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Don Leisure has cemented his name as one of the most forward-thinking and experimental beatmakers & producers within the current musical ecosystem. As well as being 50% of Darkhouse Family (alongside Earl Jeffers) he has collaborated with the likes of Angel Bat Dawid, Gruff Rhys, DJ Spinna and First Word label-mates Amanda Whiting & Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus). Garnering serious support from Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Huw Stephens, Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan, The Vinyl Factory, Clash, Uncut and many more. Following the release of ‘Cynnau Tân (feat. Carywyn Ellis)’ (which gained support across BBC Radio from Tom Ravenscroft, Zakia & Huw Stephens) Welsh beatmaker Don Leisure announces the release of a new album ‘Tyrchu Sain’) as he returns with a new single ‘Tyrchu’ due for release on 22nd January 2025. ‘Tyrchu’ features the soft-spoken vocal stylings of Gruff Rhys over a gently rolling, tape saturated and expertly chopped instrumental, creating (in Gruff’s own words) ‘Shiny new beat-treasures with ghostly reflections of Welsh pop’s past - skillfully dug from Sain Records’ deepest veins’

A dedicated student of music, over the years, Don has amassed a vast encyclopaedic knowledge of music genres and subcultures, including a fascination with Welsh psychedelic folk music from the mid-20th century. This introduction was made by respected musician, producer & selector Andy Votel’s 2005 two-part compilation series ‘Welsh Rare Beat’ (in collaboration with Gruff Rhys and Don Thomas), comprising twenty-five tracks from Sain Records’ back catalogue. Now the oldest independent record label in Wales, Sain is a wildly influential bastion of home-grown Welsh talent, co-founded by Welsh-language folk singer Dafydd Iwan, whose music has seen a cultural resurgence in recent years with his 1983 song Yma o Hyd (We’re Still Here) becoming a huge anthem for Wales football fans. Set up in the Welsh capital, many of Sain’s early releases were recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, but in the early 1970s the record company moved to the Caernarfon area and opened their first recording studio in 1974 near Llandwrog. Announcing a huge digitisation project throughout 2024, Sain Records took on the mammoth task of painstakingly digitising their entire back catalogue spanning 55 years, working in partnership with the National Library of Wales the resulting archive then be submitted for to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, preserving them for future generations to enjoy. Taking this period of rediscovery as an opportunity to reimagine their impressive inventory, Sain invited Don Leisure to dig into their musical treasure chest, creating a sprawling sonic tapestry from the dusty gems within. On this exhilarating excursion, Sain Records founder Dafydd Iwan explains: ‘Imagine someone gave you access to over 50 years of Welsh popular music – almost all of it unknown to you before. It would be a strange experience of discovery, an unknown territory which could baffle and excite. This happened to Jamal (Don Leisure) – and he was captivated by a world of music he barely knew existed, and when he was asked to distill the experience into one album, he immediately warmed to the idea. And this is the result – a kaleidoscope of sounds to encapsulate a half century of Welsh music. To call it unique would be superfluous: no-one could ever recreate this album. Listen, and enjoy.’.

The resulting product is ‘Tyrchu Sain' (translating to ‘Digging Sain’), a fearless and exploratory album, which sees Don put his signature unparalleled and unpredictable skills to work, weaving together moments of forgotten beauty into celestial and otherworldly compositions. The record features appearances by artists from Wales who have a similar obsession as Don Leisure in these classic Welsh rarities including Gruff Rhys, Carwyn Ellis, Earl Jeffers Amanda Whiting and Boy Azooga. A shimmering patchwork quilt of sound, ‘Tychru Sain’ traverses a shifting landscape of acid folk, eerie vocal melodies and interstellar soundscapes, propelled forth by crisp, head nod-inducing drums and grainy textures. Breathing new life into compositions lost to time, and paving a path for new listeners to discover the magic that lies within.

Ivy Chalice release their highly anticipated follow up to last years ‘Nachtmahr’, with Noctifer, on Library of the Occult Records. Drawing inspiration from classic cinema and the evocative sounds of the 1960s and 70s, Noctifer blends acoustic textures and ethereal vocals with a shadowy electronic edge, crafting a musical experience that is as haunting as it is hypnotic.

Noctifer ("bringer of night") is an album of shadowed landscapes and eerie tales. Ivy Chalice conjures a soundscape where dark folklore, dreamlike acoustics, and modern electronic elements meet. The album's narrative threads echo the haunting charm of films like The Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Wicker Man, as well as the spectral allure of British folk revival acts.

Maria Perez Query of Hellebore writes:

"The dense, dreamy atmosphere conjured by Ivy Chalice reaches its zenith in “Der Wald, Die Spiegelwelt,” which has echoes of the classic folk horror series Moondial (1988). Ethereal and eerie, Noctifer feels like wandering into the woods to find a ruined chapel, like opening a gate that leads to a secret realm."

Featuring tracks that balance fragility and foreboding, Noctifer is both an homage to and a reinvention of folk horror soundscapes. The combination of acoustic instrumentation and shadowy electronic textures offers a contemporary twist on timeless themes of nature, ritual, and the unknown.

We are excited to announce the third release in the series of illustrated reissues.

This vinyl edition of 50 Words for Snow is available to preorder now as a double album on 180g vinyl.

Illustrated by Timorous Beasties and designed by Fish People.

Double album in gatefold sleeve. Metallic belly band with embossed text. Poly sleeve and stickers. Printed at Pozzoli.

Pressed on black vinyl at Record Industry from new lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman of the 2018 remasters by Kate and James Guthrie.

Stef Heeren, driving force of Belgian band Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat, is embarking on a special reunion concert series with his original folk ensemble to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the band’s acclaimed album, Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water. Arguably their finest work in their discography, the album was the pinnacle of the band's folk-oriented sound, after which they tapped into more electronic territories.

The initial vinyl pressing (and cd) of Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water, released in 2011, has long been sold out and now fetches excessive prices on the secondhand market. To mark this milestone, the album will be reissued in early 2026 as a limited-edition vinyl on KTAOABC’s own imprint, Kattengat.
With this re-release on the horizon, Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat is eager to hit the road once more, revisiting their folk roots and performing the songs that defined their earlier years. The concerts will not only celebrate the album Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water, but also offer a chance to explore the full spectrum of the band's career, from their folk beginnings to their more modern, electronic explorations.

Happy anniversary!

What or who is Arawak? It's the library music pseudonym of Italian pianist and composer Benito / Luciano Simoncini. Here, he was asked to produce a series of background cues for the Lupus label in 1974. So he began with a track called London 1965. Then proceeded to do what the hell he wanted, writing musical love letters, playing with strange noises, treated trumpets or keeping it simple with his piano and some heavy but controlled reverb.

The result is a consistently interesting album full of passion, joy and beautiful fun, and not a million musical miles away from a classic Morricone release. The original album was repressed five years later on the small Titian library label, and now, at last, there's this final commercial pressing.

It's great to know these near legendary and rare background recordings are moving slightly more into the important foreground.

Jonny Trunk

Back on vinyl for the first time since 2015! New remastered version with alternative cover art. Unlike all DJ Yoda’s artist albums, ‘Breakfast Of Champions’ features the same collaborators on every track effectively putting together a band. The genesis of the project was in Manchester, where the legendary Band On The Wall venue asked him to host an artistic residency. He put a call out for local musicians, did auditions, and selected three rappers. Two were local to Manchester - Truthos Mufasa and Sparkz. They were local legends making up parts of The Mouse Outfit and LVLZ. And the third was Rex Domino from down south, who was a British MC who Yoda thought would gel well with the other guys. They wrote, rehearsed and recorded intensively in Manchester - performed a memorable series of live shows (including an epic Glastonbury show), and Yoda put the finishing touches to the album back in London after the fact. “It was such an enjoyable experience” says Yoda. “Lifelong friendships were made, and most excitingly two of the band members got together (James Breen, drummer, and Claire Northey, violinist) and had two kids! So there are Breakfast of Champions humans out there too!”

This new pressing features alternative artwork that was never used at the time of the album’s original release.

Based on an unbelievable true story, Roofman follows Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum), an Army veteran and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald's restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman. The film's score was composed by Grizzly Bear multi-instrumentalist Christopher Bear, with contributions from The War on Drugs' Jon Natchez. Christopher Bear is a drummer and multi- instrumentalist member of the Brooklynbased indie-rock group Grizzly Bear. He continues developing his independent career, most recently working on arranging soundtracks for the HBO series High Maintenance, and scoring the 2023 film Past Lives alongside his bandmate Daniel Rossen.

Kyoto-based Stones Taro is a producer and DJ who has established a unique standing within the global dance music scene. After operating the NC4K label since 2017, he embarks on a new challenge by launching his own self-release series.

The inaugural release, titled "Foglore," is characterized by its foggy sound design and timeless arrangements reminiscent of folk tales.

In this four-track release, Stones Taro explores a fresh interpretation of the fusion between Dub, Techno, and Deep House. These tracks capture the essence of contemporary music in intriguing ways, yet feel as familiar as if they have existed since ancient times.

Finlay Shakespeare is an electronic musician working from the UK and across Europe. A childhood obsession with his parents’ record collection led him to both create his own music and build his own synthesizer equipment throughout his teenage years. After studying audio engineering, he was invited to become in-house engineer for the Moog Sound Lab UK, leading to collaborations with acts as diverse as Suicide, Charlemagne Palestine, The Grid and Mica Levi & Eliza McCarthy, both in live and studio environments. In 2017, Finlay began recording a series of monthly “Housediet'' releases - all improvised and captured at home utilising drum machines, modular synthesis and processed vocals. After several encounters with Peter Rehberg of Editions Mego, a compilation of the Housediet tracks was drawn up by Rehberg and Shakespeare, culminating in the release of “Domestic Economy” in early 2019. “Solemnities' ', a second album for Editions Mego appeared the following year. In the period since Rehberg’s untimely passing, Finlay has recorded for Superpang, Modulisme and his own GOTO Records imprint. “Illusion + Memory”, meanwhile, continues on from where “Solemnities” left off, with Finlay once again aiming to work at the fringes of electronic pop. Alter is proud to present “Illusion + Memory”, the third full length physical LP of Shakespeare’s utterly unique and sophisticated output. Shakespeare’s obsession and knowledge of late 70’s and early 80’s electronic pop music is once again at the forefront of this intense and dynamic release. Alas, this is not some retro throwback. Shakespeare’s deep understanding of his machines breathes new life into a genre of music once defunct. Supporting the likes of Blancmange bolstered his reputation for sublime synth hooks and dark lyrical content. Building on his previous work in the field “Illusion + Memory” is an unabashed pop record, as joyous as it is intense, moving from the brooding opening ballad “Your Side of the River” through the punchy “Theresa” which could be read as a love song to Throbbing Gristle’s United. Elsewhere “Climb” unleashes the opportunity to the dancefloor as wild electronics snake into all manner of schizophrenic shapes. There is a romantic side to this music. In its homage to electronic pop of the late 70’s and early 80’s but also in the emotional punch Shakespeare injects into every second of every track. Shakespeare’s reboot of these musical forms is technically impressive, one rich in feeling and deep in emotion, atmospherically and vocally. The two come together to create a unique visceral sonic experience… today!

After appearances on Freakadelle’s ’44’ compilation series as well as on a Night Defined Recordings 12inch alongside Mesak, Even Tuell and Mary Yalex, Nurah presents his debut album, which will also be the last release of the Freakadelle imprint before entering new waters.

CTRL aims to point out that the world of perception is strongly guided by frequencies in music. CTRL combines modified sounds with minimal sonic structures and creates rhythms that transcend genres. From an artistic point of view, CTRL auditorily as well as visually hints at the versatility of earthly sensations.
Nurah explores electronic music in its many facets and places his ever-gro-wing, musical challenges at the forefront of his work.

blickwinkel releases WILDERNESS, the fifth instalment in Ameel Brecht’s cassette series exploring the theme of sleep. This closing volume delves into the world of dreaming and what it does to our minds, and for the first time in Brecht’s oeuvre features newly composed parts for (bass) clarinet.

"Sleeping and dreaming in your childhood: the first dreams you remember, the whole wildness of it;
dreams of flying, and of disappearing,
the strangeness of blue twilight,
worrying about the nightmares of a sibling, listening to the dreams of your parents,
struggling with falling asleep,
writing dreams on postcards
dreams that feel so true they linger for days -
sleep is wilderness."

To decay is also to transform. Rusting metal is the visible traces of passing time, as the oxidation process accumulates dampness in our atmosphere and imprints it as unpredictable patterns onto hard iron and steel. Working in construction for a year now, Kensho Nakamura sees rust all the time, clambering up ageing chunks of material. Normally discarded as waste, Nakamura began discerning beauty in the phenomenon, organically spiralling around and consuming some of the very hardest of manufacturing stuffs into unique new forms.

‘Electric Rust’ continues the conceptual electronic composition mode of Nakamura’s previous works with a series of fractured musical dioramas. These scurrying notes, sparse hums, and quivering bleeps explore the topics of rust and the accumulation of time. The music ticks like a clock, drips like a tap, and manifests unknowable inorganic shapes. Recognisable musical snippets of bells, pianos, or murmured voices are buried inside counterintuitive synthetic rhythms and tension.

On ‘wet air’ piano notes tinkle and pipes gargle, digital detritus tap dances and arpeggios stumble. On ‘unique faces’, idle marimbas and malfunctioning animalistic squeaks flounder. This is music from the promethean space between being forgotten and being conceived. ‘Electric Rust’ is a topography of a world of rust, where corroding structures evolve into new — and beautiful — patterns of life.

Repress!

4 To The Floor is committed to delivering seminal house music to wax, making sought after heritage tracks readily available on vinyl for crate diggers to add to their collections. The fourth edition of the series pays homage to one of the most loved names in house music – Sandy Rivera. Known for his soulful dancefloor cuts he has produced timeless classics, with his long-lasting career and multitude of aliases captured by this 12” release. Opening the A-side is the Moodymann Edit of Kings of Tomorrow’s ‘Fall For You’, featuring the stunning vocals of long-time collaborator April Morgan, followed by Sandy’s grooving ‘Come Into My Room’ which features LT Brown. On the flip is Soul Vision’s ‘Don’t Stop’ with its atmospheric strings and gospel vocal. The release is closed with Kings Of Tomorrow featuring Elzi Hall ‘Show Me’, an atmospheric club cut that shows the versatility of this house legend.

If there is a year zero for the introduction of reggae music to Japan, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was 1979 when Bob Marley and the Wailers toured the country, trailed by an entourage of journalists, photographers and fans ready to spread the message of the music into all corners of Japanese society.

But the story of Japanese reggae is not a linear one, and the music that is collected on Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 captures the moment J-reggae entered the broader public consciousness, merging commercial city pop style with an infectious backbeat, that has drawn comparisons with the emergence of Lovers Rock in the UK.

Rather than look directly to Jamaica, many producers and artists in Japan were inspired instead by the more approachable sounds of The Police and UB40, their reggae fix arriving pre-filtered through the lens of new wave pop from the UK. Playful and groovy, these album deep cuts have been overlooked for too long.

Among them are Miki Hirayama, the idol singer who borrowed the bassline from Bob Marley’s Natural Mystic on ‘Denshi Lenzi’, Chu Kosaka, who headed to Hawaii to cut the Jimmy Cliff-inspired ‘Music’ and Marlene, the Philippine songstress whose cover of Roberta Flack’s ‘Hittin’ Me Wear It Hurts’ owed much to her producer’s obsession with Sly & Robbie’s Compass Point sound.

Then there was Izumi “Mimi” Kobayashi, who enlisted the Babylon Warriors to perform on a dubbed-out version of her own track ‘Lazy Love’, the city pop-meets-new wave reggae sound of Miharu Koshi’s ‘Coffee Break’, Junko Yagami’s anti-apartheid deep cut ‘Johannesburg’ and Lily, whose ‘Tenkini Naare’ was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and closes out the compilation with a flourish.

While these stories may not always conform to neat narratives, they do provide a more accurate reflection of the indirect ways in which styles infiltrate one another and, in their naivety, have the potential to create something beautifully strange and entirely new. Previously only available in Japan, the tracks on this compilation are a testament to that curious alchemy.

Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 is released on vinyl and as a full album download (no streaming), featuring original artwork by Japanese Fukuoka-based artist Noncheleee, whose cover pays homage to the iconic dancehall album art of Wilfred Limonious.

Released on 1st September, Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985 is part of Time Capsule's Nippon Series, a loose series of compilations exploring different musical scenes from Japan between the 1960s and 2010s.

2026 Repress

We trying hard to keep things real here with a new vinyl drop pulling out a a limited series for the crate diggers.

Alpha & Omega (Greensleeves / A&O Records), the legendary pioneers of UK Dub, have shaped the sound of modern roots and dub since the 1980s, building a vast catalogue of over 40 studio albums. Their deep, meditative sound is foundational to the evolution of soundsystem culture and the global spread of bass music from Jamaica to the UK and beyond. Now, as part of the acclaimed A&O reissue series by Steppas Records, we proudly present the long-awaited reissue of Voice in the Wilderness. Originally released in 1994, this classic LP is one of the rarest in the Alpha & Omega catalogue—original pressings are almost impossible to find and regularly fetch extremely high prices on Discogs. Lovingly re-mastered and housed in the original sleeve with iconic A&O artwork, Voice in the Wilderness is a powerful statement in dub and a true collector’s treasure. This is UK dub history, revived.

LP with printed Innersleeve with Linernotes by Eddie Piller (Acid Jazz) The compilation series “DJ's Choice” was launched in 2008 and has already enjoyed the participation of several high-profile curators, such as Keb Darge, Marc Hype, and DJ Suspect. A few years before the death of Unique Label founder Henry Storch in 2018, a DJ's Choice edition was created with his long-time friend and fellow DJ Eddie Piller. Unfortunately, it never came to fruition—as is so often the case, life had other plans, and sadly not all of them were pleasant. However, the idea was never completely forgotten, and with the help of Eddie and Henry's DJ partner in crime Sandra (Frollein Taube), a list of tracks that were on Henry's quick-select list for his sets was finally compiled.

Two of the most respected voices in the underground connect for a heavyweight collaboration that's been a long time coming — BULLETPROOF CHICKEN is out now!

CRIMEAPPLE, the bilingual New Jersey spitter known for razor-sharp wordplay and a steady run of cult-favorite projects like Aguardiente and his collaborations with DJ Muggs, cementing his spot as a force in modern hip-hop.

On the boards, V DON has become a staple for his signature dark, cinematic production style. From Harlem to the world, he’s laced tracks for the likes of Boldy James, Estee Nack, A$AP Rocky, Dave East, Benny The Butcher among several otehrs, while also building his own lane with the underground classics like Omerta and his Deutsche Marks and Blue Note series with Willie The Kid. His beats balance grit and atmosphere, making him one of the most sought-after producers in the underground and beyond.

With BULLETPROOF CHICKEN, the two bring their worlds together — sharp rhymes, moody textures, and guest appearances from T.F, Bruiser Wolf, and Primo Profit only add more weight. This album is a testament to where both artists are right now, rising higher with every drop, carrying the underground to new levels.

La Margarita (1994) is an unforgettable collaboration between iconic Uruguayan musician Jaime Roos and legendary writer and playwright Mauricio Rosencof. Blending the rich musical traditions of Uruguay-candombe, murga, tango, and milonga-with elements of folk and rock, as he is known for, Roos sets to music a cycle of sonnets that tell a tender, naive love story. These poems were written by Rosencof under harrowing conditions during his imprisonment by the Uruguayan dictatorship in the 1970s. Includes 16-page booklet. Jaime Roos and Mauricio Rosencof are two of Uruguay's most beloved and influential artists. Roos, a groundbreaking musician, redefined Uruguayan music in the 1980s with his signature fusion of deep-rooted local rhythms and cosmopolitan flair. Rosencof, a celebrated writer and playwright who emerged in the early 1960s, was also a prominent figure in the historic Tupamaros guerrilla movement. Their paths converged in 1987, when Roos composed the score for Rosencof's play El Regreso del Gran Tuleque. During this collaboration, Roos discovered a series of sonnets Rosencof had written while imprisoned under Uruguay's brutal dictatorship. Held in solitary confinement for over eleven years, Rosencof composed these poems as a lifeline-scribbled on cigarette papers and hidden in the hems of clothes his family collected for laundering. Against all odds, both the author and his poems survived. The sonnets tell a delicate, moving love story set in 1950s Montevideo. Roos, inspired and captivated, rose to the challenge of transforming them into music. The result was La Margarita-a groundbreaking project in which Roos masterfully fused Uruguay's rich musical traditions-candombe, murga, tango, and milonga-with elements of folk and rock, creating a deeply evocative set of songs as only he could deliver. Beyond its beautiful music, La Margarita stands as a testament to resilience, creativity, and the enduring power of love and art.

BBE Music’s acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass returns with its 20th release, a super rare private press from one of the more laudable female jazz figures of Japan, saxophonist and composer Sachi Hayasaka, together with her band, Stir Up! Released in 1988 on the private label Mobys, Free Fight was Hayasaka’s debut album and announced the arrival of an essential and primal force onto the Japanese jazz scene. Part free jazz, part post-bop, and part heavy groove, Free Fight is one of the most varied yet engaging albums BBE Music has reissued in the J Jazz Masterclass Series, showcasing Hayasaka’s inventive and muscular playing as well as her highly original and surprising compositional powers. Given the album’s eclectic yet cohesive sound, it’s no surprise that it originally found a home at Mobys, the label established by esteemed jazz critic and promoter Teruto Soejima. Mobys only issued a handful of albums from some of the leading free and open players including J Jazz Masterclass alumnus, pianist Aki Takase, as well as free jazz guitar icon Masayuki Takayanagi, and free jazz figureheads Itaru Oki and the great Masahiko Satoh. Born in Tokyo in 1960, Hayasaka took lessons from saxophonist and recording artist Toki Hidefumi and fully immersed herself in the jazz life, working part-time at various jazz kissas including Peter-Cat, a kissa managed by novelist Haruki Murakami. She has performed regularly across Japan at venues like the famous Pit Inn and formed a strong alliance with the classic Tokyo jazz kissa Paper Moon, which continues to this day. Heavily influenced by players such as Roland Kirk, David Murray and Ornette Coleman, Hayasaka has played with free jazz legend Yosuke Yamashita and performed around the world (as well as up Mount Fuji!). In the late 1980s she moved to New York for several years and worked with notable musicians including drummer Pheeroan akLaff and pianist Cliff Korman. She has recorded a number of albums to her name for Japanese jazz labels such as Three Blind Mice and Kitty as well as leading European imprints such as Enja.