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Introducing OBI02 – Plight of the Gifted EP by TB Shine, the second release on
Dutch-label OBI Trackz.

Operating under various aliases since the early 2000s, TB Shine is one of the many expressions of Norwegian artist Terje Bakke. Plight of the Gifted EP holds five tracks that drift between hypnotic minimalism and raw percussive workouts, told through disjointed rhythms, haunting atmospheres, and layered tension.

The A side kicks off with Dopamine Dungeon—a slippery, low-end-driven roller wrapped in hazy textures and unstable euphoria. The track traps the listener in a quirky haunt, like the title describes accordingly. Red Army Moody Troopers follows with a tougher edge: straight drums, spectral pads, and an undercurrent of unrest. It’s a track that marches forward but never fully lands, suspended in an unresolved urgency.

On the B side, Plight of the Gifted appears in two versions. The original leans into emotional melodic motifs and fragmented structures, evoking both vulnerability and defiance. The Haunted Version strips things back further—bleeding with space, odd grooves, and a kind of post-club phychosis that lingers long after. Closing the EP is Plague Doctor, a slow-burning piece where a hopeful melody echoes and distant percussion round off the release with a sense of closure while being wrapped in a warm blanket.

With Plight of the Gifted EP, TB Shine offers a layered and personal collection— one that walks the tightrope between control and collapse, rhythm and mood. A fitting next step for Obi Trackz: cryptic, cinematic, and carved with intent.

Los Angeles-based duo LUCKYANDLOVE are back with their third album, evoking a new sense of art school originality, following their critically acclaimed “Transitions” album. The duo defines 'Humaura' as the atmosphere that emanates from the feelings of the human spirit void of technological control.

Blending raw analog synth sounds with driving punctuated percussion and punchy analogue bass, LUCKYANDLOVE’s music is shaped by the embers of Siouxsie and The Banshees and Bauhaus, resonant spectres carry over from synth-laden galaxies, where the needle hits the vinyl groove and Doc Martens marched to basement dance floors.

LUCKYANDLOVE is the raw sonic experiment of Loren Luck and April Love, whose music transcends genres. Their live analogue synth beats, Moog instrumentation and beautiful, harmonic vocals trigger an immediate download of fuzzy sunset synthgaze, blue-black neon darkwave, and tigerprint electro punk.

“‘Humaura’ is an action-packed, cinematic, entertaining and soulful electro-dance record full of fresh air and wide-open roads where there is more freedom to party, to be in nature, and to be our wild selves,” says April Love.

Fusing together pulsating molten kicks, abrasive fuzz-laden analog synths and sensual vocals, the anti-tech angst anthem ‘I Am Human’ is a call to take back our lives, underlining the need to reconnect with being Human before it’s too late. ‘Lonely at Night’ is a "last call" bar track about the desperate, frantic desire for human connection, building from a haunting sense of isolation to a fast-paced, climactic reunion with a crush. Elsewhere, this album features enchanting lyrics rooted in emotions from melancholy and sorrowful glom to a state of blissful trance.

This album was recorded, mixed and mastered for digital release by Grammy award-winning engineer Be Hussey (Modern English, Twin Tribes, Boy Harsher) at Balboa Studio and Catwater for the digital music, and mastered for vinyl and lathe-cut by Grammy-nominated engineer Nicholas Townsend (Weezer, Grimes) at Townsend Mastering.

Their 'Lucky + Love' and 'Transitions' albums having earning them a global fan following, US and UK tours, multiple tracks featured in the indie hit film 'Tiger Within' (Ed Asner's final performance), and wide acclaim, noting their “soulful, synthesized sound" (LA Weekly), “spectral synths and dazed-dreamy feeling” (Big Takeover Magazine), not to mention their "uncompromising and inventive sonic experiment” (The Spill Magazine) and sound that “oscillates between the asphalt synth streets & interstellar outer realms” (Impose Magazine).

LUCKYANDLOVE’s visceral, dark electro-pop appeal continues to stretch through time and space. Praise for the album’s lead track ‘I am Human’ have poured in from over a dozen countries. ‘Humaura’ promises to cement the duo’s reputation as one of America’s most vivacious electronic / synthwave acts, positioning them firmly within the lineage of artists like Phantogram, Ladytron, The Soft Moon, Twin Tribes and ACTORS.


‘Humaura’ Press:

“...In contrast to its synth-laden darkwave and electropunk sound, the song presents lyrical themes of championing the human spirit and emotions over the technological void" ~ Regen Magazine

“Moog textures and distorted synth tones weaving together like electric currents. An industrial edge that carries a dreamy undercurrent, nodding to darkwave, punk rock and post-punk influences without sounding dated" ~ Myth of Rock

"Every second and note is a meld of lava-esque incitement and beguiling melodic fixation and a breath to unpredictability and stirring fuzz hued uniqueness… a thrilling encounter" ~ The Ringmaster Review

"Layers fall into place and give rise to soaring vocals. The beautiful timbre of her voice sits over the landscapes of sound and reveal poignant lines that hit home." ~ Sound Read Six

Heavyweight Dub album by Alien Trackers, a new project by cosmic trumpet specialist Pablo Volt (STA) and Jahtari space ship mechanic disrupt, landing right in the sweet spot between soulful Black Ark-warmth, digital Firehouse dancehall hitters and Jahtarian Dub psychedelics.

A lazy day at a beach, in a galaxy far, far away... Feel the sand between your tentacles and splash in the emerald acid sea. Snorkel with plasma squids and shock eels. Marvel at the double suns during the magic twilight cycle and bask in their glorious gamma rays. Gaze into the depths of the local Vortex...

Coming on alien-green vinyl, with hand drawn art by David 8000 Farris, additional bass & guitars from Dubsworth, and an all four thumbs up-rating, 'Dubs from Vortex Beach' is landing in your orbit right now!
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"Waves of Desire" from Canadian Singer/Songwriter Jerry Leger is the perfect follow-up to his previous studio effort, "Donlands". Produced by Mark Howard (known for his work for such as Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits), it is a record full of vulnerability, space and atmosphere. "Waves of Desire" expands on this but with more pop sensibilities and textures. One of the most respected singer-songwriters around, Ron Sexsmith says, "Leger has that spark in him that all the great songwriters have. He"s the real deal."

Amsterdam label Spectral Bounce recruits French club stalwart Chris Carrier for SPEC06 — Perfect Encounter. Active since 1994, the Parisian artist has released a wellspring of records on Robsoul, Slapfunk and his own Sound Carrier recordings, parallel to his longtime career as a DJ. Characterised by swirling delays and progressive arrangements, Perfect Encounter shows the producer exploring the mesmeric corners of tech house, ideally fitted to the Spectral Bounce aesthetic.

Opener “XLR8” starts with rolling toms that make way for fluid, modulated tones; each bar ebbs and flows to the sweeping synths set in motion by Carrier. Processed with a multitude of delays, rhythmic FX boldly swish above the drums, making for an immersive soundstage. Second track “Light Side” retains the billowing echoes but moves more nimbly, cutting things back to make for a spacious and breezy number. Its croaking synths hop around the stereo field, accompanied by tight percussion and a walking bassline.

The hallucinogenic “Third Moon” sees Carrier step further into trance-inducing territory. The track’s pulsing, syncopated bass note thrums underneath an arpeggio that evolves into a heady prismatic drone. While the chugging beat is ever-present, melodic refrains rise up and evaporate like wisps of vapour, alongside a vocal that fades away as quickly as it appears. The EP’s eponymous “Perfect Encounter” dials up the tension and closes the record with a mysterious touch. Speedy 16th note patterns propel the beat, creating shifty rhythms that rattle and hiss. A rasping, gelatinous synth and squeaky detuned tones resemble extraterrestrial signals — alien morse code for an enraptured dancefloor.

Credits:

"Carmina Burana macht Spaß, denn das Werk hat echte Emotionen. Das sind die beiden markanten Punkte, die in dieser lebhaft charakterisierten Aufführung deutlich werden und viele neue Hörer und Genießer gewinnen dürfte.“ Gramophone Magazine. André Previns bahnbrechende Aufnahme der Carmina Burana mit dem London Symphony Orchestra aus dem Jahr 1974 ist nach wie vor eine der elektrisierendsten Darbietungen von Orffs überschwänglicher Kantate. Vom bedeutungsvollen Eröffnungslied O Fortuna bis zum schwärmerischen Schlusschor bringt Previn die rhythmische Vitalität, die Sinnlichkeit und das theatralische Flair dieser hedonistischen Feier des Lebens und der Liebe zur Geltung. Die Solisten – Sheila Armstrong, Gerald English und vor allem Thomas Allen glänzen mit Klarheit und Charakter, während der London Symphony Chorus und der temperamentvolle Knabenchor der St. Clement Danes Grammar School die Aufführung abrunden. Nun erscheint diese Aufnahme auf Vinyl.

Crate digger and music enthusiast James Endeacott compiles ‘Unlock Your Mind With Morning Glory’ for Two-Piers Records – A glorious heady mix of the weird and wonderful eclectic music from his radio show ‘Morning Glory’

“One weekday afternoon towards the end of 2017 I sat in The Lyric pub on Great Windmill Street, Soho with my dear friend Raf. I’d just finished another of my weekly Soho Radio shows and was starting to think about the next one. Raf had been on as a guest playing some of his favourite tunes of the day. We had a few drinks, told a few stories and started to plot and scheme. It was always a dream of mine to have a daily radio show. Radio had always informed and excited me from my early teens listening to John Peel under the blanket when I should’ve been either sleeping or revising right up to the present-day musical excursions of NTS, WFMU and numerous internet based stations.

We decided to speak to Adrian and Dan who ran Soho Radio to see if they’d be up for us doing a daily morning show. To our surprise they were into the idea and within 5 minutes Adrain came up with the name Morning Glory. We all liked it. We were all excited. It was all systems go. In December 2017 Raf and myself started a daily 2 hour show. We did the show together, got guests in and the musical policy was whatever we felt like that day. After several months Raf found the mornings too much. Off he went into the distance occasionally coming back with a smile, and a bag of new music. I carried on alone and then suddenly in March 2020 the world stopped, and we went into lockdown.

We set up in my house in Catford, Southeast London and carried on. The show became 3 hours a day and I started to invite friends, record labels, record shops, bands etc.. to supply me with hour long mixes that I played every day. The show took off during this time. My musical tastes expanded as I spent all day long searching for new sounds from around the globe. People started to send me more and more music. I became obsessed with the show. The audience started to take to social media and ask for certain tracks or artists to be played. I got listeners to make me mixes to play on the show and I did several phone interviews with musicians while playing some of their favourite tunes.

I was grateful that Soho Radio left me to my own devices. They never told me what to do or what to play – they trusted ma and I trusted my instincts.

The music on this compilation is not a ‘best of’ it’s just how I felt when I compiled it at the start of 2025. Apart from a couple of tracks they are all things I’ve come across since the show started in December 2017. If I did a list of tracks now I’m sure it would be completely different. Surely that’s the point. We never stick in one place. We are always moving and searching. Always trying to unlock our minds. Put it on. Take your time and let it take you somewhere” James Endeacott 2025

On H008 Len Faki goes back to his crate for a unique journey through synth-led landscapes, carefully selected and bolstered up for the dancefloor.
Starting with 2000 And One - Edge Of No Return from the mid 2000s, when it was just a standout synth-line - no beats. The Hardspace Mix takes this masterclass in building tension, adds a driving beat and searing percussion while keeping the iconic synth-play intact -layered with big, booming bass for that full-bodied, dancefloor-ready energy.
The flip boasts two of longtime Figure-collaborator Viers' productions. Re-L, released almost 10 years ago, it delivered that unmistakable pulse of deep, dubby, shimmering synths. Hardspace picks up these potent elements and injects them with a new low-end, dramatic rises and tight rhythms, creating a high-energy yet hypnotic flow.
Equally energetic but much more brooding in atmosphere is the Hardspace version of Free Your Mind. An elusive original, this mix builds on dense percussion, subdued vocals and droning horns while carrying some seriously spaced-out acid synth textures. One for the wee hours and those special memorable moments in a set.

Einem US-Metalfan die Band Griffin zu erklären hieße Eulen nach Athen tragen. Während das Debüt noch traditionellen Heavy Metal in Reinkultur bietet, tendierte die Gruppe um den außergewöhnlichen Sänger William McKay in Richtung Speed- und Thrash Metal, aber ohne dabei ihre Trademarks einzubüßen. „Protectors Of The Lair“ erschien 1986 bei Steamhammer/SPV. Musikalisch war man am Puls der Zeit, doch der Stil kann auch ebenso als kauzig und individuell bezeichnet werden. Das größte Manko war allerdings immer der dünne Sound, der sich fast nur in den Mitten und Höhen abspielte. Dies wurde nun gleich doppelt behoben!

Es ergab sich das seltene Glück, dass die originalen 24-Spur-Bänder noch vorlagen und nach einigen Reparaturen überspielt werden konnten. Somit war nicht nur ein Remaster möglich, sondern ein Remix, der von Neudi 2020 angefertigt wurde und nun die LP 1 füllt. Die zweite Scheibe beinhaltet den Original Mix von 1986, allerdings remastert von Patrick Engel (Metal Blade, High Roller, etc.).

Hammers Rule gelten als Kultgruppe des US-Metal, deren LP „Show No Mercy“ und EP „After The Bomb“ (1984/1985) heute gesuchte Sammlerobjekte sind. Man wollte sich vom Härtegrad nicht festlegen und decken dadurch ein enorm breites Spektrum des US-Metal ab. Während die ersten vier Tracks zwischen Epic-, Heavy- und Speed Metal liegen (ebenso die beiden EP-Tracks „Kamikaze“ und „Stop The World“), war die B-Seite der Original-LP etwas zugänglicher und passt auch gut zum hohen Haarsprayverbrauch der Achtziger. Doch auch diese Stücke stecken voller Energie und Spielwitz. Einer der Gründe ist die unfassbar gute Rhythmussektion aus Drummer Chuck Hohn und Bassist Shaun Henley.

Die beiden Musiker operierten auf einem Niveau wie Steve Harris und Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden). Zudem ersetzt der Bass durch das kräftige Spiel und die Präsenz im Mix auf beeindruckende Weise eine zweite Gitarre. Das Album und auch die EP wurden weitestgehend live im Studio aufgenommen. Golden Core war das erste Label, bei dem die verbleibenden Bandmitglieder einer Wiederveröffentlichung zugestimmt haben. Die Golden Core LP enthält die EP-Tracks als 7“ Single.

Legendry haben 2020 eine spannende EP mit drei Coverversionen (u.a. „Metal“ von Manilla Road) und einem neuen, eigenen Song (das titelgebende „Heavy Metal Adventure“) eingespielt, die auch optisch ins Konzept der drei Vorgänger passt. Wer auf Epic Metal steht kommt um „Heavy Metal Adventure“ nicht herum!

The latest release from the music project "Tokimeki Records," which has garnered worldwide attention for its covers and unearthing of classic J-pop songs
from the 80s and 90s, with a focus on city pop, is a cover of the 1987 hit "Tsuteibo" by 80s singer and gliding writer Nina Atsuko.

Tokimeki Records has taken the original song's arrangement, which evokes the classic 80s AOR, and created a sparkling, summery 2025 sound.
The groovy medium beat and brass ensemble are a perfect match for the seaside at the end of summer.
Hikari (Mime) features on vocals. Based on a neo-soul style, the lyrics and melody evoke 80s city pop, and are expressed in a cool and solid way.

The jacket is an artistic surf photo by surf photographer Sasao Kazuyoshi, which seems to capture the world of the song.
This single is from the surf music compilation "SALT... meets ISLAND CAFE -Sea of ​​Love 3-," supervised by the magazine "SALT...," which proposes new
values ​​for beach lifestyle and surf culture.

A record born of insurmountable joy and simultaneous profound loss; World Maker marks a time of great change for Psychonaut, both personally and musically, as the band burn away the philosophical narrative complexities of previous offerings with a searing, panoramic clarity that implores us to savour the beauty of the now as a means of leaving a legacy for the future. The traditional, three-piece line up of Belgian, psychedelic post-metal collective Psychonaut has long belied the compositional prowess, captivating narrative depth and crushing live presence of a band now operating at the forefront of forward-thinking, contemporary heavy music. Having sent a shockwave through the post-metal and prog scenes with their three times repressed Pelagic Records debut Unfold The God Man in 2020 before following it up with the transformative metaphysical complexities of 2022's Violate Consensus Reality, Psychonaut have played prestigious Belgian open-air festivals like Alcatraz, Rock Herk and Boomtown Festival as well as boutique events such as Soulcrusher, Roadburn Redux and A Colossal Weekend whilst sharing stages across Europe with the likes of Amenra, Brutus and Pelagic labelmates The Ocean and PG.Lost. The seed of World Maker took shape just as the campaign for Violate Consensus Reality came to a close, with the news that guitarist/vocalist Stefan De Graef was to become a father. This tilting of life's axis led De Graef, like most fathers-to-be, to re-assess what was really important. As such, the music he was inspired to write felt free of the band's previous philosophical and spiritual foundations and instead took the form of life lessons for his unborn son, a legacy of love in case something were ever to happen. This hopeful euphoria shines keenly throughout World Maker as an uncharacteristically optimistic warmth; from the reverberating Rhodes organ on the titular opening track and the meandering, free-jazz inspired guitar solo that introduces `Everything Else is Just The Weather' to elements of world music, electronica and the otherworldly voice of Dutch multi-instrumentalist and old friend Anthe Huybrechts (Anthe/Helion Creek) most notably on tracks like `Origins' which also features tabla, a pair of indian hand drums, as its propulsive heartbeat. Whilst Psychonaut's giant riffs, punishing polyrhythms and guttural vocal rage are more resplendent than ever, there is a wider dynamic spectrum to World Maker that sees the band proudly exploring their more delicate, intimate extremes as well as their most aggressive and abrasive. Not long after the birth of De Graef's son came the devastating news that both his own father and Psychonaut bassist/vocalist Thomas Michiels' father had been diagnosed with advanced cancers. Living day-to-day and torn between joy and grief, the band found themselves shedding the grand scope and world-shattering agenda of Violate Consensus Reality to focus on the here and now. Lead single `Endless Currents', the first full track on the album, explodes in a barrage of staccato guitar tapping but mellows to let the powerful, newly pared back lyrics ring out as a call to embrace the flow and follow joy. The song's final few words `Lead the way. / Soar. / Everlong.' double as both a greeting and a goodbye as the trio build their formidable post-metal might to a thunderous breaking point. Similarly, the pulsing, propellant `Stargazer', named so for De Graef's son being born in stargazer position, pairs delicate guitar motifs and folk-inflected optimism with huge and sprawling breakdowns as some of the band's most genre-pushing work to date; asking difficult but important questions of what happens next. It is `And You Came With Searing Light' though that most immediately exemplifies Psychonaut's redirected ambition on World Maker, as euphoria collides with blinding fury. The first track written for the album, `_Searing Light' is easily the most complex and initially wouldn't sound out of place on Violate Consensus Reality. Originally meant to be the new album's opening track; the decision to defer its impact, not to mention its compositional and dynamic gravity, speaks of a fundamental change to the band's very core. The words "Discover the world with wide eyes" recurring throughout speak as much to those having lost a part of their world as they do to those seeing it for the first time. Amidst such turbulent times, the band found strength and support within their Post-Metal community. The album was recorded and produced by the band alongside their longtime collaborator and close friend Chiaran Verheyden (Hippotraktor) with help and advice from Psychonaut's live engineer Victor, who will no doubt make this album sound just as awesome on stage. Even the artwork for World Maker was a family affair, being designed by close friend Sam Coussens of Belgian cosmic sludge metallers Pothamus. In the face of life's soaring highs and desolate lows, World Maker is direct and brave without sacrificing any of Psychonaut's raw power, creative innovation or inimitable musical depth. Where their previous full-length offerings have charted grand introspective courses through time and space, World Maker is breathtaking in its uncompromising clarity: a father singing to his newborn son as a son bids his own father farewell. FOR FANS OF Mastodon, Russian Circles, Tool, Gojira, The Ocean, Pelican, Hypno5e, Cult Of Luna, Amenra

180 Gram Vinyl Celebrate the holiday season with this fiery collection of vintage R&B, gospel, and soul, guaranteed to bring the Christmas spirit to life! This vinyl release features a handpicked lineup of legends like Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Charles Brown, delivering everything from foot-stomping hits to soulful serenades. Highlights include Freddy King's heartfelt "Christmas Tears," Lightnin' Hopkins' gritty "Merry Christmas," Carla Thomas' soulful "All I Want For Christmas Is You," and the lively classic "Run Rudolph Run." With rare holiday gems spanning raw blues, swinging gospel, and smooth soul, this album is the ultimate soundtrack for a cool Yule.

180 Gram, Yellow Vinyl Celebrate the holiday season with this fiery collection of vintage R&B, gospel, and soul, guaranteed to bring the Christmas spirit to life! This vinyl release features a handpicked lineup of legends like Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Charles Brown, delivering everything from foot-stomping hits to soulful serenades. Highlights include Freddy King's heartfelt "Christmas Tears," Lightnin' Hopkins' gritty "Merry Christmas," Carla Thomas' soulful "All I Want For Christmas Is You," and the lively classic "Run Rudolph Run." With rare holiday gems spanning raw blues, swinging gospel, and smooth soul, this album is the ultimate soundtrack for a cool Yule.

Das schwedische Punkrock-Urgestein SATOR veröffentlicht mit den High (Rock'n) Rollern und Punkrockern THE HEADLINES eine Split EP: Eine längst fällige Herzens- und Freundschaftsangelegenheit! Schließlich war es Sator-Bandgründer Chips Kiesbye, der vor mehr als 15 Jahren das musikalische Potential und die wilde, ungestüme Power von The Headlines erkannte. Es folgten Supportshows und bis heute produziert und supportet Chips die Band im Studio. Die jeweils zwei exklusiven Songs der Bands auf der limitierten 10inch Vinyl spannen dabei den Bogen von Hard Rock, Sleaze, Glam bis straight forward Punkrock. The Headlines kehren mit "Fucked up" zu der klassischen Rock-Essence zurück, rotzig-frech verpackt in 2 Minuten mit allem was es braucht, um eine "fuckin great hymn" zu schreiben! "True Grit" - der zweite Song" orientiert sich mit melodischen Punkrock an den US-Westcoast Style: "Remember what you're fighting for!" The Headlines liebten es schon immer Gedanken über das Leben, die jeder kennt in griffige Rocksongs zu verpacken. SATOR präsentieren mit "Thanks (For nothing for all) einen vor langer Zeit geschriebenen wütenden Dampfhammer, der als Demo in den Bandarchiven irgendwie in Vergessenheit geriet. Während der Aufnahmen zu "Return of The Barbie-Q-Killers" stoplerte die Band über dieses Juwel und wurde neu aufgenommen. "Wir können uns nicht wirklich erinnern, worüber wir beim Schreiben wütend waren, aber es gibt immer etwas, das einen nervt. Wut ist nie aus der Mode." "I only want a date" wurde ebenfalls im Rahmen der Studio-Sessions für das letzte Sator-Album aufgenommen und ist ein Coversong der US-Band "The Embarrassment", die den gesuchten Song 1984 nur auf Tape veröffentlichten. Die 10inch EP erscheint streng limitiert in klassisch schwarzen oder blauen oder in limitierten zweifarbigen Swirl Vinyl und dürfte sich schnell als Sammlerstück etablieren. Swedish Alternative Rock at its best!

Das schwedische Punkrock-Urgestein SATOR veröffentlicht mit den High (Rock'n) Rollern und Punkrockern THE HEADLINES eine Split EP: Eine längst fällige Herzens- und Freundschaftsangelegenheit! Schließlich war es Sator-Bandgründer Chips Kiesbye, der vor mehr als 15 Jahren das musikalische Potential und die wilde, ungestüme Power von The Headlines erkannte. Es folgten Supportshows und bis heute produziert und supportet Chips die Band im Studio. Die jeweils zwei exklusiven Songs der Bands auf der limitierten 10inch Vinyl spannen dabei den Bogen von Hard Rock, Sleaze, Glam bis straight forward Punkrock. The Headlines kehren mit "Fucked up" zu der klassischen Rock-Essence zurück, rotzig-frech verpackt in 2 Minuten mit allem was es braucht, um eine "fuckin great hymn" zu schreiben! "True Grit" - der zweite Song" orientiert sich mit melodischen Punkrock an den US-Westcoast Style: "Remember what you're fighting for!" The Headlines liebten es schon immer Gedanken über das Leben, die jeder kennt in griffige Rocksongs zu verpacken. SATOR präsentieren mit "Thanks (For nothing for all) einen vor langer Zeit geschriebenen wütenden Dampfhammer, der als Demo in den Bandarchiven irgendwie in Vergessenheit geriet. Während der Aufnahmen zu "Return of The Barbie-Q-Killers" stoplerte die Band über dieses Juwel und wurde neu aufgenommen. "Wir können uns nicht wirklich erinnern, worüber wir beim Schreiben wütend waren, aber es gibt immer etwas, das einen nervt. Wut ist nie aus der Mode." "I only want a date" wurde ebenfalls im Rahmen der Studio-Sessions für das letzte Sator-Album aufgenommen und ist ein Coversong der US-Band "The Embarrassment", die den gesuchten Song 1984 nur auf Tape veröffentlichten. Die 10inch EP erscheint streng limitiert in klassisch schwarzen oder blauen oder in limitierten zweifarbigen Swirl Vinyl und dürfte sich schnell als Sammlerstück etablieren. Swedish Alternative Rock at its best!

Das schwedische Punkrock-Urgestein SATOR veröffentlicht mit den High (Rock'n) Rollern und Punkrockern THE HEADLINES eine Split EP: Eine längst fällige Herzens- und Freundschaftsangelegenheit! Schließlich war es Sator-Bandgründer Chips Kiesbye, der vor mehr als 15 Jahren das musikalische Potential und die wilde, ungestüme Power von The Headlines erkannte. Es folgten Supportshows und bis heute produziert und supportet Chips die Band im Studio. Die jeweils zwei exklusiven Songs der Bands auf der limitierten 10inch Vinyl spannen dabei den Bogen von Hard Rock, Sleaze, Glam bis straight forward Punkrock. The Headlines kehren mit "Fucked up" zu der klassischen Rock-Essence zurück, rotzig-frech verpackt in 2 Minuten mit allem was es braucht, um eine "fuckin great hymn" zu schreiben! "True Grit" - der zweite Song" orientiert sich mit melodischen Punkrock an den US-Westcoast Style: "Remember what you're fighting for!" The Headlines liebten es schon immer Gedanken über das Leben, die jeder kennt in griffige Rocksongs zu verpacken. SATOR präsentieren mit "Thanks (For nothing for all) einen vor langer Zeit geschriebenen wütenden Dampfhammer, der als Demo in den Bandarchiven irgendwie in Vergessenheit geriet. Während der Aufnahmen zu "Return of The Barbie-Q-Killers" stoplerte die Band über dieses Juwel und wurde neu aufgenommen. "Wir können uns nicht wirklich erinnern, worüber wir beim Schreiben wütend waren, aber es gibt immer etwas, das einen nervt. Wut ist nie aus der Mode." "I only want a date" wurde ebenfalls im Rahmen der Studio-Sessions für das letzte Sator-Album aufgenommen und ist ein Coversong der US-Band "The Embarrassment", die den gesuchten Song 1984 nur auf Tape veröffentlichten. Die 10inch EP erscheint streng limitiert in klassisch schwarzen oder blauen oder in limitierten zweifarbigen Swirl Vinyl und dürfte sich schnell als Sammlerstück etablieren. Swedish Alternative Rock at its best!

With Michaela Melián's LP "music for a while", a-Musik is releasing the first album by the visual artist, co-founder of F.S.K., and solo musician since "Monaco", which appeared on Monika Enterprise in 2013. While her last releases, Electric Ladyland (2016), Music from a Frontier Town (2018), and Tania (2022) were created as part of exhibitions and sound installations, "music for a while" is Melián's fourth autonomous LP, characterized on the one hand by her unmistakable dreamlike sound along the interfaces between dark chamber music, solemn ambient techno, and cinematic sound art.

As with her previous albums, there is also a wonderful avant-pop cover version—this time of the track “My Other Voice” (1979) by the Sparks. On the other hand, music for while, whose cover is adorned with Melián's photographs of the clouds above her new home of Marseille, spreads a comparatively ominous mood – one that is nevertheless appropriate given the circumstances in 2025 – thanks in part to the sedate, almost ticking drum sounds of co-producer Felix Raethel. Once again, the multi-instrumentalist, supported by Ruth May on violin and Elen Harutyunyan on viola, weaves her recordings of various string instruments — cello, guitar, bass, and zither — into fascinating, lurching, looping, and almost hypnotic soundscapes, but atonal synthesizer sounds in tracks such as “traverse benjamin” and “märchenwald” open up the music to electroacoustic and experimental music. The concluding cover version of Irving Berlin's “they say it's wonderful” (1946) rounds off one of this year's most impressive releases in an incomparably groovy and melancholic way.

Modern ambient minimalism with early music/baroque influences. Minimal and nuanced, Diary of a Candle is a consoling, melodic suite from acclaimed experimental composer, musician, and producer Faten Kanaan. On this album Faten uses counterpoint as a narrative tool to create music that is mysterious, smudgy, and deeply melodic. From the repetitive structures of modern minimalism and early music/baroque influences - to more languid textural ebbs and tides, there's a warmth in her use of synthesizers that gives her work a curiously timeless feel. Composing intuitively, her music creates its own world - one that isn't easily categorised. Diary of a Candle is punctuated with tender woodwinds and richly-layered strings, touched by the hazy atmospheres of 1970s/1980s films. Its understated heart-on sleeve romanticism follows the rhythm of nature: it bends in the breeze, drifts through the air, and settles on the ground. The ambiance is not an escapism, but the re-focusing of a lens through which humans are no longer the protagonists. Instead, a landscape's intimate details become the central figures. With the sparseness of Hiroshi Yoshimura's 1982 album 'Music for Nine Post Cards' as a starting-point influence, Faten's music exudes a wistful yet hopeful sentiment, honouring moments of beauty in the world around us. Some of the album titles are inspired by East-Asian rites and folkloric superstitions, often related to nature. All music written performed and mixed by Faten Kanaan. Mastered by Heba Kadry(Björk, Bon Iver, John Cale, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Deerhunter, Cate Le Bon, & many more). For fans of Kali Malone, Steve Reich, William Basinski, Sarah Davachi, Stars Of The Lid, , Mary Lattimore and Oneohtrix Point Never.

Innitial pressing soul out at once, now repress in neon green vinyl colour available! Ride bassist Steve Queralt's debut solo album Swallow is a beautifully brooding nine-track collection that combines the darkly textured soundscapes of early M83 and Sigur Rós with an electronic sheen reminiscent of Boards Of Canada. It also features guest vocals from Sonic Cathedral labelmate Emma Anderson (formerly of Lush and Sing-Sing) and Verity Susman (Electrelane, MEMORIALS).Swallow has been slowly but surely pieced together between Ride albums and tours over the past five years and, perhaps as a result, has a slightly dystopian, Blade Runner feel that reflects the liminal spaces in which it was created. Despite the fact that the majority of the album is instrumental, there is plenty of power and emotion poured into these moody, moonlit soundtracks. When words do appear, an underlying anger and political slant emerges and amplifies the album's dark intensity. This is most notable on the closing track, `Motor Boats', where he overlays words from Julie Sheldon's polemic poem The Same Boat ("We're all in the same boat they say, but I would disagree"). According to Steve, these simple words of rejection "capture the reality of our times perfectly". However, it was the collaborations with the two guest vocalists that tied the whole thing together and paved the way to the finished album. "After a few false starts, I had started to doubt the project altogether. It was going nowhere," says Steve. "Then, out of the darkness, Emma got in touch to tell me that she'd found her voice and could I send her some tracks. A few files back and forth and an afternoon in the studio later and we had `Lonely Town' and `Swiss Air'."In the meantime, Verity from Electrelane had added vocals to the song `Messengers' and transformed the track. Matthew Simms, now her bandmate in MEMORIALS, would go on to mix the finished album."Swallow has turned out so much better than I had hoped," enthuses Steve. "I'd fallen out of love with it so many times I was thinking of calling it Loveless. But then, that wouldn't be the whole story...

Der erste Longplayer des Trios aus Avilés in Asturien. Energiegeladener Streetpunk mit melodischen Bassarrangements, einem treibenden Schlagzeug und einer rotzenden Rock'n'Roll-Gitarre. Bei Ihrem Song ,Streetpunk" könnte man meinen Motörhead und Cock Sparrer hätten mal was zusammen ausgeheckt. Dieser Sound zieht sich durchs ganze Album, keine Pause, kein Luftholen - einfach Druck ins Gesicht des Publikums blasen - keine langen Intros, gleich drauflos! ,Get Ready!" beinhaltet 10 Krachersongs, mal in Englisch, mal in Spanisch, einfach aus Ihrem Leben gegriffen. Ein gelungenes Debüt des spanischen Trios, ein echter Tyger im Tank, einfach gut, einfach Rock'n'Roll! Get ready!