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Includes an alternate take of 'Looking Good tonight ' appearing for the first time ever on vinyl.

"Blues for a Reason stands out from much of the work of the period." - The Penguin Guide to Jazz

"It's strange to think that two of the greatest stars of "cool jazz," Chet Baker and Warne Mash, would never record together, given that they were nearly the same age, and that they both rose to fame in Los Angeles around the same period.

However, that would have been the case if Gerry Teekens, founder of the Criss Cross label, had never had the bright idea of bringing them together in 1984.

Surprisingly, they would end up cutting their only collaborative album, Blues for a Reason, in Monster, The Netherlands!" - **** AllMusic

Sinead was born in Dublin in 1966, and was discovered by Paul Byrne, drummer of U2 proteges In Tua Nua, while singing wedding covers in the city.

After cowriting the first In Tua Nua single, she left school to focus on music, studying voice and piano at the Dublin College of Music before relocating to London in 1985.

Released in September 1994, Universal Mother was described by Sinead as "the first attempt to try to expose what was really underneath a lot of the anger of the other records". The album features sparse, striking but delicate arrangements on intense and honest songs. Standout moments include the singles 'Thank You For Hearing Me' and 'Fire On Babylon', along with contributions from Germaine Greer (opening track 'Germaine'), and Sinead's son Jake Reynolds ('Am I A Human?'), plus a cover of Nirvana's 'All Apologies'.

"I worked on this album over 3 years while juggling a lot of life transitions" says Adrian. "It was an intense period of time, but I found meaning and purpose in the music".

A balance of isolation and collaboration mark the new Adrian's new album with delightful tension- the synth infused, moody tracks express an untethered longing while upbeat numbers "Where To Begin" and "Me and You" transform anxiety into courage and a sense of grounded acceptance. A sparkle of pop influences - think Rex Orange County and Vampire Weekend - combine with Adrian's vulnerability on "After This" to speak to the disorienting personal growth that comes with major upheaval. "After This" sees Adrian moving through challenging and unexpected scenarios to discover hope and belonging.

It stands as a beacon of hope for those among us that have temporarily lost our footing.

The six members of The Howdies each bring a unique musical background that combines to create a singular sound. Their Athens, Ga home has long been an artistic haven for all genres of music and an open forum for shared expression.

The result is a place where outsiders flourish and the rules of musical tradition are often bent or even broken with a wink and a smile. Produced by David Barbe and T. Hardy Morris and recorded at Chase Park Transduction, only Athens could create a group like The Howdies and a record like Howdies All Around. A little bit loose, a little bit home made but over flowing with the love of friendship and the sheer joy of creating something new.

Das bereits 6. Album des mit dem Schwedischen Grammy ausgezeichneten Jazz-Acts -
dem Projekt von Dan Berglund = Bassist des legendären E.S.T. - Esbjörn Svensson Trios!
Die vierfach mit dem Grammy (Schwedischer Grammy) ausgezeichnete Gruppe
Tonbruket wird ihr sechstes Studioalbum "Light Wood, Dark Strings" veröffentlichen. Für
eine so vielfältige Band wie Tonbruket, die sich intensiv mit den Weiten des Jazz
beschäftigt und ständig die Grenzen dieses Genres erweitert, ist es kaum überraschend,
dass die Band erneut nach neuen Ausdrucksmöglichkeiten sucht. Die Freude an der
Entdeckung manifestiert sich auch auf dem kommenden Album, das für die Band einen
Schritt in eine neue Richtung darstellt. Im Gegensatz zu den bisherigen fünf Alben (alle auf
ACT), die eine Menge Synthesizer und Effektgeräte enthielten, ist "Light Wood, Dark
Strings" fast vollständig organisch. Jetzt haben sie die natürlichen Klänge auf das Album
einwirken lassen und ihr bisher ruhigstes und sanftestes Werk geschaffen. Die
Bandmitglieder sind: Bassist Dan Berglund (E.S.T., Rymden), Keyboarder/Violinist Martin
Hederos (The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Hederosgruppen), Gitarrist/Pedal Steel-Gitarrist
Johan Lindström (Rebecka Törnqvist, Elvis Costello) und Schlagzeuger Andreas Werliin
(Fire!, Wildbirds & Peacedrums).

Nach dem überwältigenden Erfolg von 'Roller Coaster' nahm die musikalische Karriere
von Danny Vera enorm Fahrt auf. Der Song brach alle Rekorde, führte sämtliche Charts an
und wurde mittlerweile auf Spotify fast 100 Millionen Mal gestreamt. Zwanzig Jahre harte
Arbeit und geduldiges Touren zahlten sich schließlich in Platin-Auszeichnungen und
einem ausverkauften Ziggo Dome aus. Und das alles nach seinen eigenen Bedingungen,
ohne Zugeständnisse zu machen. Doch wer denkt, dass Danny Vera sich jetzt auf seinen
Lorbeeren ausruhen wird, der irrt. Die Musik liegt ihm im Blut, und dieses Blut fließt
dorthin, wo es nicht hingehört. Amerikanische Country-, Blues- und Rock 'n' Roll-Musik
gehört dazu.
Sein neues Album 'DNA' wurde von Vera auf eine andere Weise geschaffen als üblich.
„Normalerweise dauert es zwei bis drei Jahre, um zwanzig Songs zu schreiben, aber
diesmal habe ich sie in zwei Monaten geschrieben“, sagt er. „Alles kam einfach spontan
heraus.“ Die Stimmung auf dem Album unterscheidet sich erheblich von der auf seinem
vorherigen Album. „Ich habe schnell gemerkt, dass in den Songs im Vergleich zu meinem
vorherigen Album 'The New Now' eine andere Atmosphäre herrschte. Es war etwas
authentischer, mehr Rock 'n' Roll und Blues – und so sollten die Songs klingen, so
authentisch wie möglich.“ In einer Zeit, in der ChatGPT Ihnen innerhalb von Sekunden
komplette Texte ausspuckt und alle Unvollkommenheiten im Studio ausgebügelt werden
können, war es für Danny Vera sehr erfrischend, alles auf einmal aufzunehmen. „So hat
man es früher gemacht, und deshalb hat es so gut geklungen, voller Spaß. Die
Unvollkommenheiten sind Teil davon, die Unvollkommenheiten machen es perfekt.“
Letztendlich landeten sechzehn Songs auf dem neuen Album. 'DNA' ist ein Album, auf
dem Danny Vera zu seinen Wurzeln zurückkehrt, mit Songs, die ihre Wurzeln in der
amerikanischen Roots-Musik vergangener Zeiten haben. Ohne Klickspuren, Autotune
oder die Beteiligung eines Autorencamps. Solide Songs, die von klassischen Danny
Vera-Balladen bis hin zu frischem, uptempo Rock 'n' Roll reichen. Eine Platte mit Ecken
und Kanten, aber vor allem mit starker Musik.

Agnetha Fältskog, weltbekannte Sängerin, Songschreiberin, Mitglied der Kultgruppe ABBA und eine der bekanntesten Stimmen der Musikgeschichte, hat 'A+' angekündigt, eine neu aufgenommene Version ihres gefeierten Solo-Albums "A" aus dem Jahr 2013, das am 13. Oktober 2023 über BMG veröffentlicht wird.

Das Originalalbum erschien vor 10 Jahren und wurde nun für das Jahr 2023 komplett neu aufgelegt. Neben der Albumankündigung hat Agnetha auch die atemberaubende Single 'Where Do We Go From Here?" in diesem Jahr neu aufgenommen; einen brandneuen Song, der dem Album hinzugefügt wurde und damit die erste neue Musik seit 10 Jahren von Agnetha als Solokünstlerin darstellt.

Das Album wurde speziell für sie von dem gefeierten Songwriter und Produzenten Jörgen Elofsson geschrieben.

Im Vorfeld des 10-jährigen Jubiläums des Albums diskutierten Agnetha und Jörgen darüber, wie das wie das Album klingen würde, wenn es im Jahr 2023 entstanden wäre, und beschlossen, diese Idee gemeinsam zu verfolgen. Sie arbeiteten mit ihrem Produzenten Anton 'Hybrid' Mårtensson zusammen und überarbeiteten das Album, jeden einzelnen Song, wobei sie den Originalgesang von 2013 beibehielten, die alte Musik wegwarfen und für 2023 völlig neue Produktionen und damit auch eine neue Tracklist schufen.

Das 2013 erschienene "A" war Agnethas erstes Album seit ihrem 2004 erschienenen Coveralbum "My Colouring Book" und das erste Originalmaterial seit "Stand Alone" von 1987.

Agnetha Fältskog, weltbekannte Sängerin, Songschreiberin, Mitglied der Kultgruppe ABBA und eine der bekanntesten Stimmen der Musikgeschichte, hat 'A+' angekündigt, eine neu aufgenommene Version ihres gefeierten Solo-Albums "A" aus dem Jahr 2013, das am 13. Oktober 2023 über BMG veröffentlicht wird.

Das Originalalbum erschien vor 10 Jahren und wurde nun für das Jahr 2023 komplett neu aufgelegt. Neben der Albumankündigung hat Agnetha auch die atemberaubende Single 'Where Do We Go From Here?" in diesem Jahr neu aufgenommen; einen brandneuen Song, der dem Album hinzugefügt wurde und damit die erste neue Musik seit 10 Jahren von Agnetha als Solokünstlerin darstellt.

Das Album wurde speziell für sie von dem gefeierten Songwriter und Produzenten Jörgen Elofsson geschrieben.

Im Vorfeld des 10-jährigen Jubiläums des Albums diskutierten Agnetha und Jörgen darüber, wie das wie das Album klingen würde, wenn es im Jahr 2023 entstanden wäre, und beschlossen, diese Idee gemeinsam zu verfolgen. Sie arbeiteten mit ihrem Produzenten Anton 'Hybrid' Mårtensson zusammen und überarbeiteten das Album, jeden einzelnen Song, wobei sie den Originalgesang von 2013 beibehielten, die alte Musik wegwarfen und für 2023 völlig neue Produktionen und damit auch eine neue Tracklist schufen.

Das 2013 erschienene "A" war Agnethas erstes Album seit ihrem 2004 erschienenen Coveralbum "My Colouring Book" und das erste Originalmaterial seit "Stand Alone" von 1987.

Dark Horse Records veröffentlicht das legendäre Live-Konzert von Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros in Acton Town Hall, neu gemastert vom Grammy-Preisträger Paul Hicks (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison) erhältlich auf 2LP-Vinyl und CD.

Das am 15. November 2002 aufgezeichnete Konzert war ein Benefizkonzert für streikende Feuerwehrleute und war einer von Joes letzten Auftritten (er verstarb einen Monat später). Teil des Auftritts eine Reunion mit Mick Jones, Strummers ehemaligem Bandkollegen von The Clash, der zum ersten Mal seit fast zwanzig Jahren für drei Songs wieder mit Strummer auf der Bühne zusammenkam. Es war auch das letzte Mal, dass sie gemeinsam auf der Bühne standen.

Die Vinyl ist in einer Gatefold-Hülle verpackt, inklusive bisher ungesehenen Fotos von der Show sowie neue Linernotes vom ehemaligen Feuerwehrsekretär Andy Gilchrist, der die Band bei der Show vorstellte und die Streiks anführte, die Joe unterstützte. Dies ist das erste Mal, dass das Konzert mit einer umfassenden Verpackung auf Vinyl veröffentlicht wird. Die extrem limitierte vorherige Version, die 2012 exklusiv zum Record Store Day erschien, hatte nur eine DIY-inspirierte Klarsichthülle und war das erste Mal, dass es auf CD
veröffentlicht wurde.

Der kanadische Sänger/Gitarrist JW-Jones, Billboard Top 10 Blues Artist, IBC-Gewinner 2020 und JUNO-Nominierter, ist mit seiner 12. Veröffentlichung zurück. Nachdem er bei der International Blues Challenge 2020 in Memphis als „Bester Gitarrist“ ausgezeichnet wurde, begann Jones mit der Arbeit an „Everything Now“, einem reinen Originalprojekt mit Special Guest Jimmie Vaughan und einer Produktion von Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar). "Lieder! Es dreht sich alles um die Songs!“ sagte der von JUNO nominierte Jones, dessen sengende Kunstfertigkeit in den letzten Jahren von den legendären Blueskünstlern Buddy Guy und Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones) gelobt wurde. „Während es viele brennende Leadgitarrensoli gibt, wollte ich mich öffnen und mit den Texten persönlicher denn je werden. Von der wahren Geschichte „Papa’s in the Pen“ bis „When You Left“, die ich mit Tränen über den Tod meiner Mutter gesungen habe, sind dies Geschichten, die ich endlich durch meine Musik teilen
kann.“

Johnnie Taylor was an accomplished soul artist despite having little instrumental skill and he rarely wrote any of his own material. He was known variously as the ‘Blues Wailer’ and the ‘Philosopher Of Soul’ and recorded over 30 albums and 120 singles throughout a career that cemented his status as one of the leading male soul vocalists during the late sixties and throughout the seventies.

He started his recording career mid-50s with the doo-wop group The Five Echoes and gospel groups The Highway Q.C.’s and then in 1957, The Soul Stirrers, replacing Sam Cooke who had left the group for a solo career. Taylor followed that path a few years later signing for Cooke’s SAR label. and had a minor hit in 1962 with “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day”.

in 1964 he moved to Stax Records where he started as a blues artist enjoying many fruitful years, most notably with “Who’s Making Love” selling more than a million copies. Following the unfortunate demise of Stax in 1976 he moved to Columbia Records where he went platinum with the hit “Disco Lady” (ironically not a disco track at all) and the album from which it came ‘Eargasm’ (1976) was a commercial peak he would never scale again. However, he continued with many collectable releases before moving to Beverly Glen Music in the early eighties and then Malaco Records in 1984, where his style became the more soul-blues based sound that was synonymous with the label. He remained with them until he died of a heart attack in Dallas aged 66 in 2000.

“Let’s Get Back On” Track comes from the CD ‘Gotta Get The Groove Back’ (1999) produced (and co-written with Charlie Brooks) by Frederick Knight, who also used the same backing track some 7 years later with his production of the David Sea track “Stay In My Arms” which was a modern soul favourite and will help to register the significance of this earlier production. It is now available as a vinyl release for the first time. It was taken from his final album although Malaco released ‘There’s No Good In Goodbye’ posthumously in 2003.
Robert Calvin Brooks, known professionally as Bobby “Blue” Bland spent his early career in Memphis, developing a sound that mixed gospel with blues and R&B and was known as the ‘Lion Of The Blues ‘and the ‘Sinatra Of The Blues’. His father abandoned the family not long after his birth and he acquired his name from his stepfather, Leroy Bland. His formative musical years were centered around the Beale Street scene and he was scouted by Ike Turner for Modern Records.

His progress was interrupted by a two year stint in the US Army and when he returned to Memphis he signed for Duke Records, run by Don Robey. Bland was illiterate and Robey helped him sign his contract which only gave him half a cent per record sold instead of the industry standard of 2 cents. He had his first hit in 1957 and continued a successful run of R&B chart entries without breaking through into the mainstream markets and was ranked number 13 of the all time chart-topping artists in Joel Whitburn’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995”.

Duke Records sold out to ABC and with them he managed to return to the R&B charts but he still couldn’t succeed in the pop charts. In 1985 Bland signed for Malaco who were specialists in the Southern black music sound and he recorded many albums and toured for them, frequently with B.B. King, and was inducted into the ‘Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’ in 1992.

Whilst “Heart Open Up Again” was a vinyl release in 1985 it was not chosen to be the single release from the Tommy Couch & Wolf Stephenson produced album Members Only (1985). This beautiful ballad, penned by George Jackson/Robert Miller/Michael Wooten, was never before released as a single and is a fabulous pairing with the topside – two of the best from two of the all-time greats.

* New 2023 Vinyl pressings * Original Release Date: 10/25/1994 * Album Notes: Single LP + poster Mercyful Fate "Time" packs a nasty horror-metal punch. As always, metal icon and frontman King Diamond leads the way on Time with epic lyrics and instantly recognizable vocal range that defined the group's sound. Bandmembers, guitarist Hank Sherman, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, and Snowy Shaw on drums do their usual fine job cranking out retro and near thrash metal riffs with biting precision. The sprawling "Lady in Black" is a clear standout, with its superior guitar grooves and relatively melodic and intelligible vocals. Other choice cuts include the crushing opener, "Nightmare Be Thy Name," and the title track,

Nach dem überwältigenden Erfolg von 'Roller Coaster' nahm die musikalische Karriere
von Danny Vera enorm Fahrt auf. Der Song brach alle Rekorde, führte sämtliche Charts an
und wurde mittlerweile auf Spotify fast 100 Millionen Mal gestreamt. Zwanzig Jahre harte
Arbeit und geduldiges Touren zahlten sich schließlich in Platin-Auszeichnungen und
einem ausverkauften Ziggo Dome aus. Und das alles nach seinen eigenen Bedingungen,
ohne Zugeständnisse zu machen. Doch wer denkt, dass Danny Vera sich jetzt auf seinen
Lorbeeren ausruhen wird, der irrt. Die Musik liegt ihm im Blut, und dieses Blut fließt
dorthin, wo es nicht hingehört. Amerikanische Country-, Blues- und Rock 'n' Roll-Musik
gehört dazu.
Sein neues Album 'DNA' wurde von Vera auf eine andere Weise geschaffen als üblich.
„Normalerweise dauert es zwei bis drei Jahre, um zwanzig Songs zu schreiben, aber
diesmal habe ich sie in zwei Monaten geschrieben“, sagt er. „Alles kam einfach spontan
heraus.“ Die Stimmung auf dem Album unterscheidet sich erheblich von der auf seinem
vorherigen Album. „Ich habe schnell gemerkt, dass in den Songs im Vergleich zu meinem
vorherigen Album 'The New Now' eine andere Atmosphäre herrschte. Es war etwas
authentischer, mehr Rock 'n' Roll und Blues – und so sollten die Songs klingen, so
authentisch wie möglich.“ In einer Zeit, in der ChatGPT Ihnen innerhalb von Sekunden
komplette Texte ausspuckt und alle Unvollkommenheiten im Studio ausgebügelt werden
können, war es für Danny Vera sehr erfrischend, alles auf einmal aufzunehmen. „So hat
man es früher gemacht, und deshalb hat es so gut geklungen, voller Spaß. Die
Unvollkommenheiten sind Teil davon, die Unvollkommenheiten machen es perfekt.“
Letztendlich landeten sechzehn Songs auf dem neuen Album. 'DNA' ist ein Album, auf
dem Danny Vera zu seinen Wurzeln zurückkehrt, mit Songs, die ihre Wurzeln in der
amerikanischen Roots-Musik vergangener Zeiten haben. Ohne Klickspuren, Autotune
oder die Beteiligung eines Autorencamps. Solide Songs, die von klassischen Danny
Vera-Balladen bis hin zu frischem, uptempo Rock 'n' Roll reichen. Eine Platte mit Ecken
und Kanten, aber vor allem mit starker Musik.

"The long-awaited LP, featuring 10 intensely vulnerable and absorbing new tracks (all written and recorded by the group) is delivered with fresh ambition and newfound purpose. Deeply inspired by the long layoff and the cloud of uncertainty that blanketed the world (and music industry) these past few years, 152 stands among the most genuinely reflective and emotionally pure efforts of Taking Back Sunday’s illustrious career.
From the heavy, intricate riffs and anthemic vocals to the elegantly warm synths and economical string arrangements, the quartet has never sounded better. That grand scope, from send-up to seriousness, is evident on the soaring album opener, “Amphetamine Smiles,” a powerful tale of reconnection that could be as much about the band members themselves as it is anything or anyone else. Whether it’s the grudging acceptance of maturity (“S’old), clutching the moment, (“The One”), eyes wide-open betrayal (“Keep Going”) or ‘can’t run from who you are’ awareness (“Quit Trying), the thread running through 152 is one of generosity, gratitude and ultimately, hope."" "

„The 90’s are back!“ – 30 Jahre später ist das beliebte Jahrzehnt musikalisch wieder voll im Trend! Auf der „FETENHITS - The Real 90’s“ sind die Originale der größten Party-Hymnen der Dekade vereint.

Ob die groovigen Sounds von „No Diggity“, der absolute Ohrwurm „Wannabe“ oder die Kult-Nummer „Mambo No. 5“ - Der bunte Mix der besten Party-Songs und Klassiker der 90‘s ist voller „Good Vibrations“!

Mit dabei sind u.a. U2, Britney Spears, Salt-N-Pepa, 20 Fingers & Gillette, Freddie Mercury, La Bouche, DJ Bobo, TLC, Backstreet Boys und viele mehr.

„We Bring It All Back“ mit den größten Party-Hits der 90er! Erhältlich als 4LP, 4CD und eAlbum ab dem 29. September 2023!

Some info on the background for the upcoming album, "Police Deranged For Orchestra"."Copeland explains that the “derangement” of The Police’s music “began as the score for a movie I made out of Super8 footage of the band that I had shot during our rise to glory. Film puts capricious demands on music, so I had to carve up the songs to serve the scenes in the movie, and once the scalpel was out, a whole new frenzy of inspiration from Police music began.” He shares that “delving into the multi-tracks of our original recordings and live performances revealed lost guitar solos, bass lines, and vocal improvisations that were just too cool to leave in obscurity... this discovery is what brings us to this performance: Sting’s songs, Andy’s inventions, and my impunity; all on the page for a wild ride with orchestra and unique musicians from around the world to adapt some of the most loved The Police hits for old and new audiences alike.

Sublime ethereal minimalism from Hiroyuki Onogawa on this retrospective compilation album for
Mana, the first dedicated release and remaster of his soundtrack compositions.

The album August in the Water: Music for Film 1995-2005 plots a decade of Onogawa’s compositions for films by the renowned filmmaker Gakuryū Ishii (formally known as Sogo Ishii). Ishii’s leftfield and trailblazing cinema has proven highly influential - Crazy Thunder Road (1980) is frequently cited as the starting pistol for the Japanese cyberpunk genre - and unfathomably difficult to source outside of Japan. This, coupled with the mysterious and artistic nature of the films, has seen him build a cult-like following. Most of his oeuvre remains undistributed outside Japan, though Third Window Films has recently taken great strides toward making some titles available internationally.

This retrospective publication, sequenced into an album by Onogawa himself, spans a fertile period of collaboration with Ishii, through soundtracks for three remarkable films: August in the Water (1995), Labyrinth of Dreams (1997), and Mirrored Mind (2005). Each feels texturally and sensually linked with the spiritual, ambient, dreamlike quality that lingers in Onogawa’s music.

The sound Onogawa conjures for these films is elegant and patient, often minimal or essential in form, but saturated in a poetic emotion and atmosphere that feels strange and otherworldly, touched by the metaphysical in subtle ways. Boundaries are crossed between New Age and science fiction, locating a blissfulness, melancholy and paranoia within the same spectrum, and moving toward an enchanting sense of mood and colour.

It’s notable that the compositions on this album straddle the millennium, and the mix of divine and uncertain themes in the music carry that currency. New listeners might hear links to Mark Snow’s compositional work for the X-Files and Millennium, or other celebrated future-facing and future-fearing Japanese anime or cyberpunk.

Onogawa’s music adds great depth and tenor to the sensory experience of the films themselves, but it stands just as strongly as a listening experience on its own terms, a virtuosic example of ambient that changes in hue when turned in the light. Remarkably, and in similar circumstances to Ishii, Onogawa’s work has never been widely available outside of (always highly enthusiastic) underground fan posts, usually sourced from extremely limited and private CDs limited to Japan. This retrospective seeks to remedy that, and hopes to achieve recognition for Onogawa as one of the great composers of the last three decades.

Onogawa continues to work in film, both in the creation of soundtracks, and now as a producer and director. He composed the music for Koji Fukada’s Harmonium (2016), which won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as for Fukada’s A Girl Missing (2019). As a director, he received the Grand Prize for Best Short Film in the Noves Visions category at the Sitges Festival in 2022 for Flashback Before Death (Guu), co-directed with Rii Ishihara.'

Anoushka Shankar, the acclaimed sitar player, producer and composer, shares a new mini-album: Chapter I: Forever, For Now is out via LEITER on limited edition vinyl and on all digital platforms from October 6, 2023.

Recorded at Berlin’s celebrated Funkhaus complex, the four new tracks make up the first chapter in a trilogy
of mini-albums Shankar will be writing and releasing as an evolving story between tours. Featuring guest
appearances by Nils Frahm (piano, glass harmonica, harmonium, slit drum), Gal Maestro (bass) and Magda
Giannikou (accordion), Forever, For Now was produced by praised Grammy-decorated singer and composer Arooj Aftab, with whom Shankar had previously collaborated on ‘Udhero Na’, from the deluxe edition of Aftab’s ‘Vulture Prince’ album.

Forever, For Now is Shankars first release since December 2022’s standalone single, ‘In Her Name’, which
commemorated the tenth anniversary of the 2012 gang rape in Delhi of Jyoti Singh Pandey, and the mini-
album also follows ‘Between Us...’, her live album for LEITER earlier the same year, recorded with Jules Anoushka Shankar, the acclaimed sitar player, producer and composer, shares a new mini-album: Chapter I: Forever, For Now is out via LEITER on limited edition vinyl and on all digital platforms from October 6, 2023.

Recorded at Berlin’s celebrated Funkhaus complex, the four new tracks make up the first chapter in a trilogy
of mini-albums Shankar will be writing and releasing as an evolving story between tours. Featuring guest
appearances by Nils Frahm (piano, glass harmonica, harmonium, slit drum), Gal Maestro (bass) and Magda
Giannikou (accordion), Forever, For Now was produced by praised Grammy-decorated singer and composer Arooj Aftab, with whom Shankar had previously collaborated on ‘Udhero Na’, from the deluxe edition of Aftab’s ‘Vulture Prince’ album.

Forever, For Now is Shankars first release since December 2022’s standalone single, ‘In Her Name’, which
commemorated the tenth anniversary of the 2012 gang rape in Delhi of Jyoti Singh Pandey, and the mini-
album also follows ‘Between Us...’, her live album for LEITER earlier the same year, recorded with Jules

If you were to ask for a defining Habibi Funk track, there are a few that come to mind: from Fadoul’s “Sid Redad,” Dalton’s “Soul Brother” to Ahmed Malek’s “Omar Gatlato.” However, none are as widely connected with us at this point as Hamid Al Shaeri’s “Ayonha.” We heard the track for the first time when we were working on selecting tracks for your first compilation and we instantly loved it. We obviously had heard of Hamid El Shaeri’s music before, but only material from his Al Jeel phase when he was already the full-blown
superstar he is now.

Listening to his releases from the early 1980’s opened a whole new door for us. At the time, Hamid had just left Libya to pursue his career in Egypt via a detour in London, where he recorded his
first album. Hamid’s distinct sound of the sound is quintessentially reliant on heavy synths and so it was particularly important to purchase these synths in a timely manner. “Whenever a new one synthesizer would come out, we would have to buy it immediately, otherwise someone else would get their hands on that sound.” London also played an important role for Hamid as a musical epicenter.

He fondly reminisces about the many live shows he attended there, including some of the biggest international musicians like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. After returning to Cairo where he also recorded his following albums, he connected with SLAM! for the
release of his debut, laying the foundation of a collaboration that lasted for 5 albums. Luckily, we were able to connect with Hamid through our friend Youssra El Hawary, whose extensive network has opened many doors for us within the Egyptian music scene. We met Hamid for the first time probably in 2016 at his office / rehearsal studio in the outskirts Cairo. We were expecting a larger-than-life
character in-line with his status as a certified superstar, yet the actual person turned out to be very approachable and super easy to connect with. He liked the idea of an effort to amplify his early works again,
which, when originally released, were far from an economic success.

While he was down to assist with an interview and his blessing for the project he also told us that for any license we needed to speak with the original label SLAM! who released these songs, still held the rights and also remained in business over the decades though they didn’t actively release any new music. Hany Sabet had started SLAM! records in the early 1980s and focused on cassette tape releases, the
format that expedited the success of a new generation of record labels in Egypt. By the mid 1980’s, SLAM! had become one of the most successful and economically dominant record labels in Egypt, with Hamid El Shaeri being just one of their key artists, alongside Mohamed Mounir, Hanan, Hakim, Mustafa Amar and many more. Luckily, Hany Sabet turned out to be a friend of our colleague Malak Makar’s father, which probably helped to warm him to the idea of licen- sing “Ayonha” to this - in the scale of his world - tiny label
from Germany. Eventually “Ayonha” ended up becoming a widely successful release and either Hany or we brought up the idea of a full album dedicated to Hamid El Shaeri’s work on SLAM!.


"Maktoub Aleina” is the first single and will be released January 14th. Following the massive success of "Ayonha,” “Maktoub Aleina” is another mid-tempo groover with a beautiful, synth-forward melody, that brings together a lovely combination of soul, disco and Arabic pop music of the highest order, giving a taste of full album. The second single, “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” will be released January 28th and combines Hamid’s unique formula of soul and pop, held together by a catchy synth melody. “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” picks up the
pace a bit, making the uplifting mood of the track even more powerful. Third single, arriving February 11th, is “Dari Demou’ek,” one of the stand out tracks of Hamid’s early recordings done for SLAM! in the early 1980s. Dominated by a disco infused bassline, the track offers a lot of space of the funky production to shine while Hamid inserts his vocals at all the right moments. A masterpiece of disco touched by Arabic pop music.

Full album arrives February 25th. This release is dedicated to Hany Sabet, the founder of SLAM! and his wife Rosemary Jane Sabet (who
took the photos we used for the cover and the booklet), who sadly passed away during the time it took us to prepare the release.
Vinyl comes with an extensive booklet with an interview with Hamid as well as unseen photos

• Latin Freestyle was a dizzying, passionate, ultra-modern music. It was the aural equivalent of a can of thirst-quenching Quatro or a Spanish Harlem dance-off, and it became the electronically constructed bridge between disco and house.

• Freestyle grew out of the electro sound of the early 80s, combined clean staccato rhythms with morse code synth hooks, and topped them off with emotive, usually female, frequently Latina vocals. There was plenty more going on besides: proto-house piano lines, Cuban percussion, high emotion and synth hooks to die for.

• Put together and annotated by Bob Stanley (who also compiled the acclaimed “The Daisy Age” and “Fell From The Sun”), “Latin Freestyle” is the first compilation to cover the whole gamut of Freestyle from its early 80s breakthrough to its early 90s revival. So many classics… Lisa Lisa made the UK top ten with the 808 joy of ‘I Wonder If I Take You Home’. Stacey Q’s cosmically great ‘Two Of Hearts’ came out in 1986, while 1987 saw the likes of Company B’s ‘Fascinated’ and Exposé’s ‘Point Of No Return’ become huge UK club hits.

• Today, Freestyle is a scene with a solid collector’s market, and rarities like Janelle’s ‘Don’t Be Shy’ sell for hundreds of dollars. It’s a classic summer soundtrack, finally condensed in one Ace Records compilation – “Latin Freestyle”.