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ALL THEIR LEGENDARY RECORDINGS, PLUS LOADS OF UNRELEASED STUFF!

“The Lipstick Killers were easily one of the greatest live bands I've witnessed in my 65 yrs. on this planet” – Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks/Off!!)

HINDU GODS ARE CALLING YOU!!! Grown Up Wrong! Records is thrilled beyond belief to present the LONG-AWAITED anthology of material by the legendary Lipstick Killers, who blazed a trail in late ‘70s post-Radio Birdman Sydney before gigging with the likes of the Gun Club and the Flesh Eaters in Los Angeles where they crashed and burned in 1981.

The Lipstick Killers released just one single in their life time – the perfect ’79 Deniz Tek-produced pairing of “Hindu Gods of Love” and ”Shakedown USA” on their own Lost in Space Records and Greg Shaw’s Voxx Records - but a posthumous live album and a couple of archival releases followed. It was all incredible. All that material is included here, as is a plethora of additional stuff, all from the best-available sources (mostly original tapes).

The Lipstick Killers’ enigmatic and high-energy sound – heavily inspired by the Stooges and the ‘60s psychedelic punk sounds of bands like the Thirteenth Floor Elevators and the Chocolate Watchband – bridged the gap between Radio Birdman and subsequent Sydney groups like the Sunnyboys (whose first-ever show was opening for the Lipstick Killers), Lime Spiders, Hoodoo Gurus, the Screaming Tribesmen and the Psychotic Turnbuckles. And of course they anticipated generation after generation of other bands with similar things in mind, right up to today’s ‘60s-inspired freaks like The Straight Arrows, The Living Eyes and Thee Oh Sees.

ALL THEIR LEGENDARY RECORDINGS, PLUS LOADS OF UNRELEASED STUFF!

“The Lipstick Killers were easily one of the greatest live bands I've witnessed in my 65 yrs. on this planet” – Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks/Off!!)

HINDU GODS ARE CALLING YOU!!! Grown Up Wrong! Records is thrilled beyond belief to present the LONG-AWAITED anthology of material by the legendary Lipstick Killers, who blazed a trail in late ‘70s post-Radio Birdman Sydney before gigging with the likes of the Gun Club and the Flesh Eaters in Los Angeles where they crashed and burned in 1981.

The Lipstick Killers released just one single in their life time – the perfect ’79 Deniz Tek-produced pairing of “Hindu Gods of Love” and ”Shakedown USA” on their own Lost in Space Records and Greg Shaw’s Voxx Records - but a posthumous live album and a couple of archival releases followed. It was all incredible. All that material is included here, as is a plethora of additional stuff, all from the best-available sources (mostly original tapes).

The Lipstick Killers’ enigmatic and high-energy sound – heavily inspired by the Stooges and the ‘60s psychedelic punk sounds of bands like the Thirteenth Floor Elevators and the Chocolate Watchband – bridged the gap between Radio Birdman and subsequent Sydney groups like the Sunnyboys (whose first-ever show was opening for the Lipstick Killers), Lime Spiders, Hoodoo Gurus, the Screaming Tribesmen and the Psychotic Turnbuckles. And of course they anticipated generation after generation of other bands with similar things in mind, right up to today’s ‘60s-inspired freaks like The Straight Arrows, The Living Eyes and Thee Oh Sees.

DC Salas’s second EP indeed is a tale of beautiful feelings: After his last year’s debut EP on Live At Robert Johnson called The Complicated Art of Dreaming, this fresh four tracker is a proof to his creative continuity.

A1 Did They Listen rhythmic structure banks on a pounding and effective combination of bassdrum, conga and cowbell, joined by a mildly distorted bass line figure, which embeds itself in a panoramic soundscape. A2 Beautiful Feelings introduces a remarkable striking sawtooth sequence, with repeated filtered and resonating variations, alternating throughout the track. On the flipside, B1 Within employs yet another bubbly bassline, keeping the soundscape wide-open to retain enough sonic space for that eerie, yet highly energetic Cosmic Disco touch. B2 Liquid Perception signature is a liquid acid bassline introduced in the second part of the track, perfectly befitting its track title. All tracks of this monolithic EP, thanks to its consistent approach to sound design, could easily be mixed subsequently with each others.

DC Salas is thirtysomething year old Diego Cortez Salas, a skilled talent with peruvian origins hailing from Brussels. A regular DJ at C12 and Kiosk Radio both in Brussels, Diego also co-runs Biologic Records with his mate Abstraxion since 2014.

Repress

Guy J returns home to Lost & Found with two absolute monster tracks! And for the first time in the labels history, these tracks will be available on vinyl as well digital download.

Let's get straight to business then and its Dizzy Moments kicking us off. A techno grooved workout with percussive layers meeting subtle yet ethereal pads, creating a warm atmospheric vibe. The track expands with the sounds growing as the elements ooze from within, creating an epic melodic masterpiece as delays interact creating a dreamy smile inducing gem of a track that we are positive will create a serious fuss and will send clubbers wild.

Diaspora grinds in to action from the off, with its slightly tribal tinged percussion, brooding bass stabs and cool fx setting the mood, swiftly followed by creeping pads that lighten the vibe while adding an air of mystery, dropping its fierceness, but only temporarily, before we pound back in to action. Gated chords meet cool keys as we meander around the ups and downs of this monster. Another serious slab of dance floor devastation from Guy.

Two outstanding tracks that will no doubt be flying straight in to many a DJ's playlist at rapid speed.

6 tracks of dark sounds industrial EBM with touches of Electro by the Artist Rise Black with Roots of URRS where the project is inspired by the world war

Stiletti Ana, part of the dreamy sunbathed electronic duo “Jesse” and top tier in Finnish music production is releasing a new solo album, “I’m an arpeggiator” on Höga Nord Rekords. This album carries similarities to Jesse in both production and sounds but hides more ancient wisdom. A refined sound but with more edges left sharp and more of a mysterious vibe.

As the sound professor he is, Stiletti Ana takes you in a tour of his vast collection of vintage synthesisers and in centre of attention sits the arpeggiator (hence the album title) which gives the sound much of its repetitive character. Recorded in the legendary Haista II-studio outside Helsinki, “I’m an arpeggiator” channels the energies from the waters and forest surrounding the studio, giving the music its’s escapistic and romantic character.

This record is a transcendental trip down the paths of Boards of Canada and Manuel Göttsching, dedicated to the ancient Babylonian fishing god, Dagan.

Mdous Musik hat ihre Wurzeln zwar in traditionellen Tuareg-Melodien, gibt aber auch immer wieder Einflüsse von u.a. Eddie Van Halen preis. Neben Mdou besteht die Band aus Bassist und Producer Mikey Coltun, Drummer Souleymane Ibrahim und Gitarrist Ahmoudou Madassane. Zusammen haben sie längst auf ausgiebigen Touren bewiesen, dass sie nicht nur heimische Hochzeitsfeiern rocken können, sondern ebenso Festivalbühnen auf der anderen Seite der Erdkugel. Dabei beherrschen sie sowohl den hypnotischen Boogie von Black Sabbath der Masters of Reality-Ära, als auch den erhabenen elektrisierenden Groove von Black Uhuru. Mdou Moctar lebt in Agadez im Niger, einer eher ländlichen Gegend, die wie eine kleine Oase mitten in der Sahara wirkt. Hier entsteht auch ein Großteil seiner Musik, die ihn in West-Afrika zu einer echten Berühmtheit hat werden lassen. Verbreitet haben sich seine Sounds dort nicht durch das Internet und Social Media, sondern über die Speicherkarten aus Mobiltelefonen, die wie Tapes weitergegeben und getauscht werden und wie analog-digitales Lauffeuer durch das Land gehen. Den internationalen Durchbruch schaffte Mdou Moctar 2019 mit dem Album "Ilana: The Creator". Mit seiner vierköpfigen Band reiste Moctar anschließend durch die Welt und wurde schnell zum inoffiziellen Botschafter seines Landes. Nun liegt der langerwartete Nachfolger vor.

Domino are immensely proud to announce the signing of my bloody
valentine, with new physical editions of the band’s seminal catalogue
being made available. ‘Isn’t Anything’ and ‘loveless’ have been
mastered fully analogue for deluxe LPs and also mastered from new
hi-res uncompressed digital sources for standard LPs, with each
being made available widely for the first time ever. Fully analogue
cuts of ‘m b v’ will also be available on deluxe and standard LPs
globally for the first time.
my bloody valentine, the quartet of Bilinda Butcher, Kevin Shields,
Deb Googe and Colm Ó Cíosóig, are widely revered as one of the
most ground-breaking and influential groups of the past forty years.
During an era in which guitar bands denoted, at best, a retroclassicism, not only did my bloody valentine sound unlike any of their
contemporaries, the band achieved the rare feat of sounding like the
future.
With their debut album, ‘Isn’t Anything’ (originally released in 1988),
my bloody valentine revolutionised alternative music and heralded a
new approach to guitar music for generations to come. The album
birthed a sound which became a template for thousands of new
subgenres, heralding a new approach to guitar music and studio
production. Not only was it a new type of music, it paved the way for a
new type of journalism; inciting comparisons to elemental
phenomenon, tapping into how the music affected the psyche.
Shields and Butcher frequently sang in a similar vocal range that
allowed their voices to blend together. This had the effect of making
their gender indistinguishable, to the point where their voices could
be used as another melodic layer to complement the vertigo-inducing
sounds made by Shields’ guitars. It is a record characterised by the
ominous sense of space that inhabits many of its songs, which
veered between the harried and propulsive, to the subdued and eerie.

Domino are immensely proud to announce the signing of my bloody
valentine, with new physical editions of the band’s seminal catalogue
being made available. ‘Isn’t Anything’ and ‘loveless’ have been
mastered fully analogue for deluxe LPs and also mastered from new
hi-res uncompressed digital sources for standard LPs, with each
being made available widely for the first time ever. Fully analogue
cuts of ‘m b v’ will also be available on deluxe and standard LPs
globally for the first time.
my bloody valentine, the quartet of Bilinda Butcher, Kevin Shields,
Deb Googe and Colm Ó Cíosóig, are widely revered as one of the
most ground-breaking and influential groups of the past forty years.
During an era in which guitar bands denoted, at best, a retroclassicism, not only did my bloody valentine sound unlike any of their
contemporaries, the band achieved the rare feat of sounding like the
future.
The second my bloody valentine album, ‘loveless’, was released in
1991. Musically, it took an unexpected leap forwards, standing ahead
of anything released at the time. Shields and the band moved further
towards a music of pure sensation, creating textures and tones that
could be felt as much as heard; with ‘loveless’ the band created an
album that overwhelmed the senses. ‘loveless’ is widely considered a
flawless whole and rightly regarded as a masterpiece; a 1990s
equivalent to ‘Pet Sounds’, ‘In A Silent Way’ or ‘Innervisions’, a record
constructed by exploring the edges of what a recording studio is
capable of. It is a record best experienced as a whole, in one sitting -
a listening experience like no other and unmatchable in its sonic
brevity.

The Savonian occult rock behemoth Jess and The Ancient Ones have emerged with a new album! Their brand of heavy guitar and organ-led swagger has progressed from the twin guitar metal blast of yesteryear to Jess and The Ancient Ones’ very own take on soulful late sixties garage psychedelia. Titled Vertigo, the new record is set for release on Svart Records on May 21st this year with a foreboding sound of lysergic doom. What began on the previous record, ‘The Horse & Other Weird Tales’ is taken further and deeper, towards a conclusion on Vertigo. Songwriter and guitarist Thomas Corpse comments, “To me this album sounds like a dark horse – a brother to the previous album. There’s a strange ominous feeling that hovers upon the entire album, maybe it’s the feeling of nostalgia that’s arising from the lyrics.” Wrapped in a crude tornado-adorned old school sleeve, the album’s eight tracks bubble in a boiling cauldron of vintage pop culture influence and occult-tinged paranoia. Ranging from the softly fiery opening track ‘Burning of The Velvet Fires’ to the almost heavy metal -ish nihilistic banger ‘Born To Kill’, Vertigo is a spiraling journey of heavy Finnish psych rock at its finest. The first single cut “Summer Tripping Man” is a heavy hitting prophecy of doom condensed into the classic three minute garage format, and it has already become a steady part of the band’s live set long before it was captured on tape. The single comes accompanied by an animated music video, created by Giuliano Di Girolamo.

The Savonian occult rock behemoth Jess and The Ancient Ones have emerged with a new album! Their brand of heavy guitar and organ-led swagger has progressed from the twin guitar metal blast of yesteryear to Jess and The Ancient Ones’ very own take on soulful late sixties garage psychedelia. Titled Vertigo, the new record is set for release on Svart Records on May 21st this year with a foreboding sound of lysergic doom. What began on the previous record, ‘The Horse & Other Weird Tales’ is taken further and deeper, towards a conclusion on Vertigo. Songwriter and guitarist Thomas Corpse comments, “To me this album sounds like a dark horse – a brother to the previous album. There’s a strange ominous feeling that hovers upon the entire album, maybe it’s the feeling of nostalgia that’s arising from the lyrics.” Wrapped in a crude tornado-adorned old school sleeve, the album’s eight tracks bubble in a boiling cauldron of vintage pop culture influence and occult-tinged paranoia. Ranging from the softly fiery opening track ‘Burning of The Velvet Fires’ to the almost heavy metal -ish nihilistic banger ‘Born To Kill’, Vertigo is a spiraling journey of heavy Finnish psych rock at its finest. The first single cut “Summer Tripping Man” is a heavy hitting prophecy of doom condensed into the classic three minute garage format, and it has already become a steady part of the band’s live set long before it was captured on tape. The single comes accompanied by an animated music video, created by Giuliano Di Girolamo.

When it comes to contemporary thrash there are few bands that can stand toe-to-toe with Germany’s Vulture. Establishing their status with 2016’s Victim To The Blade EP and 2017’s The Guillotine and cementing their reputation with 2019’s Ghastly Waves And Battered Graves, they now return with the mighty Dealin’ Death, one of the most ruthless records the genre has seen. “Take all our key elements - fierce riffing, halftone-shifts, aggressive vocals, huge toms, changing dynamics, horror-synths and classical twin guitar harmonies and cast it in a mould, then you have Dealin’ Death,” says guitarist Stefan Castevet. “The result sounds a little ‘back to the EP-ish’ to my ears, yet it contains new approaches that we’ve never included in our sound so far, like choirs with harmonies.”

Extended Revelation for the Psychic Weaklings of the Western Civilization is the second album by Swedish rock band The Soundtrack Of Our Lives. Heavily influenced bands from the sixties and seventies such as The Rolling Stones and Iggy and the Stooges, the band became popular in both Europa and the United States. Their fame was partially propelled by their songs being featured on popular video game franchises such as FIFA, NHL and Gran Turismo.

The title of this album comes from the Rolling Stones Records’ release of Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka, where the inside liner notes state that “Western Civilization has made us such Psychic Weaklings”. About 50% of the songs on the album were leftover material from the bands debut album, yet this record sounds far more dark and contains influences from psychedelic music. The album was well received and spawned one single: “Black Star”.

"Vermintide 2 is a critically lauded first-person co-op action game that sees players smash, bash, and slice their way through the Chaos army and Skaven rat-men. Jesper Kyd (Assassin’s Creed, Borderlands, Hitman) amassed a broad palette of violent percussive sounds in creating his propulsive score. The music leans more towards this hypnotic array of scrapes, cracks, and thumps than it does the orchestral elements traditionally associated with dark fantasy — and is all the more distinct a score for it.

38 tracks (including seven bonus tracks not found on the digital release) have been specially mastered for vinyl, and will be pressed to audiophile-quality, heavyweight 180g discs in ‘Chaos Red’ and ‘Skaven Green’. These will be housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, with artwork designed by Fatshark Games, including ‘The Ubersreik Five’ front cover. "

Main Phase returns for a second full-length EP on Shall Not Fade's hugely successful sublabel, the bass-oriented Time Is Now. The Copenhagen native is fresh from an appearance on Danish leftfield label Petrola 80 and can otherwise be found heading ATW records with another Time Is Now regular, Interplanetary Criminal. He serves up a tasting menu of the most quintessential sounds in UKG across Buss It EP.

The title track is understated, sparse but tense using sparing Ragga vox that build to a crescendo, wobbling over into "Our Style" - expect space age FX drawn out over mutant inflections in another textbook eyes down cut. Cheeky bassline garage energy is brought in "Creepin", while teasing breaks and dirty south hip-hop in the vocals.

Looking to the infamous early years of garage on the B-side, "Freaky" channels those classic Ghost releases in its sub-heavy intent, spicy snare and catchy vocal hooks. The EP is closed out with the expansive, gut-wrenching wobbles of "Misdemeanour", accentuated with a highly intricate two-step rhythm.

Since her crowning in 2009 at the Blues sur Seine Festival, the young guitar prodigy Nina Attal, with a powerful soul voice, has imposed herself to the public, recording 2 EPs, 3 albums and performing more
than 600 concerts.
‘Pieces of Soul’, is Attal’s fourth album and shows her return to the blues, rhythm ‘n’ blues and rock. Written and composed in the wake of a road trip on the West Coast of the United States, ‘Pieces of Soul’ is eagerly awaited.
These 12 tracks, to which is added a cover of “You’re No Good” popularized by Linda Ronstadt, put the guitar back at the heart of her creative process, through a range of sunny sounds, discreetly and respectfully tinted by various Californian influences (Ben Harper, Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer...).
The riffs with rock distortions are next to great blues-soul ballads, folk, or rhythm ‘n’ blues. Her lyrics, very personal, translate as many doubts as to her desire for emancipation. Inspired by her incompressible love for the music she has in her skin, just like her tattoos, ‘Pieces of Soul’ undoubtedly offers Nina Attal a new dimension.

Steevio is perhaps one of the most influential electronic artists you’ve never come across. With more than forty years of knob-twiddling experience, this modular magician boasts enough cable to bring you to the moon and back. Away from the blinking racks, Steevio runs music festivals, like Freerotation, manages record labels and generally paves the way. Now this pioneer and Firescope are teaming up for a very special EP.

With Acatalepsy, this veteran dives deep into his machines before resurfacing with four tracks of melting organic techno. “Tarantism” comes to life with drums, percussive textures that prove fertile ground for ever more intricate patterns while orange blossom keys bloom. From understated chatter, a hive of beats soon forms around “Cynefin” as dewy notes float on the warmth of a new dawn. The natural world is an integral part of these compositions, the industrious movement of rhythms, the change and reshaping that comes with growth. Another presence on the 12” is the musician himself and his own influences. These early inspirations come to the fore in the hazy hi-hats of “Oxytocin” with its satellite-like bleeps and dreamy basslines that echo both the armchair and club of sounds of 90s techno. Those bleeps grow ever more distant in the fragile finale of “Intonation.” A melody precariously perches, thawing like ice, above delicate echoes that ghost behind modular bulges as drums fade.

Acatalepsy encapsulates the ephemeral nature of sound. Through this selection of one-off recordings, through these live jam sessions, Steevio captures a palpable and primal energy with an expert’s ear. An EP that casts spells from beginning to end, an EP from a true waveform wizard.

Davide disanto is an amazing Italian producer born in bari, after multiple releases on excellent labels such as Let's play house, Politics of dancing or even Theory of swing, he delivers us a fabulous 12 inch which borrows as much from the heyday of the purest New-York City 90s deep house as well as the purest techno made in detroit. The 1st track from this EP seems to have come straight from an imaginary collaboration between Boo williams & Ron trent, the violence of the rhythm is counterbalanced by some airy & ultra deep pads, the aptly named Atmosfear. A banger as we rarely hear today. C'Mon, Let Me See on A2 sounds like a modern take on the awesome Jerzzey boy. On the B side, Da Love Feeling (Main Mix) & le (4am Underground Dub) revisits the 90s once again for our greatest pleasure, particularly the latter seems to have come straight out of a lost mix of the great danny tenaglia. And to end this ep in style, davide allows himself the luxury of summoning the spirit of MBG and all the best Italian deep house from the early 90s on the superb Lungomare (Ambient Reprise). ESSENTIAL ITEM !

SKYLAX RECORDS 4 EVER

AEGEAN is the first offering by Argentine producer and Leipzig resident Accanto. His approach to mid tempo electronica is very rich in organic textures and deep atmospherics. The opening track Sentimental Sediments sounds deep, raw and dubby, a great opener for any set. Bokanovsky picks up the pace and brings in the sunshine uplifting vibes, while the title track Aegean completes the package with an exquisite progressive anthem that makes good use of a bass arpeggio to create a driving groove that will surely lift dancefloors to Cosmic dimentions. A must for Balearic lovers and adult ravers.
ACCANTO is Jorge Bonadeo Miguens, a young Argentine producer residing in Leipzig. Born in 1990 in the city of Buenos Aires, his relationship with music started at an early age while digging the cassettes of his older brothers. At the age of 13 he started playing bass guitar in a rock band with friends, with which he played
in several halls and bars, as well as recorded a studio album.
Around 2012 Jorge got into the electronic music scene of Buenos Aires. After years of traveling and getting immersed in the scenes of his city, Sydney and Europe, he settled in Barcelona and started producing, while also performing as DJ. Nowadays based in Germany, and after years of self knowledge and learning, he felt ready to share his music with the world.

Without sampling any breaks or loops, Funky DL has created the perfect audio tribute to arguably the best group in Hip-Hop history by remaking the beautiful sounds of A Tribe Called Quest's 1993 classic album "Midnight Marauders". This is a beautifully presented piece for keen vinyl collectors.

Ampoule, doing things their own way since 1998. After repressing two classic Pub records, they now shine a light on the Lucky & Easy archives.

Lucky & Easy's take on IDM and deep techno took in influences from The Black Dog, Torsten Profock and Detroit. Rather than operating out of London, Manchester or Berlin, this stuff was coming from East Kilbride, a new town next to Glasgow thats probably best known for its roundabouts and being the home of Jesus & Mary Chain and Rubadub's very own Mother Mark. Back then it sounded like nothing else and today it still sounds just as vital.

'Cheeky' Speaker' compiles long out of print rarities taken from early Ampoule 12's and their Talent Hoover sub-label and previously unheard mixes.

All remastered and cut by D&M

Some info on the tracks from Lucky & Easy

A1. Bully Swimmer
A2. Kiss It Better
A3. Night Rainbows
B1. Wigged
These are from AMP01EP - Ampoule Records first release, only 480 copies were made never been repressed since. And that master cut was pretty terrible to be fair.

B2. Don't Play With Tractors
Taken from 'Electro Lix Sick' a limited edition 50 x 3"cd on Talent Hoover Discs.

B3. Puddle Pup
Is an exclusive mix of the original 'Puddled Up' which was released on the cd compilation on Ampoule 'Hookahs'

C1. Pimp Soul Sisters
Is an exclusive mix of 'Pimp Sole Blisters' Taken from 'Electro Lix Sick' a limited edition 50 x 3"cd on Talent Hoover Discs.

C2. Kitefinger
Remastered from the original release on the cd compilation on Ampoule's 'Hookahs'

C3. In 3 Minds
Is an exclusive mix of 'In Three Minds' Taken from 'Triple Warmer ep' on Earplug.

D1. Titswing
Titswing was recorded at Rubadub's infamous 69 party in Paisley, Scotland

D2. Pericardium Eight
Pericardium 8* Is an exclusive mix of 'Pericardium Eight' Taken from 'Triple Warmer ep' on Earplug.

Lux' is what we use to measure the intensity of light as we perceive it, when it's hitting or passing through a surface.

The first track, that gives the EP its name, embodies exactly that - the fluctuating, ever-changing nature of light; from fragile and fleeting to overwhelming and powerful. 'Lux' kicks off with warm synths creeping in, like rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. Dreamy crescendos take you for a ride and build up until they melt into a comforting blanket of piano chords, accompanied by a propelling hi-hat pattern that will make you want to move. The track is hopeful, the start of a journey, with compelling break downs, industrial rhythm elements and powerful build-ups such as the one to the final section, dominated entirely by its fusion between techno-beat and dance-feel.

Next up is 'Odyssee'. An unapologetic track that picks up the pace. Kicking off boldly with harmonic tension and enticing drum sounds, it's hard not to surrender to the rich and fast-moving soundscape. Proud drums meet steel sounds and tentative piano figures, all glued together by the driving beat, determined to get to the next stop of this lifelong voyage. Striking accents, in the form of short-lived breaths or staccato bass lines take you through a labyrinth of growing gritty synths. A track that easily leads you through space and time and makes it feel like the most natural thing in the world. We're greeted with standalone bright and sparkly synth movements as 'Phoenix' rises and wraps us in warmth. Gently, like raindrops, a rhythmic pattern starts dripping in. Definition, like in many of his other works, blends rhythmical sounds that couldn't be more different into one, making them sound like they were never meant to exist unless next to each other. The track is a symbiosis of modern and classical sounds, lets us bathe in analogue warmth but always rolls along with digital precision.

'Phoenix' starts softly and ends in roaring flames: in a repetitively enchanting party, fabricated out of dark, pumping beats and gritty synths. 'Raven', the final of the four tracks and the lead single (released alongside the Jonas Ratshman remix just 1 week ago), intrigues with chants and empowerment just as much as with its determination and fragility. Falling from the highest heights, Raven lets you rediscover who you are when you hit the ground. Carried by a throbbing four-on-the-floor kick drum and covered in a synth-haze that is hard to resist, you'll float along, fall and rise with the everlasting wave-like movement of human existence.

Pure Donzin is the debut solo offering by Amsterdam - based Donald “Donny” Madjid - also known for his involvement in The Mauskovic Dance Band. On a pandemic - induced break from his usually busy tour ing schedule, Donny, armed with a 60’s drum machine and a few synths, made the most of his time off by experimenting with, and home - recording new sounds - resulting in a fully - fledged 9 - track album under the artist monicker Don Melody Club.

Whilst many of his local peers tend to turn to sounds further from home for inspiration, Madjid felt drawn to honour the literary and musical tradition of The Netherlands, following in the footsteps of classic and lesser known Dutch troubadours such as Ramses Shaffy (a cover of ‘Laat Me’ features on the album) and Ronald Langestraat. Don drew inspiration from bard - like storytelling and for the first time started writing in his native tongue, craftily forging lyrics that his rich tenor voice delivers with a sincerity that translates regardless of whether or not you understand Dutch. This intimacy is balanced evenly with synth and drum machine grooves, recalling Dutch New Wave legends Doe Maar - merging ear worm pop hooks and infectious danceable beats to these otherwise pe nsive ballads.

An ode to being immersed in the magic of the night in good company, an experience so lacking during the year in which the album was recorded, is the danceable Psychonauten. The track is a fine example of the glittering synthesis of infectio us musical atmosphere and lyrically rich straightforwardness Donny has mastered on the album.

The influence of The Mauskovic Dance Band, especially the bass driven, hypnotic groove - a signature sound Don guides in new directions - can be detected on Ver anderd. Somewhat of an anthem, it is laced with tones of 70’s West - African sounds, like fast percussive key arrangements and energetic backing vocals. An example of a more laid back tune on the record is Isabel, a cool nostalgic love song, a soother for a sentimental occasion.

Opening number Geen Nood (No Panic), lyrically nothing short of a ‘sign of the times’ track, paints a mindful setting of cycling past the Amsterdam canals, seeing the leaves in the water, and feeling your blood flow peacefully throu gh your veins - letting go of the need to be anywhere other than where you are. Be it through meditative observances, or hypnotic dance grooves, Pure Donzin is a record that tempts the listener to become just that: immersed in the moment.

Global electronic sound specialist - Producer and DJ Oliver Williams aka "The Busy Twist" is at it again. Among his numerous projects as a producer, this double-sider, dancefloor-focused EP is one of his seldom seen, more personal works in the vein of what he does best: an uptempo, bass-heavy madness, influenced by his regular trips to Africa, Latin America and the West-Indies, packed with undeniable British club music culture and production technique. Highly infectious energy, pure sunshine, 100% good vibes. Following up on The Busy Twist previous collaborations with Congolese singer Tres. "Nanko" is another joyful, sun-soaked, highly danceable Electro-Soukous party joint, loaded with captivating guitar grooves and soulful vocals. On the flip, "Rwendo Rweupenyu (The Journey Of Life) Remix" is an outstanding take on Zimbabwean Sungura Music (one of the country's most popular genres), originally performed by street band Daniel & Gonora Sounds, led by singer-guitarist Daniel Gonora and his drummer son Isaac. Respectfully using Daniel's mind bending guitar riffs and highpitched, uplifting vocals, The Busy Twist and his collaborator delivers an inspiring and remarkably effective version of the original song. Vinyl contains exclusive extended and instrumental Dj-friendly versions of both tracks that won't be available for download anywhere.

With this fifth release on the catalogue's main series, we continue to care about rising talents and extend to new musical borders. Siwei is an Antwerp based producer who made his specialty to blend ambient and techno with moody waves of distortion and fidgeting modular patterns.

The A side takes you on an industrial tinged techno trip while the other takes the direction of beat science, and the dark side of dub. A1 feels like a head-on charge in a dusky and smokey room. It starts with a rolling bassline, introducing the full-on energy of a mighty steady kick drum stomping over howling pads. An ambitious track to lose oneself and the ordinary sense of time.

B1 is in the lineage of far-out dub explorations and forward-thinking dance experiments. This fractured cutting-edge aesthetic blends ideally with the reverberating synths and the eastern vibe of the lead melody. B2 is an epic broken beat stepper, a secret game for adults, with cinematically engineered sci-fi synths and a ruthless palette of sounds. It's not just dreadful, but also playful, thrilling for the mind, challenging for the body.

'Botany Department' is an analogue voyage made of a cohesive collection of instrumental textures and sounds, an LP full of originality. Rui Maia is a musician and producer of kaleidoscopic ranges. Based in Lisbon, he's also internationally known under the Mirror People cover, having released on labels such as Bear Funk or Permanent Vacation.

Be With is delighted to present Jorge López Ruiz’s El Grito (Suite Para Orquesta De Jazz), eternal Argentinian magic released on CBS in 1967 that must be one of the most sought-after South American jazz LPs.

Living in Buenos Aires in the 60s, driven by creative impulse and rage Jorge López Ruiz used music as his platform to protest the Argentine military dictatorship: “I could never stand dictatorships, to be told how you have to think, what you have to do. Nor did I endure discrimination”.

A young López Ruiz had appeared on a television panel alongside writer, politician and philosopher Arturo Jauretche, criticising the Onganía dictatorship. Jauretche told López Ruiz “Now say it with music”. This was the deep inhale that lead to El Grito, literally “The Scream”. As López Ruiz later explained “Jauretche urged me that my protests should not remain in words and acquire the consistency of a work… but it was not so much what he told me but how he told me, what prompted me to make the work take shape, first in a live concert and then in a recording”.

As the police and military began resorting to kidnapping, torture and summary executions to quiet dissent, with depressing inevitability the artist community and their work were a particular target of the increasingly brutal regime. El Grito was banned not long after it was released and the majority of original copies were unceremoniously destroyed.

The work of a genius artist living under an opressive dictatorship, erased by the government of the time, this is buried treasure in every sense and it’s been a rare record for over 50 years. But it isn’t just being hard to find that has pushed up the prices of those few original copies that survived, this is a foundational record in the development of jazz in South America.

El Grito (Suite Para Orquesta De Jazz) is a showcase for Jorge López Ruiz’s skills as a composer and arranger as he leads a virtuoso orchestra of the likes of Mario Cosentino (alto sax), Baby López Furst (piano), Pichi Mazzei (drums), Gustavo Bergalli (trumpet), Oscar López Ruiz (guitar), Arturo Schneider (flute) and Jorge López Ruiz himself plays double bass on the fourth and fifth movements.

As the album’s sub-title explains, The album is a Jazz orchestra concept suite. Five movements, to be heard as a whole, that end where they begin.

“When I wrote it there was no history of a cyclical work in jazz. But I didn't notice that, I needed to express something and I did it. At that time they told me I was crazy, that such a thing was very difficult to do. But hey, I like challenges”.

Yet this is not challenging jazz. There are certainly avant garde, free jazz flourishes, but the hard bop characteristics make this a very accessible album: easy to listen to without being easy listening. López Ruiz’s love of film brings a definite cinematic feel.

The title movement opens the album in bombastic style. “El Grito” grabs you by the lapels and refuses to let go. Raw then controlled, it’s by turns stabbing then soothing, with rage weaved in and out of the elegant styles. “M.A.B. = Amor” is our favourite here. With a tense introduction and a patient build, a gentle sax sweeps in to lift everything up to meet the serene piano and soft drums. Elegantly paced, it moves back and forth between deep contemplation and a more urgent call and response between strings and horns. A near-eight-minute, slow motion marvel.

The second side eases in with the beautifully-titled “Hasta El Cielo, Sin Nubes, Con Todas Las Estrellas” (“Up To The Sky, No Clouds, With All The Stars”) a relatively brief mid-tempo piece featuring López Ruiz’s insistent bass notes high in the mix, and again blending the sublime with the emotive with its wild horns and tight rhythm section.

It’s followed by “Tendré El Mundo” (“I Will Have The World”) which also leads with hypnotic bass, but this time swifter, driven by crashing drums, rapid horn conversations and effortlessly cool piano flourishes. Rounding out the suite, “De Nuevo El Grito” (something like “The Next Scream” or “The Scream Renewed”) is a stylish closer. Whilst López Ruiz’s bass shifts the track along, the horns and piano are more restrained, yet no less stunning.

This Be With edition of El Grito sounds sensational, if we do say so ourselves. Working with audio from the original analogue tapes, the vinyl mastering chops of Simon Francis are on full show here in what he considers to be some of his best ever work for Be With. Pete Norman’s cutting skills have made sure nothing is lost. The tortured artwork has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to helping this revered work find a rightful place in every protest art collection.

Originally released as a 12” single in 1982, ‘Every Brother Ain’t A Brother’ was the final record from Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist and producer Freddie Thompson’s Panaché band. Built around a fully cleared sampled bassline from ‘The Message’ by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, ‘Every Brother Ain’t A Brother’ plays out like a summertime stroll through New York in the early 80s. The streets are full of excitement, but as the lyrics, written by vocalist Denise Williams (not to be confused with Deniece Williams of ‘Let’s Hear It For The Boy’ fame) make it clear, they’re dangerous as well.

Thirty-nine years later, Isle of Jura is proud to present the first official 12” reissue of ‘Every Brother Ain’t A Brother’. A cult classic from the disco-rap era, the reissue includes the original vocal and instrumental versions of ‘Every Brother Ain’t A Brother’ plus a Jura Soundsystem special version with additional live percussion.

Originally made up of Freddie, his wife, the singer Debra Thompson and keyboardist Douglas Glover, Panaché formed at the behest of a local disco DJ, Carl Nelson. In the wake of Chic’s early singles, Carl felt a French name would give Freddie a competitive edge. “He explained it to us that it was a French word for style and elegance. Panaché, a step above chic,” Freddie reflects.

Business minded, Freddie formed his own label, Roché Records and joined SIRMA - The Small Independent Music Manufacturers Association. “It was very hard for the independent manufacturers to get airplay and distribution at the time, so we all came together,” he remembers. Through SIRMA, Freddie met Joe and Sylvia Robinson from Sugar Hill Records, who several years later, let him sample ‘The Message’ for ‘Every Brother Ain’t A Brother’.

In 1979, Panaché scored some radioplay when they covered ‘Not On The Outside’ by ‘60s D.C R&B group The Moments. Emboldened, they brought onboard backing vocalists and recorded their only album. This Is Panache saw the band blurring the boundaries between soul, jazz-funk and disco and become a sought after collectible.

By 1982, Debra had stepped back, and one of Panaché’s backing singers was center stage, Denise Williams. “Denise was good with writing poetry,” says Freddie. "She had one called ‘Every Brother Ain’t A Brother’. It was about the unrest that was going on in the city at the time. I thought I could do something with that.”

After releasing ‘Every Brother Ain’t A Brother’ in 1982, Panaché quietly moved from center stage to behind the scenes. Over the last thirty-nine years, Freddie has continued to work in the music industry as a session musician and producer. “As soon as we stopped trying to become stars as Panaché, we became busy working in the industry,” Freddie laughs.

Jazzanova released their 3rd album “The Pool” on Sonar Kollektiv in 2018. It evolved from various loose jam sessions, mixing up synthesised sounds, samples and real instrumentation. Many singers where involved incl. Edward Vanzet from Australia, who was also asked to provide lyrics. Which he did creating the song “I’m Still Here” giving the tune a Yacht-rock west coast feeling. I always felt the song was one of the strongest of the whole album so I asked some peeps to do remixes for my label Best’s Friends. German A-List remixer Larse gives the whole thing a pop feeling with an Italo-disco touch in his both versions. While Winnie & Somow from Berlin go for a more organic approach looking for that sun-rise House tune on a beach-rave or wherever. I think this remix package has something for every one in it -

Introducing Cutcross, created to champion the melting pot of bass-centric sounds teetering around 140 bpm. Heading up the concept is Sicaria Sound, a DJ duo who since their inception 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 forward-thinking music that they've drawn for when curating sets.

"CXT003: With The Pulse" is the second themed compilation from the label, this time with distinctly percussive driven sounds formulating each track. Originally curated with dancefloors in mind, the current global standstill means for most of us these tunes are to be enjoyed from local settings - and that's not to their detriment. Each track offers something different sonically to get you moving, regardless of where you are right now.

Pioneers of the British music scene, ‘Blackest Blue’ will be the band's 10th studio album in a discography that spans three decades. 2020 saw Morcheeba unable to tour or perform live, which gave Skye Edwards & Ross Godfrey “time to write songs and really get to hone them,” as Godfrey puts it. “There weren’t so many pressures so we could really take our time getting the songs right,” adds Edwards.

The result of this time is a refined 10 track album that fuses previous incarnations and sound of the band - such as downbeat, chill, electro-pop & soul - into one cohesive record that dives deep into the soul of the band’s genre-mashing musical heritage. As usual, the band didn’t approach the album with any pre-conceptions, and instead created an organic journey that represents everything great about Morcheeba.

Edwards’ lyrics are primarily focused on positivity and overcoming personal adversity that lies within. ‘Sounds Of Blue’, is a stunning cut that puts Skye Edward's sultry vocals to the forefront, floating high above an ethereal backdrop.

The album includes features with Duke Garwood (known for his work with Mark Lanegan, amongst others) and Brad Barr (The Slip, The Barr Brothers). “

Morcheeba’s global reach is impressive, taking them to every corner of the world . Their signature chilled electronic/organic sound has been border-hopping ever since the London-based band emerged as a household name. The past year has been one of introspection for the duo, as they take stock of their renewed global fan base and look forward to being able to play the new album live in the not too distant future. “This was the first time since I was a teenager that I’d spent a year off the road and I enjoyed the tranquility, although I missed playing my guitar in far off lands,” says Godfrey.

Advanced Nature is the second offering from Chicago’s indy electronic label Tres Dias. Completed during a global pandemic this project for Michael Fabiano and Juanne had been a long time coming. The two artists had spoken about wanting to release a record together after years of working side by side in Chicago’s underground music scene. So with the time available during the wildest year in modern history they succeeded in creating a life during wartime record. With hints of industrial, ebm, acid and techno fueling the record. The two aimed to thrust back a bold tapestry of sounds. From sonic visions of a dystopian future to shamenistic prayer infused house. The two managed to flush out a record that has a raw juxtaposition that's grounded in a solid foundation. Chicago based producer Michael Fabiano debuts with the slinking, somber industrial sounds of Aesthetic Existence. Plastic Process wades into warehouse territory with its swirling, hypnotic synth lines and brooding bassline. Juanne continues with Before Midnight, a static charged minimal acid track that stabs and reaches out for more. Finally Juanne ends with Design Your Drugs, a strictly dark room magic piece that unleashes ritualistic vocals and a raging bassline that doesn't hold back.

Orange and black. Fire and ebony. Fury and pride. Wearing its signature colors proudly and raising its exclamation point high, Impulse! Records was the go-to label for music that harnessed the searching and political stand-taking of the Sixties. Launched in 1961, Impulse grew to become an inherent part of the era’s velocity as well as its volume, pulling jazz into the age of Black Power, Afrocentricity, and Spiritual Expansion. In its balance of tradition and transition, it bridged the golden age of jazz, that brief window from the late Fifties to the Seventies when players representing every jazz era were alive and active—from Louis Armstrong to Albert Ayler, from the legends of lore to a new generation of energy players. Impulse treated all its musicians as innovators, revolutionaries even—from swing and bebop, to free and Afrofuturist. The performances on Impulse Records: Music, Message and the Moment draw their staying power from a wide embrace of styles and sounds, as well as a tight focus on a historic moment when the promise of change was in the air and the message of racial harmony was in the music. Today that music has lost none of its relevance: the promise still deferred, the message still on time.

"Pay Your Way In Pain" is the first single ahead of St. Vincent's highly anticipated new album Daddy's Home, produced by pop producer and long term collaborator Jack Antonoff. "I was inspired by the classic records of the 70s. Stevie, Sly, Stones, Steely Dan, Chords, Groove. The days when sophisticated harmony and rhythm didn't sound heady - they just sounded, and felt good. Lots of guitar. But warm sounds, not distortion and chaos. Hopefully a turn nobody will see coming" - Annie Clark.

AL presents the first musical collaboration between Hamburg based Asmus Tietchens and Japanese artist Miki Yui, operating out of Düsseldorf for almost 20 years now. Highly respected and hugely influential artist Asmus Tietchens first made his mark on the electronic music scene in the late 1970s, whereas Miki Yui debuted her sonic settings in1999.

Their first joint album NEUES BOOT envelops the listener with a poetic sound sensibility and a conceptual clarity which was processed and passed back and forth between their individual studios in Hamburg and Düsseldorf.

Asmus Tietchens: After Stefan Schneider suggested to release a Yui-Tietchens album on his TAL imprint Miki and I quickly developed some ideas towards our eventual collaboration. We agreed upon an ongoing mutual exchange of material. We have both been very familiar with each other's music for a long time and we found our individual approach towards sound design to be uniquely compatible. We do not use our electronic tools in order to merely achieve the maximum of technical possibilities, but to illustrate aesthetic necessities. This entails a deliberate reduction and refined perception of the sonic characteristics of the material. Only this approach enabled us to fully realise the complete spectrum of the sounds and noises we were working with in order to construct this New Boat. Each and everyone of my treatments is e x c l u s i v e l y based on a track supplied by Miki. I added no new sound sources. Naturally the spatial and temporal dimensions of the source material were thus altered. These transformations are exactly what makes our collaboration special and unique. Very early on we had agreed on New Boat as a working title and a guiding light . Of course in the beginning we had no idea where this New Boat might take us. Now we do know. After several months of ship-building the boat has now set sails for new sonic horizons. Ahoi!

Miki Yui: The title of the album as well as the individual tracks have been inspired by conversations with Asmus. When we had a chat after one of his concerts, he told me about Kōdō, the Art or the Way of the Scent. It is a 8th century Japanese incense ceremony. Very frequently the names of Japanese incense sticks are derived from natural themes, e.g. Bairin is the plum grove, the scent of the first blossom heralding the end of winter. This poetry, the ephemeral nature of the world reminded me of Kigo, words from a Haiku (a form of Japanese poetry), which reference a particular season or a natural phenomenon. So I chose the names of the individual pieces from Kigo as if The Boat was exploring nature whilst sailing through the seasons. Only in retrospect I realised that the titles combined create this poem:

Early spring a hazy view in the night (Oboro)
Plum groves (Bairin)
Over a Dayfly (Kagerou)
A Milkyway (Amanogawa)
Dawn (Akatsuki)
Art of fragrance (Kōdō)
On fragile thin ice (Usurai)

Osaka-born and New York-based pianist Erika Dohi is a multi-faceted
artist with an eclectic musical background. From highly polished
raditional classical to bold improvisation, she is a dynamic performer
whose timeless style and unidiomatic technique sets her apart in
contemporary NYC avant-garde circles.
Dohi’s vast repertory is impressive but what makes her truly such a
barrier-defying artist is what lies ahead. ‘I, Castorpollux’, Dohi’s debut
solo album, is a profound personal excavation set to a gripping
andscape of wild, genre-fluid composition, a virtuosic but emotionally
generous convergence of the technical and the spiritual. With
understated piano and keyboards at its centre, ‘I, Castorpollux’ is
equal parts hazy nostalgia, science-fiction soundtrack and
electroacoustic experimentation.
The project features contributions from Channy Leaneagh (Polica),
Andy Akiho and Immanuel Wilkins, among others, and is produced by
William Brittelle.
The central theme to the album is the ‘split-self’ and variable
perceptions of time that Dohi has faced at formative moments in her
ife. She experienced the 1995 Kobe earthquake at age 7. Hiding
under a table during the worst of it, she later emerged to find the
world around her crumbled. In her immediate vicinity, a fixture of her
childhood remained standing. The Tower of the Sun, a type of three
aced time machine itself from Expo 70, designed by artist Taro
Okamoto, is a trail-marker on Erika’s journey, a stand-in sigil to
unlock the mysterious sounds of her work, with 70s synths and retro
sci-fi aesthetics permeating the album’s narratives.
Much of the album was written while living in Texas where the split
between her Asian self and the idea of being an American
necessitated a near mountain of self-discovery to reconcile how she
elt and who she was within the social backdrop of a strongly
conservative environment. It is no wonder that the character of the
Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux from Greek and Roman mythology
esonate so deeply with her, or Haruki Murakami’s Two Moons and
heir strange light.
From her contributions to various projects and her participation in the
Artist in Residency collaborations, Erika has become a staple of the
37d03d community.

LEVARA's union merged in Los Angeles. Singer Jules Galli emigrated from France, while drummer Josh Devine chose L.A. as home versus his native United Kingdom following success behind the kit with One Direction. There they found common vision with Trev Lukather (guitar), son of Toto’s Steve Lukather.
Every tune on the band’s debut emanates from inspiration culled from their lives, and their mission is to rally the globe to connect and groove with the band. These songs display a larger than life sound. A realised vision. Anthemic tunes written and recorded visualising a mass audience becoming one with the body of work. Integrating their personal voices to the live experience. Or simply as a personal soundscape cruising the asphalt with the car stereo cranking.

“My vision was big,” says Brighton-based singer Macve of the road to her second album. “I knew I wanted to do something more expansive than my first record.” With reach, feeling, storytelling power and a stop-you-dead voice, Macve sizes up to that mission boldly on Not The Girl. Following on from the rootsy saloon-noir conviction of her 2017 debut, Golden Eagle, Holly sets out for

deeper, often darker territory with a firm, unhurried sense of direction on her second record: on all fronts, it’s an album that looks its upscaled ambitions in the eye fearlessly.

For Macve, the combination of influences such as Nancy & Lee with time spent touring helped widen her horizons. “I wasn’t afraid of trying new things, and I wanted to explore sounds and develop my skills in production, composing and engineering. When I wrote the songs on Golden Eagle I had never toured, it was just me in my bedroom playing acoustic guitar. I then got the chance to tour the world with a band and sing with a symphony orchestra with Mercury Rev in 2017. My little world grew and I realised there was so much for me to learn about how I can use my skills as a singer and writer. I didn’t want to limit myself – I wanted to push my boundaries.”

At every turn, Macve’s powers of evocation are matched by the depth and strength in her voice. Witness the meeting of a plangent pedal-steel with her elastic vocal on the atmospheric “Be My Friend”, or the sultry verses and soaring chorus of “You Can Do Better”, which bring to mind a prairie-sized Mazzy Star. Guest guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones’ spacious contributions help enhance its sense of space. “Bill was an important part of the story of this record,” says Holly. “I love his playing – it helped create that kind of heavy, lazy, dreamy sound I’m such a fan of.”

Elsewhere, rich seams of contrast and counterpoint emerge. The Velvet Underground-ish “Sweet Marie” is epic drone-country, “Little, Lonely Heart” a symphonic waltz around the rootsy stuff of bad love, jealousy, and guilt. “Who Am I” merges a Phil Spector-ish wall of sound with a grunge-y melodic insouciance, while “Daddy’s Gone” finds Macve reflecting on the death of her father over Memphis soul-style backing, rendering complex emotions with controlled reserves of detail and drama before a roistering climax.

“My vision was big,” says Brighton-based singer Macve of the road to her second album. “I knew I wanted to do something more expansive than my first record.” With reach, feeling, storytelling power and a stop-you-dead voice, Macve sizes up to that mission boldly on Not The Girl. Following on from the rootsy saloon-noir conviction of her 2017 debut, Golden Eagle, Holly sets out for

deeper, often darker territory with a firm, unhurried sense of direction on her second record: on all fronts, it’s an album that looks its upscaled ambitions in the eye fearlessly.

For Macve, the combination of influences such as Nancy & Lee with time spent touring helped widen her horizons. “I wasn’t afraid of trying new things, and I wanted to explore sounds and develop my skills in production, composing and engineering. When I wrote the songs on Golden Eagle I had never toured, it was just me in my bedroom playing acoustic guitar. I then got the chance to tour the world with a band and sing with a symphony orchestra with Mercury Rev in 2017. My little world grew and I realised there was so much for me to learn about how I can use my skills as a singer and writer. I didn’t want to limit myself – I wanted to push my boundaries.”

At every turn, Macve’s powers of evocation are matched by the depth and strength in her voice. Witness the meeting of a plangent pedal-steel with her elastic vocal on the atmospheric “Be My Friend”, or the sultry verses and soaring chorus of “You Can Do Better”, which bring to mind a prairie-sized Mazzy Star. Guest guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones’ spacious contributions help enhance its sense of space. “Bill was an important part of the story of this record,” says Holly. “I love his playing – it helped create that kind of heavy, lazy, dreamy sound I’m such a fan of.”

Elsewhere, rich seams of contrast and counterpoint emerge. The Velvet Underground-ish “Sweet Marie” is epic drone-country, “Little, Lonely Heart” a symphonic waltz around the rootsy stuff of bad love, jealousy, and guilt. “Who Am I” merges a Phil Spector-ish wall of sound with a grunge-y melodic insouciance, while “Daddy’s Gone” finds Macve reflecting on the death of her father over Memphis soul-style backing, rendering complex emotions with controlled reserves of detail and drama before a roistering climax.

Rock Ikone MYLES KENNEDY Solo! Die Stimme von ALTER BRIDGE & SLASH.
Als Frontmann und Gitarrist von Alter Bridge und Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators hat MYLES
KENNEDY unlängst Ikonen Status erreicht. Mit dem kommenden Album The Ides Of March - dem Nachfolger seines 2018er Solo-Debüts Year Of The Tiger - stellt er sein außergewöhnliches Können erneut
unter Beweis und zeigt, dass aus erzwungenen Auszeiten kreative Genialität entstehen kann. Zwischen
klassischem Rock, Jimmy Page würdigen Solis und reduzierten, bluesigen Anklängen findet sich die ganz
eigene Soundstruktur von The Ides Of March wieder: Das zweite Soloalbum KENNEDYs ist geprägt von
Positivismus und einem Appell an das Gute im Menschen. Auf 11 Tracks wird textlich ein klares Zeichen gesetzt: Themen wie Einheit und Solidarität werden über Trennung und Boshaftigkeit gestellt. Die
scheinbare Utopie wird zur Realität, während die Instrumentalisierung für die klangliche Wärme der einzelnen Titel sorgt. The Ides Of March lässt MYLES KENNEDY in neuem Gewand erstrahlen, erweitert die
Roots-Rock-Vibes des Vorgängers und strahlt eine Aura inneren Friedens aus.