Cerca:side by side

Spiritual World presents: Ashleigh Ball — Center of the Universe, a transcendental flute journey from the singer and flutist of Teal. Center of the Universe is a 32-minute improvisational odyssey recorded inside the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO), a National Historic Site on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia Canada..

Inspired by the pioneering work of Paul Horn and his Inside series, the recording channels a similar spirit of reverent exploration within a space rich in history and resonance. Completed in 1918, the observatory is home to the Plaskett Telescope - once among the largest and most powerful in the world - playing a key role in mapping the Milky Way.

Following months of coordination, three hours of private access were granted on the morning of August 25, 2025. Beneath the observatory’s towering telescope, Ball performed a wordless meditation, moving between alto flute and soprano concert flute, allowing each note to merge with the chamber’s vast natural reverb. Tones bloom, linger, and return, carried along the massive curved steel walls.

Captured using a minimalist recording approach, Center of the Universe preserves the purity of the moment—its warmth, stillness, and the architecture’s subtle mechanical resonance. Here, the observatory itself becomes an instrument, shaping the sound into something elemental, timeless, and deeply human. Center of the Universe will be released as a limited-edition vinyl LP (300 copies) with a printed insert on May 15, 2026, via Rubadub, Forced Exposure, and HiFi in Sheep’s Clothing.

Mr. YT returns!

The cult deep house alias of Yuji Takenouchi was last seen on Brand New Day in 2017, which compiled a series of soft scenes and deepest soulful house for the ambient techno predator R&S and its Apollo, Generations and Global Cuts sub-labels across the mid-to-late 90s. Quietly and confidently some of the most beautiful house music ever made.

So it's a thrill to announce the Universo EP today on Short Span, and to say that he’s still making incredible new dance music in his studio. This is the first Mr. YT record of brand new material in twenty eight years.

The lushness springs forth as delightfully as ever. The inspirations of Detroit chords floating and interacting with a certain kind of Japanese plasticity and futurism. Crystal clear blue skies, sweet perfume and space race optimism, touched with a gentle wistfulness. The four tracks are each as beautiful and intricately deep musically as they are colourful and buoyed by energy. Ready to delight you.

Universo has some new purpose and drive up front, designed and deployed as his most propulsive dance music as Mr. YT. The tempo is taken up, and tracks frequently break out into virtuosic melody that dances across the pieces. Yuji’s talent for composition that hits as hard as it effortlessly glides hasn’t lost its edge in the quarter century plus break. The kick of “Acuario” and “Escorpio” are finely balanced with the influences of jazz and something a little more padded and cosmic. You could mix these into something by Los Hermanos or Ian O’Brien.

The EP bubbles down to a more yearning, sunsetting ambient house on the B side. The instantly recognisable language of classic Mr. YT, a warm and tender place.

Mr. YT has been absent a while, but Yuji’s busy. He’s established a long career as a musician and sound designer within the Japanese videogaming industry, having his hand in games including FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series surely adds something widescreen and sharply emotionally focused to the direction of his dance music. His Missing Project alias also got some shine from the stellar Music From Memory Virtual Dreams II compilation in 2024, which once again pinned down his enduring importance within the ambient techno movement of Japan. He’s also regularly working with Tokyo’s FORM@ Records and regularly self-publishing interesting work and studio versions. And his Missingsoul alias is still some of the most beautiful deep jazz-house committed to wax on Ron Trent’s Future Vision label. Check it all out!

For Metro Beirut’s latest release, Cem Mo steps forward with his debut vinyl EP, a record that bridges the roots of Chicago and Detroit house with his own deep and textured approach to groove.

Born in Ankara and having taken piano lessons at an early age, Cem drifted from classical into jazz, re-teaching himself harmony and improvisation before finding his way into production. After moving to Amsterdam in 2016, the city’s community and music scene expanded his horizon, shaping a sound that treats producing like improvising, with curiosity for grain, color, and repetition, where subtle shifts make all the difference. Along the way, Cem has released on Handy Records and Rhythm Section, while his project Nowhere People has appeared on Artisjok Records.

This EP brings together a tight circle of artists who deepen its character. Saxophonist Moritz Schuster, known for his work across electronic music and past work with Cem and Malik Kassim, formerly known as Retromigration, delivers a striking, free-flowing performance charged with raw intensity. On “The Hard Way”, Franco Corica joins Cem for a deep, soulful, jazz-leaning moment that feels both reflective and quietly defiant. Finally, longtime friend Malik pulls up with a dancefloor remix that preserves Cem’s melodic sensibility while adding his own loose, resulting in a circular dialogue between two artists who’ve grown side by side.

Artwork: Shahd Issa

妖精の通る道 (The Path Where Fairies Pass) is the debut vinyl release by Reimaki, the duo of Rei Yokoyama (Triggers Flowers, Stakaidan, Lapiz Trio, 新井薬師自警団, and Fujio, Chiko Hige and Rei), and Maki Miura (Tsubamegami, Les Rallizes Dénudés, Shizuka, Fushitsusha, Ohkami No Jikan and Katsurei). The duo has been an understated presence in Tokyo, playing occasional under-the-radar shows and self- releasing a few CD-Rs, but they’ve recently started to break cover, with a recent cassette on UFO Creations, released in support of a late 2024 tour of China. It’s also a welcome reappearance on the scene for both musicians; Miura’s musical history, in particular, is being reevaluated thanks to a recent string of welcome Shizuka reissues.

But the music Reimaki make together is a different thing entirely, much as it shares some psychological and aesthetic interests with both Miura’s and Nokoyama’s other projects. Their sound is split between two main interests – an extension of glacial, deoxygenating psychedelic improvisations, and a deep interest in medieval European music. They’ve also been known to cover compositions by English prog/improv musician Fred Frith. These various elements of the Reimaki aesthetic are all present through 妖精の通る道, from the fragility of the opening “Novel Amor” through to the smeared, hazy textures of the three extended pieces that comprise the album’s flipside.

There’s a beautiful sympathy in these performances, and a generous simplicity, too; you can sense that this music is informed by decades of finding just the right way to say the right thing in the clearest manner possible. Yokoyama and Miura never overstate things; make the statement, play the song, let it hang in the air for a while, and then move on to the next essential expression. The music is unburdened by self- consciousness. Their take on medieval music cuts to the core of melody and melancholy; their psych- improv side is blurred and drifting without ever lapsing into rote generic gestures.

There’s some shared space with other artists who suspend the timeless within the kaleidoscopic possibilities of the psychedelic – Kendra Smith & The Guild of Temporal Adventurers; Emmanuelle Parrenin; Rosina de Peira – and a tangled folksiness that might put listeners in mind of Jan Dukes De Grey, Comus, Current 93, and Tower Recordings. Accompanied by beautiful photography from street photographer Takehiko Nakafuji, who was also personally chosen by Mizutani to document Les Rallizes Dénudés, 妖精の通る道 is a most unique and necessary trip.

On the 2024 Altered Circuits release Tropicana Tracks Rotterdam-based artist Betonkust paid tribute to the former subtropical pool (now a circular entrepreneurship hub) Tropicana of his hometown. ALT025 is the follow-up: the fallen-from-grace swimming paradise again fuels a club-oriented selection, inspired by, in the artist's words, "the electronic music from 1988 up until now", more specifically "the Benelux-sound". Tropicana Tracks Two kicks off in full gear with the zero swing drums and lately bass rhythms of Don't Think I'll Be Here Too Long setting the stage for intense synth stabs. Its counterpart comes by way of Realxing, which nonetheless uses similar patches. If the A1 is the thrill of the slides, this one feels like blissfully floating in the geothermally heated waters afterwards. Will Support on the reverse side takes on Detroit techno. Minimal in its composition, it is carried by tough, loopy minor fifth synth sections and prominently mixed rides. TV For Lonely People features more big bass catchiness and melancholic, silky melodies, glued together by vintage flanger treatment and chlorine-damp reverb. The production revels in what feels like the quintessential Betonkust sound. Innershades then joins for the encore, and, characteristically, the mood turns a bit darker. Letting Go Of The Dream is an emotional New Beat update, fully equipped with thudding drum works, haunting lo-fi vocals and pivotal 303 programming - a fitting reaffirmation of the long-standing ties between two of Low Countries Electronics's finest ambassadors.

Limo Trax returns with what it does best - four big tunes from producers on the rise. Kevin Toro and Fragoso give us a sneak preview of what's to come in their forthcoming Limo EPs with two floor-filling nuggets on the A-side, and on the B-side, Limo Byte and Nug-Net alums Danny David & j.me take the next step with their Limo vinyl debuts. These are four ultra-playable cuts for serious DJs playing in any scenario.

PARK PLACE With PAUL TILLMAN SMITH

MAGAZINE GIRL b/w SIMPLE LOVE LIFE
IZIPHO SOUL in association with CHUMP CHANGE RECORDS is thrilled to announce an intriguing new 7”.

From the pen and production prowess of Oakland’s unsung hero Paul Tillman Smith, ably assisted by co-producers Nelson Braxton and Levi Seacer Jr. we present the following musical gems:-
‘Magazine Girl’ featuring the striking vocals of Donnie Williams singing a tale of fantasy. Delightfully crafted for this record, ‘The Catwalk Mix’ by Philip Ward.
‘Simple Love Life’ - modern-day soulful boogie of the highest order, featuring the sensual voice of Terrill Carter.
Also included is Paul Tillman Smith’s ‘Country Rap Epilogue’ cut as a separate track to offer both a humorous twist and context to the song.

Dual label design to reflect the theme’s of each side.

Adventures for curious minds – new label Braintickle launches with Conversations in Dreams, a four-track EP from Amsterdam based duo Naone & denial. Naone opens the A side with “Midnight Caller” – a low-end driven cut with tight percussion and sharp hats, peppered with undulating gurgles and mutating synths. A2 is a deeper affair, carried by growling bass, choppy beats and wiggy, tripped-out samples. On the flip, denial serves up the rolling, bleeping and tribal-infused “Avoid the Voices”, where glitched-out sci-fi vocals meet tumbling drums. Finally, the shadowy, stripped-back echoes of “Silent Smoke” close out this classy, multifaceted package.

At the age of 72, "Evil" Graham Lee, the legendary pedal steel pioneer and veteran of the iconic Australian band The Triffids, delivers his first ever album under his own name titled ‘I Think I’m Alone Now’. In addition to his work with The Triffids, Graham’s place in ambient history was cemented in 1990 when his evocative pedal steel became the soulful centerpiece of The KLF’s masterpiece, Chill Out (specifically on the highlight “Baltimore to Fair Play”).

I Think I’m Alone Now is a profound exploration of the instrument's emotional range, blending traditional country infused melodies with vast, reverb drenched ambient textures. The album spans six tracks, anchored by the Side B title track, a 15 minute textural piece that leans heavily into the ambient genre. From the delicate melancholy of "Seeking Beauty in Sadness" to the curious abstraction of "Nursery in the Beehive," Lee uses his pedal steel and an array of pedals to sculpt unique, haunting soundscapes that exist between tradition and the avant garde.

The connection is brought full circle with exclusive liner notes written by The KLF’s Bill Drummond. Reflecting on a forty year friendship that began when The Triffids served as the backing band for Drummond’s solo debut, The Man, Drummond provides a personal and poignant context for this long awaited solo bow.

A 180g pressing housed in a full sleeve designed by Bradley Pinkerton with metallic sticker and bespoke inner sleeve featuring liner notes signed by Bill Drummond.

For this vinyl release of the label Atelier Electronique, Alix, a survivor of the first techno era, remembers with this title, kicks and melodies that made the great moments of american electronic music scene. "Technasia" is remixed on the B side by Madben, who was discovered by Laurent Garnier on his show "It Is What It Is", already playlisted and played by top DJs and adopted by the Atelier Electronique label.

A divine transmission continues…

The signal never stopped — it just went deeper.

For the second chapter of JESUS LOVES SKYLAX, we return to the source: raw emotion, machine soul, and the sacred pulse of the underground. A continuation of the Todd Edwards spirit — not imitation, but devotion. On the A-side, Byron The Aquarius opens with “House Music Was Good While It Lasted (Goodtimes)” — a bittersweet sermon in sound. Dusty, looping, hypnotic — somewhere between lost tapes and eternal truth, echoing the soul of Detroit at its most intimate. UK craftsman Tom Carruthers follows with “Crank Up” — raw, skeletal, almost industrial in its tension. A direct lineage from early machine music, channeling the stark energy of Cabaret Voltaire through a house framework. No compromise. Just rhythm and intent.

Flip the record.

Blue Mondays deliver “Warm Up For Ron Hardy (Disco Mix)” — a fever dream built for the booth. Loose, emotional, and dangerously effective. A tribute not in name, but in spirit — the kind of record that lives between two worlds, where disco dissolves into house under strobe lights and sweat. Closing the EP, CNVX – “L’Amour (Floorfillers Remix)” hits with pure peak-time electricity. Acid lines twisting through the mix, driven and ecstatic — a modern weapon forged in the language of the underground. A direct nod to the timeless pressure of Floorfillers energy, built for dancers who still believe.

✝ JESUS LOVES SKYLAX ✝

He still does.

"Carol Maia & Jeremy Gustin’s haunting collaborative album is the result of a long distance partnership during which tracks were traded back and forth across thousands of miles, Jeremy working from his home studio in Brooklyn and Carol from hers in Rio De Janeiro. Later they enlisted support from a number of key players in the Rio scene, Frederico Heliodoro, Paulo Emmery, Ricardo Dias Gomes, and from Brooklyn’s musical community, Will Graefe and Ryan Dugre, to shape this understated masterpiece of sophisticated global pop and quiet experimentalism.
"It's hard to describe what Carol, Jeremy and their guests have achieved on 'it's nice to see a lake in your eyes', a kind of pop music that stands outside of time and is neither Brazilian, American or of any other recognisable place. Maybe it's risen out of the lake they imagined into being? Maybe it's formed like rain in the thousands of miles of air between Rio and New York? Whatever happened was certainly alchemical as you will hear.
"Carol told me her writing on this record was greatly influenced by her reading of Marcelo Ariel's poetry book A água veio do sol, disse o breu so maybe the best thing to do to describe this music is to let you read one of his poems:

A luz do ser é como a água
também veio do Sol
onde todos os planetas querem entrar

Dentro do Sol
O ser é imóvel
como a gratuidade de um êxtase
parecido com a respiração

Fora do Sol
o ser é móvel
Tempo eternidade
e tempo cronológico

The light of being is like water
it also came from the Sun
where all the planets want to enter

Within the Sun
Being is immobile
like the gratuitousness of an ecstasy
similar to breathing

Outside the Sun
Being is mobile
Time eternal
and chronological time

"Jeremy Gustin is an unorthodox drummer, percussionist and songwriter who has toured and recorded with Joan as Policewoman, Iggy Pop, David Byrne, Marc Ribot, Delicate Steve, and Norah Jones. If you follow Hive Mind then you probably know him best from his amazing work on Ricardo Dias Gomes' Muito Sol. Jeremy is also in the experimental pop bands Star Rover and Blurry the Explorer.
"Carol Maia is one of Rio's new generation of singers and musicians currently lighting up the city's vibrant music scene. She also featured heavily on Wolfgang Pérez's album Só Ouço, which was released on Hive Mind in 2025."

SCOTTISH TRUMPETER MALCOLM STRACHAN RETURNS WITH HIS MOST UPLIFTING AND GROOVE-DRIVEN ALBUM YET – “LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE”

On Look On The Bright Side, Malcolm Strachan sounds more open than ever. His third solo album moves effortlessly between soul-jazz, Latin grooves and Afrobeat touches, anchored by the warm, cinematic feel of 1970s jazz but driven by a clear sense of forward motion.

Released on 22 May 2026 via Haggis Records, the album sees Strachan stepping further into his role as a composer and bandleader, drawing together the threads of a career spanning more than two decades at the heart of the UK’s jazz, funk and soul scene.

Where his debut About Time (2020) channelled the spirit of classic Blue Note recordings and Point Of No Return (2023) leaned into the groove-heavy CTI era, Look On The Bright Side feels broader in scope – still rooted in groove, but more open to outside influences and a more consciously uplifting tone.

“I wanted the music to feel upbeat and positive,” says Strachan. “I start at the piano, working through chord ideas until I find something that feels right. Once the harmony is there, the melodies tend to come naturally.” That approach gives the album its fluidity, with tracks evolving from feel as much as structure and arrangements that leave room for interplay and movement.

Full colour sleeve with rare use of the Italian only movie artwork.

A few years ago I issued the soundtrack to Virgin Witch, the score to an underground 1971
kinky British London / posh stately home horror that seemed more like an excuse to show as
many racy cars and devilish nude scenes as possible. This fleapit film was written by Hazel
Adair - the writer of legendary long-running TV series Crossroads, and her business partner at
the time Ken Walton (yes, the wrestling commentator). Virgin Witch was cheap and successful
enough to allow the whole team another go at the sexploitation game through their newly
formed production company Pyramid Films. Sex Clinic was the quick follow up; I say Sex Clinic,
the initial cinematic title was Clinic Xclusive, which was also called With These Hands, which
was also called La Masseuse Perverse. This film also came out in 1971 and they used the
musical services of Ted Dicks once again. Dicks had originally met Adair in 1960 through a cast
member performing in his first musical, Look Who’s Here.

If you are not aware of the great Ted Dicks, his quick bio reads as follows: born London 1928,
was educated through both grammar and art school and after National Service flirted with both
art and music. He worked with a series of very talented song writers - including Barry Cryer -
finally sparking properly with writer Myles Rudge. Together “Dicks and Rudge” had a hit with
their musical And Another Thing which starred Lionel Blair and Bernard Cribbins. Their talents
were spotted by producer George Martin and they followed this show success up with a series
of truly classic novelty pop chart hits, again with Cribbins - “Hole In The Ground” and “Right Said
Fred”. If you are not aware of the classic A Combination Of Cribbins LP they wrote, go and find
it. It includes “Gossip Calypso”, a triumph of novelty song writing that somehow manages to
squeeze in the lyric “Oxy-aceteline welder”, and is possibly the only song ever to do so. They
wrote further hits (winning an Ivor Novello for “A Windmill In Old Amsterdam”) and were in
constant demand throughout the 1960s and 1970s, working with artists such as Petula Clark,
Matt Munro, Bruce Forsyth, Topol and Kenneth Williams.

By the late 1960s Ted had also penned a handful of instrumental library cues including the
classic “Busy Boy” for the Standard Library company that got picked up as the theme for the
brilliant TV kids fantasy show Catweazle in 1970. It’s a light, kooky, hummable tune that lodged
its way deep in the mind of any child under 12 over the following decade.

When I first got the reels for Sex Clinic I’m not sure what I was sonically expecting - much of
Dicks’ music blends musical hall with jazz and some brilliant novelty - and maybe I was also
imagining a different kind of film to the one that was actually made. Turns out Sex Clinic is more
like a sleazy drama than an erotic adventure - I’ve read reviews that call it “nothing more than a
naked Crossroads”. Even knowing this I had no idea what the music was going to sound like. So
I was thrilled when it was almost the musical opposite of what I imagined. We have here a great,
easy jazz score. Not a proggy, wild or free jazz score, this is lightish, vibes-led, bluesy and really
charming, which gets slightly more lively when the naked pool party sequence kicks off, and
drifts effortlessly into more seductive midnight moods as and when required. And having now
seen the film, musically it’s unusually at odds with the on screen nudity, blackmail and revenge.

But like most of Ted’s work, the music sticks in your mind. Unlike the film. Which I suggest you
try and avoid unless you like watching plump randy middle aged men with terrible hair pursue
women half their age.

TRACKLISTING: There were no notes or titles to any of the cues on the reels. So I have just simply labeled the sides as per the reels that came in:

Discotchari unveils a full deadstock run of this rare 7 inch from 1970, found in original factory boxes and reissued as the first release of the label. It features previously unheard material from oud virtuoso John Bilezikjian and percussionist Raja Zahr, a Burbank via Beirut collaboration. The record will be available on vinyl and digital platforms from November 3rd, 2023.

Recorded under the name Something Different, the duo produced a single 45 RPM that was shelved as their solo careers took off. At just 21, Bilezikjian handles oud, bass and harpsichord, while Zahr delivers rich and inventive percussion.

Side A, Zulu Man, blends late 60s psychedelia with a more experimental edge, closer to underground acts than mainstream rock of the era. Carried by evocative vocals and expressive oud lines, the track unfolds like an epic narrative.

Side B, Chemical Reaction, is harder to define, moving between cinematic moods and rhythmic tension. The track evokes shifting landscapes and contrasting atmospheres, making it as intriguing as it is unpredictable on a dancefloor.

Originally pressed by Nose Records in 1970.

Discotchari unveils a full deadstock run of this rare 7 inch from 1970, found in original factory boxes and reissued as the first release of the label. It features previously unheard material from oud virtuoso John Bilezikjian and percussionist Raja Zahr, a Burbank via Beirut collaboration. The record will be available on vinyl and digital platforms from November 3rd, 2023.



Recorded under the name Something Different, the duo produced a single 45 RPM that was shelved as their solo careers took off. At just 21, Bilezikjian handles oud, bass and harpsichord, while Zahr delivers rich and inventive percussion.



Side A, Zulu Man, blends late 60s psychedelia with a more experimental edge, closer to underground acts than mainstream rock of the era. Carried by evocative vocals and expressive oud lines, the track unfolds like an epic narrative.



Side B, Chemical Reaction, is harder to define, moving between cinematic moods and rhythmic tension. The track evokes shifting landscapes and contrasting atmospheres, making it as intriguing as it is unpredictable on a dancefloor.



Originally pressed by Nose Records in 1970.

Alva Noto - Wave Weave – Sono Obi is the original soundtrack by Alva Noto, composed for a film by Carsten Nicolai.

- The project emerged from a collaboration with an 12th-generation kimono textile manufacturer in Kyoto, Japan.

At its core, the work explores the translation of sound into textile form: sonograms of musical compositions serve as the basis for woven structures, connecting acoustic frequency patterns with traditional weaving techniques.

Alongside the original soundtrack, the release includes an alternative soundtrack version and a photographic documentation featuring sonograms, soundtrack visualizations, and film stills.




Tracklisting
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 1

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Sono Obi Wave Weave
Playtime: 00:22:00
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62600001
(P): 2026 NOTON

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: B // Track: 1

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Sono Obi Landscape
Playtime: 00:06:10
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62600002
(P): 2026 NOTON

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------

Long overlooked outside specialist circles, Drammi e Speranze is presented for the first time ever on vinyl reissue, newly remastered to highlight the depth and tonal richness of Umiliani’s arrangements.

Originally released in 1976 on Piero Umiliani’s own Sound Work Shop imprint, Drammi e Speranze—issued under the pseudonym Rovi—stands as a refined example of his late-period library work.

Performed by a compact string ensemble and subtly augmented by piano, Hammond organ, Eminent organ, and Rhodes, the album unfolds through a series of classically-informed compositions where melody takes center stage. Each piece is concise, evocative, and purpose-built—reflecting the functional yet highly expressive nature of Italian library music at its peak.

Conceptually, the record is structured in two contrasting halves: the first side explores themes of optimism and resolution, while the second delves into darker, more introspective territories, mirroring the emotional duality suggested by its title (Tragedies and Hopes).

This release celebrates 100 years since the birth of Piero Umiliani, honoring the enduring legacy of a composer whose work continues to resonate across cinematic, library, and contemporary sample-driven music.

©℗ 1976, Liuto Edizioni Musicali / Licensed to Holy Basil Records by Liuto Edizioni Musicali

For well over a decade, MONOLORD have caused mass riff hypnosis with longform epics steeped in repetition, volume, and heaviness. One of heavy music’s most consistent and beloved bands, MONOLORD are gearing up for their next chapter with a new album titled Neverending. In looking for a new take on the genre, MONOLORD approached the legendary producer Sylvia Massy, known for her work with Tool, System of a Down, and Johnny Cash, among many more. The payoff from this new process is undeniable. Neverending feels like the culmination of 13 years of heavy, molten music, with a keen eye towards creating a sharper album. “The recording of this album is an example of the spirit of MONOLORD’s camaraderie,” says bassist Mika Häkki. “We’ve looked back and seen for the first time how much we have done as a band collectively, and realized what an intense 13 years it has been.” "The lyrics on this album are more personal than before because I went through some major life changes in the last couple of years,” guitarist/vocalist Thomas Jäger says. “I usually write about religion and how people are superstitious, but this record is more about relationships between people. But it’s not all about me. Sometimes I’m writing from another person’s perspective.” Neverending’s lead single “You Bastard” offers listeners a sharp contrast: A propulsive groove offset by lyrics about suicide. There’s two sides to suicide,” Jäger points out. “There’s the person who commits suicide and the people who gets left behind...The choruses represent the person left behind, and that person is calling the other a bastard—but it’s not pointing fingers or saying, ‘You suck.’ It’s more like, ‘You left me here with all the bullshit.’ It’s an understanding that life is not easy." Though it might not be immediately obvious, album opener “Iodine” was inspired by 70's rock epics like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” The Eagles’ “Hotel California,” and Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter." Elsewhere, album closer “It’s Neverending” is the first MONOLORD song that Jäger doesn’t sing on. Instead, the death-metal style vocals are performed by former Entombed bassist Jörgen Sandström, (also of Grave, Domedagen and Firespawn.) 13 years on, MONOLORD’s path takes a new turn, and Neverending becomes the band’s most befitting album title. “It's been a wild ride and still is,” says drummer Esben Willems. “I've spent a quarter of my life in this band. Looking back, I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished along the way, and in many ways, this album feels like the essence of everything we've done so far. My mindset is the same it's always been, to be the absolute best the three of us can be.”

STINGRAY returns three years after Fortress Britain. Back with a new line up and an ever more savage sound, massive sounding on a 5 track 12” EP.
ENEMY is London on a plate. Stench-tinged hardcore punk born of the ever reaching infinity of Britain’s complex and confusing capital. Nihilistic acid burns in the style of NEUROOT, DEATH SIDE and DOOM, under a few minutes per piece, peppered with prosciutto-dipped VAN HALEN style solos Ala later WRETCHED or SHOTGUN SOLUTION. Vocal visitations by Ciara Savage bring frightening melodic elements into the occasional foray into truly irresistible mosh, not far from the barbed wire trailblazing of GASTUNK, SOD, and SACRILEGE before flying back into fast paced passages of “Scandinavian Jawbreaker” worthy velocity.
Recorded at Fuzzbrain by Jonah Falco. Mixed and mastered by Chris Corry at the Paincave. Draped in a Tin Savage sleeve, and released on the ever eternal home of musical suffering, La Vida Es Un Mus Discos.