Scanning Backwards, Phase Fatale’s second full-length album originally released on Berghain’s in-house label Ostgut Ton in 2020 is now reissued via his label BITE on limited edition pink marble vinyl after being long sold out and sought after. Using the connection between weaponized sound and psychological manipulation as a conceptual foundation, Hayden Payne explores the ways in which music – and sub frequencies in particular – are used to influence thinking and to synchronize emotions and behavior: from military technology to sound systems and the physicality and sexuality of queer techno culture.
Known for his innovative post-punk takes of dance music as featured on EPs for unterton and Ostgut Ton, the Berghain resident draws on his background as both a guitarist and sound engineer to create a heady mix of broken rhythms, noise-, and shoegaze-inflected techno, often at slower tempos. The result is music with space and pace to expand, highlighting the intense rushes of frequencies found in both sonic warfare and functional dance music. Over eight tracks named after a combination of historical and fictional narratives from literature and science fiction, Payne’s rhythmic excursions explore different manifestations of sound as power – specifically within the context of seeing Berghain as an instrument itself. This is also reflected in the album artwork, taken from an early flyer for the SNAX party series and an obvious ode to the fetishization of power dynamics.
In his own words: “All tracks on the album, no matter the style, were tailored to sound a certain way in Berghain – something I figured out through years of dancing in the middle of the floor, DJing as a resident and investigating what frequencies really penetrate the body. This includes speech and high-frequency, brain-penetrating instrumentation and drilling textures that I had not utilized so often before, but which I think also have an effect on thought and memory. It’s especially true in a space where gay and fetish roots combine with music in unexpected ways, almost in a cultish manner. A musical and physical deprogramming and reprogramming, psychic driving and de-patterning, the erasing and replacing of memories.”
Ultimately, Scanning Backwards surveys not only the manipulative properties of electronic music (mantras, loops, subliminal messages) but also how rhythm facilitates both moving and thinking in synchrony; a pulse of coordinated sound- and brainwaves.
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Repress!
Next up on Accidental Jnr are 2 club ready tracks from Sydney producer Cassius Select that straddle genres somewhere between techno, bassline and hardcore. 90 is a gurgling brutal post-dubstep wobble fest at a house tempo whilst HERD offers up Select's trademark idiosyncratic vocal snippets wrapped up in most broken and shuffled of techno rhythm. Cassius Select lives in the undefined sonic boroughs of the hardcore continuum. His first EP explored the grittier end of techno under Australian label Hunter Gatherer followed by a 12" of unstable rhythm workouts under DJ Haus' UTTU label. The Toronto native is hell bent on inciting movement in the most unorthodox ways. Sonics crush genre-defining sounds into a pastiche of cryptic one liners and side eyes. Drums that invoke an impossible sense of swing and momentum. Most importantly Select's sound defines itself on the mission to deconstruct the world around him,to level out the playing field so everyone can have a bite. This year, Select joins with UK imprint Accidental Jr. to release a two-track fury of sound that snarls with every grimace.
ReKaB drops another strong four-track EP, rooted firmly in the Detroit sound with a nod to the soulful techno styles that shaped the UK underground in the 90s. His second EP for Cologne's YORE Records. The production, as always, is spot on—sharp, detailed, and endlessly listenable. While the tracks carry the weight of tradition, they’re not stuck in it. There’s a fresh, forward-facing energy here that keeps things exciting.
My Inspiration opens with classic metallic strings and a tight, robotic square bass that locks you in straight away. Just when you think you know where it’s going, the vocal drops—a bold touch that shifts the track into more human territory, giving it an emotional pull without losing its edge.
Soul Brother is a late-night cruiser. Rhodes chords, rolling bass, and lush strings set the scene for a proper cityscape vibe. It’s smooth, it’s warm, and it glides effortlessly, all while keeping enough groove to move.
Future Times kicks things up a gear with more tempo and bite. Acidic basslines and a writhing lead sit alongside deep chords, making it equal parts hypnotic and urgent. It’s the kind of track that turns heads in the club—direct and effective without being predictable.
Wrapping it up, Random Fragments pulls things back into a more reflective, dubby space. The layers are rich but restrained, with chirps and analogue echoes drifting through a hazy atmosphere. It’s introspective but not sleepy, the perfect comedown to round off the EP.
ReKaB’s consistency is something else—each release feels like it’s levelling up, pushing his sound forward without losing its roots. This EP is no different. It’s a tight package of ideas, all executed with precision and style. One for the heads, no question.
The widely beloved Romanian producer and DJ Barac delivers his new EP ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ via Yecad this May, comprising three original compositions across the vinyl only release.
Since his debut release over a decade ago, Bucharest, Romania’s Barac has grown to become one of the most prized producers and DJ’s in the microhouse movement coming out of his home turf. A name synonymous with high quality, subtly nuanced and hypnotic grooves tightly woven together to create a sound that’s distinctly his and has found a home on many reputed labels such as Meander, Pressure Traxx, Adam’s Bite and of course his own Shamandrum. Here though, we see Barac joining the roster of Yecad, a fledgling London based imprint that has played host to music from Sepp, Vlad Arapusu, Mihai Pol, Dragutesku and Constratti since its inception in 2023.
The title-track ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ opens the EP and encapsulates all that is loved about Barac’s productions, delicately unfurling atmospherics, haunting voices and softly reverberated chimes intertwined with airy dub chords and stripped back drums.
Following to open the B-Side is ‘Everything that is seen comes from the unseen’, stripping things back to a rawer, percussive driven state with crisp drums and a bubbling acid- tinged bass line carry the groove while sporadic resonant flutters and vocal murmurs ebb and flow within. ‘He restores my soul’ then rounds out the EP and sees Barac explore his more experimental side, fusing together ghostly synth melodies, echoing chords, spiraling resonant swells and a hypnotic Romanian spoken word vocal.
2024 Repress
The gang of four have a new waxed weapon in their arsenal and as expected, it bites. Three slices of complex futuristic beats with no mercy.
As in previous sound exercises, they have collided in the studio, each one with his preferred tools, recording bites, mutating audios, twisting frequencies, and this is the result:
"MG009" is a mechanical tool constructed over a concrete drum architecture, surrounded with bleeps, distorted drones and cutting hi hats. All the elements come and go wisely creating an obsessive atmosphere.
"SQMD3" follows on similar parameters, fast, distorted, enforced with the essential layers of sound required to make massive damage on a proper sound system.
"SNT0073" closes B side as an extension of the message proposed on the previous cuts: a few elements fighting in a frequency range quest in order to destroy any sign of easyness and vulgarity.
Only for the brave.
Originally released in the mid 80's on UK cassette label Bite Back!, this nearly lost gem finds new life 30 years later on Cocktail D'Amore Music. Steve has cobbled together a superbly melancholic electronic concept album. Wistful melodies often evoke sentiments of a lost childhood and hazy English mornings.
Each song within remains untitled allowing full perceptive freedom as to what they all communicate, a language for the feelings that have no name.
Untitled A1 - A6 leads one along intimate soundscapes of pattering drums and tinkering piano, a sense of closeness and trust develops with the introduction of each new idea much like the beginning of a bed time story. Untitled B1 - B3 then begin to breathe more openly awash in angelic colours before abruptly turning downward on B4, a wall of booming drums and atmospheres from the furthest reaches of the galaxy before the last trio of songs settles gently back on Earth.
- A1: Euphoria (Feat Liz)
- A2: Everybody (Feat 10K Caash & Zelooperz)
- A3: Dreams 1000000 (Feat Milk)
- A4: Slip N Slide
- A5: Bite That 2 (Feat Trinidad James)
- B1: Sideroom
- B2: Bunny Lava (Feat Virgen Maria)
- B3: No Antidote (Feat Ripparachie)
- B4: Static (Feat Banshee)
- B5: Ya! (Feat 645Ar)
- B6: Never Leave (Feat Milk)
JIMMY EDGAR's latest release for Innovative Leisure, LIQUIDS HEAVEN, is a psychedelic canvas of future R&B, euphoric bass, mutant tear-theclub-up rap, foundation-splintering noise, and gossamer soul.
On a surface level, it is a starburst of avant-garde fusion, collecting a diverse cast of eccentric geniuses and re- configured into an anthology of n - musique concrete.
As with all of his work, there is a deeper and subversive intent.
Do not mistakenly believe that LIQUIDS HEAVEN is merely a technicolor dream of ethereal abstractions. It bangs as hard as anything to ever bump from a subwoofer.
Over a polychromatic blast of crunk, bounce on Everybody like a rap
rave inside a 31st century space station. Bite That 2 finds Trinidad James spitting flames over booty- shaking, wall- crumbling bass. On Ya, 645AR chirps over a metallic chassis of booming industrial funk.For all the high energy propulsion, there is a counter-balance of melancholic beauty.
The album's opener, Euphoria features a Liz Y2K vocal that levitates with plaintive longing. The Milk- aided Dreams 1000000 sounds like the chimerical soundtrack to a manga utopia that needs to be imagined. Milk also appears on the finale, Never Leave, which
captures a bittersweet sadness, the wistful emotion of the tide slipping away.
Jimmy's career has been a series of fascinating left- turns. Signed to Warp Records as a teenage electronic music prodigy, his work needs a scholarly bibliography to properly assess. He's recorded for the world's most respected imprints (Warp, K7, Hotflush, Innovative Leisure and his own New Reality Now).
Raised in Detroit, there have been stints soaking up inspiration in Berlin, Atlanta, LA, and New York. His list of close collaborators includes the most innovative musicians of the millennium, including Hudson Mohawke, Danny Brown, SOPHIE, DAWN, Mykki Blanco, Vince Staples, and several full projects with Machinedrum
as J-E-T-S.
MOOD CHILD is the new artistic platform of DJ/Producers, SIRUS HOOD & MANDA MOOR.
Evolving from a collective idea during our difficult pandemic period, MOOD CHILD is, at its centre, about community, collaboration, friends and family. Working together, feeding each others creativity and forging fresh and exciting new sounds and projects.
MOOD CHILD is an invitation to a journey that blends different feelings, emotions and desires. To activate your inner child. Reinvigorate the wild, primitive and unfiltered state of being and create an almost divine sense of unity. All through the power of music and art.
Their collective sensibility is nurtured upon the dancefloor and last summer they were blessed to have presented a first MOOD CHILD experience in collaboration with Hï and Café Mambo in Ibiza. The mood then took them to Bagatelle in Zürich and Lovefest in Serbia and they now prepare to launch their 2023 campaign alongside the elrow family for a sold out event in Andorra 1st of April.
However, what is a party without its soundtrack? Their first release, as its title suggests, brilliantly displays the labels primal perception… ‘Homo Sapiens’ is the mood child of Sirus Hood and Malikk. Four carnal creations, all guaranteed to ignite a rabid dancefloor response.
‘Booty Side’ uses its compass to expertly navigate its way through bubbling acid and rolling snares as we go in search of Jack, while the title track will have us going ape to its chest-beating bump and knuckle-dragging groove.
Silverback beats swing low on the flip too as ‘King MTF Kong’ bites hard with its heavy Chicago hustle and detuned synth, while the feral Juke-infused finale, ‘Gorilla Walk’, is a break-neck bass-driven and bruising encounter that is more Jersey club than Empire State building.
The ‘Home Sapiens’ EP is released on the 14th April and will be available on vinyl and digital formats, alongside a series of exclusive NFTs.
MOOD CHILD’s official online store will launch soon and feature not only the music and digital art projects, but also an official clothing brand, sample packs and exclusive content from their artists.
It’s time to connect with your MOOD CHILD.
OTHR is the techno alias of KHIDI resident and Tbilisi native Ladouka Ninua releasing his first EP on BITE 'Scythe Of Vyse'. One of the most prominent musicians in the Georgian electronic music community, his involvement and support has left a legacy that has established him at the center of Tbilisi's club scene. 'Scythe Of Vyse' represents Ninua's accumulation of uncertainty and isolation from the past years in Tbilisi and cathartically releases it into a triumphant record with singular sound design of metallic samples of groove that sound of a bygone age yet from a cybernetic future. With releases on KHIDI's own label and collaborations with Ancient Methods already, this EP marks a new beginning for OTHR as he steps into new, uncharted territory in electronic music with his singular style.
Robert Babicz started his musical career under the Rob Acid moniker in 1992 and this triple 12“ vinyl pack is a compilation of 12 of his most essential tracks of all times. In this bundle you can find the iconic club tracks like „Homeless Part 1“ and „Android“, rare material like „Herz aus Gold“ Rob released on Force Inc. and his melodic acid UK chart hit „Happy answer“. But also Rob´s collaboration with Marc Romboy „Wall of sound“ and of course the deep, dark and pumping Detroit techno influenced „Acid Warrior“.
This vinyl package was drafted in collaboration between Rob, Marc Romboy and their Marotopia community who were responsible for the tracklisting and name of this release.
Following his excellent ‘Rhy’ EP last October, Tim Engelhardt crafts a spellbinding return to Watergate Records.
A prodigal talent at just 22-year-old, Cologne’s Engelhardt stands at the vanguard of Germany’s new breed of electronic music talent. Prolific and passionate in equal measures, the artist has kept busy during lockdown sharing a series of tracks and edits he’s made on Bandcamp titled ‘The Notebook’. His refined production approach gets better with each release, as exemplified by his latest offering, ‘Rooted’.
The title track introduces itself with a punchy kick drum pattern, before a brew of organic percussion and a multi-layered key sequence give the track a memorable bite. ‘Brought to Bare’ combines golden soundscapes, rolling beats and bubbling drum lines. ‘Future Matter’ illustrates his finely developed sound design skills, as delicate strings rub shoulders with a building melody line and a sturdy low groove that hits with chugging impact after the break.
- 2026 repress -
SHDW & Obscure Shape launch new label Mutual Rytm with powerful eight-track V/A "Federation Of Rytm I", featuring VIL & Cravo, Lars Huismann, Grindvik and more.
Favourites for many within today's modern techno landscape, Stuttgart-based pairing Marco Blasi and Luigi Urban, aka SHDW & Obscure Shape, continue to grow their profile and position as artists leading the current new wave of techno. Having launched their first label From Another Mind in 2014, releasing material from themselves alongside remixes from the likes of Rodhad, James Ruskin and Dax J, early December welcomes the arrival of a new project and a second imprint to the fold, Mutual Rytm.
Showcasing a new dimension of techno and electronic music, celebrating originality and innovation by combining timeless cuts from the past with cutting edge sounds of the present and the future, the label will serve as a breeding ground for new artists alongside established talent and legends from the scene. Opening the imprint in style, the label bosses head up the first-ever release and the first V/A "Federation Of Rytm I" as they welcome a selection of new and established talent.
"Since the beginning of the global pandemic, we have been diving deep into the roots of our music and working on the aesthetics of our sound. That's when we realized that now is the right time to start a new project which differs from FAM, in both musical and artistic direction. The project will showcase a new dimension that aims to channel the authentic perspectives of both established and up-and-coming talents. With our new label, we want to give all artists the opportunity of musical freedom and expression of their versatility as producers. It is an honour to accompany the young artists on their careers, to see them grow and to help them in their development as musicians." - SHDW & Obscure Shape
The duos rolling opener "Conquest Of Paradise" quickly sets the tone and builds to reveal a classy and slick offering, combining rich stabs with tough drums and sharp hats, while Invexis keeps the tempo high as he weaves escalating synths and pacy kicks across "Elektronenwind". VIL & Cravo combine on the jacking and lively "Apolonia Loop", as eerie synths work amongst warped vocals across a tweaked out peak-time effort, before Alarico keeps the energy levels up throughout the relentless funk of "I'm Into You".
The second half of the package sees Lars Huismann enter the fray with the no-nonsense, snaking grooves of "Hyper Dub", with Nicolas Vogler's "Sauva Bite" fusing hypnotic tones with straight regimented claps for an intense yet playful ride through sounds and sonics. "Your Dry Lips" switches up the aesthetic as Grindvik journeys down a wormhole of metallic percussion and warping low-ends, before closing the show with authority via Stigmata's grinding and menacing offering "Gestas".
Season 2 formed in late 2024, bringing together seasoned Melbourne musicians with previous and current projects including Parsnip, The Stroppies and Phil and the Tiles. The five piece, comprising Carolyn Hawkins, Claudia Serfaty, Charlotte Zarb, Freya McLeod and Matt Powell, quickly set to work writing winsome, DIY, shimmer-pop hits that careen through your mind in a gratifying dizzy rush.
With a clear collective vision and little time to waste, Season 2 spent 2025 writing and recording, appearing live only a handful of times. Finally, this April, the band are primed for their debut release, a full-length album entitled 'Power of Now'. ‘Power of Now ‘is a cerebral explosion of melody, hooks, drones and rhythm. In the vein of The Feelies, The Vaselines and The Clean, Season 2 have whipped up a sonic whirlwind. It's a giddy thrill of snappy slap, catchy gang vocals and crystalline guitar refrains.
'Abundance of Power' is a bittersweet bop of ponderous bass, crisp chord flashes and grounded vocals that dwell on slighted futures and bored realities. 'Becomes a Dream' is a delirious race of scrappy strumming and flying phrases that unsettle as much as they pinball endorphins - "pour the ink into the sand, watch the dog it bites the hand". "Tell me something, elbows on the table, I'll tell you nothing, leave you tugging at the cable" they sing on the peppy future single 'Tugging at the Cable', capturing a certain innocent, wide-eyed expressiveness. Season 2 do sparky well, their songs are instant rewards, tunnelling into your subconscious and testing the dance floor. They keep everything moving, the beat and the conversation. Season 2 sound barely controlled and all the better for it, you have no choice but to be swept up.
'Power of Now' was recorded by Alex Macfarlane (The Green Child, Chateau) and mastered by Mikey Young. It will be released digitally and on LP (black vinyl) on April 24th, internationally via Upset The Rhythm and locally in Australia by Spoilsport Records.
Blue Vinyl
After a three year hiatus, the rap trident known as Death At The Derby is back with another full LP, this time entirely produced by Toronto based producer Finn. An 11 track project, “Capitano” is themed behind some of the games most respected & legendary captains to rock the honorary armband.
Inspired by their previous 2020 release “Ballon D’Or”, this latest LP is both the first official drop, yet second installment to their newest series entitled Club & Country. With the third & final season of their celebrates derby series around the way, this record is the next phase in their wave of worldwide work.
Cuts provided by their resident DJ, DJ Dubplates, the project is both a rare & raw blend of potent underground production, cultured sound bites, top flight lyricism & love for the beautiful game. Whether El Salvador, Romania, North Ireland or Argentina, the roster is monster. Centered around a tracklist aligned by the player’s actual jersey numbers, this collection of stars shine bright as any constellation.
- Leave (Again)
- Distance
- Ad Friend
- Crunch The Numbers
- Biters
- The Producer
- A Chorale
- Healing Attempt
- Sentence Structure In The Country
- Move
OPAQUE RED VINYL[29,20 €]
more eaze is the moniker of Brooklyn-based composer, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist, mari maurice. A renowned collaborator both in performance and on recordings, maurice"s own work is a fantasia, a reflection of her curious and explorative musical mind, encompassing entire spectrums of sound from a wide sonic pallet of electro-acoustic textures, folk traditions, and pop forms that pirouette into fully realized ecosystems. sentence structure in the country is a definitive statement of the matchless quality of more eaze"s skill as player and musical thinker. The album relishes the ecstatic in performance and collaboration with an inviting wit and incisive compositions, imbuing tenderness, frustration, and joy into each passage. sentence structure in the country is a collection of compositions, each beautifully realized, self-contained worlds. maurice"s dexterous, tasteful arranging lays bare her influences and obsessive fascinations with remarkable congruency while foregoing any sense of indulgence. Her music holds a density not only in the lush compositions and embellishing flourishes, but also for those moments of spare, minimalist beauty. sentence structure in the country is a textural marvel, a mosaic of ethereal electronics and loamy acoustics sculpted around deeply moving, enduring songs.
more eaze is the moniker of Brooklyn-based composer, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist, mari maurice. A renowned collaborator both in performance and on recordings, maurice"s own work is a fantasia, a reflection of her curious and explorative musical mind, encompassing entire spectrums of sound from a wide sonic pallet of electro-acoustic textures, folk traditions, and pop forms that pirouette into fully realized ecosystems. sentence structure in the country is a definitive statement of the matchless quality of more eaze"s skill as player and musical thinker. The album relishes the ecstatic in performance and collaboration with an inviting wit and incisive compositions, imbuing tenderness, frustration, and joy into each passage. sentence structure in the country is a collection of compositions, each beautifully realized, self-contained worlds. maurice"s dexterous, tasteful arranging lays bare her influences and obsessive fascinations with remarkable congruency while foregoing any sense of indulgence. Her music holds a density not only in the lush compositions and embellishing flourishes, but also for those moments of spare, minimalist beauty. sentence structure in the country is a textural marvel, a mosaic of ethereal electronics and loamy acoustics sculpted around deeply moving, enduring songs.
- 1: Chop Chop Chop
- 2: Ride The Apocalypse
- 3: Sociopath
- 4: Unleash The Wolves
- 5: Sirens’ Call
- 6: Devolution/Devilution
- 7: Bite The Hand That Feeds
- 8: Brainfreeze
- 9: Genetic Mutation
- 10: Symphony Of Doom
- 11: Wanna Be Me
- 12: Break Away
- 13: W.a.r
- 14: Toxic Reality
- 15: Fear
- 16: It Never Ends
- 17: Over The Line
Transparent Lime Vinyl[24,16 €]
Hardcore thrash punks VITAMIN X return with a new album in 2026 via Svart Records Amsterdam’s hardcore legends Vitamin X are back with their seventh album Ride The Apocalypse, the band’s most intense and ambitious album to date — released by Svart Records in March 2026. Mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste) and featuring apocalyptic artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste), the record delivers 16 tracks of pure mayhem: faster, harder, and heavier than anything the band has done before. Everyone who’s heard the early mixes agree — this is the strongest Vitamin X album yet. For over two decades, Vitamin X has been one of the most explosive and influential forces in crossover hardcore punk. Emerging alongside the early wave of modern crossover and thrash-revival bands like Municipal Waste and Wolfbrigade, Vitamin X carved out a sound that is unmistakably their own: ultra-fast, razor-tight, socio-political, fun, and always completely unhinged. They’ve released albums on iconic labels such as Southern Lord, Havoc, and Tankcrimes, and worked with legends like Steve Albini, John Baizley (Baroness) and J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.). Their video About to Crack reached millions of views. The band has played over a thousand shows worldwide and appeared at festivals such as Hellfest, Maryland Deathfest, EXIT, and Obscene Extreme. With Ride The Apocalypse arriving in March 2026, Vitamin X enters a new chapter — sharper, faster, and more devastating than ever.
- 1: Chop Chop Chop
- 2: Ride The Apocalypse
- 3: Sociopath
- 4: Unleash The Wolves
- 5: Sirens’ Call
- 6: Devolution/Devilution
- 7: Bite The Hand That Feeds
- 8: Brainfreeze
- 9: Genetic Mutation
- 10: Symphony Of Doom
- 11: Wanna Be Me
- 12: Break Away
- 13: W.a.r
- 14: Toxic Reality
- 15: Fear
- 16: It Never Ends
- 17: Over The Line
Black Vinyl[23,32 €]
Hardcore thrash punks VITAMIN X return with a new album in 2026 via Svart Records Amsterdam’s hardcore legends Vitamin X are back with their seventh album Ride The Apocalypse, the band’s most intense and ambitious album to date — released by Svart Records in March 2026. Mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste) and featuring apocalyptic artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste), the record delivers 16 tracks of pure mayhem: faster, harder, and heavier than anything the band has done before. Everyone who’s heard the early mixes agree — this is the strongest Vitamin X album yet. For over two decades, Vitamin X has been one of the most explosive and influential forces in crossover hardcore punk. Emerging alongside the early wave of modern crossover and thrash-revival bands like Municipal Waste and Wolfbrigade, Vitamin X carved out a sound that is unmistakably their own: ultra-fast, razor-tight, socio-political, fun, and always completely unhinged. They’ve released albums on iconic labels such as Southern Lord, Havoc, and Tankcrimes, and worked with legends like Steve Albini, John Baizley (Baroness) and J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.). Their video About to Crack reached millions of views. The band has played over a thousand shows worldwide and appeared at festivals such as Hellfest, Maryland Deathfest, EXIT, and Obscene Extreme. With Ride The Apocalypse arriving in March 2026, Vitamin X enters a new chapter — sharper, faster, and more devastating than ever.
Kim Gordon hat Kunst und Noise über Jahrzehnte immer wieder neu gedacht - und dabei nie an Schärfe verloren. Vierzig Jahre nach ihren Anfängen wirkt ihre Vision noch immer provokant. Dieses Abenteuer setzt sie mit ihrem dritten Soloalbum "PLAY ME" fort, das am 13. März bei Matador Records erscheint. Mit der Ankündigung erscheint die erste Single "NOT TODAY", begleitet von einem Kurzfilm der Modedesignerinnen und Filmemacherinnen Kate und Laura Mulleavy (Rodarte). Gordon trägt darin ein eigens für sie gefertigtes, handgefärbtes Seidentüllkleid. Der Song offenbart eine neue, fast poetische Spannung in ihrer Stimme: "Da kam eine andere Stimme zum Vorschein", so Gordon. "PLAY ME" ist ein konzentriertes, direktes Album, das ihren Sound um melodischere Beats und den motorischen Drive des Krautrock erweitert. Entstanden ist es erneut mit Produzent Justin Raisen (Charli XCX, Sky Ferreira, Yves Tumor). Die Songs sind kurz, prägnant und stark rhythmusorientiert - fokussierter und selbstbewusster als zuvor. Nach "No Home Record" (2019) und "The Collective" (2024, zwei Grammy-Nominierungen) richtet Gordon den Blick auf die Gegenwart: Tech-Macht, KI-getriebene Kulturverflachung, den Abbau demokratischer Strukturen und den absurden Alltag des Spätkapitalismus. Trotz dieser Themen ist "PLAY ME" ein nach innen gewandtes, geradezu körperliches und ebenso emotionales Album. Mit verzerrten Stimmen und schroffen Beats legen Songs wie "Square Jaw", "Dirty Tech" oder "Busy Bee" gesellschaftliche Realitäten frei. Der Titeltrack entlarvt die Logik einer durchkuratierten Komfortkultur. "PLAY ME" ist radikal gegenwärtig, widerständig und kompromisslos eigenständig.
Joyce Manor are California pop-punk legends and I Used To Go To This Bar is this epochal band operating at the top of their game. They continue to deliver relentlessly satisfying rock music in a manner that makes it look simply effortless. The Torrance, California-hailing trio of Barry Johnson, Chase Knobbe, and Matt Ebert are at a point in their career where their position as one of the most beloved rock bands is a foregone conclusion. Their seventh album finds the group continuing to find rich new veins to tap in their short-and sweet songcraft without losing an ounce of bite that gained them such repute in the first place. I Used To Go To This Bar further situates Joyce Manor in the rich lineage of their influences and inspirations. Think AFI"s rapid-fire burn, Weezer"s indelible power-pop acumen, and the dusky emotionalism of The Smiths while further establishing them as leading lights in the current rock landscape. The fresh burst of inspiration that fuels I Used To Go To This Bar proves that Joyce Manor are far from content to rest on such laurels, moving forward with their sound and style in a way that reminds you of how they got to this point in the first place. Catch them live at Coachella 2026.




















