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Her Shadow offers dreamy pop music with moonlight melodies, heavenly hooks and Lynchian twists. The ethereal soundscapes come to life in a dream noir universe oozing with catchy choruses, Morricone motifs and vintage sounds interweave with state of the art production. The birth of Her Shadow was inevitable. Old friends, guitarist-songwriter Tomi Henttunen (Royal Lips) and keyboardist-lyricist (Kuolemanlaakso) had a versatile but very different background in making music but a shared obsession with Twin Peaks and Lana Del Rey. The original idea in 2016 was to combine the best of both worlds, and spice up the mix with film noir and dream-like elements – to make music that they love, but had never done before. They recruited the enigmatic singer Anna Carolina (Royal Lips), drummer extraordinaire Toni Ronkainen (Kuolemanlaakso) and producer-engineer Jaani Peuhu (Swallow the Sun, Lord of the Lost etc.), and recorded a four-song demo. They instantly got signed to Svart Records, and started working on their debut album. After five long years of hard work, it is finally ready to be released upon the world. As they say, good things come to those who wait: The Ghost Love Chronicles will be released on November 11, 2022. The album was produced by musical and visual mastermind Henttunen, mixed by Sampsa Väätäinen (Ismo Alanko, Neøv etc.) and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Paradise Lost, Opeth etc.). The songs range from the mellow Motown mood of Fifth Season to the modern pop banger Kinda Love You, from the Morricone-inspired Vigilante to the nightmarish haunted house thriller What Hides in the Dark and from eerie playfulness of White Lane to ghoulishly beautiful Devil Inside. It remains to see, if The Ghost Love Chronicles will grow into a hit album or a cult classic, but it sure has the potential for both. Slip into something comfortable, open the doors of your perception and enter realm of Her Shadow. HER SHADOW Anna Carolina – lead vocals Tomi Henttunen – guitar, bass, keyboards Markus Laakso – keyboards, backing vocals Toni Ronkainen – drums and percussion Harri Hyvönen – live bass Otto Daavitsainen – live guitar

Her Shadow offers dreamy pop music with moonlight melodies, heavenly hooks and Lynchian twists. The ethereal soundscapes come to life in a dream noir universe oozing with catchy choruses, Morricone motifs and vintage sounds interweave with state of the art production. The birth of Her Shadow was inevitable. Old friends, guitarist-songwriter Tomi Henttunen (Royal Lips) and keyboardist-lyricist (Kuolemanlaakso) had a versatile but very different background in making music but a shared obsession with Twin Peaks and Lana Del Rey. The original idea in 2016 was to combine the best of both worlds, and spice up the mix with film noir and dream-like elements – to make music that they love, but had never done before. They recruited the enigmatic singer Anna Carolina (Royal Lips), drummer extraordinaire Toni Ronkainen (Kuolemanlaakso) and producer-engineer Jaani Peuhu (Swallow the Sun, Lord of the Lost etc.), and recorded a four-song demo. They instantly got signed to Svart Records, and started working on their debut album. After five long years of hard work, it is finally ready to be released upon the world. As they say, good things come to those who wait: The Ghost Love Chronicles will be released on November 11, 2022. The album was produced by musical and visual mastermind Henttunen, mixed by Sampsa Väätäinen (Ismo Alanko, Neøv etc.) and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Paradise Lost, Opeth etc.). The songs range from the mellow Motown mood of Fifth Season to the modern pop banger Kinda Love You, from the Morricone-inspired Vigilante to the nightmarish haunted house thriller What Hides in the Dark and from eerie playfulness of White Lane to ghoulishly beautiful Devil Inside. It remains to see, if The Ghost Love Chronicles will grow into a hit album or a cult classic, but it sure has the potential for both. Slip into something comfortable, open the doors of your perception and enter realm of Her Shadow. HER SHADOW Anna Carolina – lead vocals Tomi Henttunen – guitar, bass, keyboards Markus Laakso – keyboards, backing vocals Toni Ronkainen – drums and percussion Harri Hyvönen – live bass Otto Daavitsainen – live guitar

What It Means To be Human is the second in a series of four albums from Jasper Høiby’s Planet B, featuring saxophonist Josh Arcoleo and drummer Marc Michel, that focus on global topics of vital importance - Humanity, Climate Change, Artificial intelligence and Monetary Reform. This album seeks connection. A connection between humanity and the planet, between the problems we all face and about an opportunistic optimism to fix them. The mastermind is Jasper Høiby, the esteemed and revered Danish bassist and the deeply reflective, expressive and visionary artist. Whilst there are many moments that display the virtuosity and hard-hitting grooves of Phronesis, the long-standing band that shot Jasper to the limelight, Planet B offers additional rewards of subtle expression. The music is captivating and highly absorbing, enhanced by soundscapes of electronics and interspersed with powerful, emotive speech by some unique and forward-thinking female minds including Grace Lee Boggs, Ruby Sales and Jane Goddall. They all share a profound understanding of the world, only achievable through practical wisdom, each offering their individual take on where we are as a species and what we can do to improve. At the heart of the album is the trio. A group of like-minded and creative souls where the focus is all about the collective sound. As a whole, the music is a powerful, mesmerising and poignant display of musicianship, integrity and storytelling. What it Means To Be Human is an album at the forefront of the creative European scene.

Remastered, expanded reissue of the breakthrough sophomore album by pioneering, creatively restless collective, Cerberus Shoal. Finally available on vinyl for the first time ever. Limited edition Sky Blue coloured vinyl pressing edition of 500. The LP highlights the earliest phase of their transition from experimental hardcore band to transcendent exploratory collective. Originally released in 1996, …And Farewell To Hightide combined the group’s unique command of patient anticipation with a significantly expanded musical palette and a refined musicianship. Shedding virtually all obvious references to the frenetic post-hardcore of their eponymous debut album, Hightide saw Cerberus Shoal incorporating elements of Talk Talk, Tortoise, and the early Windham Hill catalog into a sound that was incomparable at the time. Now, more than 20 years later, it’s proven astonishingly prescient and truly timeless. Beautifully remastered and finally made available digitally for the first time ever, this expanded deluxe edition includes the Lighthouse In Athens EP recorded during the same era as …And Farewell To Hightide. Finally available on vinyl for the first time ever, …And Farewell To Hightide – Deluxe Expanded Edition is packaged in restored artwork with newly uncovered photos and extensive new liner notes written by the band. The record has been newly mastered for vinyl by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service, and pressed onto audiophile-grade vinyl.

Over the last ten years, The Lone Bellow have cast an indelible spell with their finespun songs of hard truth and redemptive beauty, faithfully delivered in hypnotic three-part harmony In a departure from their past work with elite producers like Aaron Dessner of The
National and eight- time Grammy- winner Dave Cobb, the Nashville- based trio
struck out on their own for their new album 'Love Songs for Losers', dreaming up
a singular sound encompassing everything from arena-ready rock anthems to the
gorgeously sprawling Americana tunes the band refers to as “little redneck
symphonies.” Recorded at the possibly haunted former home of the legendary
Roy Orbison, the result is an intimate meditation on the pain and joy and ineffable
wonder of being human, at turns profoundly heartbreaking and sublimely
transcendent.

coalesce koh-uh-les 'to come together in or form one mass or whole'
Tritonal have embarked on a brand new chapter in their story which
began with 'Out Of The Dark', the first single from their upcoming fifth
album 'Coalesce'
Encompassing all that they've learned on their musical journey thus far, the
upcoming album solidifies production, art and meaning.
The upcoming record is a grandiose progressive trance production that sees
Tritonal's refined sound at its very best, supported by outstanding vocal
performances from a variety of collaborators, and is already set to be a favorite
amongst fans and supporters alike. In recent weeks, the duo wrapped up festival
appearances at EDC in Mexico City and Las Vegas, Metropolis Festival in
Brooklyn, and Dreamstate Harbor in Los Angeles, bringing their captivating and
vivacious sets to crowds across the country.
Double Gatefold, Neon Magenta Color Vinyl, Insert

'Find A Better Way', by Canadian classic four-piece rock roots band, The
Commoners, possesses a sound tapped from the oaken belly of a
whiskey barrel
Described as "a classic rock and roll affair," the nine songs on 'Find A Better Way'
take the listener on a sonic voyage through the lives of the band, from the dusty
back roads of rural Ontario to the bright lights of the big city. Offering their own
blend of rock and roll, southern blues, and roots music, the Toronto-based fourpiece band are known for their high- energy riffs, soulful vocals, and rich
harmonies. The result is an authentic Southern-style rock experience.
The group was cobbled together over the course of a decade, adapting through
numerous obstacles to form the unit as it exists today: Chris Medhurst (vocals/
guitar), Ben Spiller (bass), Ross Hayes Citrullo (lead guitar), and Adam Cannon
(drums). Often joined by their friend, organist Miles Evans- Branagh, The
Commoners unite under a shared dream: to write, perform, and share music that
is an authentic nod to the greats who paved the way before them.
"The new album authentically embodies the rock and roll, soul, and blues rock
experience," says the band's lead singer, Chris Medhurst. "That's something we
really wanted to bring back. That's the roots. That's what we listen to."

2022 Repress

Parisian underground cult-figurehead VOIRON is next up on Glasgow's Craigie Knowes. The 4 track VOIRONZINOR EP strikes with a ferocious blend of Acid, Rave and Hardcore sounds with that signature VOIRON dusting of Gabber-esque roughness. Those with knowledge of 1980's French rave culture will catch the nod in the EP title too. A record of true heavy hitters.

STEPPENDOOM ist das spannende neue Projekt des in New York City und London lebenden italienisch-schweizerischen Toningenieurs, Sounddesigners, Komponisten und Multiinstrumentalisten Marc Urselli. Der Produzent hat herausragende Musiker aus dem Genre des Doom Metal und legendäre indigene Sänger aus aller Welt, die sich der uralten Tradition des Kehlgesangs widmen, eingeladen und zusammengebracht.
Zu den renommierten Künstlern, die dem Ruf des dreifachen Grammy-Preisträgers Marc Urselli gefolgt sind, zählen unter anderem aus dem Metal-Bereich Matt Pike (SLEEP, HIGH ON FIRE), Aaron Aedy (PARADISE LOST), Steve Von Till (NEUROSIS), Christopher Juul (HEILUNG), Dave Chandler (SAINT VITUS) und Scott "Wino" Weinrich (THE OBSESSED) und solche berühmten Meister des Kehlkopfgesangs wie das Alash Ensemble, Batzorig Vaanchig "Zorigoo", HUUN-HUUR-TU, Tanya Tagaq, Albert Kuvezin (YAT-KHA) und Alexey Tegin.
Die uralte Kunst des Gutturalen Gesangs lebt in den Grasländern, Tundren und in den Herzen der Menschen weiter, die in ihrer lokalen Umwelt in und mit der Natur leben. Der Heavy Metal entstand dagegen in Englands industriellem Herzen unter dem Schlagen von Stahlhämmern und dem Lärm des mechanisierten Abbaus von Kohle. Beide Musikstile haben jedoch eine tiefe Sehnsucht nach Freiheit und Menschenwürde gemeinsam.
Gängige literarische Floskeln, mit denen eine Fusion von Musik aus scheinbar gegensätzlichen Genres und Gruppen mit Schlagzeilen wie "Clash of Cultures" oder "Kollision der Welten " beschrieben werden, treffen auf Marc Ursellis STEPPENDOOM offensichtlich nicht zu. Dieses Fest der künstlerischen Einheit lässt sich vielmehr mit der Phrase "Wenn sich Welten vereinen" zusammenfassen.
Marc Urselli's STEPPENDOOM braucht am Anfang unvoreingenommene Ohren und einen offenen Geist, um Gehör zu finden. Obwohl das Album und seine Lieder eine gewisse Aufmerksamkeit und Zeit benötigen, um sich an die ungewohnten Klangwelten zu gewöhnen, offenbaren sie letztendlich eine atemberaubende Schönheit. Vor dem geistigen Auge schweben Adler über Städte, Steppenwinde erwecken Herzen und Geis, während sich Eis in arktische Tiere verwandelt und viele andere Wunder geschehen. Uralte Magie verbindet sich in diesen Songs mit moderner Energie und schafft etwas revolutionäres Neues, in dem eine der ältesten Ausdrucksformen der Menschheit enthalten ist: der Schrei nach Freiheit!

STEPPENDOOM ist das spannende neue Projekt des in New York City und London lebenden italienisch-schweizerischen Toningenieurs, Sounddesigners, Komponisten und Multiinstrumentalisten Marc Urselli. Der Produzent hat herausragende Musiker aus dem Genre des Doom Metal und legendäre indigene Sänger aus aller Welt, die sich der uralten Tradition des Kehlgesangs widmen, eingeladen und zusammengebracht.
Zu den renommierten Künstlern, die dem Ruf des dreifachen Grammy-Preisträgers Marc Urselli gefolgt sind, zählen unter anderem aus dem Metal-Bereich Matt Pike (SLEEP, HIGH ON FIRE), Aaron Aedy (PARADISE LOST), Steve Von Till (NEUROSIS), Christopher Juul (HEILUNG), Dave Chandler (SAINT VITUS) und Scott "Wino" Weinrich (THE OBSESSED) und solche berühmten Meister des Kehlkopfgesangs wie das Alash Ensemble, Batzorig Vaanchig "Zorigoo", HUUN-HUUR-TU, Tanya Tagaq, Albert Kuvezin (YAT-KHA) und Alexey Tegin.
Die uralte Kunst des Gutturalen Gesangs lebt in den Grasländern, Tundren und in den Herzen der Menschen weiter, die in ihrer lokalen Umwelt in und mit der Natur leben. Der Heavy Metal entstand dagegen in Englands industriellem Herzen unter dem Schlagen von Stahlhämmern und dem Lärm des mechanisierten Abbaus von Kohle. Beide Musikstile haben jedoch eine tiefe Sehnsucht nach Freiheit und Menschenwürde gemeinsam.
Gängige literarische Floskeln, mit denen eine Fusion von Musik aus scheinbar gegensätzlichen Genres und Gruppen mit Schlagzeilen wie "Clash of Cultures" oder "Kollision der Welten " beschrieben werden, treffen auf Marc Ursellis STEPPENDOOM offensichtlich nicht zu. Dieses Fest der künstlerischen Einheit lässt sich vielmehr mit der Phrase "Wenn sich Welten vereinen" zusammenfassen.
Marc Urselli's STEPPENDOOM braucht am Anfang unvoreingenommene Ohren und einen offenen Geist, um Gehör zu finden. Obwohl das Album und seine Lieder eine gewisse Aufmerksamkeit und Zeit benötigen, um sich an die ungewohnten Klangwelten zu gewöhnen, offenbaren sie letztendlich eine atemberaubende Schönheit. Vor dem geistigen Auge schweben Adler über Städte, Steppenwinde erwecken Herzen und Geis, während sich Eis in arktische Tiere verwandelt und viele andere Wunder geschehen. Uralte Magie verbindet sich in diesen Songs mit moderner Energie und schafft etwas revolutionäres Neues, in dem eine der ältesten Ausdrucksformen der Menschheit enthalten ist: der Schrei nach Freiheit!

STEPPENDOOM ist das spannende neue Projekt des in New York City und London lebenden italienisch-schweizerischen Toningenieurs, Sounddesigners, Komponisten und Multiinstrumentalisten Marc Urselli. Der Produzent hat herausragende Musiker aus dem Genre des Doom Metal und legendäre indigene Sänger aus aller Welt, die sich der uralten Tradition des Kehlgesangs widmen, eingeladen und zusammengebracht.
Zu den renommierten Künstlern, die dem Ruf des dreifachen Grammy-Preisträgers Marc Urselli gefolgt sind, zählen unter anderem aus dem Metal-Bereich Matt Pike (SLEEP, HIGH ON FIRE), Aaron Aedy (PARADISE LOST), Steve Von Till (NEUROSIS), Christopher Juul (HEILUNG), Dave Chandler (SAINT VITUS) und Scott "Wino" Weinrich (THE OBSESSED) und solche berühmten Meister des Kehlkopfgesangs wie das Alash Ensemble, Batzorig Vaanchig "Zorigoo", HUUN-HUUR-TU, Tanya Tagaq, Albert Kuvezin (YAT-KHA) und Alexey Tegin.
Die uralte Kunst des Gutturalen Gesangs lebt in den Grasländern, Tundren und in den Herzen der Menschen weiter, die in ihrer lokalen Umwelt in und mit der Natur leben. Der Heavy Metal entstand dagegen in Englands industriellem Herzen unter dem Schlagen von Stahlhämmern und dem Lärm des mechanisierten Abbaus von Kohle. Beide Musikstile haben jedoch eine tiefe Sehnsucht nach Freiheit und Menschenwürde gemeinsam.
Gängige literarische Floskeln, mit denen eine Fusion von Musik aus scheinbar gegensätzlichen Genres und Gruppen mit Schlagzeilen wie "Clash of Cultures" oder "Kollision der Welten " beschrieben werden, treffen auf Marc Ursellis STEPPENDOOM offensichtlich nicht zu. Dieses Fest der künstlerischen Einheit lässt sich vielmehr mit der Phrase "Wenn sich Welten vereinen" zusammenfassen.
Marc Urselli's STEPPENDOOM braucht am Anfang unvoreingenommene Ohren und einen offenen Geist, um Gehör zu finden. Obwohl das Album und seine Lieder eine gewisse Aufmerksamkeit und Zeit benötigen, um sich an die ungewohnten Klangwelten zu gewöhnen, offenbaren sie letztendlich eine atemberaubende Schönheit. Vor dem geistigen Auge schweben Adler über Städte, Steppenwinde erwecken Herzen und Geis, während sich Eis in arktische Tiere verwandelt und viele andere Wunder geschehen. Uralte Magie verbindet sich in diesen Songs mit moderner Energie und schafft etwas revolutionäres Neues, in dem eine der ältesten Ausdrucksformen der Menschheit enthalten ist: der Schrei nach Freiheit!

Oxygeno writes a new chapter with Vertigo, moving into a more angry mood. The EP kicks off with Thirty Against One, with a heart-wrenching bassline, distorted drums and a tense atmosphere. Norbak pays tribute to the original, carefully using the stems and getting a powerful and direct remix.

Side A continues with Vertigo, a suffocating and anxious track, rising and becoming more and more tense as the track progresses. On side B we find False Mirages, a hypnotic, distorted and direct track for the dancefloor. Positive Centre, with a sound design mastery, remodelled the track into heavy industrial vibes.

Finally, we also deliver a digital bonus track, Metamorphosis, ending the EP in a more atmospheric and hypnotic mood, providing a safe place for you to come down.

The Netherland’s De Ambassade have dropped the ‘De’ and are now known as Ambassade. Optimo Music is extremely happy to be working with them and will be releasing their second album in 2023. Ahead of that is this glorious 2 track 12” featuring music that took our breath away when we first heard it. Both tracks are exclusive to this release.

We asked Ambassade to tell us a bit about the tracks…

“These 2 songs were born after a collaboration with Naama Freedman. She’s an artist from Amsterdam and former member of Ambassade. She brought a couple sketches to the studio and we came out with these 2 songs.

The lyrics on ‘Young Birds’ come from an old traditional English folk song from around 1903. It has been re-arranged a couple times throughout the years by multiple artists. The song reflects our development in sound and arrangement with extended synthesiser parts, less conventional song-writing. Also, us singing in English is a new path.

The pulsing song ‘Palette’ is a perfect combination of sequence and extended legato vocal parts. It creates a tense atmosphere which builds up to the very end.”

purple marbled vinyl

Faces Of Bass head honcho Coco Bryce once again dons his DJ Y moniker, delivering two slices of four to the floor sorcery.

Cheech Wizard is straight-for-the-throat hardcore acid, which wouldn't have sounded out of place at a turn-of-the-century squat party in a deserted warehouse in Rotterdam.

On Junk Waffle he opts for a more rave-centric jungle techno vibe: stabs galore, deep subs, pounding kick drums and a solid dose of Amens.

A wise character once reminded her to tread the heavy ground with light feet. After a whirlwind two years since moving back to Hong Kong and starting from scratch, Xiaolin has re-emerged from the depths of her studio stronger than ever with a second EP - her first vinyl release to date.

Inspired by the Tower card from the Tarot, Tower Moment EP is a cosmic journey through four stages of healing: darkness, acceptance, transformation and freedom.

The record begins with “Dark Night” (of the Soul), followed by the gentle comfort of “Safe With Me”, a nostalgic electro ballad. On Side B: a chuggy tune layered with textures and samples, “Lemuria”, transports listeners to a surreal land of self-discovery, while Blue Hour completes the experience with his anthemic “Elevator” remix.

With her signature mix of 909 kicks and 808 breaks blended with acid bass lines, subtle percussion and ethereal melodies, Xiaolin’s organic approach to techno and electro showcases her colourful palette and sensitivity as a musician, along with a love for jazz and warm synth sounds from the early 90’s era.

Over the past decade, Vienna-based Florian Stöffelbauer – also known as Heap, has built a consistent reputation as a skilled DJ, producer and Neubau’s label head.

Isla is proud to present his latest effort “False Hope” which explores the intersections between industrial, electro and dark wave – all with a leftfield twist.

As diverse as it is powerful, the 7 tracks featured here almost feel like nocturnal tales, chalking out Heap’s observations wandering through the streets of a silent city, with cigarette smoke permeating the air and sirens ringing in the distance.
The cinematic essence of the release emerges from the very beginning, with the atmospheric beauty “Diall” transporting us straight into some late-80s scenery of Kraftwerkian nostalgia. In “Jetzt Oder Nie” a sharp knit of drums is placed on top of the grave frequencies of the bass: it’s indeed “now or never”, the moral imperative of the release, requiring us to take action.
Throughout the whole album, hypnotic sounds punctuate the dark space, bouncing between the polyrhythmic and uplifting energies of “Inner peace” and “No Palm Too Big”, a sneaky slow-burner with a nocturnal groove and Gayna Rose Madder’s robotic voice reciting the stream of consciousness of this urban wanderer.

“Trist” rises slowly yet powerfully thanks to its mystical synths covering the ground and preparing us for what comes next.
The title track “False Hope” holds the unique charm of a creature effortlessly floating in between dualities. As obscure as it is airy, as delicate as it is forceful, this hybrid composition is rich in details and plot twists.

At the end of this journey, “Losing time” reminds us of the urgency to take action expressed at the beginning of the album. In a rarefied canvas, an off-kilter solitary sound comes in, starting off as insistent as a car horn in rush hour, and evolving into a beautiful instrument arpeggiating the melody.

Here Heap concludes his narrative for now. We like to imagine him walking away, a shadow fading in the smoke of the city as the first lights of the day appear.

Ltd Edition White Vinyl, DL card.

Debut from genre-defying producer, Yosa Peit. Laurie Anderson meets Bjork; Prince overlapped with Arthur Russell and the hum of Blue Velvet, with jarred and splintered ambient production reminiscent of Aphex Twin. ‘Phyton’ gets a special expanded edition via Fire Records, featuring unreleased tracks; ‘Tyrann’, a live version of the haunting album track ‘Serpentine’ and end of the night lament, ‘Rise’. ‘Phyton’ is a conundrum with its own humour and beauty amid the electronica soundtracking; it’s a record that’s defied genre categories when first released on Tax Free Records two years ago. Yosa’s ascension from singer to producer is now complete. “In my head I was making a movie,” Yosa told No Wave magazine, “I dreamed up a Coen Brothers’ movie scene for a few tracks.” The result is a haunting, provocative sound; a soundscape where songs merge and splinter, a trip that’s never predictable.

"The production is super fresh" Holly Herndon. // “Warped lo-fi meets glitchy electronica and pop” The Vinyl Factory //

Download extras: 1. Serpentine (Live Bonus) 2. Rise (Bonus)

Rico Friebe returns with a second part to JENNI, his initial full length album from early 2022.

The furthermore ongoing personal story of empathy, tragedy and hope continues with a cycle of orchestral compositions, leading Friebe's work into unforeseen directions.

A soundtrack of the soul with the uniquely natural and timeless touch of orchestra music..

Reissue of Makaya McCraven"s modern classic, International Anthem debut "In The Moment" (2015) One venue, 28 shows and 48 hours of live, improvised music. These are the ingredients for Chicago-based drumme Makaya McCraven"s album In the Moment. However, McCraven, as the producer he also is, has not just thrown some random sounds together. Instead, he has carefully culled, cut and remixed the music into a coherent whole and 19 complex and catchy compositions emerge from his hands.

A muffled cry into the technological darkness, Contemporary Movement slid into the world right as the MP3 was seeping out of college dorms. A 39-minute drift into the void, drenched in Cold War-era reverb and then submerged in four track hiss for good measure. Duster constructed a Brutalist masterpiece on the outskirts of a suburban mall, as if to say, “We were here.”

“Music for dark spaces and closed eyelids, deeply psychedelic but without sprawl, ambient music with a serrated edge of punk.”—The Ringer

“Warm, fuzzed-out sounds that hit home like a tight, melancholic embrace from your favorite person.”—Vice

A muffled cry into the technological darkness, Contemporary Movement slid into the world right as the MP3 was seeping out of college dorms. A 39-minute drift into the void, drenched in Cold War-era reverb and then submerged in four track hiss for good measure. Duster constructed a Brutalist masterpiece on the outskirts of a suburban mall, as if to say, “We were here.”

“Music for dark spaces and closed eyelids, deeply psychedelic but without sprawl, ambient music with a serrated edge of punk.”—The Ringer

“Warm, fuzzed-out sounds that hit home like a tight, melancholic embrace from your favorite person.”—Vice

In recent years ambient music has changed and encountering Jon Hassell's fourth world design has become easy. Most of the time there’s no feeling, no narrative, a nothingness of ideas through layers and layers of pastiche and boring bedroom music. This is not bashing. Just a reminder that sometimes the information trap delays an understanding of how good music really is.

“Cavalcante” is the new release by funcionário (born Pedro Tavares). You’ll find Jon Hassell in these eleven pieces. And yes, sometimes you’ll think about ambient music. Most of the time you’ll wonder about what is really happening. And why it's only now you’re hearing about this twenty-something musician from Setúbal, Portugal.

A little bit more than one minute into “En Garde!”, the opening track, one feels challenged by the idea that everything that was listened up to that moment was a false start. The piece abruptly stops, flips some digital sound, and restarts in a whole new direction. As this happens it becomes obvious we are in for a treat. Those two, three seconds create a sensation that everything happens in a moment that introduces you to funcionário's craft: delicate complex sounds infatuated with the idea of movement and the never-ending notion that there’s no dividers in the fourth world. Music can go beyond that.

As it moves forward – “Verde”, “Sierra” or “Publicidade Arco e Flecha” -, the album (his fourth) morphs around variations or perceptions of ambient / electronic / experimental music. And as the language evolves, it hints on how funcionário keeps stretching the boundaries of digital music as he wishes to advance to a more analog setup. In a way, he confronts foundational ideas while having breakthroughs and realizing he is at a top level. Justifiably ambitious, bright and discreetly edgy.

Written and recorded between 1972 and 1982 in Western Oregon, Back to the Woodlands is a previously unreleased, and nearly lost, album made by Ernest Hood during the same era as his near mythical album Neighborhoods. A visionary combination of field recordings, zithers, and synthesizers, Back to the Woodlands offers an unprecedented depth of access to this singular artistic mind.

Born into a musical family, Ernest Hood began a promising career as a jazz guitarist during the 1940s, touring internationally with his brother Bill Hood and the saxophonist Charlie Barnet, before contracting polio in his late twenties. The disease left Ernest unable to play the guitar and confined him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. It also forced him to adapt and innovate around his musical practices in the face of adversity; Hood’s value of sound matured with a remarkably democratic and nonhierarchical approach and application.

Taking up the zither, a less physically-demanding stringed instrument to the guitar, embarking upon the unprecedented process of incorporating field recordings into his work as early as 1956, and eventually discovering the synthesizer, Hood’s music became imbued with optimism and subtle cultural critique. This ethos and technique - refined over the coming decades - would lay the groundwork for a sprawling body of radio work, mail order recordings for homebound listeners, and Neighborhoods, self-issued as a small vinyl edition in 1975.

Where Neighborhoods, a nostalgic opus, drawing from a well of collective memory of the 1950s, is defined by traces of human activity, Back to the Woodlands leaves the modern world behind, delving into Hood’s love for nature. Only recently discovered in his archives, the album dramatically expands his concept of “musical cinematography,” imagistically triggering states of sensory memory from within its zither and synthesizer melodies, intertwined with field recordings made during Hood’s extensive travels throughout Oregon. If Neighborhoods is a retreat into the gauzy joys of a romanticized past, Back to the Woodlands is an immersion in the timeless sanctuary of the natural world.

New progressive thrash/hardcore group Skin Failure are overjoyed to announce their out-of-this-world debut album Radillac, to be released 11th November via Small Pond. This is not your everyday album, then. A full-throttle, high-psychedelia record, Radillac is the sound of a band having as much fun as is inhumanly possible. Elements as disparate as Every Time I Die, Mastodon, and Slayer clash and combine to thrilling effect, with a bonus guest feature from UK comedy legend Ed Gamble on track four's 'Remy LeBeau's Big Pile of Bones'.

Fangst never announced their arrival – without a warning they were just there, and so was the demand for their music. The band’s hook-laden songs were quickly embraced by audience and press alike. Suddenly there was a new challenger to the throne of Norwegian “mother tongue rock”. Fangst appeared with a bang – releasing four singles in quick succession in 2021. Seeing the band live, it’s easy to be seduced by the four band members and their magnetic stage presence. Now they’re ready with their debut album on Jansen Records. But this is hardly a musical debut for the guys who make up this four-headed beast. All members of Fangst come with heaps of musical experience, and the bare mention of their other bands – Death By Unga Bunga, Honningbarna and Hvitmalt Gjerde – will awake fond memories in every concert goer who’s ever encountered those bands. Fangst’s debut full-length will be out in the fall of 2022, and if captivating Norwegian lyricism or very, ehm…rocking rock (or even both!) is your bag, then you’ll get your fill here. The band’ sound is a result of their diverse musical backgrounds and combines to create beautiful rock music – sporadically dangerous and at times plain cute.

Repress in soon, note new price. For Fans Of:The Lawrence Arms, Into It. Over It, The Menzingers, RVIVR, Modern Baseball, Sundowner, Topshelf Records. Deanna Belos has been a fixture in the Chicago punk scene since she was in Junior High, attending shows, singing along, and raising hell in general. But she was more than just a face in the crowd, Deanna was a radiant friend to all, and at some point she picked up a guitar and made a different contribution the Chicago underground scene: her own music under the name Sincere Engineer. Over the last couple years we've encouraged her to keep writing songs and she surprised us all by assembling a great band and recording an impressive album. Her debut, "Rhombithian", was Produced by Matt Jordan (You Blew It!, Dowsing, etc.) and pairs the sounds of Chicago punk and the youthful Midwest "emo revival" movement. No one is more excited about music than Sincere Engineer, and Deanna plans to play a lot of shows and bring her infectious energy to the rest of the planet in support of "Rhombithian".

The second album from Brisbane-Meanjin indie-folk five-piece Full Power
Happy Hour builds on the immense promise of their 2020 self-titled
debut, adding a gorgeous tinge of alt-country elegance to their inherent
feel-good jangle-pop foundations
This musical bed - assembled collaboratively allowing the band's true spirit to
shine through - proves the perfect foil for frontperson Alex Campbell's
compellingly personal lyrics documenting a tumultuous period in their life, an at
times fraught journey recast into beautiful, eloquent art. The 10 songs veer from
bright, upbeat toe- tappers to plaintive, introspective ballads, but flow together
superbly due to the group's underlying camaraderie and fast- blossoming
chemistry. At times reminiscent of forebears like The Go- Betweens and The
Clean, with flourishes of Lucinda Williams and contemporaries like Big Thief and
The Weather Station, Bit Of Brightness is 100% Full Power Happy Hour and one
utterly beguiling aural experience.

Surging brass and organ-laden funk wonderment! Formed in 1967, Crow
combines gritty blues with nasty, hard-charging garage rock
Inspired by the likes of The Ventures and The Trashmen, Minnesota natives Harry
Nehls, Dick Wiegand, and Larry Wiegand combined forces with ex- Jokers Wild
members David Wagner and Dave Kink Middlemist. Originally known as South 40,
the band released two singles and one album, Live at Someplace Else, on
Metrobeat Records.
After winning a recording session with Columbia from a battle of the bands
contest in Des Moines, Iowa, the band recorded five demos: Evil Woman, Time to
Make a Turn, Busy Day, and White Eyes. Columbia didn't offer the band a contract,
but Dunwich signed the band.
To give their sound a more commercial appeal, Dunwich added horns to Evil
Woman without the band's knowledge- and it worked! Crow signed with Capitol
subsidiary Amaret Records after turning down Atlantic, hoping to be a big fish in a
small pond. Recording their first electrifying album, Crow Music, in 1969, Crow
delivered their very best. Before it was covered by Black Sabbath and Ike & Tina
Turner, their acclaimed single, Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me), hit
the Top 20 that Fall. Reminiscent of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Deep Purple, and
James Gang, Crow blends an alluring mix of soul, funk, blues, psychedelia, and
garage rock into one package. I'm sure you'll agree Crow Music is a holy grail of
heart-poundin', grease grindin' rock!

Surging brass and organ-laden funk wonderment! Formed in 1967, Crow
combines gritty blues with nasty, hard-charging garage rock
Inspired by the likes of The Ventures and The Trashmen, Minnesota natives Harry
Nehls, Dick Wiegand, and Larry Wiegand combined forces with ex- Jokers Wild
members David Wagner and Dave Kink Middlemist. Originally known as South 40,
the band released two singles and one album, Live at Someplace Else, on
Metrobeat Records.
After winning a recording session with Columbia from a battle of the bands
contest in Des Moines, Iowa, the band recorded five demos: Evil Woman, Time to
Make a Turn, Busy Day, and White Eyes. Columbia didn't offer the band a contract,
but Dunwich signed the band.
To give their sound a more commercial appeal, Dunwich added horns to Evil
Woman without the band's knowledge- and it worked! Crow signed with Capitol
subsidiary Amaret Records after turning down Atlantic, hoping to be a big fish in a
small pond. Recording their first electrifying album, Crow Music, in 1969, Crow
delivered their very best. Before it was covered by Black Sabbath and Ike & Tina
Turner, their acclaimed single, Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games With Me), hit
the Top 20 that Fall. Reminiscent of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Deep Purple, and
James Gang, Crow blends an alluring mix of soul, funk, blues, psychedelia, and
garage rock into one package. I'm sure you'll agree Crow Music is a holy grail of
heart-poundin', grease grindin' rock!

The Local Moon (East Berlin 1987/88) The name The Local Moon originated from an intimation by the oriental jester Nasreddin that every city had its own moon. This idea did not go without a certain local colour in the bipolar frontline city of Berlin; from an astropolitical view, its divided sky never saw a full moon, the light conditions were ideologically broken. From the black light of those years emerged The Local Moon. René Le Doil and Ronald Lippok took wings like two crows from a pigeon’s nest when quite suddenly in 1987 light entertainment permeated East Berlin’s Offground and the two musicians were hired for the New Romantic revue New Affair. Before that, Le Doil had been involved in the Stattgespräch fashion spectacle and in Allerleirauh, the “thing of light, space, sound and leather”. Lippok had been the drummer for Rosa Extra, one of the earliest punk rock bands in East Berlin. Together with his brother Robert, who had already come into the picture with an avant-punk project named after the Jules Verne novel Fünf Wochen im Ballon (Five Weeks in a Balloon), Ronald Lippok then founded the post-punk commune Ornament & Verbre- chen, for whom Le Doil would occasionally guest as an... more credits released July 20, 2022 Tape (Side A, B, C – Track #1 - #16) Music by The Local Moon, recorded in April 1987 René Le Doil: accordion, bass, guitar, keyboards, piano, voice Ronald Lippok: acoustic guitar, keyboards, percussion, voice Produced by The Local Moon Single (Side D – Track #17 - #19) Music by The Local Moon, recorded in May 1988 René Le Doil: keyboard Ronald Lippok: keyboard, voice Charlotte Jansen: oboe, voice Alex Wolf: percussion Bo Kondren: emax, traktor Detelf Pegelow: guitar Robert Lippok: clarinet, ethno brass Produced by Bo Kondren Recorded at Gunther Krex Studio Vinyl published by Henryk Gericke Texts and liner notes by Henryk Gericke Remastered by Calyx/ Bo Kondren Digital distribution via aufnahmeundwiedergabe.de

Saxophonist, dancer and rapper tyroneisaacstuart's debut album S!CK is
a simmering hybrid of choreography and improvisation, featuring some
of the UK's finest jazz musicians
An out- pouring of individual expression and creative collaboration, S! CK is an
album that does not compromise, from an artist whose sound is singular in its
multitude.
Divided into three acts - GUMBO, Apology and Peace – S!CK draws on the spirit of
the traditional New Orleans dish to bring a mix of diasporic musical ingredients to
tyroneisaacstuart's work at the intersection of jazz, contemporary dance, and
visual art.
Peppered with contributions from Moses Boyd, Theon Cross, Shirley Tetteh, Nikos
Zarkias, Jamie Murray, Jack Polley, Reiss Ellis Beckles, Kwaku Aacht and Zuri
Jarret- Boswell, S! CK's gumbo style blends ferocious group improvisations with
punchy production and visceral lyricism. Together it reflects the polyphony of
creative experiences Issac-Stuart has accumulated.

On April 29, MCC Magna Carta Cartel broke the 5 years silence with the
new speaker-breaking single "Silence", the first from their long awaited
second album "The Dying Option" - An album best described as rock
music from the world of dreams
Led by Martin Persner, one of the Nameless Ghouls of Ghost. MCC create
cinematic sounding themes with captivating melodies and poetic lyrics. Their
upcoming album "The Dying Option" offers a ticket into a state of mind seldom
seen or heard in modern music. Here they manage to use classic rock to create
an ambience beyond the regular riffs of today's rock and deliver ten fantastic
songs far beyond what anyone could have expected. "The Dying Option" is
produced by Niels Nielsen (In Flames, Ghost, Dead Soul) together with MCC. The
album artwork is created by the renowned film director Claudio Marino
(Behemoth, Watain, King Dude) and David M. Brinley (Ghost). MCC teamed up
with acclaimed Swedish film director Sebastian Jern for the Silence-video.

White Vinyl LP. RIYL: Aldous Harding, Jenny Hval, Marlon Williams, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen. Revered Sydney songwriter Laura Jean returns with new album Amateurs, her first record since the much-celebrated Devotion in 2018. Amateurs is a stunning, string-laden album, set at a mystical midway point between the deep synth-pop of Devotion and the folkier sounds of Laura’s earlier work. The album features backing vocals from Aldous Harding and Marlon Williams on three songs (Teenager Again, Amateurs and Folk Festival). Laura worked with producer Tim Bruniges around Sydney’s long 2020-2021 lockdowns. Erkki Veltheim (Gurrumul, Cat Power) arranged gorgeous strings for the album, which were recorded in Melbourne by Devotion producer John Lee. Amateurs is an album about anti-art and anti-intellectual culture in Australia (but applies equally to other parts of the world). It sees Laura questioning her role as a songwriter and examining the reality of her choices to prioritise art over other parts of her life. It is also a warm hearted, humorous and sonically breathtaking album. “Amateurs means to do something for love, not money, and somehow it’s become a dirty word, shorthand for a failure,” says Laura. “These songs arise from my acceptance that I will always be an ‘amateur’.” 2018 album Devotion had superlative reviews from Pitchfork, Gorilla Vs Bear and elsewhere, and made it into end of year lists for Spin, Idolator, Apple Music and more. Laura also acquired some high-profile fans such as Lorde and actor Brie Larson. She did two UK/Europe tours in 2018-19 with Courtney Barnett and Aldous Harding. Laura has twice been shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and has recorded with Jenny Hval as well as Aussie icons Paul Kelly, The Drones, and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. “Maybe the sharpest communication of the spooky, all-consuming nature of feminine love” – Lorde. Selling Points: Backing vocals on three tracks from Aldous Harding and Marlon Williams. Sumptuous string arrangements from Errki Veltheim, who has played with everyone from Cat Power to Mike Patton. Laura featured on Jenny Hval's 2019 album The Practice Of Love, and Jenny sang on Laura's self-titled album from 2014.

Desumanos' fresh mixture of guitar driven melodies is as evocative as it is playful. This instrumental project is made up of a dream-team of Brazilian producers and musicians. Kassin, on bass, was member of The +2's band and co-produced Gilles Peterson's Brazilian project Sonzeira, featuring legendary artists such as Elza Soares, Naná Vasconcelos, Wilson Das Neves_ While Liminha, on guitar, is a former member of Os Mutantes. His signature sound is heavily influenced by classic instrumental surf music, but tropical rhythms are also dropped in the mix. The band is completed with Felipe and Manoel Cordeiro (on guitar), one of the lambada originators, and Stephane San Juan (drums), currently playing with David Byrne. Across the tracklist of this Desumanos debut album we can find a unique combination of musical styles that are all filtered through the sieve of instrumental surf music without losing their roots anchored in tropical sounds such as cumbia, African rhythms and, of course, popular genres from Brazil such as forró or lambada. Ten original songs in which the guitar is the undisputed protagonist and the tropical atmosphere emanates through each note.

Stretch and enjoy a.k.a. The Last Ronin returns to AKO150 Arcade with two beautifully crafted jungle tracks.

Changeling VIP starts off with a rare groove rift with sound system samples that build up before the drop comes that will get you going on the dance floor.
Roll the dice is another track that rolls and keeps getting better as it goes along with pads, subs, brakes, and deep baseline with the iconic sample ‘roll a dice’ do you know what movie this is from?

Suns of Arqa is a sonic mission created by luminary Michael Wadada, who began in 1979 after receiving higher guidance in Jamaica while working with roots reggae chanter Prince Far-I. It is a prolific traveling music collective that has seen over 200 collaborators, meant to connect people from all cultures and walks of life through a "deeply spiritual vibration that merges cultures, faiths and musical genres". Wadada combines ancient Hindustani raga systems with Piobaireachd and Nyabinghi roots drumming, creating ritualistic world music infused with dub and reggae. The lyrics combine both mystical and sensory elements, often including prayer and referencing a higher power but finding root in experiences common to all people- memory, sight, and physical sensation. Their first album, Revenge of the Mozabites, was a collaboration between Wadada and On-U Sound creator Adrian Sherwood. Following its 1980 release, Peter Gabriel invited them to perform at the first WOMAD festival. Today, the record is regarded by some as a cult classic.

Forget your search for a holy grail, THIS is The Lost Ark Of The Covenant.

Walter Gibbons presents 'The Ten Commandments Are The Law Of The Land'
It will melt your face and make you clap yo' hands!
Mythical disco foundations from Sunshine Sound.




Label Info:
Take a journey to the dawn of DJ culture with Sunshine Sound, the NY imprint that through a series of genre defining Disco Edits became recognised as the 'Birthplace of the Edit'.

These 'Disco Adjustments' would become the hottest tracks in a DJ's crate, spawning countless bootlegs & imitations since they first appeared so many years ago.
As influential as these recordings were, most only appeared as acetate discs individually cut in mono & sold direct to DJs.
Some of these were cut in such small quantities it could be debated as to whether they ever really existed at all.
40 years later and all that remains are remakes & rumours...

...or so it was thought.



Sunshine Sound rises again to bring you a series of classic, legendary & mythical Edits.
Travel back with us to re-discover monumental works that helped shape the sound of dance music as we deepen the textures of history with a series of exclusive Digital & limited Vinyl releases selected from the vault.
Sunshine Sound releases are distributed by Moonshine Sound, bringing you antiquities of historical Disconificance.

Ever since he remixed Abimaro & The Free’s ‘Mark’ back in 2014, NuNorthern Soul boss Phil Cooper has kept in touch with Daniel Stenger, the producer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist behind the Flashbaxx project. Cooper was always convinced that Sanger would be capable of crafting a very special release for the label but was willing to give him time to come up with something special.

With Take Care My Friend, a mini-album inspired by the German producer’s deeply rooted love of jazz-funk, Stenger has repaid the faith shown in him. He’s deliv-ered a collection of quality cuts marked out by audible warmth, effortless musicality and memorable, sun-soaked songs.

As he makes clear in the liner notes included with the vinyl version of the mini album, the project began with the recording of luscious, Rhodes-laden opener ‘Al-right’. After staying up all night recording the track, Stenger not only decided to continue recording with the same relatively limited set of instruments (think bass and electric guitars, drums, piano, electric piano, organ, hand percussion and a handful of synthesizers), but also stick to a hybrid sound that added a subtle Lat-in shuffle to his Balearic-minded take on jazz, funk and soul fusion.

We’re biased of course, but there’s no denying that Stenger’s creative choices have resulted in a superb set of tracks. While the restricted kit list provided focus during the music-making process, there’s still plenty of musical variety across the six tracks that make up the set.

For proof, compare and contrast the jazzy, loose-limbed headiness of ‘It Just Happens’, where simmer-ing synth-strings, twinkling melodic motifs and glis-tening guitar licks rise above smooth jazz-funk bass and a gentle broken beat rhythm, and the slow-motion soul brilliance of ‘Strangers’, where Kathryn Kempf’s evocative and poignant lead vocals rise above a sump-tuous downtempo groove and heart-aching piano lines.

This subtly varied but musically coherent vibe contin-ues across the mini album. Stenger indulges in a bit of New York daydreaming on ‘Brooklyn Love Boat’, a wonderfully musically detailed chunk of 1970s style jazz-funk heat that offers knowing nods to Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock and the jazz-fusion stylings of Azymuth, before opting for a deeper, slower and even more seductive sound on the Hammond-sporting bliss of ‘Take Care My Friend’.

Closing cut ‘City Lights’, a gorgeous, soft-focus affair smothered in echoing Rhodes riffs and immersive chords, has the feel of an underground classic in wait-ing: a stirring, string-drenched future sing-along whose emotion-packed lyrics are delivered brilliantly by Glasgow-born singer/songwriter Chris Pookah.

Despite the song’s subject matter – the painful final breakdown of a relationship – there’s something strangely uplifting about the combination of Pookah’s pitch-perfect vocal delivery and the absorbing warmth of Stenger’s comforting and sonically detailed music. It provides a fittingly impressive finish to a mightily immersive mini album.

(reissue)

Pluto Shervington's move from his native Jamaica to Miami had a huge influence on the musician, singer, engineer and producer's sound. That is captured in this gloriously fresh take on reggae: it reflects The Magic City's bright lights and shiny metropolitan feel, technological advancements of the time and urban swagger of the people. It was recorded by the former member of the Tomorrow's Children show band at Earthman Studio in late 80's Miami and brings in lashings of funk, soul and disco to the clean digital sounds and fleshy reggae drums. His own mic work adds to a sound that calls 'urban reggae folklore' and makes for a superb listen.