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You probably have at least one friend who is completely obsessed with Marnie Weber. Her dark, punk-infused humour and fearless embrace of eccentric feminine power archetypes combine with gut-punch viscerality and a strange beauty that is anything but pretty.” Village Voice “This neo-gothic fairytale wavers between happiness and sadness, amusement and tragedy, attraction and repulsion.” The White Review “Weber reaches a new scale for her work…The sentimentality and romance at its root fearlessly sets it apart.” BOMB “Wild multimedia works that often dwell on the ghostly and the monstrous. Think: Fairy tales gone seriously awry.” LA Times Acclaimed LA multidisciplinary artist and musician Marnie Weber collects highlights from a long and storied career on Returning Home: The Music of Marnie Weber, a collection of neo-goth art-pop that steers between kankyō ongaku pop songs, noise-rock, and haunted fairytale darkness. The career of Marnie Weber (b. 1959) began with gigs paid in beer at an LA trucker bar in 1977. Her band, Party Boys, formed when Weber was then 19 and had just left home. By the early 80’s, the band began regularly performing at LA’s fabled Al’s Bar, sharing the stage with generational talents that passed over its beer-drenched floors. L7, Beck, Arto Lindsay, Ry Cooder, The Fall, Fear, Hole, Hüsker Dü, Social Distortion, Nirvana, The Residents, Sonic Youth, Urge Overkill, Jesus Lizard, the Misfits, among plenty more, played to audiences that included Bret Easton Ellis, Steve Buscemi, Tommy Lee, Bill Murray, Al Pacino, Sean Penn, and Chloe Sevigny.

,Stürmische und kathartische Dark-Pop-Perlen", schrieb Gorilla vs Bear über Jessica Weiss' frühe Soloarbeiten. Die Sängerin und Songwriterin von Fear of Men bringt dieselbe lyrische Präzision und emotionale Intensität in ihr Soloprojekt New German Cinema ein. Es hat fünf Jahre gedauert, zwischen London und LA, aufgebaut aus nächtlichen Dateien, langen Stillephasen und der stillen Beharrlichkeit zweier Menschen, die versuchen, etwas Schönes von entgegengesetzten Enden der Welt aus zu vollenden. Produziert mit Alex DeGroot (Zola Jesus, Cate Le Bon), wirkt es sowohl forensisch als auch hingebungsvoll, das Produkt von jemandem, der die Katharsis nicht überstürzt. Pain Will Polish Me präsentiert sich sowohl einsam als auch verbindend, als wäre es aus Fernübertragungen zwischen zwei Traumzuständen entstanden. Weiss nennt es eine Meditation über Pop und den europäischen Arthouse-Autoren Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Es verfolgt, wie Intimität und Kontrolle ineinander übergehen, bis es unmöglich ist zu sagen, wo das eine endet. Die Songs handeln von den Teilen von dir selbst, die sich in der Liebe auflösen, und von den kleinen Gewalttaten, die damit einhergehen, wenn man bekannt ist. Sie bewegen sich durch klaustrophobische Beziehungen, Obsession, Hingabe, Zyklen des Leidens, die sich allmählich wie Hingabe anfühlen. Die Sprache ist Pop, aber das Gefühl ist etwas Fremderes, Kälteres, Innerlicheres. Die Songs bewegen sich im Schatten. Es ist ein Album darüber, sich selbst zu verlieren, um zu sehen, was übrig bleibt. Ein Dokument der Liebe als Besessenheit, Wiederholung, Überleben. Eine Meditation über die Liebe als Spiegel und Untergang, in Fragmenten gestaltet und dann zu einem Ganzen zusammengefügt.

Death Is Not The End present a further volume of Arja Kastinen's eerie amalgamations of 110 year old wax cylinders with her own meticulously transcribed takes, this time focussing in on Armas Otto Väisänen's field recordings of kantele player Iivana Mišukka (b. 1861 d.1919).

"Ivana Mišukka (1861–1919) was one of the Karelian kantele players recorded by the folk music researcher Armas Otto Väisänen on wax cylinders in 1916 and 1917. In the early 20th century, the remote areas of Border Karelia were undergoing the final phase of a transformation in musical culture, with the ancient runo song tradition giving way to newer forms of music. This transition is reflected in Mišukka's repertoire and choice of instrument. The ancient small kantele, hollowed out of a single piece of wood, was already rare at the turn of the century. Mišukka's kantele was a new type of instrument with 26 strings, constructed of several parts, but he played it using the traditional plucking technique. Like other Border Karelian kantele players, his repertoire consisted of music rooted in runosong culture, as well as newer dances and songs from the east and west. Most of the recorded material falls into the latter category.

Ivan Bogdanov Mišukka was born out of wedlock in Suursara village, Suistamo, on 1 May 1861. He began playing the kantele at the age of five or six, quickly mastering the instrument. In adulthood, he was considered one of the area's best master players. Mišukka was landless for most of his life and lived in different parts of the Suistamo parish. His first wife, Tekla Markintytär, died in 1897 at the age of 40, and his second wife, Jevdokia Filipintytär Jeminen, died in 1907 at the age of 50. Seven children were born from the first marriage, two of whom died young. The third wife, Maria Ignatintytär Gurnan (Kuurnanen), was a well-known master of lamentations. Together with Maria, Iivana Mišukka worked as a tenant farmer in the village of Suursara. Mišukka suffered from rheumatism, which prevented him from participating in physical work like Maria. This was apparently partly the reason why Iivana Mišukka went to earn extra money by playing the kantele on gig trips. He often had other traditional artists from Suistamo as his travelling companions, such as the runosingers Konstantin Kuokka and Iivana Onoila. Iivana Mišukka died in Leppäsyrjä village, Suistamo, on 18 May 1919 at the age of 58, and his kantele was donated to Teppana Jänis.

Mišukka only used 14 of the 26 strings on his kantele, playing the same tunes either a fourth higher or lower. He tuned his kantele to the major scale using fifths, except for a low seventh scale degree on the upper strings, but not below the fundamental. Since he did not use the seventh note of the scale on the upper strings at all, he could use the major scale both lower and a fourth higher with this tuning. According to Mišukka, the sound of higher, or 'finer', strings is 'more beautiful', while that of lower ones is 'greater'. Among runosingers, the size of the thirds varied, ranging from major to minor to neutral. A similar phenomenon can be observed in kantele tunings, where the third, sixth and seventh scale degrees vary in a comparable way.

During a meeting, Väisänen suggested that Mišukka play the smaller kantele belonging to Konstantin Kuokka. The idea was to bring it closer to the horn to improve the recording quality. However, the kantele was completely out of tune, and now Mišukka tuned it to the Lydian scale (track 18).

Using the old plucking technique, Mišukka placed his right middle finger on the fundamental tone, his right index finger on the second scale degree, his left middle finger on the third scale degree and his left index finger on the fourth scale degree, and his right thumb on the fifth. The thumb also played the notes above the fifth note of the scale. As Mišukka remarked to Väisänen: 'Peigaloll' tuloo enemb ruadoa' (the thumb has to do more work). However, he did not use the seventh note of the scale on the upper strings at all. Below the fundamental note, he played the seventh and sixth notes of the scale with his right middle finger of and the fifth note of the scale with his right ring finger. This fifth scale degree below the fundamental is almost always used as a drone. Sometimes, when the melody required it, Mišukka, like other players, also varied the fingering. He would also occasionally strike the same string with the side of his fingernail after plucking it.

The wax cylinder recordings of Karelian kantele players are kept in the archives of the Finnish Literature Society in Helsinki, Finland. Copies were made of them onto reel-to-reel tapes in both the 1960s and 1980s. The 1960s copies are mono and the 1980s copies are stereo. However, not all kantele recordings from these decades have survived.

The sound of the kantele is difficult to hear in wax cylinder recordings due to its low volume, and it occasionally becomes completely obscured by noise. During the copying process, the cylinder sometimes rotates unevenly, resulting in breaks or jumps in the music. Additionally, the rotation speed of the cylinder in the copies does not correspond to the performance speed of the original music, which alters the pitch. However, since Väisänen's precise notes are available in the archive, it is possible to deduce the melodies, their speed, and the tuning level of the kantele in the recordings. Of the copies of the original recordings from the 1960s and 1980s, I have selected the one that best met the requirements of this publication and adjusted the speed of the recording to align with Väisänen's notes. To enhance the listening experience, I have replayed the songs, which now partly overlap the old recordings on this release."

— Arja Kastinen

Death Is Not The End present a further volume of Arja Kastinen's eerie amalgamations of 110 year old wax cylinders with her own meticulously transcribed takes, this time focussing in on Armas Otto Väisänen's field recordings of kantele player Iivana Mišukka (b. 1861 d.1919).

"Ivana Mišukka (1861–1919) was one of the Karelian kantele players recorded by the folk music researcher Armas Otto Väisänen on wax cylinders in 1916 and 1917. In the early 20th century, the remote areas of Border Karelia were undergoing the final phase of a transformation in musical culture, with the ancient runo song tradition giving way to newer forms of music. This transition is reflected in Mišukka's repertoire and choice of instrument. The ancient small kantele, hollowed out of a single piece of wood, was already rare at the turn of the century. Mišukka's kantele was a new type of instrument with 26 strings, constructed of several parts, but he played it using the traditional plucking technique. Like other Border Karelian kantele players, his repertoire consisted of music rooted in runosong culture, as well as newer dances and songs from the east and west. Most of the recorded material falls into the latter category.

Ivan Bogdanov Mišukka was born out of wedlock in Suursara village, Suistamo, on 1 May 1861. He began playing the kantele at the age of five or six, quickly mastering the instrument. In adulthood, he was considered one of the area's best master players. Mišukka was landless for most of his life and lived in different parts of the Suistamo parish. His first wife, Tekla Markintytär, died in 1897 at the age of 40, and his second wife, Jevdokia Filipintytär Jeminen, died in 1907 at the age of 50. Seven children were born from the first marriage, two of whom died young. The third wife, Maria Ignatintytär Gurnan (Kuurnanen), was a well-known master of lamentations. Together with Maria, Iivana Mišukka worked as a tenant farmer in the village of Suursara. Mišukka suffered from rheumatism, which prevented him from participating in physical work like Maria. This was apparently partly the reason why Iivana Mišukka went to earn extra money by playing the kantele on gig trips. He often had other traditional artists from Suistamo as his travelling companions, such as the runosingers Konstantin Kuokka and Iivana Onoila. Iivana Mišukka died in Leppäsyrjä village, Suistamo, on 18 May 1919 at the age of 58, and his kantele was donated to Teppana Jänis.

Mišukka only used 14 of the 26 strings on his kantele, playing the same tunes either a fourth higher or lower. He tuned his kantele to the major scale using fifths, except for a low seventh scale degree on the upper strings, but not below the fundamental. Since he did not use the seventh note of the scale on the upper strings at all, he could use the major scale both lower and a fourth higher with this tuning. According to Mišukka, the sound of higher, or 'finer', strings is 'more beautiful', while that of lower ones is 'greater'. Among runosingers, the size of the thirds varied, ranging from major to minor to neutral. A similar phenomenon can be observed in kantele tunings, where the third, sixth and seventh scale degrees vary in a comparable way.

During a meeting, Väisänen suggested that Mišukka play the smaller kantele belonging to Konstantin Kuokka. The idea was to bring it closer to the horn to improve the recording quality. However, the kantele was completely out of tune, and now Mišukka tuned it to the Lydian scale (track 18).

Using the old plucking technique, Mišukka placed his right middle finger on the fundamental tone, his right index finger on the second scale degree, his left middle finger on the third scale degree and his left index finger on the fourth scale degree, and his right thumb on the fifth. The thumb also played the notes above the fifth note of the scale. As Mišukka remarked to Väisänen: 'Peigaloll' tuloo enemb ruadoa' (the thumb has to do more work). However, he did not use the seventh note of the scale on the upper strings at all. Below the fundamental note, he played the seventh and sixth notes of the scale with his right middle finger of and the fifth note of the scale with his right ring finger. This fifth scale degree below the fundamental is almost always used as a drone. Sometimes, when the melody required it, Mišukka, like other players, also varied the fingering. He would also occasionally strike the same string with the side of his fingernail after plucking it.

The wax cylinder recordings of Karelian kantele players are kept in the archives of the Finnish Literature Society in Helsinki, Finland. Copies were made of them onto reel-to-reel tapes in both the 1960s and 1980s. The 1960s copies are mono and the 1980s copies are stereo. However, not all kantele recordings from these decades have survived.

The sound of the kantele is difficult to hear in wax cylinder recordings due to its low volume, and it occasionally becomes completely obscured by noise. During the copying process, the cylinder sometimes rotates unevenly, resulting in breaks or jumps in the music. Additionally, the rotation speed of the cylinder in the copies does not correspond to the performance speed of the original music, which alters the pitch. However, since Väisänen's precise notes are available in the archive, it is possible to deduce the melodies, their speed, and the tuning level of the kantele in the recordings. Of the copies of the original recordings from the 1960s and 1980s, I have selected the one that best met the requirements of this publication and adjusted the speed of the recording to align with Väisänen's notes. To enhance the listening experience, I have replayed the songs, which now partly overlap the old recordings on this release."

— Arja Kastinen

David Grays ,Nightjar" erscheint als Begleitwerk zur 20-jährigen Jubiläumsausgabe von ,Life in Slow Motion"; eine Sammlung von 19 bisher unveröffentlichten Songs. ,Nightjar" entstand aus denselben Songwriting-Sessions wie ,Life in Slow Motion" und ist ein Schatzkästchen mit klassischen David-Gray-Songs, aber auch experimentelleren Stücken und unerwarteten Wendungen.

Youth (original Italian title La Giovinezza) is a 2015 comedy-drama film written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, starring Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel. Set in a luxurious Swiss Alps hotel, the story follows two lifelong friends: Fred Ballinger, a retired composer who has turned his back on performance, and Mick Boyle, an aging film director determined to finish what he hopes will be his final screenplay. While navigating the quirks of hotel life and revisiting the milestones of their own pasts, the film explores themes of nostalgia, personal legacy, affection, and mortality.

The soundtrack of Youth is a blend of original score by David Lang, and a selection of other carefully chosen pieces, ranging from classical works to contemporary songs. The centerpiece, “Simple Song #3,” performed by soprano Sumi Jo, captures the film’s themes of beauty, loss, and reflection. Alongside Lang’s compositions, the music features “Can’t Rely on You” by Paloma Faith, the classical piece Debussy’s “Préludes: Des pas sur la neige”, and “Third and Seneca” by Sun Kil Moon, amongst others, creating a rich, genre-spanning soundtrack that blends contemporary, classical, and indie influences.

The soundtrack of Youth is available as a limited edition on transparent vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet with liner notes.

The band made Dream Theater a self-titled album to emphasize that they were moving forward in their career and to make it a reference point for fans. The album’s songs are shorter on average than most Dream Theater songs, with the exception of the 20-minute closer “Illumination Theory”. Limited edition 2LP release on clear vinyl.

Anfang 1996 veröffentlichte The Wedding Present "Mini" über Cooking Vinyl Records, eine EP mit sechs Titeln, deren Songs alle einen Bezug zum motorisierten Fahren hatten. Fast dreißig Jahre später hat David Gedge dieses Konzept wieder aufgegriffen! "Maxi" enthält sechs weitere Stücke, deren Titel/Inhalte sich alle auf diese Thema beziehen. Maxi erscheint über Clue Records und folgt kurz nach der Veröffentlichung von 40 - der Zusammenstellung, die den komplexen und faszinierenden Katalog von The Wedding Present in einem Box-Set mit vier Vinyl- und/oder vier CDs widerspiegelt. Der letzte Titel der Compilation ist "Hot Wheels" - ein Song, der nun auch auf Maxi zu finden ist, zusammen mit fünf weiteren Stücken. Obwohl Maxi dem gleichen Konzept wie Mini (1996) folgt, klingt The Wedding Present 2025 deutlich größer. Dies ist wirklich eine Band in ihrer kreativsten Phase, die sowohl die Grenzen ihres eigenen Stils/Sounds als auch die Erwartungen der Zuhörer erweitert, während die Texte auf provokative Weise Bilder zeichnen, wie es nur David Gedge kann. "Wie ich in meinen Sleeve Notes zu 40 gesagt habe, wurden die Songs, die wir für Maxi aufgenommen haben, relativ schnell geschrieben, weil ich mich besonders inspiriert fühlte, sowohl textlich - durch Situationen in meinem Leben - als auch musikalisch - durch das Schreiben mit der damals neu hinzugekommenen Rachael. Die daraus resultierenden Tracks wirken größer angelegt und stimmungsvoller als alles, was wir seit langem gemacht haben ... und sie sind dank der neuen Rockqueen von The Wedding Present und ihrem Arsenal an Gitarren und Pedalen auf jeden Fall temperamentvoller!" (David Gedge). Transparente Vinyl-10" oder CD im Digipak.

Step back into the irresistible world of Dutch pop legends Gruppo Sportivo with Vinylly! (Selected Songs '78-'91). a vibrant, limitededition celebration of the band's most iconic tracks. This double LP is the ultimate collector's item for fans of clever pop, quirky humor, and timeless hooks.

Featuring standout songs like ''Beep Beep Love,'' ''My Old Cortina,'' ''Up to Date,'' and cult favorites from The Buddy Odor Stop, Vinylly! captures the band's golden era with crisp remastered sound and a beautifully designed sleeve and 4-page booklet. A complete overview of a group that defined an era with their playful lyrics, sharp arrangements, and unmistakable charm.

The band is touring throughout 2026 to celebrate the 50th birthday of Gruppo Sportivo.

Ursprünglich veröffentlicht im Februar 2000, handelt es sich bei 'Daisies Of The Galaxy' um das dritte Studioalbum der amerikanischen Rockband Eels um Mastermind Mark Oliver Everett.
War der Vorgänger - aufgrund schwerer persönlicher Schicksalsschläge des Sängers - noch düster und verzweifelt, so ist das neue Album das komplette Gegenteil - größtenteils fröhlich-freundliche Songs, die sich alle im drei-Minuten-Format bewegen.

This is her first album in five years, she returns with a renewed sense of clarity and control, asserting herself as a generational songwriter with a sharpened perspective. While her early work chronicled the emotional turbulence of young love, Ricochet reveals a deeper fixation: time, mortality, and the quiet terror of watching the things you love slip away. The album"s 11 songs are steeped in introspection, anxiety, and acceptance - an acknowledgment that the world keeps turning regardless of what"s unfolding in your own small orbit.

This is her first album in five years, she returns with a renewed sense of clarity and control, asserting herself as a generational songwriter with a sharpened perspective. While her early work chronicled the emotional turbulence of young love, Ricochet reveals a deeper fixation: time, mortality, and the quiet terror of watching the things you love slip away. The album"s 11 songs are steeped in introspection, anxiety, and acceptance - an acknowledgment that the world keeps turning regardless of what"s unfolding in your own small orbit.

Eine EP mit vier Songs, darunter ,Keep Mojave Weird" aus dem Album ,House On Fire" der Band sowie drei exklusive Tracks, die nicht auf dem neuen Album sind! Die EP kommt am selben Tag wie ,House On Fire" raus (das erste neue Album der Band seit über drei Jahren) und ist teilweise von einem kürzlichen Besuch in den USA inspiriert. Neben ,Keep Mojave Weird" gibt's auch ein Bo Diddley-ähnliches Cover von Chuck Berrys ,Memphis Tennessee", eine neue Version von ,Wile E Coyote" und ein brandneues Instrumental namens ,Thaypo Fuel Station".

Tape

Around the Songster's Commune was made quite quickly and purposefully without a lot of fuss -- made to preserve the spirit of its making -- at Diana Duta's generous Jambes studio in Brussels. It's a collection of meditations: compositional fragments, whimsy ditties, field recordings and (live/d) experiments with troubadour song-making methodologies. It's a sonic drift -- sonically drifts. Here, Bergur seems to be exploring the looseness of world-making. Or, maybe better said, exploring how loose he can get with world-making and the realization of sonic realities. Exploring how unconscious, how trusting of himself, as an artist/composer/sound-maker/human, he can be.

'Balconies' is an urgent, physical record shaped by momentum and heat. The album takes its title from a recurring metaphor: a balcony as a place of exposure and distance. Elevated, visible, yet removed from the action below. Throughout the record, Tin Fingers explore feelings of observation, displacement and restlessness, moving through places without fully belonging.

Musically, 'Balconies' marks a clear shift for the Antwerp band. Where earlier releases leaned into intimacy and melancholy, this album is louder, more direct and built for movement. Sharp, energetic songs are balanced by the band's continued attention to atmosphere and imagery.

The album was written instinctively over three months by frontman Felix Machtelinckx before being brought to the band, with arrangements coming together quickly thanks to years of shared experience. Recording took place over four hot summer days at The Old Carpet Factory on Hydra, Greece. The warmth, the sea and the island's isolation shaped both sound and mood, while limited time encouraged live recordings that capture the album's raw energy and immediacy. 'Balconies' was mixed by D. James Goodwin (The National, Kevin Morby, Whitney).

Following the release, Tin Fingers will present 'Balconies' live, with shows at De Roma (Antwerp), Mezz (Breda) and Supersonic (Paris).

In ,Osni the Flare", dem zweiten Teil von Tristan Allens mythischer Trilogie, zeigt der Komponist, Produzent und Puppenspieler, wie ein Sterblicher durch die Entdeckung des Feuers zu einer Gottheit wird. ,Osni the Flare" wurde über vier Jahre hinweg mit wortlosen Gesängen, Orgeln, Okarinas, einer Menge Spielzeuginstrumenten und einem ausgeklügelten Sounddesign aufgenommen und erzählt in vier akustisch und visuell beeindruckenden Akten von den Ursprüngen der Flamme und der Zeitlichkeit. Allen webt einen Schöpfungsmythos, der zwischen Schönheit, Schatten und wehmütiger Glut wechselt, und schafft so ein Portal zu einem sorgfältig gestalteten, emotional kraftvollen Klang und einer Geschichte, die durch ein fantastisches Reich hallen. Allen wurde in Saratoga Springs, New York, geboren und hat Kindheitserinnerungen an den Aufenthalt seiner Familie in Japan. Sein Weg führte ihn zu prägenden Begegnungen, darunter mit seinem Lehrer Andy Lorio, der das wachsende Interesse und Können des jungen Musikers am Klavier durch Improvisationstechniken förderte, und Amanda Palmer, die ihn mit 16 Jahren während eines Sommerprogramms am Berklee College entdeckte und seine erste Veröffentlichung durch Crowdfunding finanzierte. Nachdem er an der Berklee Klavier studiert, das Live-Elektronik-Kollektiv Nue mitbegründet, mit der Metal-Band Dent durch China getourt und zwei Solo-Klavier-EPs veröffentlicht hatte, zog Allen 2018 von Boston nach Brooklyn. Eine Anzeige auf Craigslist führte zu einer Puppenspielausbildung bei Mike Leach, der ihnen sechs Monate lang beibrachte, wie man eine Marionette richtig führt, was ihnen eine Stelle als Darsteller am renommierten Puppetworks Theater einbrachte. Diese harte Arbeit, zusammen mit dem Kontakt zu den Artefakten des Bread and Puppet Theater ihres Vaters und dem balinesischen Schattenspiel, brachte Allen zu ihrer kreativen Praxis: Komponieren für akustische Instrumente, elektronisches Arrangieren und Auftritte mit Puppenspiel. Osni the Flare erzählt einen Schöpfungsmythos, in dem die Titelfigur in einem Garten aufwacht und Äpfel von einem Baum pflückt. Von einem Loon herbeigerufen, macht sich Osni auf, den Baum vor der Kälte des Winters zu schützen. Als der Loon von einem Drachen verschlungen wird, wagt sich Osni in dessen Bauch und entdeckt dort Glut. Als er diese Glut dem Baum anbietet, entzündet sich dieser - der Ursprung des Feuers selbst. Iso, der Gott des Meeres, greift mit einer Flut ein, die Osnis Garten überschwemmt. Nach seinem Tod gelangt Osnis Seele in das Reich der Schatten, wo sie sich Tin und Iso anschließt und zur Gottheit des Feuers wird - Osni the Flare. Das Album klingt menschlicher und kindlicher als sein Vorgänger ,Tin Iso and The Dawn" und wechselt von der Perspektive der Götter als Beobachter zu der des ersten sterblichen Charakters in Allens Welt. Unterstützt durch neue Liebe, kanalisiert das Projekt Gefühle in Musik, die zu einem ganz eigenen Zauber wird. Wie Tin Iso beginnt und endet das Album mit Klavierklängen als Portal, das die Heimat repräsentiert, während Osni sich auf eine Reise durch drei Reiche begibt: das Land der Lebenden, das Zwischenreich und das Jenseits. Osni the Flare wurde fast komplett mit einem Aston-Kondensatormikrofon in Allens Wohnung in Brooklyn mit Blick auf den Cypress Hills Friedhof aufgenommen und besteht aus Spielzeugklavier und Flöten, Okarinas, Harmonium, Pumporgel, E-Bass und Kontrabass, Gadgets und einer umfangreichen Sammlung von Spieluhren und Glocken. Die Gesangsmelodie - inspiriert vom Summen seiner Partnerin Virginia Garcia Ruiz, das an Pans Labyrinth erinnert - war Allens erster Ausflug in den Gesangsbereich, wobei er eine Melodie ohne Worte verwendete, um den Zuhörern zu ermöglichen, die Protagonisten zu bleiben. Die Flöten wurden Note für Note akribisch aufgenommen, darunter balinesische Sulings, Fundstücke aus chinesischen Souvenirläden und vogelförmige Okarinas. Die Spieluhren wurden langsam aufgezogen, einzeln gesampelt und dann neu arrangiert und gestimmt, um Virginias Summen zu verdoppeln. Ein ausgedientes Casio SK-1 mit einem kaputten Lautsprecher wird mit einem Harmonium kombiniert, um Akkordtexturen zu erzeugen. Stundenlange Improvisationen, die durch Bastl Thyme und NanoVerb geleitet wurden, erzeugten lange, ausklingende Delays, wobei die besten Momente für Songs ausgewählt wurden. Feuergeräusche entstanden durch Fingernagelklicken auf Klaviertasten. Feldaufnahmen hielten das Zerlegen eines Klavieruntergestells, das Löschen von Kerzen und Geräusche aus einem Hospiz fest. Die Stimme des Drachen spricht Worte aus Allens erfundener Sprache. Die Melodie liegt oft im Bass - inspiriert von Goth und Gamelan - mit nach oben gerichteten Verzierungen. Der detailreiche Ansatz spiegelt eine Punktierung wider, die Allens Original-Artwork für das Albumcover ähnelt und durch ihre obsessive Arbeit kleine Teile zu einem großen Bild zusammenfügt - unter der Dusche, vor dem Einschlafen, mitten im Satz. Das Klavier wurde von der Toningenieurin Katie Von Schleicher bei Figure 8 Recording neu aufgenommen, gemischt wurde das Album von Paul Corley. Der technische Leiter Jim Freeman arbeitete vier Monate lang am Halsgelenk und fünf Monate lang an den Schultern der Basswood-Stabpuppe, die von Bruce Schwartz' Ballerina inspiriert ist. Freeman verbrachte Jahre damit, ein selbstgebautes LED-System zu entwickeln, um das Puppenspiel von der Bühne aus zu beleuchten, und sein unwillkürliches Pfeifen während der Arbeit wurde heimlich aufgenommen und ist im Schlussmoment zu hören. Die Herstellung der Puppen wurde von Miryam Moutillet und Lauder Weldon überwacht, die hybriden Köpfe wurden von Duygu Bayar Ekren entworfen. Seit der Veröffentlichung von Tin Iso im Jahr 2023 hat Allen in der experimentellen Puppenspiel-Community von New York City eine Heimat gefunden und wird von der Jim Henson Foundation und La MaMa unterstützt. ,Osni the Flare" steht für Tristan Allens kontinuierliche Weltgestaltung mit akribischer Kontinuität - viele bewegliche Teile, die in funkelnder Kohäsion präsentiert werden, wobei sich jede Komponente aus einer Idee entwickelt, wie eine Fantasy-Serie, die im selben Reich spielt. Das Album erreicht das, was sich Allens kindliches Ich beim Anschauen von Fantasy-Filmen vorgestellt hat: Musik, die nicht so klingt, als würden Menschen Instrumente spielen, sondern wie das Werk der fantastischen Welt selbst. Durch die Kunst des Puppenspielers, ,wahre Lügen zu erzählen", lädt Allen die Zuhörer ein, etwas Ursprüngliches und Unmittelbares zu erleben. Während Osni sich von einem Sterblichen zu einer Gottheit verwandelt, zeichnet das Album nicht nur den Ursprung des Feuers nach, sondern auch den Ursprung des Mythos selbst.

Febuary & Summer Shade haben sich zusammengetan, um die neueste EP der Band ,Run Like a Girl" auf 10-Zoll-Vinyl zu pressen. Diese limitierte Auflage kommt mit erweitertem Artwork, einschließlich eines brandneuen Texthefts, und ist auf pinkfarbenem ,Strawberry Nesquik"-Vinyl erhältlich. ,Run Like a Girl" wurde 2025 online veröffentlicht, mit einer limitierten CD- und Kassettenauflage vom DIY-Label Milkcrate Merch. Die fünf neuesten Songs der Emo-Band aus Las Vegas wurden von Medien wie Stereogum als ,die heftigste und eindringlichste" Emo-Veröffentlichung des Jahres gefeiert. Nach einem arbeitsreichen Jahr mit Tourneen mit Bands wie Midrift und First Day Back startet Febuary 2026 mit Auftritten bei Coachella, Something in the Way und Outbreak.

On Blinking as the Starlight Burns Out Paula Kelley explores her reverence for the dark edges of pop music, crafting a deeply personal song cycle informed by her career as a musician, song-writer and arranger. Channelling some of her most treasured pop-noir classics by Judee Sill, Colin Blunstone and Big Star, the songs on her first album in almost 20 years are filled with heart-wrenching melodies and layer-upon-layer of lush, kinetic instrumentation.

Black 180g vinyl, limited to 200 copies. A decade has passed since the debut album Finnmark left a solid northern Norwegian mark on the rock and hardcore scene, and eight years since Natur pushed both genre boundaries and the listener's limits. Now, the Kirkenes-based band Ondt Blod returns with their third full-length album, Bauta. Here, the band distills the blend of hard-hitting hardcore and strong melodies they've become known for. The opening track "AUX" kicks the door in with a desire to tear down the established order, while songs like "Kembo" and "Flamma" (featuring guest vocals from Ida Maria) reveal a more nostalgic and melodic side of the band. Throughout their career, Ondt Blod has held firmly onto their northern Norwegian identity and Sámi roots. This has taken them from Kirkenes to stages across Europe and Japan, earning them both Norwegian Grammy (Spellemann) nominations and a loyal fanbase. Bauta confirms that the band still has plenty to say.

Following on from Butler, Blake & Grant's eponymous 2025 debut for Bernard Butlers' 355 Recordings, the trio reassembled at Norman Blake's home studio. 'Murmurs' is in some ways going back to where it all began for Butler, Blake & Grant, with the trio reimagining songs from their individual back catalogues which was in fact the premise for the very early shows that they played together. It all begins with 3 guitars, 3 voices and blooms from there.

Limited edition initial pressing of 1000 copies on silver vinyl in individually numbered sleeve.

"Scottish fireside Supergroup' - Uncut

"A uniquely pastoral musical summit...the tone feels perfectly integrated and cohesive. Imagine a mostly-Caledonian CSN&Y and you get the idea" - Record Collector

Backyard Babies was formed in 1987 in Nässjö and can by rights be called Sweden’s most influential glam punk act. Between 1994 and 2019 they released eight studio albums of which Stockholm Syndrome is their fifth. Here we have another collection of bangers brought to you by the babies with reckless abandon. This time they invited a whole slew of guest musicians such as the Ramones, Danko Jones, The Cardigans, Turbonegro, and The Hellacopters, elevating the whole affair to another level with no signs of stopping. This is the first time the album is available again on vinyl since ten years and features the songs "Minus Celsius", "A Song for the Outcast", and "Everybody Ready?!". Stockholm Syndrome is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on crystal clear & black marbled vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet with lyrics.

Not long after Strong Persuader became an unexpected crossover hit in 1986 - which was hard to imagine then and seems like a near impossibility now - Cray decided that he would rather pursue the sound of Stax and Hi soul than be a full-fledged bluesman. He punctuated his songs with stinging licks not dissimilar to Albert King, but the sound was closer to O.V. Wright. But what really separated Cray from his forefathers is that instead of getting dirty and gritty, he stayed classy and tasteful. After 25 years and 14 albums, Robert Cray has been mining the same low-key, mellow Memphis soul-blues groove for well over two-thirds of his career. He's found his sound and he's sticking to it. Now for the first time ever available on vinyl Twenty, his 14th album; a thoroughly pleasant listen indeed, it pack's a punch, and has just all the right ingredients. Twenty is available as a limited numbered edition of 750 copies on crystal clear 180 gram vinyl and includes an insert.

Die 15 Songs sind eine Reise und zaubern uns mit der klassischen Rock-Group (Gitarre, Bass, Schlagzeug) sowie mit Slideguitar, Geige, Nyckel-Harpa, Chor, Klavier- und Orgelsounds bunte Bilder in den Kopf. Eine Mischung aus erdigem Blues - Country und Folkrock mit prägnanten Lyrics auf deutscher und sorbischer Sprache.Die Musik öffnet mit ruhigen, tiefen, gospelartigen Passagen Räume und bewegt sich bis hin zum Punkrock.Textlich handelt das Album vom Weg, den du mit der Zeit gehst, von den damit verbundenen Sorgen, vom Ringen mit dem Guten und dem Bösen, von Liebe, von Freundschaft aber vor allem von Hoffnung. Der Sound von J.J.Cale, Neil Young und Ry Cooder verschmilzt mit modernem Postpunk und kreiert etwas ganz eigenes. Ein Album mit vielen Ecken, Kanten und Rundungen.Jacke selbst nennt seine Musik Lusitzana, was eine Anspielung auf den Begriff Americana ist. Hier gehts jedoch um das Leben in den langsam austrocknenden Sümpfen und Wäldern der Lausitz, rund um die Spree - Wo die Wölfe heulen und die Schafe ins Gras beißen. Aber die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt und der Rock wird siegen! (Henne)

Nach dem "makellosen und zeitlosen Soul" (The Guardian) des 2019er-Vorgängers "American Love Call" öffnet "Private Space" von Durand Jones & The Indications die Tür zu einer breiteren Palette von Klängen und führt die Band kühn in eine synthielastigere Soul-Welt aus mit Streichern durchsetzten Disco-Beats. Das harmonische Zusammenspiel zwischen Aaron Frazers sanftem Falsett am Schlagzeug und Durand Jones' kräftigem Gesang sitzt noch immer tadellos und wird von Blake Rhein (Gitarre), Steve Okonski (Tasten) und Mike Montgomery (Bass) perfekt abgerundet. The Indications bleiben auch auf ihrem dritten Album wahre Meister darin, Revival-Sounds mit einer modernen Haltung zu verschmelzen. "Private Space" atmet den Geist der vergangenen Disco-Ära und die zehn Tracks liefern so eine dringend benötigte Dosis Eskapismus nach diesem turbulenten Jahr 2020. Das Album entstand nachdem die Band einen Großteil des Jahres getrennt voneinander verbracht hatte. Die Freude des Wiedersehens und am kreativen Miteinander ist auf "Private Space" jederzeit spürbar. Der hoffnungsvolle Sound setzt auf die Idee, dass Freude uns befreien kann. Die Kraft eines guten Songs, ein Licht in der Dunkelheit zu sein. Bandleader DURAND JONES fasst es treffend zusammen: "At the end of the day, I just want people to close their eyes and forget where they are. Just the way a Stevie Wonder album does for me."

Afrikanische Meisterwerke der Akustikgitarre, die auf Mississippis beliebter ,African Guitar Box" aufbauen. 1979 und 1980 machte sich ein junger britisch-kenianischer Musiker namens John Low auf den Weg, um von seinen Helden das Fingerstyle-Gitarrenspiel zu lernen. Er reiste durch Kenia, Tansania, Kongo und Sambia, besuchte Stars wie Jean-Bosco Mwenda, Losta Abelo und Emmanuel Mulemena und wohnte manchmal sogar bei ihnen. Außerdem nahm er brillante, aber bisher wenig bekannte Künstler wie Francis Kitime aus Tansania und Mtonga Wanganangu aus Kenia auf. Unabhängig von ihrem Status ging John jedem Künstler demütig wie ein Schüler entgegen. Er nahm in Häusern, auf Dorfplätzen und an Wasserstellen auf. Die Sessions sind intim und ungezwungen, die Künstler fühlen sich wohl. Johns Kassettendeck nahm einige der größten Künstler des Kontinents auf, zusammen mit dem Klang von Gelächter, spielenden Kindern und klirrenden Gläsern. Fünf Jahrzehnte später bieten diese Bänder einen seltenen Einblick, wie Fingerstyle-Gitarre außerhalb der angespannten Atmosphäre kommerzieller Studios tatsächlich klang. Einige dieser Songs erschienen auf John Storm Roberts' vergriffenen Original Music-Compilations (die Mississippi stark inspirierten). Andere wurden nie öffentlich zugänglich gemacht. Alle wurden von Andrew Walter (Honest Jon's, Abbey Road) fachmännisch restauriert und von den Originalbändern remastert. John Low liefert Notizen und Songtexte, und der tansanische Musikwissenschaftler John Kitime gibt die Perspektive der Musiker wieder. Lizenziert von John Low und den Künstlern, gepresst auf hochwertigem Vinyl bei Smashed Plastic in Chicago.

"Saint Cloud" von Katie Crutchfield alias Waxahatchee ist das fünfte Album der Indie-Songschreiberin und wurde im Sommer 2019 auf der texanischen Sonic Ranch in Tornillo und Long Pond in Stuyvesant, NY, aufgenommen und von Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Big Red Machine) produziert. Mit unerschütterlicher Ehrlichkeit unterzieht sich Crutchfield auf "Saint Cloud" einer offenen Selbstprüfung. Das Album entstand nach Crutchfields Entschluss Alkohol und Drogen hinter sich zu lassen, entsprechend widmet sie sich lyrisch dem Thema Sucht. Das schlägt sich auch klanglich in einer klareren und traditionelleren Ausrichtung des Albums nieder: "I think all of my records are turbulent and emotional, but this one feels like it has a little dose of enlightenment. It feels a little more calm and less reckless." gibt die Musikerin zu Protokoll. Auch musikalisch beschreitet Crutchfield neues Terrain, während die letzten beiden gefeierten Alben "Out In The Storm" (2017) und "Ivy Tripp" (2015) noch von lärmenden Gitarren bestimmt waren, streift "Saint Cloud" diese Wall of Sound Schicht für Schicht ab, um Platz für Crutchfields Stimme und Texte zu schaffen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album geworden, das von klassischen Americana-Sounds durchwoben ist, aber mit einem modernen Touch. Auf "Saint Cloud" präsentiert sich Crutchfield erneut als eine der talentiertesten Geschichtenerzählerinnen der Gegenwart und sitzt so selbstsicher im Songwriter-Sattel wie noch nie zuvor.

PET NEEDS return with their fourth studio album ‘ELBOWS OUT! THIS IS CAPITALISM’ to be released on Xtra Mile Recordings on 27th March 2026. Recorded by George Perks (Enter Shikari, You Me At Six, Mogwai, Skindred) it follows the release of their Top 20 album ‘Intermittent Fast Living’ in February 2024. The album charts the exploits of the band buying a second-hand punk rock career at auction and trying (and failing) to make it work.

Over the course of the genre-spanning 12 tracks, the story unfolds with a mix of frenetic punk rock defiance; reflective melodic introspective and beat heavy party anthems as well as guest appearance by CJ Ramone, legendary auctioneer Eric Olson and friends The Whops and Jess Guise who help the story develop. The album is a satirical look at the pitfalls of trying to make it as a DIY punk band, delivered by a band at their most creative and bold as they continue on their own ascension of success.

PET NEEDS are a punk fuelled melodic rock fourpiece from Colchester who have toured the world since they signed with Xtra Mile in 2020. Their past three albums have helped catapult the band to the rising stars they are today. They regularly headline tours in UK, Europe and in America as well as huge support tours with Laura Jane Grace, Art Brut, Frank Turner, Flogging Molly, Skinny Lister, Bouncing Souls, NOFX, The Hives. The Lottery Winners, Spike & The Gimmie Gimmies and The Levellers. In the lead up to the album release the band will tour the UK’s regional towns giving fans exclusive listens to some of the new songs. And throughout week of release will perform instores and outstores to push for a high chart position.

“If I never make it home, thank you for everything.” — “Ten Years” It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since The Academy Is… released their breakthrough debut Almost Here, a record that quietly shaped an underground era. In the years since, the band grew up, lived full lives, and ultimately found their way back. Almost There serves as a conceptual companion to their debut, reexamining the past from the present with clarity, reflection, and experience. “Almost Here was about leaving home,” William Beckett reflects. “This album is about finding your way back.” The songs capture the bittersweet truth that time moves fast, carrying a quiet urgency to chase what matters before it slips away.

"Earth Mother Earth" is literally a home made album by former YES singer Jon Anderson. Acoustic based and recorded in his home, "Earth Mother Earth" in some ways brings back the magic of Anderson’s debut solo album "Olias of Sunhillow" making use of harp, acoustic guitars and vocals. In this case he goes for a more natural approach with songs about love and faith and making use of sounds recorded in his garden, including birds chirping in the background. Musically this album shows the huge influence that Simon & Garfunkel and Cat Stevens had on Anderson (and, thus, YES)

Pariah’s cult album re-issued! “Blaze of Obscurity” brings you pure Thrash Metal fury! Satan changed their name to Pariah in 1988-1989. There’s Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, the list seems almost endless. Sub-genres are important in metal and bands are quickly classified and labeled. Pariah (the last re-incarnation of Satan) is one of few bands that are difficult if not impossible to classify. Is it Heavy metal? NWOBHM? Thrash Metal? Pariah did not make it easy to describe their sound. It might be too sophisticated to simply label it Heavy Metal, which in its infancy was a rather simple affair.

They don’t sound like any Metal band out there, perhaps discounting some of the more aggressive and technical ones, and then the signature NWOBHM sound is added. The guitar playing by Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey is undeniably what defines Pariah as well as Satan in the past. Undeniably, Satan has gone a long way; from humble NWOBHM beginnings, to Experimental/Melodic Mettal (in Blind Fury) and something that could be described as a NWOBHM/Thrash Metal hybrid (“The Kindred”). It’s as if they’ve been experimenting trying to find their identity, and theyfinally found it. Stylistically, “Blaze of Obscurity” could be seen a step back to “Suspended Sentence”, but this time around they got everything right, down to the last note. Those who have heard Satan know what to expect: great guitar playing.

And sure enough, “Blaze of Obscurity” is a demonstration of guitar mastery and is overall a very guitar-driven album, with plenty of mind-boggling riffs and solos are all over the place, but more importantly, it’s a demonstration of some amazing songwriting as well. This is easily Pariah/Satan’s creative peak and one of the most consistent albums I’ve ever heard, featuring eight great and conceptually perfect songs with lyrics that come across as sophisticated and thought-provoking. It is not fair to put the entire spotlight on Tippins and Ramsey though since the drumming and bass work from Sean Taylor and Graham English really shines. The rhythm is fast and tight, keeping it focused, aggressive and intense till the end. Vocalist Michael Jackson (yes, that’s his name) has to be commended too as this is easily his careers best performance.

The verdict: “Blaze of Obscurity”: the level of musical genius expressed here, along with near flawless songwriting, is more than enough to skyrocket it to heights reserved only for classics. Probably not your choice for some light listening those quiet Sunday evenings, but those who take a more serious, intellectual approach when selecting their music will find very much to appreciate here.
Tracklisting

The Evolution Has Begun. Dedicated with love and honor to the memories of Peter Steele and Keith Alexander, Carnivore A.D. emerged as a post armageddon neo barbaric soundscape - a relentless force keeping the primal energy of Carnivore alive on stages and festivals around the world. Formed by NYC Hardcore and Metal veterans Baron Misuraca (vocals & bass – ex-SHEER TERROR), Chuck Lenihan (guitar – ex-CRUMBSUCKERS), and Joe Cangelosi (drums – ex-KREATOR, WHIPLASH, MASSACRE). Co-founded with full endorsement by original drummer Louie Beateaux, Carnivore A.D. has honored its roots by performing the explosive and brilliant works of Peter Steele with intensity, respect and raw power. But now, with the release of their first-ever studio EP "Transmutation", Carnivore A.D. transcends tribute.

They have challenged themselves to write new material - not to replace the original legacy, but to continue its spirit through their own lens. While the legacy of Carnivore remains sacred, Carnivore A.D. has become something more than its origin - a band with its own scars, its own instincts, and now, its own songs. “Think of Carnivore AD as a renowned dining establishment where it’s Chef passed on years ago but the recipes remain and folks still want to dine there instead of cooking the food themselves. And Chef Pete wouldn’t mind because his friends are making it with love.”- Louie Beateaux.

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present MIDYRASI’S KULT’s highly anticipated debut album, Italian Dark Sound, on CD and vinyl LP formats. MIDRYASI'S KULT are revolutionary and uncompromised. Featuring veterans from such Italian doom stalwarts as Doomsword, Midryasi, Agarthi, and Fiurach, their unique blend of elements from the NWOBHM, doom metal, and early black metal – all fused in their distinctive national dark-sound tradition, which includes such cult legends as Black Hole and Death SS – results in an obscure, hypnotic, and exciting formula. In March 2025, after just one week on Bandcamp, MIDYRASI’S KULT were intercepted by Caligari Records, who released on cassette their debut demo, Mountain Devil. Featuring three songs in a concise 15 minutes, this demo reaped international acclaim for its originality and attitude. But that was but a foretaste of darker delights to come. Witness the first full-length of MIDRYASI’S KULT, Italian Dark Sound.

Truly titled, Italian Dark Sound is an intoxicating spelunk into catacombs both idiosyncratic and indefinable. Totaling 32 time-/mind-expanding minutes, the eight primary tracks here – the outro is titled “The Lost Son of Sylvester Anfang,” which should offer an obvious clue to the black-metal-minded out there – each offer something different from the next, and yet all add up into a shadowy experience that’s both rocking and atmospheric. In fact, if one were to single out an aspect between the demo and album, it’s that MIDYRASI’S KULT exude more energy on this full-length without sacrificing any of their occult aura. But, just like that demo, Italian Dark Sound features supremely pro production – gritty, earthy, and yet kaleidoscopic in texture – under the guidance of Gabry "The Way" Strada, head of RDF Studio and who’s now collaborating on the upcoming Doomsword new album. In the vein of an open artistic project, all the artwork is made by vocalist / bassist Geilt himself, and up to 11 musicians have been involved in these recordings

“The spirit moves us to sing these fight songs”, schreiben die Irreversible Entanglements in einem Statement
zu ihrem von Fans heiß erwarteten zweiten Album auf Impulse! Records. Seit zehn Jahren mischt die Band
mit spektakulären Live-Auftritten und abenteuerlichen Alben nun schon die internationale Jazzszene auf.
Das Quintett um die Spoken-Word-Künstlerin Camae Ayewa (a.k.a. Moor Mother), die als “Internationale
Künstlerin des Jahres” mit dem Deutschen Jazzpreis 2023 ausgezeichnet wurde, ist in der Vergangenheit
schon mit John und Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, aber auch der Schroffheit des Punk und aktuellen
Zeitgenossen wie Shabaka Hutchings und Makaya McCraven verglichen worden.
Sein zweites Impulse!-Album ”Future Present Past“ hat das Quintett erneut im legendären Rudy Van
Gelder Studio aufgenommen, in dem auch der Coltrane-Klassiker ”A Love Supreme“ entstand. Mit dem
Album wollen die fünf Musiker einmal mehr dynamischen Jazz, globale Musiktraditionen, Spoken Word
und klare politische Standpunkte verbinden. Als Gäste sind erstmals die beiden Künstler MOTHERBOARD
und Helado Negro dabei.

Bossa-Nova-Königin Astrud Gilberto in neuem Glanz. Nachdem ihr Gastauftritt auf dem legendären Album „Getz/Gilberto“ sie berühmt gemacht hatte, war dies ihr zweites Album unter eigenem Namen, es
machte sie endgültig zum Star der Bossa-Nova-Welle, die in den 1960er Jahren die ganze Welt eroberte.
Ihre unverwechselbare Stimme wird hier von sanft swingenden Arrangements von Don Sebesky und Claus
Ogerman umrahmt, die die Songs aus Bossa, Jazz und Pop perfekt veredeln.

On her new album, Two Whole Summers, Half A Life, Lisa Bassenge is once again accompanied by her trusted fellow musicians, pianist Jacob Karlzon and bassist Andreas Lang, with whom she has already realised numerous projects. Typical of Bassenge, the repertoire comprises a seemingly wild yet harmoniously connected mix of pop, singer-songwriter and jazz elements. The spectrum ranges from Elliott Smith to Duran Duran, from Billie Holiday to Björk. ‘It's always about the expressiveness of the songs – that's the common thread for us,’ emphasises the Berlin-based artist. The album features a track by Hank Williams as well as Madonna's ‘Frozen’ and “Catch” by The Cure. Two original compositions are also part of the recording: the title track ‘Two Whole Summers, Half a Life,’ a tribute to the power of friendship and youth, and the neo-folk ballad ‘I'm Getting Old.’ Both works impressively underline Lisa Bassenge's own artistic signature. For over two decades, Lisa Bassenge has stood for stylistic openness and a characteristic voice that lends new nuances to every song. Despite all the diversity, jazz remains the tonal basis. The Scandinavian-style relaxed sound of Karlzon and Lang lends the interpretations a soft, atmospheric depth.

As collaborative projects often do, 33 has in time found a more fixed form, a kind of structure that turned it from a loose collection of collaborators gravitating around founders Bill John Bultheel and Alexander Iezzi into something resembling more of a traditional band. Not that there is anything conventional in their creative process tho, nor in the music itself… Nontheless Tripolar - their second album and first for Haunter - seems to take them closer to song territory than ever before.

The (progressive) graduation of multi-instrumentalist Cem Dukkha and vocalist/clarinet player Ivan Cheng from collaborators to full-time members has brought 33 to a more refined awareness of their possibilities as a creative unit, although their compositional process has retained a high level of spontaneity and musical madness. Tripolar was in fact assembled by editing hours of improvisation that Bultheel, Iezzi and Dukkah recorded with no specific endgame in mind. The sessions saw them exchange a variety of acoustic, electronic and electric musical instruments: percussions, guitars, strings, piano, hurdy gurdy, synthesizers and even CDJs as a tool of live sampling manipulation.

By molding the pieces into what they are now, the band managed to concoct some beautiful vignettes of contradictory mental and emotional states, as sonically playful as a renaissance fair happening within a broken timestream. Cheng’s lyrical and vocal contributions helped them coalesce even further into proper songs, adding a melodic presence that’s at once seductive and uncanny. But vocal duties are often ceded to guests, namely Danish pop-neoclassicist Astrid Sonne, Kenyan metal guru Lord Spikeheart, Irish goth raconteur Olan Monk and Japanese body-poet Golin.The amount of different sounds arranged into each of the tracks produces a unique sense of awe and bewilderment, a testament to the incredible talent and craft the musicians have employed into putting together such a broad range of influences and approaches into a coherent and extremely effective musical journey.

An equally erratic thematic thread seems to run through all the tracks, one ultimately preoccupied with mental health and its ramifications. Without turning the project into a concept album, 33 and their collaborators have sprinkled it with references to personality disorders and mental conditions that are all too relevant to the contemporary age, reflecting on the lineage of human inner life. A wide display of lyrical and musical tools is employed to explore these themes, ranging from Sonne’s expressionist depiction of ADHD in the opener, to Cheng’s queer-themed reinvention of an Irish murder ballad in closing track ‘Babymusicc’. Tracing lateral trajectories for introspection, Tripolar is not only highly captivating, but it ultimately sounds esoteric in the best possible way: progressively revealing layer after layer of incredible aural magic, its true meaning living in the form and in its manic scope of energies.

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

Hagridden' is the second full-length from Scottish sisters Bratakus. Fiercely political and unapologetic, the duo made up of siblings Brèagha Cuinn (guitar and vocals) and Onnagh Cuinn (bass and vocals) deliver ten songs that combine garage rock and feminist punk with the same deft poise as forerunners The Distillers, The Donnas, Bikini Kill and X-Ray Spex.
In 2019, a BBC news report called Bratakus "the UK's most remote punk band". Formed in 2015 outside a small whiskey village called Tomintoul in the Scottish Highlands, the sisters (then 14 and 8 years old) have maintained a DIY ethos in everything they've done. Recording at home, self-releasing music, booking their own tours and with no drummer available locally, the duo turned their limitation into a statement, performing live with a drum machine and cementing their reputation as an uncompromising force within the punk scene.
'Hagridden' marks a new beginning for the two sisters, introducing real drums to the recording process (including a guest appearance from Chris Dangerous of Swedish rock band The Hives) plus a more focused approach to songwriting. The message and music are just as loud, but the execution is now deadlier than ever.

"Static Shock out here still pushing the finest in international punk and hardcore. This time with a smoking debut from Oslo’s Draümar. Their influences are from the same city block with groundwork laid by groups like So Much Hate and Svart Framtid. Unfortunately, the songs are blasting away at the same monumental enemies albeit with different faces. The never-ending nuclear question, societal unease, genocide, and a steadfast approach to not turn away from the constant horror of today’s world make up the tapestry of this 12”.
The intro and outro track nod and update John Carpenter’s Assault On Precinct 13 setting the stage for a flurry of cold, desperate Norwegian punk - instantly identifiable and as potent as ever. Indeed, they’ve scraped the blood, sweat and victory off the floors of Blitz and distilled it into a Molotov aimed directly at a world in constant crisis. These are chords and context against a rising fascist world where screaming is not limp response but also tactic, celebration and affirmation. Aside from the fury contained in the original tracks you get a bonus treat in the dual vocal attack on the Bannlyst song ‘Herrene’ which features original Bannlyst vocalist, Finn Erik Tangen - instantly identifiable and still just as pissed."