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After the success of volume 1, Stereophonk unveils the long-awaited sequel with Bunch Of Funk Vol.2. This album features 18 unreleased tracks, available for the first time on vinyl, including two never-before-released tracks created in collaboration with the talented Medline (My Bags).

DJ Marrrtin, an iconic figure in the breakdance scene, delivers a powerful and organic sound that celebrates the heritage of breakdance while reinventing it for future generations. His tracks, played at the biggest battles, competitions, and break events around the world, are a true ode to dance.

Whether solo or with his group Funky Bijou, Marrrtin drops hard-hitting breaks that set the dance floor on fire. Each track is an invitation to let loose, express your style, and showcase your best moves.

Get ready to feel the contagious energy of Bunch Of Funk Vol.2 and dance without restraint!

Slow paced drums with offbeats softly phased with the guitar, misty takeoffs from the synthesizer: a hazy idyll is starting off on the road to the rocket festival (bun bang fai). Answering each other on the responsive mode of the lam soeng, Sothipong engages in a flirt but Oulay Vanh is not ready to trifle with just anybody.

As a stylistic variation of a popular Lao musical genre, the lam soeng was the source of several themes among which the “bang fai” - which is part of the Lao conciliatory festivities preceding the rainy season - remains one of the most renowned.

However, the producer and composer of these songs, Sothy, created an unusual arrangement: the instrumental introduction separates from the sang canon, the synthetic mix is stripped down of the traditional organology - everything here becomes unsettling for a listener familiar with the genre.

Everything comes with a reason: the record was edited in 1981 under the title Sothy Productions yet produced in France by the Parisian label Oxygène (famously known for its unforgettable first French punk compilation 125 grammes de 33 1/3 tours). Chansons Laotiennes still remains hard to classify.

And then who’s Sothy? Along with the unverifiable identity of the seemingly Laotian singers, skepticism gains ground concerning the man behind the pseudonym. Is he an escaped musician from one of the first Cambodian rock bands of the 1960s? A surviving producer from the 1980s Paris? Or a composer in transit in one of the many places of the Laotian diaspora? Sothy eludes any researches and disappears behind his numerous homonyms.

The second track is just as enigmatic: a beat box, a lightly reverberated voice as well as a guitar solo and a small synthesizer break, “Tuei” or “Tawai” offering (as the writing on the record suggests) makes way to dancing step and a truly joyful melody. Twisted and lively steps on a romantic background tune turn this second track into a genuine paslop - a program recommended by therapists to relieve muscular pains due to seated positions: you will unlock your pelvis with some synchronized Laotian choreographies.

For their first edits, Akuphone called on a young Parisian producer. Shelter, aka Alan Briand, mingles his own mixes and electro productions with a large variety of influences and styles: krautrock, disco, traditional music, psychedelic, synth pop, ambient, bossa nova, Japanese funk. He produces both original compositions and remix.

Certified Silver by the BPI, Warnings/Promises was the band’s fourth album and their second to break into the Top 10 following the success of their previous album, The Remote Part. After the release of The Remote Part, the band had a change in personnel with Gavin Fox replacing bassist Bob Fairfoull and touring guitarist Allan Stewart became a permanent member.

Warnings/Promises saw them take a different approach to the writing process, involving the whole band for the first time with a sound that marked a shift towards melodic rock as well as contemporary folk. A more stripped back sound than their previous albums, it featured the singles I Understand It, El Capitan and lead single, Love Steals Us From Loneliness.

Certified Silver by the BPI, Warnings/Promises was the band’s fourth album and their second to break into the Top 10 following the success of their previous album, The Remote Part. After the release of The Remote Part, the band had a change in personnel with Gavin Fox replacing bassist Bob Fairfoull and touring guitarist Allan Stewart became a permanent member.

Warnings/Promises saw them take a different approach to the writing process, involving the whole band for the first time with a sound that marked a shift towards melodic rock as well as contemporary folk. A more stripped back sound than their previous albums, it featured the singles I Understand It, El Capitan and lead single, Love Steals Us From Loneliness.

"The first album to take UB40 to the top of the UK charts, 1983’s Labour of Love followed a stunning run
that had seen the group’s previous three albums go Top 5 alongside eight UK Top 40 singles. With their
cover of Neil Diamond’s ‘Red Red Wine’ making the No.1 spot ahead of the album’s release, the group
had perfectly set the stage for their first-ever collection of cover versions.
Spawning a further three UK hits in the shape of ‘Please Don’t Make Me Cry’ (UK No.10), ‘Many Rivers to
Cross’ (UK No.16) and ‘Cherry Oh Baby’ (UK No.12), Labour of Love also inspired four sequels: 1989’s
Labour of Love II (UK No.3), 1998’s Labour of Love III (UK No.8), 2010’s Labour of Love IV (UK No.24) and
2018’s A Real Labour of Love (UK No.2), the latter of which was credited to UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro &
Mickey. A crucial part of British reggae history, the original Labour of Love saw all the hard work pay off
for this much-loved outfit, and it now returns to vinyl in an exclusive blue pressing.

"

"Amid the great British bands that have inspired the theme of this year’s National Album Day, Stereophonics continue to prove themselves to be one of the greatest. Originally formed in Cwmaman, South Wales, in 1992, the group, now consisting of Kelly Jones (vocals, guitar), Adam Zindani (guitar) Richard Jones (bass), Jamie Morrison (drums) and touring member Tony Kirkham (keyboards), made their mark with the Words Gets Around (UK No.6) and Performance and Cocktails (UK No.1) albums, and continued their chart-topping run with their third release, 2001’s Just Enough Education to Perform. Remaining at the top of the UK charts for two weeks, the album sold 140,000 copies on its way to becoming the fourth biggest-selling album in the UK in 2001. Re-entering the charts several times over the next three years, it would be certified six-times platinum and crowned the 39th best-selling album of the decade. With more than 400,000 copies sold to date and streaming figures sailing past the 340 million mark, Just Enough Education to Perform makes a welcome return to vinyl for this year’s National Album Day, in an exclusive, limited-edition green pressing. Beloved by fans, the album featured three Top 10 singles, ‘Mr. Writer’ and ‘Have a Nice Day’ making for a timeless work that fuels Stereophonics’ continued appeal. Still releasing music today, the group have continued their chart-topping streak, with their latest album, 2022’s Oochya!, becoming their eighth UK No.1 album."

"One of the most iconic groups of the late 20th century, Dire Straits established their timeless sound from the
moment they first appeared on the London gig circuit, in 1977. With faultless musicianship and memorable songs
that quickly connected with music lovers, it was clear the group would set their own path, proving that, even amid
the new-wave era, classic songwriting would never go out of fashion.
After three years of relentless hard work, touring, writing and recording their music, the group entered the 1980s
well on their way to becoming the biggest-selling band in the world. That year’s Making Movies album would also
make its presence felt on the silver screen, thanks to the inclusion of the UK No.8 single ‘Romeo And Juliet’ – later
used in films such as Empire Records, Hot Fuzz and I, Tonya – and live favourite ‘Tunnel Of Love’, which featured in
the 1982 Richard Gere film, An Officer and a Gentleman. Dire Straits’ frontman, Mark Knopfler, would later explain
to The Times how satisfying it was to write ‘Tunnel Of Love’: “It’s the moment when you know you’re really on to
something,” he said. “There’s a certain part of the song that I call the breakdown and when I got there I could feel
the drums, the piano, all the things that I wanted all the instruments to do. When you get to that state, there’s a
strange sense of one thing following another, of elements falling into place quite naturally.”
Paying extra attention to those elements, this half-speed master of Making Movies has been overseen by Miles
Showell at Abbey Road Studios, in London, resulting in a cut that has a superior high-frequency response (treble)
and very solid and stable stereo images. Pressed on 180g vinyl, it comes with alternative artwork that swaps the
red and the blue of the original album sleeve, plus a printed inner sleeve, a “Half-Speed Master”-branded obi-strip
and an Abbey Road certificate of authenticity.
"

It's been nearly a decade since Montreal's PYPY (pronounced like 'π π'...with a long 'i' rather than long 'e', thank you very much) landed with their debut Pagan Day (Slovenly), but the same lunatics behind CPC Gangbangs, Red Mass and Duchess Says are back with Sacred Times on Goner Records. One might recall the thunderous pop of their banger "She's Gone" carving out a place for itself in the high-end fashion world, becoming the soundtrack to Yves Saint Laurent's 2016 show. If that album bounced, punched and clawed like Delta 5 covered in dirt and trying to get somewhere in a booted vehicle while dodging lightning rod guitar licks the whole way, Sacred Times takes things to somewhere far beyond the proverbial "next level."

Co-vocalist/founder/multi-instrumentalist Annie-Claude Deschênes' (Duchess Says) signature howl and vocal acrobatics are present but so is a tendency towards beautiful melodies. Bassist Philippe Clement's (Duchess Says) brings a nastier bottom end that locks onto Simon Besré's drumming with a death grip for the entire affair. And guitarist/co-vocalist Roy Vucino (Red Mass, CPC Gangbangs, Black Leather Rose, Les Sexareenos, a gazillion others) goes bonkers with wildass blown-out guitar that's like hornets caught in yr hair.

"Lonely Striped Sock" grooves along like "Earthbeat"-era Slits/ESG until the chorus transforms PYPY into something else entirely. Something huge. Something with monster riffs and wah wah that pins you to the back wall. So there is clearly a brilliance with dynamics here, and it proves to be a not-so-secret-weapon that repays the "ear-vestment" in dividends throughout. "Ear-vestment"? Yikes. Then it's time for "She's Back," a sort of part 2/continuation (maybe a trilogy is in the works?) of Pagan Day's best-known gem (the aforementioned "She's Gone"). This one packs a hook that'll make your brain take out a restraining order. Looking for lost keys? Jury duty? Underwater welding? Negotiating a hostage situation? It doesn't matter...nothing will stop it from invading your thoughts. They say the only way to get a song unstuck from the noodle is to listen to it from start to finish, but you'll be doing that anyway. A lot. "Erase" is a (synth) noise-punk nugget; revealing a need for Brainiac-meets-Blondie we didn't know we had...deceptively kicking off with a no-fi drum machine that is immediately lost in the massive pop din that seemingly includes everything within reach. "Poodle Escape" is two minutes of perfect (and perfectly distorted) synth-punk and "I Am A Simulation" – with lead vox from Vucino – is yet another hit that deviates from the noise a bit and pays homage to both Devo and classic late-70's (big) power-pop (ex: the first Cars LP), but with a manic nature that is 150% circa right now. "15 Sec" (actually 3:38 in duration, thankfully) serves up a stanky-brown bass line, Deschênes' gorgeous vocals, wonderfully combative white hot, pin-the-meters Oh Sees/early Comets on Fire guitar rips, and a stunning coda that seems to utilize everything great about this band over its final minute. The album's title track is a love letter to Hawkwind in the musical language already established here. "Vanishing Blinds" is like being chased through the rain-soaked streets in an unknown dystopian nightmare from 40+ years ago. The album closes with the brooding if not playful menace of "Poodle Escape,” which, like its predecessors, is completely unlike every track before it.

Matt Filippini is an Italian guitar player, rock songwriter and producer. After working with some local bands, he started to take it seriously when in 2001 he started to play some gigs in Italy during a masterclass tour of the legendary drummer Ian Paice (Deep Purple founder and current member since 1968 but also with Paul McCartney, Gary Moore and Whitesnake). One year later, in 2003, after writing a bunch of rocking songs and recording a demo in his home studio, Matt gave a cd with the tracks to listen to Mr. Paice who liked the stuff and agreed to record the drum tracks for the songs. So after Ian Paice recorded three of the tracks, Matt asked Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, ...) to record vocals for two of the songs. Those became Rose In Hell and Where Do You Hide The Blues You've Got, two of the most appreciated songs from the first Matt's studio album, MOONSTONE PROJECT Time To Take A stand, released April 2006 on Majestic Rock Records. The album features other rock and roll gods like Carmine Appice, Steve Walsh of Kansas, Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult, Graham Bonnet of Rainbow and many more! The album, produced and written by Filippini himself, has been acclaimed by the music press with some great reviews and adored by thousands of classic rock fans from all over the World. In 2010 Matt toured Spain and Italy with Carmine Appice., in September 2010 Matt he played a festival in Sardinia along with Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Bobby Kimball and Steve Lukather of Toto and Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath and Ronnie Dio).In 2011, Through the next few years he played with Deep Purple, Doogie White (Rainbow and Malmsteen) and Neil Murray (Whitesnake and brian May Band), as well as several gigs with Hughes and Paice. He has certainly been active these last few years! the Moonstone Project title “New Life” the full album has been completely remixed and remastered by Fredrik Folkare, featuring on the album the Rock legends Glenn Hughes, Graham Bonnet, Eric Bloom, James Christian, Andrew Freeman, Ian Paice, Ken Hensley, Carmine Appice etc.

Coming together as Raz & Afla, Raz Olsher and Afla Sackey converge worlds through their dynamic fusion of electronic and traditional African rhythms, forging a path that is as bold as it is innovative. Rooted in their deep-seated passion for music and cultural exploration, they seamlessly blend their distinct musical backgrounds to create a unique sonic landscape that captivates audiences worldwide.

Raz Olsher is a visionary producer and composer known for his boundary-pushing electronic soundscapes, bringing his expertise in blending diverse musical elements to the duo. His meticulous attention to detail and penchant for experimentation form the foundation upon which Raz & Afla's sound thrives.

Already part of the Wah Wah 45s family with his band Afrik Bawantu, Afla Sackey is an esteemed percussionist and vocalist with roots tracing back to Ghana. He infuses the duo's music with rich traditional African rhythms and melodies. Afla's virtuosity on percussion instruments and his soulful vocals add a visceral, organic dimension to their compositions, creating a mesmerising auditory experience that transcends cultural boundaries.

Together, Raz & Afla defy genre limitations, seamlessly weaving together electronic beats, Afrobeat grooves, and intricate percussive textures. Their music resonates with a deep sense of cultural authenticity and a forward-thinking approach that pushes the boundaries of contemporary music.

Following on from their critically acclaimed full length debut The Cycle, and its subsequent remix project, their sophomore LP, Echoes Of Resistance, finds the duo remaining committed to exploring new sonic territories and creating music that speaks to the universal language of rhythm and melody. Once again, they invite listeners on a journey that celebrates the beauty of cultural exchange and the power of music to inspire and unite.

From more politically conscious cuts like the singles What's Going On? and We Taya, and On Da Phone, which deals with addiction to social media, to dealing with more personal and social issues on songs like ENo Be Me and Ano Be Mumu, Raz & Afla's music is something for the mind, body and spirit, as well as the feet.

There are moments of pure euphoria and unadulterated joy too though, as tracks like Mon Ni Fere, Voodoo Zeezee and Baby Moo inspire elated, tribal dance floor pleasure, and there's still time for a little, good old fashioned loving as Shikor Shikor conjures up the raw emotions of care and affection whilst delivering a hypnotic beat and instantly irresistible vocals from Afla Sackey.

With a growing discography that includes critically acclaimed releases and collaborations with musicians from around the globe, Raz & Afla continue to carve out their place in the international music scene. Their electrifying live performances are celebrated for their energy and the profound connection they forge with audiences, making every show a vibrant celebration of musical diversity and harmony.

Black Truffle is pleased to announce a tenth anniversary reissue of Oren Ambarchi’s Quixotism, originally released on Editions Mego in 2014. Recorded with a multitude of collaborators in Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA, Quixotism presents the fruit of two years of work in the form of a single, LP-length piece in five parts. Quixotism takes the driving rhythmic aspect of works such as Sagittarian Domain to new levels, with the entirety of this long-form work built on a foundation of pulsing double-time electronic percussion provided by Thomas Brinkmann. Beginning as almost subliminal propulsion behind cavernous orchestral textures and John Tilbury’s delicate piano interjections, the percussive elements (elaborated on by Ambarchi and Matt Chamberlain) slowly inch into the foreground of the piece before suddenly breaking out into a polyrhythmic shuffle around the halfway mark, and joined by master Japanese tabla player U-zhaan for the piece’s final, beautiful passages.

The pulse acts as thread leading the listener through a heterogeneous variety of acoustic spaces, from the concert hall in which the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra were recorded to the intimacy of crys cole’s contact-mic textures. Ambarchi’s guitar itself ranges over this wide variety of acoustic spaces, from airless, clipped tones to swirling, reverberated fog. Within the complex web Ambarchi spins over the piece’s steadily pulsing foundation, elements approach and recede in a non-linear fashion, even as the piece plots an overall course from the grey, almost Nono-esque reverberated space of its opening section to the crisp foreground presence of Jim O’Rourke’s synth and Evyind Kang’s strings in its final moments. Formally indebted to the side-long workouts of classic Cologne techno, the long-form works of composers such as Éliane Radigue and the organic push and pull of improvised performance,
Quixotism is constantly in motion, yet its transitions happen slowly and steadily, often nearly imperceptible, the diverse elements which make up the piece succeeding one another with the logic of a dream.

At the time of its first release, Quixotism was clearly a summation of Ambarchi’s work in the years leading up to it. Now, listening back a decade later, it also seems like an arrow pointing to the future, suggesting paths that would be explored further in works to come: the pulsating guitar layers of Hubris, the album-length collaboration with Jim O’Rourke and U-zhaan on Hence, Shebang’s joyous layering and percussive drive. Now sounding better than ever in a new remaster by Joe Talia, the time is ripe to rediscover its quixotic charms.

Fully Restored Vinyl Remaster & Restored Original CD Release Artwork For Vinyl With
Memorabilia Assemblage Full Colour Inner-Sleeve
“A pitch-perfect exercise in the type of literary pop music that I felt had gone amiss since
Factory stopped releasing records. “ Alan McGee (On 17 Stars – The Guardian 2009 )
After a short label hiatus, Caroline True Records are delighted to bring you a limited
vinyl edition of a classic Salford /Manchester album.
The Montgolfier Brothers, Mark Tranmer (GNAC) & Roger Quigley (At Swim Two Birds)
initially released “Seventeen Stars” on the Salford-based Vespertine label in 1999.
Much critical acclaim & appreciation from pop dynamo Alan McGee led to a 2000 re
release on his nascent post-Creation Poptones imprint.
“So we ended up pressing records as usual. Our first record was Seventeen Stars by the
Montgolfier Brothers, a baroque, cinematic classic that almost no-one has ever heard.” Alan
McGee (On Poptones in “Creation Stories: Riots, Raves & Running A Label” 2013 )
Since that moment, “Seventeen Stars” has gathered universal plaudits & affection,
along with occasional live performances from the group.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the original release, CTR have remastered this brilliant
work for vinyl. The sleeve expands the original Vespertine CD release artwork to LP
size. Beautiful, memorable, fragile ... An album that proves the longevity of great
songwriting, tunes and textures that stay with you.
“An exquisitely beautiful elegy to a lifetime of misspent opportunities.”. (Exclaim – USA 2000)
For lovers of Felt, The Durutti Column, Jacques Brel, The Blue Nile & François de Roubaix.
This is a vinyl only strictly limited-edition release with no repress.

Songwriter and performer Sam Cooke (1931-1964) was one of the most popular and influential black singers to emerge in the late 50s.

For the next reissue in Mr Bongo’s Cuban Classics series, we look to Raúl Gómez’s entrancing 1977 Instrumental album. Presenting a unique blend of orchestral disco and jazz-funk, with Afro-Cuban flavours and soundtrack influences, it’s rich with drum breaks, energy and evolving compositions. A record that forever keeps you guessing, powered by an exemplary orchestra at the top of their game.

Cuban composer and singer Raúl Gómez is most known for featuring in the groups Mirtha Y Raul and Los Bucaneros alongside producing the Cuban classic Los Reyes 73 album, amongst a whole host of other incredible productions over the years. Released on Cuba’s state-owned label Areito, Instrumental sees Gómez not only as an instrumentalist and author, but also as a producer and arranger.

It's an album that deftly evades pigeonholing. Floating between instrumental mood music and library/soundtrack mastery, followed by explosions of cosmic-Latin funk, psych guitar workouts and compositions that reflect the orchestrated disco coming out of the US at the time, from greats such as Love Unlimited or MFSB. Lace that together with a healthy serving of Afro-Cuban magic to underpin the tracks and it’s a recipe for a record that captivates from start to finish.

Predominantly an instrumental album as the title suggests, the record showcases the Orquesta EGREM in full flow, soaring strings and vibrant horns at every turn. Highlights include 'Mi Samba Carnaval' with its breathtaking drum break, bubbling synths and sublime arrangements and the romantic film music impressions of ‘Tema De La Sierra', that have been a sampling source for many a producer. Elsewhere, ‘6 Son’ is a mind-melding psych guitar powerhouse, with 'Dacapo', written by Gilberto Peralta, offering up a slice of atmospheric and energetic Latin shuffle. One of only a handful of tracks where scat vocals compliment the orchestral tones, a Brazilian percussion theme marries with dancefloor sensibilities for a dose of feel-good, brilliance.

A wide-ranging, multi-dimensional release, Instrumental exhibits musicianship, composition and creativity at its finest and demonstrates another key example of the rich output of music that flowed from the island of Cuba post revolution.

Pique is the sensational debut solo album from Dora Morelenbaum, one of the key talents spearheading Brazil’s new musical wave. A member of the Latin Grammy award-winning band, Bala Desejo, Dora showcases a new side to her solo productions on this special LP. Whereas Dora’s first solo EP, Vento de Beirada, was a leap of faith, Pique sees her soaring as one of Brazil’s standout stars, emboldened, emphatic but ever elegant. Building bridges between past and present, it’s a funkier, more groove-based affair, weaved together with those signature, slower, celestial tracks. Touching on disco, MPB, soul, R&B and jazz, the album is enriched with an indie pop aesthetic courtesy of fellow Brazilian star and co-producer, Ana Frango Elétrico.

With an ethereal, enveloping air few can match, Dora’s gift shines through both the serene and the spirited songs contained within. The blissful, sun-soaked ‘Não Vou Te Esquecer’ opens, before the funk-fuelled, feel-good ‘Venha Comigo’ and ‘Sim, Não.’ give a glimpse of the creativity bursting from the production partnership between Dora and Ana Frango Elétrico. Elsewhere, the album reclines into hazy lean-back realms via ‘A Melhor Saída’ and ‘Petricor’, virtuoso jazz funk in the form of ‘VW Blue’ and radiant MPB through the album’s title track ‘Pique’.

The drumming is tight, fresh and swung, the horns and strings deftly arranged, as funk-driven basslines and strutting guitars mesh with playful production touches that give an added vibrancy to the record. It is an album that exhibits every side of Dora and one she has been involved in from the ground up, from the songwriting, singing, arrangement and production to booking the studio time and sourcing the artwork designer, Maria Cau Levy.

An exchange of musical ideas powers every great scene and Rio’s contemporary landscape is no different - a family of interconnected musicians and friends that collaborate on each other’s productions. Pique is graced by a wealth of these leading Brazilian lights including her Bala Desejo bandmates Lucas Nunes, Julia Mestre and Zé Ibarra, as well as Guilherme Lirio, Alberto Continentino and Tom Veloso to name just a handful. This exchange crosses generations merging tradition with modernity. In a full circle moment, Dora’s parents Paula and Jaques Morelenbaum, who featured in countless recordings from Tom Jobim's Nova Banda and Ryuichi Sakamoto to Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil, join on the album through backing vocals and arrangement.

Pique sees Dora embrace a freedom through fresh forms, showcasing the depth and diversity of her creative artistry. An infinitely listenable release that nods to Brazilian greats like Gal Costa, Banda Black Rio and Lincoln Olivetti, fused with the indie pop edge of Ana’s production. The result is truly unique and sure to be a future Brazilian classic.

Third Man Records geben mit großer Freude das Signing des australischen Vierers The Belair Lip Bombs und die Neuauflage ihres 2023 erschienenen
Durchbruchsalbums Lush Life bekannt.
Das Album fängt ein breites Indie-Songwriting ein, das von Maisie Everett (Gitarre, Tasten, Gesang) geleitet und von einem talentierten Trio von
Musikern in Mike Bradvica (Gitarren), Liam De Bruin (Schlagzeug) und Jimmy Droughton (Bass) ergänzt wird.
Mit den bisherigen Singles „Stay Or Go“, „Gimme Gimme“ und „Say My Name“ ist Lush Life ein perfektes Album, in das sich Ersthörer vertiefen
können.
„Die Art von druckvoller, hookgeladener Rockplatte, die kaum noch gemacht wird, geradlinig im Sound, aber nehazu unangreifbar in ihrer
Konstruktion.“ The Guardian, Ones To Watch
„Energie und Experimentierfreude kollidieren auf einem aufregenden Debüt.“ **** NME

Third Man Records geben mit großer Freude das Signing des australischen Vierers The Belair Lip Bombs und die Neuauflage ihres 2023 erschienenen
Durchbruchsalbums Lush Life bekannt.
Das Album fängt ein breites Indie-Songwriting ein, das von Maisie Everett (Gitarre, Tasten, Gesang) geleitet und von einem talentierten Trio von
Musikern in Mike Bradvica (Gitarren), Liam De Bruin (Schlagzeug) und Jimmy Droughton (Bass) ergänzt wird.
Mit den bisherigen Singles „Stay Or Go“, „Gimme Gimme“ und „Say My Name“ ist Lush Life ein perfektes Album, in das sich Ersthörer vertiefen
können.
„Die Art von druckvoller, hookgeladener Rockplatte, die kaum noch gemacht wird, geradlinig im Sound, aber nehazu unangreifbar in ihrer
Konstruktion.“ The Guardian, Ones To Watch
„Energie und Experimentierfreude kollidieren auf einem aufregenden Debüt.“ **** NME

Jazz, techno and ambient collide on the debut album from the futuristic quartet led by keyboardist Gauthier Toux

In vielen nordischen Mythen verfügen Stimmen über magische Kräfte. Unter dem Namen WHISPERING VOID erforscht und verkörpert ein Kollektiv renommierter Musiker von Norwegens Westküste auf ihrem Debütalbum "At the Sound of the Heart" diese alten Traditionen. Alle Bandmitglieder brachten einen Teil ihres musikalischen Hintergrunds in WHISPERING VOID ein: Die unverwechselbaren Stimmen von WARDRUNAs Lindy-Fay Hella und ihrem männlichen Gegenpart Kristian "Gaahl" Espedal ziehen Zuhörer mit einer enormen Bandbreite an Techniken und Tönen unwiderstehlich in ihren Bann. Gitarrist Ronny Stavestrand und ENSLAVED-Schlagzeuger Iver Sandøy kombinieren auf "At the Sound of the Heart" unter anderem Ambient, psychedelischen Prog und Rock mit Klängen aus dunklem Folk und Metal zu etwas, das im Kern nordisch klingt, aber über die vielen bereits erforschten Sounds hinausgeht. Der kreative Funke, der das Feuer von WHISPERING VOID entfachte, kam aus einer langen Zeit musikalischer Experimente von Ronny Stavestrand. Der Gitarrist hatte viele Jahre in der legendären Underground Black Metal Band TRELLDOM des herausragenden Sängers Kristian "Gaahl" Espedal verbracht. Espedal war mit GORGOROTH zu notorischem Ruhm gelangt und hat inzwischen mit GAAHLS WYRD einen weiteren eigenen Kanal für seine Kreativität etabliert. Daher lag es für Stavestrand nah, Espedal um dessen Mitwirkung bei WHISPERING VOID zu bitten. Der Sänger stimmte zu und als bei der gemeinsamen Erkundung neuer Klangdimensionen der Bedarf nach einer weiblichen Stimme aufkam, war Gaahl aufgrund seines früheren Mitwirkens bei WARDRUNA sofort bewusst, dass die charakteristische, kraftvolle Stimme von deren Frontfrau Lindy-Fay Hella, die sie auch in ihren eigenen Projekten einbrachte, perfekt zu WHISPERING VOID passen würde. Zum Glück folgte die Sängerin gerne dem Ruf des Duos. Das Quartett wurde schließlich durch Iver Sandøy als Schlagzeuger und Bassist komplettiert, der sein makelloses musikalisches Feingefühl und Timing schon vor einigen Jahren in den Dienst von ENSLAVED stellte, und sich zuvor bereits mit der progressiven Band EMMERHOFF & THE MELANCHOLY BABIES einen Namen gemacht hatte. Das Ergebnis ihrer kollektiven Studioexperimente und ihres kontinuierlichen Austauschs ist eine einzigartige Mischung aus den diversen Einflüssen, welche die Bandmitglieder repräsentieren.

‘Tension II’, the high-energy, high-octane partner of the Number 1 album and global smash ‘Tension’, sees Kylie head further into the electronic space, and is packed full of dance floor anthems. The collection of 13 songs includes 9 brand new Kylie studio tracks as well as the latest dance hit ‘Edge of Saturday Night’ with The Blessed Madonna, plus collaborations with Orville Peck, Bebe Rexha, Tove Lo and Sia.

In vielen nordischen Mythen verfügen Stimmen über magische Kräfte. Unter dem Namen WHISPERING VOID erforscht und verkörpert ein Kollektiv renommierter Musiker von Norwegens Westküste auf ihrem Debütalbum "At the Sound of the Heart" diese alten Traditionen. Alle Bandmitglieder brachten einen Teil ihres musikalischen Hintergrunds in WHISPERING VOID ein: Die unverwechselbaren Stimmen von WARDRUNAs Lindy-Fay Hella und ihrem männlichen Gegenpart Kristian "Gaahl" Espedal ziehen Zuhörer mit einer enormen Bandbreite an Techniken und Tönen unwiderstehlich in ihren Bann. Gitarrist Ronny Stavestrand und ENSLAVED-Schlagzeuger Iver Sandøy kombinieren auf "At the Sound of the Heart" unter anderem Ambient, psychedelischen Prog und Rock mit Klängen aus dunklem Folk und Metal zu etwas, das im Kern nordisch klingt, aber über die vielen bereits erforschten Sounds hinausgeht. Der kreative Funke, der das Feuer von WHISPERING VOID entfachte, kam aus einer langen Zeit musikalischer Experimente von Ronny Stavestrand. Der Gitarrist hatte viele Jahre in der legendären Underground Black Metal Band TRELLDOM des herausragenden Sängers Kristian "Gaahl" Espedal verbracht. Espedal war mit GORGOROTH zu notorischem Ruhm gelangt und hat inzwischen mit GAAHLS WYRD einen weiteren eigenen Kanal für seine Kreativität etabliert. Daher lag es für Stavestrand nah, Espedal um dessen Mitwirkung bei WHISPERING VOID zu bitten. Der Sänger stimmte zu und als bei der gemeinsamen Erkundung neuer Klangdimensionen der Bedarf nach einer weiblichen Stimme aufkam, war Gaahl aufgrund seines früheren Mitwirkens bei WARDRUNA sofort bewusst, dass die charakteristische, kraftvolle Stimme von deren Frontfrau Lindy-Fay Hella, die sie auch in ihren eigenen Projekten einbrachte, perfekt zu WHISPERING VOID passen würde. Zum Glück folgte die Sängerin gerne dem Ruf des Duos. Das Quartett wurde schließlich durch Iver Sandøy als Schlagzeuger und Bassist komplettiert, der sein makelloses musikalisches Feingefühl und Timing schon vor einigen Jahren in den Dienst von ENSLAVED stellte, und sich zuvor bereits mit der progressiven Band EMMERHOFF & THE MELANCHOLY BABIES einen Namen gemacht hatte. Das Ergebnis ihrer kollektiven Studioexperimente und ihres kontinuierlichen Austauschs ist eine einzigartige Mischung aus den diversen Einflüssen, welche die Bandmitglieder repräsentieren.

Nothing But Net presents “Perceptions”, the debut LP from Los Angeles producer/beat maker Jamma-Dee aka Dyami O’Brien. Jamma-Dee has been a figure in the west coast modern funk and boogie scene, both as an accomplished DJ and music producer, having released records under his own name and producing for the likes of Joyce Wrice, Mndsgn and others.

From a musical upbringing in Los Angeles, Dyami’s adolescent obsession with record digging and beatmaking eventually led him to Dam-Funk’s renown Funkmosphere parties where he built friendships with key players in the LA funk scene and began to make a name for himself as a DJ and producer. In the second half of the 2010’s he released a series of EPs on Arcane and hosted the legendary Soul In Paradise show on NTS radio.

His first full-length, “Perceptions” is a long time in the making. Beginning with studio experiments nearly a decade ago, a version of the album found its way to producer and Nothing But Net label boss Onra, who helped guide the project to completion. The album artwork was created by outsider soul music conceptualist and painter, Mingering Mike, whom O’Brien felt compelled to reach out to after discovering his work years earlier. Thematically, the artwork, record, and its title touch on very modern themes: the alienation of life in a world of instant-gratification, an overly-connected society of masks, distorted realities and shifting identities.

Musically, “Perceptions” is the culmination of a life lived under the groove. Featuring a long list of collaborators, including Benedek, Mndsgn, Koreatown Oddity, the legendary Craig T. Cooper and fellow NBN labelmate, Devin Morrison, the double album touches on all of O’Brien’s musical influences. Album opener “Up N Down” sets the scene with it’s syrupy g-funk impressionism, before “Jamma’s Jam” bounces out of the speakers through an auburn-colored sunset haze of lush Rhodes chords and sparkling vibraphones. “It Takes A Freak” and “Datafile Groove” shuffle westward, re-imagining New Jack Swing grooves through a distinctly Californian lens. Elsewhere, the album touches on classic deep house rhythms (“Tic Toc” and “Silly”) and crystalline, downtempo R&B and UK street soul (“Joy”, “Saturday”).“U.R.” features legendary L.A. guitarist Craig T. Cooper laying down a network of stunning, silken guitar lines with absolute class.

Over the course of these 15 tracks, Jamma Dee consolidates, renovates and perpetuates the sound of his influences. “Perceptions” is a masterclass in modern funk and soul production.

BLIND EGO ist zurück! Der Gitarrist der deutschen Vorzeige-Artrock-Band RPWL Kalle Wallner hat sein Versprechen wahr gemacht und ein neues Album aufgenommen. "The Hunting Party" drückt im Vergleich zu seiner Hauptband RPWL das Pedal deutlich zugunsten von Rock- und Metal-Elementen durch. Seit dem Debut aus dem Jahre 2007 ist der neue Longplayer bereits sein fünftes Studio-Album. Dazu erschien 2017 ein Live-Album und 2022 sein "beinahe-Instrumental"-Album "Voices" unter eigenem Namen. Wallner scheinen die Ideen und die Lust am Produzieren nicht auszugehen - trotz seiner Hauptband RPWL, dem eigenem Label Gentle Art Of Music, seinem Tonstudio und vielen weiteren Projekten als Produzent und Gitarrist. Dabei stand die Tour des letzten Albums 'Preaching To The Choir' unter keinem guten Stern. Für viele Fans waren diese Konzerte im Frühling 2020 die letzten unmittelbar vor dem Corona-Lockdown und für viele Monate die letzten Konzert-Erlebnisse. Zum großartigen Gesamteindruck des Albums trägt neben Wallners außergewöhnlichem und markantem Gitarrenspiel vor allem der talentierte und erstklassige Sänger Kevin Kearns bei. Kearns, der bei seiner eigenen Metalcore-Band Cyant normalerweise ganz andere Töne anschlägt, entpuppt sich als Idealbesetzung: er interpretiert die Songs auf 'The Hunting Party' ganz besonders emotional, nimmt einen durch alle leisen und lauten Passagen mit - mal schnörkellos, mal filigran, aber immer höchst ausdrucksstark und voller Energie strotzend.?Dazu gesellen sich erneut Ausnahme-Drummer Michael Christoph und Wallners langjähriger musikalischer Weggefährte Yogi Lang (RPWL), der dem Album nicht nur als Mitproduzent und Keyboarder seinen Stempel aufdrückt, sondern sich auch für den glasklaren Mix und das Mastering verantwortlich zeigt.
Kevin Kearns führt hier den Hörer atemberaubend durch alle emotionalen Höhen und Tiefen, ehe die Wogen ruhiger werden und der längste Song des Albums mit einen wunderschönen Gitarren-Solo schließt. Nicht zuletzt wegen solcher Soli fällt einem bei Wallner sehr schnell der Vergleich zur Pink Floyd-Ikone David Gilmour ein. Dieser zentrale Song umfasst sehr gut dieses emotionale und abwechslungsreiche Album.

Line-up:
Kalle Wallner - guitars, bass, keyboards, programming
Kevin Kearns - vocals
Yogi Lang - keyboards
Michael Christoph - drums

Pianist Aaron Parks returns to Blue Note—where he released his influential 2008 album Invisible Cinema—with Little Big III, the third studio album from his acclaimed band Little Big featuring guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist David Ginyard Jr., and drummer Jongkuk Kim. Co-produced by Parks and Don Was, the collective’s concise, accessible writing and vibrant, empathetic playing elevate the band’s powerfully modern, post-genre concept for improvised music in the 21st century.

Das beeindruckende Modern Past-Album von Maximilian Schindler, besser bekannt als Flawless Issues, erblickte bisher nur digital und in je kleinsten, persönlichen Auflagen auf Kassette sowie auf CD das Licht der Welt. Nun hat das Stuttgarter Label Treibender Teppich Records sich mit Max zusammengetan, um dieses famosedes Synth-Post-Pop/New Wave-Werk endlich auch auf Vinyl erhältlich zu machen. Begonnen hat Flawless Issue zusammen mit Edwin Rosen und einer Split-12" in 2020. Und für Fans von Edwin Rosen, Steintor Herrenchor, Levin Goes Lightly oder Betterrov ist Moder Past ein Muss. Die limitierte Erstauflage (300 weltweit) erscheint in einem transparenten Gelb, jede Platte kommt mit einem exklusiven Polaroid, das Max in den Straßen Berlins aufgenommen und signiert hat. Der künstler selbst sagt: "I recorded this album 2022 in june in berlin neukölln at okerstrasse 5. the album represents one week in berlin. what else can i say ? listen to it in one piece. because that's what i designed it for."

It's a pleasure, a labour of love and a yearly highlight to present a new volume of the Mr Bongo Record Club series. In this collection, we have curated new finds alongside old, treasured tracks that hold a special place in our hearts, selecting music inspiring us from the Brazilian, Latin, soul, disco, gospel, cosmic, dancehall and downtempo genres. We have chosen a diverse array of artists, including Os Panteras from Brazil, stomping underground disco by Claude Jay, the Danish soul sounds of Gitte & Inger and the gospel excellence of Truth & Devotion, to name a few.

Most of the selections in this volume are older vintage productions, however, there is one very special contemporary production, recorded exclusively for Mr Bongo Record Club 7. For ‘Spring Has Sprung’, we linked three of our cherished musical family together; the legendary cult artist Asha Puthli, the wonderous band SOYUZ and Swedish maestro Sven Wunder. The result, as you’d expect, is completely breathtaking.

Reflecting on Volume 7, it now feels like a record comprised of two themes. Firstly, we have gone quite heavy on the Brazilian selections. This saw us searching further afield and digging into other areas of the endlessly rich Brazilian musical tapestry. The reflection of a more folk / Afro-Brazilian sound than presented in previous volumes in the series, can be heard in the songs of As Sublimes, Romeu Fernandes and Conjunto de Percussão Dora Pinto. The second theme is a representation of the tracks that we have been playing in our club DJ sets and are aimed more at the dancefloor. Disco tracks such as 'Come Inside' by The Shades of Love and The Duncans' 'Too Damn Hot' have been firmly tested favourites in recent years.

We hope these songs, by the sensational artists on display, inspire you as much as they do us. Music is the gift that keeps giving and there is so much more to learn, find, and share.

NEW 2024 ALBUM, LP, 180G, HiGH QUALITY VINYL HAND MADE IN DENMARK IN AN ARTISANAL PROCESS (in a an Audiophile Quality approach where EVERY 75th COPY IS QUALITY CHECKED IN FULL).

For their 45th Band Anniversary the Iconic duo is still grooving and back with FOREVERGREEN
With Laid Back's 12 favourite songs of all time in a brand new recorded Laid Back cover version,
incl. "All You Need is Love", "House of The Rising Sun", "My Generation", "Gloria". "Whiter Shade Of Pale"
and so many more.
HQ Vinyl LP Handmade in Denmark in Artisanal Process


Formed in the 1979, the duo is still grooving at their studio in Vesterbro, Copenhagen.
Laid Back gained their first international major break through in the 80's with Sunshine Reggae and White Horse. The dualism and originality of the two songs has left a worldwide and everlasting reputation of their music. The 3rd evergreen from their hand was made in 1990 named Bakerman altogether with a music video by Lars Von Trier.
More recently, the two members have co-founded their own record company, Brother Music, which has released Laid Back Albums "Cosyland", the chill out album "Cosmic Vibes" and the recent two Studio Albums "Uptimistic Music" and "Road to Fame".

For their 45th Band Anniversary the Iconic duo is back with FOREVERGREEN! A stunning, simply Irresistable album meeting again the Band and (more than) 45 Year of music history. With Laid Back's favourite songs of all time in a Laid Back cover version!!


GENRE/S: Cover songs, reggae, Pop, chill out, classic, evergreens

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

Distance as a measure of time and place informs Kelly Finnigan's, A Lover Was Born with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The latest solo release from The Monophonics frontman roots itself in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar, and the Bodie Recording Company. A Lover Was Born is a testimony that these deep cut grooves are not resigned to nostalgia, instead, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. The journey Finnigan takes listeners on over Lover's eleven tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, The Tales People Tell (2019). These two records bookend a prolific period of output, including a pair of Monophonics albums, a Christmas album, a mixtape, and a full slate of producing other artists (The Ironsides, Alanna Royale, the Sextones). "There's nothing like making records," says Finnigan. "It feels like that's my purpose _ the reason I was put on this earth." Written in California, Ohio, and Staten Island, Kelly Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. "I enjoy working alone but it's not how you want to make a record_almost everybody I brought in for this album I've worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with." Max and Joe Ramey (The Ironsides), Jimmy James (Parlor Greens), Sergio Rios (Orgone), Joey Crispiano (Dap Kings) and Jay Mumford (aka J-Zone) all contribute to the overall sound of A Lover Was Born. Dramatic influences like Isaac Hayes (check out the piano on "Be Your Own Shelter") and Jerry Ragovoy are chopped and folded into Northern Soul uptempo numbers to create stompers like "Get a Hold of Yourself" or "Chosen Few". Finnigan's take on Deep Soul is captured brilliantly on "Walk Away from Me" and "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)", while Boom Bap pervades on hard hitters "His Love Ain't Real" & "Cold World". Slower songs such as "Let Me Count the Reasons", the emotional "All That's Left", and the soul-stirring album closer "Count Me Out" show the honest and tender side that has become Finnigan's calling card. All the while, the voice is raw and earthy _ in the best tradition of R&B shouters like Otis Redding, Lee Moses, and David Ruffin. The songs on A Lover Was Born reconfigure the spliced and sampled DNA of hip hop (extracted by crate diggers like Dilla and RZA) to create something new, underscoring both the spectrum and depth of soul while making a case to the timelessness of Finnigan's sound.

If you prefer things sweet and concise, here is all you need to know about Morphena and Narciss and their Lingua Erotica release on Running Back: a project of passion made while living across the globe thousands of miles apart from each other while falling in love, sensuality, tenderness, longing, authenticity.
Making waves on the festival and club circuit and meticulous productions like Forbidden Fruit or the Immer Remix for Running Back, Narciss found the perfect partnership with Morphena and their multitalented artistry between DJing, music making and vocal work.
Informed and inspired by a mutual enthusiasm for Italo blueprints, new romantic mannerisms, synth pop poetry and an uncanny knack for subtle and yearning dance floor euphoria (see Paradise and the club version of Per Aspera Ad Astra for further proof). it works like a mix tape or love letter to the listener or any of their adored ones. While the obvious club cuts Mi Amor and Fleeing Into You are sandwiched between the ambience of Per Aspera Ad Astra and Cocoon Cracking, one cannot help to be mesmerized by the coherence and monolithic magnetism of Lingua Erotica.
Captivating, catchy and confident. Here’s to many more.

Kaum zu glauben: Harald Grosskopf gibt es jetzt schon ein Dreivierteljahrhundert. Anlässlich seines 75. Geburtstags erscheint nicht nur im Ventil Verlag seine Autobiographie "Monsieur Séquenceu" - sondern auch endlich wieder ein neues Album vom Elektronik-Altmeister. Man muss zu diesem Mann eigentlich nicht viel sagen: Mitbegründer von "Wallenstein", ergo Drummer auf mindestens zwei der wunderbarsten Krautrockalben (nämlich "Mother Universe" und "Cosmic Century"), Mitglied der legendären "Kosmischen Kuriere", Platten mit Ash Ra Temple und Klaus Schulze. Schließlich wechselt Harald Grosskopf dann von den Drums zu den Sequencern und schafft Atemberaubendes. Und nun: "Strom". Die Evokation der Elektrizität, der Virtuosität der Schaltung, die Mensch und Maschine kunstvoll verschraubt und der über ihrem Triumphzug verödeten musikalischen Digitalität entgegengestellt wird. Wer genau hinhört, der erkennt den Ingenieur hinter den Klanggebilden sogleich.

Paul Weller – der „Godfather of Brit-Pop“ ist zurück!
Die zusätzlich erschienene ”Supplement:66”- Edition enthält vier in der Standartversion nicht enthaltenen
Tracks und erscheint auf Vinyl

RUN-DMC DOWN WITH THE KING 30th ANNIVERSARY Pressed On Red, White and Black Double Colored Vinyl With Commemorative Numbered OBI Limited To 2000 Copies Thirty years ago on May 4, 1993, Run-DMC made one of the greatest comebacks in Hip-Hop history with the release of their 6th studio album Down With The King. To understand the significance of this feat we have to go back a few years. Coming off an amazing four-album run ending with the platinum album Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC released their 5th studio album, Back From Hell, to lackluster sales. Did Run-DMC fall off? Did the emergence of gangsta rap push them off to the side? It was sad to see your Hip-Hop heroes take a fall. Then in 1991, a 12-inch remix came out for the single "Back From Hell" featuring Chuck D and Ice Cube and fans took notice. It would be two more years before anyone would hear from Run-DMC again. In March of 1993, a new single and video “Down With The King” debuted on Yo! MTV Raps featuring the new Hip-Hop Gods Pete Rock and CL Smooth paying homage to The Kings calling back verses from Sucker MCs over a dope signature Pete Rock beat. The video would be in constant rotation on Ralph McDaniels Video Music Box, YO!, BET’s Rap City and more. Fans watched it over and over to catch all the cameos, everyone from Eazy-E to the Native Tongues Family of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. The anticipation was building, but would the album live up to the lead single that knocked it out of the park? On May 4, 1993, the album dropped on CD, Cassette, and Vinyl. Run-DMC enlisted The Bomb Squad from Public Enemy, Q-Tip, EPMD, Jermaine Dupri, Kay Gee of Naughty By Nature, and Pete Rock to produce the album with a special appearance by Tom Morello rocking out his guitar emulating DJ scratches he made famous with Rage Against The Machine. Their rhyming was as enthusiastic and powerful as they were on their debut album 10 years prior. Run-DMC, the self-proclaimed Kings of Rock and original Kings of Hip Hop were indeed back. The album debuted at #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts and #7 on the Billboard 200 and would go Gold within two months. Get On Down is proud to present for the first time on vinyl since its original release, a 30 Year Anniversary pressing on double-colored vinyl with numbered OBI in a gatefold jacket.

Freestyle Records drop a killer UK soul/early street soul reissue LP from 1988, in the form of Rick Clarke's hard to come by 'Time Keeps Moving On' album.

Originally appearing on the Raven label in 1988, Time Keeps Moving On constituted Rick Clarke's first LP following his work in the earlier eighties as part of brit-funk groups Potion and Side On, and solo output including Love with a Stranger (released on The Specials' Ghost Town's producer John Collins' Local Records imprint) and a few singles for RCA. Largely co-written and co-produced with Peter Hinds (Take Three, Atmosfear, Light of the World) and a guest turn from Master T aka Toyin Agbetu - this is foundational street soul that appeared at a time when the likes of Loose Ends were starting to break through to the US, and Soul II Soul just emerging.

Die schwedische Produzentin und DJ La Fleur bricht drei Jahre musikalischer Stille mit ihrem bevorstehenden und lang erwarteten Debütalbum 'Väsen', das am 18. Oktober bei PIAS Électronique erscheint. Ihr unverkennbarer Stil ist technisch hervorragend ausgearbeitet und zu gleich hochemotional. Ihre neuen Songs, die ständig überarbeitet wurden, haben eine optimistische, positive Kraft und melodische Schönheit über komplexen Perkussionsschichten, die so mit Hooks geschmückt sind, dass man die Ohren nicht davon abwenden kann.

Während der Pandemiejahre zog La Fleur von Berlin zurück nach Schweden und arbeitete als leitende Angestellte in einem Stockholmer Krankenhaus. Eine krasse Veränderung nach einem Jahrzehnt mit ihrem eigenen Label Power Plant, zahlreichen Kollaborationen und gefeierten DJ Set und Auftritten. Die gezwungene Pause nutzte sie, weiter an ihrem Debütalbum zu feilen, das 2020 eigentlich schon fertig war, doch ihre geänderten Lebensumstände sollten noch einen Einfluss darauf haben: „I’ve always drawn inspiration not only from music, but changing elements in my life. It’s only now I feel I have the tracks ready for the world to hear.“

- Col. LP: (Green Bio-Vinyl)

“A huge thing for this record was to make it feel as close to our live show as possible,” says Tom Sharkett of W.H. Lung’s latest album. “We didn’t want it to sound live but we wanted to capture the excitement of the live performances.”

This is something that has become paramount to the group in recent years as they have undeniably blossomed into one of the most joyous and arresting live bands in the country. “The reason I’m in a band is to play live music,” says singer Joe Evans. “For me, music is live music. That’s what it’s for, to be played with people.”

The five-piece band, also featuring Chris Mulligan, Hannah Peace, and Alex Mercer-Main, decided to try something new on their third album after two incredibly successful collaborations with previous producer Matt Peel. In order to capture the energy, spirit and dynamism of their live shows, they relocated to Sheffield to work with Ross Orton (MIA, Arctic Monkeys, Working Men’s Club) who was able to harness this side of the band to remarkable effect. “Ross is the Sheffield Steve Albini,” says Evans. “He’s the king of not overthinking it and trusting the process of the art of recording songs. He was always there to stop us fucking around with cerebral stuff and get it down.” Sharkett echoes this too: “He was the exact producer we needed without us even realising. His productions and mixes are bombastic, lively and in your face and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

However, while this album is rooted in a sense of capturing a moment and a sparky liveness, that’s not to say it’s a raw or ragged record. It is still a meticulously composed, delicately layered and pristinely produced piece of work that, in true W.H. Lung style, runs the gauntlet from dance to pop to indie while still capturing that distinctly unique quality that is unquestionably their own. “It was a really big thing for me to realise what made us sound like us on this record,” says Sharkett. “I think the album sounds a lot more confident and self assured because of it. Some songs sound just so much like Lung and I’m really proud of that. I’m not sure we’ve done that as consistently across the other records.”

While the band have drilled deeper into finding their own singular identity, it’s not a record resting on its laurels. It’s a significant leap forward, expanding on their solid foundations while also breaking new ground. “The big difference with this record is its directness in every sense,” says Sharkett. “The songwriting is more upfront. Previously we’d focused a lot on vibe and production as opposed to just writing songs. The overall mission here was to revert to a classic songwriting structure and for the production to come afterwards.” And so what you have on this record are deeply considered and well-crafted songs, then recorded with blistering intensity in the moment, and then given a touch of experimentation afterwards. Then throw in Orton’s contributions to the band and it’s proven to be a real winning formula. “He brought a real dose of magic to the songs we’d written,” says Sharkett. “And brought an extra bit of wonk and quirkiness each time.”

The band’s ability to write more traditional and conventional songs is clearly a skill they’ve taken to with ease, at times there’s an almost Springsteen-like quality – but if he'd ever had an ecstasy period – to tracks such as ‘Thinner Wine’ and ‘Bloom and Fade’. While ‘How to Walk’ was constructed with one thing only in mind: that it would absolutely slay on stage. “I can’t wait to play this live,” says Evans. “We wanted a song to represent our live set, a new big one, and this is it.” Once again it leans towards the anthemic, with its driving, propulsive charge complete with incandescent synths and vocal melodies so irresistible you can already hear them being sung in unison by a crowd.

It’s an incredibly difficult feat to pull off a record that is more rooted in traditional songcraft while also capturing the power of a live performance, as well as pushing sonics into experimental new directions while working with a brand new collaborator. But here the band has managed to do just that. And the album’s closing song ‘I Will Set Fire To The House’ is a perfect example of such a thing. It’s a song that feels immaculately constructed but also very much alive and of the moment as its radiating synths engulf from the off, and Evans’ vocal is silky but powerful and in perfect symbiosis with Peace’s. It’s a song that captures the endless joys of music playing long into the night. “It may be a bit of a bloody bombastic way to end an album saying ‘and we’ll dance into the sunrise’,” says Evans. “But fuck it.”

MORE PRESS ON ‘VANITIES’ (MELO131)

"Vanities artily refines an exhilarating brand of up-front electro-dance" MOJO ⅘

'Idiosyncratic yet euphoric electronic pop on triumphant second LP' 9/10 Uncut

''One of the most effective alternative pop albums of the year'' 4/5 Record Collector
'Dance music for the modern age' - The Times (4*)

After seven years, Japandroids have returned with Fate and Alcohol, their fourth and final full-length. Written in part while the Vancouver duo-guitarist-vocalist Brian King and drummer-vocalist David Prowse-were touring behind their 2017 ANTI- debut, Near to the Wild Heart of Life, the album is at once a return to form and a thrilling step forward, testament to the sort of chemistry that they"ve honed over the course of 18 years and hundreds of shows side-by-side. Their aim was simply to write songs that they"d enjoy playing live, without sacrificing any of the nuance or ambition that marked their previous effort. Nowhere on this record is that more deeply felt than lead single "Chicago," a song whose sheer momentum feels inevitable and true-from the inherent romance of its opening chords to the series of snare-led explosions that see it through. Like the rest of Fate and Alcohol, it was recorded in Vancouver with longtime collaborator Jesse Gander, who also engineered 2009"s Post-Nothing and 2012"s Celebration Rock. "The very first demo we have of "Chicago" was recorded in our jam space on February 4th, 2020," King says, "and if you listen to that, it just sounds like a rough version of what you hear on the record. But it"s all there. That, in some ways, is the most ideal circumstance for a band like us: just having something that really rips in your jam space, something that feels good, something that you"re excited about."

Synth pop trio Bronski Beat's 1984 debut The Age of Consent is a rarity in musical history - an album that both defined a generation and challenged the status quo. Its four singles, and particular lead single 'Smalltown Boy', have endured with astonishing resonance, offering home to all listeners dreaming of escape from their familiar surroundings and situations.

Every track on the album places the listener 'in the room': they are in it, living it, rolling inside each song's thematic meaning. Through the blue-eyed wonder of singer Jimmy Somerville's vocal pirouettes, they too take the punch of hate in 'Why?', question the bible with alongside a male voice choir on 'It Ain't Necessarily So', and watch the same crappy TV advertising on 'Junk'. They are part of the trade-off between lust and commerce in 'Love and Money' and the heated near climax of 'Need A Man Blues.'

40 years later and The Age of Consent remains as prescient and vital as ever as it did on its original release; truly transgressive - defiant, queer, and laden with hooks. To celebrate this important anniversary, London Records revisit the album across a series of expanded formats, uncovering sonic archival gems, new mixes, essays and more.