available on Captured Tracks Mail Order site, peel back the curtain of said artist, who, up until then, may have been more known for his raucous live shows than his genuine talent as a songwriter and craftsman. This collection of demos and sketches as well as previously unreleased instrumental demos offer a rare insight into Mac's world and process.

Paul Kelly"s latest album, "Fever Longing Still", his first of new original material since 2018"s "Nature", delivers 12 additions to his superb catalogue of love songs spanning more than 40 years. "Hello Melancholy, Hello Joy", as one of the new songs says. The album"s title comes from a line in Sonnet 147 by Shakespeare, whose writing has thrilled and inspired Kelly ever since schooldays. With love as the topic, Kelly finds a way to keep replenishing the creative well. Even if it can take some time for a song to surface.

Strange Power!, the fifth record from Durham, NC-based songwriter and poet Anne Malin Ringwalt, emerges from the darkest waters of the self into a world remade. Releasing in conjunction with her second book of poetry, What Floods (Inside the Castle, Oct. 2024), Strange Power! overflows with Ringwalt's teeming and sensuous personal symbolry: glowing lilacs and gentle queens, dolphins wild and girls who grew up brave _ T.S. Eliot sung by Cat Power, backed by Mount Eerie. She sings: "I rose up from water." Ringwalt writes and performs with the authority of a lifetime spent harnessing the alchemy of storytelling; her belief in the power of words to heal and transform is palpable in each achingly- delivered lyric. Made amidst profound inner and outer change, Strange Power! also sees Ringwalt taking up the role of self-producer for the first time, mirroring and supporting the record's Orphic quest by gathering contributions from a coterie of friends wielding an electric range of American instruments. Violins, vibraphones, drum machines, electric guitars dappled with spring reverb, wind-blown shells, and a host of other numinous sounds form an unfurling and shadowy world which was then carefully honed during the mixing process (shepherded by Michael Cormier-O'Leary and Lucas Knapp) _ settling the final record in an eerie meridian between spareness and verdancy. The result is a beguiling and darkly blooming realm: the sound of a personal cosmos being remade, piece by piece. Ringwalt is at the height of her spirit as both songwriter-poet and singer, her willowy voice by turns conjuring and keening as she reckons with her deep past and the stories told since. Opening track "The Pines" sets the stage for a record of truly life-long scope: "I was a child, now I hold her / I was asleep for many years." Some songs, like the gorgeous "North Carolina" and "The Saint," were written as early as 2013 but, Ringwalt says, "insisted upon being remembered" as the record took shape; in its final form, they serve as inciting moments of self-discovery before the journey to come. "The Visionary" recalls one of Ringwalt's earliest musical breakthroughs _ her re-rendering of an Emily Brontë poem into a song at age 15 _ and, she says, "`cites' the melody of that song in the context of this new one _ a holding of the past and present and every layer in between/beyond, in utter solitude _ a solitude that reflects certain aspects of abandon as a child and an adult..." This unusually lengthy time-scale lends Strange Power! a deeply moving sense of narrative fullness. Stretches of the record _ particularly the "Judgment Day" ? "River" ? "Lilac Bloom" trifecta that form the black heart of Side 1 _ may recall familiar wanderings of personal underworlds such as Mount Eerie's Lost Wisdom Pt. 2 or Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy. Yet this hollowed landscape is in turn exorcized by the a capella "I Know," in which Ringwalt sings "I won't be gutted by you / For giving and trying to heal / I won't be gutted, I am not a fool / I deserve a love that is new" before the song concludes with a piano passage that recalls hymnal music _ suggesting a faith in life itself to offer new beginnings. Side 2 features some of Ringwalt's most powerfully introspective writing to date, as the songwriter casts off myth after myth in her search for personal transformation. By the final song, "Stories," the energy that has been gathering all throughout the record breaks loose as Ringwalt reflects: "I wrote so many stories, not knowing what the end was." But at this stage in the journey, we know there is no such thing as an ending; if the healing process is never complete, the storyteller's strange power is what finally offers liberation.

Queen’s self-titled debut album will be remixed and released this October. This is the first time that a Queen album has been remixed. Retitled Queen I for this release, the front cover’s Queen logo, originally designed by Freddie Mercury, will be updated with the addition of the Roman numeral “I”. The original album was recorded in 1972 and was released in July 1973 on EMI Records in the UK and Elektra in the USA.

Featuring the singles “Keep Yourself Alive” and “Liar”, the album achieved Gold sales in the UK and USA, and has been a fan favourite ever since.

This Collector’s Edition sees the album presented in a whole new light, having been newly mixed from the original multi-track masters, and with the song “Mad The Swine” now reinstated into the album running order in its originally intended place.

The bonus discs that complete the 6CD+1LP set include: De Lane Lea Demos (also newly mixed from the original multi-track masters for the very first time); a CD comprised entirely of previously unreleased Queen I session out-take music and dialogue; a CD of instrumental and backing track versions of the album; a live CD featuring some of the best and most interesting live performances of songs from this album (some of which are previously unreleased); and finally, a disc comprised of Queen I tracks that were recorded for BBC Radio One (including DJ announcements).

Queen I – including “Mad The Swine” – is also presented on 180g black vinyl.

The Collector’s Edition is complemented by the addition of a 108-page 12” hardback book, which features a treasure trove of rare and previously unseen photography, hand-written lyrics, Freddie Mercury’s sketches, and more.

Presented in a rigid two-piece box with fold-out poster and four photo prints

Bonus 7”
A. Rincón de Luna (2.55)*
B. Voices (2.34)*

Singer/Songwriter Juliet Lawson’s album, ‘Boo’, was released on the Sovereign label in the UK in 1972. The album was the confident debut of a young British artist and featured twelve of Lawson’s own compositions.

In the same wave of early 1970s English singer-songwriters such as Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Christine McVie and despite being described at the time as ‘Britain’s answer to Joni Mitchell’ ‘Boo’ was to prove her only major label release with limited commercial success.
Over the next 50 years the album’s reputation has slowly grown and is today an expensive and collectible item. ‘Boo’ is presented here in its entirety.

The first pressing of the vinyl edition of the album also come with a bonus 7-inch single featuring two early demo tracks produced by ex-Yardbirds founder Paul Samwell-Smith, who also produced Carly Simon and Cat Stevens. Special Limited-Edition Album with bonus 7” Single + Download Code.

Includes interview with Juliet Lawson and exclusive photography.

In 2021, Will Marsh ditched his music career, packed his bags and headed to New Orleans to pursue an MFA. Pandemic brain had firmly set in, so while Marsh dove into his work with Habitat for Humanity, he also found himself dazed and confused amidst such a turbulent time. Music wasn't at the forefront of his mind_ but it chased him. Let's rewind a bit. Will Marsh started Gold Connections at the College of William and Mary, where longtime friend Will Toledo (Car Seat Headrest) produced and recorded Marsh's debut self-titled EP, released via Fat Possum in 2017. Two EPs followed on EggHunt, 2018's Popular Fiction and 2019's Like A Shadow. This leads us to Fortune, the band's brand new LP, out worldwide on October 25 via New Orleans indie Well Kept Secret. It's a record that sounds like "a conversation between old Virginia and the buzzy psychedelic world of post-COVID New Orleans," according to Marsh. The eleven tracks on Fortune deftly navigate a geographical and spiritual journey: remorse, intoxication, anger, mystery, destruction, and regeneration, delivered with the same approach that NPR hailed as "undeniably catchy" and Sterogum claimed was "an animal of it's own."

Releasing in the autumn of 2024 Andy Smith's curation of the 3rd volume in his Reach Up – Disco Wonderland series brings us more carefully selected music from the Discosphere. With tracks from artists as far ranging as Buscrates, Trailer Limon and Rena Scott included in this 16 track killer compilation Andy has also included excellent edits and remixes from such stellar names as Full Intention, Yam Who and Skratch Bastid. Indeed, the CD and digital versions of the release also include a fully continuous Skratch Bastid mix of all 16 tracks. Reach Up-Disco Wonderland vol. 3 was curated during the lockdown periods of the pandemic after a series of virtual 'nights out' viewing DJs such as Skratch Bastid, The Nextmen, Chris Wheatley and others performing sets on the Twitch platform. Andy is now playing out in the real world with some of the DJs he 'met' online so now the time is right to drop this compilation on BBE Music. Andy Smith's pedigree in sourcing and mixing tracks from across eras and genres goes back to his debut compilation release The Document in 1998, he was the explorer and provider of samples and breaks for the first two Portishead albums and played as the band's international tour DJ. His compilation track record of some fifteen plus releases since 1998 has covered New Orleans Funk, Northern Soul, Reggae, the mixed genre follow ups to the The Document and, of course, the now three volumes of the Reach Up-Disco Wonderland series on BBE Music. Pressed as a triple vinyl LP, along with the aforementioned double CD and digital versions, not only is Reach Up-Disco Wonderland vol. 3 a delight for the DJ consul and the dance floor, but also an audiophile's dream on vinyl with all tracks mastered at the renowned and Grammy nominated Carvery Studios.

DJ support from Husky, Hector Romero, Javi Bora,Grace Bones, Judge Jules, Sebb Junior, Jay Vegas,Odyssey Inc, ATFC, Claptone, Black Legend, CevinFisher, Michael Gray, Kisch, Hoxton Whores, FullIntention, Booker T, Jamie Jones, Knights Of TheTurntable, Sam Divine, DJ Rae, CASSIMM, Alex Preston

We’ve got a very special vinyl release for you; a brand-new rework of the 1982 classic ‘Do It To The Music’ by New York Dance group, Raw Silk being refreshed for 2024 by legendary UK DJ and producer, Michael Gray. Perfectly in-keeping with the Fool’s Paradise brand and ethos we have built over the past year, West End Records was a label close to our hearts having been one of the most influential dance labels of the past forty years and went on to define the sound of New York City during the heyday of Disco and the ever-popular, Studio 54. With the original reaching #5 in the US Billboard Dance Chart and #18 in the UK SinglesChart, such a classic West End Records record could only be revisited by one of the very best, and who better than Michael Gray to refresh this dance floor gem! Michael’s reworks pays true homage to the original adding his signature flair and groovy, funk-leaden sound. Featuring an exclusive reprise mix which is only available on the vinyl package!

Radio support on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music,BBC Radio Cornwall, Hedkandi, Kiss FM, Mi-Soul,Gaydio, Radio 105 / Montecarlo (Italy), Mambo Radio,Rinse fm, Select Radio, Totally Wired Radio, PointBlank, RTE, Power fm (Ireland), Metro FM (SA), CoolFm, Radio Reverb, Radio FG (France), Release Radioand many more.