Cerca:space 92

Layton Giordani continues his rich vein of outstanding form with ‘Freaks at Night’.

‘Freaks at Night’ continues his adventures in sound. Unmistakably a peak-time record, the track still manages to traverse a rich ethereal energy, highlighted by an otherworldly synth line and striking vocal that sets it apart from so many. Teased in sets by Giordani and Beyer going back to last summer, this one’s hugely anticipated.


Four years on from Layton Giordani’s critically acclaimed ‘New Generation’ album, Space 92 – one of techno’s most impressive new artists – steps up for a fitting remix. A masterclass of techno futurism, the 2020 album was a defining release of that year and was an impressive marker of Giordani’s ever-evolving talents in the studio. The title track was a memorable highlight, mixing ambient textures with head scrambling synth effects make it an enduring dancefloor classic. One of techno’s future stars Space 92 has added his touch to ‘New Generation’. With very special results. The Frenchman has super-charged the original, adding in plenty of laser-kissed energy as a barrage of powerful chords and silky pads take the cut into steamrolling territory.

Drumcode welcomes another debutant to the fold, as one of techno’s most exciting new artists, Space 92, shares his thrilling two-tracker ‘Time’.

Stepping up for his maiden Drumcode release, ‘Time’ is stirring statement of intent. Staying true to its name, the title track was a slow burner, produced over a number of months between touring commitments. Space 92’s talent for crafting tracks that are tailor-made for big dancefloor moments is seen here in full flight, as tight drum programming leads into a stirring pad sequence before a boshing bass-laden breakdown arrives with crushing effect.

Movente Is A Debut Lp From A Vital And Long Standing Figure Of Italy's Clubbing Scene Under A Brand New Alias. That Alias Is Cleptophonic, And The Album, Due In 2019, Is An Autobiographical Collage Of Experimental Trip Hop Sounds That Is Truly Immersive.

Under A Former Alias, Cleptophonic Has Spent Years Djing And Experimenting In The Studio And Has Made A Real Impact On His Native Scene As A Result. He Is A Very Delicate Person With Serious Attention To Detail That He Puts To Best Use By Delving Deep Into What He Loves: Playing On Turntables And Immersing Himself In A Sonic Realm Cuts Him Off From The Real World And Acts As Therapy For This Meticulous And Selective Person And Artist.

He Is A Master Of A Stylish Musical Collage Technique - Both In Sound And Images. As Such Movente Is A Collage Of Different Sounds, Sampled With The Turntables And Put Together With Logic, While His Passion For Collage Also Spills Over Onto The Album Cover, Which Is Made By Pieces Of Paper From Magazines, Newspapers And Comic Strips. The Result Is An Experimental Trip-hop Album With A Singular Sound That Puts Together Pieces Of Life, Sounds And Images That Are Meaningful For Him, Especially The Last Song, Which Is Dedicated To His Mother Who Sadly Committed Suicide A Few Years Ago.

There Is A Beauty And Delicacy To The Music Throughout This Most Excellently Escapist Album That Is Utterly Absorbing. Pads Swirl Round Louche Beats, Crisp Hits Ring Out Into The Night And You're Left In A Deep State Of Contemplation Throughout. There Are Warped And Shimmering Cuts, Dub Tracks Drenched In Reverb And Melodically Rich Broken Beats. The Whole Thing Is So Spacious You Get Sucked Right Into The Centre Of It All And The Thoughtful Moods And Deft Sonic Details All Making A Truly Lasting Impact. This Is An Exquisite Album That Encourages You To Really Get Lost In A Unique Musical World.

Repress coming!

A year on from 'Good Evening', the critically acclaimed collaborative album with Verb T & his
stellar contribution to Ocean Wisdom's UK TOP 40 'Wizville' album, producer Pitch 92 is
ready to show off his new works to the world, as he enters a new stage in his career and begins
to spread his wings as a solo artist. Known for his soulful sound, inspired by the likes of
Madlib, Pete Rock & J Dilla, Pitch 92 has carved out his own unique style and pulled out all the
stops for his debut release on High Focus Records.
Entitled 'Lost In Space', this new EP is a perfectly balanced mix of vocal and instrumental
tracks showcasing the raw talent of the Manchester based producer. Pitch 92 has assembled a
healthy roster of artists to work alongside, ranging from UK Hip Hop royalty to up & coming US
artists as well as accomplished musicians.
Spanning from UK Hip Hop favourites such as Jehst & Verb T, to new faces such as K S R ,
Sparkz and Doctor Outer as well as hooking up with Sony Music's Ashely Henry, one of the
UK's most accomplished jazz pianists as heard on 'One Handed' - Pitch 92, armed with his
trusty MPC, expertly provides the perfect backdrop to accommodate each of his guests, as well
as putting forward instrumentals that stand out as masterpieces in their own right, Pitch 92
applies finesse and the ability of a veteran producer, despite only being 26 years old - One
listen of lead single 'Lost In Space' featuring Jehst and Confucius MC is all you need to
confirm that we are indeed listening to a master at work.
In short, 'Lost In Space' is a production masterclass and serves as the perfect introduction to
the Pitch 92 sound, of which you will be hearing more and more, guaranteed.

[c] A3 . Dawn (feat Sparkz, [K S R] & Doctor Outer)

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dekmantel's goings on in the world of events, festivals, and great music, the team behind the label have been releasing a record a month featuring some of their favourite artists, as part of a ten-year anniversary series collection. Featuring acts close to the label's collective, debuts, and legacy talents the crew have always wanted to sign, the series has seen the likes of Gigi Masin, Call Super, Fatima Yamaha, and more. This penultimate EP, sees Dekmantel debut releases by Lena Willikens, Space Dimension Controller, and Dutch lo-fi star Betonkust and Palmbomen, in addition to a special cut by Bufiman.The EP kicks off with a new track by Salon Des Amateurs resident Bufiman — real name Jan Schulte — who also goes by Wolf Müller. 'Hymn to the Moonface' ensures that percussion comes first and foremost, in this upbeat, prog-breaks, jaunty, summer cut following up on his Dekmantel debut "Peace Moves". Dutch duo Betonkust and Palmbomen release their first track on Dekmantel with 'Onrust Bij Tihange' - an ode to the Tihange Nuclear Power Station in Belgium. Specialists in crafting lo-fi, nostalgic sounds, Betonkust and Palmbomen do what they do best, with a pulsing, analog, nostalgic electro track that sounds as if its been fed through a VHS player, a top of recording of Miami Vice. What happened at Tihange through is another question. Belfast-producer Space Dimension Controller, a.k.a. Jack Hamill adds some galactic, space-flare, mid-tempo, D-funk to the flip side. With a debut EP dropping on Dekmantel soon, SDC contributes one of his most beautiful compositions to date, highlighting his flair for melody, blending it astutely together with rich techno hat and snare combos. Concluding the record, is Dekmantel favourite, Lena Willikens. After so many appearances across so many of Dekmantel festivals, it's a pleasure to have the astute selector release a rare production on the label. Willikens' dark wavey cut is something one would expect to hear in one of her sets, sounding like a modern take of a long-forgotten, and unknown krautrock band.

4/5 Mojo review: ‘Sparse, hypnotic big-room techno that builds from the bass drum up

Double LP is released on 140gm black vinyl in a transparent gloss foil sleeve, artwork and design by Ian Anderson for Designers Republic. Circuitry Electronic launches with a release that stands as a statement of intent - an artist with few true peers within English electronic music, with an album that jumps out of the speakers and slaps you around the chops. G-Man is Gez Varley - one half of Sheffield pioneers LFO, and thirty years into his solo career, with his first vinyl album release since Avanti on Force Inc way back in 2002. Speaking to DJ magazine in 2014 Gez recalled his early days working with Mark Bell as LFO: “We were influenced by groups like 808 State. Unique 3, Nightmares On Wax and also stuff like Kraftwerk, Detroit techno and early electro. So when we first hooked up and made tunes together we just wanted to rock the dancefloor at our local club The Warehouse”.

Their eponymous track ‘LFO’ – a classic of the bleep and bass techno movement – was one of the first releases on the Warp label, gate- crashing the UK’s Top 20 whilst annoying Simon Mayo along the way. Having worked with the likes of Richie Hawtin, Karl Bartos, Laurent Garnier, Art of Noise, Radiohead, YMO and Alan Wilder, in addition to the LFO output, you'd expect Gez to know his way around a techno dancefloor rhythm and drum pattern, and this is an inventive funk-filled journey that never veers too far into experimental territory yet avoids the cliches and generic tropes that too often lose the listener when techno manifests in album form.

UGHH – Underground Hyper Hero is the moniker of Vítězslav Špalek — composer, multi-instrumentalist, and singular sonic architect hailing from Karviná, a gritty coal-mining town in industrial Silesia, now living out his days under the sundrenched skies of southern Corfu. He improvises across synthesizer, trumpet, and voice, weaving musical collages from poetic texts spanning genres and movements. His collages carry an unsettling depth and pull you somewhere you didn't plan to go. They are distant lands beyond the water — where the trumpet cuts through space and time lurches forward in a sudden rush, only to nearly freeze and turn inward, listening to the echo of a far-off voice calling out from nowhere. A flock of birds drifts over a vast landscape while a powerful, repetitive beat pulses through all matter — living and dead alike. EP 49.923827, 14.221380 takes its name from the coordinates of its creation, and marks the first released material from the artist's yet-to-be-unveiled catalog. Three original tracks are joined by an eclectic postpunk remix from Berlin-based Menqui, an ethereal minimalist take from fellow Berliner Nadia D'Aló aka DALO, and local scene staple Mike.H — a devoted digger of obscure trance.

Charles D has got the touch right now. Following ‘The Bouncer’, his blistering collaboration with Space 92, he returns with another slice of peak-time perfection, ‘Control’. The New Yorker has become one of the most promising artists to emerge on Drumcode in recent times; from his terrific body of remixes, led by Adam Beyer & Bart Skils ‘Your Mind’ and Mike Macaluso’s ‘Final Chapter’, to cuts on the label’s A-Sides compilation (‘Traction’ and ‘Yantee’), right through to his breakthrough EP release in 2023 ‘Don’t Stop’. With a recent standout collab with Space 92 ‘The Bouncer’ under his belt, you can always rely on the artist to craft captivating, big-moment productions.

Host of the popular Synthesized Radio and soon to be launching his own label project KONKRTE, Charles D says the writing process for ‘Control’ came quickly, with the first ideas coming together on the plane home from an energising weekend of gigs. “I'm really inspired by a lot of the new music out there, and wanted to make something that felt peak time, but had some melodic techno and tech house flavor to it. I made several versions of it, but the very first version was the one that made the cut. When I heard Adam play it at Drumsheds and Resistance in Miami and saw the crowd’s reaction, I knew not to mess with it too much.” – Charles D ‘Control’ is a high-octane trip and deliciously dynamic. Framed by the producer’s trademark plump basslines and crisp percussion, it makes a statement via a torrent of head-scrambling riffs and effects.

In the late 1980s, Disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as "The Beat." Although Hip-Hop, New Wave, Gothic, Punk, and the burgeoning Modern Rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-RAVE clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed “The Beat.” This musical tapestry encompassed everything from Hip-Hop and Freestyle to Industrial, New Wave, Boogie, Miami Bass, and Techno – the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix.

As House, Techno, and Raving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate – some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 – what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores.

In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by “the Beat,” acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% Sure Shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.

The second installment of this remarkable journey into the underground scene maintains the same profound level of depth and significance as its precursor. Showcasing tracks from Electroliners, High Lonesome Soundsystem, Single Cell Orchestra, DJ Emma, and Spun's own Central Fire project, all harmoniously enclosed within the captivating and arresting artwork by Villain Standard, this release stands shoulder to shoulder with its forerunner. Beyond a mere compilation, it's an indispensable extension of the narrative that has indelibly shaped the culture of underground American dance music within the region, embodying the era and the individuals involved. This is the authentic underground sound that reverberated across San Francisco and its surrounding environs, a truly distinctive and exceptional moment in time and space.

2020 sees Jazz & Milk celebrating its 15th anniversary! Since 2005 the label, founded by Dusty, offers an experimental playground for international artists that share a passion for organic and soulful dance music. Many legendary club nights and over 30 releases later, Jazz & Milk has become a household name amongst the eclectic music imprints. The focus has always been to transcend genres, including a broad spectrum of styles ranging from jazz, soul, brazil, afrobeat to house, broken beat and electronic music.

For this very special occasion, the label presents six exclusive tracks by the likes of Steve Spacek, Àbáse, Sam Irl, Feater, Bongani GiveThanks and Moe Fabrik - the club focused collaborative moniker of Wayne Snow, Ziggy Zeitgeist and StyleBoi 92.

With this compilation project, Jazz & Milk is not only celebrating an illustrious 15 years of operation. The label also wants to take the opportunity to highlight the importance of 'community', at a time when racism, greed, injustice and a deadly pandemic are jeopardizing our ability to harmoniously exist with one another.

Peace, Love & (Comm)Unity!

HILOMATIK is proud to announce its first-ever vinyl release: the HILOMATIK A-Sides EP. This milestone edition delivers a tangible piece of HI-LO’s world, including seven techno tunes ranging from minimal to peak-time, from Township Rebellion, Roemisch, Dok & Martin, Modea, Helang, Pagano, Deus Deserto, Frank Arvonio, Alex Lentini and STOMP BOXX - a mix of established and young, talented producers.

Taking inspiration from the sounds of Space 92, Eli Brown, Adam Beyer, and label boss HI-LO himself, this EP balances hard-hitting rhythms with hypnotic, minimalistic moments, making it a must-have for techno enthusiasts. Released on all digital platforms in May 2025, this first vinyl release on the label marks a new and very exciting chapter of HILOMATIK.

This is the second pressing of the highly sought after debut LP from dutch synth funk wizard Shook.

The special edition reissue is dedicated to Shook’s fans and special fan Nasa Astronaut Christina Koch who played the song ‘Always’ to her husband while she was in space during her ISS mission. In Koch’s words the song was “one of the most memorable anthems” of her mission.

To celebrate this achievement it was the right time to repress this masterpiece of exploratory electronic music with a special variant cover made by Marvel comics artist Stefan Tosheff based on the story of Koch.

Back in 2013 Harder Blogger Faster said: This debut album showcases Shook’s talents in a multitude of sonic intensities, emotions and styles without it ever being too show-y.

The album manages to find a perfect blend between nostalgic love letters and Shook’s need to combine cutting edge electronic instrumentation with his virtuoso abilities on the piano.

WRWTFWW Records is very excited to announce its third release from visionary Japanese ambient/experimental/environmental composer/producer Yutaka Hirose, this time with brand new album Voices, available on limited edition heavyweight-sleeved double LP as well as double CD, both with liner notes from the artist.

Voices finds Yutaka Hirose expanding his signature spatial layering into a three-dimensional videography of sound, blending field recordings, electronic manipulations, and abstract narratives. The 12-track album is a journey through a crumbling library where books whisper, history collides, and sonic textures weave new realities. Chaos, memory, and transformation – Hirose’s voices echo throughout the space, creating a fully immersive sonic experience.

The pioneering experimental and abstract electronic piece with deep hints of ambient and IDM is beautifully represented by the original artwork by Koji Shiroshita and Mifuku gracing the double LP and double digipack CD sleeves.

Voices marks Yutaka Hirose’s third full-length release on WRWTFWW Records, following his kankyõ ongaku classics Nova + 4 (an expanded version of his genre defining Soundscape 2: Nova album) and archival compilation TRACE: Sound Design Works 1986-1989, both available in vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

When the trio of Sontag Shogun gathered at Laura Naukkarinen's home on the Finnish island of Kimitoön in the summer of 2019, they had not the slightest inkling that the world was about to change irretrievably with the onset of a long-predicted pandemic the following year. By the time their collaborative album, Valo Siroutuu ("The Light Scatters"), was released nearly two years later, the intimate and reflective nature of the work they had created together had taken on new meaning, resonating powerfully (and quietly) with a world in which the proverbial cracks in the wall only seem to be widening. 



Päiväkahvit completes the story that began with Valo Siroutuu, featuring 9 songs from the original sessions as well as 4 interpretive reworks courtesy of Amulets, Fadi Tabbal, Post-Dukes, and Jeremy Young. Available digitally and in a one-time vinyl pressing of 300 copies, the album flows seamlessly from beginning to end, incorporating field recordings, tape, sublime vocal melodies, and a host of acoustic and electronic instruments. Richly textured and immersive, Päiväkahvit positively crackles with warmth and a sense of creative embrace.



"We invite the listener into the sauna, out to the garden and onto the trampoline, to sit by the water’s edge and to take a coffee in the waning afternoon light, and to stay as long as they like." – Jesse Perlstein

Lau Nau, aka Laura Naukkarinen, is a Finnish composer whose music is imbued with an idiosyncratic, finely honed sound world. Her palette consists of acoustic instruments, singing voice, modular synthesisers, reel-to-reel tape recorders and field recordings. To date Lau Nau has released ten albums on record labels in Europe, the USA and Japan and a large number of collaborative releases. Lau Nau is known for her music to films and multi channel sound installations. She was awarded the Finnish State Prize for the Performing Arts 2021 as a sound designer. She has toured abroad for over 20 years, playing in venues such as Super Deluxe in Tokyo, the Lab & Castro Theatre in San Francisco and Blank Forms & Issue Project Room in New York.

Sontag Shogun is a collaborative trio that makes use of analog sound treatments and nostalgic solo piano compositions in harmony to depict abstract places in our memory. Textures built from organic materials such as sand, slate, boiling water, brush and dried leaves, both produced live in performance and recorded to weathered 1/4" tape warm up the space between lush piano themes. All of which is abstracted coolly in the reflective digital space of treated vocals and a live-processed feed from the piano. Bringing us back, like a faded passing scent or any natural emotive trigger, but to where? The wordless journey there will inevitably be more revealing than the destination itself.


Zum 92. Geburtstag der kürzlich verstorbenen Musiklegende erscheinen vier seiner Kultalben als limitierte audiophile 180g-LPs in Deluxe-Sleeves.

Die Alben „Walking In Space” (1969), “Smackwater Jack” (1971), „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” (1973) und “Body Heat“ (1974) zeigen Quincy Jones als Künstler zwischen Jazz und Black Music und gelten längst als Meisterwerke ihrer Ära.

Die Deluxe-LPs wurden in 180g bei Vantiva (USA) gepresst und stecken in gefütterten weißen Innenhüllen. Alle Alben bis auf „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” stecken in Gatefold-Sleeves. „Smackwater Jack“ wird durch einen Prägedruck auf dem Cover veredelt, „Walking In Space“, „You’ve Got It Bad Girl“ und „Body Heat“ durch einen Foliendruck.

Zum 92. Geburtstag der kürzlich verstorbenen Musiklegende erscheinen vier seiner Kultalben als limitierte audiophile 180g-LPs in Deluxe-Sleeves.

Die Alben „Walking In Space” (1969), “Smackwater Jack” (1971), „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” (1973) und “Body Heat“ (1974) zeigen Quincy Jones als Künstler zwischen Jazz und Black Music und gelten längst als Meisterwerke ihrer Ära.

Die Deluxe-LPs wurden in 180g bei Vantiva (USA) gepresst und stecken in gefütterten weißen Innenhüllen. Alle Alben bis auf „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” stecken in Gatefold-Sleeves. „Smackwater Jack“ wird durch einen Prägedruck auf dem Cover veredelt, „Walking In Space“, „You’ve Got It Bad Girl“ und „Body Heat“ durch einen Foliendruck.

Zum 92. Geburtstag der kürzlich verstorbenen Musiklegende erscheinen vier seiner Kultalben als limitierte audiophile 180g-LPs in Deluxe-Sleeves.

Die Alben „Walking In Space” (1969), “Smackwater Jack” (1971), „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” (1973) und “Body Heat“ (1974) zeigen Quincy Jones als Künstler zwischen Jazz und Black Music und gelten längst als Meisterwerke ihrer Ära.

Die Deluxe-LPs wurden in 180g bei Vantiva (USA) gepresst und stecken in gefütterten weißen Innenhüllen. Alle Alben bis auf „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” stecken in Gatefold-Sleeves. „Smackwater Jack“ wird durch einen Prägedruck auf dem Cover veredelt, „Walking In Space“, „You’ve Got It Bad Girl“ und „Body Heat“ durch einen Foliendruck.

Zum 92. Geburtstag der kürzlich verstorbenen Musiklegende erscheinen vier seiner Kultalben als limitierte audiophile 180g-LPs in Deluxe-Sleeves.

Die Alben „Walking In Space” (1969), “Smackwater Jack” (1971), „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” (1973) und “Body Heat“ (1974) zeigen Quincy Jones als Künstler zwischen Jazz und Black Music und gelten längst als Meisterwerke ihrer Ära.

Die Deluxe-LPs wurden in 180g bei Vantiva (USA) gepresst und stecken in gefütterten weißen Innenhüllen. Alle Alben bis auf „You’ve Got It Bad Girl” stecken in Gatefold-Sleeves. „Smackwater Jack“ wird durch einen Prägedruck auf dem Cover veredelt, „Walking In Space“, „You’ve Got It Bad Girl“ und „Body Heat“ durch einen Foliendruck.

Diese neue (!) Compilation vereint klassische Radiosessions der TVPs, den Meistern des DIY-Post-Punk und Indie-Pop. Die Doppel-LP enthält zwei BBC-Sessions aus den 80er Jahren, die bei John Peel und Andy Kershaw aufgenommen und ausgestrahlt wurden, sowie ein sehr rares WMBR-Set von 1992 mit Coversongs von Buzzcocks, Raincoats und Daniel Johnston sowie bisher unveröffentlichten Songs (und als digitaler Bonus die WFMU-Session von 1993). "Catchy hooks and schoolboy wit are in abundant supply." Pitchfork Die großartigen DIY-Fähigkeiten der Television Personalities und ihr liebenswertes, klappriges Auftreten haben sie auf so manchen subversiven Trip geführt, sowohl auf Platte als auch bei Live-Auftritten. Aber es war das Radio, das sie zum ersten Mal der Welt vorstellte, in einem Wirbelsturm wiederholter Airplays. John Peel ließ Außenstehende überall in TVPs alternative Welt eintauchen. Und auf dem Höhepunkt des Punk parodierten sie bereits die neue Revolution, ihre Single ,Part Time Punks" wurde zu einem Peel-Hit, und die Nachfrage nach weiteren Songs führte schließlich zu einer Session im Jahr 1980. In den 80er Jahren war Daniel Treacy so zu einem begnadeten Geschichtenerzähler gereift, der die moderne Welt aus seinen eigenen, verschwommenen Blickwinkel beschrieb. Seine Songs waren liebenswert, sofort identifizierbar und witzig, klare, scharfe Beobachtungen von oft magischer Tiefe. Treacy wurde zu einer Inspiration und unverzichtbaren Alternative des üblichen (auf der Insel nicht soo schlechten) Radioprogrammes, eines Mediums, das die TVPs zum Ende der 80er Jahre so gut wie aufgegeben hatte. "Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out" fängt den Weg dieses Pilgers ins Pop-Nirvana ein, ein psychedelisches Wunderland, das von dunklen und grüblerischen Momenten gezeichnet ist. Gehört wie durch ein knisterndes, Vintage-Transistorradio, welches vielleicht sogar unter dem Kopfkissen versteckt ist, so dass diese Skizzierungen der Gesellschaft ganz nah und intim Daniel Treacy's Psyche zeigen. Limitierte Doppel-LP, klassisch schwarzes Vinyl, Linernotes, gratis DLC mit Bonustracks!

Razorlight were at the forefront of the indie-rock resurgence of the early 2000s, their biggest moments - ‘Golden Touch’, ‘Somewhere Else’, ‘In The Morning’, ‘America’ and ‘Wire To Wire’ - driving three Top 5 albums, nine Platinum album certifications, an NME Award, and live highlights including headlining the Reading Festival and performing at Live 8. After reuniting for live shows in 2021, the classic line-up - Johnny Borrell (vocals/guitar), Björn Ågren (guitar), Carl Dalemo (bass) and Andy Burrows (drums) - will release the new album ‘Planet Nowhere’ on October 25th, their first together since 2008. Razorlight preview the set by sharing its first single, ‘Scared Of Nothing’. Since reuniting, Razorlight have sold-out a headline tour which included a London show at the Eventim Apollo, and played shows as guests to Muse, Kaiser Chiefs and James. But as the ever ambitious Johnny challenged himself, “Who wants to be a greatest hits band?” So he hatched a plan, and late in 2023 booked a five-day session with the legendary producer Youth (The Verve, James) at his Space Mountain studio in Spain. Youth knew what they had to achieve, telling the band, “Razorlight’s quite simple isn’t it? Just a driving bassline, driving drums and a story.” For whatever reason, things weren’t that simple. After four days they had a stack of ideas, but nothing really worth pursuing. And then, as Johnny recalls, something remarkable emerged from out of nowhere. “I’d been down in the barranca, and came back up to find the studio empty. So I picked up this weird six-string bass/guitar hybrid I'd never seen before and wrote this thing. On our last night, I started playing it with the guys. The drums came in hard, the bass pounded. It sounded like shit. Absolute shit. But Youth was there, saying 'Can, Velvets, see where it takes you’ and 'Why don’t you try it like that?' But still, the track just wouldn't budge, locked in its own inertia. Youth says, 'You're getting there, just one more' and almost instantly the song came out, from nothing to something, like a statue coming up out of marble.” That song was ‘Scared of Nothing’ and listening back to the finished track, it’s easy to see why it resparked Razorlight’s mojo. Exuding taut, spiky post-punk energy in a way that’s instantly infectious - the very traits that attracted highfalutin praise from NME back when they started out (“More tunes than Franz, more spirit than The Strokes, and more balls than nearly every band out there”). And as ever, Johnny demonstrates the swaggering, high-intensity charisma that took him from being a figurehead of the Camden scene to rise to become a Vogue cover star. It was also the track which unlocked Razorlight’s creativity, leading the band to return to Spain with Youth for a second session earlier this year, during which they crafted an extensive catalogue of songs for the upcoming album. Other titles vying for inclusion include ‘Zombie Love’, ‘U Can Call Me’, ‘Dirty Luck’ and ‘Cool People’. Since returning, Razorlight have also looked back on their initial achievements, first releasing ‘Razorwhat? The Best of Razorlight’ (complete with the new song ‘You Are Entering The Human Heart’) and then last month issuing the 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of their breakthrough debut album ‘Up All Night’. Never a dull moment. Writing a new ending for themselves, Razorlight are back to cast out the boring in your life.

Demos and unreleased songs from Wand"s salad days, the time of the immortal Ganglion Reef. Available for download since 2017, this album"s at last firmly sunk into vinyl grooves that realize its fullest potential in a listener"s ears. These light, fizzy versions have distinctive gleaming magic energies all of their own and they fly thrillingly through the air. Catch a wave through beautifully-abandoned space on your turntable eternal!

2024 repress

“The doors are where the windows should be, and the windows are where the doors should be”. If you had been in one of the more open minded all night raves in the early 90s you are likely more than familiar with Earth Leakage Trip’s ‘No Idea’.

You could write several pages about the 'Psychotronic EP' and still not nail it as well as Discogs user covert_operative's description of 'urban, British psychedelic music.' The Acid House narrative is all about ecstasy, but for many, especially outside of London, there was a lot of LSD involved. Things were edgier, too, with parties in derelict, liminal spaces. By the time this record came out in 1991, the rave was properly diverging from its house music beginnings.

The Psychotronic EP was the first release on the legendary Moving Shadow label. Its lead track 'No Idea' is both the perfect entry point to the catalogue and something of an outlier. Neil Sanford had been writing music for a few years before playing some demos to Rob Playford in his car outside a nightclub in Wood Green. Simon Carter got involved, and the pair went to Playford's studio to manifest the madness they'd been sketching with rudimentary gear.

'No Idea's use of samples was wholly inspired and far more surreal than so many of the dark-side tracks that were to follow it. A friend of Neil's had given him a record called 'Happy Monsters' and the lead track, 'Adventures in the Land of Ooog,' lent the unforgettable children's vocals. Neil initially had his doubts. Had they gone too far? However, while working on the track, Rob Playford's girlfriend ran in shouting, "you HAVE to use that!" And so it came to be.

As a footnote, the track did prove to be strong medicine, with at least one documented account of a promoter having to be talked down by his friends after hearing it when psychedelically altered.

The Psychotronic EP is a truly visionary piece of work, standing poised on the edge of the rave's burgeoning future and entirely outside it. As such, it's never not been a cool record, as appealing to lysergic adventurers as it is to house heads, hardcore ravers, or experimental music pioneers. And it has now been lovingly reissued by Blank Mind, for which I'm eternally grateful, seeing as my copy is battered beyond belief.


Written by Piers Harrison

Remastered by Graeme at the Exchange

Licensed with permission from Moving Shadow

Played by Autechre, Colin Dale, Colin Faver, Orbital

Dream team trio Better Corners – Valentina Magaletti, Sarah Register and Matthew Simms – have completed a staggering new album Continuous Miracles: Vol. 2 for state51 Conspiracy, and where their debut LP joyfully opened the door to a brand new room, this one strides purposefully inside.

Renowned drummer/percussionist Magaletti (Holy Tongue, Vanishing Twin, Moin), avant rock musician and in demand mastering engineer Register (Kim Gordon, Talk Normal) and multi-instrumentalist and modular obsessed Simms (Wire, MEMORIALS) inject an all-too-rare sense of childlike wonder and joy into their own inimitable collage of experimental rock, wonky dream pop, analog ambient, tape experimentation, avant percussion, modular electronics and noise music.

It is this sense of fun that led to one of the band’s “uncovers”: ‘Modulating De Niro’ began with a solo piano version of Bananarama’s ‘Robert De Niro’s Waiting’ which was then sent on a very long journey through modular synth patches and FX chains until it became the unrecognisable to the original and the majestic beast it is now. The album centres round the colossal 16- minute-long ‘Career Test’, a dynamic trip through glitch-enhanced noise, machine dub and the ambience of amplified rock music, to a transcendent, mind-expanding modern raga.

Like an industrial Gamelan played by a future civilisation who have never heard it, only read about it in ancient books, the song is formed from bowed treated guitars, hypnotic hand drums, water bowl and bells. It also has a suitably macabre genesis, as Register reveals: “I was visiting my aunt's house and slept in her bedroom. In the headboard of her bed are places for curiosities and heirlooms. In these spaces she had box after box of the ashes of pets of hers that I had known over the years…”

Channeling a love affair with classic '90s hip-hop, an affinity for otherworldly themes and an ear for raw funk, Barclay Crenshaw uses his given birth name to bare his soul and deliver a slowed-down, emotive collection of collaborations and instrumentals. This self-titled debut album is a left-field departure from his better-known alias, Claude VonStroke, but the quality is undeniably the same. The themes of ancient alien abductions and exploration of time and space are discovered and brought to life over ten tracks that sound like a mixture of gold rope chains and new age enlightenment. Modern organic beats mixed with gorgeous melodic moments and underlying grittiness create an experience that is eclectic, expressive and expansive. Coded art furthers the sense of mystery and the unknown, harking back to the past while gazing into the future.

Repress!

HI-LO returns to Adam Beyer’s label for a sharp new outing ‘WANNA GO BANG’. The new track comes almost a year on from his energetic Drumcode debut ‘Hypnos’, which was followed by his remix of Adam Beyer & DJ Rush’s ‘Restore My Soul’. Oliver Heldens’ techno alias HI-LO has been building steam over the last 12 months, remixing Nina Kraviz’s ‘Skyscrapers’, sharing line-ups with everyone from Erol Alkan to PanPot and Enrico Sangiuliano on the world’s biggest stages, while also collaborating with Reinier Zonneveld, Eli Brown, and Space 92. All the while he’s kept in contact with Beyer, a sophomore offering on Drumcode always on the cards. ‘WANNA GO BANG’ is a high-powered Chicago-influenced weapon, that takes its vocal from the DJ Deeon classic ‘2 B Free’. HI-LO’s cut sees the vocal combine with a volley of drums throughout the mid-section, which adds a clever dynamic energy to the track. Already teased in HI-LO’s sets, and widely supported by the underground’s finest including Beyer, Amelie Lens, Enrico Sangiuliano, ANNA, and many more, ‘Wanna Go Bang’ is set to dominate clubs worldwide. Included in the pack, ‘LOKOMOTIF’ is five minutes of pure machine funk as HI-LO crafts a fantastic little groover driven by 90s house synths stabs. The track which has been in the works for the past two years has been teased in HI-LO’s sets over the summer, also garnering support from Carl Cox. On both tracks, Oliver Heldens says “‘WANNA GO BANG’ is my take on Chicago legend DJ Deeon’s classic vocoder vocal sample (from his 1992 song “2 B Free”, but it’s pitched down 5 semitones now which gives it such a dark vibe). I’ve always wanted to make my own DJ weapon version of it since I heard Bjarki’s trippy version in 2015, and I’m really happy with how it turned out, it’s such a monster! “LOKOMOTIF” is a high-energy groover, driven by 90s House synth stabs, funky percussion and banging drums, and it sits very nicely in between Techno and House. Both are really ‘dance floor’ focused, so I’m very pleased that many noteworthy DJs have been banging out these tracks in their sets already pre-release. And I couldn’t be happier than to see them released on one of my all-time favorite labels, Drumcode!”

repress !

Zero 7 were formed in 1997 by producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. In 2001 their debut album Simple Things was released selling over a million copies to date and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. They released their second album When It Falls in 2004.

When It Falls was a Top 10 album, peaking at no.4 in the UK album charts and spent 24 weeks in total in the charts. It has sold over a quarter of a million copies. Stateside the album entered the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart at #3 and stayed in the Top 20 of that chart for almost thirteen months.

Singles taken from the original album include Home featuring Tina Dico, and Warm Sounds featuring Mozez. Sia and Sophie Barker also feature on the album, with tracks such as Somersault (a UK Top 100 single), In Time and Speed Dial No. 2.

The vinyl LP has been discontinued and second-hand copies of the original pressing are changing hands on Ebay and Discogs for upwards of £100!

This vinyl only When it Falls re-issue will mirror the original release, cut over 4 sides and using the original artwork but now pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl. Cutting is by engineer Kevin Metcalfe using his original cutting notes.

When It Falls is a timelessly classic album from a seminal electronic band and the essential soundtrack to any laidback summer chilling.

Tokyo based Yuto Takei's latest work is an assortment of numbers that represents fairly well his versatility as a music maker. His capability of painting afterglow soundscapes with a cinematic approach is counterpoised by an almost obsessive interest in percussive experiments.

The sparse presence of subtle natural field recordings together with vast open sonic spaces is recurrently sustained by repetitive semi-artificial and frantic cosmic repetitions. Comes with a riso-printed insert, handstamped innersleeve, and a label sticker.

"Space Trip" is a cult record released in 1973 on the legendary Amigo catalog, the longest-running independent label in Sweden.

This amazing Spiritual Jazz-Funk/Fusion LP was very hard to find. Finally available again, fully licensed and remastered, with original artwork.

This album is a killer one in its entirety, with no fillers.

Some of the best spiritual jazz on record!

The final U.S. show, a triumphant and blistering bookend to the storied career of one of the most influential bands in rock music, featuring a unique and expansive eighty-five minute set list that spans Sonic Youth’s nearly three decade catalog. Mixed from multitrack by longtime live engineer Aaron Mullan and mastered and cut by Carl Saff. On August 12, 2011 Sonic Youth played their final US show on an outdoor stage overlooking the East River at the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn. Fitting that their storied career would bookend with a panoramic view of New York City where it all began 30 years before, having left in their wake one of one of the most powerfully influential careers in rock music. Following incredible sets from Kurt Vile and Wild Flag, the band took the stage. As the sun went down over the city, Sonic Youth ripped through a 17 song set that spanned from deep cuts off their first studio album and highlighting many other albums all the way through to their last, like a band with everything to prove. Or as Brooklyn Vegan’s Andrew Sacher said at the time: “While most bands who are thirty years into their career are either fading away or living off of the nostalgia of their older material, Sonic Youth continue to sound and perform as fresh as ever.” Steve Shelley explains the uniquely career spanning set list of Live in Brooklyn 2011 and how it came to be, as well as the importance of outdoor NYC summer shows in Sonic Youth’s legacy: “This show was a culmination of a run of really special outdoor summertime shows in New York City for us, starting in ’92 with Summerstage in Central Park when we played with Sun Ra. For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the set list to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it. After worrying about which songs the band might say yes or no to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set. We practiced the week of the show at our space in Hoboken and put the set together. First we’d try and make sure we had a guitar in the song’s tuning, then we’d try to remember the arrangement and try and put it together, sometimes re-learning bar by bar. In the end I think the whole song list made it through. Even as early as ’86 and ’87 we stopped playing ‘Death Valley 69’ and ‘Brave Men Run’ with any regularity. We’d just get excited about new material coming into the set and songs would get ‘retired’ and wouldn’t get played again for years. So on this particular night in Brooklyn a lot of those retired songs and deep cuts got dusted off and played for this show. It turned out to be a pretty special event with a really special song list.” The band would go on to fulfill a contracted festival run in South America a few months later but, by then, the group’s center was severed beyond repair and the festival appearances didn’t hold the same kind of weight. “The stage was facing the East River from the Williamsburg, Brooklyn waterfront, and I recall the sun going down in the west during our set. It was a pretty magical, if kinda weird day. Fitting, somehow, that our ‘last show’ should be in New York City, our home and where it all began…” Lee Ranaldo The Williamsburg Waterfront show would fondly become referred to as ‘The Last Show’ by fans and band alike, equally for its triumphant high energy performance, its unique and expansive set list and locale. Newly remixed and remastered, Live in Brooklyn 2011 is presented for the first time on 2xLP, 2Xcd, August 18, 2023.

2023 Repress

Marc Acardipane's Pitch-Hiker, originally released under Marc's Pilldriver alias, is without doubt one of the foundation tracks of European hardcore. From the moment it was released in 1995 it caused shockwaves with its stripped down, kick drum focused approach. Gone were the hoovers, sirens, breakbeats and vocal samples of that era's hardcore and instead a stark new minimalism emerged, focusing equally on the kick drum itself and the negative space and air around it.

Like all groundbreaking records it was soon followed by an endless stream of unofficial rip-offs, re-edits and remixes, none of which got close to the perfection of Marc's original. Now for the first time Pitch-Hiker gets officially remixed showing the level of trust Marc has in Perc Trax and Perc's own affection for PitchHiker and for Marc's enduring legacy as an electronic music innovator.

First up is Marc himself with his own take on his classic. Keeping the distinctive reverb soaked kick hits of his 1995 original mix he adds dive-bombing synths and scything hi-hats to increase the energy of the original mix without losing any of its dark charm.

Next label boss Perc adds more weight to the original's unmistakable kick drums, slowly building up the tension until his remix drops into the kind of noise assault not heard on Perc Trax since Tymon's devastating remix of Perc's own 'Hyperlink'. Kick drum specialists Ghost In The Machine step up next and work the original mixes' warping kick drums to the max. Updating and strengthening the track perfectly whilst keeping the sense of space that gave the original mix so much character.

Finally Sissel Wincent and Peder Mannerfelt team up for their Perc Trax debut following on from Perc's remix of 'Sissel & Bass' back in 2019. Flipping the script completely Sissel & Peder add multiple vocal hooks and fuse the original mix's 4/4 kick with half-speed broken beat rhythms to serve up a very different, but still successful interpretation of the original mix.

2023 Repress

Marc Acardipane's Pitch-Hiker, originally released under Marc's Pilldriver alias, is without doubt one of the foundation tracks of European hardcore. From the moment it was released in 1995 it caused shockwaves with its stripped down, kick drum focused approach. Gone were the hoovers, sirens, breakbeats and vocal samples of that era's hardcore and instead a stark new minimalism emerged, focusing equally on the kick drum itself and the negative space and air around it.

Like all groundbreaking records it was soon followed by an endless stream of unofficial rip-offs, re-edits and remixes, none of which got close to the perfection of Marc's original. Now for the first time Pitch-Hiker gets officially remixed showing the level of trust Marc has in Perc Trax and Perc's own affection for PitchHiker and for Marc's enduring legacy as an electronic music innovator.

First up is Marc himself with his own take on his classic. Keeping the distinctive reverb soaked kick hits of his 1995 original mix he adds dive-bombing synths and scything hi-hats to increase the energy of the original mix without losing any of its dark charm.

Next label boss Perc adds more weight to the original's unmistakable kick drums, slowly building up the tension until his remix drops into the kind of noise assault not heard on Perc Trax since Tymon's devastating remix of Perc's own 'Hyperlink'. Kick drum specialists Ghost In The Machine step up next and work the original mixes' warping kick drums to the max. Updating and strengthening the track perfectly whilst keeping the sense of space that gave the original mix so much character.

Finally Sissel Wincent and Peder Mannerfelt team up for their Perc Trax debut following on from Perc's remix of 'Sissel & Bass' back in 2019. Flipping the script completely Sissel & Peder add multiple vocal hooks and fuse the original mix's 4/4 kick with half-speed broken beat rhythms to serve up a very different, but still successful interpretation of the original mix.

Temples is a tempting invitation into another world, full of light and movement. From the second the synth comes in this track has got us deep in its pocket. Shotter manages something that is hard to achieve - he has us floating completely, yet steadily carried by tip-toeing metallic rhythm elements and the relentless swells of bright synths. The game changer in the second half is a new, gritty bass quality, which couldn't roll in any more fiercely. At its fullest the track has us in an uncompromising trance, a relentless movement that we don't ever want to escape from. Breaking back down to pleasantly gentle hi-hat reverb-tails and inducing synth patterns Temples lets us down easy, with the unspoken promise to return.

Ueno claims the room to itself completely and immediately. The rise and fall of melodic synth lines lead us through a labyrinth at first, leaving plenty of space for imagination. Before we notice playful call-and-response rhythms are teasing our ears, until the track surrenders itself to an ever-growing wave of synth patterns and their behind-the-beat-delay. It climaxes into a haunting silence with tenuous high-pitched sounds and a clear outer space feel. Finally, all elements lock into a comforting groove, driving us forward, not too fast, not too slow - exactly right.

The track starts off with a blissfully nostalgic vintage-feel - slightly muffled, like the humbling quality you get from an old Technics playing your favourite LP. But don't be fooled, Cube March is bold. And unexpected. Stomping rhythms take over quickly and full-blown gritty synth-stabs cut the air effortlessly, like blades. An unapologetic and careless pumping bass line makes us want to move with every cell in our body. Shotter demonstrates his fearlessness in experimenting with heavy contrasts and elements from different genres here. A break with tastefully placed repetitive rhythm elements is complemented by the constant ebb and flow of melody lines. Both in volume and presence they fluctuate, one handing over the spotlight to the other seamlessly, keeping us hooked until the very end.

This remix lures you away from reality in a matter of seconds, with Definition's signature heavy hitting bass dominating. He expertly weaves shimmery fills into buoyant synth lines and brings us a skilful mix of dark minimal techno, breaks and infectious monster synth lines. Every so often, he adds a new layer, increasing the depth of the track, before letting it all crumble in a breakdown where time stops and tension grows, as we impatiently await the next rise to carry us away. The lengthy build-ups give this remix the energy to fill any room, easily. It is subtle, yet propulsive, too - a lane that Definition seems to manage regularly.

Following widespread acclaim for his recent LP ‘Always Inside your Head’, on March 4th / April 8th Matt Cutler AKA Lone releases four re-works of tracks from the album, entitled ‘Natural Aerials’.

On ‘Natural Aerials (Mouth of God Part Two)’, Lone utilises a similar sound palette as album track ‘Mouth Of God’, but rebuilds it into a brand new banger. Energetic, deep, trancey and driven by jungle-schooled breakbeats, with bassbin shuddering low-end, he delves deeper into the vortex. Whereas the album was made predominantly using software, Cutler has since been buying hardware – and this marks the first track made on these newly acquired synths.

Based around a version from Lone’s recent sold-out live show at London’s Village Underground, on ‘Inlove2 (One Thirty Mix)’ he ups the original’s BPM count, with sights set firmly on the dancefloor. Taking cues from the ‘Ambivert Tools’ series, this is a high-grade, proggy, main room acid rush.

On ‘Visited By Astronauts (SHERELLE Had A Groove Remix)’, the fast-rising star takes an ambient interlude from the album, and gives it what she calls “a space age, footwork jungle twist”. Her first released remix, Sherelle continues an impeccable purple patch, with a re-rub that’s both airy and light, but also heavily percussive, full of propulsive forward motion. She states, "it’s a pleasure and honour to remix for Lone, as being a long time fan, it's a beautiful thing to be able to collaborate. I really wanted my first remix to be special and also for someone who I hugely admire, so Matt asking me to be involved in this process wastruly magical!”

‘Echo Paths Ebb And Flow’ takes a downtempo album highlight, strips it back to just the synths, then unfurls them into a blissful ambient work that’s melodic, warm and fuzzy, swaddling the listener in candy floss clouds.

“Out of Our Hands” brings together Alvin Lucier and Jordan Dykstra who, through the hands of Ordinary Affects, have created debut recordings of two new compositions.

These companion pieces have similar orbits as they were not only both composed in Middletown, CT (where Alvin and Jordan lived for a number of years), but are about Middletown, at least from a starting point. Alvin’s piece — a homage to the location of the house in which he recorded “I am sitting in a room” back in 1969 — continues his study into slow-moving glissandi and carefully crafted beating patters by interweaving three string players within a minor third (voiced by two vibraphonists). The result is entrancing, almost psychedelic, and opens space where one didn’t expect. Like much of his previous work, it is conceptual and process-based; once the wheels get turning they go on and on, giving the listener time to approach the piece, sit with it, and then move back inward.

On the other hand, Dykstra’s piece “32 Middle Tones” (a pun on his Middletown street address and the harmonic microtonality utilized in the composition) is a very textural work. His piece asks the cellist to sustain pitches for extended durations — at times quietly singing in close proximity to the stopped pitch coming from the cello — while the rest of the ensemble (violin, viola, and 2 percussion) voice a sequence of chords separated by notated silences. The cello voice is sometimes alone, but never for too long as it finds itself supported from both the top and bottom in a harmonic embrace. This supportive structure involves a percussion section which colors the seemingly simple chords (major 6th, inverted minor 7th, inverted minor 2nd, etc.) with a non-traditional toolkit of bowed singing bowls, stone sheets, harmonicas, and even leaves.

This is music that gently gives the listener a sense of predictability but always in an unexpected (and subtly indeterminate) shade. Speaking of shade, the album’s cover photo was taken in 2019 in Alvin’s backyard in Middletown. Alvin and Jordan sit with similar demeanors in front of his favorite tree — a crooked aspen which early on looked to be doomed — but which he would often saunter over to spend time with, giving it whispers of blessings and encouraging words.The world was blessed with Alvin’s presence and hopefully this album will whisper to you and yours.

Artist statement:
“With Alvin’s recent passing I was overwhelmed with messages and calls from friends, collaborators, and his former students. Everyone had a heavy heart, no doubt, but were grateful for the memories and their gift to be around Alvin during his lifetime of prolific dedication to the arts, his fascination with poetic storytelling through scientifically-inspired minimalism, and his calm and warmhearted spirit. In his last few years on earth, Alvin was busier than ever — brainstorming new ideas, creating new pieces, and planning big things. While he was here, he was alive, and may his music — and spirit — live on forever, spreading from his corner of Church and High (where he recorded his seminal piece I am sitting in a room) to every corner, concert hall, and loudspeaker in the world.”

They Say: “Contemporary scores for visual effect”.

We say: Synth-heavy, low-slung space-funk masterpiece.

The creator of the romping tunes that became the iconic themes to the BBC’s Grandstand programme and their televised Wimbledon Tennis Championship coverage, Keith Mansfield was perhaps KPM’s most prolific artist from the mid 1960s right the way through the 1980s. As well as the sort of pop orchestral sound that is all over these classic library records, he could also turn his hand to raw, edgy rock and funk. Quentin Tarantino is a big fan, going as far as including some of Keith’s work on the soundtracks to Kill Bill and Grindhouse.

This is it. This is THE ONE for us: Keith “The Man” Mansfield’s Vivid Underscores from 1977. A sample freak’s wet dream and one of Be With Rob’s favourite ever KPM records. A must for fans of Brian Bennett’s Voyage (yes, THAT good). And no, we’ve no idea either why it took us this long to get round to tackling this monster of a record. But then again some things are worth waiting for.

Attention! Calling all crate diggers, DJs, beat heads, Hip Hop junkies, MF DOOM fans! Behold! Vivid Underscores makes sampling easy. Prepare to be up all night, every night, chopping, looping and splicing these endless grooves and spacey synths. The highlights are too many and too mind-blowing so we’ll pull out a few particular highlights. Trust us, this library LP is just jaw-dropping.

“High Velocity” sets the tone with its aggressive horns, wah-wah guitars, funky baseline and wobbly synth refrain. So good and so hypnotic that Memphis Bleek just had to swipe the ominous, frazzled intro for “What You Think of That” featuring Jay-Z. Also, for real drama, the 1985 Lakers retrospective “Return to Glory” used it to soundtrack the footage from the legendary game five of the NBA finals at the Forum. Heady days. “Crash Course” - Stetsasonic horn refrain? Beautiful - jazzy chase-funk, amazing warm keys, percussion and funky horns - all action.

The more restrained “Matter Of Urgency” is an utterly amazing, brass-heavy underscore. The grandiose, uplifting “Dawn Of Aquarius” still sounds like the future with its tense, thundering drums, killer bassline and swirling synths. Version II loses the drums and percussion but is no less startling. “Staying Power” closes the first side with a relentless, pounding groove which *will* snap your neck. Be warned.

“Trucking Company” is a pacey, synth-and-string masterpiece and its accompanying parts (a–c) mess with the formula to great effect. Part (a) adds echo delay to really dazzle and part (c) plays the breezy, beautiful middle section without the tension. “Hot Cargo” and “Espionage” are both tense spy-funk themes par excellence. “Interplay” is a quiet killer, with flutes over a glistening piano refrain just waiting to be looped. The intro to the menacing “Omen” might’ve been sampled by 7L & Esoteric for their classic “So Glorious” but the entire 5 minute track is a mini-drama masterpiece, one only Mansfield could create.

Even though its a mix of short themes in-and-amongst longer, full-length tracks, Vivid Underscores is still thoroughly listenable from start to finish. That’s not something that can be said of all library records and it still manages to serve as rich resource to keep even the keenest samplers busy for a while.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Vivid Underscores comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand ident

Corvair is what happens when you trap two Scorpio songwriters in a house together. Comprised of a Portland-based husband / wife duo of two seasoned musicians (Brian Naubert and Heather Larimer), Corvair’s debut album charts a starcrossed love story over three decades, five cities, and six continents. Spanning from atmospheric pop to jangly confessional, 70s AM to 90s FM, this work is laden with stunning turns of phrase and prodigious melodies, two voices leaping to meet in the ether. Corvair’s debut album was largely created during the COVID pandemic shut-down of Spring 2020. It includes work with drummer Eric Eagle (Jesse Sykes, Wayne Horvitz) and Engineer Martin Feveyear (Brandi Carlile, Mark Lanegan, Mudhoney), who also mixed the record. Larimer explains, “Being stuck in a house together with very little outside influence made us more emotionally raw, definitely weirder, and also more patient and intricate in developing the songs. And because we were in a bubble, cooking dinners from paranoidly-disinfected groceries and listening to old records, really disparate references from some of our favorite music ended up colliding in odd ways--an emotional Judas Priest bridge, an anthemic Pixies outro, a spacey keyboard sound from Steve Miller, Jeff Lynne's acoustic guitar tone, a Carpenters-style lush harmony. I think it's a wonderfully weird record, but also very in-your-face pop because what else are you going to do when the world feels like it's ending?" Separately, Naubert and Larimer have created or appeared on more than 20 records. Heather’s musical mainstay was the garage pop band Eux Autres, broadly hailed as a “veritable cult classic” band, radio-debuted by the legendary John Peel, and featured in many shows, movies and commercials. Brian is a longtime fixture of the Northwest rock community, having played in vital bands such as Tube Top, Pop Sickle, and the critically-lauded Ruston Mire, since 1993. More recently, Brian released his first solo record, Hoffabus and a record with the NW Supergroup, The Service Providers. Naubert and Larimer’s decades of separate music making have finally combined, culminating in this tour de force from two formidable songwriters. Corvair sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard and everything you’ve always loved.
Press quotes: “Smart, infectious, jangly pop.” Everett True // “An irresistible set of bouncy indie-pop tinged with surf music and ‘60s girl groups, contrasted with the band’s often-biting lyrics.” KEXP.org // “One of the more exciting independent releases of the year...a veritable cult classic.” Under The Radar // “Three chord garage pop that hangs on a raunchy guitar line and crisp production from Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Quasi).” MAGNET Magazine // Brian Naubert - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion. Heather Larimer - vocals, keyboards, percussion.