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The longest-tenured Irish punk band is undoubtedly Stiff Little Fingers –
who have been bashing and thrashing since 1977
And the vinyl, “Live at Rockpalast 1980”, shows that the band remained a vital live
band (and also, stayed true to their roots) throughout the ‘80s, despite a five-year
hiatus smack dab in the middle of the decade. Singer/guitarist Jake Burns has
been the band’s leader since their inception – with bassist Ali McMordie standing
right alongside Jake most of the time – which saw Stiff Little Fingers being a part
of the first- wave of Euro punk bands, which included the lofty likes of the Sex
Pistols, the Clash, and the Damned, the Buzzcocks, the Jam, etc. And in the
process, Stiff Little Fingers issued such classic punk LP’s as “Inflammable
Material”, “Nobody’s Heroes” and “Go for It” plus the punk anthems “Alternative
Ulster", “Suspect Device” and “At the Edge”. Jake Burns still remembers: "The
place was packed and the audience were with us from the first note. They were
wonderful, singing and bouncing along. It really felt like a "home game" to use a
football analogy. I thought we played really well too, apart from a slight timing
mistake during "Back to Front", a new song we were still learning. (See if you can
spot my giving Jim the "look of death" at that point! LOL!)."

Walter Smith III and Matthew Stevens are two musicians at the forefront
of developments in jazz and improvised music, listing the likes of
Terence Blanchard, Ambrose Akinmusire, Esperanza Spalding and
Christian Scott as collaborators
The pair started working together in 2017, and four years later, they're back for
the third iteration of their highly commended In Common project. Previous guests
include Nate Smith, Linda May Han Oh and Marcus Gilmore; on 'In Common 3',
Kris Davis takes the piano chair vacated by Micah Thomas, and completing the
lineup are two legends of the game - Dave Holland and Terri Lyne
Carrington.What's new, third time around? "It's longer, freer, and yet more
spontaneous," says Smith. The successful In Common formula - inventive 'onepage songs' written with specific musicians in mind - disguises the through-line
that uniquely shapes this record: "The spotlight is on the community of musicians
as a whole," Smith comments. "The general vibe is sculpted by the musicians'
interpretations of what we bring in." Davis' influential presence means the project
leans into the aesthetics of free improvisation for the first time; the resulting
soundworld lends itself to electronic manipulation, another first for the series.
The span of fifteen tracks showcases the duo's knack for reinvention, slipping
into unfamiliar contexts without losing sight of the album's focused essence.
Smith is keen to emphasise the standalone nature of the divergent In Common
recordings. Some aspects carry through though, like their commitment to
remembering lost influences - opener 'Shine' serves as both a thank you and an
acknowledgement to McCoy Tyner, Wallace Roney, Chick Corea, Jimmy Health
and Ellis Marsalis. That introduces the remaining fourteen tracks, that divide
nearly exactly into spontaneously constructed ideas that introduce fully
composed tracks.

"The anger and depression got to me, and I couldn't hold it in anymore
So, I got into a room with my demons and we just hit record," shares indie singersongwriter Leslie Mendelson. The resulting album, playfully titled, ' If You Can't
Say Anything Nice' ,' is viscerally themed, imaginatively arranged, cinematically
dynamic and textured, oozing raw elegance. " I deal with depression and anxiety,
and I've never really sang about it before. It also felt like what was going on with
society was also affecting me, in terms of gun violence, the opioid crisis, and the
all hatred in the news and media. It felt like it was time to speak out," Leslie
explains. Leslie has released two prior albums, including her Grammy Awardnominated debut, 'Swan Feathers,' one EP, and three singles. Her first album
exhibited a production sheen she opted to strip away on her sophomore album, '
Love & Murder.' Her latest, ' If You Can't Say Anything Nice ' ,' is a gutsy album that
splits the difference between her previous albums in terms of production, but
also features some garage- rock bluster. " The best time to make a rock n' roll
record is when you're broke and pissed off, " she says, with a good-natured laugh.
For the album, Leslie worked with longtime co-writer and guitarist Steve McEwan
who co-produced the album alongside bassist and engineer Lorenzo Wolff.

Criminal Heart is not just another album from another Singer-Songwriter
According to Beth Nielsen-Chapman, "This is what killer songwriting sounds like"
Legendary guitarist Robben Ford describes it as "Absolutely beautiful."And Chris
Difford reckons it's the work of a "Fantastic and special singer-songwriter."This is
a 'coming of age' album from Hollie Rogers, who remains, by choice, completely
independent. Known already for the candid, confessional nature of her songs and
for live performances that make audiences laugh and cry, Hollie refers to the
album, which has been 5 years in the making, as her "baby." She says, "I'm not
having a human one. I'm proud to have nurtured this one instead; it's got a great
personality and there's absolutely no poop."
The album is the most impressive showcase to date of Hollie's songwriting
prowess, with each song framing insight into a cohesive story; one that reveals
itself more and more with each and every line of lyric. Love, lust and selfdiscovery are some of the key themes tightly bound together throughout, as an
added maturity reveals itself in the record's strong melodies, satisfying harmonic
structures, and hooky choruses. (Try listening to 'Sinner' or 'Love' without them
becoming earworms.)
Criminal Heart was produced at Masterlink Studios, Surrey - with a cast list of A
Grade players in the shape of Masterlink's House Band. Their CV's run like a
'who's who of music' - think Elton John to Herbie Hancock - and, much to Hollie's
particular delight… The Spice Girls. She admits, "Much as I may profess my
influences to be exclusively the likes of Joan Armatrading and Joni Mitchell, I
can't deny there's probably a smidge of Spicefluence hidden in there somewhere.
Girl Power!"
But spice aside; this is no 90s pop record. Indeed, US guitar legend Robben Ford
and UK chart- topper Jamie Lawson make guest appearances, as does a track
produced by 4- time Grammy- Nominated James McMillan. All serving to add
some particularly tasteful icing to a not- inconsiderable cake. (Or more likely, a
pasty - since Hollie is from Penzance, Cornwall. It's no coincidence that her name
rhymes with a famous Pirate Ship.)

Fly Anakin's debut studio album 'Frank' draws influence from the classic
R&B and Soul his dad played him as a child, showcasing a gift for
songwriting alongside the breathless raps he's become known for
Recorded at the same time as 'FlySiifu's', it features Pink Siifu on the DJ Harrison
produced 'Black Be The Source', as well as link ups with another Richmond hero
and Anakin mentor Nickelus F, and fellow Mutant Academy members Big Kahuna
OG and Henny L.O..
Beats by Madlib, Evidence, Jay Versace, DJ Harrison, Ohbliv, Foisey, Graymatter
and Like of Pac Div.
"A perfect display of Anakin's captivating lyricism and delivery... flexes the New
York-tinged ruggedness in his breakneck raps as he reflects on his past, present
and future." Paste.
Fly Anakin is a rapper from Richmond, Virginia, who was described by Madlib as
"one of the illest MCs", and has previously collaborated with Freddie Gibbs. He's
co-founder of the Richmond rap collective Mutant Academy.
"Anakin's detail isn't a skill that could just be picked up from studying the legends
of the genre, it's a gift." Pitchfork
Singles have received press suport so far from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, FADER,
Hypebeast, Stereogum, Vibe and Okayplayer.Fly Anakin recently performed on
Benji B's BBC Radio 1 show, and guested on Mary Anne Hobbs' BBC 6Music show
and Ebro's Apple Music 1 show. US radio support on the singles from Peter
Rosenberg on Hot97, Sirius XM and NPR. Singles have been featured in playlists
by Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Dummy, Crack, Ryan Schreiber Pitchfork, Brooklyn
Vegan, Vinyl Me Please, Red Bull, Warp Records and Fool's Gold Records.
Fly Anakin will tour the UK and US this Spring in support of album release. In
November 2021 he performed a European tour alongside Pink Siifu, with dates
across the UK, France & the Netherlands, including Le Guess Who? Festival,
Utrecht.

Fly Anakin's debut studio album 'Frank' draws influence from the classic
R&B and Soul his dad played him as a child, showcasing a gift for
songwriting alongside the breathless raps he's become known for
Recorded at the same time as 'FlySiifu's', it features Pink Siifu on the DJ Harrison
produced 'Black Be The Source', as well as link ups with another Richmond hero
and Anakin mentor Nickelus F, and fellow Mutant Academy members Big Kahuna
OG and Henny L.O..
Beats by Madlib, Evidence, Jay Versace, DJ Harrison, Ohbliv, Foisey, Graymatter
and Like of Pac Div.
"A perfect display of Anakin's captivating lyricism and delivery... flexes the New
York-tinged ruggedness in his breakneck raps as he reflects on his past, present
and future." Paste.
Fly Anakin is a rapper from Richmond, Virginia, who was described by Madlib as
"one of the illest MCs", and has previously collaborated with Freddie Gibbs. He's
co-founder of the Richmond rap collective Mutant Academy.
"Anakin's detail isn't a skill that could just be picked up from studying the legends
of the genre, it's a gift." Pitchfork
Singles have received press suport so far from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, FADER,
Hypebeast, Stereogum, Vibe and Okayplayer.Fly Anakin recently performed on
Benji B's BBC Radio 1 show, and guested on Mary Anne Hobbs' BBC 6Music show
and Ebro's Apple Music 1 show. US radio support on the singles from Peter
Rosenberg on Hot97, Sirius XM and NPR. Singles have been featured in playlists
by Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Dummy, Crack, Ryan Schreiber Pitchfork, Brooklyn
Vegan, Vinyl Me Please, Red Bull, Warp Records and Fool's Gold Records.
Fly Anakin will tour the UK and US this Spring in support of album release. In
November 2021 he performed a European tour alongside Pink Siifu, with dates
across the UK, France & the Netherlands, including Le Guess Who? Festival,
Utrecht.

Corrie Dick, a musician and composer specialising in euphoric, sonically-inventive drumming, is at the rhythmic epicentre of a new era of innovative British jazz. He is lauded for his dynamism, his melodic slant and for his playfully subversive take on style and genre. An artist of prolific and varied output, Corrie has long been an essential component of Laura Jurd’s music including Mercury Prize shortlisted Dinosaur; is a crucial co-pilot in Elliot Galvin Trio and Rob Luft Group; and co-writes music with an abundance of artists including alternative Indie band Ink Line. His 2015 release Impossible Things which skilfully fused Celtic folk and contemporary jazz with new takes on African rhythms culminated in sold out touring and concerts across the UK. Now Corrie resets for an album which further embraces the eclectic whims of a child of the iPod shuffle generation - finding cohesion among disparate elements. Concerning the idea behind Sun Swells, his latest project, Corrie explains: “I wanted to write a jazz album that had rock instrumentation at its core: guitar-bass-drums. Rob Luft (guitar), Tom McCredie (bass) and I have been improvising and writing together for years and years and we’ve forged a sound that is uniquely crunchy yet summery, so I wanted that sound at the centre but decorated with all sorts of elements. I basically wanted to make folk-rock-jazz but treat it how electronic music producer Mura Masa treats his tracks--chucking the whole damn fruit bowl at the thing but somehow keeping space and air in the arrangement and the mix.” The music on Sun Swells is highly unique in a way that is becoming a trademark for the highly gifted artist.

Between electronic music and traditional Indian music, dive into the heart of this subtle mix thanks to the leading artists of the genre!

Emeralds _ musicians John Elliott, Steve Hauschildt, and Mark McGuire _ emerged from the rust-pocked, post-millennial Midwest drone/noise scene seemingly unable or uninterested in keeping up with themselves. Their proliferation of material was intimidating; mountains of improvised, home-recorded music were released on limited-edition tapes, CD-Rs, and split LPs. There is and was a sense that the Ohio trio was after something beyond physical mediums. By 2008, their sprawling live sets were a known can't-miss at any underground experimental event. Tiny Mix Tapes reviewed that year's appearance at No Fun Fest: "No one's sawtooths, sines, and other various waveforms were so beautifully sculpted and beamed out into the Plejades as Emeralds'." These basement dwellers were shaping meditative, psychedelic, arpeggiated electronic music in the veins of German kosmische forebears like Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Schulze, and Tangerine Dream. Made primarily with synthesizers and guitar, Emeralds' music possessed the same astral psyche with a home-crafted punk edge, a distant descendant of that pioneering era, and a bridge to someplace new, someplace scorched. Released on Aaron Dilloway's (Wolf Eyes, etc.) Hanson imprint, Solar Bridge was the first Emeralds album to receive any kind of proper distribution and represents the first attempt to archivally preserve their fluid craft. The first of an inimitable five-LP run before the band dissolved in 2013, Solar Bridge is a moment of glistening primacy that boots up a catalog and legacy that the heads still grapple with. Emeralds begin to make sense of it in the fall of 2022 with a remas- tered Solar Bridge LP release on Ghostly International. Emeralds materialized as a fully formed entity radiating cosmic potential. Their discography evolved and incorporated different qualities and vocabularies, but hearing where it started will always feel different. The density, the patience, and the sheer refinement presented on Solar Bridge legibly demonstrates how and why Emeralds has become a legendary part of the contemporary electronic music canon.

Like Sun Ra's Arkestra and John Coltrane are to jazz, the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari are to reggae – the ultimate expression of roots music and Rastafarian ideology in reggae music, music functioning at a high level of spiritual consciousness combined with an equally avant-garde and forward-looking approach to sound.
The group's stunning, unique and groundbreaking 1973 album ‘Grounation’, a mighty conceptual triplealbum (the first ever reggae triple!) is, similar to Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On', a definitive allencompassing cultural statement of its time and place. A sprawling album of raw and unique cultural expression that combined Rastafari consciousness with deep spiritual jazz music – an absolute and essential classic of Reggae music.

The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari group came into existence at the start of 1970s, the union of two artists (and groups) of equal repute – Count Ossie and his African Drums and saxophonist Cedric ‘Im’ Brooks’ and his group,

The Mystics. Both Ossie and Brooks were alumni from the great Studio One Records. Master drummer Count Ossie and his collective of Rastafarian drummers performed for Haile Selassie on his
momentous visit to Jamaica in 1966. Cedric Brooks came out of the Alpha Boys School – the fertile breeding ground of musicians who dominated the Jamaican music scene from the 1960s onwards; Tommy McCook,

Don Drummond, Johnny Moore, Headley Bennett, Johnny Osbourne, Yellowman, Leroy Smart, Bobby Ellis, Joe Harriott, Eddie Thornton, Vin Gordon, Rico Rodriguez, Owen Gray, Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace and more.

The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari’s ‘Grounation’ is a massive opus, a work of profound musical genius that tells the story of Jamaica through music and words. The album is a cornerstone in the history of reggae, a unique and other-worldly album the like of which has never been made since.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this long-revered album release in two unique vinyl formats: a one-off pressing limited-edition deluxe box set triple-vinyl edition complete with a free 45 single + art print + an exact-replica reproduction Mystic Revelation 1977 mag/zine + download code; And secondly as a triple album + download
code. There is also a deluxe 2 CD version
complete with large format booklet encased in
double-walled slipcase. All editions come with
extensive new sleevenotes, photography, exact
reproductions of the original text and artwork

MARIAH CAREY's diva vocal gets a proper retro revamp over a synth heavy classic on "HUMAN EMOTIONS." It'll be hard not to smirk when this comes on. A totally recontextualized Fab 4 deep cut gets reworked on the B-Side. McCARTNEY vs. a very spaced out HALL & OATES classic.1

First released in the summer of 1966, ‘Yardbirds’ (or ‘Roger The Engineer’ as it became known’) showcases the
Yardbirds at the peak of their powers. Featuring the classic line-up of Jeff Beck, Keith Relf, Jim McCarty, Chris Dreja,
and Paul Samwell-Smith, the group explored explosive new sonic territories, pushing their blues-rock sound into the
realms of the avant-garde, psychedelia and Indian music.
• This new edition has been expertly cut from the original stereo tapes using precision half-speed mastering by
Cicely Balston at AIR Mastering.
• Half-speed mastering is a vinyl cutting technique that improves groove accuracy and transient information creating
an incredibly detailed stereo image with a natural high frequency response.
• Pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl, featuring an obi strip and housed in a poly-lined inner sleeve. Also includes a
4-page booklet with extensive liner notes by David French based on interviews with Jimmy Page, Paul SamwellSmith, Jim McCarty and Simon Napier-Bell.

For Fans Of: Aasha Puthli / Grace Jones / Minnie Ripperton/ The Supremes/ Love Apple / Kendra Morris. Previous debut 45 garnered much acclaim from KCRW, the BBC, Albumism, and countless more. The band consists of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair, former 79.5 and backing singer for Chicano Batman), Nya Parker Brown (former 79.5), and Sabrina Cunningham. Housed in a spot-glossed LP with exclusive lyric / photo insert. The highly anticipated debut LP from Say She She, the all female discodelic soul band that will transport you with their dreamy harmonies, catchy hooks and up tempo grooves! The band's sound is a hat tip to late 70’s girl groups with the three strong female lead voices of Piya Malik (featured in El Michels Affair, and backing singer for Chicano Batman), Nya Gazelle Brown, and Sabrina Cunningham - whose vocals soar through a set doused heavily with funky bass lines, rhythmic wah guitar, melodic synths and lilting bansuri flute lines, bursting into a seamless blend of dreamy harmonies and catchy hooks. A multicultural, multi-instrumental, collaborative melting pot, pulling sounds and styles from all corners of their record collections. The largely self-produced debut album ‘Prism’ features contributions from Dap Kings Joey Crispiano & Victor Axelrod, Max Shrager (The Shacks) Bardo Martinez (Chicano Batman) Nikhil Yearwadekar (former Antibalas) Andy Bauer (Twin Shadow) and Matty McDermot (NYPMH). “The funkiest sh*t we’ve heard in a while” (KCRW) // “A glorious overload of joyful elation and spiritual elevation”

“If you can imagine a late 1960s folk-rock approach allied to a doomy atmosphere with added touches of lo-fi psychedelia, then you’re getting close to the timbre of Finland’s Hexvessel. There are clearly nods towards King Crimson, Black Sabbath, the Beatles, HP Lovecraft and The Doors, but what the band have managed to do is create something that belongs specifically to them.” – Malcolm Dome, Prog Magazine Hexvessel’s fan-favorite album from 2012, No Holier Temple, gets a luxury 10-year anniversary reissue via Svart Records! No Holier Temple was Psychedelic Forest Folk band Hexvessel’s second full-length album, released to critical acclaim, cult status and some of their biggest sales figures to date. The Finnish “mushroom-devouring pixies” follow up to 2011’s critically acclaimed debut album, Dawnbearer, was described by Roadburn Festival as “a passionate, urgent and gorgeously strange musical spell.” Hexvessel’s break-through album No Holier Temple reached new heights for the band with two Emma Gala (Finnish Grammy Awards) nominations. No Holier Tample also won two Femma awards, which is the Alternative Finnish Grammy Awards. Hexvessel played the prestigious Roadburn Festival in The Netherlands for the first time that year in the church venue of Het Patronaat. The festival sold out in 7 minutes. No Holier Temple also landed in the Main Finnish Charts at #20 and in Alternative charts at #7. No Holier Temple fuses the acoustic 70s folk vibe of its predecessor into a more psychedelic, electric, doom-folk sound with Manzarek-like keys, screeching rhythmic Velvet Underground violins, Miles Davis trumpets and hypnotic freakouts. Weaving the uncanny songs together are the narrative vocals of Mat McNerney, who on this album has matured into the bastard child of Burke Shelley, young Jon Anderson and Paul Simon. Inspired by the progressive, spaced-out haze of bands like Amon Düül II, Van Der Graaf Generator and Ultimate Spinach, whose song “Your Head Is Reeling” they cover with religious abandon. Their sound now expands outward from their eerie, signature, ritual-esque intros into a genre-twisting cauldron of otherworldly rock and the late-night, dreamy spoken-word of artists such as Jim Morrison (An American Prayer) and Ken Nordine.

For Fans Of: Aasha Puthli / Grace Jones / Minnie Ripperton/ The Supremes/ Love Apple / Kendra Morris. Previous debut 45 garnered much acclaim from KCRW, the BBC, Albumism, and countless more. The band consists of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair, former 79.5 and backing singer for Chicano Batman), Nya Parker Brown (former 79.5), and Sabrina Cunningham. Housed in a spot-glossed LP with exclusive lyric / photo insert. The highly anticipated debut LP from Say She She, the all female discodelic soul band that will transport you with their dreamy harmonies, catchy hooks and up tempo grooves! The band's sound is a hat tip to late 70’s girl groups with the three strong female lead voices of Piya Malik (featured in El Michels Affair, and backing singer for Chicano Batman), Nya Gazelle Brown, and Sabrina Cunningham - whose vocals soar through a set doused heavily with funky bass lines, rhythmic wah guitar, melodic synths and lilting bansuri flute lines, bursting into a seamless blend of dreamy harmonies and catchy hooks. A multicultural, multi-instrumental, collaborative melting pot, pulling sounds and styles from all corners of their record collections. The largely self-produced debut album ‘Prism’ features contributions from Dap Kings Joey Crispiano & Victor Axelrod, Max Shrager (The Shacks) Bardo Martinez (Chicano Batman) Nikhil Yearwadekar (former Antibalas) Andy Bauer (Twin Shadow) and Matty McDermot (NYPMH). “The funkiest sh*t we’ve heard in a while” (KCRW) // “A glorious overload of joyful elation and spiritual elevation”

Following the release of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut EP in 2021, Antwerp's Lucid Lucia are set to release their debut album 'Ever-changing Light' on the 7th October via the groove-obsessed Belgian tastemaker label, Sdban Ultra.

Searching to unwrap the mystery that is a human life, across nine tracks of jazz and space funk-infused grooves, Lucid Lucia look to the sound of Herbie's 'Head Hunters' and Miles' acid funk of the mid-70s for inspiration.

'Ever-changing Light' is a mind-expanding celebration centered on freedom and rhythm. Free-spirited saxes, futuristic-sounding keys, monstrous bass lines and shifting drum beats unite, resulting in an uplifting and joyous celebration of jazz, funk and groove. From the loose, laidback stylings of 'Mumpsimus' and the jazz-funk odyssey that is 'Pigeons' to the sonic wonders of 'Reminiscence' and urgent flow of 'Quanked', Lucid Lucia is a marvelous journey of luminous sounds and vibrant rhythms. Elsewhere, the warped aesthetics of 'Oneironauts' and improv 'Pukti part 1' showcase a tight rhythm section, inventive horns, funky keys and guitar while the spiritual magnum opus 'Voor Pieter A.' is a magical example of the virtuosity of Lucid Lucia.

Born from the ashes of fusion outfit BRZZVLL, Lucid Lucia were founded by saxophonist Vincent Brijs, a household name in Antwerp and the Belgian jazz scene. Former winners of the Jong Jazztalent Gent, BRZZVLL released their debut album 'Days of Thunder, Days of Grace' in 2008 and would go on to release five more albums including teaming up with Trinidad-born poet, novelist and musician Anthony Joseph on the 2014 critically acclaimed album 'Engines' and with hip-hop MC, writer and producer Amir Sulaiman on the 2016 album 'First Let's Dance'. The 2017 album 'Waiho', the band's first instumental album and final album received glowing praise from numerous tastemakers including UNCUT magazine, The Line of Best Fit, XLR8R and Record Collector magazine.

To the present day and Lucid Lucia marks a brighter, clearer sound for the sextet. Consisting of Vincent Brijs: saxophones and EWI, Bart Borremans: saxophones, Stijn Cools: drums, Dries Laheye: bass, Dries Verhulst: guitar, Jan Willems: keys and James Williams: drums and percussion, they have honed their skills performing with numerous artists from home and around the world including Ursula Rucker, Joseph Bowie (Defunkt), Amir Sulaiman, Anthony Joseph, Zena Edwards, Ayanna Witter Johnson, Baloji, Mo & Grazz, Kain the Poet (The Last Poets), Marie Daulne, Dizzy Madjeku, Ida Nielsen and many others.

** SISTER FUNK, SOUL-JAZZ and BLUE-EYED-SOUL - OBSCURE RARE GROOVES ALL THE WAY THRU! **

- the double vinyl LP comes with a full album download code
- deluxe double-gatefold LP with detailed liner notes & unseen photographs
- ALL songs appear on LP & digital for the very first-time
- sales notes by Joel Ricci (aka Lucky Brown)

When Tramp Records was founded, there really were very few ways in which the music lover could discover new music besides the traditional methods of digging, good luck, and inheritance. First there were torrent sites such as Napster and Limewire where generous collectors might digitize and upload portions of their accessions, and sometimes you could find entire radio show broadcasts of live vinyl curation made by real Disc Jockeys out there, a lot of the Deep Funk I heard for the first time in around 1999 I found this way via Disc Jockeys on radio shows from the UK, tunes were faded and mixed together and of course veiled with that unmistakable Mp3 'whoosh'. And unless you have been living as an off-grid hermit for the past 20 years, you know the rest of the story.

But though our world has changed, and even though everyone from our grandparents to our 5-year old nieces are curating their own internet playlists, I submit that the role of DJ has become even more vital, not less. We as a culture have always relied on our Disc Jockeys to introduce us to sounds that speak to their souls, to control the vibe and most importantly put forth the narrative that speaks to society as a whole. DJs are our tribal storytellers, and the music they bring us are the stories. And when a DJ like Tobias Kirmayer is telling us that story clearly and with conviction, it speaks to our souls as well.

"Countdown to...SOUL" is a compilation series that, much like Tramp Records' other critically-acclaimed comps such as Movements, Feeling Nice, and the Praise Poems Series' examines a unique facet of the Golden Era of Soul, Funk, Jazz and R&B. Perhaps, in this case the dawning of the Soul era, "proto-soul", "primitive soul", or even "pre-soul" if you will. When they were recorded, many of these tunes were still firmly ensconced in the Black Radical Jazz tradition, but there was a change in the air, something happening in the coming years that would revolutionize popular music forever. In fact, Soul had already taken over the world by the time many of these tunes were released on 45, but for various reasons, the artists and their music occupied the fringes of the idiom and therefore remained obscure. Countdown to...SOUL chronicles that beginning, that buildup, those heady moments before the lid blew off and American Black music would explode across the planet, while scouring the outskirts and tide pools for specimens that were emanating in their own respective neighborhoods and communities, so often overlooked by the American pop music machine.

Side A features barrier-breaking pioneer Frankie Staton and her message of "Love One Another" to the world that is as fresh and vital today as it was when it first came out in the late seventies. In that spirit, Tenison Stevens' appeal "Don't Rip Me Off" reminds us to treat each other as brothers and sisters.

Side B meets us at the altar of the formidable Hammond Organ with an Unknown and uncredited Organist found languishing on a one-of-a-kind unreleased acetate and moving on to explore the nexus of Soul, Bebop, and R&B with Don Patterson's "Paddy Wagon".

Side C satisfies our hunger for the blaring horn sections, big beat drums, wailing Hammonds, pleading vocals and gritty guitars of authentic Soul music (both brown and blue-eyed) with Marva Josie, Shirley Wahls and The Echomen, among others, but then takes a hard left turn into undoubtedly uncharted territory with the hybrid folk/country/soul story of Sherrif Black and poor Sally who, though she is tragically met with a terrible fate, thanks to the careful and conscientious mastering of our German engineers, the song itself remains alive and is a genuine addition to the canon.

For the remaining side, I'm gonna just let you discover this music on its own terms, as you won't find these tunes anywhere else, not on Napster, not even on Limewire, or anywhere else. I want to personally thank you for putting your trust in the DJ and for continuing to listen, study, appreciate, and share the work and mission of Tramp Records.

-Joel Ricci (May 2022)

"“The New Backwards” was conceived by Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson in 2007, revisiting stray tracks which hadn’t seemed to gel with the material he had chosen for the more somber “Ape of Naples” from 2005, COIL’s initial posthumous release, a sort of requiem and a kiss-goodbye to his then recently deceased partner John Balance.

Significantly different to its sister release, this album collects the brilliantly chaotic and outrageously rhythmic material from the original sessions for the album that was begun as early as 1993 and had originally been conceptualised as the follow-up to “Love’s Secret Domain”. These songs are as diverse and wild as the places they originated from, partly infamously spawned in Sharon Tate’s former home in the Hollywood Hills, the Nine Inch Nails home base in New Orleans and London’s Swanyard, remixed and restructured with the help of long-term friend Danny Hyde in Thailand, this collection has its own unique flow and an atmosphere not found on any other COIL release.

Both “AYOR” and “Backwards” had by the time the album was first released already become favourites in COIL’s manic live performances. Some of the other tracks had only leaked in demo versions and are here presented updated and polished as Christopherson and Hyde intended them to be heard. It is interesting to consider Balance’s vocal contributions, too. Whilst on the albums COIL did release at the time this material was first put aside (“Black Light District” and “ElpH”) his voice is all but absent, his vocal performances and his lyric writing here are arguably more closely indebted to the previous “Love’s Secret Domain” era, especially the epic “Copacaballa” is noteworthy in that respect.
The New Backwards” effectively became the final official COIL studio release of all new material whilst Peter was still alive and is here presented for the first time fully supervised by Danny Hyde, its co-creator.
The stunning cover uses a detail from artist Ian Johnstone’s “Cubic Raven” painting, licensed from the estate of IJ..

It is high time to rediscover this timeless album with the Infinite Fog release boasting eight further tracks of previously unheard material from the same sessions, rough working stages and surprising remixes which will surely delight the dedicated COIL archaeologists, as they shine yet another light on the creative process and on what could have been.

Recorded at Swanyard, London and at Nothing Studios, New Orleans, 1996.
Thanks to everyone there, especially Trent Reznor who made it all possible.
Written & Produced by Coil & Danny Hyde.
Remixed by Peter Christopherson & Danny Hyde, Bangkok 2007.
For that session Coil were: Peter Christopherson, Jhonn Balance & Drew McDowall.
Mastered by Jessica Thompson.
Front artwork by Ian Johnstone.
Artwork licensed from The Estate of Ian Johnstone.
Layout Cold Graves and Oleg Galay."

12" Widespine Gloss Jacket, Full Color Printed Record Sleeves, 1x Red & Black Marbled Vinyl, 1x Blue & Black Marbled Vinyl and Free Digital Download Card. Growing up in his hometown of Atlanta, artist/producer Sol Messiah has always been inundated with the rich and energizing spirit of Hip Hop culture. Breakdancing from a young age eventually led him joining the legendary Rock Steady Crew out of New York City and learning and mastering the skill of DJing. From there, he began taking an interest in production too, which ultimately led him to working alongside legendary Atlanta producer, Dallas Austin. While Sol Messiah's time with Austin created a deep catalog filled with timeless tracks for TLC, Madonna, Boyz II Men and more, he eventually chose to pursue his own path independently and spent years building a stunning catalog of his own, producing popular tracks for Chamillionaire, David Banner, Nappy Roots, Dead Prez and more. Soon, Sol Messiah would embark on a fruitful musical partnership with a fierce lyricist named Sa-Roc. Together, Sa-Roc and Messiah have released over a dozen projects thus far, including Sa-Roc's groundbreaking 2020 debut on Rhymesayers Entertainment, The Sharecropper's Daughter. As a duo, Sa-Roc and Sol Messiah have amassed a global reach, touring internationally and rocking crowds across continents. They have performed at the legendary Jazz Cafe in London, performed live for BBC, and have shared the stage with luminaries such as Common, The Roots and Jay Electronica. On GOD CMPLX, Sol Messiah connects with some of the finest MCs in the game to create an impressive collection of Hip Hop music that's both innovative and inspiring. Featuring guest performances from KXNG Crooked, Sa-Roc, Evidence, Locksmith, Slug (Atmosphere), Murs, Aesop Rock, Baba Zumbi (Zion I), Che Noir, Lyric Jones and more, GOD CMPLX is a powerful and engaging project serving as a testament to Sol Messiah's skills both as a producer as well a visionary.

Musik nicht als Medizin, sondern als Diagnose: Lizkis Debütalbum Forward ist düster, aber tanzbar.

Obwohl der Titel des Debütalbums von Lizki Forward lautet, mag sich beim Hören nicht so recht das Gefühl eines hoffnungsvollen Nach-vorne-Schauens einstellen. Zu düster sind Wort und Sound. Dennoch steht Forward für: Es muss weitergehen. Dabei bleiben die meisten Songs auf dem Album ungeachtet aller inhaltlicher und musikalischer Dissonanz tanzbar. Unverwechselbar bleibt Lizkis klassisch ausgebildete Stimme, die über allem zu schweben scheint.