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A kaleidoscope of harmony vocals - as Crosby, Stills and Nash might have sounded with a funky back beat. Delicate acoustic fingerpicking, warmed by a swell of brass before a drama of electric unfolds. Guitar band music, delivered with the sensibilities of someone who knows how to make you dance. Sun-kissed blue-eyed soul, reminiscent of Ned Doheny, but emanating from a beach far from California.

These are the sounds of Jim, as heard on debut album 'Love Makes Magic'.

Debuting in 2021 on the folk-informed 'Falling That You Know' EP, Jim is the latest alias of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and renowned DJ Jim Baron. Famed as co-founder and musical director of festival-stunning favourites Crazy P, his latest Jim project is a musical journey unlike anything he has done before.

Gelato Italiano vol.1 is a Various Artists EP created as if it was a playlist for a gelato shop, with different sounds inside, like various flavors of gelato. The idea comes from Francesco Fisotti, owner of Gelateria Fisotti, based in Otranto. The summer there is hot and gelato should be eaten with the right vibes, definitely Italo-Disco, Jungle, House, Hip Hop, Broken Beat.

Damian Lazarus’ Secret Teachings imprint welcomes a unique project from Malian and French pairing Siraba, unveiling their debut single ‘Ngana Fôlly’ alongside remixes from Philou Louzolo and Peaking Lights. Meaning ‘The Great Path’ in Bambara, Siraba - the duo consisting of Malian hunter Boubacar Samake and Damien Vandesande, one half of French electronic band dOP - are on a path of bringing the traditional sound of the Wassoulou to the world. They met in 2003 when Damien visited Mali to work with local artists and met Boubacar’s father - the legendary Sibiri Samake. Working together on multiple occasions, the two promised to work with one another and Boubacar on a project one day, and 17 years later, the two connected to begin to develop their unique sound and showcase their shared universe.

Inspired by the music of the master hunters from across Mali, the ‘Dozo’, the project transmits values based on justice and righteousness, love and respect for others, moral and spiritual rectitude and protection for everyone. Debuting on Damian Lazarus’ Secret Teachings imprint, an outlet for the Crosstown Rebels boss to delve deeper into musical realms outside of the norm and away from the dance floor, the pair will release their debut album in September, with a series of live performances set to be announced. Their first single arrives in early June with ‘Ngana Fôlly’

A spiritual and hypnotic production rooted within Dozo musical tradition, featuring Boubacar playing the Ngoni while singing in Bambara, ‘Ngana Fôlly’ is a resonant and rich production combining organic textures with warping synths, rich bass and sweeping electronics, capturing the magical essence of Mali across a fascinating journey. Providing the first remix on the package, Dutch DJ/producer and DJ Mag ‘Artist To Watch for 2023’ Philou Louzolo harnesses Boubacar’s vocal and places it at the heart of his soaring remix as stripped-back percussion and a commanding low-ends guide sweeping synths, before handing over to San Francisco husband-and-wife pairing and Dekmantel signees Peaking Lights who tip things down a bright and blissful rabbit hole of soundscapes as vibrant guitar riffs and twisting leads work amongst off-kilter melodies and acid flecked tones for an eight-minute trip.

Exotica, ye-yé cumbia, guaracha infused twist, rock’n roll mambo, Spanish rumba, boogaloo beat, tropical garage and other unexpected bastard genres are featured in this festive compilation of bizarre hits taken from the glorious catalog of records released during the 60s and 70s on the Peruvian label Discos MAG. Some clearly unite genres, others are projects with creative names, but all are bold musical initiatives that got and will always get people onto the dance floor. “Sabroso Go Go” brings together fourteen musical mixes created in the recording studios of Manuel Antonio Guerrero (MAG), in which music directors combine rhythm with alchemy in a quest to find the philosopher's stone of the dance. Exotica, ye-yé cumbia, guaracha infused twist, rock’n roll mambo, Spanish rumba, boogaloo beat, tropical garage and other unexpected bastard genres are featured in this festive compilation. Although this compilation begins in 1957, experiments like this (some more memorable than others) were not new in Peru. The songs on this album were however much more successful hybrids. Some clearly unite genres, others are projects with creative names, but all are bold musical initiatives that got and will always get people onto the dance floor. At the end of the fifties, rock music shook the foundations of Peru, and orchestras rushed to cover hit songs and explore the possibilities of mixing them with tropical music. Lucho Macedo's orchestra took up the mantle and reinterpreted a well-known guaracha by Celia Cruz ('Rock and Roll') in mambo style, renaming it 'Rock and roll Mambo'. 'Maestro de Rock and Roll', a hit by the Cuban Conjunto Casino, received similar treatment. Another mix in this vein is the rock tune 'El Rock de los Chinos' by the Mexican Manolo Muñoz (author of 'Speedy González') recorded by the Chilean Choche Mérida for MAG in 1961. The following year, Chubby Checker’s 'The Twist' hit the scene and was immediately fused with guaracha by maestro Nelson Ferreyra. A legendary MAG musician, Carlos Pickling, composed 'La Charanga del Espacio' in 1963. The space sounds are produced by Pickling and his inseparable Hammond. He himself is the one who leads the orchestra that accompanies Benny Del Solar, Lita Branda and Pablo "Melcochita" Villanueva in the tropicalized version of Spanish Rumba, when the beats of the Iberian rumba were still exotic in South America. Around that time, the Chilean Willy Marambio was already living in Lima. In the track included on this album, the go-go style showcases his virtuosity on the trumpet. Another outstanding trumpet player, Roberto "Tito" Chicoma from Chiclayo, played as a session musician with MAG from 1959. A few years later, he became one of the most popular Colombian cumbia players, a talent he demonstrates in the song on this compilation, which blends the fun of go-go with yé-yé beats. 'Batijugando' was a hit from Mexico and was played in all the rhythms played across the Hispanic world since 1967. Inspired by the "Batman" series, it was performed at MAG by the Betico Salas orchestra, with vocals by the Panamanian lady crooner Nallye Fernández. 'Computador Electrónico' is another surprise on this album, performed by Panamanian vocalist Patty Pastel, it is the only known version in Spanish of 'Der Computer Nr. 3', originally sung in German by France Gall. Two other songs feature Edgar Zamudio. The versatility of Zamudio y Los Vikingos (originally a Chilean group) is demonstrated in the guitar-heavy song composed specifically for the late sixties skate fashion ('Go Go en Patines') and in his idiosyncratic protest song ('Día de Pago') performed in beat style. In the mid-seventies, Los Kintos, led by guitarist Francisco Acosta, developed different harmonic ideas in an instrumental track that veers from boogaloo to salsa, the fashionable rhythm of the day. Finally, in 1976, when the bumping hips dance craze swept the continent, Manuel Guerrero was quick to jump onto the bandwagon, composing a Bump song, together with his son Carlos. The Italian musician based in Lima, Luciano Luciani performed the song 'A Bailar Bump' backed by his band of local musicians Los Mulatos.

2025 Repress

Beste Modus, we_r_house and Unison Wax co-founder Cinthie launches her new imprint Crystalgrooves this October with three raw House cuts.

Berlin's Cinthie has long been a respected figure in the underground electronic music scene of Berlin and further afield, heading up the Beste Modus and we_r_house imprints, as well as Unison Wax alongside Diego Krause amongst holding a residency at the infamous Watergate club in her hometown and recently opening her new record store in Friedrichshain, Elevate. It's clear to see electronic music scene plays a huge part in Cinthie's life and here we see her adding another label to her already impressive coterie of imprints, namely 803 Crystalgrooves, a platform for her own material edging towards more classic, raw House sounds in contrast to the deeper more stripped back sounds heard across the other labels. Leading on the package is the anthemic heavy hitter 'Together', a heady House groove fuelled by a filtered, funk-infused bass line, bright organ chords and bumpy 909 drums, the result is an emotive slice of peak-time house to kick start the EP.x 'Ada Lovelace' follows and tips the focus over to dusty, swinging drum sounds and an amalgamation of choppy disco string and vocal samples all intricately programmed to create a dynamic dance floor workout. 'No Need To Worry' then rounds out the package with murky bass tones, wandering stab sequences and stripped-back shuffled percussion to close the package on a more dark and brooding tip.

ITWVA002 it is the second various-artist vinyl record released on the newborn Italian Weapons Records.
The second release dives through different genres without forgetting the main core of the label which is Italian House Music.
This collection was entirely produced by young and talented Italian artists. Italian Weapons are always looking for sounds from the Italian house scene, allowing their artists to travel back to these golden age sounds.

ITWVA002 Includes 4 tracks carefully selected by the Italian Weapons label. Owned by Niccolo Turini and Gunther Mian. These tracks were mastered by Michele Mucci of Nachtkerzestudio Berlin. And designed by Matteo Mangano. The second various artist ranges through all the nuances of Italian house music including Balearic sounds produced by artists located throughout the country and beyond.

The second round of artists includes Derek & DJLo, Heat Alliance, Niccolo Turini aka; Funksonik, TMM aka; The Mechanical Man, and Sandro Sainati aka; Tai gong.

The formidable Rex The Dog returns with his first single for Kompakt in three years, “Change This Pain For Ecstasy”, a slow-burning disco-glitter stomp that’s charged with analog energy. Pushing his self-built modular hardware set-up to its limits, “Change This Pain For Ecstasy” is taut and thrilling, stripped-back and pulsating, with sweeping chords shimmering through a classic Moroder arpeggio, as a delirious voice sings out a psychedelic raver’s plaint for liberation, pleading for you to "take away my sorrow and this pain”. Deeply emotional, it’s also a masterwork in tension and release, dizzy with snare-rush peaks, and dark, humid valleys where Rex is bound to the patchbay.

On the flipside, Rex gives us “Moto”, which tickles your ear with cymatic phenomena, its gentle vibrations building, beautifully, into a monster-piece of stealth techno. Rex’s DIY synths work overtime as he chases patterns and phases through circuitry, wielding the tones until they erupt into a spray of pointillist pizzicato. The sounds here crackle and corrode, the textures so tantalizing, so sensual, you can almost grab hold of them with your hands. It’s great to have Rex The Dog back, making livewire, yet deeply human techno, alive and bursting with electricity.

Der formidable Rex The Dog kehrt mit seiner ersten Single für Kompakt seit drei Jahren zurück, “Change This Pain For Ecstasy”, ein mit analoger Energie aufgeladener, stürmischer Disco-Glitter-Stomper. Man kann förmlich spüren, wie Rex’ selbstgebautes modulares Hardware-Setup an seine Grenzen gerät. “Change This Pain For Ecstasy” ist eine Hymne an das Nachtleben, an die kathartische Qualität einer durchtanzten Nacht. Über schwungvolle Akkorde und ein hochenergetisches Moroder-Arpeggio bittet eine delirierende Stimme um Befreiung von allem Leid und Schmerz. Das ist zutiefst rührend und emotional – da es sich hier aber um ein Meisterwerk der Spannung und Entspannung handelt – schwingt sich der Track plötzlich auf in schwindelerregende Höhen der Euphorie.

Auf der anderen Seite gibt Rex uns “Moto”, das das Ohr mit zymatischen Phänomenen kitzelt, deren sanften Vibrationen sich zu einem Monster von Stealth-Technotrack aufbauen. Rex’ DIY-Synthesizer machen Überstunden, während er Muster und Phasen durch die Schaltkreise jagt bis sie in einen Sprühregen aus pointillistischem Pizzicato ausbrechen. Die Sounds hier knistern und korrodieren, die Texturen so verlockend, so sinnlich, dass man sie fast mit den Händen greifen kann.

Es ist großartig, Rex The Dog zurück zu haben, der hochverdrahteten und doch zutiefst menschlichen Techno macht, voller Leben und Elektrizität.

Introducing Cutcross, created to champion the melting pot of basscentric sounds teetering around 140 bpm. Heading up the concept are Sicaria & Mia Koden, two DJs who have set out to explore and expand on the possibilities of these sounds whilst spotlighting underground artists.Cutcross is therefore their next step in supporting the forwardthinking music that they've drawn for when curating sets.

CXT007 brings forth the final release on the label: linking up two UKbased favourites in the 140-sphere. With a heavy-weight solo track each - longtime Sicaria Sound set staple 'Gruffa' by Nova alongside Taiko's punchy 'Pastorius' - the flip of the record then introduces two dynamic collaborative efforts which perfectly interlace melody and bass.

Parasol Dance' embodies the musical headway and fruition Fabio experienced exploring different soundscapes and rhythms in his London based studio this last year. The crisp analogue cuts in the album are peppered with Monesi's organic evolution from the New Jersey sound drawing inspiration from Jazz, Funk and even Disco, all the while never faltering on the end product of raw undulating grooves.

In a sentence, in 'Parasol Dance' Fabio has dished up a vibrant collection of raw and robust cuts that keep you locked from start to finish and will be no doubt be finding a welcome home in record bags across the globe.

Vinyl Only

We are happy to announce another quality release from Polish label Kooky Records. This time you get a really diverse 4-tracker, with tunes from 2 legendary producers Jurek Przezdziecki (Poland) and Iuly B (Romania), as well as 2 tracks from label's founders, Schrill and Gogan. Side A is definitely more house-oriented, whereas side B sounds more like a deep insight into minimal trends, but always with a forward-thinking approach, where old meets new and experience of producers goes well with what is currently fresh in minimal/house vibes. To cut it short, a record not to be overlooked!

For the exhibition “Flowers in 20th and 21st Century Art“, Eiko Ishibashi and Jim O‘Rourke had created the installation ”Lifetime of a Flower“ in which they set parameters but allowed the process itself to grow uncontrollably. Literally: in the garden of their Japanese house, they planted seeds and filmed the plant growing and thriving throughout the duration of the exhibition. Visitors were able to watch the stream in real time - and they heard a composition in which Ishibashi and O‘Rourke reflected the organic process in sound. The eponymous composition now available on LP, is an enigmatic and sophisticated layering of sounds, melodies and rhythms, noises from everyday life, all of which are repositories of associations, memories and expectations.

White Vinyl

Greyscale #10 is here for the masses! To make things even more exciting, the long awaited is a double vinyl edition! Submersion has been on many top deep and dub techno labels in the past 15 years such as Silent Season, Space of Variants, Milieu Music, Deep Electronics, diametric, Rohs! and more. A landing at Greyscale makes complete sense for the quality Submersion is known for. 'Entrainment' is for those deep dub techno fans that like extended atmospheric tracks surrounded by a heavy ambience. 3 of the 4 sides have 1 track to its entire side making the fidelity of these top notch! 'Transversal, Planetary, Capsule' fills up side A with an amazing and gentle intro that has ominous clouds on the horizon. The beat is distance, while the nuances of the airspace is fully dedicated to submerging you deep within. A truly magical and enveloping sound. The next track to uncover is 'Filter, Gradation, Centrifuge'. Imagine that the earth is a ever-evolving dub techno track and you were viewing or listening to it from the distance of the moon. This would be it! There is a tremendous distance that is created in this track where chords flow and move like clouds over large areas of distance. Sometimes, the best description is a visual one if it helps. Breathtaking! 'Stimulant, Perspective, Sensory' starts the next piece of vinyl with another epic one. It morphs like a planet is being formed before your eyes. Basslines move like mountains while chords strike like distance thunder. The last side has 2 tracks sharing the side. 'Reflectance, Reverberant, Cortisol' and 'Predawn'. The first is a grandious ambient number that sounds heavenly while the last featured song is equally stunning as almost a reprise of a previous. Entrainment will be available on white 180-gram double vinyl as well as CD digipak and digital. These are all supersonic soundscapes to immerse yourself in! Masterpieces!

UK artist Jayson Wynters debuts on Pulp with four tracks of atmospheric house and funk that come complete with remixes by Jarren and Mogwaa.

Kung fu master Wynters hails from Birmingham and has been a key player on his local scene for years. More recently he has broken out with impressive EPs on mighty Dutch label Delsin and Adam Shelton's EON. He has a real love of hazy house and always brings his own unique take on that to his timeless analogue grooves. This latest EP was written during lockdown, which provided Jayson a chance to explore different sounds and delve into different styles.

Opener 'Solitude' proves that with its misty-eyed melodies and dreamy pads. The drums tumble loosely, the percussion has a frayed edge and the whole thing is coated in warmth and soul. Half Moon's Jarren is based in LA and brings plenty of that city's musical charm to his remix. It has far-sighted chords, soft-focus harmonics and well swung claps and drums that are simply irresistible.

Wynters then offers 'Corns Funk,' which pairs another dusty drum line with pinging kicks and woodpecker-like percussive hits. A superb twanging bass riff brings some real funk and retro-future feels as the groove builds and bright synths shine through the haze to enrich your soul.

'Night Drive' is a lush downbeat tune for sunset cruises. It has heart-melting chords that prompt deep inward reflection and features an aching guitar riff full of melancholy. The remixer for the one is Seoul musician and master beatmaker Mogwaa who layers in squelchy synth bass and dreamy, loved-up pads. Last of all, 'Uncle's Jam' is Dam Funk-style electro bliss doused in lo-fi chords and languid late-night funk and packed with romance.

Jayson Wynters shows off another superb side to his sound with his expansive Solitude EP.

FÜR FANS VON: DEEP PURPLE, STATUS QUO, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, MOLLY HATCHET

Nach neun Jahren Pause sind KICKHUNTER zurück, um wieder besten Kick-Ass Rock’n Roll abzuliefern. Im Jahr 2000 von Gitarrist Stefan Aurel und Schlagzeuger Karsten Kreppert gegründet, hat die in Hamburg ansässige Formation bisher vier Alben veröffentlicht. Mit ihrem Debütalbum "Hearts & Bones" tourten sie 2003 gleich mit DEEP PURPLE und LYNYRD SKYNYRD durch Europa und gewannen viele neue Anhänger. Der international hochgelobte Nachfolger „Little Monsters“ erschien 2007. KICKHUNTER veröffentlichten im Sommer 2010 ihr drittes Meisterwerk „All In“. 2013, kurz bevor sie ihr viertes Album „Southern Kicks“ veröffentlichten, begleiteten sie die US-Southern-Rock-Legende MOLLY HATCHET auf ihrer Deutschlandtour.

Jetzt melden sich KICKHUNTER mit ihrem 5. Album „Now Or Never“ zurück. Produziert von der Band und gemischt und gemastert
von Eike Freese (DEEP PURPLE, EISBRECHER, GAMMA RAY u.a.) und Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, MAGNUM, KYHMERA u.a.). Das Album enthält auch einen Gastauftritt von keinem geringeren als Gründungsmitglied und HELLOWEEN-Bassisten Markus Großkopf! Markus, der durch sein Engagement bei HELLOWEEN zeitlich sehr eingeschränkt ist, kann KICKHUNTER im Moment live leider nicht unterstützen. Für ihn konnten die fünf verbliebenen Originalmitglieder Tim Schwarz (XANDRIA, HARDBONE) als neuen Bassisten gewinnen. Außerdem gibt es mit Gitarrist Gerd Lehmkuhl einen Neuzugang an der Gitarre, der die Triple-Axe-Attack komplettiert!!! Wer nach echter handgemachter Rockmusik mit dreckigen Riffs, kraftvollen Hammond-Sounds und groovigen Drums sucht, der wird KICKHUNTER lieben!!!

Tenderly propelling and full of haunting melodies: Studio Mule re-issues Sakura Tsuruta’s so far digital only, self-released debut album “c / o” from november 2022.

An evocative first long player by Tokyo based artist, who was trained in classical piano during childhood, played with brass instruments, studied music production, and is today active as a composer, live performer, and versatile dj.

With “c / o” she expressed her personal history in a fluid, around 43-minute long light flooded, yet dark-ish musical vision. eight profoundly composed tracks, melding complex rhythms with emotional airs, tripping arpeggios, and ghostly sounds, slightly influenced by some of her fa-vorite artist like björk, holly herndon, or kaitlyn aurelia smith.

“c / o is a love letter for the experiences, people, and memories i had in the last two years that i spent producing this album. i also like that the letter “c” looks like an incomplete circle, whereas the letter “o” is a full circle.

Beatservice are delighted to present the debut album from the irrepressible Norwegian outfit, b0ka, with 13 genre-surfing tracks lovingly presented on the gloriously pop-centric 'Forever, My Friend'.

Friends since as far back as kindergarten, the b0ka players released a selection of highly regarded singles between 2013 and 2016, with their music arriving via prestige imprints including Eskimo, Paper Recordings, Diamond Club, and their own b0ka Recordings. They've since pursued a diverse range of projects, including Lakehouse, OJKOS, Bjørnar Sira and Den Kosmiske Overorden, with their expansive sounds routinely winning admirers throughout the global music community. The pandemic-induced lockdowns allowed the band an opportunity to re-visit long lost b0ka projects: reviewing dusty hard discs before funnelling the best morsels into the Sagrada Jukebox mixtape earlier this year. It was during this journey of sonic rediscovery that the masterfully diverse 'Forever, My Friend' was ushered into existence.

Drawing on all-manner of far-flung influences and brilliantly assembling the components with a pop-ready sophistication, this is spectacular work from b0ka, marking their return to release action in breathtaking style.

In the KID BE KID superhero universe, the fact that she is not only a singer but also a virtuoso pianist goes without saying. So much talent in one person would hardly be bearable if KID BE KID wasn't, above all, such a lovable funky freak!
"Naked Times! No More Lies! Here I am strippin' straight in front of your eyes," she chants in a futuristic dress with a gigantic shoulder width, and in the video clip she skillfully oscillates between the authenticity of her live performance and the complete unreality of the production.
Musically, it sounds like a finely curated neo-soul record collection pushed through a 2030s cyber-sound AI. Except that with KID BE KID, the beats don't come from the hard drive, but from her body: Human Beat Boxing. So hip-hop community members are welcome to nod their heads here.

In the 10 songs contained on "Truly A Live Goal But No Ice Cream" KID BE KID reflects on our existence between Internet publicity and Home Sweet Home, in which the mere start of the day can become a regular challenge! KID BE KID arms herself against the personified time and gives it an ultimatum: "Don't you dare not be better than last year!". As a result, everything in her life as well as musically finally takes a turn for the better...

KID BE KID has been touring Europe almost non-stop since last summer, has been recording vocals for Netflix ("Rumsspringa") and, in her remaining free time, has been hanging out in the young Berlin jazz and abstract beats scene.
All these influences can now be heard on her fantastic new album, where KID BE KID seems extremely determined to make the world a little bit better with her art:
"We are here for a reason, Move! Be the better Move!", she challenges herself and us in her song "Move" and of course: KID BE KID is a movement we are only too happy to join in 2023.

She has been a celebrated sensation for years for her live performances anyway, so it's no wonder that she is only too happy to make fun of all the boring online productions, including bloated self-marketing in her lyrics: "You'll have to post 5 times a week, at least 5 videos and one pic, if not your audience won't grow".
But since we have all become little self-marketing monsters with the desire for constant virtual pats on the back, KID BE KID directs this criticism primarily at herself: "Of course: For love everybody seeks, But it makes me sick, to do so, too" it also says in the song ("News Feed").

Well, when this album comes out in June, the ice cream parlors should finally be open again in real life. Walking there, with KID BE KID on the AirPods, we make a few jumps of joy! Because, honestly? This is really so incredibly good.

"If you’ve ever wondered what Catharsis covering The 13th Floor Elevators might sound like, wonder no longer—and that’s only the start!" - Decibel Magazine GELD make their Relapse Records debut with their third full length, Currency // Castration! The Australian band distills a despairingly hellish vision of the world into a thundering crack to the temple through an unsparing fusion of hardcore’s bleakest violence with metal’s ruthless strength-through-conviction. GELD's abrasive take on the genre is distorted through a lense of fuzzed out psych soundscapes; vocals truly sound like unhinged barks, while guitars, bass, and drums crash against one another frenetically, each track burning brighter and brighter. Every moment of Currency // Castration is urgent. Tracks such as “Chained to a Gate” edge and scratch at a relief that is ultimately denied, toying with the nightmarish promise of a breakdown that never comes. Elsewhere, "Cut You Down" pulses with frantically itching riffs that stream forth. "Fog of War" snaps and snarls; while "Secret Prison" evinces the honed physique of Japanese hardcore fed through the broken brain of someone on a years-long Rrröööaaarrr-era Voivod spin-out. Despite the band's innovative approach to the genre, GELD makes no pretensions at being “interesting” for interesting’s sake - As vocalist Al Smith puts it, “One of the most boring things people can do is try to dress up what someone else has already contributed to a genre and make it ‘clever’… We’re more interested in finding our own position.” With Currency // Castration, GELD offers no promise of a higher purpose or resolve. Rather, they lean into dissociation, finding truth and meaning in the transcendental joy of simply escaping, surviving, existing.

Blackened thrash veterans LEGION OF THE DAMNED slay on new studio album The Poison Chalice The LEGION slays again! Dutch thrash veterans LEGION OF THE DAMNED have once again entered into an alliance with the devouring depths of black and death metal and unleash another angry beast, The Poison Chalice, on May 26, 2023 via Napalm Records. The shredding monster delivers the most delicious pitch-black brew and tortures dark souls into demonic underworlds. Founded in 1990 as Occult, the thrash machine around founding members Maurice Swinkels and Erik Fleuren was reborn as LEGION OF THE DAMNED in 2005. On The Poison Chalice, the band unites with Fabian Verweij as second guitarist besides Twan van Geel and hails together with bassist Harold Gielen performing as a five piece for the first time ever on a studio album. Conquering the European charts for decades, the LEGION crowned itself at #17 in the Official German Album Charts with predecessor Slaves Of The Shadow Realms (2019). For almost 35 years, they have formed their aggressive signature sound from the most horrific ingredients of thrash and death metal, combined with brutal blackened influences, resulting in one of the most defined and unique sounds in the scene. The Poison Chalice comes to life by spreading its eerily beautiful wings within the first few seconds, then dives headfirst into a hellishly furious storm before the second song ""Contamination"" absolutely kills. In classic LEGION OF THE DAMNED manner, there is no escape as the track relentlessly drives into the abyss. The album spreads brutal and ice cold thrash soundscapes through relentless attacking drums and incredible guitar harmonies from both lead guitarists, underlined by angry bass lines. Infectious thrash treasures such as “Progressive Destructor”, and the almost seven-minute berserk “Behold The Beyond” break necks with hammering guitar riffs and bloody double bass infernos. “Beheading of The Godhead” delivers what the song title promises, before the past 48 minutes of hate closes with a final deep gulp from “The Poison Chalice” - leaving no one behind. Together with producer Erwin Hermsen, the band has closed the gates of the underworld in Toneshed Studio and demonstrates that they remain the unchallenged masters of brute and unrelenting death-thrash metal in 2023

Official reissue of the German psychobilly legend Mad Sin’s 2010 album Burn And Rise. Since their indestructible bandleader Köfte DeVille had gone through some major personal changes, which encouraged him to lose almost 40 kilo grams, the album title is more than adequate. 18 tracks titled like “Last Gang Standing”, “Geisterfahrer (Ghost rider)”, "Wreckhouse Stomp", "The March of the Deviants", "9 Lives" or "Shitlist Bop” promise tension and also a bunch of surprises. The typical Mad Sin mix of psychobilly, rockabilly, 50’s Rock’n’Roll, Country, Punk and Surf sounds fresher than ever before. Featured artists include Sucker (Oxymoron, Bad Co.), Jack Letten (Smoke Blow), Hank (The Boss Hoss) and Marlen (Bonzai Kitten). An outstanding record which gave the band once more the chance to show that they think outside the box and can do a lot more than “just” rockabilly.

Official reissue of the German psychobilly legend Mad Sin’s 2010 album Burn And Rise. Since their indestructible bandleader Köfte DeVille had gone through some major personal changes, which encouraged him to lose almost 40 kilo grams, the album title is more than adequate. 18 tracks titled like “Last Gang Standing”, “Geisterfahrer (Ghost rider)”, "Wreckhouse Stomp", "The March of the Deviants", "9 Lives" or "Shitlist Bop” promise tension and also a bunch of surprises. The typical Mad Sin mix of psychobilly, rockabilly, 50’s Rock’n’Roll, Country, Punk and Surf sounds fresher than ever before. Featured artists include Sucker (Oxymoron, Bad Co.), Jack Letten (Smoke Blow), Hank (The Boss Hoss) and Marlen (Bonzai Kitten). An outstanding record which gave the band once more the chance to show that they think outside the box and can do a lot more than “just” rockabilly.

Band: VORNA Album: Sateet palata saavat Release Date: September 27th Clichés almost always have a true core. That artists from the (European) Far North tend to melancholy is one thing that has already been confirmed many times. VORNA is no different. The band from Tampere has been in existence since 2008, and still is today in its original line-up. The six-piece group is well-rehearsed and has continuously developed its sound over the years. With pride and self-confidence the musicians grasp their playing as "Finnish melancholic metal". This means songs with a dark mood and an emotional state-of-mind, which cause reactions from the developing atmosphere. The melancholy comes to bear on different levels, but without ever slipping into pessimistic gloom. VORNA's access to the heavy spectrum is broad and open-minded. The six musicians are guided by their emotions and transform them into dark tuned music. Starting from a base between Folk and Black Metal, the Finns have enriched their playing since 2008. The symphonic extension of the third album underlines the atmospheric and melodic composition of the songs. "Sateet palata saavat" means something like "Return to Rains". In other words: something is brewing before the sky opens its floodgates and the power of nature discharges. This picture fits very well to what VORNA musically have to offer. "Sateet palata saavat" develops to be tense and intense. VORNA's vocals, left in Finnish, don't compromise the access to VORNA's "Finnish melancholic metal". The underlying emotions can be empathized and create an interaction with the listener right from the beginning. The organic songwriting of VORNA underlines the down-to-earth approach, the Finns are following. Partially, however, "Sateet palata saavat" sounds uncanny and creepy.

The Complex Inbetween is a mesmerising journey inspired by the spirit of krautrock early electronic music and experimental rock. JeGong return with their second full- length album which sees them continue their musical journey inspired by the spirit of krautrock, early electronic music and experimental rock. With The Complex Inbetween Dahm Majuri Cipolla (MONO, Watter) and Reto Ma"der (Sum Of R, Ural Umbo) put a dazzling spin on the timeless music of genre innovators like Can, Faust and Neu!, incorporating noisier and more abrasive elements to create a mental odyssey into the uncanny. Born from the collision of the most unreal moments of Ma"der's free-flowing musical associations with Cipolla's stick-wielding hands, these eight compositions form the duo's own mythical realm after the rhythm has been set. As the cradle of electronic music, krautrock is often viewed by outsiders in terms of the mechanical rather than the human, yet Ma"der and Cipolla manage to uncover a human side that has always been present in the music of their forebears. That driving beat which powers album opener «Come To The Center» was never meant to be called `Motorik', as explains its inventor Klaus Dinger of Neu! in one interview. "It is very much a human beat. I like to call it the endless straight. It's a feeling like a picture." With Cipolla behind the kit the machine becomes human, testifying to the power that rhythm can hold over us as a deeply communal obsession. Like their debut, The Complex Inbetween shows the profound knowledge these two musicians have of their source of inspiration as well as their tremendous skill in applying its principles. With the piece «Night Screaming Moves» JeGong expands their sound with atmospheric drone rock elements. A feedback laden guitar motif surrounds the oscillations of mellotron sounds, behind it pounds a slow motion drum beat that is reminiscent of dragging, shuffling footsteps in the dark of night. Evoking feelings of trench coat wearing film-noir or the cloying darkness of cult 70s horror flicks, «Night Screaming Moves» shows that not only are the duo of Ma"der and Cipolla experienced musicians, but cinephiles and soundtrack lovers with a strong sense for moods and emotions. RIYL Neu!, Cluster, Tangerine Dream, Swans, Mogwai, Sonic Youth, John Zorn Ltd Coloured Vinyl!

**Debut album from former 'Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster' front man Guy McKnight's new band.** **ORANGE MARBLE COLOURED VINYL - VERY LIMITED!!** The DSM IV’s debut album, “NEW AGE PARANOIA,” is an impressive collection of stories, beats, guitars, and noise. The album seamlessly weaves together sobering but dream-filled songs that explore the ways in which our collective minds are influenced by mass media, entertainment industries, and social media. Formed by Guy McKnight of critically acclaimed and cult favourite The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. The DSM IV has a dark sound that blends noise-rock, synth-pop and industrial, that delivers a unique musical experience. Their music is cacophonous and epic, featuring rich textures and melodic hooks that keep listeners captivated. The band’s powerful soundscapes, combined with their thought-provoking lyrics, create a mesmerizing atmosphere that both entertains and encourages introspection. The album prompts important questions about our society, such as what’s driving the normalization of a narcissistic culture that prioritizes personal desires over altruism. It delves into the ways in which technology, social media, and mass media shape our collective psyche and affect our relationships with ourselves and each other. The DSM IV’s music offers a timely and compelling commentary on these issues. The DSM IV is a band that creates music with a powerful message that resonates with people who feel that a kinder world is possible. Their songs are both nasty and nice, reflective and entertaining. With “NEW AGE PARANOIA,” The DSM IV has crafted an album that will captivate and inspire listeners, while also prompting deeper reflection on our society’s values and priorities.

Fredfades is finally ready with his second album as a solo artist. The producer and DJ and has remained active as a musician ever since his debut single in 2008. Since he released his debut solo album 'Warmth' six years ago he's ben diving into a bunch of different genres and cross-ing musical landscapes such as ambient, hip-hop and house, which has led to releases and productions across labels like his own Mutual Inten-tions imprint, as well as bigger labels like Stones Throw, Fresh Selects and Jakarta Records. This sonic voyage has resulted in ‘Caviar’ - an album that tells the story of a producer who's ready to let go of his youthful love and indulge himself to electronic music.

Fredfades name is more often seen on foreign club posters than back home in Norway. This has colored the musical expression of the Oslo-born multi-artist, and on ‘Caviar’ he is gathering inspiration from every corner of the world where he has traveled. You can clearly hear the inspi-rations from the sounds of Rome, Manchester, South-Africa, Detroit, New York, Berlin, Paris and the Balearic ocean, which are all well repre-sented throughout the album's eight tracks. If you close your eyes and put your ears close to the speakers you will hear loons, running water, African percussion instruments, roaring saxophones, bit-crushed samples, moaning women, TB 303’s, bottom-heavy basslines and recordings of whales communicating at the bottom of the ocean. Everything seamlessly put together for Fredfades’ own sonic world view. The album features a bunch of talented friends of Fred, such as Telephones or the vocalists MoRuf and Kristian Hamilton.

Despite being known as more of a progressive and edgy DJ that haunts down a lot of indie and private press electronic music, Fredfades has cultivated a more elegant and controversial output in his own music. His progressions often consist of dwelling jazz chords from electric pianos or mellow sub-filtered synth patches that creates space where he can unleash rowdy basslines, rhythm sections and leads just as confident and captivating as the man himself. On the jazzy ‘Tenerife 1994’ you can hear a tribute to one of Fred’s greatest heroes in music: Pharoah Sanders, while on ‘My Heart Is On The Edge’ and ‘Summer of Love’ the energy and euphoria is boiling over and directs your mind towards the summer raves which Fredfades is known to throw down in Oslo.

On the LP covers backside Fredfades is posing with a Korg Wavestation in front of the block where he grew up in the suburbs outside Oslo, while the front cover is showing an airbrushed illustration of Caviar from sturgeon - ‘From block to Beluga’. The black vinyl contains magic grooves created by an electronic musical convertite, with the power to transport the listener from a perpetual winter to the 90s warm dance floors and the 'Second Summer of Love’.

On Underwater, Elephant Gym's latest release and second full-length,
there was no single composer overseeing the record - To the end of
unlocking new sounds for themselves, each member took turns leading
production and compositional roles during the creation of the album
The result is an expansive cohesion of diverse songs which flow in and out of one
another like water. Vocal cameos by international collaborators provide another
compelling dimension to the record, emboldening a group usually known for their
instrumental compositions.
The band explains that "Underwater is an idea about a kind of private, mysterious
space." It's a place where one may go to ponder or concentrate, to clear one's
head, or to just blow off some steam in solitude. So, too, is Underwater
fundamentally about immersion: immersion in the chaos of feeling, living in the
throes of being human-sized in the infinite expanse of existence.













m Midway [Rgry Remix]

Myriad Path takes us down JUNO's many roads of style, texture, and mercurial sonic (r)evolution, where catchy chaos meets elaborate compositions in the band's trademark uncompromising style. The record is a biting and fiercer sequel to the debut album “Young Star” (Jazzland Recordings, 2020), with the band becoming more conceptual and showing a darker side of JUNO than we have heard before.

The album ranges from dissonant sounds in the face of fierce drum grooves and explosive rap to big, dreamy pop choruses, floating improvisation, and beautiful harmonies. Surrealism, caricatured over-the-top scenarios, vulnerability and inner turmoil create a zig-zag pattern of textual and musical revelation, which integrates the listener into JUNO's multifaceted reality.

On Myriad Path, the band members' individual voices are displayed more clearly than ever before, and the music takes inspiration from, among others, the experimental and progressive Rock in Opposition scene, pop stars Charli XCX and Caroline Polacheck, hip-hop legends such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Kendrick Lamar, as well as the groundbreaking poet and musician Moor Mother.

When JUNO debuted with the single "Mike" in 2020, they were already one of the country's most sought-after live bands, and since their inception they have played over a hundred concerts at festivals and venues across Europe. The band made waves at both By:Larm and Trondheim Calling, and was also selected to represent Norway in the showcase festival Nordic Jazz Comets in 2022. The unusual line-up with two vocalists, tenor saxophone, double bass and drums gives the music an unmistakable and immediately identifiable sound.

The debut album "Young Star" (Jazzland Recordings, 2020) received uniformly excellent reviews from the Norwegian and foreign press. In the same year, they also received the Subjekt award for "Artist of the Year".

Nachdem die dänische Melodic-Death/Thrash-Metal-Band AVARICE in den örtlichen Clubs Feuer und Flamme war, ist sie nun endlich bereit, ihr mit Spannung erwartetes selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum im Jahr 2023 zu veröffentlichen. Das Album enthält zehn knallharte Tracks, die sich um die mythologischen Geschichten der Antike über Bestrafung und extreme Gier drehen - daher der Band- und Albumname "Avarice". Für die Aufnahme und Produktion des Albums hat sich die Band mit dem erfolgreichen dänischen Produzenten Chris Kreutzfeldt (CABAL, Ghost Iris und Møl - um nur einige zu nennen) zusammengetan. Das Album unterstreicht in perfekter Weise den Status von Avarice als Vorreiter des Old-School-Death/Thrash-Sounds der 2000er Jahre - allerdings mit einer neuen und kraftvollen Interpretation des Genres.

Das Album fängt die brutale, intensive und rohe Live-Energie von Avarice ein und lässt sich von Pionieren wie Slayer, Sepultura, HateSphere und Power Trip inspirieren.
Avarice wurde 2007 von ein paar Teenagern gegründet, im selben Jahr, in dem das Kollektiv auch den Aarhus Metal Contest gewann und Shows und Festivals mit Bands wie Kreator, Soilwork, Volbeat, Mnemic, Dawn of Demise und Mercenary spielte. Nach einer mehrjährigen Pause wurde Avarice 2021 wieder ins Leben gerufen, und in diesem Jahr wurde die EP "Reborn in Blood" veröffentlicht. Die EP wurde sowohl von den Fans als auch von den Kritikern erstaunlich gut aufgenommen, was sie auf ihren Weg zu UPRISING! Records führte.

`Oh Me Oh My' is both elegant and ferocious. It is stirring in one moment and a balm the next. It details histories both global and personal. Lonnie Holley's harrowing youth and young manhood in the Jim Crow South are well-told at this point _ his sale into a different home as a child for just a bottle of whiskey; his abuse at the infamous Mount Meigs correctional facility for boys; the destruction of his art environment by the Birmingham airport expansion. But Holley's music is less a performance of pain endured and more a display of perseverance, of relentless hope. Intricately and lovingly produced by LA's Jacknife Lee (The Cure, REM, Modest Mouse), there is both kinetic, shortwave funk that call to mind Brian Eno's `My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' and the deep space satellite sounds of Eno's ambient works. But it's a tremendous achievement in sonics all its own. It's also an achievement in the refinement of Holley's impressionistic, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. On the title track which deals with mutual human understanding", Holley is able to make a profound point as ever in far fewer phrases: "The deeper we go, the more chances there are, for us to understand the oh-me's and understand the oh-my's." Illustrious collaborators like Michael Stipe, Sharon Van Etten, Moor Mother and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver serve as not only as choirs of angels and co-pilots to give Lonnie's message flight but as proof of Lonnie Holley as a galvanizing, iconoclastic force across the music community.

Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen of Tanlines are indie-rock lifers turned reasonable, happy middle-aged fathers of two, figuring out their place in a chaotic culture and industry that can no longer command their full attention. They are emblematic of a particular time and place that doesn't really exist anymore, yet here they are existing, and thriving, in 2023. The Big Mess came together when Emm and his family moved from Brooklyn to rural Connecticut, while Cohen launched a marketing career and a successful podcast and stayed in the city. Emm continued writing songs_hundreds of them _ through all the weirdness of the past few years, but he wasn't exactly sure who he was writing them for. "I spent years figuring out in my mind, `What is my musical life going to look like?'" he says. "I just kept writing." Cohen gave Emm his blessing to continue Tanlines, even if his own contributions would be limited due to his own non-musical obligations. "I'm like, `Whatever you can do to keep this thing going, do it,'" Cohen says. And with that, Tanlines was reborn. By January 2022 Emm felt he had a body of work that made sense as a Tanlines album. Cohen spent ten days with Emm at his Connecticut studio, along with unofficial third Tanline Patrick Ford (!!!). This was tied together with a sleek final mix from Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) at his famed Tarquin Studios, resulting in a clear vision of what Emm's musical life was going to look like: The Big Mess. The first sounds on The Big Mess are the title track's coiled guitars and thumping drums, building into the kind of outsize, choral rock anthem artists like Tanlines were almost a reaction to. It is warm and nostalgic, and Cohen likens a lot of the prevailing mood to "a sepia filter on a digital photo." He continues, "we were pretty intentional about making this the first song on the album, underlining the way that this is a new phase of the band." Cohen says. The moody, scintillating "Burns Effect" serves as one of the biggest pushes forward for the Tanlines sound, and for Emm as a lyricist. He says that the song is "deep and dark and dangerous, but in a fun way. It's one of the more personal tracks on the album where this ungrounded part of my personality surfaces, but with an over-the-top machismo, almost an ironic character." Other tracks like "New Reality" and closer "The Age of Innocence" are also demonstrably guitar-forward in ways that wouldn't seem obvious for Tanlines (despite Emm's pedigree in austere avant-garde math-rock outfits Storm & Stress and Don Caballero), but Emm is less sure The Big Mess is a total departure. "I'm trying to make these absolutely simple things," he says. "I think of these songs as Rothko paintings: They're big and they're bold and they're seemingly straightforward, but they have a lot of depth and they engage with you and make you feel something."

Nachdem seine intime Underplay-Show-Tour „SHHH“ im März binnen Sekunden ausverkauft war, kündigt Archy Marshall sein mittlerweile viertes Studioalbum „Space Heavy“ als King Krule an. Erscheinen wird es am 9. Juni bei XL Recordings. Zehn Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung seines umjubelten Debütalbums „6 Feet Beneath the Moon“ zeigen die 15 neuen Songs den britischen Songwriter auf der Höhe seines Schaffens.



Entstanden ist das Album zwischen 2020 und 2022, als Archy Marshall sowohl London als auch Liverpool seine Heimat nannte und viel Zeit auf den Reisen von einem zum anderen Ort verbrachte. Während diesen Trips entstand seine Faszination für „the space between“, wie er es nennt: die Orte, die von Träumen voller Liebe verfolgt werden, während sich Archy in seinen Texten mit persönlichen Verlusten befasst. Nachdem die Texte fertig waren, entstand die Musik gemeinsam mit dem Produzenten Dilip Harris sowie seiner langjährigen Band, bestehend aus Ignacio Salvadores (Saxophone), George Bass (Schlagzeug), James Wilson (Bass) und Jack Towell (Gitarre).



In den 15 Songs von „Space Heavy“ verbinden sich viele Elemente seiner bisherigen Karriere mit dem klanglichen Kosmos, der ihm das Attribut als eine der Stimmen seiner Generation einbrachte. Die dichten Lyrics seines Debüts, die Verschiebung seines Sounds bei „The OOZ“ (2017), die Ursprünglichkeit von „Man Alive!“ und die rohe Verletzlichkeit, die er auf „You Heat Me Up, You Cool Me Down“ zeigte, fließen in den Sound seines neuen Albums ein.



Mit der Albumankündigung erscheint die erste Single „Seaforth“ mitsamt Video, bei dem seine regelmäßige Kollaborateurin und Visual Artist Jocelyn Anquetil Regie geführt hat.

Erstauflage auf farbigem "Red & Blue" Vinyl. Jubiläums-Edition zum 30. Jahrestag des Debütalbums von Six Finger Satellite, The Pigeon Is the Most Popular Bird, mit einer brandneuen, vollständig remasterten CD und einer Doppel-LP-Neuauflage. Die 1990 in Providence, Rhode Island, von J. Ryan (Sänger/Keyboard), John MacLean (Gitarre), Peter Phillips (Gitarre), Chris Dixon (Bass) und Rick Pelletier (Schlagzeug) gebildeten Six Finger Satellite wurden für die Weapon EP schnell von Sub Pop unter Vertrag genommen. Nach Weapon machte sich die Band daran, ihr Debütalbum mit Bob Weston (von Shellac, die später eine Single The Bird Is the Most Popular Finger zu Ehren von Six Finger Satellite benannten) zu produzieren. Das 1993 veröffentlichte The Pigeon Is the Most Popular Bird war die erste Veröffentlichung, die den abenteuerlichen, bissigen Geist und Sound von Six Finger Satellite wirklich einfing. Das Album ist ein Meilenstein des lauten, beunruhigenden Post-Punk, mit Einflüssen von Gang of Four, The Birthday Party und Wire, aber auch mit einer gesunden Dosis der eigenen, einzigartigen Klangfeindlichkeit der Band. Zwischen den spröden Rocktracks finden sich auf The Pigeon Is the Most Popular Bird einige Keyboard- und Studioexperimente, die auf den späteren Alben der Band stärker hervortraten und LCD Soundsystem, DFA Records und einen Großteil des Post-Punk-Revivals der frühen 2000er Jahre vorwegnahmen. Pitchfork bezeichnete The Pigeon Is the Most Popular Bird zu Recht als "eine der besten Noise-Rock-Platten der 90er Jahre" und schrieb, dass "die Übergänge von albern zu bissig den unvorhersehbaren und ätzenden Ansatz von Six Finger Satellite hervorheben - dies war das erste von mehreren Beispielen dafür, wie sie Underground-Trends verschmähten, und ihre aufregendste bittere Pille, die es zu schlucken galt".

Repress!

Rawbone Reggae On Top dubs mixed by Barry Issac and Dougie Wardrop at Conscious Sounds.

Soundway presents a double-sider of raw, West Indian Funk from 1977. Led by King Wellington’s ‘Shango’, the stand-out cut harvested from his Sooner Or Later LP finally gets the 45 treatment
it deserves.

Inspired by the Shango ritual with its roots in Yoruba culture, traces of Calypso music are driven by hypnotic bass and Wellington’s signature vocal, making up a musical blend only found in the
Caribbean.

Hidden on the B-side, ‘Mystery Music’ fronted by Canadian musician Tony Springer, embarks on a dreamy, dynamic and even a touch psychedelic trip.

Steel pans coupled with floating horns, electronic keyboard effects, crisp drums and subtle guitar licks cook up a soundscape baked by the Trinidad sun. While original copies climb their way to impossible-to-find status, enthusiasts will be excited to hear this sought after piece of music is available on the 45 format again.

Joaquín Cornejo is back on Earthly Measures with 'Vision Versions' his 2nd vinyl release - a unique reimagining of Markandeya's dub album 'Vision Dubs'. Journeying through the depths, the Ecuadorian producer reinterprets Markandeya’s works with his signature flavour, space echoes, dub sirens, digi delays, organic grooves and all to provide the perfect follow up to the hugely popular 'Las Frutas' EP.

DJ Feedback:

Valentina Montalvo – “Beautiful and uplifting, gracias!!”

Severino Panzetta (Horse Meat Disco) – “LOVELY”

Jaye Ward – “wow!! this is super lovely.. so so deep and well balanced.. brilliant want to love heart the whole thing because its a proper long player version excursion”

Balearic Clouds – “Mountain High my favorite but all sounds beautiful!!”

Paul Cottam – “Holy Father Feat. Cedric Myton (Joaquín Cornejo Version) is a BELTER”

Mark Sampson - “Favourite has to be 'Holy Father' because I love Cedric Myton's voice.”

Pete Herbert - “Superb!”

Roberto Rodriguez – “Lovely dubs”

Max Essa – “Deeply Satisfying!”

Chris Coco – “These are beautiful”

Repress!

It can take a while for an artist to find their musical voice. For Alex Andrikopoulos, it’s been a journey that’s taken the best part of two decades. Now he’s set to mark a major milestone in his transition from record store owner, label co-founder and DJ to producer with the release of his long-promised first solo album for Leng, Waving. The Greek artist first joined the Leng Records roster in the autumn of 2020 and has since gone in to release the acclaimed ‘Punta Allen’ EP for the imprint. Before that, he spent the first decade of the century running the popular Radical Sounds record shop in Athens, before refocusing on running Quantized Music with fellow DJ/producer Tolis Q and developing his DJ career, where his unique blends of disco, house and techno tracks earned him bookings at some of Europe’s most storied clubs.

Waving, which appears on the back of a handful of fine EPs for a variety of labels, is his boldest and strongest statement yet as a musician and producer. Created with a little help from guest musicians and collaborators including keyboardist Artis Boriss, bassist Brotha Gilla, percussionists Ilario Arnel and Harold Perez, pianist Luciano Ledesma and guitarist Alex Searle, the album brilliantly blurs the boundary between 21st century disco, afternoon-ready downtempo grooves, and the kind of dancefloor-minded Balearic fare that’s devilishly difficult to pigeonhole.

Fittingly, the set begins with previous single ‘Punta Allen’, an eight-minute chunk of organic dancefloor goodness which slowly unfurls before rising towards and gorgeous and joyous conclusion, and ends with the squelchy, slo-mo cosmic funk of ‘Patrol Di Caribe’, where trippy synthesizer lines, layered percussion and more tuneful style pan style lead ins catch the ear.

In between, highlights are plentiful, from the driving, piano solo-laden dub disco brilliance of ‘Down My Soul’ and the languid, sun-kissed, beach-ready downtempo grooves of ‘The Jamail Pass’, to the rubbery, pitched-down electrofunk of ‘Window Spells’ (featuring a fine lead vocal from Max Giovara, the flash-friend, dubwise Balearic funk of ‘Waving’, and the throbbing brilliance of ‘La Di Da Di’, whose crunchy Clavinet lines, fluid electric piano solos, snappy drums and pulsating, arpeggio-style bass encapsulate all that is good about the album.

The digital edition of the album also comes bundled with eight more tracks not featured on the double-vinyl LP. Featuring the same blend of expansive musicality, organic drums and dancefloor nous, this octet effectively extends the album via a string of similarly playable, club-ready and sofa-friendly tracks. Standouts include the non-stop, nu-disco-meets-house excellence of ‘Large Stacks’, Hammond-laced head-nodder ‘Take The High Road’, horizontal Balearic funk shuffler ‘Prezend’ and hazy, vocal-sporting dub disco roller ‘Angels of Rhythm’, which previously appeared on the flipside of Lex’s ‘Punta Allen’ 12”.