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Massimiliano Pagliara celebrates 20 years of music production with a special anniversary compilation on Funnuvojere. The release brings together solo productions and collaborations spanning a rich and abundant period that began when Pagliara acquired his first analogue machines, five years after moving to Berlin from Milan, where he worked as a professional dancer and choreographer.

The compilation features 20 previously unreleased tracks, deeply infused with italo grooves, wonky bass-lines, balearic pads, drama, love, sex, and dreams. These tracks evoke a wide spectrum of moments, ranging from intimate, pleasure-driven home listening to full-blown dance-floor euphoria. Throughout the compilation, one can feel Pagliara’s enthusiasm for discovery—his excitement in encountering new machines and immediately putting them to work.

Pagliara’s sonic identity is unmistakable, present in every track and in the compilation as a whole. Like the facets of a crystal, the music reflects his many nuances while maintaining a strong, coherent core. Tracks such as Waves of Desire pay homage to Dream House, reimagined through contemporary production with cosmic tones and infectious drums. Flicker Of Us reveals a dramatic tension between a rowdy bass-line and melancholic pads, while We Can Touch The Sky features Pagliara himself on vocals, blending synth-pop with elements of new wave and glam rock. Cool Breeze unfolds as a sunlit, optimistic walk through a wide Berlin avenue—funky, warm, and filled with curiosity for what lies ahead.

A notable strength of the compilation lies in its collaborations, which highlight Pagliara’s joy in working with other producers and vocalists. Each collaboration reveals a distinct character: the balearic sensibility of A Journey of Discovery with Gatto Fritto, the French house flavour of Neon Memories with Alinka, the 70s disco inflection of It’s In Your Eyes with the late Aérea Negrot, and the driving techno attitude of Whirlwind with Fabrizio Mammarella, to name just a few.

Ultimately, this compilation stands as both a gift to Massimiliano’s long-time fans and an open invitation to new listeners. It offers entry into a world shaped by beauty, order, balance, and ecstasy—guided by an enduring love for the craft.

Ancient passages
for golden talismans,
iron converts on illuminated slabs, vapors to the sky and tribal songs
among towers never touched by an eye.
Earthly history wanders
still
on unwritten runes.

If – in some parallel universe (or perhaps a not-so-distant-future version of the one we’re already sentenced to living in) – the evil overloads of artificial intelligence were actually successful in their attempts to create convincingly enjoyable “original music,” more specifically tasked with wholly encapsulating my own personal tastes by data-chugging some cocktail of – oh, I don’t know – the posters on my wall, the records in my “most listened to” pile, the mixtapes I made for others, intensive physical scans of my auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, heart strings, whatever else they have splayed out on their autopsy table with the intention of generating one all-encompassing “perfect band” based on the fruitful sum of their findings – that band, for me, would be (or would at least sound exactly like) the Tara Clerkin Trio. It is, quite simply, without exception, the music I wish to hear.

Formed in Bristol UK (where none of them are from yet all of whom are deeply engrained) in 2020, the Tara Clerkin Trio – as it somewhat democratically exists today, despite the singular authority implied by its name – consists of the titular Tara Clerkin, her partner Sunny Joe Paradisos, and Sunny’s brother, Patrick Benjamin. I’ll confess, I don’t know what their respective roles are within the operation and there’s only a very small part of me that cares to learn, as one of my favorite qualities in an objective listening experience is the mystery of who is playing what, which sounds are “authentic” versus synthesized, which chunks are performed “live” in a room together versus meticulously Frankenstein’ed from measure to measure, or how exactly the overall sound is so (seemingly) effortlessly achieved. Though, I suspect, if and when I do witness a live performance by this band at any point, my enjoyment of the music will not be lost in my better understanding of it.

With two extraordinary mini-albums – In Spring (2021) and On The Turning Ground (2023) – making a splash on London’s formidable World of Echo label in wake of their self-titled 2020 debut, this upcoming Somewhere Good LP is, in many ways, the band’s most realised work. In running their usual gauntlet of idiosyncratic (*an overused adjective for which here there is regrettably no sufficient alternative) approaches, Clerkin & co. colour in and outside of compositional lines over the course of 40+ celebratory minutes - never wallowing, despite inherently somber subject matters of self-defeat, disease, displacement, restlessness, gentrification - allowing their arrangements and improvisations ample space and time to situate, stretch out, breathe, cross-pollinate, and ultimately take deeper hold on the listener’s imagination – all while somehow sounding more like themselves than ever before.

Of course, there are traceable influences herein, if one felt that such comparisons were necessary to properly examine and enjoy this music (they aren’t)… Being the big dumb American from the small boring town that I am, cornfed on ‘90s alternative radio with the enchantingly exotic sounds of Maxinquaye and Mezzanine emanating from my chunky tube television, I can’t help but to make a blatantly obvious reference to a “Bristol sound”, ie the whole trip-hop trip, the pastoral crooning over the suggestive urban grime of cracked electro/piano treatments, the digitally-yet-primitively reconstructed James Bond soundtrack string-beats, etc.. But the Tara Clerkin Trio is so infinitely much more than that. There are elements of avant-pop, modern classical, kraut-folk, audio verité, dare I say indie rock (and not of the beer guzzling, masturbatory fuzz-flex variety but perhaps more like a Trish Keenan-fronted Faust, Adrian Sherwood at the mixing desk of If You’re Feeling Sinister, or – in expanding on our alternate reality – a world in which High Llamas cut a full-length for Warp Records with Andrew Weatherall on coffee duty).

The hazy, unmappable skyline-mirage of droning harmonium, upright bass, peculiarly accentuated wind instruments, acoustic guitar, hushed yet literally mighty keys combine to hypnotizing effect. The band may make underlying nods to jazz, sure, but it’s not appropriation, it’s that they have the actual chops to build it out. Beneath the janky samples and oddball percussive embellishment lies actually great drumming. Beyond the manipulated vocal witchery and woefully reflective plain-spoke moments are Tara’s subtly inspired melodies, sung with what might honestly be the glue to the whole crazy equation. A calming consistency throughout the otherwise unpredictably dynamic, boldly intuitive, uniquely British exploration of this (their own) universe in song. – Ryan Davis (Chicago, February 2026)

Bliss Point is proud to welcome the Bogotá born, New York based Matük to the label with Sendero, a collection dripping with life, with lust, with joy in the face of it all.

Birthed from weekend-long studio sessions in the heat of New York summer, Sendero is luscious and visceral party music, crackling with the spontaneous possibility that runs through city streets as temperatures peak, asses throw and emotions run high.

Hailing from Colombia and deeply immersed in the New York underground, Matük’s influences collide into an ecstatic tapestry on Sendero, blending the rich traditions of Afro-Caribbean musics with experimental and club sonics, long the sounds of joy as defiance from deep within the imperial core.

Many paths cross on Sendero. “Ricotta” features vocals from BRAVA, the Basque DJ and MC whose raw, infectious spirit has injected new energy into the international bass and footwork scene. She is joined by Argentinian-Colombian artist FEDRA on synth and vocals, transforming voice notes the trio sung into their phones over a long weekend of dancing into a party anthem of their own. “Lio”, the EP opener, pairs Mexico’s Renn Loop with Matük himself, trading sultry, heated frustrations over latinx futurist production. Things slow down on “De; Dioses y Pantallas”, a yearning, introspective plea to the night sky, before returning to the party with the bouncing, acid-fueled remix of “Ricotta” from Mexico City’s Soos.

Sendero is a snapshot of a scene in motion, a document of serendipity and collaboration, music made in the long tradition of enjoyment as a revolutionary act.

Die Musik auf Horse Lords' "Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!" wirkt zugleich unglaublich detailliert und zutiefst menschlich. Die zwölf versammelten Stücke sind vielschichtig, verflochten, tonal und rhythmisch komplex - moiré-artige Muster aus Interaktion und Verzahnung, die sich sowohl körperlich als auch geistig entfalten, voller klanglicher Gänge mit einem unausweichlichen Groove. Künstler sind nicht notwendigerweise Wissenschaftler, Logiker oder spirituelle Führer, doch durch ihr persönliches Verständnis von Ordnung und Erfahrung eröffnen sie einen unmittelbaren Zugang zu gesteigerten Zuständen von Materialität und Immaterialität. Horse Lords wurden 2010 in Baltimore gegründet; sie gingen aus einer anderen Gruppe namens Teeth Mountain hervor und starteten als Trio mit Gitarrist Owen Gardner, Bassist Max Eilbacher und Schlagzeuger Sam Haberman, bevor der Altsaxofonist Andrew Bernstein zum Kernensemble hinzustieß. Obwohl das Quartett aus einer fruchtbaren Noise- und Experimental-Rock-Szene hervorgegangen ist - einem legendären Umfeld für Künstler und Außenseiter, das viele einflussreiche Bands hervorgebracht hat (Lungfish, Matmos) - war ihr Ansatz über sechs Alben, zahlreiche Kollaborationen und als gefeierte Liveband weit vielseitiger, als es die punktierten Rhythmen instrumentaler elektrischer Rockmusik vermuten lassen. Für dieses Projekt wird die Band durch Bassklarinettistin Madison Greenstone, Posaunist Weston Olencki und - erstmals bei Horse Lords - durch Gesang von Nina Guo und Evelyn Saylor ergänzt. Der Entstehungsprozess von "D2BT2HA!" brachte geografische Hürden mit sich, da die vier Mitglieder seit 2021 in unterschiedlichen Städten leben. Nach sechzehn Jahren als funktionierende Band übersteigt ihre gemeinsame Sprache jedoch jeden Ort. Die aus Deutschland stammenden Gardner, Eilbacher und Bernstein trafen sich in Berlin für die Aufnahmen, während Haberman die Schlagzeugparts in Baltimore erarbeitete. Beim Hören würde man dies nicht unbedingt erkennen, und gemeinsames, räumlich getrenntes Arbeiten ist heutzutage ohnehin keine Seltenheit mehr. Die Band merkt an, dass "es wichtiger war, den Konzepten und Visionen der jeweils anderen zu vertrauen, als Abschnitte immer wieder zu spielen, um zu überprüfen, ob die Musik funktioniert - obwohl dieses Vertrauen nur durch sehr enges gemeinsames Arbeiten möglich wurde". Obwohl "D2BT2HA!" nicht im engeren Sinne eine Suite ist, beeinflusst und durchdringt sich die Musik in komplexen Verknüpfungen selbst. Horse Lords erklären: "Uns gefällt die Vorstellung von Kunst als Werkzeug zur Perspektivveränderung - dass man Ideen rotieren kann und sie aus einem anderen Blickpunkt sehen/hören/fühlen kann." Oder, wie es der Swami Satchidananda Saraswati zugeschriebene Satz ausdrückt: "Understanding is standing under where you are already standing." Das Eröffnungsstück ,Eureka 378-B" ist ein Arrangement von sakraler Harfenmusik aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, getragen vom Gesang von Guo und Saylor; seine Melodie entfaltet sich weit und setzt einen tonalen Startpunkt für vieles, was folgt. Dazu kommen die kurzen "Rotations", die Fragmente aus anderen Stücken isolieren. Offensichtlich tragen die Titel der Stücke einiges an Bedeutung, und "D2BT2HA!" bildet da keine Ausnahme - Transzendenz und Erhebung sind der Musik inhärent, und wenn jede Kunst politisch ist, so sind die Tendenzen von Horse Lords optimistisch und gemeinschaftsorientiert. Transformation und Neubetrachtung sind nicht nur kompositorische Strategien, sondern eine philosophische Haltung, was sich in Titeln wie ,A City Yet To Come", dem Titeltrack oder utopischen Bezügen zeigt. Wie sie selbst sagen: "Wir versuchen Musik zu machen, die den Status quo herausfordert und dem Hörer einen Weg zur Befreiung eröffnet. Das Studium und die Erforschung von Klang und Musik hat eine spirituelle und ekstatische Dimension, und wir haben große Ehrfurcht vor ihrer Wirkung auf den Einzelnen und die Welt." "D2BT2HA!" enthält unzählige klangliche und konzeptuelle Schichten, doch angesichts der unverkennbaren Kraft und Menschlichkeit der Musik ist der Prozess, sie zu entschlüsseln, begeisternd und zutiefst lohnend. Selten ist eine Platte, die einen so unmittelbar packt und zugleich bei jedem Hören vollkommen neu erscheint.

Die Musik auf Horse Lords' "Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!" wirkt zugleich unglaublich detailliert und zutiefst menschlich. Die zwölf versammelten Stücke sind vielschichtig, verflochten, tonal und rhythmisch komplex - moiré-artige Muster aus Interaktion und Verzahnung, die sich sowohl körperlich als auch geistig entfalten, voller klanglicher Gänge mit einem unausweichlichen Groove. Künstler sind nicht notwendigerweise Wissenschaftler, Logiker oder spirituelle Führer, doch durch ihr persönliches Verständnis von Ordnung und Erfahrung eröffnen sie einen unmittelbaren Zugang zu gesteigerten Zuständen von Materialität und Immaterialität. Horse Lords wurden 2010 in Baltimore gegründet; sie gingen aus einer anderen Gruppe namens Teeth Mountain hervor und starteten als Trio mit Gitarrist Owen Gardner, Bassist Max Eilbacher und Schlagzeuger Sam Haberman, bevor der Altsaxofonist Andrew Bernstein zum Kernensemble hinzustieß. Obwohl das Quartett aus einer fruchtbaren Noise- und Experimental-Rock-Szene hervorgegangen ist - einem legendären Umfeld für Künstler und Außenseiter, das viele einflussreiche Bands hervorgebracht hat (Lungfish, Matmos) - war ihr Ansatz über sechs Alben, zahlreiche Kollaborationen und als gefeierte Liveband weit vielseitiger, als es die punktierten Rhythmen instrumentaler elektrischer Rockmusik vermuten lassen. Für dieses Projekt wird die Band durch Bassklarinettistin Madison Greenstone, Posaunist Weston Olencki und - erstmals bei Horse Lords - durch Gesang von Nina Guo und Evelyn Saylor ergänzt. Der Entstehungsprozess von "D2BT2HA!" brachte geografische Hürden mit sich, da die vier Mitglieder seit 2021 in unterschiedlichen Städten leben. Nach sechzehn Jahren als funktionierende Band übersteigt ihre gemeinsame Sprache jedoch jeden Ort. Die aus Deutschland stammenden Gardner, Eilbacher und Bernstein trafen sich in Berlin für die Aufnahmen, während Haberman die Schlagzeugparts in Baltimore erarbeitete. Beim Hören würde man dies nicht unbedingt erkennen, und gemeinsames, räumlich getrenntes Arbeiten ist heutzutage ohnehin keine Seltenheit mehr. Die Band merkt an, dass "es wichtiger war, den Konzepten und Visionen der jeweils anderen zu vertrauen, als Abschnitte immer wieder zu spielen, um zu überprüfen, ob die Musik funktioniert - obwohl dieses Vertrauen nur durch sehr enges gemeinsames Arbeiten möglich wurde". Obwohl "D2BT2HA!" nicht im engeren Sinne eine Suite ist, beeinflusst und durchdringt sich die Musik in komplexen Verknüpfungen selbst. Horse Lords erklären: "Uns gefällt die Vorstellung von Kunst als Werkzeug zur Perspektivveränderung - dass man Ideen rotieren kann und sie aus einem anderen Blickpunkt sehen/hören/fühlen kann." Oder, wie es der Swami Satchidananda Saraswati zugeschriebene Satz ausdrückt: "Understanding is standing under where you are already standing." Das Eröffnungsstück ,Eureka 378-B" ist ein Arrangement von sakraler Harfenmusik aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, getragen vom Gesang von Guo und Saylor; seine Melodie entfaltet sich weit und setzt einen tonalen Startpunkt für vieles, was folgt. Dazu kommen die kurzen "Rotations", die Fragmente aus anderen Stücken isolieren. Offensichtlich tragen die Titel der Stücke einiges an Bedeutung, und "D2BT2HA!" bildet da keine Ausnahme - Transzendenz und Erhebung sind der Musik inhärent, und wenn jede Kunst politisch ist, so sind die Tendenzen von Horse Lords optimistisch und gemeinschaftsorientiert. Transformation und Neubetrachtung sind nicht nur kompositorische Strategien, sondern eine philosophische Haltung, was sich in Titeln wie ,A City Yet To Come", dem Titeltrack oder utopischen Bezügen zeigt. Wie sie selbst sagen: "Wir versuchen Musik zu machen, die den Status quo herausfordert und dem Hörer einen Weg zur Befreiung eröffnet. Das Studium und die Erforschung von Klang und Musik hat eine spirituelle und ekstatische Dimension, und wir haben große Ehrfurcht vor ihrer Wirkung auf den Einzelnen und die Welt." "D2BT2HA!" enthält unzählige klangliche und konzeptuelle Schichten, doch angesichts der unverkennbaren Kraft und Menschlichkeit der Musik ist der Prozess, sie zu entschlüsseln, begeisternd und zutiefst lohnend. Selten ist eine Platte, die einen so unmittelbar packt und zugleich bei jedem Hören vollkommen neu erscheint.

Clear Vinyl mit blauer Marmorierung. Das luxuriöse Atelier Ryza (Original Soundtrack Trilogy)-Vinyl-Boxset enthält 45 Songs auf drei LPs, darunter die beliebtesten musikalischen Highlights aller drei Spiele. Jede Vinyl-Schallplatte steckt in einer polylined Innenhülle und befindet sich in vollständig illustrierten Covern mit Rücken. Das Set beinhaltet außerdem ein 24-seitiges Booklet mit Konzeptzeichnungen, Charakter-Artworks, Liedtexten sowie Liner Notes auf Englisch und Japanisch. Alles ist in einer hochwertigen, schweren Box verpackt, die diese Sammlung zu einem echten Must-have für jeden Fan des Spiels, seiner Kunst und natürlich der Musik macht, die immer ein wesentlicher Bestandteil des Erfolgs der Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy war.Die Atelier-Serie ist ein JRPG-Franchise mit dem Thema Alchemie, entwickelt von GUST und seit 1997 laufend. Die ,Secret Trilogy" umfasst die Videospiele Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout (2019), Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy (2020) und Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (2023). Sie ist die erste Reihe innerhalb der Atelier-Serie, die über mehrere Titel hinweg dieselbe Protagonistin zeigt. Die Geschichte folgt einem gewöhnlichen Mädchen, Reisalin ,Ryza" Stout, die die Alchemie entdeckt und gemeinsam mit ihren Freunden ein Sommerabenteuer erlebt, welches ihr persönliches Wachstum durch diese Erfahrungen widerspiegelt. Alle drei Titel im neu veröffentlichten Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack bieten Verbesserungen hinsichtlich Bedienkomforts sowie zusätzliche Inhalte, um die ,Secret"-Reise weiter aufzuwerten.

Clear Vinyl mit blauer Marmorierung. Das luxuriöse Atelier Ryza (Original Soundtrack Trilogy)-Vinyl-Boxset enthält 45 Songs auf drei LPs, darunter die beliebtesten musikalischen Highlights aller drei Spiele. Jede Vinyl-Schallplatte steckt in einer polylined Innenhülle und befindet sich in vollständig illustrierten Covern mit Rücken. Das Set beinhaltet außerdem ein 24-seitiges Booklet mit Konzeptzeichnungen, Charakter-Artworks, Liedtexten sowie Liner Notes auf Englisch und Japanisch. Alles ist in einer hochwertigen, schweren Box verpackt, die diese Sammlung zu einem echten Must-have für jeden Fan des Spiels, seiner Kunst und natürlich der Musik macht, die immer ein wesentlicher Bestandteil des Erfolgs der Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy war.Die Atelier-Serie ist ein JRPG-Franchise mit dem Thema Alchemie, entwickelt von GUST und seit 1997 laufend. Die ,Secret Trilogy" umfasst die Videospiele Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout (2019), Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy (2020) und Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (2023). Sie ist die erste Reihe innerhalb der Atelier-Serie, die über mehrere Titel hinweg dieselbe Protagonistin zeigt. Die Geschichte folgt einem gewöhnlichen Mädchen, Reisalin ,Ryza" Stout, die die Alchemie entdeckt und gemeinsam mit ihren Freunden ein Sommerabenteuer erlebt, welches ihr persönliches Wachstum durch diese Erfahrungen widerspiegelt. Alle drei Titel im neu veröffentlichten Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack bieten Verbesserungen hinsichtlich Bedienkomforts sowie zusätzliche Inhalte, um die ,Secret"-Reise weiter aufzuwerten.

Shoegaze slow dance where distortion and desire merge into a single narcotic pulse. Each track feels like a transmission from a beautiful but broken future, numbing the senses before consuming them completely. Much like the most immersive works of Tropic of Cancer or Death in Vegas, the album drifts beneath a flickering sodium sky, lost in reverb and ritual. This is not just another new release—it’s an unforgettable sonic hallucination, a cinematic comedown carved in echo and melancholy, where time and thought dissolve in waves of velvet static. Presented in ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl, including printed innersleeve with lyrics.

From commanding festival mainstages to shaping the Belgian house scene with his SHOMI brand, DJ Licious has consistently delivered music that connects beyond borders. With his debut album "So Far", he brings together the highlights of his career "so far", while setting the stage for "what's next" - a sonic story of passion, persistence, and the universal power of dance music.

A Journey Through Hit Records and New Horizons

"So Far" gathers DJ Licious's biggest anthems to date, including his massive hit "Magic With You", for which he received a golden record and spent over 30 weeks in the Ultratop 50. The album also features Top 10 hits like "Hope" (with Armen Paul) (Platinum) and "Million Moons" (Gold), alongside fan favorites such as "Ibiza Sky", "Beautiful Liar", "Voices", and his latest single "One More Day."

In addition to these beloved tracks, "So Far" includes two brand-new, unreleased songs, offering listeners a glimpse into the next chapter of DJ Licious's musical journey - a seamless blend of feel-good grooves, melodic energy, and emotional depth.

"'So Far' is a reflection of everything I've experienced on this journey - the highs, the love, the dancefloors, and the people I've met along the way. It's a thank-you to everyone who's been part of it," says DJ Licious.

Lunfardo presents “Aurora" introducing the fourth conceptual album that deep dives into Uruguayan culture and misticism once again.

On March 3, 1976, Ángel María Tonna, owner of the ¨La Aurora¨ ranch in Paysandú, observed a strange flash of light near his shed. Upon approaching, he found a spaceship suspended 75 meters high, with an intense circular light that caused radiation effects later discovered in the ground. Simultaneously, a blackout occurred in the nearby cities of Paysandú and Salto, and several witnesses of lights crossing the sky were documented in the local press by major newspapers such as El Telegrafo.

Thereafter, Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, visited Uruguay and the ranch several times, eight times to be exact. He shared photos of flying objects with Tonna and left a drawing in the house depicting space and "supreme beings." Despite UFO reports throughout Uruguay, ¨La Aurora¨ remains a mystical place. The truth is out there, or as it is sayed beneath there.

“Aurora EP¨ immerses us in two sides divided between Molen and Qasio. Side A invites us to explore the inexplicable in an abduction, a “close encounter” (Encuentro cercano) that transports us directly on a journey through outer space but also immerses us in the mysteries of "Ulimen." Side B offers a profound guide to worlds of "dark matter” (Materia Oscura), disconcerting presences, “orbs”(Orbes), and galaxies above our heads

Inaugural release of ambitious new label Mindfares, dedicated to the more nuanced, experimental edges of the electronic spectrum. Their first record is coming courtesy of Romania-based artist and performer Aburelius, taking listeners on a left of field, abstract yet nature bound trip that is as much immersive as it is emotional. With a rich, detailed sound that's borrowing and mutating from ambient, post rock, dub techno, and trip hop, the release shines on well-built systems both at home and in your favorite neighborhood hifi booth.

SKYLAX RECORDS presents a monumental new release by two of France’s most revered electronic music icons: ARNAUD REBOTINI & ACID WASHED. This record marks the first chapter of a secretive 4-part project — each release forming a piece of a bigger picture — a bold and mysterious tribute to the roots and future of rave culture. Following in the footsteps of Rebotini’s landmark album "Musical Component", this new project feels like a natural evolution — deepening his vision while expanding it into new sonic territories. Without giving too much away, this is SKYLAX BLACK 2 (after the LAXBLACK 1 "Winter Sequences EP" which marked the collaboration between Rebotini & Skylax) and features a set of four stunning tracks. On the A-side, Redshifts to Blueshifts opens the EP with an epic and soulful Detroit-style journey, evoking the finest moments of Underground Resistance — militant yet emotional, full of futuristic melancholy. 99 Shakes follows with a more direct club-driven assault, propelled by massive synth riffs and machine-gun rhythms, pushing the boundaries of dancefloor energy. Flip to the B-side and discover Futur Race, a pure electro odyssey à la Juan Atkins and early Metroplex (think 1985 sci-fi transmissions), sharp, robotic, and ultra-funky. Closing the EP is Gen Mix, a powerful and cinematic slice of what can only be called Wagnerian techno — intense, dramatic, orchestral in scope, and unmistakably Rebotini. This release is a statement — timeless and forward-thinking. This release is the first in a series — a mysterious and powerful journey through sound, vision, and legacy. What’s next? You’ll find out… one piece at a time.

Renée was born out of The Hague-based rock ‘n roll band René And His Alligators, founded by René Nodelijk in 1959. Throughout the 60s they were moderately successful both on stage and in the studio and served as an inspiration for many bands associated with the burgeoning beat scene in the coastal city. From 1967 onwards they performed under a few different names before going on a hiatus. In 1977 he made a comeback, this time joined by his wife Anja Nodelijk, née Exterkate. To reflect this fresh feminine impulse the band name was changed to simply Renée and recorded four full-length albums and a host of singles before disbanding in 1982 to make way for Anja’s solo career.

Reaching For The Sky from 1980 is their second and has been likened to many different things: Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, or even a fantasy collaboration between Pat Benatar’s guitarist, Heart’s Ann Wilson, and Steely Dan. Sprinkle some reggae and funk in the mix and it is no surprise that some of the tunes on this album ended up in niche YouTube algorithms, a Japanese book about obscure records, and in DJ sets by big names like Prins Thomas, who even released an extended edit of “Change Your Style” on a 12” single. This is obscure sophisti-pop at its best. Reaching For The Sky is available as a 45th anniversary edition on translucent magenta coloured vinyl.

'Yara Asmar’s new album presents 11 pieces recorded over the past year between the small town of Alfred in upstate New York and Beirut. These sometimes fragile and tentative sound sketches reflect the times as Yara steps out, as if onto ice, into a new life on a new continent during a time of tragedy, turmoil and upheaval. She works with unfamiliar instruments, new materials and new sounds to build on her intimate style; homemade mechanical music boxes and a personal archive of family recordings form the backbone of its delicate textures. Asmar explores the peculiar resonance of the metallophone and her collection of deconstructed toy pianos, and guides her music into ever more surreal territories. The result is a work that is dreamlike, fragmentary and strangely timeless.'

The Natural Yogurt Band returns from the Derbyshire hills with another trippy record. We find again his signature sound
of raw neo-library and exotica grooves, with an electronic twist. Soulful string synths, modular chirps and crunchy electric
pianos will bring you in a colourful soundscape that only The Natural Yogurt Band can paint.

7 years later after his release in Twig , artist 616 returns with 4 tracks all recorded in tape as usual.. All tracks are edited by Alex Picone.
Artwork by Mona Bit.

Experienced Dutch producer Tom Ruijg rightly won praise for his first 12' as Tracey, Skyfall, which surfaced on Voyage Direct in early 2017. Combining elements seemingly inspired by vintage Detroit futurism, '90s ambient techno and his own love of colourful synthesizer melodies, the EP saw Tracey set out his stall in impressive fashion.
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Compare and contrast, for example, the two A-side cuts. While Testarossa' is far-sighted and spacey, with Tracey wrapping intergalactic electronics and lilting synthesizer melodies around a darting synthesizer bassline and swinging, electro-influenced house drums, Sidekick' is blissful and almost overwhelmingly melodious: all 16-bit new age motifs, head-in-the-clouds electronics and driving, locked-in machine drums.

The contrasts continue on the B-side, too. Many DJs may instinctively be drawn towards Made My Love', whose energy-packed groove (think vintage Chicago jack with a dollop of slick NYC house soul) is peppered with spacey chords, undulating electronic motifs and glacial melodies. Yet the track that follows, the wild and windy electro workout that is Interceptor', is every bit as potent when played over club sound systems. The track's inherent hustle, seemingly the product of Ruijg's darting synth stabs and feverish audio textures, is almost impossible to resist.

Pilot Talk II is the fourth studio album by New Orleans rapper Curren$y, and follow up to his widely celebrated release, Pilot Talk. Originally released in November 2010, and initially only available on CD & digitally, Pilot Talk II was first pressed on vinyl and exclusively available in the Jet Life: Pilot Talk Collection Vinyl Box Set. For the very first time ever and after much anticipation from fans, Pilot Talk II will be released as a standalone vinyl product, exclusively available for Record Store Day Black Friday 2025 to celebrate the album's 15 year anniversary. Pilot Talk II includes standout tracks such as "Michael Knight," "Famous," "Hold On (feat. Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy," & perhaps one of Curren$y's biggest solo songs, "Airborne Aquarium." Pressed on stunning Purple, Black & White 3 Color A Side B Side Vinyl and limited to 3000 copies worldwide, Pilot Talk II is a must have for any Curren$y or blog-era rap aficionado.

London duo Babeheaven — vocalist Nancy Andersen and producer/multi- instrumentalist Jamie Travis — return after four years with their highly anticipated 5-track EP ‘Slower Than Sound’, released via Scenic Route on October 24.

Following their singles ‘Beloved’ and the 6 Music-premiered track ‘Picture This’, ‘Slower Than Sound’ marks a deeply personal and intimate turn for Babeheaven. Written and recorded largely in Nancy’s home studio, the EP embraces minimal instrumentation, acoustic textures, and spacious arrangements, capturing the emotional vulnerability and euphoria the duo describe as “Post Rave” — the music you listen to on the ride home from a
party.

“It feels like a rebirth in a lot of ways,” says Nancy. “Writing at home gave me space to experiment, make mistakes, and rebuild confidence. Once I brought the songs to Jamie, we shaped them together into what you hear now.”

The EP explores love, reflection, and personal growth. Beloved conjures a comforting, almost mythic presence, while Lost For Words reflects the struggle to connect with the world and oneself. Picture This offers snapshots of a relationship, looking back while imagining its future. The cover Tiny Demons by Todd Rundgren blends seamlessly with the EP’s introspective mood, and Loud Thoughts, featuring Samba Jean-Baptiste, captures heartbreak, burnout, and creative pressure. “I hope people can find their own meaning in these songs,” Nancy says. “I’m writing for myself, but music is for each listener to interpret.”

Since debuting with Friday Sky in 2016, Babeheaven have steadily built a loyal following through their acclaimed albums Home For Now and Sink Into Me, amassing over 65 million Spotify streams and earning support from BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, and KCRW. Their live shows have sold out Village Underground,

Bush Hall, and Jazz Cafe, and they’ve shared stages with Cigarettes After Sex, Loyle Carner, and Nilüfer Yanya. Visually, Babeheaven’s world has been shaped alongside creatives including Margot Bowman, Frank Lebon, Tegen Williams, Sacha Beeley, and Joyce Ng, cementing their reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive acts.

After facing cancelled tours, industry pressures, and a period of creative doubt, Slower Than Sound represents a return to the core of their artistry: intimate, honest, and self-produced. Jamie reflects: “Not putting out music for so long was hard, so we hope this is the start of a more prolific period for us, reconnecting with the London music community and beyond.”

Neon Castle hones in on a fleeting sub-genre of early to mid-’80s folk-rock. For a brief moment, glistening slide guitar, fretless bass, satin floating over drum machines intertwined with ethereal female voices, conjuring a sound at once familiar and otherworldly—pop structures touched by myth. Some songs sway with the warmth of open ranch-land, crystal visions beneath thundering skies; others shimmer with candlelit mysticism, as if born in a pagan stone tower, crafted with the very staff Kate Bush might have wielded. Together, these pieces reveal a singular cloth.

Compiled by Charles Bals—now in his third collaboration with Smiling C—Neon Castle affirms his rare gift for storytelling through sound. Each track unfolds like a scene from an imagined film: castles glowing with noble gas, kingdoms awash in purple haze, white horses roaming free, hair cascading to the waist. The collection sketches a realm both new and upon a time, a world where fantasy takes shape through music. With Neon Castle, attentive listening becomes narrative.

Punching in with his debut vinyl EP for Fluid Funk, Chilean house producer Massiande follows up to a string of head-turning releases on an array of labels, including Jimpster’s Freerange Records. His much anticipated new offering, “Essential”, packs all the attributes of his vivid, floor-focussed vision, taking us on a bouncy ride across densely forested coastal house scapes and heavy-lidded electronics. Draped in washed-out pads and cottony textures, Massiande’s tracks have us floating in a chromatic daze of sorts, light-hearted and somewhat nostalgic, but above all hopeful and resilient.

A textbook slab of Massiande’s ever-expanding palette of woozy house tropes and silken disco touch, A1 “Tears” (also presented in bare instrumental form on the flip side B2) has it all, from the euphonic synths arrangements to the no-nonsense, club-igniting jack and irresistible footwork, via the infectious bass and Chicago-style soulfulness of its vocals. Proper fiery number and absolute weapon for any DJ seeking either impactful elegance in a peak-time context or to rekindle the flame when the after gets a bit too prosaic and requires that extra funky boost to get back on tracks. Grooviness exemplified.

More of a straightforward affair, A2 “Essential” unflappably beckons us on the path of utter vaporous escapology with its pulsating tableau of FX-soaked machine talk, semi-acidic bass and zero-G synthwork painting the sky all shades of pastel. The result is a rather captivating piece of weightlessly intuitive though carefully engineered sonic daydream. Injecting further oomph to the groove, B1 “Come On” pulls out a symbiotic collage of Sino-flavoured melody, Stax-ian vox sampling and straight out Detroit house-indebted propulsion, neatly showcasing both Massiande’s broad spectrum of influences and that idiosyncratic take of his on the said genres’ tried-and-tested leitmotivs.

The time has come for hip-hop’s favourite superheroes to unleash their highly anticipated album. The industry’s most recognisable voice, Chali 2na, and turntable wizard Krafty Kuts have been not-so-secretly preparing this project since 2017 through over 150 live shows and countless studio sessions. The time has finally come to grab your capes, don a pair of tights and load up the turntable ready for the show to begin. This is ‘Adventures Of A Reluctant Super Hero’ – prepare for the Purple Assassin and the Scratchman as they come and save your city, the scene and hip-hop as we know it.

Featuring a who’s-who of collabs and guest appearances from hip-hop royalty, this 14-track record takes you to just about every corner of the genre, leaving no stone unturned. With Lyrics Born and Gift Of Gab joining on ‘Guard The Fort’ to deliver a serious statement of intent to open the LP, the rest of the record is an adventure through funk, breaks, rolling basslines, buckets of groove and everything in-between. Throw in a generous portion of expertly delivered bars and vocals from genre sidekicks like Harry Shotta, Skye (Morcheeba), Omar, Dynamite MC and more, and you’re left with a hip-hop record that not even the comic books could have conceived.

LP version comes with an exclusive 8-page comic-book by official Star Wars illustrator JAKe + full album download.

When people think of Yacht Rock-those smooth, sun-drenched sounds that once drifted from Californian radio stations in the late '70s and early '80s-they rarely imagine it echoing through rehearsal rooms in Hamburg or Linz. Yet even far from the Pacific coastline, the appeal of shimmering chords, laid-back grooves, and polished production found fertile ground.
This compilation gathers rare and overlooked tracks from Germany and Austria. These artists embraced West Coast aesthetics with sincerity and subtle twists, resulting in music that feels both familiar and refreshingly new-smooth sounds for cloudy skies. So drop anchor, pour something cool, and enjoy this unexpected cruise through the lesser-charted waters of Euro Yacht Rock.

Our journey begins in Austria, where Reflection's Because (1981) set the tone with blue-eyed soul and analogue warmth-a sunlit blend of Doobie Brothers polish and local charm. Its creator, Dieter Heyduk, reappears with Austrian Sky, a heartfelt nod to his homeland that fuses mountain calm with oceanic longing.
From the North Sea island of Föhr, Ara Pacis dreamed of California on their 1979 self-release To the Westcoast. Inspired by Steely Dan and Lake, they turned German rock precision into breezy, melodic sophistication. Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, Mainpoint fused funk and jazz-rock on Frisbee, their 1980 single bursting with rhythmic drive and optimism before the tide of the Neue Deutsche Welle swept such grooves aside.
Bremerhaven's Nuages offered the compilation's only instrumental gem, Strange Weekend (1985)-a gentle blend of jazz-funk and rock and largely lost to time. Its cool restraint captures the European interpretation of Californian ease.
Around the same period, British traveler Gavin James recorded River of Laughter in southern Germany, backed by the blues-rock band Black Cat Bone. His acoustic reflections on water and flow mirrored the soft, meditative pulse at Yacht Rock's core.
Berlin's Top Spin kept things playful with Bikin (1985), a funk-fusion snapshot of urban joy that showcased the city's finest session players. From the Ruhr area, the Jan Pack Band is up next. While not a typical Yacht Rock track, Cable Dance is driven by an effortless, groovy '80s vibe.
Peter Seiler's Goldfinger project reimagined Walkin' in the Sand as a relaxed reggae-tinged track, while Munich's Major Seven closed the voyage with Silverboat, a wistful soft rock ballad gliding between melancholy and light.

Across these hidden harbors of German and Austrian pop, the West Coast dream took on new forms-reflected in rivers, skies, and studio lights half a world away from L.A. Under and Above the Clouds celebrates that spirit: the enduring pull of smooth music, wherever it's made.

A central figure in the contemporary scene, Setaoc Mass delivers five tracks of intimidatingly dystopian techno for Fuse's next release. Synth-heavy and melodically focused, the UK native brews moody tones over his signature percussion to provide a touch of improvisation for balance. In Static Rush, genres and influences collide under the persistence of concrete club music.

A haunting synth sequence opens FUSE10 with 'The Sky Above', showcasing Setaoc Mass's intentions for the rest of the release. Playing with decay and sifting through shakers, the seasoned producer fills the spectrum with constant tension throughout the entirety of the A1. In 'Shaded', whipping white noise over sixteenth synth notes, the pressure rises and falls with whistling accents on the transitions. Keeping the dancer on their toes with a lively arrangement, Setaoc Mass keeps his hands on all elements to maximise the record's progression. Moving to the B side, Feeling blends harmony and robust tone. Claps thunder through the track's warehouse acoustics, complemented by a sharp lead cutting through a heavy low end. The structure remains elusive and quick like the previous two, and it boasts a full, grinding sound destined for peak-time sets.

The end of Feeling then dips down into a two-track journey of ethereal sound designs and soft melodies. Keeping the rhythm swinging, Flutter By settles the atmosphere with an IDM-inspired iced synth and pads. This change of emotion pushes depth into the record, providing a welcome surprise in Static Rush. Setaoc Mass then signs off with the final contribution to the EP, Overload. Pushing further than ever into melody with hints of Detroit electro and a complete absence of a kick, the producer teases a slithering arrangement that ends his record with a bold conclusion.

Reintroducing Soar - the alias of Christian Aebi, serial DIY taper and one-man orchestra from Langenthal, a fog-shrouded town in the Swiss provinces. Krautophobia, ambient lo-fi agriculture, analogue soul balm and slowspeed psych gelati-blitz cardboard pop only gesture towards the sound world he coaxed from his broken Tascam four-track recorder, in attics, churches, junkyards and at the kitchen table.

The spark for Soar was likely time and space, somewhere in the autumn of 1994. Armed with a cable salad of Sixties guitar/bass, fairground drums, mould-speckled organs and toy instruments, Aebi coaxed five albums, an unverified run of 25 cassettes, and a handful of gigs. Mostly issued through Zurich label Corazoo, the records arrived in hand-pasted sleeves, rough-cut reproductions of his teddy bear-fixated artwork that carried the same imperfect immediacy as the music. With Rudi Steiner, performances in galleries, clubs and halls bent into live sound-image happenings - part installation, part film, part flea-market-instrument theatre - invariably leaving the house engineers bewildered.

At the time of his untimely death in 2021, Aebi remained a village secret, his music passed quietly between friends and local ears. Now, Swiss graphic designer and Ghost Riders compiler Ivan Liechti has pieced together a portrait from the afterglow, gathering tangled audio formats, paintings, illustrations, photographs and notebooks with his family, former label and peers. What emerges is a first glimpse of Soar's intimate cosmos - brushing against Füxa, Spectrum, Dump, Stereolab and King Crimson, but orbiting a dimension entirely his own.

IMPORTANT: These are often unplayed, sealed or barely played copies, but have been stored in a humid environment. Some copies might have slight storage damage like deformed sleeves or some mold. Even though a quick cleaning session of the item (if needed) will probably make it as good as new, these are still sold as is! HORIZON HAS BEEN ONE OF HIS BIGGEST HITS AND ONE OF COCOONS & SOMAS BEST SELLING VINYL. A MASSIVE HIT ON MOST FESTIVALS. ULRICH SCHNAUSS COMES WITH A GORGEOUS TECHHOUSE MIX. YOU ALL MUST HAVE HEARD OF TIGERSKIN AND HIS WELL CRAFTED MUSIC. THIS OUTSTANDING PRODUCERS COMES WITH A CLASSIC FLOORSTOMPER AMERICAN STYLE. THE FUNKDVOID MIX IS STILL ONE OF OUR ALL TIME FAVOURITES NEXT TO BEROSHIMAS SKYFLYER

Looking back more than four years later at Haram, it is easier to see the forest for the trees. At the time, much of the attention fell on how this outsider duo would fare under the bright lights- which was fair, Armand Hammer had never done a single producer record before- and here they were working with a living legend. Now, with a little distance, it’s easier to see how Alchemist stepped out of his comfort zone to meet them where they were, and how all three artists then absconded for parts unknown. The flashbulb energy of “Bring The Stars Out”, asymmetric drone of “Chicharrones”, fugue-bounce of “God’s Feet”, and good luck finding analogues for “Peppertree” or “Stonefruit”. Haram doesn’t sound like anything else in the ALC discography, nor in Armand Hammer’s, for that matter. Haram was a one-shot kill that somehow contained some of the most accessible work ELUCID and billy woods had ever done, as well as some of their most experimental, and it all sounded cohesive.
Needless to say, they didn’t do this alone; KAYANA’s golden voice upps the wattage on “Black Sunlight,” while Fielded’s sultry alto gets chopped and screwed on “Aubergine”. Earl Sweatshirt’s cameo on the sun-soaked “Falling Out the Sky” is already a classic. Curly Castro, Amani, and Quelle Chris all turn up the heat when called upon.
But since we are talking about retrospect here, the thing about Haram isn’t that it still sounds as good as it did when it came out. The amazing thing is that it actually sounds even better than it did then. You don’t have to take our word for it either, run it up one time, with the lights low and something on ice, see if it doesn’t take you somewhere new, again.

Skylax Records proudly presents the first release in our brand-new archival reissue project: the SKYLAX COLLECTOR'S SERIES. This collection is dedicated to unearthing rare and forgotten underground gems, pressed back to vinyl with love and respect for the original sound. We kick off this essential series with a deep cut from one of the UK’s most respected techno pioneers: AUBREY – WAREHOUSE, originally released in 1997 on his cult imprint Textures (catalogue: TEX2). This classic slab of wax features five tracks that masterfully blend deep house grooves with raw UK techno energy: A1. Warehouse / A2. Rift Zone / B1. Shot / B2. Insult My Friend / B3. Space Lead. Aubrey, real name Allen Saei, started his journey into music in 1990 under the alias Panic, with his first release Voices Of Energy on Sheffield’s Ozone Recordings, later licensed by Buzz in Belgium. That same year, he launched his first label Solid Groove Records, which went on to drop over 30 vinyl releases in 13 years, with tracks licensed and supported by heavyweights such as Derrick May, Carl Cox, Adam X, Pete Tong and Terry Francis. Aubrey also ran four additional underground labels: Textures, Dark, DOT and Cheap Knob Gags. A true lifer, he became a hip hop DJ at age 13, discovered acid house at 16 after hearing Mr. Fingers’ Washing Machine, and released his first vinyl at 17. By 18, he had a residency at Central Park in Portsmouth (a key spot that hosted the likes of Luke Slater, Carl Cox, Frankie Bones, Joey Beltram, Grooverider…), and quickly became a fixture in the UK rave circuit, playing regularly at London institutions such as The Astoria, Turnmills, The Gardening Club, The Pirate Club, and legendary events like Energy and Raindance. He also worked behind the counter at import store Razzles, one of the most important dance music shops in the South of England, before joining Luke Slater at Jelly Jam Records. In 1991, he created Solid Groove to push his unique production vision—a journey that continues today through releases on legendary techno labels such as Metroplex and Ostgut Ton. Still fully active and devoted to music—DJing, mastering, remixing, and working in record stores—Aubrey remains a cornerstone of the underground. This reissue has been carefully remastered from the original tapes, pressed with the utmost attention to quality. A vital release for collectors, DJs, and all lovers of true UK techno and deep house. Strictly limited. No repress. Just music.

Category 1 Music Sampler - Vol. 3 illustrates how the world’s most talented artists, producers and remixers come together to create great house music.

Beginning with 'I’m Alive (Touch the Sky)' featuring 2 of Chicago’s most iconic figures, Ron Carroll and Glenn Underground, it contains all of the elements that represent the ultimate Chicago soulful house production.

Shawn Christopher, another Chicago mainstay, has teamed up with the UK’s Richard Earnshaw and Ron Carroll to deliver a rousing Gospel inspired gem, 'He’s Got It'. This track will get everybody moving, whether it’s onto the dancefloor or off the sofa!

Terry Dexter’s hit, 'You Saved Me' is given a hard driving Garage infusion by UK born Marc Cotterell. It’s a fresh approach that’s been universally acclaimed. Lastly, the world-renowned DJ, Eric Kupper is the force behind Ron Carroll’s production of Aires Adora 'Magic Carpet Ride'. Eric’s big room touch is unmistakable throughout this masterful remix

Evelyne/Masao bring TESTPATTERN to Dark Entries for the label’s first foray into vintage Japanese electronics. Masao Hiruma and Fumio Ichimura’s project Testpattern is known for their release Apres-Midi, a cult slab of synthpop perfection released by Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono’s legendary Yen Records in 1982. While Hiruma and Ichimura parted ways following Apres-Midi, Hiruma’s musical endeavors would continue after meeting French/American model and vocalist Evelyne Bennu in 1984 at a café bar where she would sit and write poetry. Their collaborative efforts as Evelyne/Masao were fruitful, and the duo first performed together in June 1984 on a television program called TOKYO ROCK TV. The album TESTPATTERN comprises seventeen songs recorded in Hiruma’s home studio, which have never been released previously. The Evelyne/Masao duo continues building on the soundworld of Apres-Midi: lush, sophisticated electronics with intricate yet minimalist production. Tracks like “Sakuramochi” and “Bird Island” bear influence from Hosono most clearly, their soaring melodies revealing a subtly ironic redeployment of East Asian musical tropes. But TESTPATTERN is more than homage to Yellow Magic Orchestra. “Tabac” and “Le Soleil Se Leve” display oddball sensibilities closer to Sky Records icons Asmus Tietchens or Cluster. Elsewhere, the project shows affinity for the punkier ethos of continental DIY electronics, like on the quirky “Alien Go Home” and a positively skewed cover of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Bennu’s vocals provide a common thread through these explorations, as she alternates deftly between New Wave deadpan and unhinged chanson singer—check her waxing maximally Francophone on “Au Clair de Lune,” based on an 18th century French song. TESTPATTERN will be available on both double LP as well as CD, and includes a fold-out poster with liner notes with lyrics. This album is dedicated to Masao Hiruma, who passed away in 2011.

Sports Records is back on the pitch for its 6th installment — a five-track heater from the legendary SkyJoose. A true veteran of the game, SkyJoose has been running the field since 1989, racking up a discography that spans Jungle, 2-step, and UKG with championship-level precision. Known for his prolific output and rare collector’s cuts, he’s still pushing the tempo with fresh, limited-run vinyl and digital drops. This release proves why his technical style leaves rivals on the sidelines — SkyJoose is still playing at the top of his league.

A Place In My Memory Is All I Have To Claim is the new album by Australian atmospheric pop trio Hydroplane, the storied 'offshoot' formed by three quarters of independent pop group, The Cat's Miaow. On this, their first music after two decades plus of radio silence, Andrew Withycombe, Kerrie Bolton and Bart Cummings return to the gentle, close-quarters musical world they shared around the turn of the century.

Recorded during 2024 in Melbourne and Ballarat, A Place In My Memory… picks up the thread Hydroplane set down with its precursor, 2001's The Sound Of Changing Places, though you can hear echoes of their other releases, too, with Withycombe noting a through-line from the group's 1998 "Failed Adventure" single. There's little quite like A Place In My Memory…, then or now, though. Maybe you can draw some connections between Hydroplane and their sister group, The Cat's Miaow, while fellow travellers might include Empress, The Ah Club, and further back, Young Marble Giants, Veronique Vincent (the muffled, ticking drum machine also makes me think of Robin Gibb's Robin's Reign).

There's also an umbilical to the bedroom-crafted electronica doing the rounds in the late nineties and early noughties. Hydroplane hint at this through their approach to songwriting, which often builds creatively around loops as structural devices. Through all this, the trio achieve an effortless, organic weightlessness across these nine lovely songs. Many feature Bolton's clear singing voice, drifting along, while guitars, keyboards, drum machines and loops tickertape away. The constituent parts fit together, but they also have a curiously detached quality - think of abstract cloud formations sharing the same sky.

Hydroplane and The Cat's Miaow often dealt in emotional ambiguity and uncertainty, and the uncertainty of the nostalgic. This was always one of the most appealing facets of their music, and A Place In My Memory… is thus named perfectly. I couldn't dream up a better title for the album and its reflections on history, lived experience, and the inevitable tangle between these two phenomena. These reflections variously address such concerns as human cruelty, flight, space travel, adventurism and spiritualism. There's also "To the Lighthouse", not a direct reference to the Virginia Woolf book, but a great title, nonetheless. (They've always had excellent titles, often borrowed, for songs and albums.)

A beautiful collection of drowsy, sleepy pop, humble and quiet, but resolute in its craft, A Place In My Memory Is All I Have To Claim is dream work in practice; a lovely reintroduction. Welcome back, then.

JESUS LOVES SKYLAX #1 A divine transmission from the underground. For this first volume of our new JESUS LOVES SKYLAX series — an homage to the one and only Todd Edwards — we’ve gathered a celestial selection of true believers. UK legend Tom Carruthers sets the tone with '2 You' — raw, jacking machine soul echoing the stripped-down euphoria of ’86 warehouse sessions. Byron The Aquarius follows with 'Aquarius Voyage', a spiritual jazz-funk odyssey that fuses Alabama roots with Detroit depth. Floorfillers’ original anthem 'Sting The Floor' gets a rapturous rework from Omri Smadar, injecting ecstatic peak-time energy into the mix. On the flip, the mysterious duo X & Ivy rise high with two heavyweight cuts — “Ground Floor” and “Frankincense” — maximum house for discerning dancefloors, already championed on BBC Radio 1 and signed to Life & Death. Finally, our beloved Italian craftsman Alessio Collina closes with “Winter Sea,” a deep, emotional glide through timeless house textures.Vinyl only. No digital. No surrender. JLS01 – a message of faith, groove, and uncompromising love. ✝ JESUS LOVES SKYLAX ✝.

Enigmatic UK producer Dylan Henner announces new album of deeply considered and choral-laced experimental ambient music Star Dream FM, said to be taped from a mysterious radio broadcast that plays his favourite memories from adolescence.

Though (clearly) fictional, the backdrop to new album Star Dream FM represents a tactile canvas on which the record’s true meaning is painted. It is, through Henner’s now-characteristic employment of ambient-textured synthesis, marimba, digital choir, and processed voice, a study of late adolescence and the experience of being seventeen.

Little is known about Dylan Henner, who landed on the ambient scene in 2020 with cassette releases for Phantom Limb, Belgian label Dauw, and cult tastemakers AD93. He barely promotes himself publicly, instead choosing to communicate through disarmingly poetic song titles. His debut album “The Invention of the Human” (AD93, 2020 - a recipient of BBC 6Music’s Album of the Year honours) responds to a set of philosophical questions - what exactly makes us human? What good is civilisation when there’s so much misery attached to it? How will technology affect humanity in the long run? In 2022, he released follow-up You Always Will Be on AD93, which traced the course of a single life from birth, to childhood, to adolescence, adulthood, parenthood, middle-age, old-age, and demise. He has also covered Raymond Scott, Terry Riley, Aphex Twin, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Su Tissue among numerous further projects.

Cortex’s lost 1979 tracks, recorded in a barn-studio near Paris, resurface years later—featuring the legendary sample used by Damso and Wu-Tang.

Uncertainty about and confidence in the future, melancholia and euphoria, tears and hope: The 5th Mollono.Bass album resonates with a zeitgeist that is a complex, highly divergent, sometimes even opposing state of thoughts and emotions. Deep and heady groove structures create compelling drive, emotive human voices add introspective fragility, free flowing harmonies unfurl as intense collective ecstasy. Vocals reflect pensively on issues like falling apart, yet the tracks themselves are magnificent examples of what happens when creative minds come together. MAZ’N contributed to several titles on Tear & Hope, in one of them we also hear the voice of Margret. The song-oriented approach of these tunes is another very contemporary aspect – one that will find expression in a special live show this year. Andy’s Echo adds to the signature vibe of friendship and co-creation on this Mollono.Bass album with a mutual production, as well. With many different expressions of its main theme, Tears & Hope has everything it takes to make a powerful, electrifying impact - on major dancefloors and in intimate listening settings alike.

A record born of insurmountable joy and simultaneous profound loss; World Maker marks a time of great change for Psychonaut, both personally and musically, as the band burn away the philosophical narrative complexities of previous offerings with a searing, panoramic clarity that implores us to savour the beauty of the now as a means of leaving a legacy for the future. The traditional, three-piece line up of Belgian, psychedelic post-metal collective Psychonaut has long belied the compositional prowess, captivating narrative depth and crushing live presence of a band now operating at the forefront of forward-thinking, contemporary heavy music. Having sent a shockwave through the post-metal and prog scenes with their three times repressed Pelagic Records debut Unfold The God Man in 2020 before following it up with the transformative metaphysical complexities of 2022's Violate Consensus Reality, Psychonaut have played prestigious Belgian open-air festivals like Alcatraz, Rock Herk and Boomtown Festival as well as boutique events such as Soulcrusher, Roadburn Redux and A Colossal Weekend whilst sharing stages across Europe with the likes of Amenra, Brutus and Pelagic labelmates The Ocean and PG.Lost. The seed of World Maker took shape just as the campaign for Violate Consensus Reality came to a close, with the news that guitarist/vocalist Stefan De Graef was to become a father. This tilting of life's axis led De Graef, like most fathers-to-be, to re-assess what was really important. As such, the music he was inspired to write felt free of the band's previous philosophical and spiritual foundations and instead took the form of life lessons for his unborn son, a legacy of love in case something were ever to happen. This hopeful euphoria shines keenly throughout World Maker as an uncharacteristically optimistic warmth; from the reverberating Rhodes organ on the titular opening track and the meandering, free-jazz inspired guitar solo that introduces `Everything Else is Just The Weather' to elements of world music, electronica and the otherworldly voice of Dutch multi-instrumentalist and old friend Anthe Huybrechts (Anthe/Helion Creek) most notably on tracks like `Origins' which also features tabla, a pair of indian hand drums, as its propulsive heartbeat. Whilst Psychonaut's giant riffs, punishing polyrhythms and guttural vocal rage are more resplendent than ever, there is a wider dynamic spectrum to World Maker that sees the band proudly exploring their more delicate, intimate extremes as well as their most aggressive and abrasive. Not long after the birth of De Graef's son came the devastating news that both his own father and Psychonaut bassist/vocalist Thomas Michiels' father had been diagnosed with advanced cancers. Living day-to-day and torn between joy and grief, the band found themselves shedding the grand scope and world-shattering agenda of Violate Consensus Reality to focus on the here and now. Lead single `Endless Currents', the first full track on the album, explodes in a barrage of staccato guitar tapping but mellows to let the powerful, newly pared back lyrics ring out as a call to embrace the flow and follow joy. The song's final few words `Lead the way. / Soar. / Everlong.' double as both a greeting and a goodbye as the trio build their formidable post-metal might to a thunderous breaking point. Similarly, the pulsing, propellant `Stargazer', named so for De Graef's son being born in stargazer position, pairs delicate guitar motifs and folk-inflected optimism with huge and sprawling breakdowns as some of the band's most genre-pushing work to date; asking difficult but important questions of what happens next. It is `And You Came With Searing Light' though that most immediately exemplifies Psychonaut's redirected ambition on World Maker, as euphoria collides with blinding fury. The first track written for the album, `_Searing Light' is easily the most complex and initially wouldn't sound out of place on Violate Consensus Reality. Originally meant to be the new album's opening track; the decision to defer its impact, not to mention its compositional and dynamic gravity, speaks of a fundamental change to the band's very core. The words "Discover the world with wide eyes" recurring throughout speak as much to those having lost a part of their world as they do to those seeing it for the first time. Amidst such turbulent times, the band found strength and support within their Post-Metal community. The album was recorded and produced by the band alongside their longtime collaborator and close friend Chiaran Verheyden (Hippotraktor) with help and advice from Psychonaut's live engineer Victor, who will no doubt make this album sound just as awesome on stage. Even the artwork for World Maker was a family affair, being designed by close friend Sam Coussens of Belgian cosmic sludge metallers Pothamus. In the face of life's soaring highs and desolate lows, World Maker is direct and brave without sacrificing any of Psychonaut's raw power, creative innovation or inimitable musical depth. Where their previous full-length offerings have charted grand introspective courses through time and space, World Maker is breathtaking in its uncompromising clarity: a father singing to his newborn son as a son bids his own father farewell. FOR FANS OF Mastodon, Russian Circles, Tool, Gojira, The Ocean, Pelican, Hypno5e, Cult Of Luna, Amenra

The electronic music producer returns to his songwriting roots with a kaleidoscopic new album, featuring collaborations across genres and generations

The electronic music producer returns to his songwriting roots with a kaleidoscopic new album, featuring collaborations across genres and generations