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The classic Fearless Iranians From Hell Die For Allah LP is now back in print after a twenty-five year hiatus. Remastered and repressed on nuclear green vinyl, this hardcore punk arsenal also includes all tracks from their literally explosive Blow Up The Embassy 7-inch debut. FIFH was a mysterious Texan monstrosity formed in 1983 by Iranian expat (and modern day hashashin) Amir Mamori, who gathered to his side various mutants and apocalyptic freaks from the San Antonio punk rock blast zone, even throwing in two Butthole Surfers rejects for good measure (including none other than the notorious Anus Presley himself). The subsequent recording sessions were a chaotic affair, as guitars were rarely in tune and the drums were seemingly scavenged from the trash. It was all directed by Amir who, with fanatical focus, would inspire the band on to victory from behind a stupifying cloud of hash smoke. The resulting releases were widely praised; from places like Maximum Rock n Roll and the Village Voice in the US, to Sounds and New Musical Express in the UK. They were even cited as forerunners of the musical genre known as Taqwacore. After touring the US in the late ’80s—and leaving in their wake crowd turbulence, police intimidation, and even bounties being place on the heads of the members—the band disbanded in 1989 upon the death of the Ayatollah Khomeini (may Allah have mercy on him). “We’re stoned as shit, and we’re ready to roll.” - F.I.F.H. ’87

Produzent, Multiinstrumentalist und Lazy Robot-Labelbetreiber Tom Funk veröffentlicht sein funkiges und souliges Debütalbum - mit 10 Tracks von P-Funk und Neo-Soul bis zu Einflüssen von Marvin Gaye, James Brown und Lonnie Liston Smith. Mit gefeierten Gästen, darunter die britische Soul-Legende Omar Lye-Fook, David Mrakpor (Blue Lab Beats), Keyboard-Virtuose Matt Cooper, der Londoner Sänger Andre Espeut und die langjährigen Lazy-Robot-Partner Valentina Russo und Brae Leni aus Arkansas.

Kritikerstimmen:
- "Ein absolut großartiges Album." – Colin Curtis
- "Unglaublich!" – Reuben James, Jazz FM
- "Was für ein wunderschönes Stück Musik!" - Nick Hosier, Stomp Radio

lovetempo is the solo project of Mattie Safer, former member of the beloved New York electroclash band The Rapture, now channeling his club-rooted background into contemporary disco and electronic soul. The album features a strong cast of collaborators including Dougie Stu (Brijean), Toribio, Kate Mattison (79.5), and multi-instrumentalist Izaak Mills, with mixing and additional production by Carlos Truly (Ava Luna, Juan Wauters, Frankie Cosmos). The project has received tastemaker support from Gilles Peterson and Laurent Garnier, airplay on BBC 6Music, KEXP, and KCRW, and editorial placement on Spotify playlists including Pollen, Metropolis, and Jazz House.

Rave At Your Fictional Borders is not beyond borders. The band simply denies any notion thereof. Driven by a sense of community, it defines human existence as one bio-organism with planet Earth. Now comprising members Dave De Rose, Marius Mathiszik, and Salim Akki, this incarnation of Rave At Your Fictional Borders first released the 'Entanglement' and 'Utopia' tracks in March 2025. Analogue Nomadism is the project's first album release. Recorded in Morocco and then co-produced and mixed by Dan Nicholls, it is an album of dizzying, trance-inducing scope. Rave music stripped of all external signifiers. Repetition, noise, krautrock, avant-garde sensibilities. This is a search for a groove that both connects and interlocks. The soul of improvisation and exploration runs through all seven pieces on Analogue Nomadism. Genres are referenced and transcended. The open-ended is perpetually embraced.

It is neither night nor day, but there is a half-light all the time. What used to be disconcerting is now not alien anymore. The sky boasts a faint light. Certain shapes are laid out, but get changed through communal ritual. Analogue Nomadism is the music of a feeling of community. It builds and breaks down. It is accepting of the psychedelic standards of the groove. Transportative and vertiginous. Endless.

Havukruunu's RAUTAA JA TULTA reissued in April Svart Records continue to reissue the albums of Havukruunu, bringing their 2016 album RAUTAA JA TULTA back on the market in April 2026. Originally meant as an EP and recorded before the debut album HAVULINNAAN (2015), RAUTAA JA TULTA contains four added tracks from later sessions and was expanded into an album. ”Rautaa ja Tulta (SPIRITUAL RESILIENCE AND VIGOR, THE IRON AND FIRE OF THE SOUL) are the first 6 tracks recorded in 2014 which cemented the recognizable soundscapes of Havukruunu. These furious songs broke the recording equipment at the time, and the remaining four songs were finished in a separate session in 2016”, comments Stefa. RAUTAA JA TULTA is available now on new limited vinyl colours, housed in a single pocket jacket and comes with an insert.

Havukruunu's RAUTAA JA TULTA reissued in April Svart Records continue to reissue the albums of Havukruunu, bringing their 2016 album RAUTAA JA TULTA back on the market in April 2026. Originally meant as an EP and recorded before the debut album HAVULINNAAN (2015), RAUTAA JA TULTA contains four added tracks from later sessions and was expanded into an album. ”Rautaa ja Tulta (SPIRITUAL RESILIENCE AND VIGOR, THE IRON AND FIRE OF THE SOUL) are the first 6 tracks recorded in 2014 which cemented the recognizable soundscapes of Havukruunu. These furious songs broke the recording equipment at the time, and the remaining four songs were finished in a separate session in 2016”, comments Stefa. RAUTAA JA TULTA is available now on new limited vinyl colours, housed in a single pocket jacket and comes with an insert.

“Salvation for the Wicked” unites Ransom, Boldy James, and producer Nicholas Craven for a gritty, soul-soaked showcase of sharp lyricism and minimalist, dust-laced production. Ransom and Boldy trade vivid, hard-earned reflections over Craven’s haunting loops, joined by standout features from Young Chris and OT The Real. Now on vinyl, the project’s warmth and texture hit even deeper, giving the raw performances and timeless sound the space they deserve in a format built to be felt as much as heard.

Fifteen years after their first album "Time for a Change", and drawing on the experience of two others ("Elephanz" 2017, and "Rien de personnel" 2023), ELEPHANZ now returns with a fourth album that carries the scent of first loves, the kind you sing from the heart with your hands gripping a guitar.

"Love. Hurt. Repeat." tells, across ten songs, the story of a return to oneself, like coming home after years spent roaming the world, only to realize that everything you needed to understand yourself was already there at the starting line.

To help you understand what this new album makes me feel, I'd like to tell you about my first meeting with Jon and Max in 2009, when I became the band's bassist. Sixteen years ago, I discovered these two young men and set off in their family Kangoo van on my very first tour.

Through our early rehearsals around the piano of their childhood, I discovered their love for pop music in all its breadth, always in search of harmonies and melodies that touch the heart in the simplest way and gently ease your sorrows along the way. With them, I learned to appreciate the mainstream hits I had previously dismissed on principle, and I discovered the demanding art of melody as I listened to them sing about love and friendship through unforgettable catchphrases.

Listening today to some of the songs from their new album, I think back to those two young men with a big-city rock look, shut away in the living room of their family home, talking only about leaving that dull countryside behind to live the big life in the capital (Streets of Rage). What I once took for a kind of revenge against the hostile environment of their adolescence was in fact an almost vital need to find their place among others, to feel understood in order to feel at ease in their own skin.

Today, I find them again with the same guitar and the same inexpensive Juno as back then, but with the confidence shaped by years of concerts, writing, studio encounters, and all kinds of experimentation. The music of this fourth album has never been so close to that of their earliest days, but their voices have been set free. They no longer sing about who they dreamed of becoming, but about who they have always been, their most distant concerns, sometimes even their darkest ones, yet always in search of the light.

It is as if ELEPHANZ had to travel all the way around the world to come face to face with themselves again. There is no longer any shame in being who you are, and it is even the best way to understand yourself, to exist and to heal. To heal from grief and heartbreak, to understand the child you once were and the one who carried them (Mother), to forgive yourself and finally learn to love yourself.

That is what makes this record as sensitive as it is powerful and strikingly truthful. It was written and recorded like a cry, live, in just a few weeks, using the instruments of their beginnings: sharp bass and drums, powerful guitars, and synthesizers that are at times soaring, at times carriers of liberating melodies. The art of ballads remains, as does that of universal pop songs.

There is a beautiful urgency here, the urgency of finding oneself again in order to understand oneself through both pain and beauty, and "Love. Hurt. Repeat." is its most perfect expression.

KITCHEN. LABEL is proud to present AGATE, the latest album by Japanese artist MEITEI, marking a deepening of the world he first shaped through his Kofū trilogy released between 2020 - 2023.

Named after the mineral agate, a stone formed through slow accumulation, pressure, and time, the album reflects MEITEI’s patient approach to sound. AGATE brings together extended and newly rearranged works from across the Kofū cycle alongside new compositions and passages, refining material developed through years of performance and sustained practice.

The album presents seven tracks:

HAŌ (Previously unreleased track)
SHIN-OIRAN (Remodeled from Oiran I, Kofū 2020)
SHIN-SADAYAKKO (Remodeled from Sadayakko, Kofū 2020)
SHIN-WAROSOKU (Remodeled from Wa-rōsoku, Kofū III 2023)
KYŪGEKI (Remodeled from Shinobi and Akira Kurosawa, Kofū II 2021)
SHIN-OIRAN II (Remodeled from Oiran II, Kofū 2020)
SHIN-EDOGAWARANPO (Remodeled from Edogawa Ranpo, Kofū III 2023)
Across these works, MEITEI expands the musical vocabulary first introduced in Kofū, a sound he once described as “lost Japanese mood.” While Kofū drew from fragments of folklore, theatre, ghost stories, and forgotten urban memory, it was never an act of historical reconstruction. Rather, it reflected a sensibility of the past observed from the present. With AGATE, this worldview is clarified as Shinpu, a process of discovery in which historical awareness becomes a foundation for contemporary creation rather than a constraint.

During five years of Kofū tours across Japan, Europe, and Asia, MEITEI performed this material in a wide range of spaces, from underground live houses and listening rooms to culturally significant sites. These environments influenced pacing, dynamics, and structure, shaping how the material evolved over time. AGATE is therefore not only a studio album, but the result of material refined through repeated performance.

If the Kofū albums were windows into forgotten eras, AGATE explores what lies beneath, sediment and strata formed through time and pressure. MEITEI’s approach to sound mirrors the nature of agate itself. Grains become texture. Texture becomes narrative. Voices drift through decaying layers of sound, while ancient instruments are used in non-traditional ways, forming distinctive percussive rhythms and melodies that appear and vanish without fixed resolution.

The album’s visual materials were developed under MEITEI’s direction through physical art-making processes. The cover artwork originates from a letterpress print created by Kamisoe, a Karakami atelier in Nishijin, Kyoto, using Kyo-karakami paper. The original artwork, produced through traditional woodblock techniques on handmade washi, was subsequently reproduced on print for the album edition. Kamisoe continues to reinterpret this historical Kyoto craft with a contemporary sensibility.

The title calligraphy was created by Bio Xie, whom MEITEI personally invited to participate in the project. During his performances abroad, MEITEI encountered in Taiwan a lingering atmosphere reminiscent of “Shitsunihon” — a sense of old Japanese memory that quietly endures beyond time. He was deeply drawn to Bio Xie’s distinctive use of Chinese characters, which resonated with this experience, and asked him to contribute to the visual expression of AGATE.

In parallel, MEITEI continues to reinterpret Japanese sensibility through his concept of “Shitsunihon,” presenting it as a contemporary musical language. The refined Kyoto motifs envisioned by Kamisoe and the distinctive calligraphic expression by Bio Xie intersect with MEITEI’s singular artistic direction, weaving together a newly articulated worldview.

The accompanying visual imagery, including the liner photographs, was created by photographer Hiroshi Okamoto, who was also responsible for the visual direction of MEITEI’s previous work, “Sen'nyū.” It draws from MEITEI’s lived experiences of winter seas, solitary cliffs, and breaking waves. These scenes symbolize the inner conflicts of the ten years he spent living in Hiroshima, and his confrontation with solitude and the sounds he creates.

AGATE will be released on 17 April 2025 via KITCHEN. LABEL on 180g vinyl, CD, and digital formats. The album is mastered by Kelly Hibbert, known for his work with Flying Lotus, Madlib, and J Dilla.

With AGATE, MEITEI returns to the material of Kofū with greater focus and discipline, continuing an ongoing process of working forward with inherited material.

Colored Der kreative, kollaborative Ansatz führt dazu, dass Next To Die im Wesentlichen in zwei unterschiedliche Seiten unterteilt ist - Death und Groove - was in einem klanglichen Meisterwerk resultiert, das SIX FEET UNDER als Künstler erfüllt und gleichzeitig jedem Fan etwas bietet. Das Album wurde von Owen und Barnes produziert sowie von Mark Lewis in den MRL Studios in Nashville, Tennessee gemischt und gemastert. Es folgt auf Killing For Revenge von 2024. Es ist das dritte Album, das Barnes und Owen seit ihrer Wiedervereinigung im Jahr 2017 gemeinsam geschaffen haben. "Wir sprechen nicht über lyrische Themen, wir schreiben jeweils das, was wir fühlen", erklärt Barnes. "Wir schreiben einfach das, was wir interessant finden." SIX FEET UNDER wurde ursprünglich als Nebenprojekt für Barnes während seiner letzten Jahre bei der Band gegründet, die er mitbegründet hatte: Cannibal Corpse. 1995 wurde es mit der Veröffentlichung des Debüts Haunted zu seinem alleinigen Fokus. Die aktuelle Besetzung - Barnes, Owen, Lead-Gitarrist Ray Suhy, Bassist Jeff Hughell und Schlagzeuger Marco Pitruzzella - bildet eine verheerende Einheit. Diese klangliche Zerstörung zeigt sich auf der Single "Unmistakable Smell Of Death", auf der Owen seine Blast- und Fast-Riffs mit dynamischen Pull-offs und Stopp-Passagen voll ausspielt. "Dieser Song entstand musikalisch, bevor ich überhaupt eine Idee für den Text hatte", sagt Owen. "Ich habe mein Riff-Archiv nach Blast- und Fast-Riffs durchsucht und sie mit einigen Pull-offs und Stopps auf den neuesten Stand gebracht. Auch die Riffs im Mittelteil stammen aus meinem Archiv. Bei meinen Demos mache ich grobe Lead-Spuren, aber Ray macht die Leads immer viel besser." "Lyrisch schreibe ich hier aus der Perspektive eines Killers, der mit seinem Opfer spielt und es fesselt und wieder losbindet, um ihm die Möglichkeit zu geben zu kämpfen. Er unterschätzt die Fähigkeit des Opfers, sich zu wehren - und das Opfer gewinnt die Oberhand, spießt den Killer schließl

180g Black Der kreative, kollaborative Ansatz führt dazu, dass Next To Die im Wesentlichen in zwei unterschiedliche Seiten unterteilt ist - Death und Groove - was in einem klanglichen Meisterwerk resultiert, das SIX FEET UNDER als Künstler erfüllt und gleichzeitig jedem Fan etwas bietet. Das Album wurde von Owen und Barnes produziert sowie von Mark Lewis in den MRL Studios in Nashville, Tennessee gemischt und gemastert. Es folgt auf Killing For Revenge von 2024. Es ist das dritte Album, das Barnes und Owen seit ihrer Wiedervereinigung im Jahr 2017 gemeinsam geschaffen haben. "Wir sprechen nicht über lyrische Themen, wir schreiben jeweils das, was wir fühlen", erklärt Barnes. "Wir schreiben einfach das, was wir interessant finden." SIX FEET UNDER wurde ursprünglich als Nebenprojekt für Barnes während seiner letzten Jahre bei der Band gegründet, die er mitbegründet hatte: Cannibal Corpse. 1995 wurde es mit der Veröffentlichung des Debüts Haunted zu seinem alleinigen Fokus. Die aktuelle Besetzung - Barnes, Owen, Lead-Gitarrist Ray Suhy, Bassist Jeff Hughell und Schlagzeuger Marco Pitruzzella - bildet eine verheerende Einheit. Diese klangliche Zerstörung zeigt sich auf der Single "Unmistakable Smell Of Death", auf der Owen seine Blast- und Fast-Riffs mit dynamischen Pull-offs und Stopp-Passagen voll ausspielt. "Dieser Song entstand musikalisch, bevor ich überhaupt eine Idee für den Text hatte", sagt Owen. "Ich habe mein Riff-Archiv nach Blast- und Fast-Riffs durchsucht und sie mit einigen Pull-offs und Stopps auf den neuesten Stand gebracht. Auch die Riffs im Mittelteil stammen aus meinem Archiv. Bei meinen Demos mache ich grobe Lead-Spuren, aber Ray macht die Leads immer viel besser." "Lyrisch schreibe ich hier aus der Perspektive eines Killers, der mit seinem Opfer spielt und es fesselt und wieder losbindet, um ihm die Möglichkeit zu geben zu kämpfen. Er unterschätzt die Fähigkeit des Opfers, sich zu wehren - und das Opfer gewinnt die Oberhand, spießt den Killer schließl

Yearly compilation series RADAR KEROXEN return with its sixth volume of theme-driven releases, continuing to chart the fractured sonic terrain of the Canary Islands’ undergrowth.

After digging through indie, psychedelia, shoegaze, and site-specific drone, Vol. 6 dives headfirst into the after-hours circuitry of the islas afortunadas, assembling a hand-picked selection of underground club mutations from five long-standing operators within the local electronic ecosystem.

If Vol. 5 was shaped by the cavernous resonance of Santa Cruz’s obsolete gasoline tank, Vol. 6 is fuelled by late-night club aesthetics and mid-90s hardware obsession. Opening the record, Dancelwerk — one of the archipelago’s early modular practitioners — delivers tightly wound structures nodding to Warp-era golden agefuturism and southern Tenerife’s rave boom. Cmos34 follow with their first-ever published material, injecting instability into the system through improvised techno rituals built on friction and feedback.

Jorganes drags the narrative deeper into hypnotic territory, stripping club music down to its skeletal pulse and channeling disciplined repetition and late-90s minimalism into austere, trance-inducing momentum. From Gran Canaria, Sunday German Flowers bends the mood toward cinematic dub: heavy low-end pressure, spoken word, and nocturnal atmospheres stitched into slow-burning club noir.

Closing the circle, Nico Hernández pulls the compilation back to volcanic ground with ambient compositions shaped by Lanzarote’s raw geological landscape — basalt echoes, tectonic silence, and island isolation rendered in sound.

As always, the release is housed in a post-tropical collage artwork by Pura Márquez.

Master by Daniel García
Artwork by Pura Marquéz

Erleben Sie das pulsierende Lebensgefühl der 80er Jahre mit der farbigen 2LP-Compilation „ZYX Italo Disco History 1984“. Diese exklusive Vinyl-Ausgabe entführt Sie direkt in das goldene Zeitalter der Italo Disco und vereint die größten Dancefloor-Hits eines unvergesslichen Jahres.

Freuen Sie sich auf ikonische Tracks von Künstlern wie P. Lion, Scotch und Valerie Dore – Namen, die für eingängige Melodien, treibende Beats und den unverwechselbaren Sound der Italo Disco stehen. Jeder Song dieser Sammlung spiegelt die Energie und den Glamour der internationalen Clubszene von 1984 wider. Ein besonderes Highlight ist der enthaltene 15-minütige Megamix der Italo-Disco-Legende Flemming Dalum. Mit seinem einzigartigen Gespür für Rhythmus und Atmosphäre verbindet er die größten Hits zu einem mitreißenden Mix, der nahtlos durch die Klangwelt der 80er führt. Die farbige Doppel-LP macht diese Compilation nicht nur musikalisch, sondern auch optisch zu einem echten Sammlerstück – perfekt für Vinyl-Liebhaber und Fans elektronischer Klassiker

Repress 2026

We’re very happy to announce the vinyl release of kuniyuki’s masterpiece “all these things”.

Originally it’s released on only cd in 2007. it was his 2nd album but it’s substantially his first album because the first album was a col-lection of kuniyuki’s early productions.

The first track “the guitar song” is one of our most favorite song of kuniyuki,it’s like a real good mixture of jazz, fusion, world music and electronic music.

The second track featuring african vocalist and percussionist “omar guaindefall”,we still love amazing henrik schwarz remix.

The third track “you get me” featuring our favorite singer “josee hurlock”,we’ve knew about her from the fantastic album “residue” by hefner in 2000. she is featured to the fourth track “all these things” too. we’re hoping to repress an amazing joe claussell remix.

The fifth track “flying music” featuring our good friend “alex from tokyo” as poetry reading and shuichiro sakaguchi( a popular trumpeter in tokyo) as a trumpeter. this long version was put to single cut release on 12inch.

The sixth track “the session” is a collaboration of song with henrik schwarz. they have met at mule musiq’s party in tokyo and clicked immediately.

The seventh track “touch” sounds very nostalgic african jazz or spanish fusion which is popular these days as balearic music.

The last track “rain of ocean” is a primitive african minimal deep house.this song is put to the single cut from this album(not put to the album) and we almost forgot this song but when we’re compiling the vinyl edition of album, we noticed how this song is beautiful.

Here are the collection of eight timeless and genreless music.

For the last few years Acid Jazz has been the proud custodian of the Albarika Store legacy. Hailing from the small but culturally-significant state of Benin, the label was operational from the late-‘60s until the early ‘80s, and was home to some of the finest, deepest, rawest West African cuts ever. A font of local and regional music, infused with contemporary Western influences, the beating heart of the Albarika sound was the mighty T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, who in various guises released dozens of recordings for the label, under the leadership of Mêlomé Clément. The intoxicating originality of their sound stems from their combination of folkloric and sacred rhythms of the region, with the modernist sound of soukous, afrobeat, soul and funk. Recorded at EMI Studios in Lagos, these recordings have a unique high fidelity and have been a target for grail-hunting record collectors for decades. For this incredible 2LP collection, Dean Rudland and David Hill compile the Poly-Rythmo 45 releases; 7” single and EP sides lost to the seeds of time. Until now. Brought together for the first time, presented in a beautiful wide spine layout, the 2 LPs present a snapshot of some of the group’s finest work from the ‘70s, their distinctive beat already honed. The printed inner sleeves include images of the rare and collectable original labels and sleeves, along with sleeve notes by Francis Gooding

Getreu seinem Namen ,Extraordinary" erweitert Gareth Donkins zweites Album die Bandbreite seines virtuosen Soul-Pop-Songwritings nicht nur auf akustischer Ebene, sondern auch auf einer zutiefst persönlichen Ebene. Ein Schritt weiser und selbstbewusster, frisch aus einem Feature auf dem neuen Album von De La Soul, lässt der in London lebende Singer-Songwriter und Produzent vergangene Konstrukte hinter sich, um die Gegenwart mit seinem bisher ausgereiftesten, umfangreichsten und beeindruckendsten Werk zu feiern, das mit verspieltem Charisma und modernem Glanz an Disco-, R&B- und Funk-Größen anknüpft. Er sagt: ,Bei ,Extraordinary` geht es darum, sein Leben selbst in die Hand zu nehmen, neue Erfahrungen und Abenteuer anzunehmen." Donkins bahnbrechendes Debütalbum ,Welcome Home" aus dem Jahr 2023 fand von BBC Radio bis Billboard (,ein Soul-Genie") großen Anklang und brachte ihn zum ersten Mal zum SXSW. Dennoch war die Saison von Rückschlägen und Herzschmerz geprägt. Zunächst streckte er seine Hände nach der Fantasie aus mit der kathartischen Suite Escape EP. Dann, mit klarem Kopf, engagierte er ein Traumensemble, um seine nächste Vision zu verwirklichen, darunter ESME, Kiefer, UHMEER, Shaan Ramaprasad und Howard Lawrence von Disclosure . Donkin hat sich einen Namen als Old Soul gemacht, als Ein-Mann-Band in der Tradition von Prince und Stevie Wonder, der oft in den sozialen Medien zu sehen ist, wie er mit verblüffender Leichtigkeit Songs zusammenstellt. Wie seine früheren Werke fängt auch ,Extraordinary" dieses unbestreitbare Talent und seinen Charme ein. Was das Album auszeichnet, ist die Weite, in der diese Tugenden zum Tragen kommen. ,Es klingt einfach größer, aktueller", fügt er hinzu. Von vereinenden Hymnen bis hin zu dramatischen Erklärungen entfaltet Donkin eine Art von Optimismus, der nur durch harte Arbeit an sich selbst entstehen kann.

Jeder Künstler muss seine eigene Stimme finden. Gia Margaret fand sich selbst erst, als sie ihre Stimme verlor. Aufgrund einer Stimmbandverletzung, die sie jahrelang am Singen hinderte, entwickelte sie andere musikalische Ausdrucksformen und meisterte die Grammatik einer komplexen, heimeligen Form der Ambient-Musik, die von Ernest Hood begründet und von The Books perfektioniert wurde. Angeführt von sanften Klaviermelodien, die wie Atem auf Glas hauchen, jetzt, da ihre physische Stimme geheilt und ihre künstlerische Stimme geschliffen ist, schließt sich der Kreis mit Singing, ihrem ersten Gesangsalbum seit There's Always Glimmer aus dem Jahr 2018. Die Musik auf Singing zeugt von derselben Sensibilität für Details, die sie in ihrer Stille entwickelt hat. ,Es gab eine Zeit, in der ich wirklich nicht wusste, ob ich jemals wieder singen würde. Als ich dann geheilt war, stand ich unter großem innerem Druck, stark zurückzukommen", sagt Margaret. ,Ich wusste nicht mehr, wer ich war. Es fühlte sich an, als würde ich neu anfangen und mich wieder mit diesen sehr alten, alten Teilen meiner selbst verbinden." Dieses Gefühl der Vermischung von Entfremdung und Wiederentdeckung ist auf dem gesamten Album spürbar. Im Opener ,Everyone Around Me Dancing" beobachtet sie eine Party von den Seitenlinien aus und ist sich bewusst, wie ihr Körper sie von gemeinschaftlicher Freude abhält, ihr aber gleichzeitig neue Wege der Selbsterkenntnis eröffnet. Ausgeschlossen von der Szene ist sie ,näher am Boden, am Planeten". In ,Alive Inside" ist sie so weit entfernt von der Quelle, dass sie zu jedem betet, der sie hören könnte (,ein Gott, ein verstorbener Freund, ein Geist"). Wenn ihre Stimme anschwillt, scheint sie in einem Netz aus Verzerrungen gefangen zu sein; es ist, als würde sie in ihrem Streben die Grenzen des Sagbaren ausloten. Der Entstehungsprozess von ,Singing" war ein Prozess des Lernens, jedem dieser Gefühle zu vertrauen. Das Album wurde teilweise in London mit Guy Sigsworth von Frou Frou aufgenommen, der Margaret dabei half, die Vielzahl ihrer Ideen für ,Good Friend" zu vereinen, einem Highlight des Albums, das unter anderem gregorianische Gesänge von ILA und Turntable-Scratches enthält . David Bazan und Amy Millan sind ebenfalls zu hören, ebenso wie Kurt Vile und Sean Carey, während Margarets langjähriger Kollaborateur Doug Saltzman einen Großteil des Albums spielt und co-produziert. Deb Talan, ehemals Mitglied von The Weepies, steuert ihre Stimme, ihr Klavier und ihre Gitarre zum abschließenden und definitiven Statement des Albums ,E-Motion" bei. Gia Margaret singt stets. Jede Note dieses Albums singt ein warmes Requiem für ihr vergangenes Ich; jede Ebene singt ihr zukünftiges Ich ins Leben. Auf dem gesamten Album wendet sie die Lektionen der Sprachlosigkeit an - die quasi-rationalen Wege, auf denen wir kommunizieren, ohne zu kommunizieren, die Art und Weise, wie formlose Klänge wie ein Skalpell zum Kern der Dinge vordringen können - auf ihre eigene künstlerische Stimme.

Jeder Künstler muss seine eigene Stimme finden. Gia Margaret fand sich selbst erst, als sie ihre Stimme verlor. Aufgrund einer Stimmbandverletzung, die sie jahrelang am Singen hinderte, entwickelte sie andere musikalische Ausdrucksformen und meisterte die Grammatik einer komplexen, heimeligen Form der Ambient-Musik, die von Ernest Hood begründet und von The Books perfektioniert wurde. Angeführt von sanften Klaviermelodien, die wie Atem auf Glas hauchen, jetzt, da ihre physische Stimme geheilt und ihre künstlerische Stimme geschliffen ist, schließt sich der Kreis mit Singing, ihrem ersten Gesangsalbum seit There's Always Glimmer aus dem Jahr 2018. Die Musik auf Singing zeugt von derselben Sensibilität für Details, die sie in ihrer Stille entwickelt hat. ,Es gab eine Zeit, in der ich wirklich nicht wusste, ob ich jemals wieder singen würde. Als ich dann geheilt war, stand ich unter großem innerem Druck, stark zurückzukommen", sagt Margaret. ,Ich wusste nicht mehr, wer ich war. Es fühlte sich an, als würde ich neu anfangen und mich wieder mit diesen sehr alten, alten Teilen meiner selbst verbinden." Dieses Gefühl der Vermischung von Entfremdung und Wiederentdeckung ist auf dem gesamten Album spürbar. Im Opener ,Everyone Around Me Dancing" beobachtet sie eine Party von den Seitenlinien aus und ist sich bewusst, wie ihr Körper sie von gemeinschaftlicher Freude abhält, ihr aber gleichzeitig neue Wege der Selbsterkenntnis eröffnet. Ausgeschlossen von der Szene ist sie ,näher am Boden, am Planeten". In ,Alive Inside" ist sie so weit entfernt von der Quelle, dass sie zu jedem betet, der sie hören könnte (,ein Gott, ein verstorbener Freund, ein Geist"). Wenn ihre Stimme anschwillt, scheint sie in einem Netz aus Verzerrungen gefangen zu sein; es ist, als würde sie in ihrem Streben die Grenzen des Sagbaren ausloten. Der Entstehungsprozess von ,Singing" war ein Prozess des Lernens, jedem dieser Gefühle zu vertrauen. Das Album wurde teilweise in London mit Guy Sigsworth von Frou Frou aufgenommen, der Margaret dabei half, die Vielzahl ihrer Ideen für ,Good Friend" zu vereinen, einem Highlight des Albums, das unter anderem gregorianische Gesänge von ILA und Turntable-Scratches enthält . David Bazan und Amy Millan sind ebenfalls zu hören, ebenso wie Kurt Vile und Sean Carey, während Margarets langjähriger Kollaborateur Doug Saltzman einen Großteil des Albums spielt und co-produziert. Deb Talan, ehemals Mitglied von The Weepies, steuert ihre Stimme, ihr Klavier und ihre Gitarre zum abschließenden und definitiven Statement des Albums ,E-Motion" bei. Gia Margaret singt stets. Jede Note dieses Albums singt ein warmes Requiem für ihr vergangenes Ich; jede Ebene singt ihr zukünftiges Ich ins Leben. Auf dem gesamten Album wendet sie die Lektionen der Sprachlosigkeit an - die quasi-rationalen Wege, auf denen wir kommunizieren, ohne zu kommunizieren, die Art und Weise, wie formlose Klänge wie ein Skalpell zum Kern der Dinge vordringen können - auf ihre eigene künstlerische Stimme.

After releasing her first project, ‘Magenta’, in August 2025, Ariane Bonzini gained recognition from a much wider audience thanks to a series of unreleased tracks posted on social media. These excerpts, combining vulnerability, poetry and enveloping melodies, went viral and established her signature style: intimate, minimalist music charged with emotion. This organic success confirmed the growing attachment of a community that recognised in her a rare approach, both contemporary and timeless.
The first extract, ‘J'ai besoin de toi’ (I need you), has just been unveiled by Colors Studio.


Her project of the same name will be released on 20 February on all streaming platforms and on vinyl on 24 April 2026.

Hrishikesh Hirway, Musiker, Komponist und Podcast-Ersteller, bekannt für seinen preisgekrönten Podcast und die Netflix-Serie ,Song Exploder" sowie Kompositionen für Film und Fernsehen, darunter ,Companion", Save The Date, Our Nixon und Everything Sucks!, begann sein eigenes Musikprojekt unter dem Namen One AM Radio und änderte seinen Namen mit der Veröffentlichung von To Call My Own EP im Jahr 2022. Produziert vom Grammy-Gewinner Philip Weinrobe (Big Thief, Adrienne Lenker, Theo Katzman, Cass McCombs), In the Last Hour of Light ist eine Erinnerung daran, loszulassen - von Menschen, von Erinnerungen, vom Wunsch, die Zeit davon abzuhalten, zu schnell zu vergehen. Die Songs entstanden nach dem Tod von Hrishikeshs Mutter, als die Jahre sie immer weiter in die Vergangenheit drängten; in den Momenten, in denen er in seinem Krankenhauszimmer darauf wartete, dass sich sein Vater erholte; in dem Traum von einer Tochter, die er nie haben wird. Es gibt auch Liebeslieder - aber es ist die Art von Liebe, die die Patina eines langen gemeinsamen Lebens trägt, in dem man ebenso viel Zeit hinter sich hat wie vor sich. Die Band von Hrishikesh bestand aus Shahzad Ismaily (Feist, Arooj Aftab), Ken Pomeroy, Mike Haldeman (Moses Sumney, Dawn Richards) und Joshua Crumbly. Zur Besetzung von Hrishikeshs Band gehörten Shahzad Ismaily (Feist, Arooj Aftab), Ken Pomeroy, Mike Haldeman (Moses Sumney, Dawn Richards), Joshua Crumbly (Leon Bridges, Kamasi Washington), Oliver Hill (Kevin Morby, Broken Bells, Vagabon), Sean Mullins (Sam Evian) und Cole Kamen-Green (Beyoncé, Taylor Swift); mit Gastauftritten von Iron & Wine, Fenne Lily, Ken Pomeroy und Uwade Hart (St. Vincent), Zosha Warpeha (L'Rain) und Dustin O'Halloran.

Saxophonist, producer and composer Brian Allen Simon explores darker hues, transposing waking and altered states under his studio veil Anenon. On the deeply evocative new album 'Dream Temperature', he shifts electronic processing to the foreground, introducing digitized wind instruments and unworldly atmospherics, not heard since his innovating mid-late 2010s output.

A longtime Los Angeles resident, born and raised, Brian Allen Simon has expressively operated under the moniker Anenon, releasing the highly revered 'Petrol' (2016), 'Tongue' (2018) and the viscerally beautiful 'Moons Melt Milk Light' (2023), in a line of unwavering musical dialogues. While the penultimate album was a deliberate, reductive, entirely acoustic detour that was born out of a want to unplug, 'Dream Temperature' sees Brian primed with a newly discovered wind synthesizer as his central compositional tool, alongside acoustic piano and tenor saxophone. The entirety of the album's electronics are triggered by Brian's lungs, generating otherworldly synths modulated by expressive breath control, channelled through the laptop as the core processing chamber for added textural components and field recordings.

A free floating and heavy emotional resonance marks 'Dream Temperature' from beginning to end, invoking the feeling of waking up, still heavy from a night of half-remembered dreams, and continuing one's day in this state. Simon maps out the album's spatial voice early on the statement title track, a deep, yet compact cut, generated from digital saxophone rasps that whistle by in close proximity, along with haze filled textures and sub bass. There is a sonic oscillation of urban grit and pastoral drift throughout as tracks pass by like introspective thoughts, fueling both a tense and ethereal quality that underpins the album. Interluding solo and part-solo piano improvisations 'Last Sun 1' and '2' are positioned adjacent to the buffering digital soundscapes. Their softer, still processed timbres pierce the melancholic exterior, offering a contrasting tenderness that could echo the grace of Ry?ichi Sakamoto, the spiritualist rigor of ECM's Keith Jarrett and a touch akin to Aphex Twin's piano miniatures. 'Nulle Part 1+2' signals the first appearance of an acoustic wind instrument, as tenor saxophone flourishes are juxtaposed against noisy drones, all shouting at the void, with notes resurfacing like lost digital data.

The album was recorded at home during either sunset or nocturnal hours between September of 2024 and October of 2025, a period in which Brian found himself craving more lengthy and intimate studio time as he searched for more pronounced textural qualities amidst his new sonic ambitions. 'When The Light Appears, Boy' shows further evidence of this deeper universe, revealing a grittier edge as the album's essential blueprint is sonically inked. A sprawling expanse of wind synths rhythmically encircle the listener before a dreamy, ghostly ambience blankets 'Toyama'. The sound is evocative of the productions of post dubstep era luminaries such as Burial or the productions of HTRK's Nigel Yang. More isolating and enveloping than the previous all acoustic record, this is music both disorienting and yet warmly inviting all at once. A sonic diarist at heart, personal field recordings were also taken from Sardinia, Japan, Big Sur and LA which intersect at unexpected moments throughout the album's 31-minute play time.

'Dream Temperature' is a vital coalescence of both Simon's electronic and acoustic practices with repositioned electronics akin to earlier works, both haunting and elegant, yet still profoundly personal. Simon continuously resonates as an experimental outlier treading an enthralling, non-linear musical path. This music resolutely glows with an unknowing aura, like an untapped energy source waiting to be discharged.

Artist and multi-instrumentalist Flaer looks to the landscape to explore pastoral melancholy on debut release, Preludes. It is released in a second edition black vinyl, with an alternate cover artwork.

Ensconced in his family home in rural Leicestershire in the early months of 2020, painter and musician Realf Heygate (b. 1994) picked up his childhood cello for the first time in several years and began to play. Setting himself parameters to only record onto 4-track tape with acoustic instruments – cello, piano and acoustic guitar – he assembled a suite of instrumental compositions that form the basis of Preludes, his debut album as Flaer and the inaugural release on Odda Recordings.

Channelling the tension and unease between the pastoral idyll of the English countryside and the darkness which lurks beneath the surface, the mini-album draws inspiration from the analogue aesthetic of 1970s folk horror films, weaving field recordings of birdsong, church bells and the natural environment into chimerical melodies that reflect on Heygate’s childhood experiences of rural England.

“It was really important not to isolate the sound from its environment,” he explains, describing the compositional and recording process as “site-specific”. Developed over a series of intuitive musical enquiries, the mini-album’s uncanny quality emerges from combining raw demo takes with overdubs of almost orchestral grandeur.

Heygate points to the final track as indicative of the work as a whole: “‘Follow’ really is the mantra for the release and embodies the practical approach I was taking to music making: not to force the music but see where it takes you.”

As a painter, Heygate’s practice takes artefacts through sequences of reproduction that embrace the fluctuating materiality of the copy. Since obtaining a degree in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in 2017, he has exhibited solo at Peter von Kant and Springseason galleries in London, and has participated in group shows at Saatchi Gallery, Cob Gallery and Senesi Contemporanea.

Describing his artistic practice as one of self-erasure, music instead provides Heygate with a more personal and autobiographical outlet. Where the two worlds combine is on Preludes’ striking artwork, which features paintings of 13th century stone carvings from the font of the church in the town where he grew up.

Speaking to a time where people were connected to the land in a more profound way, each symbol is assigned to a track on the album, which Heygate likens to giving them a title.

“To add that one juxtaposition might open a whole new interpretation or language that might be hard to find otherwise,” he explains.“Over time it might reveal itself to you, which is why I'm excited about it being released. To throw them out there and see what comes of it.”

In 2026, the sample alchemist returns to his first love with his 11th album, Endless Smile 2. A 16-track project conceived as a tribute to his landmark 2015 album Endless Smile, which featured his iconic tracks “Betty” and “Qu’attendez-vous de moi”.

Born from a desire to return to the essentials, Endless Smile 2 focuses on instrumental compositions enriched with samples and organic textures inspired by the 70s. The album develops a warm and sun-soaked atmosphere, crossed by the melancholic touch that defines Degiheugi’s musical universe.

Recorded between 2023 and 2025 in his studio Endless Smile Records and mixed by his longtime collaborator Mr. Gib, the album opens with the trip-hop anthem “The Last Opening”. Far from being a simple introduction, it acts as a true gateway into Degiheugi’s new sonic journey. Keyboards set the tone, the horn section led by N’Zeng invites listeners into the groove, while guitars and organic keyboards immerse us fully into his musical world. The scene is set: he’s back.

Among the standout tracks, “Ain’t Goin Down” delivers a reggae-influenced groove driven by a message of hope, while “Vem O Mar” (feat. Hugo Kant) explores funk and tropical soundscapes. “Ipanemax”, a nod to the classic “The Girl From Ipanema”, and “Ouh Baby” extend this Brazilian atmosphere, while “Savoir Danser” leans toward oriental textures and “Juanita Bonita” ventures into a bold fusion of cumbia and dub.

The album also reveals Degiheugi’s signature melancholic side. An addictive loop settles deep into the listener’s mind as “Sympathique et sympa” balances nostalgia with urban groove. The haunting strings of “Naked” and the soul ballad “She Worries” respectively reflect on mortality and the fragility of romantic relationships. Guest artist Miscellaneous addresses gender-based violence on “Love Is Blind”, telling the story of a woman trapped in a toxic relationship.

Endless Smile 2 closes with “Enivrez-vous”, an outro inspired by Charles Baudelaire’s poem, bringing the album to a contemplative conclusion. With this release, Degiheugi masterfully completes a musical journey that began ten years ago.

Just when you thought you had heard it all.... Evil Grave were an exceptionally unique underground rock band from Malta that shook the islands with uncompromising attitude and dark imagery. In the early 1970s they ruled the Maltese scene and were voted best band in national polls. Heavily influenced by Black Sabbath and early progressive rock with a traditional Maltese flavour, Evil Grave never released any material during their existence. Several low budget demos were recorded at the time but, over the following years, the name Evil Grave simply vanished into obscurity. Until now! During a recent vacation to the islands, label owner Lee Dorrian became aware of the band and has spent the past three years tracking down as much information about them as he possibly could. With the blessing of original guitarist/songwriter John E Zammit Pace, we are excited to release this ungodly artefact upon the work for the very first time. Death From Malta, gathers together all known existing material from the band, the sound quality of which is decidedly lo-fi but, if anything, this only adds to the mysterious vibe of this simply enigmatic band.

Backwoodz Studioz is excited to announce the release of Crayola Circles, a collaboration between rapper Fatboi Sharif and producer Child Actor. While both artists have long standing connections to Backwoodz, this album marks their first collaboration of any kind and breaks new artistic ground for all parties.


Sharif’s previous album, Decay, released on Backwoodz in 2023, was a haunting experimental rap masterpiece, an acid trip in a mental hospital. On Crayola Circles Sharif trades menacing psychedelia for a simmering stew of blacklight expressionism, his verses slipping effortlessly through the swells and tides of Child Actor’s masterful production. No matter how uneasy the waves grow, Sharif is at ease, a truth teller whispering anti-riddles in your ear. This album feels like a new chamber for Child Actor, as well. The producer has been on an impressive run since dropping CINE- a collaboration with rapper Cavalier- on Backwoodz in late 2024. Child Actor has shown up in the liner notes of everyone from Navy Blue (The Sword & The Soaring) to Earl Sweatshirt (Live, Laugh, Love) to ELUCID (Revelator) to Open Mike Eagle (Neighborhood Gods Unlimited), to Ghais Guevara (A Quest to Self-Mythologize), amongst others. On Crayola Circles Child Actor’s production is dynamic, shifting and sliding into new phases and movements in an instant. The beats are full and knotty, leaning into jazz and folk, while remaining tethered to the tender minimalism that is his signature. It’s a difficult balance for any producer, and here it is executed perfectly, placing us in a world of wood and brass, cowhide and undersea piano. On any other record, this soundscape would steal the show — and it very nearly does — but Sharif’s command never wavers, ever in control; a lucid dreamer in an induced coma.
There are no guests, no skits, and no interludes. There might not even be songs, instead Crayola Circles seems akin to a great river; singular, traversing forest and jungle, mountain and valley, running from mouth to endless sea.

Sakura is without doubt the most loved and lauded entry in Susumu Yokota’s catalogue.

The music unravels like cascades of petals falling from the eponymous cherry blossom trees. Yokota intended to ‘express ki-do-ai-raku (the four emotions; joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness) through music’, and throughout Sakura, the effect fluctuates between profound tranquillity, hesitation, melancholy and joy with ease, addressing the fickle nature of human emotion, while transcending the inclination to label moods entirely.

Sakura became Yokota’s best selling album. It was greeted with universal acclaim, lauded by Philip Glass and Brian Eno and launched Yokota internationally.

‘A bittersweet beauty, heightened by the sadness that all things must one day end.’ - Martyn Pepperell

2026 Repress

Gaudi’s Jazz Gone Dub is a masterclass in genre fusion, seamlessly blending the improvisational essence of jazz with the heavy atmospheric grooves of dub. Known for his eclectic approach to music production, Gaudi pushes the boundaries yet again, creating a sonic landscape that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly innovative.

Four years in the making, from the opening track it’s clear that Jazz Gone Dub is more than just a mashup of styles—it's a thoughtful exploration of the intersections between two rich musical traditions.

Gaudi’s multi-instrumental talents are on full display, and the presence of reggae royalty is palpable, courtesy of rootsy melodies from David Hinds (Steel Pulse), Jah Wobble’s iconic bass grooves, Ernest Ranglin’s intricate guitar lines and Sly & Robbie’s rhythmic genius. Add Sardinia’s Train to Roots band, Manu Chao collaborator Roy Paci, veteran guitarist Marcus Upbeat, Mr Woodnote and Tim Hutton’s brass work, Gavin Tate-Lovery’s sultry sax and flute, Horseman’s percussive flair plus Colin Edwin and Vlastur’s serious basslines, and the
result is a rhythmic foundation that’s both solid and fluid, allowing the jazz elements to float freely above the dub undercurrents.

Despite this star-studded line-up, Gaudi remains the glue that holds this gem together: his production is meticulous yet organic, allowing each track to breathe and evolve naturally. The use of space, delays and reverb—a hallmark of dub music—is expertly handled, giving the album a dreamy, immersive quality. Tracks like Susceptible and Alabaster Moon showcase Gaudi’s ability to create mood and atmosphere without sacrificing melodic and rhythmic complexity.

In Jazz Gone Dub Gaudi has crafted an album that feels both timeless and forward-thinking, a celebration of musical synergy where the free-spirit of jazz meets the deep resonance of dub. Whether you’re a fan of either genre or simply appreciate masterful musicianship and innovative production, this album is a must-listen.

Late Bush presents “Hoarses” on the label Vlek Records, an original repertoire in which he blends electronic music - power ambient, IDM, avant-pop - and early music, which share the same affective intensity, a taste for ornamentation and a form of sonic excess.

At the heart of this material, AI-cloned voices, both human and spectral, extend the idea that any baroque interpretation is a reconstruction of the unknown. They contrast with organic strings recorded with Echo Collective, in a temporal and radical hybridization, creating a fluid and unstable material, between memory and simulation.

One of the conceptual starting points is essential: we have no sonic trace of baroque music as it was played. Only scores remain, and sometimes contradictory indications, a sensitive archaeology, even an imaginary projection.

Everything that is played today is therefore, in fact, a reconstruction, an interpretation of a vanished material. According to this logic and to pursue this reflection, the cloned voices, transformed by AI, are not a rupture but propose a natural continuation of this chain of reinvention, of this relationship to the invisible, to the indefinite. They do not aim to replace a human voice, but rather to embody the fact that any baroque restitution is already a fiction.

The project does not seek to imitate the real, but to play with the thresholds of the plausible, of the spectral. The music then becomes a fluid material, manipulable, alterable, and the performers, musicians or machines, are its vehicles.

The strings, carried by the sensitive and expressive interpretation of Echo Collective, breathe into the project a vibrant authenticity. Their presence brings an organic and tactile dimension that contrasts with the fluid and intangible aspect of the voices and the electronics.

With their third studio album New Thing, Reggae Workers Of The World take a bold step forward while staying deeply rooted in the timeless sounds that define them. Scheduled for release in March 2026 on Badasonic Records, the album captures the full scope of this transcontinental supergroup’s musical identity: soulful, genre-defying, and driven by classic songwriting.

Formed by Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers), Jesse Wagner (The Aggrolites), and Nico Leonard (The Badasonics), Reggae Workers Of The World unite the musical spirits of New York, Los Angeles, and Charleroi into a seamless collaboration. Across 11 tracks, New Thing moves freely between reggae, ska, soul, mento, rhythm & blues, and early rock ’n’ roll, reflecting both the trio’s deep roots and their creative freedom.

The album is enriched by an exceptional list of guests, including Efren Santana (Hepcat), David Hillyard (The Slackers), and renowned harmonica master Steven Troch, who all appear on the title track “New Thing.” The result is a warm, organic, and vibrant record—equally suited for vinyl collectors, radio programmers, and live audiences.

Ahead of the album release, the first single will debut as a Japan-exclusive 7” vinyl on January 18, underlining the band’s strong international reach and collector appeal. Following the release of New Thing, Reggae Workers Of The World will return to the road with a European tour in April 2026, reaffirming their reputation as a powerful and authentic live act.

Fresh from releasing projects on Method 808 and Future Classic, landing a huge collaboration with Chloé Caillet, and delivering an official remix for Fatboy Slim, PPJ are entering a new chapter in full force. Their expansive take on global street sounds, ranging from neoperreo to Miami bass, gets a cool re-coating.

Led by the magnetic vocalist Páula, with production from Povoa (individually supported by Four Tet, Ben UFO, and Barry Can't Swim, with recent releases on Live From Earth), the duo operates in maximalist mode: playful, sensual, and slightly unhinged.PPJ’s new era, JOKER, embraces a figure that appears everywhere from card decks to carnival culture as a symbol that mirrors their own DNA: funny, eerie, seductive, unpredictable. The EP leans further into club territory, but rather than polishing their edges, PPJ amplify them.

At the emotional core of the record sits “Coeur,” co-produced with Chloé Caillet. It begins with an MPB-tinged foundation flirting with bossa nova. It’s unmistakably Brazilian, bathed in sunset hues before being sped up and twisted into a dance-floor-ready electronic form. The groove shimmers with tension: warm percussion, elastic basslines, and Páula’s voice hovering between intimacy and tease. It feels like a remix of itself, romantic, but slightly untrustworthy.

If “Coeur” glows, “To Nem Ai” is a slow burner. A very deep and downtempo house cut, it unfolds slowly, almost luxuriously, guided by sensual vocals that feel whispered directly into the ear of the listener. A hypnotizing piano sample that feels like a late-night confession. It’s the kind of record that transforms a dancefloor into something tactile.

Elsewhere, “Me Pega” is a high-energy reinterpretation of the tech-house sounds from Santa Catarina, one of southern Brazil’s most feverish party states, twisted and accelerated for ferocious impact. Drawing direct inspiration from Sarro, a raw and vibrant Brazilian street dance, the track captures physical intensity in its purest form: sweat, bass pressure, collective release.

Its counterpart, “Tem Carnaval” channels Páula’s vivid storytelling into a thunderous ode to Rio’s carnival spirit, euphoric, chaotic, cinematic landed just in time for this year’s celebrations.

On “Sexy Doce,” rugged electroclash melodies collide with unexpected references. “It was inspired by Budots, which is dance music from the streets in the Philippines,” Povoa explains. “Then we mixed it with Páula’s Brazilian vocals. Baile funk is similarly from the streets, so there is a connection.” The result is raw yet futuristic, a cross-continental flirtation that feels both underground and explosive.

With this new EP, PPJ make music like they’re tuning into a dozen pirate frequencies at once. Pirate radio from Rio to Berlin to Manila intercepting fragments of street culture, sensuality, and chaos, and stitching them into something deliriously cohesive.
JOKER doesn’t just nod to club culture. It challenges it, twists expectation and leaves a lasting impression.

Gute Neuigkeiten für Good Riddance-Fans! Nach sehr limitierter Verfügbarkeit der Erstauflage (schwarzes Vinyl) gibt es noch eine Nachpressung. Die zweitauflage kommt als Apple Red Vinyl. Die aus Santa Cruz, Kalifornien, stammende Band ist eine feste Größe in der Punkszene und bekannt dafür, die Lücke zwischen rasantem Skate-Punk und der rohen Intensität des Hardcore zu schließen. Sie werden für ihre ,intellektuelle Aggression" gefeiert, einen einzigartigen Sound, der rasante Drum-Geschwindigkeiten und scharfe Gitarrenriffs mit überraschend eingängigen Melodien verbindet. Für neue Hörer repräsentiert die Band den Goldstandard des Genres und beweist, dass Punk unglaublich schnell und aggressiv sein kann, während er gleichzeitig musikalisch ausgefeilt und technisch präzise bleibt. Über ihre klangliche Strahlkraft hinaus dient die Band als wichtige Einführung in die aktivistischen Wurzeln des Punkrocks. Unter der Leitung von Sänger Russ Rankin tauchen ihre Texte tief in Themen wie soziale Gerechtigkeit, Tierrechte und politische Kritik ein und bieten eine viel tiefgründigere Perspektive als typischer Alternative Rock. Durch die Auseinandersetzung mit klassischen Alben wie "A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion" können Fans genau hören, wie Punk als kraftvolle Stimme für Marginalisierte und als engagierte Plattform für die Infragestellung des Status quo dient. Die Relevanz der Band ist nach wie vor ungebrochen, seit 2015 ungebrochen zurück, das letzte Album kam 2019, 2024 veröffentlichten sie "No More System to Believe In", eine melodische Punk-Hymne, die moderne Desillusionierung in einen kraftvollen Aufruf zum Handeln kanalisiert. Nach einem strapaziösen Tourplan für 2025, bei dem sie neben ausverkauften Clubkonzerten in Europa und Nordamerika auch auf großen Festivals wie dem Hellfest und der Warped Tour Orlando auftraten, zeigen sie keine Anzeichen einer Verlangsamung. Im Jahr 2026 wird Good Riddance diese globale Dynamik mit umfangreichen Auftritten auf Festivals in der EU und insbesondere in Deutschland fortsetzen. Aufgenommen mit Bill Stevenson (Descendents) im The Blasting Room.

Acknowledge Kindness expands San Francisco based The Reds, Pinks And Purples' distinctive brand of emotional pop, music built for the quiet hours and the restless mind. Evolving naturally from the heavier, melancholic indie rock of previous releases, the mood here feels more exposed and reflective, blossoming into lush dreamscapes that recall the bittersweet sorrow of The Cure or the tenderly gloomy transcendence of California by American Music Club. Created from a new headspace, the album finds main man Glenn Donaldson observing both the present and the weight of what came before it. Songs lean into a deeper sense of nostalgia, allowing him to look back with intent and revisit moments that once carried a sting. Donaldson's vocals are captured in high fidelity, raw and immediate, with lyrical abstraction underpinned by chiming acoustic guitars and achingly beautiful piano. Across its 11 tracks, Acknowledge Kindness expands The Reds, Pinks And Purples' emotional and sonic panorama, with Donaldson's ongoing world-building remaining both warmly nostalgic and strikingly original. "Donaldson's best work hides allure within a bigger picture, like a jangle-pop egg hunt" Pitchfork FFO The Smiths, Guided By Voices, The Chills, Leonard Cohen, The Go-Betweens, Robert Wyatt, Twee-, Jangle- & Sophisticated Guitar Pop. Coloured vinyl LP versions and digisleeve CD available

Michael Nau und Whitney McGraw haben große, fragende Herzen voller Musik, die Elemente aus Soul, Rock und Gospel in einen weichen Kokon aus Kleinstadtsound einhüllt. Das begann vor einigen Jahren als BASKET RIDE und wurde ganz zufällig zu COTTON JONES. Ein neuer Name verspricht neue Flexibilität. Nau schreibt nun ganz andere Musik, als er das für PAGE FRANCE tat; die ursprüngliche Paranoia, die ihn trieb, hat er abgeschüttelt. "Paranoid Cocoon" ist das Debüt für Suicide Squeeze, das in seiner ruhigen, holzigen Psychedelia die Suche des Duos nach Trost und Freiheit unter den Bergen von Maryland widerspiegelt. Zwischen der einsamen Dunkelheit des Waldes und dem Licht des roten Mondes versammeln COTTON JONES Songs des Verlassens und guten und schlechten Träumen, die sich aus der Umgebung speisen, in der beide ihren Ursprung haben. In "By Morning Light" ziehen sich die Stimmen der beiden gegenseitig aus ihrer Melancholie in einen Zustand erstaunter Genugtuung. Die Musik auf "Paranoid Cocoon" glitzert. Die Snaredrum und der sanfte Anschlag der Gitarre erreichen den himmlischen Eindruck von YO LA TENGOs "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out". Einfache, bescheidene Perfektion.

Between elegant and dark electronic beats and cosmic ambient breaths, seven tracks enveloped in the voice of a multi-talented artist, dedicated to deconstructing the song form and breaking down language to create an esoteric sonic world where the archaic, contemporary, and futuristic entwine like the gravitational dance of two galaxies about to merge. Born in 1992 in Gallura, with a jazz background that allows for absolute compositional freedom, Daniela Pes is a unique personality in today"s scene. Her distinctive features include the use of voice as an instrument and textual exploration: in Spira, the Sardinian artist sings in a language that does not (yet) exist. Ancient Gallurese words, fragments of Italian terms, entirely invented words form the organic molecules of an unprecedented language where verses are free from metrics, and words are not conveyors of a concept but pure sound, like beads of an articulated phonetic rosary, inaccessible rationally but intoxicating emotionally. Spira is an album of visionary music interpreting the sonic dramaturgy as utopia.

Einar Solberg (Leprous) kehrt mit "Vox Occulta" zurück, seinem zweiten Projekt unter eigenem Namen und einem kühnen, schweren und symphonischen Statement, das in Zusammenarbeit mit dem begehrten Norwegian Radio Orchestra aufgenommen wurde. Solberg will sich als einer der epischsten Charaktere der experimentellen Musik etablieren: "Ich möchte als der cineastische Mensch im Prog gesehen werden", erklärt er. "Ich möchte das vollständig für mich beanspruchen. Dies ist ein sehr cineastisches Album, und genau das war mein Ziel."
"Stella Mortua", der Eröffnungstrack von "Vox Occulta", spiegelt diese klare Vision wider. Solberg singt zu klassischen Streichern, bevor sich eindringliche E-Gitarren-Akkorde hinzugesellen und der Sänger sich durch einen majestätischen Refrain kämpft. Von da an hat jeder Song seinen eigenen Charakter - "Medulla" betont sein gewaltiges, metallisches Riff und "Grex" ist eine fast 12-minütige Odyssee.
"Vox Occulta" wurde von Solberg und David Castillo co-produziert, der für seine Arbeit mit Opeth, Katatonia, Amorphis und anderen bekannt ist. Auf dem Album sind Schlagzeuger Keli Guðj\u00F3nsson (Agent Fresco), Violinist Chris Baum (Bent Knee), Gitarrist Pierre Danel (Novelists) und Bassist Jed Lingat sowie John Browne (Monuments) und Ben Levin (ex-Bent Knee) zu hören. Adam Noble, ehemaliges Mitglied von Biffy Clyro, war für den Mix verantwortlich.
"Vox Occulta" wird als limitierte CD-Digipak- und Gatefold-Weiß/Schwarz-2LP-Version sowie digital erhältlich sein..

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER: THE LONG-LOST RECORDINGS OF BIRMINGHAM ROOTS REGGAE PIONEERS NATRUS Mastered from the original tapes by Guy Davie at Electric Needle Mythology, the label founded by music writer, author and broadcaster Pete Paphides, is thrilled to announce the archival release of newly-discovered recordings by Birmingham reggae band Natrus. Comprising members of the same family – seven in total – Natrus were a ubiquitous presence of the live circuit within and beyond the West Midlands in the late 1970s. Used as an ad hoc “Wrecking Crew” by local producer and promoter Toney Owens, NATRUS frequently provided live accompaniment to visiting Jamaican artists such as Sugar Minott, Johnny Osbourne and Freddie McKay. With an age span ranging from 9 to 25, NATRUS’S live work had to be structured around the educational obligations of their younger members. But when they weren’t playing live, they would frequently hone their own compositions at Owens’ studio in Saltley, Birmingham.

During their collective lifetime, NATRUS released one very limited edition single Mash It, with a stellar guest vocal from deejay Ranking Glad(Stone). Featured alongside Mash It on this release are a selection of recordings previously thought lost by the group who laid them down. They were only discovered after Toney Owens’ alerted Needle Mythology’s Pete Paphides to the existence of some 60 quarter-inch reels featuring all the music recorded by Owens over a period of ten years or so. When Paphides finally tracked down NATRUS rhythm guitarist Owen Taylor, he was stunned to hear of their existence. After a meeting with Taylor and his siblings, Needle Mythology collaborated with NATRUS on the restoration and remastering of the tracks featured on this, their very belated debut album. As well as Mash It and its original flipside Come From Africa, highlights on ‘NATRUS’ include a superb version of Slim Smith’s The Time Has Come and the deep roots entreaties of Freedom Inna Babylon, both showcasing the soulful vocal of lead singer Fitzdonald “Fitz” English and the almost psychic sense of musical attunement that percolates right down the the formidable rhythm section of Beverley Stewart (bass) and Clinton Gordon (drums).

On "Enduring Sonance," saxophonist and flutist Steve Wilson reflects on a lifetime of lyrical, deeply felt songs drawn from jazz, pop, and film—brought to life by an all-star ensemble featuring Renee Rosnes, Joe Locke, Jay Anderson, and Kendrick Scott. *** Certain songs have a way of lingering in the imagination—resonating long after we’ve last heard them, sometimes for a lifetime. On his breathtaking new album "Enduring Sonance," veteran saxophonist and flutist Steve Wilson celebrates the music that has left the deepest imprint on his musical life. “Some of the tunes on this record have stayed with me for, in some cases, over 50 years from the time that I first heard them,” Wilson says. “I wanted to put some music out there that people can connect with, no matter what kind of music they like.” Originally conceived as a ballads project, Enduring Sonance evolved into something broader and more personal. Rather than focusing on tempo or style, Wilson gravitated toward a sense of lyricism—music whose emotional clarity and melodic resonance endure across genres, decades, and listening habits.

To realize this vision, Wilson assembled a deeply intuitive ensemble featuring pianist and arranger Renee Rosnes, vibraphonist Joe Locke, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Kendrick Scott, with special guest Kevin Newton (French horn, Imani Winds) appearing on two tracks. Each musician brings a rare sensitivity to melody, texture, and space, allowing the material to unfold with warmth, restraint, and quiet authority. The repertoire draws from a wide musical landscape, including works by close collaborators and modern jazz masters Billy Childs and George Cables, alongside enduring songs by Michel Legrand, Quincy Jones, Milton Nascimento, Gino Vannelli, Bill Lee, and Eliane Elias. These are not standards in the traditional sense, but deeply personal selections—songs that have accompanied Wilson through different chapters of his life. The album opens with Childs’ “Quiet Girl,” its subtle rhythmic motion enhanced by Newton’s luminous French horn, and travels through cinematic ballads, soulful grooves, and reflective lyricism. The title Enduring Sonance speaks both to the lasting resonance of these songs and to Wilson’s enduring musical relationships—most notably with Rosnes, whom he has known for nearly four decades and whose sensitive arrangements help unify the album’s diverse repertoire. “These songs are the soundtrack of my life,” Wilson says. “I’d love it if listeners came away from this album with the same kind of enduring sound and feeling.”