"Something happened on No. The early EPs from Baltimore’s Tomato Flower were pretty, dreamy psychedelia. Warm to the touch, like looking up at the trees on a cloudless day. On No, the four-piece’s debut album, those trees, that cloudless sky, have become haunted, thorny, stormy. It takes Tomato Flower from buttoned-up, almost technically formalist psych pop to something more urgent, raw, emotionally immediate. No is messier, more expansive, and through all of its chaos, the band’s most rigorous artistic statement to date.
No is the band’s first effort made entirely in person, the first thing tracked in a studio instead of in a bedroom. It is a highly collaborative record written and recorded by everyone, partially made live. It is very much the byproduct of a band that has done some serious touring, following a coast-to-coast tour with Animal Collective in the summer of 2022.
Lead single “Destroyer,” has Jamison Murphy practically screaming over angular guitars, oscillating in a sonic space somewhere between the prettiness of Broadcast and the sludge of Jesus Lizard. It also presents an early entry point to one of No’s major conceptual underpinnings: that of the breakup between Murphy and fellow co-lead vocalist and guitarist Austyn Wohlers, which occurred during the composition of the album.
It wouldn’t be fair to just call No a break up album. It’s far more complicated with that. No is a record about negation: I will not do this, you cannot tell me what to do, we are not living in a utopia, don’t be delusional. No embraces a kind of brutal realism, a confrontation of life that only happens when you wizen up a little bit. All of it is a brutal delight, a departure from the past, a nod to a startling present."
Brooklyn-based artist Jonah Parzen-Johnson returns with the new album You're Never Really Alone, out on We Jazz Records, March 8. If you look at the label on the LP containing eight intimate compositions for baritone sax & flute, you will find the words, “we made this together”. At first thought, this simple phrase may seem out of place on a solo record, but just like the compositions on this album, it was carefully crafted to cut to the core of what this music is all about.
In Jonah’s words: “It’s pretty hard to end up at a solo saxophone concert by accident. Odds are pretty good, if you are there, it is because you light up when you experience something new, something experimental. That shared desire connects us, and suddenly, for a night, we are a community. For me, being connected to those spontaneous communities is the best part of being an experimental artist. Everything I make is in service to the cultivation of that community, our community. Without it my music doesn’t exist and because of that I can joyfully say to each person, at every concert, that we made this together.
”You’re Never Really Alone arrives in stark contrast to Parzen-Johnson’s 2020 We Jazz Records solo debut, Imagine Giving Up. Where Imagine Giving Up was celebrated for Parzen-Johnson’s ability to assemble deeply evocative electr acoustic sound worlds, “filling the landscape in one element at a time until a picture emerges that could almost be a full band,” (Wire Magazine, March 2020) You’re Never Really Alone shows us that Jonah can look you in the eye and say “my voice alone is enough”.
Across eight tracks, Parzen-Johnson, a Chicago native, explores the technical limits of his baritone saxophone and flute without ever making the listener feel like he has something to prove. You will find circular breathing, multiphonics, and explosive levels of sound, but more importantly, you will enjoy every moment of musical storytelling and compositional skill. This album is made for repeat listening.
The opening track, “When I Feel Like Myself” is a meditative invocation of self realization. Parzen-Johnson summons three and four note harmonies from his saxophone with deep control, as he gently explores how tension can become its own release. An unadorned melodic thread gently weaves each musical expression to the last, guiding us deeper into an album that simultaneously celebrates the power of one, and the yearning for exploration that unites us all.
"Seasoned Greetings" (DR008) marks the inception of the DE RIO split-release vinyl series. Collaborating in this inaugural installment are resident artist Plastique01 and Ukrainian techno luminary Stanislav Tolkachev. Originating from an encounter in Florence, where the duo not only shared the stage but also exchanged personal narratives, the EP delves into their unique interpretations of the techno genre. The result is a mesmerizing collection of four tracks, characterized by hypnotic melodies, unconventional sequences, detuned synthlines, and the pulsating rhythm of raw drums. The collaboration encapsulates the essence of their artistic synergy, promising a sonic journey that captivates and transcends boundaries.
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French singer/songwriter Cyrille Aimée, a matchless interpreter of song, is back with a new album and a new story to tell "A Fleur de Peau" presents Cyrille in her own words, with her own original compositions presented in her own arrangements, developed in close collaboration with New York multi-instrumentalist and producer Jake Sherman. The music on "A Fleur de Peau" is the most original and personal of Cyrille"s career. Drawing on her Dominican heritage with its cargo of African dance rhythms and Spanish folksongs, embracing the directness and simplicity of contemporary pop forms, singing tales straight from her own life, this is Cyrille as you have never heard her before. The album"s genesis originates far from New York or her adopted New Orleans home, deep within the forests of Costa Rica and an astonishing tale of a creative rebirth.
Das lauteste Rock/Fusion-Instrumental-Power-Trio der Welt beschert uns ihr erstes Konzeptalbum: In DUCK flieht der Protagonist, eine Ente, vor einem Pinguinpolizisten nach New York, wo Aufreger und Gefahren auf ihn warten. Die Aristocrats - Guthrie Govan/Gitarre, Bryan Beller/Bass, Marco Minnemann/Schlagzeug - haben ein kaleidoskopisches musikalisches Universum erschaffen, in dem sie sowohl typische Genre-Pastiches als auch einfallsreiche neue Arrangements erforschen - einige davon überraschend gefühlvoll und sensibel -, um die Geschichte zu ihrem rasanten Ende zu führen. Und während ihre offensichtliche Virtuosität und die ihr innewohnende Absurdität wie immer vorhanden sind, wird sie nun in der bisher ambitioniertesten kompositorischen und klanglichen Produktion der Band eingesetzt. Die abwechslungsreiche Musik begleitet den Protagonisten von der Ente in einem Großstadt-Tanzclub ("Aristoclub") über den gewaltsamen Rauswurf aus einer Spelunke ("Hey, Where's MY Drink Package") bis hin zum düsteren Thema für seinen Pinguin-Verfolger ("Sgt. Rockhopper") und endet schließlich mit dem actiongeladenen Balkan-Fusion-Finale "This Is Not Scrotum", bei dem der Geiger Rusanda Panfili (Hans Zimmer Live) als seltener Aristocrats-Album-Spezialgast auftritt. Duck ist das erste neue Studioalbum der Aristocrats seit fünf Jahren und wurde und mit einem Original-Artwork von Lance Myers (Space Jam) versehen. Und es ist klar, dass die ARISTOCRATS ihre kollektive Kunstfertigkeit auf ein völlig neues, wenn auch absurdes, Niveau gebracht haben. Als Standard CD, CD Deluxe Package in Box mit USB-Stick mit Stunden an Bonus-Material, Schlüsselanhänger und mehr sowie Dopple-Vinyl-LP erhältlich!
Following up on his Night Dreamer debut, accomplished pianist Nicolas van Poucke returns with a Direct-to-Disc recording of the works of Chopin. “Direct-to-disc is a unique process for classical recordings, and when given the opportunity by Night Dreamer I knew at once that I wanted to record the works of Chopin.”
Originally entering the studio with the intention of recording the Chopin pieces, van Poucke’s technical skill and emotional depth resulted in producing two direct-to-disc recordings, the other being a Beethoven record released in 2022 on Night Dreamer. Although an unusual method of recording for this style of music, the one-take process was met by van Poucke head-on, balancing the fine lines of emotion and detail, and following in the footsteps of the greats who once recorded in this way. Live recordings of classical works are rare and studio recordings lean towards the meticulously edited, with the detail afforded by hi-fi digital clarity often preferred to the warmth and feel of an analogue process. “Overall, with this album, I have aimed to showcase the full spectrum of Chopin's genius, from the intense drama of his larger works to the delicacy and poignancy of his miniatures. Recorded direct-to-disc, thus without any editing, the music is presented in its most honest and purest form, highlighting the utterly communicative aspect of Chopin's music. I am honored to have had the opportunity to record this album for and with Night Dreamer, and I hope that it will serve as a fitting tribute to the timeless beauty and profound emotional depth of Chopin's music.”
Direct-to-disc is a unique process for classical recordings, and when given the opportunity by Night Dreamer I knew at once that I wanted to record the works of Chopin. His music has long held a special place in my heart and remains central to my repertoire.
PAWN PAINTERS, das sind vier junge Kerle aus dem bayerischen Schrobenhausen, die auf magische Weise Indierock, Postpunk und Spacerock miteinander kombinieren. Sie haben ihren spacigen, von Reverb geprägten Grundsound genommen und ihn schneller (Durchschnittstempo: 179,1 bpm), rauer und punkiger gemacht. Um diesen Charakter auf dem Album einzufangen, haben sie das komplette Album an zwei Wochenenden live im Proberaum aufgenommen. Es ist rough und ungeschönt, aber (eben) auch geradeheraus und lebendig.
Los Angeles emcee Pawz One announces the 10th year anniversary release of his "Face The Facts" album on vinyl. The album is Pawz One's first solo album and was originally released in 2014 on vinyl, CD and digital formats. The first edition vinyl was sold out quickly back in 2014. Now the special edition vinyl is available on red and black vinyl, and new artwork.
Featuring a combination of gritty and smooth production from Los Angeles producers Default & Breeze that embody the genuine golden-era style. Heavyweight guests such as Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, Ras Kass, Termanology, 2Mex and Masta Ace all make solid appearances throughout the album.
[n] 14: The Luv (Remix) [feat. Masta Ace & Ariano]
Los Angeles emcee Pawz One announces the 10th year anniversary release of his "Face The Facts" album on vinyl. The album is Pawz One's first solo album and was originally released in 2014 on vinyl, CD and digital formats. The first edition vinyl was sold out quickly back in 2014. Now the special edition vinyl is available on red and black vinyl, and new artwork.
Featuring a combination of gritty and smooth production from Los Angeles producers Default & Breeze that embody the genuine golden-era style. Heavyweight guests such as Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, Ras Kass, Termanology, 2Mex and Masta Ace all make solid appearances throughout the album.
[n] 14: The Luv (Remix) [feat. Masta Ace & Ariano]
The king of Colombian Bass is back on another low-end adventure!
In the vein of his previous work "Colombian Party", "Sendero" is another homage to the diversity of Colombia’s musical cultures and the artist's all-time favorite genres such as bass music, Hip-Hop and Dancehall. The album was entirely recorded between Bogotá and Sunka’s countryside farm, where the artist has been living for the past few years, growing all kinds of fruits and vegetables, Sunka’s new album “Sendero”, featuring Medellin-based hip-hop and reggae singer Raspapulaman, rising stars La Bembera and Zam El Caribean, Bogotá-based hip-hop and punk singer Jacob DMC, hip-hop maestros Kontent Thug and Santacruz Medina of Kartel Pacifico, is not your typical tropical album.
As accustomed , Sunka delivers a perfect blend of sub frequencies, heavy electronic drums and organic elements. Sweet and sharp at the same time,"Sendero" will make you
whine your waist at home and in the club, and will certainly go heavy on your speakers!
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In their long career The Grateful Dead have been inspired by a stunning variety of American musical artists and traditions from blues to country to rock to folk - some of the most exciting and moving music ever recorded. Here are the original versions of The Dead's best loved cover tunes that surprise and delight with their musical depth, originality, and feeling. This collection has been lovingly compiled by a group of Dead insiders including Henry Kaiser, David Gans, and others with the enthusiastic support of The Dead itself. There are extensive notes included that give an overview detailing how the band came to cover each of these tunes and when they first played them in concert. The distinctive Robert Crumb cover artwork is an instant attraction and add to the collectability of this release.
Dry Cleaning will reissue their first two EPs, Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks / Sweet Princess, on 8 March 2024. Remastered to celebrate the release, Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks and Sweet Princess will be pressed as one single vinyl. The former will be available on cassette for the first time and include an exclusive bonus single, a demo of New Long Leg single, "Strong Feelings", recorded during the sessions for Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks. Today, the band has shared a new visualiser for the song "Sit Down Meal", the first in a series of new visualisers created for all tracks across the EP by original "Magic of Meghan" video collaborator Lucy Vann. To coincide with the reissues, Dry Cleaning will head back on the road this March and April for headline sets that will lean heavily on songs from Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks and Sweet Princess. The tour will offer fans the chance to see the band play in more intimate venues like Leeds" Brudenell Social Club and East London"s EartH theatre, and honour US shows that were postponed in 2020 (including SXSW and Treefort festivals). Tickets will go on sale this Friday 19 January.
Hardcore chaos !
Etched limited 100 copies.
First track is an industrial pityless underground pearl, chaotik and noisy, with a solid antigroove feeling... The second track, more regular for the dancefloor is still quiet industrial... Starting a bit hardtek and minimal which is quiet DJ friendly, it soon turns into a hardcore noise sound... This record plays 33 but bass are so loud that you can dare a 45 for a maximum speedcore experience...
The record B side is Etched lazer !
All copies are hand Numbered from 01 to 100.
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Their Satanic Majesties Request - ursprünglich in den legendären Londoner Olympic Studios aufgenommen, produziert von Glyn Johns und mit Streicherarrangements von John Paul Jones - enthält einige ihrer fantasievollsten Klanglandschaften, darunter afrikanische Rhythmen, Mellotron, ”gefundene Stimmen” und volle Orchestrierung. Es ist ein innovatives und experimentelles Stück, das von Coltrane, John Barrys Spionage-Thriller-Soundtracks und klassischen Komponisten ebenso beeinflusst ist wie vom Blues und R’n’B früherer Veröffentlichungen.
1965 bewiesen die Stones mit Out Of Our Heads, dass sie in der Lage waren, klassische Rock-Singles zu schreiben, die ihre R&B- und Blues-Wurzeln aufgriffen, sie aber in einen gitarrenlastigeren, durch und durch zeitgenössischen Kontext stellten. Die amerikanische Version dieser Kollektion hatte ein anderes Coverdesign und eine andere Tracklist, um zwei der großen Stones-Singles zu präsentieren - The Last Time (und die bedrohliche, folkige B-Seite Play With Fire) und das klassische, riff-orientierte Satisfaction - einer der Schlüsselmomente der Rock- und Popgeschichte! I’m All Right (basierend auf einem Riff im Stil von Bo Diddley) zeigt den Sound von 1965 von seiner rauesten Seite, während The Spider And The Fly eine schöne, rollende Version des Blues ist.
Wie eine frische Brise, die durch ein nach langer Zeit wieder geöffnetes Fenster hineinweht, klingt „Visions”, das neunte Solo-Studioalbum der neunfachen GRAMMY-Preisträgerin, Sängerin, Songwriterin und Pianistin Norah Jones. „Visions“ entstand in enger Zusammenarbeit mit Produzent und Multiinstrumentalist Leon Michels, der die singende und Klavier, Keyboards, Gitarre und Bass spielende Künstlerin am Schlagzeug sowie an Bass, Gitarre und Saxophon begleitet. Auf einigen Songs sind zudem als Gäste Brian Blade (Drums), Dave Guy (Trompete) und Jesse Murphy (Bass) zu hören. ”Visions” zeigt Norah Jones in Bestform, sanft rockend und groovend, mit zwölf Song über eine neu empfundene spirituelle Freiheit. Man kann das Album als das Yang zum Yin von ”Pick Me Up Off The Floor” betrachten, Jones’ letztem Studio-Album mit eigenen Songs, das zu Beginn des Corona-Lockdowns im Jahr 2020 veröffentlicht wurde und viele der dunkleren Emotionen jener Zeit aufgriff.
The Tapeworm celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2024. Its first tape was 2009's "Spool" by the much-missed Philip Jeck. To honour his memory, Jay Glass Dubs unwinds "Spool" in a new hour-long composition using Jeck's tape as his primary sound source. This tape was commissioned for "The Worm Rose Of Athens", two evenings of performances curated by Stellage, 1-2 March 2024, Athens. Written, recorded, produced and mixed by Dimitris Papadatos, Athens, 2024. With special thanks to Mary Prestidge.
Their journey began with them forming in Lubbock, Texas in 1957, and following a recommendation, they were introduced to Norman Petty. Petty owned a small independent recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico. And after some musical nurturing they became one of the first Rock and Roll groups to write, record and perform their own compositions. Their breakthrough hit That’ll be the day skyrocketed the sparkling young quartet to stardom. 1957 saw it become a transatlantic Number 1 for The Crickets. Then came further hits in Oh Boy! And Maybe Baby. This led to the release of their first album The Chirping Crickets which was both co-written and produced by Petty, his writing contributions can be found on Not Fade Away, You’ve Got Love, Tell Me How, I’m Lookin’ For Someone To Love and Last Night, An Empty Cup (And A Broken Date), which was co-written with Roy Orbison. Also included are It's Too Late, Send Me Some Lovin’ and Rock Me My Baby.
In the UK ‘Garage’ is most commonly used to refer to Rock music –
mostly of the kind that’s a bit rough (and ready) round the edges. Most
of the Punks were Garage bands, and before them were Psychedelic
Rockers, and before them Surfers and Beat bands. All the groups on
this compilation hail from the late 1950s and very early 1960s. Featured genres are Surfer instrumentals, Doo-Wop, ‘Trash’ Doo-Wop, Frat-Rock and Beat music.
Post-Punk (Originally Called New Musick) Is A Broad Musical Genre That Emerged In 1977 In The Wake Of Punk Rock. Post-Punk Musicians Moved Away From Punk's Traditional Elements And Raw Simplicity, Adopting Instead A Broader, More Experimental Approach That Included A Variety Of Avant-Garde Sensibilities And Non-Rock Influences. Inspired By Punk's Energy And DIY Ethos, But Determined To Break With Rock Clichés, Artists Experimented With Styles Such As Funk, Electronic Music, Jazz And Dance Music; Dub And Disco Production Techniques; And Ideas From Art And Politics, Including Critical Theory, Modernist Art, Film And Literature.
These Communities Have Produced Independent Record Labels, Visual Art, Multimedia Performances And Fanzines. These Three Compilations Are By No Means 'Best Of' Or Collections Of Chart Hits. They Are Compilations That Endeavour (And We Think They Do Well) To Take A Wide-Ranging Look At The UK And American Post-Punk Scene In The Years From 1978 To 1984, But Here Almost Everything Stops In 1981, Giving Space To Bands And Artists That Almost Always Didn't Make It Beyond The 45 Rpm Mark. A Representation Of The True 'Outside Of Everything' Of The Era.
"Die Butter" ist das neueste Studio-Album von Intimspray. Es ist eine kraftvolle Kombination aus individuellem Groove, scharfen Riffs und schneidend-bösen Texten. Der Spirit der 80er Jahre wird mit einer Endzeitstimmung in 13 brandneuen Songs auf Vinyl und digitalen Kanälen vereint!
6 Bloody good tunes with a particularity : It sounds mental but it is not because tunes are changing their kicks or their environement every 64 mesures... It's a very well done thing to drop people into mental and then turning into shouting crowds again... Excellent job !!! Tunes are a bit short but they have a comon feeling and speed so the EP is finally easy to mix :) ENJOY !
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First Word Records is proud to bring you 'The Essance' - the classic debut album by Essa (formerly known as Yungun), originally released in 2004, now released on vinyl & digital for the first time, 20 years on!
A lyricist, lawyer and a Londoner, legendary MC Essa has earned praise over the years from artists such as Nas and Mark Ronson, as well as performing and recording with legends like De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Guru, Slum Village and Pharoahe Monch.
This 15-track album is considered one of the greats to emerge during UK Hip Hop's "golden era"; a vibrant time for the genre when artists such as Ty, Jehst, Roots Manuva, Klashnekoff, Skinnyman, Task Force, Doc Brown and Foreign Beggars were garnering huge fanbases, and an eco-system of shops like Deal Real, club nights like Kung Fu, labels like Lowlife, and stations like Itch FM were prevalent, while BBC 1Xtra was a mere infant.
'The Essance' includes production and features from luminaries such as Harry Love, Mr Thing, Lewis Parker, Kyza, Devise & Ben Grymm, to name a few.
Esteemed author Musa Okwonga says on the reissue liner notes "the most startling thing about 'The Essance' was its range. Yungun (Essa) was one of the few MCs who could perfectly walk the paths of hope and melancholy with equal ease, whose artist name belied the wisdom of his lyrics. Beyond that, his delivery was supremely self-assured, filled with a swagger he could always justify.
Yungun's gifts also extended to the stage, where he was one of the best young actors that many of his contemporaries had seen, and to languages, which saw him writing and rhyming in Spanish with a notable flourish. He was also someone who constantly walked between two worlds, excelling in one of the country's most competitive academic environments during the day and then delivering a soaring radio set by night. Raised in a vibrant vein of North London, endlessly curious about the world around him, Yungun's fine ear for music and passion for the variety of life made him someone who could reach all audiences.
'The Essance' is a beautifully-woven meditation on the human condition, one which takes you from the dancefloor to the summer afternoon barbecue to the bathroom mirror; yet it is also the opening statement of a unique career."
In the words of Essa himself "my key goal for this album was to span so many moods and styles that I couldn't be categorised, leaving me free to then go in whatever direction I chose. I was almost too successful with this – I would later struggle to pin down my own identity, both on and off the mic, as a rapper slash lawyer, of mixed-heritage, blessed to be able to enter many circles but feeling truly at home in none. As I write this, twenty years (plus a marriage and several children) on, I finally feel more at peace with being undefinable, and am getting better at bringing my full, authentic self into as many aspects of life as I can. I am grateful to be able to look both back and forward, with equal passion."
'The Essance' was followed with a collaborative album with DJ Mr Thing ('Grown Man Business'), then some years later on First Word with 'The Misadventures of a Middle Man' in 2014. There's also a forthcoming project in the works, due for release Summer 2024 with all-new material produced by Pitch 92. Both these releases also coincide with the 20th anniversary of the First Word label (named "label of the year" at the 2019 Worldwide Awards).
A timeless piece of work, 'The Essance' is true-skool boom bap through and through that stands up two full decades later, from the ethereal anthem 'Liquid Love', to the uptempo bounce of 'Dancing Shoes', to the grit of 'The Big Idea', to the thought provoking 'What Eye See Pt.2', to bangers like 'Push' or 'Spit Fire', this is an essential addition to the collection of any discerning hip hop head.
'The Essance' is due to be released on vinyl & digital worldwide on February 23rd 2024.
It all started with a crashed computer and it certainly didn’t end there. »Cinnte le Dia« is the third collaborative album by Hanno Leichtmann and Valerio Tricoli, their first entry into Ni Vu Ni Connu’s duo series that focuses on Berlin’s Echtzeitmusik scene and beyond. Having already released two joint records on the now-defunct Entr'acte label, the two musicians wanted to document a 2018 concert in Berlin, but technology failed them. Undeterred, the sound artist and percussionist and the electroacoustic composer went to the former’s Static Music Studio to record six of the eight tracks on this record straight to tape, with two additional ones being recorded during a performance at Eupen’s Meakusma festival in 2019.
After 2016’s »The Future of Discipline« saw the duo enter the studio for a one-take session with added synth-bass overdubs and 2018’s »La Casa delle Chimere« documented a live gig in Kyiv, »Cinnte le Dia« presents a synthesis of the two approaches. Mixing the album together and adding overdubs—Leichtmann with his synth-bass again, Tricoli with his trusted Revox B77—the duo combined the special energy of their performance in front of a live audience with the intimate atmosphere of a studio session between two exceptional improvisers and composers. The pieces are accordingly marked by their sonic density, but also a rhythmic intricacy that makes the album as a whole negotiate its place in music history between bass-heavy, dubbed-out club music and electroacoustic as well as musique concrète techniques.
Leichtmann worked with a mix of acoustic percussion routed through a modified looper and a granular live sampler as well as electronic drums consisting of three modular sampleplayers, a Syncussion drum synth and a bass drum module. Depending on the current set-up, the two fed this input through Tricoli’s B77 either individually or collectively to further manipulate single elements or the entire sound. What might look complicated on a tech rider sounds intuitive on record: these are two versatile musicians engaging in a play of difference and repetition, acting and reacting to each other in real-time, but also creating additional layers by inserting new elements after the fact. In a very literal way, »Cinnte le Dia« is the duo’s most refined album, yet at the same time a testament to the uncanny energy they unleash during their improvisations. It’s solemn and moody, spontaneous and driving at once. Of course a computer couldn’t handle that.
Recommended If You Like: OOIOO, Blonde Redhead, Guerilla Toss, Rolling Stones, Liars, Marnie Stern, Yoko Ono, Battles. Clear Sun Vinyl. Reissue of Deerhoof’s 2002 album Reveille. First Deerhoof album with guitarist John Dieterich. Back in print on vinyl! Deerhoof debuts their new guitarist John Dieterich and achieves widespread critical acclaim for the first time. 2002’s Reveille is a defiant expression of artistic rebirth, spilling over with madcap exuberance, apocalyptic imagery, newfound technical confidence belying their no-budget DIY recording methods, and jarring stylistic about-faces in which no two songs sound alike. The contrast of Satomi’s ever-catchy, ever-charming melodiousness with John and Greg’s noisy, cinematic bombast still has the power to thrill and tickle and upset, more than 20 years after its initial release. Includes reimagined cover art with the faint morning glow the band had always envisioned, pressed on clear sun-colored vinyl. Complete lyrics included for the first time, written by Satomi on the center labels.
“But into my miserable brain, always concerned with looking for noon at two o’clock" - Charles Baudelaire (1869)
The Foreign Department is the second album by Astrel K, the solo project helmed by Stockholm-based British ex-pat, Rhys Edwards. Those already familiar with Edwards’ work will likely know him for fronting the cultishly great Ulrika Spacek, and given he operates as the principal songwriter in both projects, much of the same hallmarks of his cathartic, elliptical songwriting are present in Astrel K. Nonetheless, The Foreign Department feels like a rubicon moment of sorts, and the album that Edwards has unconsciously been working towards his entire creative life.
As a title, The Foreign Department offers an instructive guide for the listener, framing a life-in-transition/artist-in-exile document that maps two impromptu moves in twelve months for its songwriter: the first from London in pursuit of a relationship, the second between homes in Stockholm as that decade long relationship then suddenly dissolved. Indeed, diffusion, dissolution and reconstitution feel like appropriate touchstones for its recurring themes. Written amidst the flux of two states, at once isolated from home and then any established emotional anchor, the resulting eleven tracks came to represent a precognitive search for shifting identity and with it forming an unwittingly biographical record. It's commendable and somewhat telling that during this shake up, Edwards somehow landed upon his most realised and original work.
With a former life stripped away, there emerged an opportunity to reinvent a sense of self through art, now not just as a writer, but a composer also. Developing the confidence to arrange songs in ways he'd previously considered off-limits, while also taking cues from the opulent string and brass arrangements of records like Mercury Rev's Deserters' Songs and Death of A Ladies Man by Leonard Cohen, Edwards enlisted a range of performers to bring to life the mini-symphonies forming in his head. Perhaps it's inevitable that an album written while facing the consequences of being alone would eventually ossify around the process of bringing people together.
For all its troubled origins, The Foreign Department is a remarkably warm sounding collection. Edwards' lyrics are typically knotty and neurotic, dancing around the poetry of quarter-life anxiety, but the music itself is often joyous and even uplifting, the combination expressing that neat duality of melancholic euphoria. Edwards sings variously of crises, "torrid pieces of art", of "houses on fire" and not "having the guts for it", yet these troubling sentiments are framed by seemingly incongruous swelling strings, chirping horns or motorik percussion, creating that sense of pushing forward or floating above, of wrapping your troubles in dreams, a salve for the moments when you get a bit too much for yourself.
Lead single, 'Darkness At Noon', likely captures this all best. Named for the French idiom "midi a quatorze heures", the maddening idea of attempting the impossible for the sake of some greater possibly pointless cause, it directly grapples with the opposing notions of wanting and not wanting, of being here and being there at the same time. The conflicting and impossible self. It’s something Edwards addresses in the song at perhaps his most open, opining, “I know I want to be seen, but I hate most of what comes out of me”. And yet here is, putting it all out in the open and on the line, the dialectics of his enlightenment up on show.
Standard black vinyl is limited to 500 copies. Digipack CD. It’s two years since CONNECTIVITY (2021) smashed into the top 40 and debuted at #1 in the UK download chart, propelling the fiercely independent voice of GRACE PETRIE from critics’ choice to the main stages of major festivals across The UK and Ireland, Australia and Canada. For a seasoned road dog who spent almost 15 years clocking up tours with the likes of Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and Hannah Gadsby, the COVID lockdowns were like a cage for Petrie and when restrictions lifted, she hit the road harder than ever, armed with her most searing and successful record to date, and determined to make up for lost time. Sell-out headline tours across the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand followed, with audiences from Melbourne to Toronto mesmerised by the ferocity of her socially urgent lyricism and the barnstorming power of her live show. But travelling the globe hasn’t diminished her laser focus on the political issues plaguing the UK, with two more Prime Ministers, endless blunders and evermore division seen since she last swapped microphone for pen and paper. Now the songwriter is back - stronger, older and a whole lot angrier than ever before. As right wing ideologues trade in suspicion and cynicism, tearing communities apart against a backdrop of crumbling public services, the ordinary folk of Britain continue to suffer the consequences of corruption and individualism. From within this maelstrom of despair comes BUILD SOMETHING BETTER - the new, uncontainable album from Grace Petrie. Recorded raw and unflinchingly with folk-punk legend Frank Turner in the producer’s seat, BUILD SOMETHING BETTER is a return to blistering protest form for Britain’s most relevant political songwriter, a decade after being hailed as “a powerful new voice”, (The Guardian) and “a millennial’s Billy Bragg” (Huffington Post). In a world that seems to make less sense than ever, these are songs made to both holler along to from the crowd barrier and to tear up with on a lonely late night train. A record for everyone whose broken heart beats for, and whose boots stomp in time with, the hope a brighter tomorrow. “An effervescent charm-bomb of a performer” - The New Yorker. Headline Tour: 21st Feb Belfast - Oh Yeah Centre 22nd Dublin - Whelan’s, 24th Manchester - Academy 2, 28th Kendal - Brewery Arts 29th Edinburgh – Summerhall 1st March Gateshead – Glasshouse 6th Birmingham - Glee Club 7th Leeds - Brudenell Social Club 8th Nottingham - Rescue Rooms 9th Liverpool – Philharmonic 13th Oxford - The Bullingdon 14th London - Islington Assembly Hall 15th Brighton - Concorde 2 16th Norwich - Norwich Arts Centre 20th Cambridge - The Junction 21st Portsmouth - Wedgewood Rooms 22nd Exeter – Phoenix 23rd Bristol - Trinity Centre
The debut album from Groningen scene stalwarts Real Farmer arrives, sprouting fully formed punk - equally melodic and breezy, and urgent and abrasive - evocative of a hybrid of The Jesus and Mary Chain and MC5. However, the band instil their addictively melodic noise with as much present-day influences and originality as there nods to The Stooges.
Étrange Hiver (Strange Winter) is UK songwriter, Tom McRae's 9th studio album. An exquisite collection of original duets with renowned French artists, such as Keren Ann, Chien Noir, Alex Beaupain, Clou and more. McRae decided to collaborate on these 11 new songs with various artists as a way of acknowledging his deep love of French music, and deepen his relationship with mainland Europe, following Britain’s disastrous decision to leave the EU. Tom’s debut album went Gold in France in 2001, selling over 60,000 copies, and he has divided his time between Paris and Wiltshire since 2021. Says Tom: “I grew up being intrigued by classic French songs. Before streaming services made all music readily available, only the huge crossover pop songs made it across the channel, but while my friends were listening to Vanessa Paradis, I was listening to Serge Gainsbourg. It seemed exotic, adventurous, and to be from another planet, let alone a country only 21 miles away from my own.” During Covid, McRae released a single with his Belgian friend, Wannes Cappelle, a reworking of one of Tom’s songs in English and West Vlaams, as well as an album of duets with a Welsh artist, Lowri Evans. Both projects sparking his interest in collaboration with other artists. “It’s not been a great time to be British since 2016”, says McRae. “We’ve become politically, economically and culturally isolated since Brexit - and I want to show that I feel more of a European than simply just an English person.” “But mostly this album, Étrange Hiver, is about beautiful songs, some in English, some in French. Sung as duets with friends (some established artists, as well as some new or undiscovered voices) and creating 11 little emotional moments in a crazy world. Some cinematic, some more intimate and personal, all of the songs addressing the important things in life: love, loss, political populism, impending climate collapse… written at a time when it feels as if the world may never escape from this long, strange winter.“ Artists duetting on this album with Tom include: Keren Ann, Chien Noir, Clou, Alex Beaupain, Rose, Naya, Vanille, Helena Noguerra, Alma Forrer, Aïtone, Julien Brocal, and now more are lining up to sing with Tom on a volume 2
Scottish alt/post/progressive-rock outfit Midas Fall release their Fifth studio album, ‘Cold Waves Divide Us’ on March 8th, 2024 worldwide on Monotreme Records. Michael Hamilton joins founding members Elizabeth Heaton and Rowan Burn for the follow-up to their 2018 Prog Magazine Awards ‘Limelight Award’ winning album, ‘Evaporate’. ‘Cold Waves Divide Us’ sees Midas Fall at their most confidently visceral, each song moving beautifully between quiet and loud, gentle and crushing. “This album is a heavier and bigger experience than the last album”, says Heaton. “We kept the atmospheric strings and 80s synths of Evaporate but wanted to add heavier layered elements, to represent more what we sound like live.” Opener ‘In the Morning We’ll Be Someone Else’ starts quietly with serene piano and vocals, ominously ratcheting up the tension to walls of crashing guitars and Heaton’s soaring vocals. ‘I Am Wrong’ thunders along on pounding rhythmic drums swirling around heavy swathes of low and delicate melodic highs. On ‘Monsters’, the band are more contemplative, with an ethereal beginning making way for gorgeously syncopated guitar and drums, whilst ‘Cold Waves Divide Us’ builds slower, allowing Heaton’s voice to gracefully float over the growing force beneath it. ‘Avalanche’ is a bittersweet lullaby showcasing Heaton’s heart-rending vocals in one of the quieter moments on the album. ‘Point of Diminishing Return’ sees a more electronic influence, with glittering shimmered synths taking the space where guitar melodies were, but with all of the Post Rock beauty that the duo are known for, something ‘Little Wooden Boxes’ showcases perfectly, expertly hovering between gentle clean guitar and piano, and exhilarating, uplifting full-band, full-bore epic. Credits: Elizabeth Heaton - vocals, guitars, strings, synths, piano, drums // Rowan Burn - guitars, synths, piano, drums // Michael Hamilton - bass, synths, drums // Music by Elizabeth Heaton and Rowan Burn/Lyrics by Elizabeth Heaton
Back again for the first time in a few years, note price increase. Unfettered by studio time limitations with their own home base of Echo Canyon, SYR 2 shows Sonic Youth chasing the shadows of predecessor SYR 1 and the series' distinct aesthetic: total exploration of freedom and further discovery. While the cover art evokes European contempo classical releases of yore, Sonic Youth distinctively reinvent their own personal output potential the way those kinds of records revolutionized a previously defined genre. Their ethos of utilizing the roots of the Ramones, Television, VU, Stooges, and No Wave to shape their first decade now find the band in later years bullet-pointing fascination in AMM, MEV, improvised music, free jazz and other outer-limit/organic refractions of traditional rock. While Sonic Youth's spontaneous-creation moments had long been showcased in their recordings, Peel Sessions, and live, SYR 2 sums up the band's state in 1997: rolling lots of tape, fine-tuning ideas and presenting great moments of exciting new directions, allowing deep-listener type fans to gain better insight into their sound process. Add to that the alchemy of Jim O'Rourke's gradual entry into the core band which would soon be fully on display for SYR 3, and this series is an X-ray of evolution, dissection and reconstruction
Crypt of the Wizard is proud to present Dipygus - Dipygus on vinyl and digital formats. Breaking bones, sucking the marrow dry and concocting its own mind-bending blend of cryptid death metal mutilations for over a decade now, Dipygus are a North American quartet powerhouse of crushing caveman gore grooves and monstrous neanderthal percussive slaughter. With already a blood hungry host of extended plays, splits and full-lengths under their gut string loincloths, Dipygus burst forth into 2024 with their self-titled third album—pushing the primitive psychosis of their sonic assault into new arenas of hallucinogenic cannibal combat. Rife with the foetid stench of mouldering mammoth corpses, Dipygus have spared no prisoners for their latest album; amping up their jungle fever dead dreams with skull smashing drumwork, monolithic bass brutality, captivating death hooks, venomous hypnotic leads, guttural flesh growls, ancient cryptid thematics and a truly diseased atmosphere, one that is as equally oppressive, as it is ferociously ominous. Freak induced fatalism from the backward fringes of time, Dipygus have once again laid morbid massacre to the audio waves and created their most potent slab of infectious caveman styled death metal to date, one that any cannibalistic monster marauder would be thrilled to sharpen their gnarled bone axes upon.
Navy blue vinyl. For fans of Triumph, Rik Emmett, and Classic Rock! Rik Emmett is best known as the guitarist/vocalist for the legendary Canadian hard rock band Triumph. Between its 16 albums and DVDs, they have received 18 gold and nine platinum awards in Canada and the United States. They were nominated for multiple Juno Awards, including the 'Group of the Year Award' in 1979, 1985, 1986, and 1987. It was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2007, into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2019. Their classic Allied Forces sold over a million copies in the US, while attaining the highest chart positions any Triumph album would attain: No. 23 in the US and No. 13 in Canada. It included the songs "Fight the Good Fight" and "Magic Power". "Magic Power" reached #8 on the Billboard Mainstream Top Rock Tracks chart and #51 on the Hot 100, while "Fight the Good Fight" went to #18 on the Top Rock Tracks chart. "Diamonds" is a brand-new compilation featuring Rik's favorite rock tracks from his Duke Street years. Newly remastered in 2023 at Iguana Studios in Toronto ON with the most up-to-date technology, every track brims with a new crisp presence. Tracks from Absolutely, Ipso Facto and The Spiral Notebook never sounded so good!
From the cold corners of the Canadian soil, Illect's Newselph returns with some fiery furnace baked heat in the form of a remix album. On If It Ain't Broke, Remix It, Newselph carries on tradition in the spirit of Hip Hop legends like Pete Rock, Erick Sermon and Buckwild in the sacred art of remixing and refixing. Like the boom baptists before him, Newselph's ear hears transmissions reserved for angels and dolphins. He takes tracks that in their original incarnations are perfectly fine, banging even, and gets all up in the inner workings of said slaps to create something entirely different. For his latest release, he mines his backyard and reworks ten tracks from his Illect labelmates. The lead single, Those Were The Days, features the UK's Kinetik and BREIS. Newselph turns breezy into bluesy, and the track morphs into a makeshift teleportation device to a simpler time when fat laces, arcade games and handwritten letters reigned supreme. The Flowers remix features Jurny Big and Brand Nubian's most recognisable voice, Sadat X. The two emcees come together to the world and the roles they play within it. Newselph's push-and-pull guitar groove would fit perfectly as the backdrop for a campfire convo filled with nostalgic stories and witty anecdotes. Things get deeper than Atlantis on Matters Of Man, where Newselph again links up with his man, Sareem Poems, and one-third of the Ugly Heroes crew, Chris Orrick. Serving up a healthy slice of adult contemporary musings, the two rhyme writers break down this thing called life with the kind of knowledge, wisdom and understanding that would make King Solomon chill. Like watery clay in the hands of Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen, Newselph scrapes and shapes a rubbery bassline, dreamy droplets of keys and pensive melodies into a reassuring ode of optimism. Other guest appearances on the album include Sivion, Sojourn, MidCentury Modern, Ozay Moore, Dre Murray, DJ Because and many more. Like the classic TV show The Wire, all the pieces matter, and the sum of parts come together seamlessly to form something more meaningful.
Noch vor Klez.e und And The Golden Choir gab es bereits Delbo mit Tobias Siebert. Das dritte Album aus dem Jahr 2006 des damaligen Trios jetzt wieder erhältlich. Havarien sind Unfälle mit großen Folgeschäden. Bei Delbo davon betroffen: das Leben, die Liebe, das Finden der eigenen Identität. Mit dem dritten Album hat das Trio neue Wege gefunden, um dem Daseinsschmerz zu begegnen. Jetzt gibt es kein Verstecken mehr hinter Lärm und Wut, "Havarien" destilliert, was vom Noiserock bleibt, wenn dem Zusammenspiel von Gitarre-Bass-Schlagzeug der Krach genommen wird. Unglaublich, wieviel Schönheit sie freiräumen, ohne die Strukturen zu verändern. Deutscher Gitarrenpop funktioniert also auch ohne große Gesten und egomane Nabelschau. Ihre poetisch-abstrakten Texte haben Delbo dabei aus der Vergangenheit herübergerettet. Wann immer Bassist Daniel Spindler mit Sprechgesang seine Alltagsdämonen bannt, betreibt er auch bei uns Schadensbegrenzung.
Klez.e veröffentlichen Anfang 2017 ihr viertes, vielbeachtetes und erfolgreiches Album Desintegration. ,Schicksalsmelodieen für den kommenden Aufstand", schrieb Andreas Borcholte auf Spiegel Online über das Album: Desintegration ist eine Erinnerung daran, wie Popmusik Emotionen, poetische Botschaften und Ästhetik zu Relevanz verdichten kann." Das Live-Album November bietet nicht nur Live-Versionen von Desintegration aus verschiedenen Orten der 2017er-Tour, sondern birgt eine ganze Reihe ältere Klez.e Stücke in unerhörten, neuen Versionen. Die Konzerte sind in Klangästhetik und Haltung hervorragend abgebildet. Dicht, intensiv und direkt. Sie holen einen direkt an den Ort der Geschichte. Livealbum Desintegration Tour 2017, Doppel-LP/Doppel-CD wieder erhältlich.
We came together with Delicious Vinyl to release a special edition version of Yancey Boys "Sunset Blvd" instrumentals but packaged in brand-new artwork. Edition of 300.
Die Ein-Mann-Armee Athenar (aka Jamie Walters) hat über zwei Jahrzehnte lang unzählige Demos, Splits und EPs veröffentlicht und schließlich den Metal/Punk-Underground mit seiner eigenen, höchst süchtig machenden Mischung aus Lust, Grime und Sleaze erschlagen. MIDNIGHT ist dreckig, streitlustig und unverschämt. Sie machen Musik, zu der man Schlägereien anzetteln kann, und 2024 kehren Athenar mit "Hellish Expectations" zurück, einem zehn Tracks umfassenden, düsteren Heavy-Metal-Soundtrack.
Standard black vinyl is limited to 500 copies. Digipack CD. It’s two years since CONNECTIVITY (2021) smashed into the top 40 and debuted at #1 in the UK download chart, propelling the fiercely independent voice of GRACE PETRIE from critics’ choice to the main stages of major festivals across The UK and Ireland, Australia and Canada. For a seasoned road dog who spent almost 15 years clocking up tours with the likes of Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and Hannah Gadsby, the COVID lockdowns were like a cage for Petrie and when restrictions lifted, she hit the road harder than ever, armed with her most searing and successful record to date, and determined to make up for lost time. Sell-out headline tours across the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand followed, with audiences from Melbourne to Toronto mesmerised by the ferocity of her socially urgent lyricism and the barnstorming power of her live show. But travelling the globe hasn’t diminished her laser focus on the political issues plaguing the UK, with two more Prime Ministers, endless blunders and evermore division seen since she last swapped microphone for pen and paper. Now the songwriter is back - stronger, older and a whole lot angrier than ever before. As right wing ideologues trade in suspicion and cynicism, tearing communities apart against a backdrop of crumbling public services, the ordinary folk of Britain continue to suffer the consequences of corruption and individualism. From within this maelstrom of despair comes BUILD SOMETHING BETTER - the new, uncontainable album from Grace Petrie. Recorded raw and unflinchingly with folk-punk legend Frank Turner in the producer’s seat, BUILD SOMETHING BETTER is a return to blistering protest form for Britain’s most relevant political songwriter, a decade after being hailed as “a powerful new voice”, (The Guardian) and “a millennial’s Billy Bragg” (Huffington Post). In a world that seems to make less sense than ever, these are songs made to both holler along to from the crowd barrier and to tear up with on a lonely late night train. A record for everyone whose broken heart beats for, and whose boots stomp in time with, the hope a brighter tomorrow. “An effervescent charm-bomb of a performer” - The New Yorker. Headline Tour: 21st Feb Belfast - Oh Yeah Centre 22nd Dublin - Whelan’s, 24th Manchester - Academy 2, 28th Kendal - Brewery Arts 29th Edinburgh – Summerhall 1st March Gateshead – Glasshouse 6th Birmingham - Glee Club 7th Leeds - Brudenell Social Club 8th Nottingham - Rescue Rooms 9th Liverpool – Philharmonic 13th Oxford - The Bullingdon 14th London - Islington Assembly Hall 15th Brighton - Concorde 2 16th Norwich - Norwich Arts Centre 20th Cambridge - The Junction 21st Portsmouth - Wedgewood Rooms 22nd Exeter – Phoenix 23rd Bristol - Trinity Centre
Svart Records to release new album by rising stars of eclectic heavy rock, Messa on the 11th of March 2022. Messa’s rising trajectory hits the stratosphere on their immense new album “Close”. Soaring up out of the Italian Doom Rock underground in 2014, Messa have been rapidly garnering a frenzied throng of devotees, in thrall to their monumental and broad-ranging sound craft. Releasing two widely celebrated cult records, the latest of which “Feast For Water” in 2018 was a critical breakthrough success, with Rolling Stone calling the whole album “captivating, wringing maximum drama out of its savvy stylistic clash,” Messa have had everyone on tenterhooks, waiting for what was next. New album “Close” draws us further into Messa’s spellbinding textures and immersive dynamics. Described as “Stevie Nicks fronting Black Sabbath,” singer Sara’s colossal voice omnipotently carries the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride where the sonic cauldron of Iommi guitars gives way to Arabian oudh and progressive solos in a masterful style-clash that well befits Messa’s incendiary reputation.
