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It's time for a new match on Waxmania, Lello Di Franco aka L.D.F. vs the Dutch icon Orlando Voorn for the super Challenge EP!

Big Bill Broonzy was a trailblazing Chicago bluesman steeped in southern traditions, whose songs stretched genres from folk music to hokum and ragtime to country These seminal recordings from his early years highlight his sublime guitar playing and ice cool vocal style which inspired a generation of legendary blues and rock musicians. Includes many of his early masterpieces including 'Saturday Night Rub', 'Brownskin Shuffle' and 'Long Tall Mama' from his first creative wave during the late 1920s/early 1930s. Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques, this Rough Guide highlights his diverse repertoire from ragtime and hokum to traditional blues and other novelty songs.

There’s a big clue to the pacific wisdom of The Orchestra in the Sky in the artist name – Hochzeitskapelle + Japanese Friends. For this is, indeed, music based in, and resonating with, friendship, camaraderie, collaboration, and creative exchange. Across two albums – one documenting recordings from Tokyo, the other an expansive double album of sessions from Kobe – Hochzeitskapelle gather around them some of the finest voices in Japanese independent and underground pop music, like Tenniscoats, Eddie Marcon, Yuko Ikema, and Kama Aina, and explore an open field of music, full of creative encounters.

You may already know Hochzeitskapelle as the German instrumental quintet formed by members of The Notwist, Alien Ensemble, and friends from the jazz scene. Across three albums, one a collaboration with Kama Aina (2018’s Wayfaring Suite), they’ve developed a way of playing together that’s intimate and playful, rich and human; it’s a music that’s deliberately rough around the edges, and that nestles cosily into the everyday. Their relationship with Japanese indie has developed over the years, doubtless encouraged by Saya´s „Minna Miteru“, compilations series of Japanese indie pop for Morr Music. A peripatetic gang, Hochzeitskapelle also recently backed Japanese singer-songwriter Makoto Kawamoto on her new album, Hikari.

In many ways, The Orchestra in the Sky feels like the culmination of a set of ongoing cross-cultural exchanges: the Minna Miteru compilations; tours of Japan by Hochzeitskapelle and The Notwist; and indeed, Markus Acher’s Spirit Fest group with Saya and Ueno of Tenniscoats. The latter are present throughout much of The Orchestra in the Sky, and Saya’s voice is particularly winning on songs like “Tsuki no oto”, where the two outfits are joined by brass ensemble Zayaendo. There are several lovely turns from singer-songwriter Yuko Ikema, and Eddie Marcon appear twice; their songs are still beautiful, spectral acid folk, but with Hochzeitskapelle filling the details with lush, sad brass and strings.

But it’s also the potentially lesser-known names that shine through The Orchestra in the Sky, like the frail folk of Gratin Carnival; the delightful, gentle pop songs by sekifu and Zayaendo member, Kanako Numata; a trio of beautiful, stumble-drunk melodies played in swaying consort with popo. That group, along with the presence of Zayaendo, Fuigo, and Mitamurakandadan?, make strong connections with the Japanese underground’s love of brass bands, partly informed by the tradition of chindon’ya, marching bands that walk the streets of Japanese cities. They also all appeared on the recent Alien Parade Japan compilation of such groups, assembled by Acher and Saya.

All things converge, then, on The Orchestra in the Sky, a smart, spirited collection of heavenly pop songs, intimate folk melodies, lungfuls of joyous brass, deep weeping strings, and swooning sighs. The last words go to Acher himself: “Many things we did in the last years come together here and it feels like something special was captured.” We hope you like what you hear.

Compiling the follow-up to a very successful first album is always a tricky task, but just 12 months since the release of volume one in the 'With Love' series, miche has excelled himself once again with another glorious, deep dive into the world of rare soul. 15 tracks of independently released music, created by magnificent artists with stories to tell and primed for rediscovery.

The ambition to celebrate under-the-radar artists has remained, but instead of a facsimile of volume one, what we have here is a selection shaped by life changes. Volume two is for the dancers; still soulful, still ultra-rare and slept-on records from the USA, Chile, Brazil and beyond, but the dynamics of the collection have shifted slightly. It represents a move from being immersed in a week in week out environment of beautiful, soulful music in a cosy, dimly lit hi-fi bar to playing livelier, more energetic, dancefloor-focused music in nightclubs. This volume will get you on your feet, make you move and unleash whatever it is that makes you get down.

One of the jewels in the crown of this compilation is a joyous, anthemic gospel version of Stevie Wonder's 'As' by The Family Tree (a project produced by the fantastic Julius Brockington). We are also treated to a rare and sought-after Pennsylvanian funk / AOR bomb by Maxwell, a stunning modern soul tune 'High On You' by Freedom, and self-released Brazilian 45s by Banda 22 and Zé Da Lata. P.J. City's 'Straight Forward (Non-Stop)' is gospel-disco perfection, and we also have 'Dame Solamente Amor’, a sublime, soul beauty from Chile by Rogers Mitchell. Many of these artists featured in this compilation aren't household names, but they deserve their moment to shine, to be heard, loved and appreciated for their artistry.

As Miche says it, “I hope this compilation helps in some way to keep this glorious music alive and play a part in connecting generations of music lovers from the worldwide soul family. As always, it has been made ‘With Love’.”

"Frozen Aggressors" bringt die Hörer zurück in die goldene Ära des Thrash, wo jeder Song ein einzigartiges Erlebnis war!
"C.H.U.D. Invasion" und "Circus Of Deception" sind eine Reminiszenz an die "Forgotten Skeleton"-Zeiten, während "Song 666" mit seiner 'S.O.D. meets Pennywise'-Blasphemie ein echtes Crossover-Juwel ist.
"Holidays In Sodom" bietet einen Venom-esken Vibe, der an Sasquatchs Vorliebe für die frühen Venom-Platten erinnert.
"Crib Of Thorns" und "Queen Of The Damned" liefern hochqualitative Thrash-Momente, während das augenzwinkernde "Satanic Cult Gangbang" zeigt, dass die Band immer noch Spaß haben kann, ohne auf Kontroversen zu verzichten.
"Hyperspectral Winter Incursions" ist ein sentimentales Stück, da es der letzte Song ist, den AGGRESSION mit dem inzwischen verstorbenen ehemaligen Schlagzeuger Gaetan "Gate" Bourassa im Jahr 1987 geschrieben haben, und er wäre unheimlich stolz auf die finale Version gewesen.
Insgesamt wird dieses AGGRESSION Album die Band auf den ihnen gebührenden Platz unter den anderen kanadischen Thrash-Legenden katapultieren!
"This is a perfect crossover blend, delivered from our black hearts, influenced by ancient recordings of the past that changed our lives. Fast, furious, and straight through your face!" - Aggression

BERTUS DISTRIBUTION INTRODUCES NORTH SEA JAZZ CONCERT SERIES

Bertus Distribution, in collaboration with NTR, AVROTROS and MOJO, presents a new vinyl series consisting of live recordings of legendary artists through the decades made at the renowned North Sea Jazz Festival.

The North Sea Jazz Concert Series will include officially licensed releases that will be released as standard on 180-gram white vinyl in a sleeve of heavy paper printed on reversed board. The records will be captured in mainly black-and-white artwork by Hans Pol in his signature style of the festival with inspiration from the covers of classic older jazz releases from the Blue Note label, for example. The liner notes are written by journalist and jazz expert Jeroen de Valk.

For the first release in this series, the honour is given to one of the most famous jazz singers ever, Ella Fitzgerald. On Friday 13 July 1979, she gave a raucous and peerless performance at the festival then still held in The Hague. The "First Lady Of Song" worked her way with verve through standards like 'There Will Never Be Another You', 'Satin Doll', ''Round Midnight' and 'Mr Paganini'. Her accompanists that night were Paul Smith on piano, Keter Betts on bass and Mickey Roker on drums; a trio line-up with the power of a big band.

Future releases will include NSJ recordings by such notables as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Ray Charles, Dexter Gordon and Jan Akkerman. It will be a long-running series with the aim of releasing the most extraordinary NSJ performances on vinyl.

The first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival took place in 1976 at The Hague’s Nederlands Congresgebouw with some 9,000 visitors. In the first year, jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz performed alongside a host of artists from the Dutch avant-garde.

The festival, officially NN North Sea Jazz since 2018, has now developed into a major international event that is also known beyond the Dutch borders as an event where jazz from the past, present and future merges with other genres such as blues, soul, funk, hiphop, pop and more. Over the years, it has grown to fifteen venues, around thirteen hundred musicians and an annual audience of between eight-five and ninety thousand. Since 2006, the festival has been held in new wider venue, namely Rotterdam Ahoy.

"Frozen Aggressors" bringt die Hörer zurück in die goldene Ära des Thrash, wo jeder Song ein einzigartiges Erlebnis war!
"C.H.U.D. Invasion" und "Circus Of Deception" sind eine Reminiszenz an die "Forgotten Skeleton"-Zeiten, während "Song 666" mit seiner 'S.O.D. meets Pennywise'-Blasphemie ein echtes Crossover-Juwel ist.
"Holidays In Sodom" bietet einen Venom-esken Vibe, der an Sasquatchs Vorliebe für die frühen Venom-Platten erinnert.
"Crib Of Thorns" und "Queen Of The Damned" liefern hochqualitative Thrash-Momente, während das augenzwinkernde "Satanic Cult Gangbang" zeigt, dass die Band immer noch Spaß haben kann, ohne auf Kontroversen zu verzichten.
"Hyperspectral Winter Incursions" ist ein sentimentales Stück, da es der letzte Song ist, den AGGRESSION mit dem inzwischen verstorbenen ehemaligen Schlagzeuger Gaetan "Gate" Bourassa im Jahr 1987 geschrieben haben, und er wäre unheimlich stolz auf die finale Version gewesen.
Insgesamt wird dieses AGGRESSION Album die Band auf den ihnen gebührenden Platz unter den anderen kanadischen Thrash-Legenden katapultieren!
"This is a perfect crossover blend, delivered from our black hearts, influenced by ancient recordings of the past that changed our lives. Fast, furious, and straight through your face!" - Aggression

O-Mandroid is Kawabata Makoto’s new trio with the Acid Mothers Temple drummer Satoshima Nani (voice, drums, sampler) and bassist Hamachang from a Kobe based post punk band BLONDnewHALF

All music and words were improvised though, the sound is like composed psychedelic & progressive rock / late 70’s - early 80’s post punk / Japanese underground experimental, etc.

Self Control is an album by Laura Branigan, released in 2023. Self Control includes a.o. the following tracks: “The Lucky One”, “Ti Amo”, “Take Me”, “With Every Beat Of My Heart” and more. The album is a High Quality pop LP.

As part of PNKSLM’s 10 year anniversary series of special releases/represses - we're over the moon to finally present ShitKid - "Rejected Fish"! This is the previously unheard, studio version of the now legendary debut album "Fish". ShitKid originally recorded "Fish" at MFG Studios here in Stockholm, with myself Luke Reilly on production duties. The week before it got sent of to the vinyl pressing plant though, Åsa had a bit of a panic that it "sounded too good for ShitKid" - and she ended up re-recording all the songs herself on garageband (mostly in her car) - and this super lo-fi take was the version that ended up getting released. Obviously at the time ourselves, plus our PR and radio partners were a little shocked, but as always, Åsa made the right move (in ShitKid we trust) and the album went on to be the best selling PNKSLM vinyl, streamed millions, won awards, and made fans out of the likes of Iggy Pop and Billie Joe Armstrong. And almost the best part was how divisive the lo-fi recordings made the record - Fish received both the best and worst reviews we've ever had on the label! So yeah, obviously with Åsa's permission - we're now releasing the studio version of the album on a very limited run of 1000 vinyl total.

Circular patterns morphing through time, loop and ritual form the fabric of Proserpine, the latest work by Leeds-based musician, Teresa Winter. Recorded from a summer to a winter through 2021 and 2022, Proserpine is Winter's most cohesive, focused music to date: confidently revelling in space, fixating on isolated sounds and giving way to satisfying, swirling waves of vocal and electronic buzz. Proserpine is Teresa Winter's debut recording for Glasgow-based label, Night School.

On Proserpine, musical patterns revolve and intersect with each other, transmogrifying the music's narrative. Over-arching themes emerge: continual change, elusiveness. Insubstantiality emerges into concrete reality in the form of recognisable field recordings: the purring of a pet cat, the hum of a live cable. The loops and patterns are sometimes just out of sight, the click and whirl on Child Of Nature is the backdrop to hymnal vocalisations by Winter, who intones spell-like text in conversation with herself. On opener Circles, Winter's vocal is pre-linguistic, detached syllables falling into flowing streams, before Plume's field recordings seem to juxtapose nocturnal and diurnal wildlife. "You said I was a Flower Of The Mountain" sings Winter, as James Joyce's Molly Bloom does but the carpe diem desire in Ulysses is dissipated here, spread out by gauzy, droning organs. Here desire is blown up and out, changed into something undefinable but no less powerful.

Change is at the heart of the album. The Roman goddess Proserpine, herself a reimagined version of the earlier Greek goddess Persephone, is always between: between summer and winter, the land of the living and the underworld, constantly emerging into new states of being. It's a fitting metaphor for Winter's work. Like an Apple feels like it soundtracks this in-between state, long, trailing reverb smudging synth keys and Winter's achingly beautiful vocal performance. The effect is stirring but flitting in and out of perception, sometimes Winter's presence feels of this world, of musical instruments and practises and at others it feels like the music is about to phase into a different plane, a different universe.

While Proserpine references the myths and cults of the classical, pre-Christian era, Winter's restless preoccupation with the mechanics of religion informs the album in other ways. Ritual is present through out, either in the mantra-like vocalisations or even the private rituals we are invited to witness: on Fireworks the listener eave drops into the protagonist's private bonfire. On the stunning Lamento, layers of Choral vocal interlock in celestial patterns that recall catholic mass: it's an overt effect that simulates the ecstasy of religious fervour and also reminds the listener of the use of vocal that runs through Proserpine. Winter's vocals often echo with the euphoria of obliteration, of disintegrating in an awful bliss. It's an effect achieved with finality by the closer New Water as the piece begins with voice before burning up in the atmosphere of elegiac violins and enveloping undertows of whirring synth patterns and ghostly pads. Proserpine is forever turning, changing, always elusive and quietly revelatory.

Como Asesinar a Felipes (CAF) from Santiago, Chile, displays their rhythmic existential poetry over a grounding produced by organic instruments. On the same platform elements of jazz, hip-hop, rock, classical and electronic music meet, creating a mix that has stood out for its originality, atmosphere and a lot of energy during its live performances interpreted through a signature that is uniquely their own: saturated, technicolor hues of sound painted on a dark psychedelic canvas. In 2008 their self-titled debut record was released which gained remarkable attention throughout Latin America and especially their home country Chile. Now, 15 years later, it was time for a fresh sound and a remaster. Soon after the digital release of the remastered album, the record will be released on vinyl for the first time ever!

As part of PNKSLM's 10 year anniversary series of special releases/represses - we're over the moon to finally present ShitKid - "Rejected Fish"! This is the previously unheard, studio version of the now legendary debut album "Fish". ShitKid originally recorded "Fish" at MFG Studios here in Stockholm, with myself Luke Reilly on production duties. The week before it got sent of to the vinyl pressing plant though, Åsa had a bit of a panic that it "sounded too good for ShitKid" - and she ended up re-recording all the songs herself on garageband (mostly in her car) - and this super lo-fi take was the version that ended up getting released. Obviously at the time ourselves, plus our PR and radio partners were a little shocked, but as always, Åsa made the right move (in ShitKid we trust) and the album went on to be the best selling PNKSLM vinyl, streamed millions, won awards, and made fans out of the likes of Iggy Pop and Billie Joe Armstrong. And almost the best part was how divisive the lo-fi recordings made the record - Fish received both the best and worst reviews we've ever had on the label!

With J Jazz volume 4, the BBE J Jazz Bullet Train continues its journey traversing the expansive landscape of modern Japanese jazz. Volume 4 is the latest in the universally praised compilation series exploring the best, rarest and most innovative jazz to emerge from the Far East. Please take your seats for a first-class ticket to J Jazz central. This latest station stop off is with the famed Nippon Columbia label, one of the biggest labels in Japan, whose jazz output embraces every possible style imaginable. Focussing on the key years 1968-1981, J Jazz volume 4 sees compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden dig even deeper into their record collections and pull-out tracks that span styles ranging from solo to big band, jazz classical interpretations and heavy jazz rock, to febrile post-bop, white hot samba fusion, and modal psychedelic wig-outs. J Jazz volume 4 features icons such as drum master Takeo Moriyama, keyboard magi Hiromasa Suzuki, Fumio Itabashi, and Masahiko Satoh, and guitar wizards Kazumi Watanabe and Kiyoshi Sugimoto, alongside big band maestros and innovators Nobuo Hara and his Sharps and Flats, and Toshiyuki Miyama’s New Herd. Thunderous basslines nestle alongside glistening runs of electric piano, bubbling synths and air-tight drumming as the heavy psychedelic modal blues of Jiro Inagaki flows with the infectious samba grooves of Takashi Mizuhashi featuring Herbie Hancock; Shigeharu Mukai’s fusion funk epics take the music to another level and Mikio Masuda’s driving keyboard rhythms brings the heat to an incendiary dancefloor zone.

Leon Rosselson has been at the forefront of songwriting in England for over sixty years For 'Chronicling the Times', Rosselson delved into his storied political satirist's song catalog to assemble seventeen of his favorite recordings. Featuring English folk luminaries such as Martin Carthy and Billy Bragg, this collection proves that Rosselson, now well into his 80s, has created an oeuvre comparable to other social critics such as Phil Ochs. He started performing in the early days of the folk revival as a member of the Galliards with whom he made many radio and TV broadcasts. His early songs were topical-satirical, but eventually absorbed many different influences from around the world. He has recorded many albums and published two songbooks. His song "The World Turned Upside Down" was taken into the pop charts by Billy Bragg and covered by artists including Dick Gaughan and Chumbawamba. Rosselson has also published seventeen children's books, the first of which, 'Rosa's Singing Grandfather', was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 1991. Billy Bragg deftly summed up his career: "Leon Rosselson is the embodiment of the original ideals of punk rock- using fearless wit and political integrity to highlight the hypocrisies of those in power."

Mystical and moving, Wish Queen (aka Cleveland-based singer/ songwriter Grace Sullivan) takes the intangible feelings of desire and yearning (wishing), and transforms them into gorgeous melodies, ranging from danceable pop to deliciously introspective ballads you'd love to sit alone and cry to Blending her rich classic vocals and long hidden poetry with layered reverb and synth-based production styles, Wish Queen transports her listeners to a myriad of times and places all at once. Drawing inspiration from various Queens that came before her, including Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood, and Ethel Cain, Wish Queen has created a unique sweet spot that is all her own, and invites you to immerse yourself in her dream world. A hypnotic blend of dream pop, art pop, and indie folk, Wish Queen's debut album, "SATURNALIA," explores earthly cycles, heartbreak, and coming of age via Saturn Return. Recorded mostly in a garage in the summer of 2022, "SATURNALIA" is a true diamond in the rough, complete with breathtaking layers of synths, powerfully intuitive vocal harmonies, and a meticulously crafted hidden narrative. If you're looking for a sound that's been compared to Stevie Nicks meets Beach House, this music is for you. Make a wish!!

Satoshi Suzuki (鈴木慧) described his musical practice perfectly on the OBI strip of his 1987 privately pressed LP - Tokyo Contemporary! consisting of 40% Jazz, 30% Soul, 20% Brazil, and 10% Kayokyoku - a musical mixture not too far off from what is now referred to as City Pop.

However, this archival compilation of Satoshi Suzuki's works presents a perspective of the City Pop sound not from affluent 1980s Japanese bubble economy-era studios and highly paid studio musicians, but from a one-person band making the most of the instruments in their home studio, inspired by musical traditions from around the world.

With notes of city pop, AOR, jazz, soul, bossa, and kayōkyoku - Satoshi Suzuki's intimately recorded pop songs are charming and full of wit, with a seasonal and poetic approach to these musical forms using only a drum machine and an array of digital synthesizers. Sounding a little like Pacific Breeze played on a Casio keyboard and drum machine, Uku Kuut soundtracking a SEGA video game, or the wonderful lo-fi works of Suzuki’s lo-fi homemade pop & jazz contemporaries Ronald Langestraat, Lewis, and Joe Tossini — though most of all, SUZUKI's works show a new and singular perspective of the bubble-era city pop of the Showa period.

Distant Travel Companion (​遠​い​旅​の​同​行​者​) introduces Suzuki's musical works to a wide audience for the first time, featuring remastered songs originally released over three privately pressed LPs from the 1980s, as well as a previously unheard CD from 1993. The original works were released in an impossibly limited edition of 100 copies each - printed and assembled on printing equipment at Suzuki’s company office and scarcely distributed, recording these songs at his home studio in his free time. The compilation's design and accompanying OBI and liner notes are a direct homage to the original releases.

Satoshi SUZUKI is a Japanese keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and music arranger. He is also an author of literature and winner of the "Shin-nihon-bungaku" (New Japanese Literature) Award. He was born in 1958 in Tokyo, Japan.

Auf fünf Alben als Frontmann von GUM, ganz zu schweigen von den neun Alben, die er als Co-Leader der Psych-Cosmonauten Pond aufgenommen hat, hat uns Watsons rege Fantasie einige der klanglich vielfältigsten Erkundungen des letzten Jahrzehnts beschert. Auf Saturnia haben sich diese Visionen jedoch zum reichhaltigsten, aber auch kohärentesten Werk von Watsons bisheriger Karriere zusammengefügt. Wenn man die Möglichkeit hat, jede beliebige Kombination von Klängen und Stimmungen zu kombinieren, die einem in den Sinn kommt, ist die Versuchung groß, alles, was man kann, in jede Sekunde des Bandes zu packen. Die Lektion, die Watson dieses Mal gelernt hat, war die Erkenntnis, dass man manchmal eine großartige Idee zugunsten des Songs weglassen muss. Der Opener "Race to the Air" bietet den perfekten Vorhang. Wie ein gigantisches interplanetarisches Raumschiff erhebt es sich in die Lüfte und bietet eine funkelnde Aussicht auf kosmische Disco - mit Robo-Grooves und bebenden Streichern, während "Would It Pain You to See?", vielleicht einer der überraschendsten Songs des Albums, ein glitzernder, sinnlicher R&B-Song ist. In der Tat ist eines der lohnendsten Dinge an Saturnia, wie sich die Songs im Laufe des Albums unerwartet drehen und wenden, als eine Sache beginnen und dann in eine völlig andere Stratosphäre abheben.